Night had fallen hours before and the darkness of the Everfree forest smothered the pale illumination of the moon as it tried in vain to penetrate the depths of the wooded landscape. Beneath the boughs of the crooked trees, the forest was a void of impenetrable blackness and only the creatures of the night stalked their prey. On this night, one such creature had happened across an oddity in the pitch, a source of light.
Wormwood stalked the darkness masterfully, his wooden paws silent as he traversed the forest floor for hapless meat. He was a timberwolf and the alpha of his pack. Wormwood’s thick bark skin wore many scars from challengers and his jaws had crushed the life of every upstart who dared challenge his place as leader. He was larger than most other wolves and his strength was feared by not only his pack, but also others of the Everfree. To withhold Wormwood proper respect was to be ripped into pieces by his sharp teeth and powerful jaws. He was more monster than wolf and he loved the feeling of bones splintering in his voracious mouth and savored the delicious lifeblood as it flowed from his victims. This night the alpha wolf would fill his belly on the quivering flesh of whatever delicious morsel crossed his path.
Timberwolves were primarily pack hunters but, during a hunt, the group would split and search for victims separately, covering more ground and increasing their chances of finding a victim. Once a meal had been spotted, Wormwood would silently circle it and then signal the rest of the group with a howl, quickly giving chase to the food and directing it into the middle of the pack’s hunting zone. The poor meal would run for its life, careening wildly through the maze of trees in a blackness that swallowed its vision, hoping to lose the gnashing teeth of the terrible beast pursuing it, but unknowingly being herded into the midst of not one timberwolf, but an entire pack. The part Wormwood savored the most was when its prey spotted the others and turned, the horrific realization that it had been tricked, trapped, and would soon torn apart dawning in its panicking eyes. That was the thrill that made the chase worthwhile, sinking his long fangs into the flesh of the prey was second to seeing the creature’s fear and desperation.
Wormwood was interested in the light. Each time he had encountered fires in the past it had meant a very memorable meal. Ponies, changelings, and other “intelligent” creatures would give away their location with fire, beckoning him and his kind. It was a dinner bell, a flashing neon sign that read “All you can eat,” and he eagerly stalked the foolish beings; their terror was the best. Wormwood’s eyes reflected the pitiful campfire, causing them to squint, as even such a tiny source of illumination was alien to them. The beast crouched as his eyes adjusted to the low flickering flames, his wooden body easily camouflaged in the thicket of assorted trees. After a moment, the flames ceased to sting and his vision corrected to allow him to take in the scene.
The wolf’s eyes spied a small clearing that housed a wooden wagon serving as a mobile home and stage with a red tiled roof. From the rear of the vehicle was a sign that hung just above a door with a crescent moon cut into it. The sign was wooden as well and had a wand superimposed onto the same crescent moon shape, all surrounded by stars. The wagon was only a shape in the darkness, a fragile orange glow from a nearby campfire barely reaching the traveling domicile. Around the fire, rocks were placed in a circle as a protective breach, although this specific fire’s chances for escape were relatively low, and sitting only a few feet away was a sky-colored pony wrapped in a purple cloak with a triangular hat pulled low to protect her against the bitter cold of the night. Wormwood’s mouth watered; ponies were his favorite food and it had been far too long since his last banquet of pony flesh. He didn’t need the pack for this ignorant meal; he would enjoy it alone, basking in the tender meat of the pony.
The timberwolf silently circled the nescient pony, moving behind the wagon and adhering to the darkness, preparing to strike from the pony’s blind side. He was going to enjoy crushing her throat and staring deeply into her eyes as they widened in terror and struggled before finally, slowly, going dead. Seeing the life drain from her horrified face would be the icing on the cake, the cake of mouth-watering pony meat. He lowered himself and crept without a sound into attack distance. The wolf crouched and prepared for the leap that would end with blood and shredding muscle. If he could grin, he would have as the killing moment arrived. Wormwood leapt, teeth bared and drooling as he tore through the air, thoughts of mayhem ripe in his mind.
The Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon was no fool, despite what her antics in the towns of Equestria were designed to show, and her magic had detected the lurching timberwolf long before he would become a danger. Trixie had waited as he endorsed his predatory nature and moved into position for the kill. Trixie was predatory as well; her favorite tactic of misdirection had worked again, as it always did. She waited until the wolf struck to set her magical abilities loose upon him.
