It began as a nightmare, then it became a reality.
Two very long years have passed since the events of “Magic Duel". While everything seems to be in order in Equestria again, things have long since been downhill for one unicorn, who 24 months ago had had the entire city of Ponyville underneath her bare hooves... at least for a while.
The unicorn's name is Trixie Lulamoon. She used to be a traveling performer, who always called herself "The Great and Powerful Trixie" every time she appeared on stage or in the middle of a crowd. Everywhere she went, she would attempt to entertain other ponies with cheap parlor magic tricks; sometimes her climax would be to teleport behind the audience, while other times she would tell her phony tale about how she had defeated the Ursa-minor. She would also go around and gloat about how she is the most magically gifted unicorn in all of Equestria. However, as she continued to put on shows as she traveled throughout most of Equestria, other ponies were starting to get tired of her persistent boasting and degrading. As a result, her shows became less popular, and more ponies started to hate the young mare altogether.
And then she would confront a lavender unicorn named Twilight Sparkle and her friends on the first day she visited Ponyville. But in an attempt to show off the same staged battle with the Ursa-minor, only with the real thing this time, she could not defeat the bear, thus leaving Twilight to fix the damage the bear caused. Trixie felt excruciatingly humiliated after the other ponies have found out that the blue unicorn was a fraud, so she resorted to exiling herself.
Fast-forward to the day where Trixie discovered the powers of an alicorn amulet. She felt that with it, she can finally exact her revenge on Twilight Sparkle due to the Ursa incident... little did she know that the amulet would corrupt her mind that day. After dueling with Twilight and winning the first match, Trixie exiled the lavender unicorn, turned the entire town of Ponyville into her own kingdom, and made all of the inhabitants into slaves. Trixie’s reign lasted for a good while. Soon after, Twilight had challenged the blue mare for a rematch, and with the help of her friends, she won the duel, and then her friends pilfered the amulet from Trixie’s grasp. Ashamed at all that she had done to Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Ponyvillians, Trixie Lulamoon exiled herself for the second time. Ponyville hadn't seen or heard from her ever since.
Now, after the longest two years of her young life, Trixie was still struggling to find out which path in life was right for her. After a recent history of so many rejections, so many ponies turning their backs on her every time she puts on a show for them, so many tomatoes being thrown at her during almost every show, and nopony to ever turn to... things had proven to be really hard on the blue unicorn ever since the alicorn amulet incident.
She had always lived in her wagon, which she had taken everywhere she felt like going. In fact, despite its state of near ruin, hence the Ursa incident, it was her only home. She would always crawl back into her strolling abode to escape herself from the rest of Equestria, and reflect on all that had happened, what she could have done to bear the sad feelings inside of her, and why these things would happen to her. Every time she tried to redeem herself, she failed. Nopony ever wanted to see a fake magician who boasts and throws insults all the time. She felt like she will always be alone… always rejected… always without a friend in the world… always empty on the inside… always friendless… always feeling as if the world was against her, and that nopony could ever help her, even when she needs it... always hated… and always trapped in her own sea of depression.
*****
Today, which seemed like a brand new day, was just another repeat routine for the “not so great and powerful” Trixie. Every day, she would wake up, put on her wizard hat and cape, go to work at the rock quarry which was just outside of Ponyville, work, and come back home to her wagon. Whenever she was not too busy, she would attempt to put on a show or two somewhere in Equestria; yet, she made it regular practice to dodge tomatoes and other junk being pelted at her. Every single time this would happen, she would question if magic was even in her liking anymore. Many more questions continue to cloud Trixie’s mind every day, leaving her in the middle of a crossroads, uncertain of what to make out of her life. Yet, being a cheap parlor magician was the only thing she felt like she was good at. It was what her cutie mark stood for.
*****
One day during her job at the rock quarry, which is about half an hour away from Ponyville, Trixie is using her magic to finish mining her section of the quarry.
Exhausted from another long day’s work, she asks the nearest male quarrypony if she could take a short break, and he accommodates her request. Trixie’s long days at her job would normally leave her drenched in her own sweat… and blood, sometimes.
The sun is setting in the sky, and while she is catching her breath between each sip of water, word has just gotten out that a princess is returning to Ponyville. The princess’s chariot, carried by two coach stallions, is making its first stop at the rock quarry, where Trixie worked. As soon as she caught a faint glimpse of her majesty in the distance, the blue unicorn instantly becomes nervous. She didn't expect the arrival of a princess so soon, nor would she have any idea what is in store.
