//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Inner Demons 
// by HexGirl 
//------------------------------//

"Ready? Its showtime." Trixie prepped herself for her entrance. With Lulatrix feeding her extra energy this was sure to be a great show. "Welcome everypony! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Today I have a special performance just for you." Blazing fireworks lit up framing the stage. "I, the wonderful Trixie, will stare down the worst horrors imaginable. First I will need a volunteer."
The audience, which was only comprised of 7 ponies, was so silent they may as well not even exist. Losing her patience and fearing for her build-up to fall, Trixie picked out a guest herself.
"You there! Come on up and meet Lulatrix. Stare into her eyes and bear witness to true horror." Lulatrix entered the stage just as the chosen victim ascended to the platform. 
The pony stopped before Lulatrix giving her a glance over and dismissing her as anything but a desperate assistant. Lulatrix widened her eyes, the crimson color flashing ominously. Her eyes met with the guest causing them to freeze in hypnosis. Trixie's horn radiated and a screen like magic blanket appeared above the guest's head. 
"Here we will see them face nightmares to which I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will also face and conquer."
An image faded in on the magical space. It seemed to be from the point of view of the pony on trial. A lake splayed out in front of them with the focus on a filly drowning. The filly called for help as it splashed frantically trying to stay above the water. The image jumped forward and water began splashing as if the pony was swimming after the filly. A few yards away the filly plunged under the surface leaving only bubbles. The image lurched forward violently till it reached the spot the filly had occupied only seconds before. Water rushed to flood the image as the view switched to now being underwater but the filly was gone. Rapid splashing and turning alternated on the magic screen as the pony searched for the filly. The water of the lake started disappearing leaving a crater. The image shifted down to see solid ground beneath hooves and still no filly. Sharp thorn bushes sprouted throughout the crater preventing escape. Heat waves danced off their outlines and onto the ridges of the crater. On a far ridge the filly appeared again beckoning the pony. Slowly, battling heat and thorns, the pony drug itself across the crater only to be caught in a thorn bush knot. Heat beat down mercilessly while thorns invaded the pony's legs. The distance began fading out in a bright light followed by a growing black void. Pure black engulfed the image and the pony on stage collapsed. 
By now there was a decent audience present due to curiosity. Gasps echoed along with concerned whispers. 
"Now it is my turn. I shall prove that no pony can withstand what Trixie can!" she turned towards Lulatrix readying herself for the nightmare.
Shouts from the audience broke her concentration. "This is unnatural!", "Evil witch!",and "We better run away while we can!" were called amongst the frightened outbursts of now fleeing ponies. With her audience gone and another show ruined, Trixie stared at the grass. 
"Forget it. Let's go." Trixie mumbled as she turned to leave the stage. Tears welled in her eyes and frustration etched itself upon her face. "This was supposed to go well. I thought you could help my show. Now I'm right back where I started."
"You asked for my input and this was it. My nature is to produce the horrors of the psyche. Perhaps that's why I look like you." Lulatrix spoke in a hiss.
The words caught Trixie off guard. Perhaps Lulatrix was right. Her greatest horror was herself. She was destined for greatness but now is but a failure. The one thing she vowed never to be. "Trixie is going to call it a night." Barely able to put one hoof in front of the other, she trudged to her wagon.
"So disheartened. So weak. You will become weaker before I am through Trixie Lulamoon. Feed me more. So easy and willing are the depressed and desperate." Lulatrix hissed through her teeth.

Morning yielded no better results for the unicorn's mental state. Her bed glued itself to her body and her blankets wrapped around her in a death grip. A sigh escaped as she sunk deeper into her pillow. The energy to move was lost so she closed her eyes and hoped to sleep through the day. Try as she might the thoughts of her failures refused to leave. Each one so vividly crushing down on her mind. Tears streamed down her cheeks collecting in small puddles on her pillow. Soft whimpers mumbled out searching for relief. But none came. The proud unicorn that she had spent so much time creating and showcasing no longer existed. Without the persona how could she show her face in public? She would be doomed to self exile now. 
"My gift is illusions but I can't fool myself."Trixie murmured to herself. "Everypony knows I'm a fake." 
"Trixie. Have you awakened?" Lulatrix's hissing slid under the door.
Then it hit her. Trixie had felt bad before but not quite this bad. "You damn demon." she growled.
"Am I interrupting something?" the hiss came with the smallest hint of pleasure.
The demon was the cause of this worsened depression. Trixie now realized it and knew the demon was doing it on purpose. With fury she lept from her bed, dashed across the room and threw open the door to stare down the demon. Lulatrix stared back with soulless eyes almost as if daring Trixie to make a move. Trixie was not one to back down from a direct challenge and so fell for the trap. "If I made you then I can banish you." Trixie's horn began to glow.
"Ha but how, pray tell, do you plan on doing that? We both know you have no real power."
"Then I will make real power!" Trixie seemed to spring to life and move with the rage of a wildfire. 
A blast of magic illuminated the confines of the travel carriage. The glow died to reveal Lulatrix and Trixie still standing glaring daggers at eachother. 
"This is not a path you want Lulamoon. Cease this foolery." Lulatrix warned.
"You are only a part of me. I am the whole. The Great and Powerful Trixie!" She let loose another blast striking Lulatrix between the eyes. 
"Fine. Let's play." Lulatrix grinned maliciously. She dove forward throwing Trixie to the ground. Her eyes pulsed red and a dark mist swirled in around the two. 
A flash of Trixie's horn and the travel home was gone. Instead they now stood on a rocky path flanked by trees. The mist still lingered with ominous shapes appearing and disintegrating as if dancing to a ritual. Trixie shifted readying herself for attack and began prepping another spell to cast. Lulatrix's eyes pulsed and the mist swooped in to attack the unicorn. Quickly Trixie teleported behind Lulatrix and gave a swift kick to her hind legs causing them to buckle. The mist immediately responded by thrusting itself towards Trixie ensnaring her. A hoof came crashing down on Lulatrix's head slamming her jaw into the jagged rocks. Confusion arrived for but a moment but the Trixie enveloped in mist began to fade revealing it to have been a trick. Trixie's horn glowed and suddenly 5 Trixie's appeared in bursts of smoke surrounding Lulatrix. 
"You don't even know how to defeat me Lulamoon." The mist swirled around Lulatrix pulsing with faint hints of maroon. 
All of the Trixie's horns began to glow and spurt magic. Simultaneously they all fired a beam centered on Lulatrix. Mist shot forth absorbing the beams and striking each caster causing them to poof. All but one who was knocked onto her back. Anger and desperation filled Trixie's eyes as she rose from the ground. Summoning as much strength as she could she prepared a devastating shot of raw magical energy. Lulatrix winced for a split second as Trixie built the energy to cast her shot. Her horn heated and began to spurt. At the height of the build she unleashed a barrage storm of raw magical energy piercing through the mist and throwing Lulatrix off her hooves. 
Surprised with herself, Trixie took a moment to realize what had just transpired. She had no idea she held that much power. She didn't even know it was possible for her to do something like that.
"Well placed. But not enough." a blue demon rose from the ground unscathed. 
Thoughts of anger and frustration clouded Trixie's mind. The intensity forced her to the ground where she tried to stop it by placing her hooves on her head. The demon's eyes glowed bright, burning their way inside her mind. 
"Stop!" Trixie called out. "That's not me anymore!"
"Perhaps you would be wise to remember this the next time you wish to fight me." an overconfident hiss stung Trixie's ears. With that the images and emotions vanished leaving only a worn and tired unicorn. "Now then, back to carriage?"