Trixie’s horn flared to life; a brilliantly blinding bluish white light roared from her horn and the wolf was suddenly frozen in the air, his assault paused and his body stuck inside the magical field of the unicorn. Trixie stood and lifted her wizard’s hat to reveal a pair of lavender eyes bent in a knowing and boastful expression. A small prideful smirk played upon her features as she moved to stare into the creature’s face. “You thought you could get the best of The Great and Powerful Trixie?” the pony broke a couple of condescending chuckles at the paralyzed and floating beast, locked in place by her magical powers. “You are a foolish creature to think that somepony as strong as I could be taken so easily!” Trixie Lulamoon regarded the beast and a sudden anger filled her small frame. “Thought you would eat me, dear timberwolf? Well, take a nibble, would you?” She gently placed her foreleg between the open jaws of the beast, inviting it to wrench away her flesh. Her spell held the wolf motionless, of course, and she feigned disappointment in response, “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t fit all of me into your mouth. Let me help you open a bit wider.”
As the unicorn’s magic began prying Wormwood’s jaws open wider, for the first time in his long life, he was afraid. He had never been unable to control his body nor bested by another being. This was supposed to have been an easy meal for him, but this unicorn was different from any other pony upon which he had preyed. Her eyes showed no fear and she had led him into a trap. His jaws screamed as his mouth opened impossibly wide, the skin splitting from the pressure and the bones dislocating. His body was locked in place and he couldn’t howl in pain, but his mind shrieked in both terror and agony. His skin ripped further back from his mandible and the tear streaked back and into his throat. The pain was sheer insanity and he could hear the ripping of flesh, muscles, and cartilage as the lacerations continued to flow down the sides of his body; he was being torn in two and he was powerless to stop it.
Trixie stared into the beast’s eyes, a direct link to his mind, and basked in the inferno of pain she saw inside those orbs. This monster had meant to kill and eat her and she took a sick pleasure from watching the tables turn. After a few mind-wrenching moments, she had taken enough time to warm herself in his terrified psyche and finished the spell with one quick thought. The wolf’s body split completely down the middle, from jaw to tail and floated in two distinct halves. She chuckled to herself and floated the split wooden wolf to her little campfire, suddenly breaking it into smaller pieces magically, which she piled atop the flickering flames. She had needed kindling, so the timberwolf’s appearance had been fortunate. She released her magic over what was left of the beast and stoked the flames of her fire, watching it bellow and hungrily eat at the wooden body, growing into a blaze that was worthy of the mighty magician.
Lulamoon couldn’t help but laugh to herself, she enjoyed revealing even a fraction of her true power, something she could never do in the towns of Equestria. She thought back to her great game in Ponyville only a few nights before—the same one she played in every town. She had easily bested the dim-witted earth ponies and pegasi of the backwater town, of course, and the pathetic unicorns had been paltry and magically devoid. She had just about given up on finding a suitable source of magic in the town when she had shown her pretty purple horn. The lavender mare’s magic had been enticingly strong, probably the strongest Trixie had encountered and she could hardly contain herself at the thought of …
A sudden flux of mysticism struck the blue mare, interrupting her thoughts and sending a painful streak from her horn back through her head, causing her to cry out. It only lasted a moment, a warning of what was to come, and Trixie felt her powers wane momentarily. The mare pulled herself from before the campfire and trotted to the door of her wagon, magically opening it and stepping inside the small vehicle. She needed a little pick-me-up, something to hold her over until she could obtain that powerful unicorn.
The living area of the wagon was barely large enough for Trixie to house her show materials and to sleep, but that was only in the physical realm. Magicians of Trixie’s magnitude had ways of increasing dimensions and as the sky-blue mare called upon her magic again, the fabric of reality rippled and she stepped through the breach into her real living quarters.
This room was large and draped in rich textiles in blues and purples, each embroidered with Trixie’s cutie-mark. It was her symbol and someday the world would know it. A thick couch was placed in the middle of the room and a long shelf of books, of varying degrees of age and subject, spanned one whole side of the room. Many of the books were rare and nearly all of them contained treatises on the arts of mysticism. Trixie was a scholar of the magical arts but did not limit her studies to Equestrian pursuits. She was certain there was much more that could be learned from the cultures of others, and thus she had amassed a collection of arts that ranged from the pyromancy of Geneigha, the Shamanism of the zebra, and even the dark arts of the batfolk.
Trixie stopped for a moment as another pain shot through her horn and head, the dimensional room rippling as her powers threatened to fail. She had gone too long without eating and her strength was fading. She knew her rations were running low, but the last few towns had been devoid of what she needed. That’s what she got for slumming through these rural towns. She let out a soft moan as she rubbed her horn with her hooves and waited for the feeling to pass. She would need to find some more food before long if she wanted to keep her strength up. The last meals she had left were not of good quality, but, once again, that was her penance for visiting these Podunk communities. Sometimes you found rare treasures, but mostly it was a lot of common stock.