Trixie finds herself speechless and unable to move for a few moments, but nonetheless, she is quick to analyze the shadow of the alicorn princess, who is speaking to a quarrypony not too far from her breaking area. Soon after, she grows curious as to what the princess looked like, so she decides to carefully inch closer to get a better look and hides behind a rock cart, trying not to be seen.
"Hmm...," ponders Trixie. So far, she can make out the mare's small size compared to the quarrypony, and that she has wings... and lavender-colored fur.
"... No..." Trixie gasps. She is dumbfounded and surprised to see that the princess before her is none other than the pony that she knew, the very same mare that she had confronted in the past, and that she believes to have humiliated her… twice.
"It-it can't be...!" Trixie cannot believe her eyes. "It just can't be!" She tries her best not to make too much noise, albeit she is horrified by her findings. She knows what her name is, but her brain wouldn't allow her to say it right then and there. "She's... an alicorn...?!" Wide eyed, she gathers her strength and attempts to speak her name. She may have known now who the new princess is, but at the moment she wishes that she had not. The thought that the same unicorn who had unintentionally ruined Trixie's image twice is now a princess... that reality started to sink into her mind and heart.
"T... Twi... Twilight Sparkle," she utters with an otherwise sad look on her face, and started to choke up. Right now, she couldn't bear to relive the pain that she felt two years ago. "Pr... Princess... Twilight Sparkle..."
As Trixie starts to slowly back away, Princess Twilight immediately notices a blue unicorn far behind the quarrypony, creeping away.
"Hello? Hello back there!" the lavender princess calls out to her, but Trixie didn’t replied back. "Oh well…," the princess sighs.
The meek unicorn is busy backing away from Twilight, but then she suddenly storms off to the other end of the quarry. She is too scared to say anything to the mare whom she had held a grudge against for so long, and then finding out that the same pony became a princess. All thoughts of getting revenge on Twilight starts to backfire in her mind. She begins to feel even more depressed than before.
Princess Twilight decides to ignore Trixie after seeing her vanish behind a hill of boulders, and she is escorted back to her coach chariot, continuing her route to Ponyville. “Good bye, everypony!”
Minutes have passed, and the blue mare comes out of hiding. With a great deal of uncertainty in her eyes, she mutters to herself, "I... I don't know what to make of this. That wretched good-for-nothing Twilight Sparkle... is now a princess." She is feeling a combination of sadness and anger the more she continues. "I still can't believe the days that she had ruined my career. And then she had the nerve to call herself a princess after all that she had done to me? The Great and Powerful Trixie?" She wipes a single tear from her right eye, and continues her lament. "It's... it's not fair! It's just not fair! I hate her so much, I can't stand it! Why does she have to be so much better than me at everything?!" She begins to cry, but at the same time, she tries not to make a scene. "Ugh...! I really want her to suffer after what she did to me...! But now that she's an alicorn... that's impossible. Should I continue to plot against her? Or do I apologize to her?"
Her sadness is immediately replaced with confusion. "Ugh! I don't know what to do anymore... this is all too much for me... my brain hurts...!" She tries to recollect her thoughts for half an hour, and then she returns to her work position before the quarrypony would notice her absence. But as soon as she arrives at her post, Trixie suddenly feels an uncomfortable sting in her stomach.
The skies are starting to get dark, and even though she is supposed to work the night shift, she slowly walks into a big green office tent and approaches her stallion boss with a request in mind. "Uhh... Boss? I am aware that I'm supposed to stick around and help ya out for another night shift, but... I haven't been feeling up and up lately, so if it's all right by you... the Great and Powerful Trixie would like to humbly request that she takes an early release until she gets better. Please...?"
"Hmm..." the boss ponders. "Well, I normally don't give early releases to workers just because they're sick, but... well..." He spends a few seconds thinking, as Trixie continues to show signs of a sick pony, planting her fore-hooves on her sides. He sighs and retorts, "... Okay, Trixie. I'll let you off the hook. But just this one time, okay? And don't forget, you still need to work a triple shift to make up for it. Do I make myself clear?"
"I fully understand, sir," Trixie replies.
"Good. See you next Monday, Trixie Lulamoon. Hope that you will feel better by then." He politely dismisses her, and she shakes his hoof before escorting herself out of the rock quarry. "Thank you, sir," Trixie says as she leaves the tent with one hoof still planted to her side.
*****
It is completely dark outside. As Trixie timidly makes her way back to her wagon, which is her only home, her walk is interrupted by a mysterious chuckling voice, echoing through the forest.
