As the sky cried out and the clouds wept above Ponyville, my hoof sunk deep into a pothole full of water as I glided across the stony pathway. As I did, a splash of rainwater flew up, spraying me in the muzzle. I paid it no heed as I increased my speed, my destination rapidly approaching. The Shylock. A place where you could leave anything for sale, and find almost anything for sale.
If this backwater little waste of a town had any chance of holding such and important artifact, it would be here...
I quickly closed the distance between me and the shop, running past many carts and barrels. One crate was stocked full of apples, with a number of them lying on the ground around it. It almost brought me disgust that anyone could live in such filth.
If this wasn’t one of the last places that I had to look, I would be a hundred miles away form this rancid place by now!
Within moments I was standing before my destination, and I pushed the door open. Upon doing so, I heard the familiar sound of a bell being rung as the door opened. I immediately rushed into the darkness, searching for what I came here for. A small box sat behind a pile of books. I pushed a few of the books aside to get at the box, only to see a small trumpet sitting in the box. I groaned, and moved on to another shelf, pushing aside a pile of papers as well as a rather sinister looking jar of chemicals. My sight was met only with a small length of rope. I gritted my teeth in frustration, and ran over to a dresser that had a peculiar looking skull on it. I picked it up to see if there was any trace of magic held within it, but I was met only with silence. I threw the skull away form me in anger. Before I could keep looking, I heard the sound of a match being struck, and the room slightly illuminated from behind me. As I turned to look at the source of the disturbance, a saw a mysterious pony step out of the shadows. He cast me a suspicious look. I took solace in the fact that my character was hidden. The cloak I was wearing covered my body, and the hood in my eyes would keep the pony guessing at my identity. I made a mental note to limit my use of magic here, as the colour could prove to be a giveaway.
“May I... help you, traveller?” the stallion asked me with an eyebrow raised. I looked him up and down a few times. The mystery stallion was wearing a light brown undercoat with white sleeves, with a darker brown coat over top of that. An even lighter brown sash kept the coat attached to him. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck, and a brown and red hat sat atop his head. The stallions coat was a light grey, with a dark steel blue mane and tail. A thin pair of spectacles sat atop his nose. His choice of attire and tone gave me the impression that he was the shop’s proprietor.
“Hmmmm. Something drew you to my shop. Something powerful,” he told me as he walked behind the counter of the store, confirming my thought of ownership. I pulled my hood a little further over my face. Before I had a chance to retort, a small glisten caught my eye. I gazed to the right of the stallion, and on the shelf behind him, next to a small dream catcher, sat the item I sought after.
The Alicorn Amulet.
It looked exactly like the depictions I had seen in books and pictures. I practically felt my eyes light up, and I eagerly pointed to the amulet.
“Ahhhhh, you have a keen eye! The Alicorn Amulet is one of the most mysterious, and powerful of all the known magical charms,” he told me with enthusiasm. I felt the excitement in my chest bubble over.
After all this time, after all the saving and the swindling. After all of the constant ridicule and the disappointment, the laughter and mocking. After all this time, the amulet that I had been searching for to crush my foes...
...was within my grasp. I again pointed towards the amulet, eagerly waiting for the stallion to take it off of the shelf. But instead, the stallion stuttered incoherently for a few moments.
“I’m afraid this is... far too dangerous,” he told me. I narrowed my gaze and gritted my teeth in anger. If this single individual was the last thing that was standing between me and my revenge, then he was of no concern to me. People who ran places like these were only ever interested in one thing.
Money.
Such a small and narrow mindset almost sickened me. The only thing that was accomplished by caring that much about money was the loss of potential. I reached into my cloak, throwing a large bag of bits on the counter. Five hundred in total. The stallion gazed over the money for a few seconds before offering a reply.
“Would you like that gift wrapped?” he asked with a toothy smile. His price was of no concern to me. Bits were nothing more than a means to an end. The stallion took the glass case off of the shelf, placing it on the counter in front of me. I slowly approached the case that encased the amulet. I could feel something that I haven't felt in a long time. After so long, the instrument of my revenge was finally in my possession. And for the first time in a long time, I felt... happy. This was finally my time to shine. Finally time to show the crowds who was really the best magic user in all of Equestria. Finally time to be recognized for something great for once in my life!
Finally time to show Twilight just how wrong she was.
My smile grew only larger as all the thoughts of fame and recognition ran through my head. No one was going to stop me now. No one could stop me now. I used my magic to take the glass dome off of the base, and quickly placed the amulet into my saddle bag underneath my cloak. I turned, and quickly made my way out of the shop.
“Take care, traveller. And beware! Beware the power of the Alicorn Amulet!” he yelled as I closed the door shut behind me. It was roughly eleven o’clock at night, so there was no one on the streets at this time. It was the perfect cover. I ran quietly through the town, making my way towards the edge of the Everfree. I had no place to stay while I was in Ponyville, and the forest would offer enough protection from the weather. My magic would protect me from any predators or possible would-be attackers, so I had little to worry about.