Trixie flopped onto her couch, the material soft and inviting, and pressed her head into the cool material, sighing as the temperature soothed her aching head. In a moment, the pain passed and she called into reality before her a small table with a silver spoon and napkin resting upon it. Her horn glowed again and a box materialized, covered with ice that kept her dinners from going bad during the periods between meals. The metallic instrument spent its time in a frozen land waiting for Trixie’s call. She smiled and opened the box, gazing inside as the cold fog drifted from the open container. The fog drifted out and covered the immediate vicinity; it licked at her legs and body, tingling and raising chill bumps across her body. It was a ritual to which she had grown accustomed and her mouth salivated in conditioned response. She would soon eat, her head would cease its throbbing, and she would feel her strength revivified. Trixie finally reached into the box and pulled one of the two meals she had remaining, the frozen head of a unicorn.
Trixie took a moment to look at the bodiless remains; the mare had a pink coat, the fur frozen in place, and icicles dangled from her horn and muzzle. Her eyes lay open and rolled up to stare lifelessly at the ceiling. She wore a calm expression on her face, however. Trixie had very quickly severed her head from her neck magically and the unicorn hadn’t even known she was there. She had been a weak prize, but Trixie couldn’t be picky; she needed sustenance and the pink unicorn was the best Hoofington had to offer. Placing the head on the table, letting it stand of its own power on the severed neck, Trixie sighed with a little disappointment. She banished the icebox back to whence it came, some frozen tundra far to the north. Her horn glowed again, creating a blade of brilliant energy a few inches long, which she used to slice the tip from the dead pony’s horn. Trixie bit her lip as she gazed at her meal, but forced herself to be patient; she would need to heat it up first. She dismissed the blade and concentrated on the corpse; within seconds the ice melted and steam piped from the hole in the horn that led into the brainpan. The stench was almost erotic and Trixie eagerly pressed her lips around the spell-casting anatomy, gently sucking in case she had overheated the brain inside.
A small amount dribbled onto her tongue, a delightful temperature that was neither too hot nor cold, and she pulled harder, filling her mouth with soupy goodness. The warmth travelled down her throat as she swallowed happily; the taste was semi-sweet and bitter like the earthy flavors of rutabagas, turnips, or beets. The taste had taken a long time to acquire, but she enjoyed it now, surmising that the benefit somehow tricked her mind into accepting it. Already she could feel her magical strength returning, bolstering from the lingering power of the dead mare’s brains. Her mind felt alive and an emptiness that she did not readily perceive filled, her horn and eyes glowing with an eerie light as she stole what little power the weak mare possessed.
Trixie finished what remained of the liquefied brain, turning the head up and shaking it to force the last few brownish drops through the clipped horn to fall into her eagerly awaiting mouth. She shivered as the last vestiges of magical energy transferred from the decapitated unicorn to her, her body feeling alive as if millions of tiny organisms crawled under her flesh. The blue mare lay on her couch, velvety plush consuming her as her body metabolized and converted the energy. She was running short on her supply of magical fuel and her powers would wane, her skull becoming a prison of torment if she failed to acquire more before long. These weaklings offered only a few days worth of relief and increased her abilities marginally. It had been a long while since she had eaten a truly powerful mind, but that would soon be rectified. As sleep began to roll over Lulamoon’s quickening mind, the image of that purple unicorn sprang to life. Her scam had produced a truly powerful unicorn in Ponyville, more powerful than she had ever sensed before. Her brain would likely prove to be a great boon for Trixie’s own strength. She could only imagine the strength she would gain after she devoured the brain of that lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle.
***
Twilight Sparkle had never been a show off but outperforming that boasting blue braggart had made her feel vivified. Her studies had paid off again and she smiled to herself as she thought about the spells she had used in combination to take control of the catastrophe that had beset Ponyville. The pursuit of magical empowerment was her life and the multitude of voluminous texts in her library was the source of her repertoire of spells. She had learned an impressive number of magical abilities from years of study. As she knew she was destined for a future befitting her strengths, she wanted to be prepared for any eventuality. How many ponies had she saved with her abilities already? Ponyville for sure—that ursa minor would have demolished the whole place if she had not intervened. She had also saved all of Equestria from Nightmare Moon and the tyranny she would have wrought. These deeds had made every bit of study worthwhile. She could use her powers for the benefit of all of Equestria and had a suspicion that she would be called on time and time again in the future. Twilight liked the idea that she was useful to Equestria; it only validated what she had to do to maintain and sharpen her powers. Her reverie was broken by the yawn of her closest friend, Spike.
