It had been two weeks since I had explored the first temple. Two days after my return, the Canterlot Mages had managed to decipher some of the designs and plans in the journal I had given them. From what they could tell, they were plans for an energy source for something, something really big and really powerful. I assumed that was what that giant crystal cube from the temple was for, the purple energy I saw in the walls actually was being pumped out through multiple magical connecters underground. Celestia and Luna determined that we should follow the connecters to the next temple site, wherever that may be, the connecters were arranged in a strange pattern so it could go to any of the known or even unknown temples.

So, while Celestia was busy with tracking down the next location, Luna and I had begun to look into a lead on a possible journal location.

We weren't sure exactly where the journal was, but we had enough to go on to find the area, I already knew that feeling would kick in if I was close enough to the book, the same feeling that led me to the first one and to the main chamber of the temple. It was like someone or something wanted me to find them. It was about a week ago that I had put two and two togethe. In one of Vectors entries he had said something about making sure someone found something. He must have been talking about me and the Journals. Maybe in one of his visions he had seen me searching for answers. I've already seen my necklace and even images of myself in the temple and journal to know that the Cult and Order knew about me, wasn't really hard to imagine that to be the truth.

I'm getting sidetracked, something that seems to happen more and more often.

Anyway. It had taken awhile for Luna and I to find out the specific area, since we were following a magical link between the journal we had and the next one, it was a very, very thin line of magic that was constantly moving, but we were able to figure out a pattern with the help of Twilight and Starlight. The area was just by the western Equestrian border, around a series of small towns and villages. Starlight said she had a hunch about what it could be, appearantly having a friend that goes from town to town doing magic shows for a living, figured she found good business in that area.

We allowed her to come along, would let her see her friend again, we saw no harm in it. If anything having another magic user with her level of power could come in handy if anything went wrong. Not that anything should go wrong, but that's what I thought at my birthday party and look what happened, this stupid countdown.

The princesses, especially Luna, have now become extremely vigilant, given that anything could happen at any time and have started to take precautions against anything that could pose as a threat to Equestria and its people. Luna has even been teaching me how to fight, mainly with how to handle swords since none of the ponies could really teach me hand to hand combat. I didn't exactly like the idea, but I didn't want to be relying on those around me for protection, maybe if I learned to defend myself it would help Celestia back off a little, she means well but her mothering instincts make her very overprotective.

Speaking of Celestia, something interesting did happen with her a few days ago. When I had presented the sceptre to her, she instantly grabbed it with her magic and began muttering to herself as she inspected it, pacing back and forward for awhile before groaning in frustration. I asked her what was wrong while taking the sceptre back from her. She sighed before explaining it acted as a key to something, what it unlocked she didn't know, she had either forgotten what it was used for or the Cult never told her what it was for. She explained that it was one of four artefacts that the Cult and Order had made under the orders of Vector and the other higher ups in the groups.

Apparently the gem that was embedded in the sceptre was the same kind of crystal used to make the temples power source, only it was empty, and you can't just refill a gem like this, you need the specific spell or energy to avoid corrupting the thing.

I decided to bring the sceptre with me when going out to find the next journal, just in case it was needed. Luna, Starlight, Wasp, Zeri and I were teleported to just outside the area we thought the book was located in and began to walk through the slightly dull forest in a comfortable silence, Luna staying close to my side at all times. Starlight seemed to just be trotting along with a happy smile on her face, I guessed she was just happy that she would get to see her friend. I didn't really know much about this friend, only that she was a traveling magician and that her name was Trixie, and that she spoke in the third person for some reason. I've seen some ponies do that, as well as this one Minotaur that was doing an assertiveness course. That was a weird day.

After about half an hour of walking, I began to feel that pulling sensation. Luna let me take the lead as I followed the familiar feeling at a slightly faster pace. As the feeling grew stronger I found myself exiting the forest and coming across a dirt road, a wagon of some sort in the distance. That was it.

Starlight ran up ahead to see her friend, leaving me alone with Luna and the changelings, Scary was currently building a web in my bedroom in Canterlot, so it was just Wasp and Zeri latched onto me this time. I asked Luna is she knew anything about Trixie, only for her to shake her head. She had visited Trixie's dreams a few times, but never long enough to really get to know her, only that she had a fear of humiliation and a slight grudge against Twilight and her friends.

When Luna and I reached the wagon, we found Starlight and Trixie hugging it out very affectionately, I mean I know that these ponies are affectionate but the way they were hugging made me wonder if there's something they're not telling each other.

Starlight realised we were there and separated from Trixie, a small blush on her face that quickly faded. Starlight began to introduce us when Trixie's eyes feel on me. She froze in place and her pupils shrunk down to the size of pinpricks.

When I was about to ask her what was wrong she tried to teleport away, only for Luna to grab her in her magic. I wondered why she would react like that, but then one distant memory made itself known to me, a conversation I had with Twilight a long time ago, discussing a few of her lessons that she learned while in Ponyville. One of those lessons involved a unicorn mare with a specific name, a name I should have remembered sooner.

Trixie Lulamoon.

Author's Notes:

So sorry this took so long! I haven't had much motivation to write lately.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed, and we're starting to get further in and the timer is getting shorter.

If you see any mistakes please point them out as it is a huge help, thank you.