//------------------------------// // Disease Will Cause Your Fragile Lungs And Heart To Fail // Story: J Is For Genius // by SoundOfImpact //------------------------------// Disease Will Cause Your Fragile Lungs And Heart To Fail Witching, witching with the beast. It was not a restful sleep night day? It was not a restful day for Trixie Lulamoon. She had spent the last dozen or so hours sliding in and out of consciousness. Not that she was really aware of it, from her point of view all she got where occasional bursts of searing pain before drifting back into nothing. Hot. Trixie was too hot, burning. Dehydrated, nothing to drink, and sweating like a pig. Aching, her whole body was stiff, rigid, straining at even the slightest movement. Everything hurt. She was vaguely aware that somethings was definitely not right with her back, as that was the source of the worst of the pain. Every time she'd woken up it had gotten worse, now having difficulty even shifting around, as if something was preventing her from rolling over. There was some kind of strange phantom pain going on, because she hurt in places that she was very sure didn't exist. She couldn't crane her neck around to get a good look at herself, not that she really felt like it in her state, who really wants to look at a sweaty mess of unwell equine? Even if said unwell equine was magic's gift to Equestria. During the last few fits of wakefulness, Trixie had noticed a shortness of breath coming on, another problem to add to the ever growing list. It seemed like there wasn't an end in sight. Trixie certainly felt like there wasn't an end in sight. It was mid-afternoon now, and Trixie awoke once again, particularly lucid this time. She was acutely aware of this, because her body's protests were making themselves very known, more so than the last couple of times. Practically every inch of her was screaming that something was wrong. It made whatever Nightmare had pulled during their argument yesterday feel like a twisted hoof in comparison. Trixie didn't cry, or scream, or yell. Trixie just groaned. She'd found out the hard way that loud noises didn't agree with her so much at the moment. Her eyes cracked open, daylight greeting her like a thousand freshly polished daggers to the pupils. Her eyes did not stay open long. She was in a haze. A very odd world of fatigue and hurt, with uncertainty piled on top. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to asses her situation beyond feeling like she was about to die, but that same feeling hadn't really left her in a state where she was champing at the bit to do so anyway. Not that she'd be champing at any bit anytime soon, her jaw just wasn't sitting right for some reason. Not that Trixie ever wore a bridle or anything. She wasn't into that kind of thing. So for the moment she was left blearily to loll around, still in a heap on the floor. She was distantly aware that some part of her was touching the wall, but she didn't know what and didn't really care either. She just wanted all this to stop. Trixie croaked out an airy, silent scream as something in her withers clicked. Clicked hard and loud. A shooting pain ran down her spine, causing her neck to tense up. She grimaced as the feeling spread over her whole body. She didn't know how long the feeling lasted for, Trixie had given up trying to keep track of the time. It seemed the light outside was different every time she woke up. Much to her relief, after the rolling wave of hurt that had just come on, she found herself feeling a bit better. Just a bit, a teeny tiny little bit. What had been a full body, screaming pain had seemed to have dulled to an aching, lurking kind of pain. She still hurt all over, but it was more manageable than before. The crux of it all was still felt in her back, which still throbbed and blinded, it just seemed that the worst of the pain from the rest of her body had eased up a little. Trixie was exhausted. Sure, she'd been 'out' a lot, but that wasn't really resting. Especially not with her body feeling like it was. That said, she'd kind of entered a trance at this point. Yes, she was technically awake, but she wasn't really processing any information. The lights were on, but there was nopony home, as it where. Not that she'd tell you that, because Trixie was the most aware pony she knew. But all she knew for certain was that her eyes were open and her back really hurt. Everything was a bit of a daze for her, and had been for a while now. She really wanted some water. Trixie scrunched her eyes closed. Whatever was happening, she just wanted it to stop. What had Trixie done to deserve this? A sharp stabbing pain made it's way across Trixie's horn, and she fell unconscious again. "Lulamoon, rise." One of Trixie's eyes rolled open, slowly followed by the other. "Mom?" "We'd shudder to think. Get up, Lulamoon." "Five more minutes?" "Now, Lulamoon!" Trixie didn't know why she had to be up, it wasn't a school day. Blearily, she did as she was told, pushing herself up onto her hooves, swaying wildly. Something in the back of her mind was saying that this was all very weird, but she was too exhausted to think about it too hard. The unicorn yawned and shook her head, before a sharp twinge in her neck caused her to wince. She needed coffee, she was sure she had a flask kicking around somewhere. She stumbled around, making her way to the pile of assorted crap, it'd probably be in there, somewhere. Trixie tutted at her wings, they were dragging along the floor. She must've slept funny, because she couldn't feel them properly. Now where was that damn flask? A beat passed. Trixie looked at her wings. "AAAAHHHH!" Trixie yelled, jumping back. This, of course, achieved nothing because the wings were attached to her body. She moves, they come with her. Trixie danced about in panic for five or ten seconds before her memories caught up with her. Her cart, the potion, the excruciating pain, all of it. Trixie calmed slightly, but her heart was still beating a million miles an hour. She let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, but did so just a little too hard, causing her to cough and splutter. "I-It worked?" She