The Everfree Forest, it is a place where strange and mysterious magic abounds, and for the past few months, a place of sadness, despair, and general unpleasantness. It was now the home of a certain azure unicorn known only as The Great and Powerful Trixie.
"More like 'The Weak and Pathetic' Trixie" she muttered to herself.
The aforementioned unicorn had found a small clearing amidst the thick trees to set up camp. She had a ragged blanket, which she had pinned between two trees to serve as a makeshift tent, a bag full of personal belongings, and a small fire that was crackling away. Trixie shivered, and drew closer to the fire, desperately drinking in it's warmth. This pitiful encampment was actually not the first that she had. The Everfree Forest was teeming with other creatures, most of which would me more than happy to have a pony for dinner. More than once before, Trixie had awoken to find one of its denizens intruding on her camp site and had only just managed to flee. She would wait a day, retrieve her meager belongings, and then start scouting for a new shelter.
Trixie had been calling this particular site home for the past five days, but calling it home was an extremely false pretext. It actually filled her more with dread than security. Trixie tried not to notice, but whenever she looked at the twisted trees, her mind conjured faces and monsters that glared at her from the gnarled branches. If she had the choice, Trixie would've stayed back at her previous location, but she wasn't keen on sharing the cave with an angry minotaur.
Trixie let out a pained sigh and stood up. The months without proper living conditions had really taken their toll. Her once sleek body was now scrawny and matted with dirt and grime. Her once magnificent mane was now greasy, tangled, and full of knots. Her eyes were no longer filled with confidence and luster, but were empty and bloodshot, with enormous bags hanging under them.
Her malnourishment was made clear by simply taking a look at her pronounced ribs. When Trixie fled Ponyville, she had stopped at her ruined cart just long enough to retrieve her satchel and a small bag of dried fruit. By careful rationing, Trixie had managed to make it last the first month in the forest. From there she was forced to forage for whatever she could find that was edible. Many a time she spent the night with an empty belly. Even more so than that, she cried herself to sleep, moaning over aches that befell her tummy caused by poisonous berries.
Trixie walked over to her satchel, and with her magic, opened the container. From within, she pulled out a faded photograph of a beautiful cobalt mare. The pony had a young filly wrapped in her forelegs and had a tender smile on her lips. Trixie stared longingly at the photo, and a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"Mother, Trixie is so sorry that she couldn't keep her promise." As she spoke, several more tears coursed their way down. With a loud sniff, she tore her eyes from the precious treasure. Again she put her attention to her bag, but no picture was withdrawn; instead she pulled out an ornate dagger. It was about twelve inches long with a serrated edge and highly polished black handle. At the base of the pommel was a magnificent ruby. It wouldn't take a genius to deem this intricate tool as valuable.
However splendid the knife may have appeared, it dulled in comparison of the intentions running through the blue unicorn's mind. Admittedly, Trixie had thought of suicide many times before, but when she was about jump off the cliff, or tie the last knot on a noose, she would lose her nerve and back down. Not this time, she thought as she gazed at her reflection in mirrored steel.
Trixie laid back on the ground and took a few breaths, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Her horn started to glow, and the dagger levitated high above her and was positioned to fall upon her chest. Trixie no longer cried, instead she had closed her eyes, knowing that if she was watching the ordeal, she would surely chicken out once more. She took one last deep breath and gradually started to ease her magic off of the handle.
STOP RIGHT THERE MISSY!
Trixie's eyes shot open and her concentration shattered. The knife above fell, but from the sudden jolt of surprise from hearing another voice, it missed it's intended target. Instead, it slashed a wicked looking cut on her foreleg. Trixie let out a yelp of pain and she looked at the wound. As she watched, the gash changed color from pink to dark red as her blood started to trickle out. Trixie gingerly stood up and began looking around frantically, a panicked look in her eyes. There had been something vaguely familiar about the voice that had spoken, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Who is there? Trixie demands that you make yourself known this instant!"
Trixie again glared around the clearing madly. There was a frightened look on her face. Even though she had moments ago been ready to end it all, the prospect of somepony lurking about filled her body with fear. Someone had to be watching her; there was no other explanation as to what had happened. Trixie now found herself becoming angry. How dare they ruin her attempt to end her misery, and now she had a painful cut to contend with.
