Trixie looked up at the night sky, her mouth drawn up in a cunning smile. The moon looked several times its size, and had exchanged its silvery hue for a golden glow. The unicorn knew that tonight was the night. After weeks of studying from the ancient book, she was finally ready. She glanced back ahead of her at the forest of dark, twisted trees. The book had told her what lay sealed away in those trees for ages, desperate to get out. It was wild, it was ancient, and it was very powerful. It was perfect for Trixie’s questionable intentions. The unicorn looked at the dusty pages of the aged tome, and then at the seven-pointed star she had drawn in the dirt ahead of her. She had painstakingly followed each step to make sure everything was perfect. The spell wouldn’t work if even the slightest error was made. And she had a very small window of time to cast it. But if things went as planned, the results would be spectacular.
Trixie looked up at the moon one last time. Now was the moment. She couldn’t wait any longer. The unicorn reached down and picked up a turnip from her pile of magical tools. Very carefully she placed it in the dead center of the star. The effect was instantaneous. The very moment the turnip touched the earth, an explosion of energy threw Trixie back. The lines she had scratched into the dirt suddenly shone with an eerie yellow light. The cool autumn breeze suddenly picked up into a frightening gale, shaking dry, brown leaves from the forest’s branches. The leaves formed a crinkling river in the sky, and began to weave their way towards the star. Trixie watched in wide-eyed excitement as they circled around the symbol, slowly shrinking into the middle and forming a pillar of spinning leaves.
It was working. The spell was actually working. The unicorn giggled gleefully, taking enormous pride in herself. Crooked shafts of energy shot out from the miniature cyclone, connecting to the earth. Trixie knew that they were drawing upon the ancient powers of nature, a magic far older than any known. And then it stopped. The wind abruptly halted, the shafts of energy blinked out of existence, and the pillar of whirling leaves fell to the ground. Trixie’s face fell. For the briefest moment she thought she had failed. But as the leaves fell flat to the grounds, something remained where they had been spinning.
He was thin and sinewy, almost emaciated, with fur as black as coal. His light frame stood upon cloven hooves. A dark, tangled mane ran down his neck, each hair seemingly pointed in a different direction. Emerging from his brow were the twisting horns of a goat. His head was large, and his long muzzle bore an enormous grin. The teeth were yellowed and covered in plaque. His snarled tail wagged back and forth as he looked at Trixie with peculiar golden eyes. This creature could be none other than the timeless spirit of all that was wild and untamed: The Pooka.
Trixie was ecstatic. He looked every bit as bizarre as the book had described him. And he was all hers to control. The spell would make sure of that. It was brilliant. All that been required to appease him was a turnip. A single turnip. The thought of this made Trixie smile. If she was an ancient spirit, she wouldn’t have settled for anything less than a full banquet.
“Welcome, Pooka,” she said as she proudly strutted up to him, “I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, have summoned you to aid me in extracting revenge on my nemesis.” The Pooka let out a whinnying laugh, that like himself, seemed both old and young at the same time.
“Whit do ye take me for?” he cackled, “A peelie-wally imp?” He had a dry, raspy voice, and spoke with a peculiar accent. Trixie’s face suddenly went blank. This wasn’t part of her plan.
“Excuse me?” she asked, her voice suddenly quiet.
“Ah, yer a glaikit lass, ye are,” he snickered, “Thinkin’ ye could control the Pooka.” Trixie didn’t understand the words he was using, but from his tone it was clear what he was doing. He was making fun of her. Her face suddenly became a seething portrait of anger.
“How dare you mock the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she spat, “Especially when I just released you from your arboreal bonds!”
“And for that I thank ye,” said the Pooka, “Noo then, I’ll be aff.” Trixie’s face darkened as he turned to leave.
“You get back here this instant!” she shrieked, “I almost got caught stealing that book! I spent weeks learning that spell! It took me a whole day to get that stupid star drawn right! You aren’t going anywhere!” Her horn sparked violently as she sent a bolt of energy at the ungrateful creature’s hooves. Trixie gave a smug smile as the Pooka tumbled to the ground. It quickly disappeared, however, when he jumped up on his hooves and turned around, his enormous teeth exposed in a sneer.
“Oh, yer ganna regret that, ye gallus besom,” he growled as started towards her. Trixie's face fell as she suddenly realized just how stupid it was to offend a spirit who presumably held more power than her. She whirled around to run, but felt something wrap around her legs. The unicorn looked down to see the grass had suddenly tangled itself around her hooves, knotting her to the spot. When she glanced back up she found herself looking into the grinning face of the Pooka. All of her pomposity and arrogance shriveled up and died as the horned equine leered at her.
“I’m…I’m sorry…” Trixie whimpered with the demeanor of a frightened filly, “It’s just th-hat the b-book said you’d help me--”
“If ye had somethin’ tae give me,” finished the Pooka, “And I dinna see anythin’ ye planned to give me.”
