New Faces

I wake to cracking sounds, and a gentle motion. I move, and something cracks off of me.

I remember the plant and its goo and open my eyes to spot Trixie, trying to get the goo off of her without moving too much. When she notices that I am awake she says, “Good morning” and shakes herself, sending little golden shards everywhere.

I follow her example, but most of the stuff is sticking to my skin and fur. Trixie seems to have it much worse, and it hurts to pull it free. Even on my skin, it takes a few hairs with it, and I think that pulling on my fur will leave bald spots.

Trixie seems to discover the same, and groans a little. Her horn lights.

I know that it is her, and I know that she is trying to help. But the moment I feel the tug on me, I slap her horn, causing her to yell and stop. I am very awake now; I think that…

I really, really hate break. I don’t want to feel it, and don’t want to see it. Trixie is safe, but even so, I don’t want her to use it unless it is needed. Really needed.

“Chosen!” she yells.

“No break.” I remind her.

She stares at me, her face thoughtful and concerned and confused. Then she nods slowly, and smiles.

“Alright. No break. Trixie thinks the sap will get out if she can get some water, maybe some soap or something…”

“Soap?” What is soap?

Trixie only stares before saying, “Never mind.”

I want to know, but I suppose it can wait. I glance around the forest, wondering which way we should go in. I think Trixie is just as lost as I am, so any direction is alright.

If we keep walking in a line, we will leave the forest. It can’t be too big. Right?

“This way.” I say, and head that way. Trixie trots after me.

I still hate the forest, but with Trixie, it is a little better. She gets in front of me, and tries to clear a path ahead for us, not using her break at all that time. Every now and then she asks how I am doing.

I am growing hungry, and it is growing worse. When did I last eat? Yesterday maybe. Maybe even the day before that. I should find something soon.

“I am growing hungry.” I tell her.

Trixie glances around. “Maybe that bush there? Trixie is pretty sure that it is safe to eat.”

She notices my look. I do not eat plants like she does. At least, not that kind of plant. I check my pouches, hoping that I stuck something in there.

A few rocks, two carrots and one piece of jerky, from the cows. It is something at least.

I begin eating a carrot, and we keep going. The journey is mostly full of trees and plants. Every now and then we find thorns in great tangles or areas that have predatory markings. Something has been clawing trees like a cat, but a cat does not get claws that big. Trixie gets tense when we spot them, and we avoid those areas.

We walk for some time, and the forest shows no signs of letting up. Then we hear a roar, loud and somewhat nearby. Something is angry.

Trixie freezes, but tries to relax. “I don’t think it is near us.” I tell her.

Another roar, and a distant cracking. And then a piercing scream. We stand in shock, but then Trixie rushes forward, toward the sound. I rush after her, uncertain.

I do not feel up to fighting something, not even if someone is in danger from it. I have the spear, and I am growing fast, but I am no warrior. And whatever is roaring sounds very bad.

Trixie pushes through the plants, and there is a pair of yells before a loud thud. I step through, discovering a cowering filly with a bloody leg and Trixie against a tree. She hit it fairly hard, and isn’t moving.

I look up, and spot a giant lion thing. Bat wings on its back, and a big, spiky, shelled tail. I realize several things.

The filly behind me is a unicorn. A weak, hurt, unable to run away unicorn filly. She is sobbing, and only weakly moves, staring at me. Trixie is hurt, and possibly knocked herself out on the tree. Maybe she tripped on the filly.

The beast is larger than I am, it is larger than father is. And it looks fast. If I run, it will catch me; I do not move fast in the forest.

And if I run, it will devour Trixie and the filly instead. I can’t run. I ready my spear, and the beast growls at me. We stare at each other, and I try to figure out what it might do. Father says that you need to know your opponent.

I move first, and call the earth. I wanted to stun it with dust, maybe a rock.

A pillar of earth slammed into it, and it roared as it stumbled away from the strike. I am stunned; I did not… I can’t do that! I don’t think teacher can do that!

The cat jumps at me, and I only just manage to avoid its swipe, too caught up in my thoughts. The next one hits me, and its claws slice at me, the wound burning.

I yell, but drive it away, stabbing it with my spear. It backs away, and we both stare at each other. I am hurt, it is hurt, but it seems so strong still, my spear strikes doing little to nothing to it. It glances at Trixie and the filly, and then looks back at me. The intent is obvious.

