1.
The sleek azure unicorn stood quietly at the mouth of the cave. Her purple cloak was out of place among the miles of cheerless scrubland, and her equally colorful cutie mark—a magic wand with a swish of pixie dust—only further confirmed that she did not belong here.
The idea must have occurred to the unicorn as well, for she glanced wistfully over one shoulder, and when a distant raven cawed, her entire body flinched from nervous tension.
After a moment, she steadied herself and returned to appraising the cave. So far as she could tell, it was utterly impenetrable—not a single shaft of light fell over its threshold and the unicorn felt a vague unease creep into her mind. It was not too late to turn back, though doing so would mean giving up on nearly a year’s endeavor. She was still pawing at the ground in indecision when the image of a certain town flashed across her mind.
Instantly, the unicorn spoke.
“Awake! The Great and Powerful Trixie is here!”
It was a bold statement by any account, and in a land unused to noise, the words fell like the blast of a cannon. A slight rustling began inside the cave.
“Come forth! Trixie is waiting to speak with you.”
Another, deeper rustling sounded from the cave. Its entrance grew darker than ever, and when a whispery voice rose out of the blackness, there was not the slightest sign of what was speaking.
“Trixie? I do not know that name. But I have been sleeping…”
The voice was less harsh than Trixie had expected, less frightening too. She drew a deep breath and continued.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie has awakened you to make a deal! See here.”
An aura of magic sprang to life around her horn, and a small gold key appeared in the air. As it floated into view, the shadows near the cave’s entrance flared. Trixie gave back despite herself, and the voice was quick to respond.
“Forgive me. I mean no harm. But you can imagine what a shock it is to behold the means to my liberation. Tell me, how did you obtain it? I had thought that key locked deep within the treasure vaults of Princess Celestia.”
The voice no longer sounded vague or sleepy. It was now a rich bass timbre, and Trixie had an impression of great eagerness behind it.
“The magic of Trixie is far too mysterious for one such as you! You need only know that I can free you, and will, if you serve me.”
“And what must I do?”
“You will travel with me to the town of Ponyville. An ugly mule named Twilight Sparkle lives there and—”
“Ah,” interrupted the voice, “now I begin to understand. Is she is your rival?”
Trixie flicked her tail.
“She is not my rival! Twilight Sparkle is a foolish simpleton who overstepped her limits when she challenged me!”
“And you seek my help to teach her a lesson?”
“To teach all of them! All of them who mocked me. I’ll prove I’m every bit as great as I said.”
The unseen creature sounded pleased to learn of its mission.
“Very well. Free me! I will stand by your side.”
Trixie began summoning her magic. Abruptly, she halted. This banter had distracted her, so much so that she had nearly forgotten the most important part.
“Give me your word,” she said. “Swear you will obey me!”
A long pause followed.
“Well?”
“Surely,” purred the voice, “I could operate better under my own initiative? If you go too far in restricting my freedom, our partnership will never realize its full potential.”
Trixie shook her head.
“Goodbye,” she said. “We have nothing more to talk about.”
She turned and began to walk off. The voice cried out at once.
“WAIT! I was merely… testing you. I see now that you understand the rules of my existence. Truly, you are as wise as you claim.”
“Then you give me your word?”
“I give you my word. Free me from this prison! I swear that I will use my powers to do as you ask.”
“And nothing more?”
“And nothing more.”
The creature’s promise dispelled the last of Trixie’s doubts. With a silent smirk, she called forth her magic and focused on the hovering key. A disembodied lock appeared at the cave’s entrance. Without any hesitation, Trixie unfastened it.
“AT LAST!”
The voice roared from the darkness, blowing pebbles and cobwebs before it. Under Trixie’s hooves, the ground itself trembled. But still the creature did not emerge.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did you forget?” replied the voice. “Or is your knowledge not as deep as I imagined? Regardless, I have no body until a separate mind imagines it. Tell me how I shall appear.”
Trixie blinked in surprise. The legends had not mentioned this. And yet, if she were going to have a shapeshifter as a companion, why not make the best of it?
“You are a strong, handsome stallion with green eyes. You have a smooth black coat and broad shoulders. Your mane is coarse but well-kept, your hooves are trim and powerful, and your cutie mark is a silvery crown.”
A mass of shadows boiled out from the cave. Trixie forced herself to be still as they swept forward, and when the darkness pulled back, the most incredible stallion stood in its wake. His appearance far surpassed Trixie’s expectations; he had taken each of her playful details and perfected it.
Except for one.
“You don’t have green eyes.”
The stallion turned to face her, his aforementioned features blazing with icy-blue fire.
“My eyes are my own. Surely one so munificent will forgive this small indulgence?”
Trixie could not help smiling.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie forgives you. But you’ll stand out if they stay as they are.”
Immediately, the stallion’s eyes dimmed, until the unnatural radiance went out of them and they became a bold blue in color.
“There,” he said. “And now, O She Who Freed Me, let us commence the deconstruction of your unfortunate foe.”
He began to move off, straight in the direction of Ponyville, though Trixie had not told him the way. Perhaps, in a mind less clouded, that would have been seen for the ominous signal it was. As it happened, Trixie merely adjusted her cloak and hurried after her new acquaintance.
“Hold on!” she said. “If you’re going to serve Trixie, you should follow where Trixie leads.”
A light flared in the stallion’s eyes, but he lowered his head and waited until Trixie had passed him.
“That’s better,” she said. “My wagon is just over that hill. I don’t suppose you mind pulling while I ride?”
“No. I think you’ll find I am quite used to having others in my shadow…”