“Yes I did!” cried the unicorn, “I gave you the turnip!” The Pooka let out his whinnying laugh again.
“The turnip?” he chuckled, “Ye think I’d help ye for a turnip? That was just tae get me here!”
“Then what do you want?” breathed Trixie. The Pooka didn’t respond verbally. He turned his head, his grin growing impossibly wide. From the look she saw in his eyes, Trixie was instantly able to tell exactly what he wanted.
“I-I--You--NO!” she cried, “Never! Not in a million years!”
“Och, wha not?” said the Pooka, “Yer a fine-lookin’ lass, and it’s a canny night-”
“I don’t want your help!” screeched Trixie as she uprooted the grass that kept her in place, “I don’t want anything to do with you!” The Pooka’s face darkened. Trixie's legs buckled with terror as his grin turned upside-down.
“Ye think I’m ugly, is that it?” he grumbled, “I’m not good enough for ye?”
“No!” Trixie shouted, “I mean, yes--I mean--” She let out a long sob of frustration. The Pooka rolled his eyes and sneered at her.
“Och, it’s yer loss then,” he snorted, “I’m aff. And by the way, ye might wanna get yerself a trim, plump-rump!” He let out his grating cackle, turned around, and ran off into the night.
Trixie let out a sigh as she watched him disappear down the road. Six weeks of her life were now wasted on summoning a creature that was apparently incapable of displaying gratitude. Trixie mumbled bitterly to herself as she tore herself loose from the grass that ensnared her hooves. Once she had freed herself she started over to her wooden cart. It was late, she was tired, and she had a lot of thinking to do tomorrow.
As she walked into the cramped quarters, she looked into her mirror. The bright moon allowed enough light for her to see her reflection. She screamed loud enough to be heard in the nearby town of Hoofington. Her mane was now a horrifying mess of snags and snarls, each hair tangled up with the next in a monstrosity of a rat’s nest.
In the cool, cloudy morning, a quiet sobbing could be heard in the damp air around the edge of the forest, coming from a rickety wooden cart. Inside of this cart was a very sad and miserable sight. A blue unicorn sat in front of a mirror, surrounded by combs, brushes, and other grooming utensils. Her mane was in a horrible condition, tied and tangled so badly that even after six hours she had been unable to fix it. The unicorn had dark circles under her eyes from feverishly trying to comb her hair all night. The only thing that had resulted from her work was an aching scalp.
Trixie couldn’t bear to look at herself. Her flawless appearance had been spoiled by the rat’s nest that currently resided on her head. The Pooka had done something to her; had cast a spell or a curse. And in doing so, he had utterly ruined her. There was absolutely no way she could perform like this. She would never allow herself to be seen in such an atrocious state.
While this was happening, Trixie was totally unaware of the magnitude of trouble she was going to be in. In releasing something that had been sealed away by the princesses themselves, she had unleashed a spirit with a desire for revenge forged by millennia of imprisonment. Any rulers less benevolent than Celestia and her sister would have her head for what she had done. However, in the eyes of the Pooka, who was now merrily trotting through Canterlot, Trixie was a useful tool in escaping. Very attractive, too. But like so many foolish mares before her, she had been very rude to him, and already he was planning and locating her again and wreaking havoc for her.
The Pooka took everything personally. This aspect, coupled his power and obscene sense of humor, made him an extremely dangerous being to cross. And it just so happened that two sisters had crossed him some thousand years ago. The Pooka grinned up at the castle, eyeing its protective stonework that had stood for generations, as well as the countless guards who perpetually patrolled the grounds. He snickered to himself. Neither fortress nor soldiers could stop him in his pursuit of vengeance.
Celestia’s eyes snapped open when she felt something sharply pinch the end of her muzzle. The Alicorn’s head shot off her pillow as she looked to see what had so rudely awakened her. She was very perplexed when she saw that there was nopony else in her room.
“Luna?” called the princess, “Was that you?” She suddenly cried out as she felt the flat of a hoof slap her across the face. Celestia leapt from her bed, a furious look on her face. That had not been Luna.
“Celestia?” came her sister’s voice from behind the hall, “What is it?” Celestia’s ears perked up as she heard Luna shriek in pain. The white Alicorn rushed to the door, flinging it open with her magic. In the doorway stood her sister, tenderly rubbing her cheek. However, that was the second thing Celestia noticed about her. The first thing was her mane.
“In the name of Star Swirl!” cried the princess, “Luna, what happened to your hair?”
“My hair?” Luna said as her eyes went wide, “What’s happened to yours?” Instantly both sisters made a mad dash for Celestia’s mirror. They stood speechless at what they saw. Their beautiful flowing manes were hopelessly knotted beyond redemption. It looked to be the work of some mad genius. Celestia had seen ships with less knots in their rigging. Before either of them could comment on the wretched state of their manes, they screeched as they felt something smack them on the backside.