I won’t let it.

I step forward, and yell at it, and it focuses on me again. It is more cautious, and we bat at each other for a little while. Then I call the elements again, and it begins raining. That was fast, but teacher did say that it would be very fast.

Teacher has always told me that of everything a shaman can do, that lightning is the easiest thing to use. I comes faster than anything else, and it is always devastating. Always eager to come and answer the call.

He also says that the shaman calling is the target most often. That the lightning loves that it was called, and wants to show appreciation. That is not a good thing, and to anger the lightning is worse than to receive its thanks.

I must guide it without angering it. It is my only chance against the beast.

And to guide it, I should be closer. Just in case.

I thrust, and move closer to it, pushing back against it. It almost seems surprised, but holds its position. That is very good; I expected it to back away, and now I am close. Its claws have a harder time reaching me, and should it try to bite, I will make it regret that decision.

This is working. I can feel the lightning gathering above me, and it is eager. Very eager. I just need to…

The beast’s tail hits me, stabbing into my chest. I didn’t even see it, don’t even feel it, and it lifts me with the tail. Something is burning inside me.

My thoughts are weak. My body falls limp, and I see it smirking. It opens its mouth to roar a victory.

I call the lightning.

My vision goes white, and then fades to black, and I can think no more.

Perspective, pony

Trixie woke first, and held still, trying not to disturb Chosen. She gently sighed, feeling the sap solidified on her. It was stuck in her fur, and she gently moved to try and get rid of it.

It wasn’t really working; it was very stuck.

Chosen woke at her motion, and he moved, shaking himself to break the sap as he woke.

“Good morning.” Trixie chirped, moving a little away and shaking, shattering the sap. Most of it was still stuck to her, particularly her mane and tail.

The sap was frustrating, but a little magic would get rid of it without much difficulty. Her horn lights, and she began gently removing sap from herself. After a second, she included Chosen, and was shocked when he slapped her horn.

“Chosen!” she yelled.

“No break.” he said, and Trixie noted the odd fear he had. She was confused, and concerned; why was he afraid of the bre, the magic? Trixie didn’t know, but smiled at him. The sap was only an annoyance, and she could put up with it for a little bit. It would melt in water.

“Alright. No break.” she said, and Chosen relaxed. “Trixie thinks the sap will get out if she can get some water, and maybe some soap or something…”

“Soap?” Chosen asked, and Trixie stared. Chosen didn’t know what soap was? What kind of life did he…

Well… she had found him in the castle (he found her, but she edited that), and it was possible that he lived on his own for most of his life. Of course he never heard of soap, living in the Everfree.

“Never mind.” she said, and stretched as Chosen began looking for a direction. Trixie herself was fairly bad at directions, and was willing to let Chosen lead. Maybe he knew a better path.

“This way.” he said, and she followed after him. After a moment, she began trying to clear a path for him, reminding herself not to use magic. He would eventually grow used to it, but not right then.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked, gaining a nondescript hum. Chosen seemed off, but also seemed unwilling to tell her why. She wondered what was wrong; she felt something like friendship with him, and didn’t want him to suffer.

When he stumbled slightly, she stopped and tried again, “Are you alright?”

“I am hungry.” he said at last, and Trixie nodded. She glanced around, and spotted a bush that she recalled being edible. Some ponies even ate it regularly.

“Maybe that bush there?” She pointed at it, “Trixie is pretty sure that it is safe to eat.”

Chosen grimaced slightly, and Trixie had a thought. Centaur are like ponies, but maybe… maybe their diet is… not plants.

She worried for a second before Chosen pulled a carrot from a pouch and ate that. She gave a sigh of relief; she wasn’t sure what she could or would do if he… didn’t eat plants.

They kept going for a while, Trixie avoiding the poisonous plants, and the pair of them avoiding the clumps of thorns so common in the Everfree. Every now and then they found traces of a manticore, and Trixie felt very worried whenever they spotted one of the clawed trees.

Then they heard a roar, and Trixie froze. That was definitely a manticore, and closer than she wanted to be near to a wild one.