“Huh”, questions the blue mare. The chuckling starts high-pitched and faint, and it eventually turns deeper and more sinister. “C-come out here, whoever you are! You don’t scare the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she retaliates, even though she is vibrating rapidly, not knowing where this strange sound is coming from. She begins trotting down her path and tries to ignore the mysterious voice… but it wouldn’t go away. In fact, it grows louder and louder, and it even calls out Trixie’s name with a devilish tone…
“Trixiiiieeeeeeee…”
The blue unicorn freezes herself in place and gulps. She becomes more and more frightened as the demon-like voice continues to call out to her. Her fears have immediately overpowered her depression, and she starts to gallop in an attempt to escape her sinister subconscious… but it is no use.
“Trixiiiieeeeeeee…!”
She starts to gallop faster and faster down her path in the middle of the dark woods, trying to convince herself that this voice is all in her head. “I’m- I’m not scared! I’m not scared!” Trixie continues to convince herself that she is all alone and that the voice is not real…
“TRIXIIIIEEEEEEEE…!”
She whimpers with no end while trotting down the blackened path, but the voice’s reluctance is beginning to best her emotions, and she starts to panic. “L-le-leave me alone!” Now, she is worried that she might never leave the woods and that the voice would follow her for the rest of her life. She begins to gallop faster...
“TRIXIE!!”
A couple of tears are rolling down her eyes. She then questions if she is going crazy right now. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” she yells a complete uproar as she keeps sprinting and sprinting. With the voice clouding her thoughts of peace, she panics even more and soon discovers that she is no longer on the blackened path. She finds herself lost in the vast woods, but she didn’t care anymore. All she wants is for the voice to stop…
“TRIXIE!!!!!!”
“Noooooooooo…!” Trixie yells back at the voice again. Soon after, a sudden red and orange flash has formed in front of her eyes for a brief second. She then has a vision; one which seems as if the woods she is in is engulfed in flames, and that she could hear screaming and crying in her head. She immediately gasps and blinks, then she finds herself back in the calm dark forest, still being pursuited by the mysterious voice. “LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE!!” She has been running and sobbing for two minutes, lost in the dark and unforgiving wilderness. Drained of all hope of ever finding her way out, all she could think about is shutting the voice up. And then...
CRASH!
She finds herself unable to move, as she has collided head-first into a huge tree trunk. Afterward, she moans and becomes unconscious.
*****
Some time later, Trixie is finally able to come to and wakes up in front of the same tree trunk. Occupied by a sharp headache, she dizzily looks around her, alone in the deep dark woods... lost.
Until a few moments later, a tall dark blue figure with floating hair descends from the tree tops and lands onto the trunk in front of Trixie. To Trixie's surprise, the figure standing before her reveals herself to be none other than Princess Luna, the bringer of the night.
"Shocked for a brief moment, the blue unicorn shyly greets the night princess, "P-Princess Luna?"
"Yes, Trixie Lulamoon. I am the princess of the night and guardian of your dreams," Luna replied.
"My d-dreams?" questions the blue mare.
"Indeed. I have been monitoring your troubles that have been clouding your judgment of reality."
This statement has brought back the look of uncertainty in Trixie's eyes.
"Care to share some of those troubles with me?"
"Well... umm... it's... uhh..." Trixie gulps hard as she tries to find the words to say. "Well, Princess... I-I haven't been feeling like myself lately."
"I see. Would you like to explain why?"
"Umm... I... My whole life has been in shambles ever since I came face to face with that pesky Twilight Sparkle," she scoffs.
"Hmm... Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Luna says, puzzled.
"Yeah... her..." Trixie becomes slightly agitated after mentioning Twilight's name. She then starts to coil back to the times of her last two encounters with the lavender unicorn, who is now an alicorn. It would appear that she is going to have a hard time letting go of this grudge against Ponyville's newest princess. “But I still have no idea how she could even consider herself a princess after all that she had done to me.”
"Might I ask, do you have something against Princess Twilight, Trixie?"
"Heck yeah. I hate her so much. She humiliated me, and made fun of my good name in front of everypony. She ruined my career! Everywhere I go, my magic shows bomb, and I have to focus more on dodging tomatoes than doing everyday magic tricks! And to make matters worse, that purple pest is now a princess?! Ugh!"
Luna shrugs after Trixie’s demonstration of her angst against Twilight.
"I’ve been trying to think of ways of getting revenge on her, but now… I don't know what to do, Princess. Can you…” She pauses for a moment and gulps. “Can you please help me? Because I have nopony else to turn to." Trixie sheds another tear.
Luna thinks for a while, and then replies, "I'm afraid I cannot help you with your grudge, Trixie. Only YOU can solve that problem."
"Is that so?" Trixie says with confusion on her pale blue face. “How can I possibly ignore all that she had done to me?”
