//------------------------------// // Shadowhoof 02 // Story: Secret OC Origins Compilation // by Jeweled Pen //------------------------------// Fireworks streaked through the sky, their colorful display drawing oohs and aahs from the ponies gathered for the show. Even though the village was now covered in deep layers of snow, they'd managed to keep the streets fairly clear in case any emergency's occured, the pegasi working extra hard to keep the majority of the snowfall on safe locations. The clear streets had led to todays surprise. The mayor hummed softly as he looked across the gathered ponies, all bundled up tightly from the snow and cramming around in the field just outside the town, besides the forest. He could hardly blame the excited colts and fillys practically jumping up and down in their parents laps. It wasn't everyday they received performers, especially not in the dead of winter. This performer in particular had made quite the entrance, sending up fireworks the moment her carriage was within sight of the village. She hadn't even announced herself, drawing her carriage just outside the city, setting up her stage and then disappearing within. A few fireworks had gone off and since then, silence. He'd knocked on the door, but there was still no comment from the mare. The only hint they had were the words 'Great and Powerful Trixie!' painted directly over the stage. It hadn't been long before all the younger ponies had started dragging their parents to see the show, whatever it may be. While he had no children of his own, the display had piqued his own curiousity. He did worry about having it so close to the woods, but he doubted it would be an issue. Now that the tribute had been given and they'd found the cart near the forest edge a few weeks ago, they doubted they'd see any sign of the creature for months. It was easy to pretend it wasn't even there, that it had never been there. His eyes wandered to the forest again and he thought he saw a little flash of purple amongst the trees. But a second look revealed just snow covered plants. Nothing for him to worry about. He shook his head and chuckled, before the sound of more fireworks cleared the thoughts from his mind. He turned to the stage where sparks flew into the air, erupting in a multitude of color. A blue unicorn mare with a dazzling white mane stepped out from behind the curtain. She wore a star covered purple hat and cape. Her head was held high and she had a cocky smirk on her face as she trotted into the center of the stage. Everypony went silent as they watched and waited. Soon the only sound was the wind, howling through the field and making the ponies tremble. Then there was fire. “Hello ladies and gentlecolts! The Great and Powerful Trixie magician extraordinaire has decided to grace you with her presence! You may have heard rumors of her greatness, her amazing magic arts! Why, she have even performed portions of her dazzling shows for none other than the princesses of Equestria!” There were a few oohs and aahs from the crowd as she trotted about on the stage. “She's certain you've all heard about her assistance in Ponyville, where she assisted the student of the princess in ending the destructive rampage of a hundred foot tall ursine minor?” There were a few coughs from the crowd. The mayor was confused, was this Trixie's assistant? She seemed pretty... peculiar. Did she normally talk in the third person? The mare stared for a few more moments. “Well, very well. Surely you've heard of her assistance in locating and ahhh... removing a dangerous artifact known as the alicorn amulet from the world at large? Her great displays of power such as the age controlling spells?” There was even more silence. She sighed and shook her head. “Very well! It seems, my dear ponies, that you required her presence here more than she'd ever thought. Why she... hold on. This snow is so very distracting.” Her horn glowed for a moment as she bit her tongue and focused. The mayor stared in confusion, wondering what it was she had in mind. Suddenly the ground under him turned pink and he yelped. It lifted up, seeming to phase through him and the other ponies as it gathered all the snow, before tossing it off to the side. The crowd stared for a few moments, looking around wildly at the suddenly cleared field, almost every drop of snow moved aside into a wind blocking drift on the side opposite the forest. The crowd erupted in cheers, stomping their hooves as they watched the mare with newfound appreciation. “Ha ha ha. That was but a minor trick of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” the unicorn yelled as she sat down with a confident smirk. She eyed the crowd, grinning widely as she struggled, hard, not to fall over. She had expected a lot less ponies to be here and had only practiced that spell on smaller areas. But she was nothing if not adaptable. Though, she really, really wanted to go ram her horn into a tub of ice until the throbbing stopped. She'd have to hold off on the actual magic for a little bit, time to focus on the minor tricks. She had plenty of those up her sleeve. Well, would if she wore sleeves. The cheering crowd made it all worthwhile, though. They had no idea just how hard that spell was. She tapped on a loose board and a small device sprang into action. A thick, blue fog covered the stage as she walked about. “Now, for my next act I'm sure you've all seen the bunny from the hat trick?” She pulled the hat from her head. “But the bunnies are always sooooo small! So boring and tiny!” She nudged another board and a small hole opened in the stage, hidden in the fog. The crowd watched with breathless anticipation. She pulled out a small stuffed bunny, slightly smaller than her head. “The Great and Powerful Trixie