Oh dear, now you've gone and cut yourself. Go get something on that before it bleeds too much!
Trixie wheeled around, a small arc of crimson spattering the ground. Her heart was pounding somewhere in her throat, and she struggled to keep herself calm. There was that familiar voice again, but wherever she looked, she saw nothing. Trixie began to limp forward, eyes darting around. She followed to the spot of where she thought the voice had come from, but all she found was her satchel leaning against a tree.
“Trixie will ask you once more, show yourself, and she might show mercy!"
It took everything she had, but Trixie managed to keep her voice steady, even if her trembling legs told a different story. As she looked around, her eyes gradually drifted downwards. Her gaze rested upon the worn photograph. It was as though someone had flicked a switch in her mind. Trixie slowly slumped to the earth beneath her. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. She could now place where that voice resided in her mottled mind. Trixie licked her lips, and began to speak.
“M- Mother, is that you?"
Well of course it's your mother; I would think my own daughter of all ponies would recognize my voice!
Trixie took a sharp intake of breath and took a few steps back. She didn't know whether she should be happy, or frightened.
Trixie, what have I told you about walking away when I am speaking to you?!
“Yes Mother!"
Trixie rushed forward, further agitating the wound on her leg. She stopped and sat in front of the photo, purple eyes trained upon the smiling mare.
I must say, I thought you would be happier to hear me once more Trixie.
Trixie slowly opened her mouth and closed it again; she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around what she was hearing. Part of her firmly held that this was nothing but a half-crazed berry delusion, while the other side wanted to believe what she knew was supposed to be impossible.
"Trixie is, mother, but she-"
TRIXIE, you know I hate it when you talk like that, so for Celestia's sake, speak like a normal pony!
“Yes Mother, but Tri-, er, I, thought you died eight years ago from Trot Rot!"
Why, I did my foalish daughter, but that doesn't mean I can't speak to you every now and then.
Uh, that’s exactly what that means, Trixie thought to herself.
Don't talk back to me young lady!
"But I didn't even say anything!"
No, but you thought it.
Trixie gaped at the realization of this. I must be going mad.
You're not mad my daughter, but you may become so if you don't treat that cut!
Trixie turned her attention to her leg once more. The bleeding had indeed started to slow, but it still oozed out, melding with her coat to create a rusty purple. Her horn started to glow, and a canteen levitated towards her from next to her tent. She poured some water over her leg and felt immediate relief as the cold liquid washed away the blood and soothed the cut. Seeing it without any mess around, Trixie realized that her wound was little more than a scratch. Using magic again, she tore a fragment from her tent and began to wrap her leg, being careful to apply adequate pressure. She then gave a satisfied nod, and turned to the mare.
"There, happy now?"
Very.
Trixie bit her lip as she carefully thought over her next words. The initial shock of speaking to an inanimate object was still vaguely there, but her mind seemed willing to cooperate, so that was at least something.
"I don't want to seem rude, but could you explain how it is that I can even speak to you?"
Well, you see my dear Trixie, the forest you call home is full of magic, and it has allowed me to gain strength, enough to actually speak to you.
“But how, where have you been this whole time, and what kind of magic are you speaking of?"
Well, take a close look at that knife, the ruby in particular.
Trixie did as she was told, and examined the dagger. Her eyes slid from the red stained edge, to the gem in question. She let out an audible gasp as she realized it had become dull and a hairline crack ran through it.
"B-But I've always taken care of the knife, how could this have happened?"
Relax my daughter; it is of no fault to you. That was no ordinary stone; it was a necro-ruby. When I passed away, it sealed part of my spirit within its lattice. Once I had grown strong enough, I left the ruby and merged with your consciousness, but the strain destroyed the gem. As for the type of magic, it perplexes me; I do not know what, other than it must have been very strong to bring it to pass in only a few months.
Trixie let this new revelation hit her, and she began to digest the information. Again, a single thought floated into her head.
"Why did you stop me Mother? I have nothing else to live for, no purpose in life."
Are you telling me that you've forgotten your promise?
"No no no! Trixie would never forget that promise! She has tried her best ever since that day to become famous!"
Well obviously you haven't tried hard enough, I am here to help you; and what did I say about the way you speak?
"Sorry Mother, but what do you mean?"