“Who dares-” roared Luna as she whirled around, but her words became a scream as the invisible assailant tugged on her ears. Celestia moved in to help, but could do nothing as she couldn’t see what was harming her sister. Alas, whatever it was tripped her, and she crashed into her sister. Luna felt something push against her ribs, sending her and her sister to the floor. The two Alicorns scrambled to get up, both now genuinely frightened.
“Enough!” cried Celestia, trying to remain calm, “Show yourself!” She received her answer in the form of another slap across the face. Luna squealed as the attacker pinched her hip. Celestia shrieked as her mane was yanked. Luna let out a ghastly scream as she felt an enormous set of teeth lock around her ankle. A handful of feathers was pulled from Celestia’s wing. It went on like this for several minutes, with the two being slapped, pinched, bitten, and everything in between, until the sisters lay on the floor, panting in exhaustion. They waited for the assault to continue. Minutes passed, but nothing happened.
“…Celestia?” whimpered Luna, “Is it…over?” Celestia looked over at her younger sister and tried to look reassuring.
“I…think so.” They both suddenly whipped their heads around just in time to see the wardrobe fly across the room and shatter to pieces against the west wall. Wood and timber cracked as the furniture was demolished by an unseen agent. The Alicorns stared dumbfounded at the destruction. The attacker suddenly grabbed them by the horns and smashed their heads together. The moment they were unconscious, a whinnying laugh broke out above their sleeping forms.
Luna groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Immediately her body was wracked with pain, and memories of a beating flooded her mind. But they were cast aside when she realized that she was hanging upside-down hundreds of feet in the air. Instinctively she opened her wings, when she noticed them to be quite cold. She strained her neck to look at them, and let out a horrified scream. The had been plucked bare, resembling ugly, pimply branches protruding from her shoulders. She blinked in an attempt to rid her eyes of the tears the clouded her vision.
As she could see the world once more, she suddenly felt something brush against her. She looked over to see the unconscious form of her sister, her wings also devoid of feathers. The wind suddenly picked up, and the sisters swayed back and forth. Luna looked up to see what was keeping them suspended in the air, and immediately wished she hadn’t. She saw that her tail had been spliced with her sister’s, forming a mass of uneven braids that bound them together. Whatever had done that to them had somehow transported them to the highest tower of the castle, and hung them on the outstretched neck of a gargoyle. Luna looked back at her sister. Bruises were beginning to form on her white skin. Luna’s mouth went agape as she saw that they were in the shape of cloven hooves.
Trixie was still sitting in wagon and feeling very sorry for herself when she heard a knock at her door. She looked around in panic, frantically wondering how she was going to answer it without exposing her problematic mane. The unicorn let out a joyful gasp as she spotted her hat. She scooped it up and shoved it on her head, adjusting it so nopony would know about what really lay beneath it. She swept all of her combs and brushes under her bed, dried her tears with her blanket, and trotted over to answer the door. Much to her dismay, Trixie was greeted by the grinning face of the Pooka.
“Good forenoon,” he cackled. Trixie was too stunned to reply. “I been thinkin’ ’bout it, and I guess I do owe ye somethin’ for all the trouble ye went through tae free me.” Trixie was even more shocked to hear this, but pounced upon the opportunity like a cat, careful not to seem too
“Really?” she asked timidly, “You’re going to help me?”
“Aye,” the Pooka said, “By givin’ ye a piece o’ advice.” Trixie’s little smile fell away, and was replaced with a nervous frown.
“Advice?” she she murmured, “What are you talking about?” The Pooka’s grin grew larger.
“Ye might want tae start runnin’.” And with that he turned around and ran off again. A chill suddenly shot through every inch of Trixie's body. She looked around anxiously, dreading the warning given to her by the golden-eyed creature. The unicorn had done a lot of running in her lifetime due to disgruntled monsters and angry mobs, and was not looking forward to doing more. But Trixie felt she had little choice. Undoubtedly, the Pooka had done something that would result in misfortune to her. Therefore she took it upon herself to begin fleeing. The unicorn turned around to begin packing.
She then became aware that her little wagon was filled with white and blue feathers. Although she knew that the Pooka must have done it, it was still quite a shock. Filled with an urge to be rid of them, she tried to move toward the broom she kept in the corner, but then tripped and fell over the feathers. The unicorn disappeared into the pile for a moment, then reemerged with a feather stuck on the brim of her hat. She was about to swat it away when she noticed something about it. It was of the purest white, and was far larger than any feather Trixie had ever seen before. No. She had seen it before, when she had been a filly. She had seen something similar in a parade in Canterlot. It looked like a feather from…
The unicorn’s eyes suddenly became pinpricks. Her jaw dropped in shock and horror as she dropped the feather. It fluttered down into the pile. Trixie broke out into a cold sweat as she looked at the sheer abundance of them. She knew that she was in deep, deep, trouble.