"I do believe that you have been feeling a rough conflict of emotions for some time. Your grudge has prevented you from seeing what really matters in life. And because of that grudge you have against Twilight, you have been struggling trying to figure out what you can make out of your own life. But Trixie, no matter how you look at things, you cannot hold onto this grudge forever. I would really hate to see you like that."
"Well, I have been holding onto this grudge for about two years after that time she took that alicorn amulet from me." Trixie lowers her head in shame.
"Nopony is forcing you to become friends with her, but regardless of what happened two years ago, getting back at our new princess will only lead to dire consequences. Revenge is never the answer. You should know that."
Trixie scoffs in disagreement. "Yeah right. You should have seen what she did to me the first time I came into Ponyville. I was minding my own business, putting on a show, and then that lavender loser and her stupid friends came to me and messed it all up."
Luna gasps in horror from hearing the young mare’s rant.
"It was atrocious! I could not defeat the Ursa-minor, but she could without even breaking a sweat?! It’s no wonder why everypony hates me! It’s because of her! She always has to find a way to be so much better than me at everything! I swear, one day I’ll make her pay! I’ll make them all pay!!” With fire in her eyes, she fumes for a few seconds before calming down.
“Trixie, calm down!” Luna yells back in response of the rant.
Trixie is breathing heavily for a moment, but she has finally calmed down. Both mares slowly start to gaze at each other. The blue mare soon lowers her ears and tears are starting to pour from her eyes. “Oh my dear Celestia...!" Trixie covers her face and begins to sob again.
"Let me tell you something, Trixie...," the blue princess calmly says as she lifts the unicorn’s head to face her eyes. "You may not want to hear this, but it's best to either make up with her or just leave her and her friends alone. That's all I can tell you."
"H-huh?" she replies after wiping some tears off her face.
"I have high hopes for you, Trixie Lulamoon. I know you have what it takes to rid yourself of this grudge within you, and seek out a better and happier lifestyle for you and all of the other ponies. And I know Princess Twilight Sparkle very well, Trixie. She saved Equestria in many ways that not every pony can accomplish. You and I both know that she is a good pony. But the longer you hold onto this angst, the more you conceal yourself from what is really important in life; and what is important for your own well-being. I believe in you. And I also believe that Twilight didn't mean to do what she might have done to hurt you. I'm sure you realize that too, but you have got to stop putting yourself into this wall you're in. This isn’t healthy for you or anypony. You need to realize that nopony is going to want to see your face as long as you continue to behave like this.”
Trixie closes her eyes shut again and gulps, trying hard not to shed another tear, but she is already letting another drop roll down her face.
Luna continues, “You have a rare gift, Trixie, and it's up to you to find out what that gift is. There are times in life that you must face your fears. Because sooner or later, that time will come, and it is up to you to prepare for that moment."
“Moment? What moment?” the blue unicorn questions, as she looks up at the dark blue princess once more.
“You’ll know when the time comes. Trust me, Trixie. Trust me that you will become a better pony for yourself, for Princess Twilight Sparkle, her friends, and everypony else.”
“I… I trust you… Princess Luna.” Trixie says as she hesitantly gives a forced smile.
They both hug each other for a few seconds. "Good night, my little pony. I hope you can find it in you to become a successful and happier little mare, and that you can find a way to confront your darker side. I wish you the best of luck."
"...See you again soon, Princess," Trixie replies with a timid goodbye wave.
The bringer of the night starts to back away and prepares for flight. With Trixie watching, she then zooms upward and flies out of the woods, vanishing into the night sky.
Once again, Trixie is all alone; but it no longer matters. All she could think about is what the Princess of the Night has told her. She sighs. Using her illumination spell, she finally trots back to the path she was on earlier, finding her way back to her wagon.
At long last, she finds her wagon and steps inside to prepare for bedtime. "No voices this time, thankfully." she thinks to herself with a forced smile on her face. Yet she has no idea that the voices would be the least of her worries. Later that night, she would begin to have a very strange dream, which would soon become an overwhelming nightmare. In it would reveal itself to be the most shocking reality check of her life. "Now what does she mean by 'confront my darker side?' Sounds peculiar…," Trixie ponders. She then falls asleep in her cot, and begins to dream...
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note
What's up, fellow bronies and furries!
This is my very 1st take on a horror-ish genre. I really want this to be a "what if" kind of story.
Note: this all takes place 2 years after "Magic Duel".
For now, I will be focusing on this fic. The other fic of mine "Rupert Meets Equestria" will be on a short hiatus for the time being.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I DID ON THIS FIC!
Constructive Criticism is a PLUS. Thank you! =^_^=
Chapter 2: From Nightmare to Reality
WARNING: this chapter will contain gory violence and disheartening scenarios.