I can clearly remember the day that you promised to achieve fame at my death bed. You have tried your best sweetie, and I don't want to see you continue chasing a fruitless cause. What I mean, is that it’s time to give up on becoming famous, and work on infamy.
"What do you mean by that Mother?"
It is time to pursue a different line of work, revenge, in the sweetest way imaginable.
Trixie gulped, she wasn't sure that she liked where this was headed.
"And… and what did you have in mind Mother?"
Think about it dear Trixie, there hasn't been a murder in Equestria in over a thousand years. Any kind of death would send shockwaves rippling throughout the kingdom. You would, without a doubt, go down in history. So what better than to kill the elements of harmony?
"What?! I am no murderer Mother! How could you even suggest that?"
Oh, you and I both know that isn't true. Why, just last night you had a dream of slicing Twilight Sparkle open and strangling her with her own intestines. What kind of innocent pony would dream something like that?
Trixie's eyes widened as she was trapped. It was true that she had fantasies like that often, but they were nothing more than dreams, destined to give her a small amount of comfort and nothing else. Trixie just continued staring at the malevolent mare in the picture before her.
"E-even if I wanted to, I wouldn't even get away with it."
Oh my sweet daughter, that is the beauty of it all; you will. With no actual crime occurring in the land, there has never been a need for detectives or police. You will slip in, deliver the blows, and leave, reveling in the confusion and misery!
Trixie was in deep thought, the more she pondered it, the more sense it made.
"I don't know, you make an extremely good point, but I don't think I can do it in good conscience."
I knew you would say something pathetic like that. Think back to three months ago, to the reason that you took residence in this forest.
Trixie stopped and replayed the events in her head. There had been success, oh had there been. Then she fast forwarded to the giant astral bear and to the cursed purple pony that had shown her up. Tears once again grew in the corners of her eyes, and she clenched her teeth.
"It was that horrible Twilight Sparkle! For the first time, a town had acknowledged my greatness! Then that awful unicorn embarrassed me in front of the entire town, and forced me to leave without a proper home!"
Exactly my sweet daughter! Take your vengeance by taking everything they hold dear. They took your life away, now it is time you returned the favor!
An evil grin started to spread across Trixie's muzzle. The seeds had been sewn within her heart, and she was positively eager to begin her dark mission.
Hold on Trixie, you cant go rushing into Ponyville, hacking away at the first sign of life. You really would be caught. For now my daughter, rest, for we have much planning to do in the next few days.
Trixie nodded her head, and placed the photograph back in her bag. With her treasure secure, she turned and limped towards her makeshift tent. She crawled in and made herself as comfortable as was possible. For the first time in months, even before the Ponyville fiasco, Trixie fell asleep with a smile on her face.
......
Well, I hope everyone is interested in my story! I guess a small introduction is in order. I started this story around eight or so months ago on Fanfiction. A guest reviewed one of my chapters saying that I should put it up here, so I thought, why the heck not?! So you fine pony folk, leave a comment and review, or something, they make feel warm and fuzzy!
Ta ta for now!
Warning: The chapters starting from here are gonna be pretty graphic, so watch out you fine Pony folk!
In the coming days, Trixie found herself gaining confidence. Having somepony to talk to really helped, even though that certain mare existed in her conscience. Her spirit was still only a fraction of what it used to be, but you had to start somewhere.
Sadly, the same couldn't be said about her fitness. While her mentality was slowly reforming, her body continued to dwindle. Trixie had regained just enough of her pride to again become picky about what she ate. She all but refused to eat anything that wasn't cooked; seeing as the forest was lacking its usual catering service, she was out of luck.
Trixie's nutrition wasn't her only problem either. Having no proper first aid, and using a soiled scrap of cloth as a bandage, the cut on her leg had begun to fester. On the day after she received her gash, it had swollen and turned an inflamed red. The day after that, a sickly lime green with yellowish puss oozing out. By the third day, Trixie could no longer feel her hoof. If she didn't do something, she wouldn't last another day to discover a new symptom.
"Mother, I can't feel my leg anymore! What do I do?"
Must I think of everything my oh so incompetent daughter? You need to relieve some of the pressure; luckily that knife of yours is still good for something.
As she put two and two together, Trixie's eyes widened, and a bead of sweat formed on her forehead.
"B- but that’s gonna hurt!"
