It never hurt, being ejected from Canterlot like I was. I never once felt a modicum of pain.
It was relaxing actually, except for the uncontrollable speeds locking my wings against my body and the fact that my plans had been thwarted.
No, the worst part was landing. That hurt. It left me as near-death as it is possible for one like me to be.
I needed to feed.
–
Somewhere in Equestria and far away from Ponyville, thank you very much, a beat-up carriage shuddered along an equally beat-up road. The carriage moved purely through the magical will of its lone occupant, but that occupant was slowly losing the battle against sleep, her eyelids sagging dangerously.
“Trixie must not-” she called out before giving in to her fatigue.
As the carriage came to a halt, the lone occupant jolted awake, rubbing at her eyes with azure hooves. “No, I must persevere!” The unicorn got to her hooves and peered out of the gap in between the cloth door flap of her carriage. It was dreary and dull outside, the forest barely made a sound, as if all of the animals had decided to stay inside their nests and dens. Not even the wind slithered through the trees, producing an eerie calm that wasn't welcome when one was as alone as she was.
The azure unicorn had left a small settlement days earlier and had been told to expect a long trip before meeting anyone else. The land she was travelling through was carpeted in thick forests and trees as big as houses surrounded the one and only road through them. She had been told by the villagers in the previous town that the journey could get very lonely, but she refused a guide.
Trixie was used to leading a solitary life.
“I suppose I've travelled far enough for today.” she said out loud. Trixie knew that she had no one to talk to, but sometimes, just hearing a voice was enough to keep you company, even if it was your own.
Through a gap in the trees, Trixie could see that the sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon. With a practised burst of magic from her horn, Trixie manoeuvred her carriage into a small shadowed section of grass on the side of the road. It kept her out of the way of oncoming traffic but also providing her with a little privacy when she would eventually get to sleep for the night.
After her little exercise however, she didn't feel quite as sleepy as she had done in the carriage, so she took the opportunity to get some food in her belly. There was a small pack of provisions in her carriage that would hold her until the next town, so she crept back through the door flap and began to chew on a high energy snack.
She had gotten used to eating much less over the past few months, so her stomach wasn't complaining much.
With the quick burst of energy her snack provided, Trixie felt that she should work on her next big trick. She had been planning this one for a while and had only recently procured the book which helped her fit in the final few pieces of the puzzle. Basically, she was going to clone herself, but not really.
Trixie would actually be creating an illusion so powerful that it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It would even smell the same. Generating the power necessary to do so however, was a task in itself. She wouldn't like to admit it, but the azure unicorn had probably bitten off more than she could chew with this spell. As her old mantra goes though, 'anything you can do, I can do better' and she had met somepony who could do amazing things.
Not that she would say that to the ponies face.
Regardless of her personal feelings towards that certain pony, it had at least inspired Trixie to better herself as a magician and not to rely on her current power level. Coasting by and being complacent was no way to live as a travelling magician. Despite the fact that she learnt this lesson later rather than sooner, it was still a good lesson to know and definitely one to take to heart.
Trixie stepped outside again and shivered once against the cold. She stood in a small empty space between the trees and performed a few power concentrating exercises she had been taught. Her eyes were closed and she breathed deeply, feeling the buzz at the base of her horn and willing it to expand. After a few minutes, she began to cast her spell.
And then everything exploded.
–
When Trixie came to, she found herself on her back, lay down in her own personal crater.
It wasn't the strangest place Trixie had ever woken up, but it was definitely odd. No doubts about that. Her spell couldn't have been that disastrous a failure, could it?
Trixie shook her head to stop her vision from being so blurry, but all she achieved was a sharp pain that signified the beginnings of a headache. “Okay, Trixie should refrain from shaking her head too much.”
“As you wish.”
The azure unicorns ears perked to attention immediately. Sleeping alone outside had given Trixie excellent hearing, knowing if something was trying to sneak into your carriage at night was a useful ability. So Trixie was having trouble doubting what her ears had just picked up. That was, rather unmistakably, her own voice answering her.