“Did you want to try number 17 again tonight Twilight?” Spike said through his yawn, distorting the words into a barely audible sentence. His eyelids drooped and it was obvious he was exhausted, but he still was willing to work if Twilight wanted more practice.
“No thanks, Spike. I think it’s about time for us to rest. Tomorrow is another day and who knows what it might bring. We’ve practiced all we can for today,” Twilight knew the number 17 well enough already. The lavender mare valued Spike’s diligence and assistance, however, he was the best friend and colleague she could hope to have.
“Oh good, I’m bushed. I can’t wait to get some sleep. You did great today, Twilight. It seems like just when I think you can’t possibly beat your last trick, you bring out something more amazing,” the baby dragon congratulated the mare on her ever-increasing knowledge.
“Thanks, Spike. It means a lot to me that you are so supportive and such a good assistant. I couldn’t do it without you.” Twilight flattered the dragon despite knowing she could manage without his aid; she just didn’t want to. She led Spike to the bedroom of their home, the library of Ponyville, and quickly tucked him into bed, her horn glowing dimly in the moonlit room. She heard him snoring soundly before she managed to get under her own blankets.
Twilight lay in bed, the soft fabric of her blanket and sheets sandwiching her body in a cocoon of gentle warmth, her mind drifting between the nexus of sleep and reality. Bathed in moonlight from the window, her mind wafted between the realms of sleep and imagination. Her eyes slowly closed as she watched the soft white of the moon in the heavens. It was no longer marred with the image of Nightmare Moon. She had brought back the princess of the night to Equestria and banished the horror that was Nightmare Moon from her heart. Her magic had saved the powerful alicorn from herself and thus, saved Equestria.
It was amazing what the darkness inside of a pony could unleash when it ran amok. Twilight ascertained that every pony had darkness inside them, something that could get out of control and cause suffering and sorrow to others. Sometimes its shadowy face would rear its snarling head and bite; as Twilight had learned, sometimes that was a good thing, but the trick was to know when to let it out and how to control it. Princess Luna had lost control of her envy and it had threatened everything. Twi wondered if the thousand-year banishment on the moon was meant as a time of learning to control herself; if so, she had apparently not done a very good job of it. Perhaps Celestia had wanted to return her sister sooner, but feared that the Nightmare Moon part of Luna’s soul still controlled her. Celestia had needed Twilight to tame that beast and return her sister.
Twilight Sparkle was nearly asleep, the noises of the night playing a soft lullaby. A cacophony of crickets, cicada, and other insects mixing with the distant hoot of an owl and the throaty rib-bit of frogs lulled her away to the majestic realm of dreams. Twilight was almost past the barrier of conscious and unconscious when a sound snatched her back to the waking realm. She sat up in her bed, ears straining for what she had heard. In her dim state of awareness, it had sounded like a thick tree limb snapping. It wasn’t uncommon for noises to magnify themselves to the half-awake and the lavender mare idly wondered if what she had heard hadn't just been the sound of her home settling for the night, amplified by her state of near-sleep.
Her ears twitched and she leaned from her bed to spy Spike still sleeping in his own. He hadn’t heard it, whatever it was, but he was a heavy sleeper who didn’t wake from thunderstorms despite their severity. Twilight was certain something had woken her up but eased herself, silently, back to her pillow, ears perked and listening intently. She was about to brush the interruption away when she realized that she didn’t hear the noises of the night any longer. She had been so focused on listening for something that she didn’t notice the lack of sound, as if her ears had simply stopped functioning. Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what, as she let out a shriek and found it silenced. She kicked the blankets from her and was about to check whether she had awoken Spike with her shout, when movement caught her attention.
A harsh flickering of azure light swept the stairs leading down to the main floor of the library. Twilight watched for a moment, her attention shifting from the perfect silence to this dancing illumination. Twilight had never felt frightened in Ponyville and, indeed, didn’t fear whatever this thing was, taking more of an intellectual interest in it. She watched as a blue pony in a purple cape and hat climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Trixie, the supposedly great and powerful—what did she want? Twilight was stunned that Trixie would set hoof back into Ponyville, let alone come to visit her, after what had happened.
It was the look on Trixie’s face—a smirk of superiority and revenge that twisted the blue unicorn's features into a ghoulish expression—that finally broke her from question to action. Twilight realized that Trixie was the source of her malady and a sudden anger washed over her; she sprung from her bed, but suddenly froze in the air between the floor and her resting place. Her body was paralyzed in space as the sky-blue mare brushed her white hair back and chuckled, a sound that echoed in her mind but not her ears.