Let me fill you in on some things my dear Trixie. One, if you don't do this, you will die; two, this is nothing compared to what you'll be doing later to other ponies. Now pick up the knife, and be a big filly.
Trixie gave a defeated sigh and unraveled the stinking fabric off of her leg. She immediately cringed when she saw that it now had adopted a faint purplish tinge. She then took hold of her knife with magic, and angled it towards the discolored flesh. Trixie took a deep breath and braced herself as she made the incision.
What startled Trixie most was not the lack of pain, but how easily the blade cut through her skin; like a knife through apple butter. She pulled out the knife and set it aside, noting the slimy sheen. Trixie then stopped and took a few steadying breaths.
"Wow, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!"
Oh you're not done yet my daughter, you still need to drain the fluids.
Eyes twitching slightly, Trixie looked at the leaking wound with the new task in mind. Alright, no problem; nice and fast, like a Sadle-Aide.
Precisely.
Trixie leaned against a tree to provide counter pressure, and brought her other fore-hoof up. Licking her chapped lips, she brought her hoof back, and thrust it into the infection. Trixie let out a terrible scream as an enormous flash of white hot pain washed over her. Her eyes remained open the entire time, and through the tears, she watched the most horrible sight she had ever encountered. The skin around the mountain of flesh cracked and split open; from within, a thick frothy paste of puss erupted. The brown of the tree bark was instantly stained a greenish yellow, and small chunks gradually started to slide down. While most of the girth was on the tree, the more fluid of the gunk just flowed down her leg. Despite it all, Trixie kept her hoof pressed into the mess, teeth grinding almost to the point of breaking.
As the flow of puss finally slowed to a red tinged dribble, Trixie staggered backwards, and fell onto her side, gasping for breath, her leg sending fresh waves of throbbing pain. What happened next is she caught a whiff of the foul poison that lay in a foamy puddle next to her; like spoiling milk. Trixie took a shuddering breath, and vomited up the pitiful meal she had eaten earlier, further adding a brown slush to the stagnant pool. She continued heaving until all that came out was bitter bile. Then, drenched in sweat and a face covered in mucus, Trixie started to crawl away.
It’s alright baby, it’s all over; mommy is so proud of you...
But Trixie didn't comprehend her mother's words. The exhaustion that had enveloped her mind finally won over, and she passed out where she lay, sinking into delirium.
......
Trixie woke up to find herself lying in a small room. As she lifted her head, the first thing she noticed was the wallpaper. It was a deep red with branches of some unknown tree extending from the floor to the ceiling. The thin twigs were in full bloom, resplendent with green leaves and white blossoms. It seemed the rest of the room shared the same color scheme; there was a large burgundy bookcase filled with old tomes, standing next to a white door with white trimmings. Trixie looked down to see an argyle rug of the same colors. The entire room felt cozy, and Trixie felt utterly at peace.
"Uuuugggh..."
The cozy feeling was officially gone. Trixie turned her head slowly to look over her shoulder. Behind her was a large bed; there was a mare tucked under a white comforter. With a twinge of unease, she noticed that the mare was a sickly pale blue, and looked like death himself.
Something was very wrong here. Trixie felt as though she should know the mysterious mare, but try as she might, her mind just drew up blanks.
Trixie stood up, further noticing with great surprise that not only did her leg no longer hurt, but that the infection was gone completely. Something was indeed very off here; the room now had adopted an uncomfortable nostalgia. She continued to survey the room, hoping to find some indication of where she was exactly. There was a window where she could some sort of large sprawling school. Her eyes stopped on a bedside table. Apart from a glass of water, there stood a picture frame, but from where Trixie stood, she couldn't make out what was on it.
She began to make her way to it, but for every step Trixie made, the table seemed to get further and further away. She picked up her pace, going to a steady trot, then an outright gallop. The room began to twist and distort, and with horror, Trixie noticed the walls were no longer just red, but were dripping blood. The mare had sat up in bed and was now facing Trixie directly. Where eyes should have been, there was only dark bloody sockets. Her mouth split into a grin, which showed rotten black teeth and large squirming maggots. The floor opened into black, and Trixie plummeted into darkness.
......
Trixie's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly took in where she was. She was back in the clearing; judging by the light shining down, it was about mid-morning. Trixie blinked the sleep from her eyes, and attempted to stand up. With a small yelp, she fell back onto her side. With an air of frustration, she noted the infection was still there, and apparently regaining its strength.