Please read on your own risk.
It begins as a nightmare, then it becomes reality.
*****
The night before, the once “Great and Powerful” Trixie was in shambles, as she had dealt with the reality that her former foe, Twilight Sparkle, became a princess. After another long day at the rock farm, the blue unicorn found herself running from a sinister voice that kept calling out to her. She then met the Bringer of the Night, Princess Luna, who had given her a heads up about her “other” side...
*****
Now, she is all cozied up in her cot, resting peacefully inside her dilapidated wagon, figuring out what to do next in her life, and wondering what tomorrow will have in store. Soon after, it is early in the morning, Princess Celestia’s sun has not fully risen yet, and the blue showmare is already waking up from what seems to be a brief slumber. “Wha…? Huh. What a strange transition. One minute I was getting ready for bed, and all of a sudden, it’s morning? Odd!” Trixie retorts with a loud yawn.
She is all alone, so she never even takes account of whether somepony was trotting close by to even her her yawns. A few minutes pass by, and Trixie finally summons her strength to climb out of bed. The first thing on her mind is food, but all she could find in her cupboards are dust and mildew. But in light of her hunger, she begins to ponder around her wagon for a bit. All Trixie could think about then and there is what Luna had told her the preceding night. As she clouds herself into deep thought, many questions start to form into the mind of the troubled unicorn. Some she might have the courage to answer on the spot, while others she cannot put a hoof on until the time comes.
For instance, why didn’t she notice sooner about her old rival Twilight Sparkle becoming an alicorn? Would she still plan her revenge against Equestria’s newest princess? What would happen if she even plans another scheme against Twilight, and then it fails just like the other times? Would she try to make amends with her, apologize to her, and even ask her for forgiveness? Does she even want to put their differences aside and become friends at last?
As these questions circle around Trixie’s mind in an unpredictable rate, one thing instantly becomes clear as Celestia’s daylight. The first thought right now would not be an easy feat, but something needed to be done. “... I need to go and talk to Twilight. Trixie puts on her signature hat and cape and exits her wagon, beginning her long walk to the one place where she fears that nopony would ever want to lay eyes on her again, especially after everything she had done two years ago… Ponyville.
She soon trots over the bridge leading towards town square, and when she turns her attention to the small town, she starts slowing down her walk and lowers her ears with confusion. Not a single indication of life around her. “What the…?” She begins her brief investigation of the matter, galloping deeper into town. “Where is everypony?” Still, no one popped out, ran into her or even said “hi”. Something clearly was wrong. Now, she starts to get a bit scared, so she darts to the door of Town Hall, eager to know what is going on. The door is already cracked open, and she pops her head inside to see a huge space of emptiness. “Anypony?!” she shouts, hoping to get an answer back. But still, nothing. All she can hear is the wind whistling across the vacant building, so she leaves and shuts the door behind her. “Okay. WHAT IS GOING ON?!” Trixie is now more concern than ever. This town is usually filled and flooded with laughter, joy, playfulness, smiles, and happiness. But now, even though the bright hot sun is looming over the skies, the city that surrounds the “shy and timid” Trixie is now standing as a ghost town…or so it seems.
“Twilight!” Trixie suddenly realizes she has forgotten to meet her, and she frantically gallops all over the empty city. She glances at each and every window and doorstep, hoping to find the young princess… but to no avail. She searches for about half an hour, and she finds herself too exhausted to continue. She drops out onto the hot, unbearable concrete below, when she immediately glances upon a huge sparkling tree structure with gems and royal decorations all over. This is the Castle of Friendship, where Twilight Sparkle now resides.
“This… this better be… it!” Trixie exclaims while she is coughing and catching her breath. Frozen in sheer awe at the sight before her, she takes a few minutes to soak it all in. The Castle is beautiful and uniquely designed. It is the kind of design that Rarity would usually be very fond of; mostly because of its archways, the curtains, the exterior decor lined with ruby and gems that shine like Luna night stars.
It is an amazing sight, and it leaves the blue unicorn distracted for a while… until she reminds herself of the task at hand. “Come on, Trixie. Snap out of it!” She says to herself out loud, regaining her train of thought. “All right then. I really hope she’s in there. And...” She gulps hard and sighs with nervousness, completely unaware of what her apology to Twilight will bring. “... I really hope she can forgive me, even after everything I have done. I just hope she still isn’t mad at me after all of that.” The thoughts of the past are once again forming in her mind and clouding her judgment of those events. With her heart pulse rate reaching its peak, Trixie is now even more afraid of what will happen if she does deliver the apology… but it doesn’t matter anymore. She knows that it is time to make amends, and time to put the past behind them both.
