Carsapone Dreaming

by Algol

A Battle in the Dark

She was blinded to the source of the voices by the light of her own horn. "Kill her mommy! Crush her limbs and feed me the marrow!" Searching desperate for the sound she was most relieved when ambling forth, her glow reflected from black carapace.

"You can't hide behind your magic forever. I am tireless and the other is hungry."

"As if you could match the might of Trixie! I've defeated countless changelings, my magic is known far and wide!" Trixie threatened, her fear betrayed by twitching of the eye.

"I've never heard of you."

Cliklunk. The sound of water followed by an interjection from the dark. "Kill her mommy! Kill her!" And in a circle round her, a child's mantra did begin. "A treat! A tasty treat! A tasty feast! A tasty treat from mommy dearest!"

Carefully the unicorn backed away and took the shield with her into darkness.

"Before you die, think of the ones you love. You'll never see them again. Don't you miss them? You're very far from home aren't you?"
"A treat! A tast-"
"Trixie. Trixie-I have friends! Great ones like Twilight and.. Trixie has friends! Shut up! You seek to confuse her!"
Gazing upon the mask-like face(A treat! A Treat!) she saw a glimmer of... pleasure perhaps? Into shadow it slid back (From mommy dearest!) and a chitter like laughter bellowed forth.

Trixie walked timidly to the grotto. "A tasty treat, a tasty treat!" Nothing could be heard but her own hooves. Child's chant and buzzing wings reminded her of what the darkness held. The failing shield began to flash and thus she galloped to the water. Sparkling sickly yellow now were the gems above. A pool devoid of light, its purity not inviting but disturbing. At the edges of the pool, standing fast by saddle bags she began to realize that the shield was near to fail.

"Your time is up pony mage." Slinking through the pool, water swished through porous legs. The creature creeping calmly ever closer dared not touch the shrinking shield. Running circles bout the mage, an ancient foal screamed her chant with a smile larger than her face.
Quivering (from cold humidity she'd say) Trixie's thoughts turned to action.

"Has mommy ever fed you before?" The mage asked cruelly. Stopping suddenly the filly said uncertainly.
"Of course she feeds mommy! She takes care of me because I love her."
"Or does she leave to find cave crickets and slime?" A simple reply.
"Enough of this! Mommy loves you and you love mommy." The insect roared, its green eyes glowing.
"Trixie procured something at a cheap price from the last town she graced. Do you enjoy apples? Big, red and delicious apples? Friends give them to each other!"

Enraged the monster slammed itself against the shield howling as the cracks began to radiate. Trixie nudged the saddlebag, pushing a single apple to the foal. The filly positively drooled at the sight of food, clink, clink onto the rock, cliclunk into a pool. "Trixie can give you this apple. She's your friend, the greatest friend a young filly could have! Tell me, has this beast of a mother ever given you a gift? A terrible mother, Trixie thinks, to miss so many birthdays!"

The monster growled and gnashed its clinking mandibles as it set upon the shield, each blow weaker than the last. Trixie strained and then relented letting the shield explode into a million, billion, trillion particles. Deprived of horn-lights reddish-purple glow, darkness then consumed the vision of them all.

Posting at the edge of the pool, Trixie kicked the saddlebags leftward to the foal. She lit her horn to spie a filly eating apples oh so greedily. Back to darkness, listening intently to the sound of water being splashed about. The sound of a monster charging through the pool and with a single step leaping to the air. Trixie grabbed a nearish stone and by horn-light saw the changeling in mid air. Rolling back from impact, struggling to keep her grip upon the stone. The smooth carapace cutting to her flesh, Trixie brought the boulder crashing down into the insects face. Dazed for but a moment, the monster pinned her to the floor and reared its head as if to plunge its filthy fangs. That's when the stone came hurtling down again. Again and again until green ooze dripped onto the ponies face and the pin began to limp. The last thing that the monster saw was the gleam of Trixie's eyes turn from shock to fear, then to screams of rage and lastly laughter.

Heaving the corpse off of her, she stood shaking with adrenaline. An accusation roared at her "You monster! You killed her! You tricked me!" before the ancient child fell down into tears. And in between the wailing was the clink. clink. Cliklunk sound of water dripping in a pool. Pausing without thought, the acrid smell of slime shocked her into action. The treasure hunter fled as quickly as she could, through twisting tunnels, winding caverns, and finally was blinded by the light of evening starlight. Panting with exhaustion she continued on, scrambling over crumbling masonwork to the top of the plateau.

Gazing at lunas painting her thought was void right then. Pacing bout the shrub filled top of the plateau she pontificated. "Trixie did nothing wrong. She just wanted to show friendship to that filly. Even Trixie knows that sometimes you need help even if you don't realize it. Or if it's hard to accept. Trixie just needs to go down there right now and ask forgiveness. That monster was hurting that mare. It was obvious." And then she squatted onto gravel to ponder. "I came out of which cave exactly?" When lost in contemplation, her thoughts were broken by the thing she noticed in the distance.

The walls and towers of the city rising from cracked earth. Crude to those who've witnessed Canterlot but impressive for its age. Cyclopean walls both squat and tall contained a sprawling maze within of azure streets and rounded forms of dullen bronze. Standing tall above the maze were thin and twisted spires dotted with an amber glow of most antique enchantment.

Trixie fell more than ran down the side of the tower. Treasure, greatness and fame were there before her. Visions of adoring crowds blinded her to the debt she owed. She slammed into the desert floor with a gallop in a storm of dust. Trixie came to regret leaving her bags and the poor filly behind. But we all make mistakes. Though my mistakes are more to do with orchards than adventure. Into barren waste she cantered to the object of her quest. She'd sleep when she got there.