I managed to find a tree that offered substantial shelter from the storm overhead, and it was here I found rest. I laid down, opting to rest for a few moments before I carried on. The Restore Muscle spell that I had been working on recently had not been fully completed, so lying underneath a tree in the middle of a thunderstorm was my next best option.
Seeing that the rain could not touch me here, I pulled the water soaked hood off of my mane, shaking my head in the process. A bit of water flew off of my mane as I moved on to taking off my cloak. I slid the garment off of my slender body, resting it and the hood next to the tree trunk, placing my saddle bag on top of the soaked clothing. I sat down next to my apparel, and reached into my saddle bag with my magic. I felt what I was looking for, and immediately pulled out my most recent purchase. I felt almost too excited once I cast my eyes upon the amulet. My amulet. This was mine now.
At that thought, I decided that I could wait no longer. I flipped the amulet around, and found that there were two thick metal pieces attached to it. I undid the clasp that held the two together, and quickly pressed the amulet to my neck. Upon joining the clasp together behind my neck, the Alicorn Amulet started to glow. Or, rather, the small red gem on the front started to. It was giving off a solid red hue, only becoming brighter every second. Just before it got too bright to see past, it shut off, leaving my vision blurry, with only the sounds of the summer storm in my ear. For a few moments I sat there, pondering if anything else would happen. When I was content that nothing else was going to occur, I started to search through my magic to see if... if...
“Oh, wow! This feels... amazing!” I yelled out loud. I could feel the magic of the amulet coursing through me, and for a moment, I wondered if this was the kind of thing that the princesses themselves felt. Alicorn magic was unparalleled in Equestria.
It was that powerful.
I stood up slowly, and gave my legs a good shake. Some of the clouds in the sky above were receding towards the south, which gave me the impression that the storm was about to conclude. I took a large breath in and held it, reveling in the scent of petrichor. A huge sigh brought me great relief and clarity, and I gazed around the forest for a few moments. Before continuing on, I put on my saddle bag, and stuffed my cloak and hood into it. I felt out to my magic for a few seconds, delighting in the absolute power that I possessed.
This was great! I would finally be able to exact my revenge on that... retched Twilight! The thought of that spoiled brat made my eyes narrow. I gritted my teeth, and lurched forward, my steps sluggish and uncoordinated. My teeth clenched together even harder. My thoughts turned once again to all of the times that I had been humiliated. Images of laughing crowds and ponies mocking me danced throughout my head. Normally, I would be able to shake these thoughts from my head with relative ease. But this time... it was different. No matter what I thought about, I could not get the images out of my head. I stopped and rubbed my forehead in a vain attempt to cure myself, to no avail. I decided to press on further into the forest.
I walked for a few moments before my mind was once again filled with thoughts of hatred and anger. I pulled my hood over my eyes, hoping that this would somehow impact how I felt currently. I could not wipe the images and thoughts from my mind, and at this point, I was starting to panic a little bit. My breathing accelerated to an unhealthy point of hyperventilating, and I started running, my mind forming incoherent thoughts at random. All I could feel was a burning hatred for all those around me, all of those who laughed and mocked me, and... Twilight. She was at the base of all of this, she was the reason that this was happening to me.
I could feel my magic starting to build up very quickly, soon coming to the point of internal pain in my head. If this continued, I could be in some very serious trouble. A build up of magic could lead to obvious pain and irreversible damage. If left long enough, an internal brain aneurysm was bound to occur, and would eventually lead to my untimely and very, very bloody death.
I ran blindly, deeper and deeper into the forest, not even bothering to pay attention to what I was hitting. More than a few times did I crash headlong into a tree, sending a jolt of pain through my head and body. Each time I picked myself up, shook my head, and kept moving. Various sticks and branches whipped at my face and coat as I sprinted through a patch of foliage. Blood started to seep out of wounds on my body and face as I was mercilessly cut by the forest. My thoughts were starting to come together, and one emotion rose above the rest of them.
Hate.
The emotion of pure hatred. The catalyst of absolute agony. The aftermath of absolute dominance. It was all just fuel to me. In the end, it meant nothing. It was all just motivation.
As I pushed on deeper into the forest, the emotion of anger was very clear to me. Every moment of animosity, every moment of solitude and poverty, every single moment of hatred. Was all. Because. Of her!
“AHHH!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, lashing out with a magical bolt in an unknown direction. The magic from the amulet had gotten to an extremely dangerous level, and I had to get rid of it. I don’t care what or who was in my way. If they dared to cross me, they would die. I HAD to expel the magic.
“HAAH!” I cried out as I sent a wave of pure magic outwards, flattening anything in a fifty foot cone in front of me. No tree stood tall, no shrubs were left, any living thing was dead.
“GET! AWAY!” I strained my vocal cords as I blasted another set of forest in front of me. Anything, living or not, was eviscerated just like the last. I had. To get rid. Of the magic.