“Oh my goodness...” she squeals with another big deep breath. “Okay.” She stands up on her hooves and hesitantly approaches the front royal doors. “H-h-here goes nothing…!”
Trixie raises one hoof and knocks on the door, and then slowly backs up in fear. Her ears have not raised up at all since she has lowered them upon entering Ponyville’s limits.
An immense moment of silence… and Trixie’s worry is turning to impatience, but she keeps her cool. And then… the doors slowly creek open in front of the showmare, which caused her to gasp.
The doors then reveal a black silhouette. The figure is as tall as Trixie, except that it has wings and a crown… definitely the signs of a princess.
“Eep!” Trixie starts to quiver in uncertainty, as the princess figure steps outside in front of the shaky unicorn and reveals herself to be none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Trixie delivers a quick sigh of relief, gains her composure, and summons most of her strength and attempts to give the princess before her the very words she has been wanting to deliver for the longest time, hoping that it would bring some type of closure between them and the rest of Ponyville. So she faces the princess and starts to speak…
“Princess Twilight Sparkle, I presume?” She answers to the presence of her royal highness.
“Yes?” Princess Twilight answers back, raising an eyebrow and keeping a firm look on her face.
Trixie becomes determined to follow through on her follow and finishes her message. “I-umm… I… I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, would like to bestow my sincere apologies upon a pony whose prowess surpasses that of yours truly.” She lowers her head and continues, “What has become of me from my last two visits here were very insincere of me, and I only did all of that because I wanted some sort of closure. But all I did was make a huge mess of things and become blind of what I was doing. Pretty sure I might have made half of Equestria hate my guts, but I guess I kind of deserve it. I never had any real friends in my life; anypony to tell me right from wrong. That’s why I’ve come to you, your royal highness.” She begins to raise her head to face Twilight.
“Huh?” replies the concerned princess.
“I have come to you and ask for forgiveness. I wish we can put our differences behind us and start anew.” Her ears flip back to their upward position, and she becomes nervous again. “If-if that’s okay with you…?”
A long pause between the two, and Twilight breaks the silence, squinting her eyes to focus on Trixie’s persona. “Is that it?”
“Uh...” Trixie struggles to respond back. “Uh… y-yeah. I-I guess that’s… it.” She gulps.
“No,” the princess utters as her aura darkens to a sinister black and red glow. “It is NOT okay...” Her face turns to anger and spite. She looks like she has the intent to kill the poor unicorn.
In response, Trixie looks stunned, freezing in place and her ears lower again. This is one of the last things she would ever want to hear.
“Do you realize how much you have damaged the last time you were here?” Twilight’s aura is bright red and the skies above Ponyville start darkening. She continues, “You’ve made a fool of yourself in front of everypony, mocked the good citizens of Equestria with your arrogance, and even embarrassed me and my friends! You even lied about that bear that rampaged my town! How is anyone supposed to forgive you after that?! It doesn’t work like that!!” Her voice slowly turns into a heavy and demonic tone, the type that can echo across town and cause many ears to bleed out from the sides.
Trixie trembles at the horrifying sight in front of her, and sweat is trickling down her timid face. She wants to curl up in a ball right now, but she couldn’t, as she is still frozen in place from the angered princess’ disheartening comments.
“You have shut yourself off from the happiness of Equestria because YOU wanted to be alone for the rest of your life! You have been selfish and you always will be!” Soon, her left eye suddenly flashes into a bloodied red ball, which starts to bleed, and her teeth are becoming pointy and sharp enough to rip apart blood vessels and skin. The darkened princess uses her magic to force Trixie to face Ponyville and states, “Look around you, Trixie! You’ve always wondered why nopony ever shows up whenever you step hoof into town?!”
“Uhhhhh...” Trixie, now terrified and wanting to cry, looks around the empty town and replies with her heart beating outside of her chest, “y… y… y-yeah…?”
“Well… now you know why!” The figure snarls and raises a hoof to reveal in front of them what seems to be five different blurry figures.
Trixie tries to make out who the figures are as they walk towards Trixie slowly. As they make their way to the castle’s front where Trixie is, they start to take shape, and then she notices that she has seen them before, but cannot make them out one hundred percent. “Wha…?” Dumbfounded, she quickly wipes her eyes with one hoof, and before she knew it, the figures are right in front of her and darkened Twilight.
The five figures happen to be the five friends of Twilight Sparkle, and Trixie faced against four of them before; however, Trixie couldn’t make them out exactly because of their distorted and blackened physique.
One of the figures speaks out to Trixie in a soft and hurt manner, “How? How could you do this to us, Trixie? Why would you humiliate us? What you did to us and everypony was very unkind of you… and heartless! I really wanted to believe in you. And I thought that we could be best friends, but you…! Oh…!” She then curls up in her ghostly mane and cries.