Turning as quickly as her body would allow, Trixie gazed at a slightly shadowed form looming over the rim of the crater. The dazzling lavender eyes, the smooth azure coat, the luxurious silvery mane, it was undoubtedly her.
“I did it!” She shouted, scrambling to her hooves and rushing over to the new pony. “You can speak?” Trixie asked, regarding her illusionary clone with a scrutinising eye.
“Of course.” It replied in an eerie echo of Trixie's own voice.
Hesitantly, Trixie leaned in, resting her muzzle close to the back of the clones neck and sniffed cautiously. It was a calming scent, like the familiarity one would feel upon coming home after a long day. She wasn't the best pony to say what exactly her natural smell was, having grown used to herself over the years, but there was no doubt in her mind that this was it. “You're perfect. I can't believe I was able to do this.”
“I am perfect because Trixie is perfect.” It droned.
The azure unicorn couldn't help but smile, her lips curling smugly. Trixie wasn't through with her inspection however, she began to circle her clone slowly.
“Look how taut and luscious my flanks are.” Trixie smiled as she ran a hoof across her clones haunches, lingering for a brief moment on the cutie mark. With a smirk, she smacked her clone hard across the backside, causing it to jump slightly. The clone turned its head and returned Trixie's smirk, its eyes seemingly flashing with desire.
“Trixie loves her own body?” It asked in a sultry whisper.
The magician merely replied with a small lick to the clones hindquarters, dangerously close to the innards of her thighs.
The clones tail lifted reflexively, its pupils dilated and it let out a satisfying sigh. “I would be honoured if Trixie wishes to love herself.” The clone draped its silvery tail across Trixie's face, tickling her nose, before walking slowly towards the carriage, swaying its flanks from side to side as it did.
Trixie let out a soft nicker and followed her clone through the door flap of the carriage. It was lay down on the pile of blankets Trixie used as a bed, its hind legs were parted slightly, giving Trixie a glimpse at what lay beyond them. The clone sat up when it saw Trixie and beckoned her over, welcoming the magician into a warm embrace. It set the pace by delivering several short kisses along Trixie's neck, something the magician was quick to emulate.
“Does Trixie love herself?” The clone asked, planting one more kiss just below Trixie's ear.
“Trixie does.”
The clone grinned, its eyes glowing a curious shade of green for the briefest of moments. Her canines lengthened and grew into fiercely sharp fangs, her entire body began to shift, growing and darkening, the soft azure coat was replaced by a cold, smooth blackness, the silvery hair being replaced with long, lank turquoise strands. Trixie only had time to gasp before the creature sunk her fangs deep into Trixie's neck.
Crimson flowed from the wound, dripping onto Trixie's bedsheets. Chrysalis removed her mouth and stared into the magician's lavender eyes, they were fearful- confused. Even now, Trixie had become pale, her forelegs unable to conjure the strength to stem the flow of blood from her neck.
The changeling queen smiled, her mouth still flecked red with Trixie's blood, her green eyes flashing with pure ecstasy. “Your vanity was delicious.”
Chrysalis shuddered in pleasure and her papery wings flitted happily. As dark as her body was, it seemed to glow with power. Her horn glowed green for a moment and Trixie's eyes began to droop. “Sleep, my love. Death is my greatest gift to you.”
She planted a tender kiss upon Trixie's cold forehead, just below the horn, and rested the unicorns silent body upon the blankets.
“I will never forget you.” Chrysalis took one final look at the unicorn and exited the carriage. She flitted her wings one more time, enjoying the small gusts of wind flowing through her hair. Her gaze went upwards, landing on a glowing orb above, the moon had begun its journey across the sky. When her gaze lowered, the azure unicorn stood where the changeling queen once did.
With a smile on her face, Trixie began to walk, one hoof in front of the other.
She wasn't out of the forest yet.
***
