Don't Say Her Name

“Stupid snake.”

Trixie was quietly sneaking through the underbrush of the pitch black Everfree Forest. As she muttered this out loud, she grimaced. That’s not fair, after all I was the one that promised him a meal, after all. Not his fault I forgot. I wonder if he would like a nice warm terrarium, perhaps I could even convince Starlight to perform an eternal warming spell on the snakes home. That would be- Trixie’s thoughts were interrupted by a squeak of to the right; a forest mouse foraging for food in the dead of night.

Trixie’s horn glowed as she removed a skinning knife from the holster on her right foreleg. Closing her eyes, she focused on and flung the knife in the direction of the squeak. Moments later a loud THUNK as the knife embedded itself in a nearby tree, rewarded her. She smiled, and then the smile vanished as she heard the distressed squeaking of the mouse in pain. Oh Luna above, no!

As she hurriedly ran to the squeaking mouse, she lit her horn up so she could see. The sight that greeted her made her sick. The knife had pierced the mouse alright, just missing any vital organs as the poor creature screeched obscenities at her in pain. Trixie face-hoofed. I meant to kill him quickly, not inflict pain on the poor dear. Looking at the mouse, Trixie apologized as she drew forth her secondary blade. “I’m sorry little one, I never meant for you to feel pain. Relax darling, I’ll end your suffering. Go to sleep now. Sweet dreams await you eternal.”

Without awaiting a reply, Trixie used her magic to thrust the backup knife straight in the heart of the tortured creature. The wretched mouse ceased it’s struggling as Trixie whispered softly. “If Snuggles ate carrots, we could have avoided this. Forgive me, little one. Rest in peace.”

As she took a deep breath to calm herself, she turned her attention to the two knives now piercing the dead rodent. Her horn glowed brightly as she lamented the state of her hoof-crafted, knives. “Oh how ghastly! Ugh, now the shiny silver blades will be stained red. Maybe Starlight can help me remove those stains again. Oh come now, I didn’t sling you that hard, darlings; let go of the wood now.”

Trixie was finding her magic ineffective as the knives, trembled at her beckon but would not leave the stump; where they were firmly embedded. Perhaps it is just my nerves affecting my magic, after all, I never feel justified in taking another creatures life. Though I do understand why I must. Lamenting these thoughts to herself, she slowly approached the embedded blades and grabbed the handle of one in her muzzle. “Lft gh shtpid knrf!”

Angrily, Trixie let go of the knife handle; it wasn’t budging. “Just not my night, hmmph! Let go-what’s this?”

Her horn’s light had illuminated the stump revealing strange words carved into it. Trixie examined them as she attempted to read the faded ponish. “Ca-denz-a, Shadow-mancer of Love.”

“What in the hay does that mean?”

The air grew warm around Trixie as the nearby trees began erupting in flames of green hellfire. The area lit up as the ring of dead trees became visible in the greenish blaze. The bark of the ancient trees crackled and sizzle with demonic energy and soft voices could be heard by Trixie whispering to her. “Run! Don’t let her get you! Run!”

Trixie’s eyes were wide, her hooves were trembling as the ground below her began to glow a bloody red. Ears pinned back in fear, Trixie screamed the name of the one pony she could come to for anything; her lover. “Starlight! Help!”

The ground below her began to quake as it glowed brightly three times and then, it stopped. The area went dark as the flames died out in the dead treetops; the bark without a scorch mark. And Trixie, mad with fright ran at a full gallop, off into the darkened forest, unable to make a sound; her voice, gone.

***

Starlight’s eyes opened as she sat up in bed and looked at her hooves. She smiled and turned to look at the sleeping form of Sunset Shimmer, who was softly snoring at her side. Slowly she rose up out of the sleeping bag and started toward the campfire; smoldering away in a circle of jagged rocks the girls had found. “Starlight?”

The lilac unicorn stopped as her name was called, her eyes flashing at the sound. Turning she smiled sweetly at Sunset. “It’s alright dear, go back to sleep. Just checking on Trixie, sweetie.”

Sunset nodded and gave a smile. “Okay, good night love.”

Starlight watched as Sunset slowly turned away and went back to sleep. Her horn glowed a bright sickly green as a rock near the campfire began to rise up. Smiling with a sickening grin, she spoke to Sunset in a loving voice. “Good night, Sunset. Sweet-”

Pausing, she slammed the jagged rock into Sunset’s unprotected skull. It made a sickening CRACK as it embedded itself into the poor unicorn; granting her eternal dreams as the wound began to trickle blood. “Dreams-”

CRACK, CRACK Again and again she levitated and smashed the rock into the still form of Sunset Shimmer, watching with a joyful grin as the insides of their skull spilled out onto the ground. “-Love.”

Standing over her dead companion, Starlight licked her lips greedily as she spread the unicorn’s legs apart and gently licked the still warm corpse’s thigh. “I haven’t eaten in what feels like forever.”

***

CRACKLE The fire burned a bright orange and crimson red, as well as a sunny yellow. Beside the fire Starlight sat holding a skewer, humming to herself, happily. Beside her lay fragments of a young mare’s skeleton; having been brutally torn apart. Copious amounts of blood drenched the ground beneath the skeleton. Thin layers of skinned hide lay scattered all over.

On the skewer was a piece of unidentifiable texture. Using her muzzle, she pulled a stringy, almost sinewy chunk, of the cooked piece from the skewer in a vicious motion. It smelled of burnt pony. Slowly she chewed the piece of cooked food reflecting on the taste with a smile stained a dark crimson from her evening meal. Nothing like the flesh of a loving pony, late in the evening. Especially after a deliciously moist snack. She was so turned on. Delicious. Now that I’ve eaten, One remains.

Starlight slowly rose and grinned maliciously. Picking up a nearby satchel with her sickly green magic, she calmly packed a skewer into it. Next she packed a couple raw carrots. Now fully packed, she used her magic to douse the fire, as she trotted off through the underbrush to find Starlight's one true love; Trixie. “Let's have some fun-"

Her eyes flashed with a sickening green, as she smiled the now fang-like teeth she had filed. "love."