calls this one enlarging the bunny.” She tossed the bunny down and, from the front of the stage, it looked like it went into the hat. The mist helped to hide the fact it fell into her stage. She then reached down... down. “Now... with a little magic...” Her horn lit up, sending sparkles into the air as she grabbed the large bunny under the stage. She pulled it out with another minor explosive flash, holding it up. “A bunny truly worthy of those long, cold nights!” She then tossed it off the stage into the crowd. There was a slight twitch in her eye as she watched the ponies roar and grapple for the stuffed animal. It had cost her five bits to get one that large. Five. Bits. But it would be worth it, she knew. She'd learned after a few experiences with a certain unicorn. Ponies were more willing to douse you in praise and tips if they liked you, and nothing made ponies happier than giving their children treats. But still, five bits. She was amazing, she shouldn't even HAVE to play the crowd like this. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie, they should feel honored to-- She quickly shook her head. “Now, for the Great and Powerful Trixie's NEXT bit of magic, she'll need a volunteer!” The crowd erupted with ponies, raising their hooves and jumping up and down, flailing about like children. She hummed and looked over them, before choosing a small filly near the front. “You!” she tapped another board and the hole under the stage closed. The little filly gulped as she walked up to the stage, trembling as the mist swirled around her. “Now, what's your name, little one?” “I-I'm T-tinywings,” the mare said softly. The mist almost completely enveloped her. Trixie nodded and then moved a hoof behind the mare's ear, flicking the hoof under her cloak with each movement. “Now, tell us. Do you like chocolate?” A small chocolate bar formed in her hooves, before it disappeared under her cloak. “How about suckers? Jelly beans?” The candy seemed to materialize in her hoof with each named candy, then disappearing again. “I... I like c-chocolate...” the filly said, her eyes watching the hoof closely, but too slow to catch the trick. “Good, good...” Trixie said as the hoof disappeared under the cloak. “You'll have a delicious little treat after this trick, okay?” The filly nodded rapidly, her attention even more focused on the mare now. The magician nodded and grinned. “Now then, for the next trick! The Great and Powerful Trixie will demonstrate her ability to phase through solid objects!” She trotted behind the curtain and rolled out a barrel filled with little holes. She laid it on top of a small circular indent in the stage, before trotting into the back and pulling out spears. The crowd went silent. Trixie was confused, but didn't let it throw her off. “Now, little filly, you need to pick up these spears and thrust them into the--” “Are you mad?” a pony suddenly yelled before leaping onto the stage, a pegasus. “Err, please. Don't worry, I'm a professional. I'll be perfectly safe beca--” “You? I'm not worried about you! What kind of crazy mare tries to get children to play with real spears?” the stallion yelled before trotting over to the filly. “Tinywing, are you okay? Come on, let's go sit down with mommy.” “But daaaad! I was chosen! I was going to get candy!” Trixie gulped as the crowd stared at her, many of them glaring. They were just some harmless razor sharp spears, it's not like she wanted the filly to get in the barrel. “Ahhh... hah hah. Well, then. Errr, do we have any more volunteers?” The crowd went distressingly quiet, making her cough. Time to do her finale before things turned sour. “Ah, well, I see that... errr, very well!” She stepped forward and more fireworks went off, triggered by a small spell from her horn. “The Great and Powerful Trixie supposes minor tricks and spells aren't enough to impress you ponies, now are they?” She shook her head. “Now she'll show you one of the greatest spells a unicorn can perform! Teleportation!” There was a loud gasp from the crowd. She hit another board and a new, thicker mist filled the stage. “Now watch and be amazed!” Her horn glowed as the mist grew every thicker. The ponies watched with bated breath, mouths open as they stared in wonderment. Now, she couldn't teleport. At least, not yet. But, she was an expert at getting around minor issues like skill and knowledge. Her horn glowed as she put on a look of determination, taking a step back, deeper into the mist. Her horn flashed, blinding the crowd as her hoof slammed down on a small spring mechanism on the back of the stage. It launched her backwards and into the air, allowing her to land safely on a platform directly over the stage. She took a second to gather herself, before dramatically posing. The mist cleared and the confused ponies stared, before erupting in cheers. She let out a sigh of relief, waving her hoof at her adoring fans. She'd practiced that trick a thousand times, yet she still hated trying to stick that landing. It always made her uncomfortable flying through the air. Unicorns were not meant to fly. But that was why she had to do it that way, galloping ten feet away could be easily explained, but landing ten feet in the air with no ladder? Not so much. “Thank you, thank you! Do not forget my name, the Great and Powerful Trixie, magician extradinaire! No other unicorn can wield such magic!” The mayor's eyes widened as he stared at the mare. He could hardly believe it. It just wasn't possible, could they be that lucky? She bowed and offered her hat as bits flew on the stage. He stepped forward, walking towards the stage. “Trixie!” It took a few moments for the crowd to silence and for her to notice him, though she gave a smile. “Yet another adoring fan. How may the Great and