“STOP IT! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!” I screamed as loud as I possibly could, doing anything to stop the pain. My running slowed to a slow canter, and eventually to a lethargic crawl.
I could not expel anymore magic. My body was drained of energy, and I collapsed on the forest floor. The magic showed no signs of slowing down, and I rolled up into a tight ball. Tears streamed down my face as the pain would not let up. I lay there, in absolute agony, waiting for something to happen. Anything! Maybe I would pass out, maybe I would meet death. If I did, I would laugh in his face, for he did not know real pain.
This. This was real pain. The thought of dying alone with no one around to tell you it would get better. With no one around to tell me to be quiet. With no one around to tell me those three little words. Nobody.
Blood poured from my nose, and I was sure that my face and coat were tainted with the substance as well. Before I could take anymore actions, I felt a great pain from underneath me, and I felt myself get lifted into the air.
“Do not worry, little pony. You will be alright,” I heard a voice tell me in an accent that strongly reminded me of my journeys in the Serengeti. I faded in and out of consciousness, and felt the pressure in my head subside. For now.
Before I knew it, I was sitting upright in a small hut of some sorts. Various bottles and beakers were strewn about the place, with a large cauldron in the center of the room. Some of the bottles were even hanging from the ceiling from rope and vines. Different masks of varying colours dotted the walls, looking down on me with stern faces carved into them. I shook my head, and looked to my right. My sight was met with the image of a zebra, standing on hind legs, apparently working on something.
I had also noticed that the pain in my head, while not immediately erased, was lessened by an unimaginable degree.
“...where am I?” I asked as I pressed my hoof against my head. My thoughts quickly turned to the amulet, and I pressed my hoof against my neck. To my relief, it was still there.
“Ah, you are awake. Good. I found you lying in the forest, covered in blood and coated with mud. It was good I found you when I did, you may have become a sweet treat for the little katydid,” she spoke in awful rhymes. I could practically feel the anger seep from my pores, and I was not about to let what just happened to me happen again. Not this time.
“Do you think this is a joke?” I asked forcefully. The zebra turned and gave me a concerned look. “You speak in these silly, stupid, idiotic rhymes! Why? What point does it serve?” I asked as I hopped off of the seat that I was sitting on. The zebra took a few steps back.
“Please, rest, you need to-”
“SHUT UP! Just... SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!” I screamed, my anger boiling over, reaching and blowing past my breaking point. I reached out to the magic that was inside of me, only to find that it was completely docile at this point. There was next to no pain, and I quickly breathed out a sigh of relief. I channeled a strong orb of magic at the tip of my horn.
“YOU MEAN NOTHING TO ME! GET! OUT!” I pushed my vocal cords beyond what they could handle. The magic exploded, sending all of the potions and flasks around the room flying, breaking and shattering across the wall. The zebra practically fell backwards before she managed to get a good footing, and she turned tail and ran out the door to the hut at a speed that I didn’t even know was possible. I turned and looked at the few remaining masks on the walls.
“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?” I screamed, blasting one of them into a billion pieces. I turned and saw another one.
“Stop... STOP LOOKING AT ME!” I yelled as I destroyed another one. This time, the mask was replaced by a large, gaping hole in the wall, giving me a clear view of Luna’s night sky. I settled the magic within me, my anger settling almost instantly, before I was hit with a sudden wave of drowsiness. A small yawn escaped my mouth, and I looked around to see of there was a bed anywhere. On the opposite side of the room, I noticed a small cot that seemed to be relatively kempt. I took my saddle bag off and threw it across the room. I moved over to it, and sprawled out, stretching out for the first time all day. Sleep came to me almost instantly.
This hut was mine. This home was mine, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. It was mine.
The morning sun shone golden rays through the hole in the ceiling, which landed on my face. I was promptly awoken by the blindingly bright light. I raised a hoof to stop the light, and looked around. There was no attempt at re-entry during the night, everything was exactly how it was left. I hopped off of the cot, my amulet still clasped securely around my neck. I smiled at this, picking up my gear as I made my way to the exit. I could use my amulet as a compass, and I pointed it straight at Ponyville. I exited the hut, and started a brisk jog towards my destination, eventually accelerating to a solid sprint. I felt renewed, I felt gifted. I felt... alive. After all of this time, I was living without such an important artifact, and all this time, I was handicapped. It was a shame really, but no more. Now, it was time to show Twilight. It was time to show them all! For a few seconds I heard and felt the calling of hunger.
It could wait, revenge couldn’t. Not any longer. I lowered my head and increased my speed. No one was going to stop me know. They would see. They would all see! They would all see the absolute power of The Great and Powerful Trixie!
I’m coming for you...
“...Twilight...” I seethed through my teeth.
As I ran... I... smiled...
Author's Note
A one-shot, psychological look into the darker side of Trixie right before the episode Magic Duel takes place. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!