“I don’t think it is near us.” Chosen said. Instantly after, another roar came, along with the sounds of a tree breaking. Trixie heard a scream, a scream of a filly. To her own surprise, she rushed forward, and after a moment, heard Chosen behind her.

She pushed her way through the undergrowth, tripped on something soft, and her last sight was a tree’s trunk before she hit it.

Sweetie was creeping through the forest again. Her leg was bad, but it was a little better than yesterday, and she was trying to find a way home.

It wasn’t going well. She got caught in several thorns, and was growing hungry. She didn’t know if she could eat anything in the Everfree.

She heard something nearby, and flinched. She glanced around, and spotted a tree nearby her shrubbery. She also saw a manticore, sniffing at the ground.

The great beast lifted its head into the air, and then looked at the bush where Sweetie was. It padded toward her, and Sweetie darted out to rush up the tree, running on adrenaline, managing to ignore her leg until she was in the tree.

She hissed at it. Her leg burned, and wasn’t moving anymore.

The manticore roared when it spotted her, but the tree was too high for it to reach her. She gripped onto a branch, and stared down as it stared up at her. She was safe, and it slowly began losing interest. Maybe it would get bored and leave?

Then she heard a faint chuckle, and a touch of magic broke a branch near her.

And it fell into the beast’s eye.

It stumbled back, bellowing and then glared at her, growling dangerously. It rushed and rammed into the tree, and with a great cracking sound, it slowly fell over.

Sweetie shrieked as the tree fell, and tumbled across the ground, hurting more than ever.

She tried to get to her feet, but found herself unable to do anything more than crawl. The manticore grinned, and headed toward her, and she stared in horror, crying from the fear and pain.

She heard something behind her, and somepony tripped over her to slam into a tree.

Sweetie stared at the unconscious Trixie in shock, and then stopped and stared as a centaur stepped past her. It readied a spear, and stood between her and the manticore. Like a hero.

She was still crying, but she began hoping in the centaur. It was the only thing that was stopping the manticore.

The centaur stomped, and a pillar of rock slammed into the beast and Sweetie gasped. The beast recovered, and managed to claw at the surprised centaur, who only just managed to spear its paw.

The pair backed away from each other, and the manticore glanced at Sweetie who flinched. She shut her eyes and waited, but when she heard a yell, she saw the centaur purposefully attracting the beast.

It began raining, and Sweetie began whispering, ‘please, please, please.’, hoping that the centaur might be able to save them all.

The centaur moved closer, the manticore seemingly having a hard time with it. The beast did not want to be speared again, and Sweetie began smiling; the centaur was winning!

Then she saw the manticore’s tail twitch. She opened her mouth, but wasn’t able to utter a sound before the tail nearly impaled the centaur. It looked shocked, and the spear dropped from its grasp as the manticore lifted it up. It smirked, and Sweetie sobbed. It had won.

The entire area was suddenly bathed in white, and a thunderous boom drowned out the manticore’s bellow of pain. The biggest lightning bolt Sweetie had ever seen hit the manticore and fried it, it thrashing and tossing the centaur from its tail before it collapsed.

Sweetie stared before pushing herself to her hooves. She had to help it.

She limped to the centaur. She thought it was male, and he was still breathing, his chest with a thin but deep puncture. Sweetie knew that he needed help, but didn’t know exactly what she could do.

He was nearly dead, bleeding from the scratches and burnt by the lightning. Too heavy to move, and too hurt for her to have an idea about how to help. She sobbed little more; he had saved her, saved Trixie, but he was dying.

In slight desperation, she pushed at his wound, stopping the blood flow, and just hoped that he would somehow survive.

Trixie groaned, and woke, dazed. She spotted the smoking manticore and stared. What had happened? She looked, and spotted Chosen, near dead, and the sleeping Sweetie next to him. She rushed to them, and stared at Chosen in mild shock.

Trixie focused, used her own magic to try to help. She didn’t know healing, and his injuries were severe. The spike had nearly gotten his heart. She did her best, and when that wasn’t working she kept trying. Feeding Chosen energy to keep his heart beating, keep his lungs breathing. She found the poison in his veins, and tried harder, the toxin fighting her.

She didn’t want to see him die. He had just saved her, again, and saved the little unicorn. He didn’t deserve to perish there. She pushed harder, forcing herself to her limits, trying to revive him.