Powerful Trixie help you? Did you wish to hear more of her daring feats? Perhaps see more of her powerful magic?” He gulped. “You... you say you are a powerful unicorn, more powerful than any other?” She nodded. “Of course. Her talent is magic itself! There is no unicorn who could hope to compete with the Great and Powerful Trixie!” He nodded, a grin forming on his lips. “Have you ever faced a necromancer?” The crowd went completely silent. Trixie paused and stared at the stallion. “A... necromancer?” She then snorted. “Oh? Do you wish to test your magics against the Great and Powerful Trixie? It has been a while since she has allowed competitions such as this, but very well. Bring whatever... potions you can make an--” “No, no no no no!” he said rapidly, shaking his head. “Not me.” He pointed a hoof towards the forest. “In those woods, a great evil has held sway over us for the last few years. An evil necromancer that comes out at the start of the seasons and steals from us. If... if you could defeat it, we would be eternally grateful.” Trixie paused and looked out into the woods. She then snorted. “Hah! The Great and Powerful Trixie has faced down packs of timber wolves, ursine majors and even an entire colony of diamond dogs. Your necromancer doesn't--” There was a sudden scream and wail of a banshee. Her eyes widened, but she kept her calm. “Doesn't scare me in the slightest. However, monster slaying isn't easy, or cheap.” The mayor nodded. “Name your price! To get rid of that monster we'll pay whatever you wish!” A wide grin formed on her lips. “Very well. Two hundred bits. If that's acceptable then--” “Done!” Trixie paused. “W-wait, really?” She'd expected to have to negotiate such an outrageous sum. “In order to get rid of this monster, it'll be worth every bit.” There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd. Trixie paled slightly, but nodded. “V-very well. The Great and Powerful Trixie must prepare. Please leave her. Your necromancer will be gone by the morning!” ------ Shadowhoof watched, his eyes wide with terror from his hiding spot in the trees. He'd come running at the sight of fireworks, his curiousity overwhelming his worry about being so close. Fortunately, nopony was interested in going into the woods with the show. The Great and Powerful Trixie had been amazing, though it was hard to see everything from a distance. She was able to lift all that snow so easily, then do an enlarging spell and even teleport. He'd never seen a unicorn with such powerful magic. Granted, he hadn't seen many unicorns to compare it with, but still. It was mind boggling. He'd barely been able to keep his magic from acting up during the show, having to occasionally nudge it when little phantoms would appear or a soft wail would start. However, when the mayor came out, he couldn't hold it in. He'd been so shocked the magic had just burst out before he could snap it back. Worst of all, it seemed the mare was okay with the offer. She was going to hunt him down. Destroy him. She was going to turn him into a toad, or worse. He stared at the carriage, peering out through his hood and gripping the tree softly. There was no way he could hope to run away from such a powerful mage. He'd bet she had a dozen spells based on tracking a pony alone. No, he'd have to try to scare her off. He shrunk down to the ground and whimpered. He didn't want to have to face someone so powerful and scary. She knew teleporting spells and growth spells. What if she teleported a giant boulder onto his head and crushed him? What if she turned him into the size of a mouse and fed him to a cat? What if she shrunk down his castle to the size of a toy. He didn't couldn't carry enough supplies to last through the winter, it was too cold to gather things. He laid down on the ground and tried plotting. He had to scare her off before she could destroy his home. He crawled forward and peered out from behind the tree, shivering as some snow fell on his back. He watched her for a few moments and took a slow, deep breath. He was so going to get turned into a frog. ------ Trixie snorted distastefully as she trotted through the forest, the snow crunching under her hooves. She was cold, wet and tired. The wind kept tugging at her cape, making it billow in the wind that, while dramatic, kept threatening to topple her over. The white snow covered everything, making the world almost as bright as day despite the fact it was almost midnight. She didn't know why she'd even bothered to bring the lantern and considered turning it off, though its little bit of warmth was appreciated. She couldn't believe how silly these ponies were. They talked of evil spirits and monsters and all kinds of terrors, but then try ignoring the thing since it only comes once a season. Satisfied with a few apples and food stuffs? Obviously this was just some over the top prank, probably done with poorly cut sheets and spreading rumors about. Necromancy wasn't real magic, if it was she would be able to do it. If she wanted. Which she didn't, but she'd never even heard of a pony who could. It was all so silly. Yet these ponies cowered in their homes like foals, expecting some boogie pony to jump out of the darkness to gobble them up. The entire thing made her just roll her eyes and scoff. The path she was on now was the one they said the creature always came from, so she'd just follow it straight to the pony's lair to find the sheets and little costumes. Come back, brag about how she'd frightened off the troublemakers and get paid. Easy peasy. Even better since saving a village from a necromancer was something she could brag about later. She'd probably even get a medal. A frown creased her brow as she looked around. The trees didn't seem any thicker and the moon could still