“Twilight, my dear. You have been chosen to aid the Great and Powerful Trixie’s advancement of magic. Please be a good mare and don’t struggle too much.” Trixie, like the timberwolf she had slain, enjoyed those moments of helplessness in her victim’s eyes. Twilight thought she was strong, but had to know now that Trixie was far more advanced in mysticism. Lulamoon’s ego bristled and she let out a condescending laugh, telepathically communicating her words to the frozen mare.
Twilight’s horn began to glow as she attempted to release herself from Trixie’s hold over herm, but its flickering energy soon died off as Trixie increased the smothering power of her hold spell, extinguishing the meager attempt to reverse her superiority. It actually impressed the blue unicorn that somepony could make an attempt so valiant; she hadn’t had to waste hardly any effort to put the reversal down, but it was more than she had ever had to contend with before. Indeed, even the smallest amount of fight was welcome—it would make the victory that much sweeter and testified to the capability stored inside of Twilight’s head. “That will not work, Twilight Sparkle. You cannot hope to beat me. Now you will know the true extent of Trixie’s magic!”
Twilight ceased her magical attempts to conserve her energy, genuinely shocked and impressed with the degree of magical influence that the boaster wielded. This was not the same Trixie who had been in town earlier; she was stronger, more adept. Twilight was curious and confused about the nature of her captor, her brain questioning Trixie’s newfound abilities. There would likely be opportunities to break free of Trixie’s control and she was curious as to what Trixie wanted with her. Was she seeking revenge for the embarrassment Twilight had caused her in Ponyville a few days before or was there something more at work? Something more sinister, perhaps? Twilight calmed her rapidly beating heart and decided to let Trixie take the lead for now; she had beaten her before and held confidence that she could again, even with this new level of expertise. Twilight could see Spike still sleeping soundlessly in what her brain recalled to be a sphere of silence. A spell like that was of moderate difficulty and yet Trixie was balancing not only it, but telepathy and a hold spell with relative ease. Twilight’s investigative nature needed answers and she watched, studying, as Trixie cast yet another spell. A quick orb of light flashed like a lightning bolt around them—a teleport spell. Impressive.
***
The pair had appeared in the Everfree forest and the still paralyzed Twilight was floated like a balloon into the wagon that she thought had been destroyed in Ponyville. Apparently, Trixie’s magical abilities did not cease at hold and silence spells. Twilight quietly evaluated Trixie’s mastery of magic as she floated inside the cramped wagon. The mares barely fit inside the mobile home and she felt her head drag against the low ceiling. There was not enough room for the two of them and Twilight began to wonder why Trixie had brought her to the wagon when the rippling effect of time and space tearing set her in awe. Only a few unicorns or alicorns had ever been able to manipulate the fabric of reality in such a way. Twilight had spent many hours reading on the subject and seeing a pony, especially one she had wrongfully perceived as weakly attuned to mysticism, perform such a feat shocked the inanimate mare.
Trixie stepped through the tear in reality and gently floated her captive into her true abode; a knowing smile crossed her features as she turned to face the lavender unicorn and struck a flamboyant pose. “Now you see that Trixie is not the meager magician you took her for. You, my dear Twilight, have fallen for my tricks by revealing your ample sorcery. While you cannot hope to contend with the likes of the great and powerful Trixie, you have become a great source of magical power, but, unfortunately for you, that gift has only gotten you into trouble.”
Twilight stared motionlessly towards the blue mare, her body unable to move and her mind racing, taking in the scene. She was stunned by the reality distortion, but still remained focused on learning about Trixie’s secrets. Trixie’s cutie mark indicated that her talent was magic, just like Twilight’s, but there had to be more to the story. Twilight knew better than to believe that Trixie simply held such raw talent. She was obtaining it from something else; she had to be. Practice alone could not boost one’s abilities to such heights. Twilight had studied nearly her whole life and yet could not have ever hoped to break that natural barrier that stifled a unicorn’s abilities without some form of supernatural aid. She wanted to say something, but Trixie’s spell still had her paused in the leap from her bed. As she debated unleashing her magic, Trixie began to speak again.
“Trixie is certain that seeing these feats of magic has humbled you, Twilight, and if that were the only reason you are here, Trixie would set you free. But, it’s not. You are here to serve as … ” her speech was interrupted by a sudden bout of pain spreading through her horn, forcing Trixie to cringe and clench her eyes tightly. She had feasted on the weak pink unicorn’s brain only a day before, but the fluctuations in her magical reserve were already back. She should have lasted longer than only a day, but Trixie was feeling the loss of energy early. Trixie decided that the unicorn must have been pathetically weak of mind for her to need another boost so soon. Deep down she knew what was really going on, that the artificial empowerment gained from this dark art was addictive and her body was responding more quickly to its needs. The twisted text that had spoken the dark art to her had only hinted at methods to circumvent the growing need for consumption and most of her knowledge on the subject had come from experience. She would not waste a bit of Twilight’s strength and needed to feed in order to get all the benefits from the lavender unicorn.