But he was not waking, and his injuries were not improving. He was still alive, but only by a thread, his life kept by her magic alone. Trixie stopped, and stared, panting in exertion. The clouds above them rumbled, and the rain slowly increased. They should find shelter.

She focused, and got Sweetie atop her back. Then she regarded the fallen Chosen.

“You’re not dying on Trixie.” she muttered. “Not after everything you did for her.” She grabbed onto him, and slowly dragged him. After a moment she stopped; he was too heavy like that.

Trixie stared at him for a moment before sighing. “I’m sorry.” she said, and then used just enough magic to be able to carry Chosen. Then she left into the woods, hoping to find shelter. Even a tree’s canopy would do if she couldn’t find anything else.

She found the maticore’s cave soon. A den carved into an outcropping of rock. Bones littered it, and she only spent a second thinking before going inside. The owner was dead, and nothing would willingly enter a manticore’s den. It was dry and comfortable, and after she tossed the bones outside, not so macabre.

The manticore had left behind a bed of moss which she laid the filly and centaur atop of. Sweetie had a nasty cut on her hind leg, nearly severing her tendon. Chosen was…

The lightning had cauterized his wounds, and he had somehow avoided being fried. But the manticore venom was still in him, and he was very likely to be nearly unable to move or possible die from that. And Trixie had nothing to help with that.

She hated feeling helpless. And yet, she was. Chosen was near dead, the filly was hurt, and nothing she could do would help with anything.

“So, you lived.”

Trixie gasped, and turned to see Twilight standing at the entrance to the den.

“Both the aflasia, and now a manticore. You are a capable unicorn Trixie.”

Trixie stared before glancing away, grinding her teeth. It hurt to hear Twilight’s compliment; it only further reinforced the idea that earlier times truly were a lie. And she hadn’t done anything.

Chosen saved them from the aflasia. Chosen must have saved both her and the filly from the manticore. And what had Trixie done?

Nothing. Upsetting Chosen with her magic, getting them in danger just by living. She had even knocked herself out on a tree for Celestia’s sake! Sure, at the start it had been rough, but Chosen was much better now. She even sort of missed when he used to grab her horn.

She whipped her head back to glare at Twilight, a few tears in her eyes. “Trixie… Chosen saved Trixie! Both times!”

Twilight cocked her head. “Really? The centaur?”

“Yes!”

Twilight hesitated, and then smirked. “So, Trixie the worthless then? Trixie the incapable?”

“Stop it!”

Twilight giggled. “You really are stupid. I never imagined that the centaur would save your worthless hide. But he isn’t going to this time.”

Trixie paled, and Twilight stepped back, her horn lighting. She waited for Twilight to do something, but for a moment, nothing happened.

Then the cavern abruptly shut, sending the inside into total darkness. Trixie stared before jumping to the front and pushing. Whatever was there was too big, even for her magic, and she bashed into it with some desperation.

“Twilight! Twilight, there is a filly in here!” she screamed. She kept screaming until her voice was hoarse, already imagining slowly dying in the cave. Most likely from thirst, but possibly suffocation from how well Twilight had sealed the entrance.

She stood there for a moment before lighting her horn and making her way back to Chosen. She then collapsed on him, sobbing. She was blaming herself for what had and was happening. They were all going to die, and it was because of her. Twilight hated her, and Trixie knew why. And if she had only done something else, told Chosen, said something, then they wouldn’t be like this.

Doomed to die in a hole in the earth. Chosen suffered from the poison and the filly soon to wake and panic. Trixie sobbed, near to breaking apart.

And outside, Twilight stood smiling, drinking in the pain and suffering, every tear like nectar to her. They would slowly die over days, and their despair and pain was going to be very pleasurable. Then she nodded, and her form flowed and melted into that of a bird before taking flight into the woods. There was much to do, much to say, centaur to talk to, and ponies to trick.

It lived off of suffering, and was very well suited to guiding people to their destruction, but it wanted more. Nothing ever sated its hunger, but it knew a few things that helped.

Breaking someone. Pushing them past their limits, and smashing their will and body until they could barely live and didn't want to. It was why it existed. Agony, despair, sadness, all things it desired greatly, and loved to inflict. And the only thing better than one person broken apart was many.