be seen in the sky. However, it seemed to be getting... darker. She paused and looked around. Strange. Before she could see a few trees out in the distance, but now it was as if there was a wall of darkness coming out towards her. Her lantern didn't seem to be giving as much light as before, either. She let out a nervous gulp and looked down at the lantern but, as she had originally thought, it still had plenty of fuel. She turned it up a little, making the light burn in its glass compartment. The darkness seemed to be pushed back just a little further. Still, as she walked she couldn't help but feel as if the shadows were closing in on her. Her ears twitched as she heard the snow crunch underhoof away from her. She froze and listened. She could hear the sounds of snow dropping from branches, twigs being moved aside. Some even snapping. She stopped and lifted the lamp up higher. “Who's there?” she called out. “Don't think the Great and Powerful Trixie is afraid of you! She has more magic in a strand of her mane than you have in your whole body, necromancer!” Shadowhoof didn't say anything as he watched her from the shadows. Though, he couldn't help but agree with her, she probably did. But she was in the darkness now, his forest. He knew where they were and he knew how to best get around. Well, knew how to get around-ish. He'd sprained his hoof and slammed face first into a tree when a snow covered root caught his foot. Not to mention he had a bit of a reaction from walking through some poison ivy. But other than that he knew exactly where he was. Off the path and freezing his flank off. He could see her though, and she couldn't see him. That was all that mattered. His horn glowed as he trailed slowly after her. She was obviously an amazing mage, so he couldn't imagine anything that could possibly frighten a mare like her off. He'd considered trying to sneak up and frighten her with a face to face appearance, but his head started throbbing as he remembered the last time he tried that. Usually ponies ran. Sometimes they screamed, grabbed the nearest large stick or log, beat him in the head with it a few times and only THEN did they run. It was how he gained the current crack in his horn. No, for a mare like that he'd have to use her own imagination against her. He used his illusion magic to make the darkness close in tighter on her, make the light dimmer. He could also use his very weak telekinesis to shake a little snow free from branches as she passed by. He made some fall down on her back and was rewarded by a sudden shriek and turn as she waved her lamp around violently. He had to stop then and hold his horn, the crack throbbing from the exertion. “Right... stick to illusions... ow...” “Who's there? The Great and Powerful Trixie heard you! Don't you dare think you can hide!” She held the lantern aloft again, making him quickly cower. A wide grin formed on his lips as his horn began to glow. The light seemed to sputter out completely, cloaking her entirely in darkness. Even the moon's light and snow brightness disappearing. The flame sprang back to life a moment later, but the mare was visibly shaken at the sudden shift. He grinned as his horn came back to like. The sound of wild, eratic laughter echoed through the forest. The mare started walking again, faster. He followed after her, every so often making the darkness close in tighter and tighter, the lamp light reveal a little less. Shapes seeming to dart and move through the shadows. Trixie walked quickly, taking slow, steady breaths. Things were moving in the corner of her vision and she swore she could hear them running about in the darkness. Shapes moving, watching from the shadows. She tried not to imagine what monsters were out there, waiting for her. Was it possible? Could necromancy really exist? Were their ghosts out there? Monsters? It had all seemed so silly outside the forest, but now she wasn't so sure. Forests like this had always been rumored to hold all kinds of weird magic and creatures. Was a necromancer just another one? Even her light seemed to be having trouble enduring whatever horrible magic haunted this place. The shadows grew ever larger, reaching towards her as the path seemed to become dimmer and dimmer. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as the wind howled by. It was even worse because the bushes grew up right against the path and there were plenty of places the trees branches covered it. Whatever was out there could reach out and grab her at any moment. If it leaped onto the path, she couldn't avoid it until it was too late. Her breath formed a mist in the cold air as she started walking faster and faster, soon flat out galloping. Then there was a loud thunk, followed by a ghostly wale. She had just enough light to see something large move to the right of the path. Trixie let out a scream before turnng and galloping away. Buck this. She wasn't going to become a zombie slave to some monstrous necromancer. She could sneak out, grab her carriage and get out of here. The tips they'd given her were enough, she didn't need the necromancer's bounty. Shadowhoof moaned pitifully as he held his nose. The mare had started running and he'd tried, desperately, to keep up. Unfortunately, he had no light and was walking off the beaten path. He'd finally slammed right into a tree and brought most of its snow crashing down on himself. He faintly heard the mare's scream, but was too cold and in too much pain to notice. He watched her lamp disappear into the distance before crawling back onto the path with a painful whimper. His sprained hoof hurt even worse after the jog and he was covered from top to bottom in bruises, scrapes and bumps. He just wanted to go home, crawl into bed and sleep the rest of the winter away.