"Mother, are you still with me?"
Oh finally, you had me worried. You had passed out for an entire day my dear daughter. You sounded like you were having a pretty bad dream.
"What are you talking about; I thought you could read my mind and watch my dreams?"
I thought I could, but your mind seems to shield itself with anything regarding it. Care to tell me what it was about?
"I don't know, it's hard to remember all the details. All I know is that there was a lot of red."
Hmm, well when you're ready to tell me, I'm here for you.
Again, Trixie tried getting up; again she fell onto her side. Cursing under her breath, she thought for a moment of what to do. Her horn began glowing, and a branch was snapped off a tree and further snapped again. Using a bit of rope from her bag, Trixie fashioned a splint that would hopefully strengthen her leg. With some difficulty, and a few choice curses, she managed to stand up. The first thing she did after becoming mobile again was tie a new bandage. As she tightened it, a bit of puss leaked out, and dampened the cloth.
"I knew it would be painful, but I never expected it to be that crippling."
It may sound harsh, but I am glad you experienced it. To fully deal out death, you must first have an understanding of pain.
"Believe me, I understand that now! I however don't want to do it again."
Ahh, here is your first chance, pay close attention to your food!
Trixie turned around and immediately felt that familiar rage return. Sitting with his back to her, was a fat squirrel, gorging himself on what little food she had. Trixie snorted and kicked at the earth, not on my watch you little snot!
The rodent suddenly halted, halfway through eating a nut. With a surprised squeak, he was lifted into the air by the glowing energy that surrounded him. The squirrel was brought in front of Trixie's maddened face, and seeing the malice in those purple eyes, he began to struggle with all his fat squirrely might.
"What should I do Mother," asked Trixie in a low voice.
Well my daughter, take justice on that filthy vermin. An eye for an eye!
Trixie thought for a moment and then brought up her knife. With a quick swipe, the razor edge passed cleanly through the squirrel's neck, decapitating him. The body twitched on reflexes, and then grew still; he did not suffer. Trixie gave a satisfied nod, and released her magic. The headless squirrel dropped to the ground, and a small scarlet pool slowly formed.
No no no my naive daughter, you need to make them suffer!
"But, I don't want to cause any suffering, Justice was served."
Justice won't be fulfilled until they feel it! No matter, it was your first kill, there are still plenty of opportunities before you take out those dreaded ponies.
......
As the day went on, Trixie thought it best to find food. After scarfing down the pitiful remains that the squirrel had left, she hobbled out into the forest. As she searched, Trixie began noticing the familiar pressure building in her leg, spreading it's poison. However distracting the numbing in her leg was, she did manage to find the mother-load of all raspberry bushes. Trixie's pride had no objections, and she greedily stuffed her face, staining her lips. After drinking from a cold stream nearby, she let out a belch of satisfaction, and made her way back to the clearing.
By the time she arrived, Celestia had already begun lowering the sun, coloring the sky a rosy pink. Making her way through the demonic trees, her splint finally chose to give out. Her hoof made contact with the ground, the pressure made contact with the infection, and Trixie went down, screaming in agony. Through the haze of pain, she saw her tent just a few feet away. Mustering all she had, she began crawling, leaving a thin trail of infected blood.
This is not good; the infection has spread faster than I thought. You are going to have to lance it again my daughter.
Trixie halted in her movements, and decided the ground where she lay was good enough. She gave the infection a look of deep disgust, and couldn’t help but notice the dried crust on the tree; she shuddered from the memory.
"No Mother, not again."
If you do not, you will not live to see the next day.
"I don't care! I'd rather die than go through that pain again!"
Trixie, I will not allow you to give up so easily! You know I hate seeing you in pain, but there is no other way. Be a good filly; pick up the knife and... what was that?
Looking up, Trixie noticed what her mother was referring to. Just barely seen through the dense trees, was a hooded figure, staring at her with glowing yellow eyes. As their visions met, Trixie was struck with sudden fear. She began trying to back away, but all she managed to do, was send another jolt through her leg, even worse than before.
With the added pain building on the fear, Trixie was fading fast. She gave up and accepted her fate, staring her death in the face. As the figure reached her, she fell into oblivion.