The second figure has a vague country accent and speaks in an angered manner. “No can do, Trixie. You ‘ave lied too many times to us n’ to the rest o’ Ponyville. And you have treated us all good citizens like dirt! How do we know yer won’t do it again? Huh?!” She then lowers her hat and scoffs at the poor unicorn.
“You heartless ill-mannered degenerate!” The third figure cries out with an iffy and posh tone in her voice. “You messed up my hair not once, but TWICE! And you have the absolute nerve to walk around in that horrid vile outfit of yours?! And now you want to redeem yourself? Well let me tell you… In all things fashion, I SPIT at you and your unforgiving presence!!” She swings her head high to spite Trixie and scoffs again.
The fourth figure is glaring at the unicorn with pure hatred in her eyes, as she flew right in front of Trixie with thoughts of inflicting pain on her. “So, you think you can just walk all over us and treat everypony like dirt? Huh?! Well not anymore, Trixie! It's our turn now! It's no wonder you never had a friend to begin with. You say ‘great and powerful,’ but I say you're a worthless, hopeless bully who does NOTHING to ever have a friend! A coward is what you are, and that you shall stay! You will never be forgiven!!” She sticks her tongue out and flies away to the group.
These harmful words are starting to get the best of Trixie. She gulps and retorts, “Why would I let this happen?” Tears begin to roll down her face. Her fear is now replaced with a feeling she thought she’d never contain… shame.
The last figure appears to be the most depressed of the bunch. Her mane was straight and she had bags underneath her eyes. “How could you…?” Her eyes are now watered up. “You were never a friendly type to start. You even took advantage of me, and I was never able to speak that day, thanks to you. Party pooper mean ‘meany-pants’… You just want us all to be miserable because you are yourself!” She chokes up as she continues, “we even tried to give you a chance to be friends and be happy… but your arrogance and pride have filled your black heart, you could never ever have a friend, and never will be! We hate you, Trixie!”
Right now, Trixie just wants to break down in tears after hearing everything from the ghostly figures.
“Yeah!!” the entire group of beings yells back at Trixie.
With these last words, the five figures’ eyes emit a sinister red glow, their faces are now blackened, and they begin to float into a paranormal blur of black. Trixie obviously wants to run away from the scene and hide back inside the comfort of her wagon, but that would never happen as she is still frozen in place by the demonic Twilight’s magic. She then witnesses the ghosts before him dissipate into a huge cloud of black and make their way into Trixie’s opened mouth. As she absorbs this alarming phenomenon, many emotions from her past encounters with these five ponies begin to sink into her mind, soul and heart.
“What’s… going… on…?” the poor Trixie asks, as she feels an undistinguished combination of anger, greed, despair, spite and sadness….
She soon finds herself gasping for breath around a huge black void, where Ponyville and the Castle used to be. She is now all alone with the demonic presence posing as Twilight. Still equipped with sharp teeth and a bloodied left eye, which is now overflowing with a tiny stream of blood, the demon disappears and then reappears in front of Trixie, who is still gasping and cringing and hoping that this living horror will end.
The presence peaks out an immensely evil grin and chuckles darkly. “So, there you have it. Do you see now?”
“I...” Trixie is trying her best to remain sane about all that has occurred. “I wanna go home…!” She begins to sob a little, while planting one hoof on her stomach. She is still feeling the apparition of the spirits that have entered her a minute ago, and the emotions would never seem to die down. In fact, they are making her feel more and more deteriorated by the second. “P… p-please...! Spare me, Twilight! I don’t deserve this!”
“No. I don’t think so.” The demon replies, and then it uses its dark magic and points toward the blue unicorn’s chest.
“Ah!” Trixie yelps as soon as she notices her internal organs are moving around and spinning under the spell coming from the evil figure before her. She presses against her chest, as if she feels like passing down from a possible heart attack, and asks the demon in a panicky manner, “Wha… what is this?!”
Still using its magic on Trixie, the demon chuckles once more and replies, “As a disgrace to the magic of friendship, you have no more say on this matter. I scoff at you for who you are, and who you have become. I’m sick of those who put themselves before other ponies. I’m sick of those who scoff at the word friendship. I’m sick of those whose heart is as black as cold dead stone!” It boosts its spell and continues, “You have proven to all of Equestria that there was no room in your heart for caring or compassion. If you can’t be good to other ponies, then you might as well feel sorry! Since there’s emptiness inside your heart, then there is NO REASON FOR YOU TO EVEN HAVE A HEART!!”