Twilight felt the magical grip of her body weaken as Trixie seemed to be struck with pain. The frozen mare watched the glow of Trixie’s horn dim and began to piece together the puzzle that was Trixie Lulamoon’s secret. Her powers weakened as a result of something, perhaps overuse, or something else. Twilight needed more information before she could try to escape the mare, but she was learning more every second.
The holding spell was wearing at Trixie’s strength and she could feel her mental processes slowing as the fluctuation took firmer hold. She knew that Twilight would be unable to break her spells regardless of the state in which she temporarily found herself, however, and switched to a less strenuous magical restraint. She gently sat the mare to the floor and released the hold spell.
Twilight fell to the carpeted floor of Trixie’s personal lair and library, not expecting to have control of her body again. Finally able to move, she took in the room quickly with a sweep of her eyes. She noted the shelves of books lining the walls and the rich tapestries displaying Trixie’s cutie-mark. Trixie was a very egocentric pony and the self-worship grated on Twilight’s nerves. Did she really believe she was the greatest unicorn in Equestria? Sure, her magic was powerful, but that kind of hubris usually came back to bite the owner. “Why did you bring me here, Trixie? What do you want with me?” Twilight’s voice was tempered with agitation but respectful of the capabilities the blue mare possessed. Despite being mobile, Twi could feel her sorcery dampened by another spell. Trixie was allowing her to move, but not to cast magic. She tested her ability to perform magic, feeling the restraint as her horn sparkled to life for a moment. She halted the spell, getting a feel for the power restricting her.
Trixie grinned superiorly at Twilight through the ice pick lodged in her mind; some moments were sweet despite the circumstances. “You can’t overpower that spell, Twilight. Enjoy the last moments of your life. You should be admiring the great and powerful Trixie and the feats you will never again experience. It’s like a personal show for you, an interactive experience.”
Twilight’s mouth fell open as Trixie spoke to her. Stunned, she fought the urge to rebel immediately. She needed to keep Trixie talking until she could find the optimum moment to unleash her magical strength. She felt panic swell in her breast but Twilight had always been able to call on herself in emergencies. She would not die here. “You want to kill me, Trixie? I didn’t mean to cause you any harm in Ponyville. I wasn’t going to even use my magic, but you inadvertently brought the ursa to town. I had to do something. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” Pleading was something that left a stale taste in her mouth, but Twilight needed to get the overpowered unicorn talking; boastful ponies were usually all to happy to brag about themselves. If she could get her started, it would buy some time.
The pain eased away and Lulamoon’s power returned, for the moment. The blue mare had empirically proven that she could acquire greater power from another while her own power was still strong. This meant that devouring Twilight’s consciousness while under the glass ceiling of fluctuation and pain would waste a great deal of the power in the lavender mare's cerebral faculties. Trixie had also proven that ingesting a still living brain was far more beneficial than one that had expired. It was as if the magic that flowed inside a unicorn’s head rotted quickly and not even a rapid freezing could prevent it. Therefore, as she had planned, Trixie first needed to eat the other stored mind to drive away the pain crippling her powers. Then, she would pry Twilight’s skull open to consume her brain while she still lived, which was fine with her. Her ruse required that she allowed herself to be bested in the towns, so she enjoyed that helpless look in her victim’s eyes as they understood how truly powerful Trixie Lulamoon was. The thought of Twilight's recognition pleased her very much … She finally registered Twilight’s words and responded, “My poor Twilight. Do you not understand what you have done to yourself? I do not seek revenge from you.”
“Then why do you want to kill me?” Twilight’s expression was grim and frightened as she spoke. She wanted to move closer to Trixie, hoping to discover something in her physical appearance that betrayed the source of her power. Some amulets or other devices could enhance one’s magical strength, but she didn’t think a charm could do so to this level. Unfortunately, when she tried to lift her hoof from the floor, she found it stationary, as if it had been glued to the spot. She inwardly sighed in frustration, More magical restraints—wonderful.
“Trixie is certain you believe you can talk your way out of this situation. You cannot, my dear Twilight. The Great and Powerful Trixie does not simply want revenge for the embarrassment she experienced at your hooves, but wishes to assimilate you to her own power!” Trixie turned her back on the lavender mare, confident in her spells to restrain her. She stepped to the couch and fell into its recesses, calling the icebox from its storage place hundreds of miles away. The box flashed into the room, steam rising from it as the temperature of the room began to melt its icy surface.
The confused unicorn watched in interest as the box appeared and Trixie opened it. A thick fog rolled from the innards of the box, concealing what was stored within. Her voice quivered with a hint of fear as she asked, “What do you mean ‘assimilate’, Trixie?”
“Harness your abilities and make them Trixie’s own. Your powers will be mine, Twilight Sparkle. You will expire, but your essence will serve Trixie forever. You should be happy to be part of Trixie’s amazing abilities!” Trixie waited for a moment, turning her head to watch Twilight. The mare was probing her for information and Trixie didn’t see how the knowledge would harm her. Twilight was impressive, after all, and perhaps she deserved to know exactly what was going to happen. She didn't really need to explain, of course, because Twilight would see Trixie’s pick-me-up and understand what her fate would be. She smirked to herself and decided to wait for the insolent purple mare to ask her about it. It would be just one more concession of weakness, but Trixie wanted to hear it.
For a few moments, Twilight waited for Trixie to explain but soon realized that she was being baited to ask. Twilight was intelligent and knew the psychological premise for this action, but decided to appear weak. She wanted to know Trixie’s secret and perhaps it would further Trixie’s underestimation of her. “How do you do that? How is it possible to steal another pony’s magic? That doesn’t make sense,” Twilight asked with a soft break in her voice.
“Trixie is glad you are so inquisitive. The Great and Powerful Trixie’s natural talent is far above the likes of you, but, in order to be the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria, Trixie has found the means to further her power! Behold, Twilight Sparkle, behold the secret to becoming the greatest and most powerful of all pony kind!” Her horn flared and the fog cleared from the icebox revealing a decapitated unicorn head. Its soft green flesh was pale and the red mane frozen in place, a dribble of frozen blood locked to its mouth and chin.
Twilight went silent. In truth, the image didn’t revile her; it actually made sense. Twilight knew about this heathen rite. Her eyes followed the floating head for a moment before catching the somewhat unhappy glare from Trixie. She had expected Twilight to scream, wretch, or exhibit some sort of reaction. She had not expected the blank and seemingly understanding expression. Good, now that Twi knew the secret, she no longer needed to belittle herself before the selfish mare. Twilight remained quiet, simply watching as Trixie lay the head on the table and magically circumcised the dead unicorn’s horn.
Trixie felt uneasy at the lack of response. She was heating the brains inside the head before she could speak again, her temper piquing as she regarded the stone-faced mare. “Does this not revile you? Are you secretly a cruel pony, Twilight Sparkle? Do you not believe in the sanctity of life or respect for the dead?”
“Why do you seek such power, Trixie? Why do you stoop to cannibalism?” Twilight’s emotions appeared to be dead. She was a blank page, a stone, a flat block of ice.
Trixie took the lack of emotions as a form of withdrawal and grinned. She was getting underneath that purple coat of hers. Yes, Twilight was afraid and had locked in place, unable to flee and receding into her mind. That was good. For a moment, Trixie had feared that Twilight might not brew in her own juices. Fear percolated the sorcerous nature of the unicorn brain and would render it much more effective. She levitated the head and walked to face the restrained mare, letting the dead eyes peer right through Twilight. To Trixie's chagrin, Twilight didn’t make an attempt to move and only stared up at the blue mare. There was something wrong; she didn’t know what, but she knew that her bullying tactic wouldn’t work. Twilight had to be hiding in her mind. She couldn’t be faced with such acts and simply be so calm. Angrily, Trixie returned to the luxury of her couch and sucked at the horn of the corpse, eagerly drinking the steaming brew.
Annoyed with the silence, Twilight repeated her question, “For what reason do you do these things, Trixie?”
“To become the greatest unicorn in Equestrian history, of course, you fool. When Trixie is finished, even Celestia and Luna will quake at her tremendous power. Trixie will be respected and feared like the wizards of old. Nopony will ever laugh at Trixie again!” Agitated, Trixie tossed the lifeless, empty head away and turned to the offending unicorn. Her powers rejuvenated, Trixie didn’t intend to waste any more time. “Now, it’s your turn, Twilight Sparkle.”
The table in the center of the room suddenly opened, a circular hole appearing at its midsection. Twilight felt herself being pulled towards the piece of furniture and held back the emotions within her. She remained silent and still as the hole in the table swelled wide enough to let her body pass through, coming to rest on her haunches on the carpet below. Her eyes locked with Trixie’s as the hole in the table closed around her neck, holding her in place, only her head remaining above the wooden plane. The table choked her but she refused to show any weakness. She looked up at the blue mare without fear. She knew Trixie meant to devour her now.