Trixie gasps in paralyzing terror, as the demon toys with Trixie’s insides and finally… something appears to poke on Trixie’s chest from the inside, as if it wants to get out. Trixie is trying her very best to stay strong from the spell, but she is too weak to the demon’s powers. And with one final thrust of the devilish apparition, a heart violently shreds through Trixie’s chest and out in the opening, leaving behind a blood-filled rip of the opening, and Trixie screaming in bloody murder. This leaves the poor Trixie coughing up some blood and assuming she was going to die right on the spot…. However, Trixie is still moving and breathing normally with some gasps and a look of extreme confusion.
“What?! I’m… I’m still alive?!” She shakily observes her ripped-open chest and the demonic Twilight hover the unicorn’s still-beating organ in front of her using magic. “I… I don’t understand…!” Salty waters begin to pour from her eyes once more.
The demon chuckles again and retorts with the floating beating heart under spell. “Ah. But do not fret, my dear subject. This is only… A BAD DREAM!” It then dissolves the heart into ashes, leaving Trixie even more shocked than ever.
The trust is out. Trixie is still dreaming… but, for some reason, this nightmare feels kind of… real.
“As you can see, Trixie Lulamoon…,” the presence says as it steps backward away from the unicorn. “... I am not real. Not yet, anyways.”
“WHAT?!” Trixie demands for an answer, hoping to wake up from this terrible dream.
The demonic Twilight’s skin burns into a boiling orange and red mix and feedbacks, “You will be seeing me again in the real world soon enough! When we meet again, you shall see the final error of your ways! And there’s nothing you can do about it!” It then conjures a huge walls of flames behind it.
“Wait! No! Stop!” Trixie screams loudly and sprints towards the being, not wanting it to let the nightmare continue. “Don’t! I can change! Please!” Tears instantly flow from her eyes. “I CAN CHANGE!!”
“Good bye for now, foolish pony!” The evil creature gives a maniacal laugh and begins to consume itself into the firewall, but Trixie is not going to let that happen.
Trixie attempts to get close to the fiery figure in an effort to talk it into stopping it from entering the flaming barrage in front of her. But her efforts have run short, as an unknown force pushes Trixie far away from the scene, and the demon finally sinks its form into the wall, and the entire scene vanishes before Trixie.
Now, Trixie was alone…. Completely… alone… deep inside the vast space of nothingness. Isolation begins to take advantage of the broken Trixie.
“T-Twilight…,” she hesitantly utters. “N… n… no…!”
Left with a huge bloodied rip in her chest and feeling a hundred emotions at once, she suddenly starts to cry for the final time, and even if she wanted to hold it in some more, she could not. She finds herself with her face in her fore hoofs and breaks down bawling. It is not the kind of crying to show that you have been lost a loved one or gotten hurt; instead, it is the kind that you feel like all hope has disappeared. She no longer cares if anypony else would be there to hear her cry: she only wants this nightmare to end so badly. Everything has proven too much.
And then, after a good few minutes, Trixie slows down her sobbing and begins to sense another ghostly apparition behind her. She slowly turns around to see another black floating silhouette in the shape of a mare. She could not tell exactly who it is, as the picture before her is vague.
“Um… h-hello?” questioned Trixie, wondering who this mysterious pony is. “Anyone there?!”
A brief moment of silence, the figure begins to fade away from sight and memory. And then…
“BBBREEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH…!”
Right from out of the blue, a bright distorted white face with an open smile, snake-like tongue and evil eyes, appears and fly towards Trixie in one split second. It is about to attack her, when all of a sudden…
*****
Trixie wakes up frightened and finds herself back inside her wagon. It was already apparent that she was dreaming all along.
Hyperventilating, she takes several deep breaths and calms herself down. As she recollects her thoughts, she plants a hoof on her chest to see if her heart is still in her body. “Oh, thank Celestia, it was all a dream.” And then another thought brings her back to when she talked to Princess Luna the previous night. She believes this nightmare has something to do with something trying to bring her bad dreams into the real world. She now knows what should happen. “I have to go talk to Princess Luna again. I think she said something about this creature making my nightmares real...” She ponders this thought for a couple of minutes, then she gears herself up with her signature hat and cape and steps outside her home and into the open.
What unfolds before her would change the way she sees the world around her forever. The moment she steps outside would mark the beginning of both an adventure and the search… for what threatens to seal her fate.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note
What's up, fellow bronies and furries!
I promised you that this chapter is where the REAL horrors begin, and here we are!
I just hope I did well on this one. Still pretty new to writing a horror story.
Anyways, things are only going to get more interesting in later chapters!
All critiques are always welcome! ;-)