Trixie was not sympathetic in any form; the delight played across her face as she stared down at the trapped unicorn, her magic sealed away by Trixie’s power, her fate accepted. Trixie still had one little trick to play, “I’m sorry, dear Twilight, but the unicorn mind is so much better for consumption while it is still alive. I will have to keep you alive while I eat your brains. I’ll try and be quick and painless, but let me be honest—this is going to hurt a lot.” A small laugh escaped her and she materialized the energy blade again, preparing to slice around the captive unicorn’s brow and lift the skullcap away to reveal the delicious ridges beneath.
The blade moved close to Twilight’s forehead and Trixie could smell the wonderfully strong odor of Twilight’s magic. She grinned and pressed with the blade, but it wouldn’t move. She tried again, but the blade was locked in place. A sudden anger swept her and she growled as she focused her powers into the magical instrument, but it simply would not budge.
Twilight began to laugh, her horn lighting up, purple and white charged energy flowing about it of a kind that nopony had ever seen and lived. The deep thunderous laughter that rolled through Twilight’s body seemed to be impossibly loud, her body physically unable to issue such rumbles. Twilight grinned as Trixie’s eyes widened in shock. The purple mare's features became punishing and hard, a superiority filled her eyes as they began to glow with a sickly greenish light streaked with black energy.
Trixie felt fear take her senses, sharpening them. She didn’t understand this sudden strength from Twilight, but her dampening spell had fried from the sudden surge of magical energy. She called forth all of her power; the quickening had sharpened her abilities and the fear had honed them to a razor’s edge, but her spell only flickered and failed against the insane might that was Twilight Sparkle. Trixie screamed; she didn’t know what to do. Twilight was far stronger than she had imagined. It was impossible, but somehow this unicorn was overpowering her own awesome abilities. She tried her spells again, each time powerlessly watching them falter.
“You are wicked, Trixie. You murder the innocent and use their powers for your own self-interest. Now you will be punished,” her voice echoed through the room, tossing books from shelves and nearly deafening Trixie. Her voice was like the voice of the ancient lords, the dark gods of ancient times. Twilight knew far more spells than even Spike knew. She concealed her true strength until it was needed, but once she decided to release it, she let all of her power flow. She easily opened the table and levitated herself from it, floating in the air as she took hold of Trixie’s body and forced her down to lock the table around her neck, sealing it tight against her throat.
She could barely speak with the table pressing to tightly into her neck, but Trixie Lulamoon squeezed out cries for compassion and begged for forgiveness, despite the pain it caused. “Please, Twilight. I’m sorry … please. I’ll … go away. Let … please, let me … go!” The desperation was thick in her words, but the only answer to the pleas was a grin. As a pony who took pleasure in others’ fear, Trixie could see the twisted enjoyment in Twilight Sparkle’s neon flaming eyes. Twilight wasn't simply filled with righteous anger; she was loving punishing Trixie.
“We’re not so different, Trixie. I can sense your intelligence and ambition. It’s admirable, but did you seriously not wonder why there are only weak unicorns around Ponyville?” Twilight’s mind-shattering voice contained her pleasure at Trixie’s forced submission. Now Trixie understood how worthless she was. Twilight took great enjoyment in releasing her true self to the evils of Equestria. They would find their darkness being reflected back at them. Twilight could never unveil herself this way to the ponies she protected, but, to the vile monsters that attempted to demolish the peace and happiness of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle did not hold back.
“Please! Twilight Sparkle, please! Trixie begs you! PLEASE!” The captive mare felt her throat shredding from her wails, but it didn’t matter anymore. She was faced with a demon against which she was powerless and could only beg for her life. Trixie felt her bladder release and fought with all of her strength to free herself of the table, her mind beginning to fracture from the stress. The flesh of her throat and neck peeled away under the wrenching pressure, blood running across the table as she fought.
“It’s not often I get to feast, Trixie. I am going to take my time. As you know, fear makes the magical power so much stronger, and I can smell that you are ready.” Twilight chuckled at the irony and echoed Trixie’s words back to her, “You should be happy, Trixie, to be part of the greatest and most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. That’s the difference between us—on your own, you would have caused pain to so many. I, however, cause pain to only a few and use their power to aid everypony in Equestria. I have already saved countless, which renders those I must eat a simple necessity.” The beast that was Twilight Sparkle roared in ecstasy at the scent of Trixie’s overpowered brain and grinned once more, twisting Trixie’s words around on her. “I will try to be quick, but in all honesty, this is going to hurt … a lot.”