asked aloud. She craned her head over her side to get a better look. She did indeed now have two more limbs than normal. Now mostly aware of what was going on, Trixie immediately inspected her new appendages. Her curiosity very quickly turned to confusion. She was expecting elegant, downy wings, covered in luxurious azure blue plumage the likes of which would drive even the most well groomed pegasus to jealousy. What she had gotten was... not so hot. Trixie did not have the feathered wings of a pegasus or griffon, or even Twilight. Instead, protruding from Trixie's withers were two large, dark, bony, leathery things. She tried to raise one up to get a better look, but she really had no idea how to control them, so she didn't get very far. She settled for starting a hole through the fleshy membrane that made up her new wings. This was not what she wanted to happen. Trixie suddenly remembered she had a mirror on the wall. She grabbed it with her magic and pulled it towards her. She angled it down, allowing her to get a proper look at one of her new wings. They were large, spread out across the floor they both easily reached the walls of her cart. They seemed to be a deep shade of navy blue, and she could see the bones inside, all the blood vessels. It made her more than a little queasy. She was about to angle the mirror to her other side when she caught a glimpse of her face. Her eyes went wide at what she saw. Well, she guessed they were her eyes. Her pupils had changed, they were now slit, like a cat or something. She hadn't noticed until now, but the change must have effected her vision. It was the middle of the night, the cart was unlit, but she could see just fine. It was very strange, to say the least. That wasn't the only change, though. Her horn appeared to be a good five or six inches longer than before, which wasn't entirely unwelcome. Concerningly though, there was a trail of dried blood coming down from under the helmet, where her horn met her forehead. That was surely not a good sign. Her ears too had changed, they were larger, tufted, and seemed to twitch at every sound. Topping it all of, Trixie gasped as she noticed that she now had a set of sharp canines protruding from her upper jaw. Opening her mouth confirmed that she now had a set of little fangs, complimenting the rest of her normal teeth. This was all too much at once. And it was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! "NIGHTMARE!" Trixie yelled. "Lulamoon." "What did you do to me!? WHAT IS THIS?!" "We have done nothing, we merely directed you on your own course of actions. This was as you wished, Lulamoon." "THIS ISN'T WHAT I ASKED FOR!" Trixie exploded. "I asked to be an alicorn, not this- this... THIS!" "We fail to see the issue, you are an alicorn now." "This isn't an alicorn!" Trixie gestured to herself. "I don't know what this is! I'm not even a unicorn anymore, I'm a freak!" Trixie's head suddenly jerked to the left, her right cheek stinging. Her horn was lit up, but it wasn't her doing. "Did... did you just SLAP me?!" "We will not stand idly by while you insult our people, Lulamoon. Do not let it happen again." "Your people?" Trixie asked, now even more confused. "Thestrals are proud servants of the night, and we will not allow you to mock them." "Thestrals?" Trixie parroted. "What are you talking about? No- Trixie doesn't want to know, Trixie just wants you to fix this!" "This was your request, Lulamoon, and we have carried it out. We believe it is customary to offer thanks." "THANKS?!?!" Trixie exploded. "You-you-you tricked me! You lied! Whatever the buck I am, I'm not an alicorn! I look like a monster-" Trixie yelped, forelegs collapsing. Her horn felt more sensitive than ever, and it was screaming at the sudden lack of magic Trixie was experiencing. A migraine quickly formed, and all energy left her body. What Nightmare had done to her when she'd woken up yesterday was nothing compared to what she felt right now. The feeling lingered this time, it wasn't as on/off as the last time. Trixie gasped ragged breaths, clutching at her head. "Choose your words very wisely, Lulamoon, our patience is wearing thin. You need us, we do not need you, you will do well to remember that." "Don't... need... you..." "Oh? Pray tell, what would you have done without us? Been killed by the manticore? Toiled away pointlessly in an effort to gain entry into the town?" Trixie didn't reply. "You're helpless without us, Lulamoon. We will not accept any more insubordination from you." Nightmare's hold over the mare loosened, and the tidal wave of pain started to wash away. Slowly. It'd probably be more accurate to say that it ebbed away, really. Trixie was still on the floor, new limbs twitching, ears folded flat against her skull. This was the third time in two days she'd found herself in excruciating pain. That was three times too many. Trixie did not like that power dynamic. This whole venture hadn't been what Trixie had hoped for, she had just wanted an easy way back into town. What she got was three days worth of shit from a haunted hat, a verbal beatdown from her mentor, and a load of deformities. Trixie should have never listened to a possessed helmet, what in Equestria was she thinking!? Trixie coughed a hacking cough. Her lungs burned and her barrel throbbed, a nasty combination. She could feel her pulse through her temples. But worst of all was that Nightmare did kinda, sorta have a bit of a point. Not that Trixie was helpless or anything, no, Trixie was the least helpless pony she knew! But things did get pretty dire with that manticore... Trixie didn't deserve this shoddy treatment. The ex-unicorn was starting to feel more equine as the pain slipped away, but she didn't get up, not yet. For the moment she remained splayed out on the floor, fully digesting everything that was happening. It was a lot to take in, after all. She didn't really know what to do. She had no idea how to use her grotesque new wings. She picked up that she was now hyper-aware of all the sounds of the forest outside, which was extremely distracting. Especially since her ears twitched and swirled of their own volition, tracking every breeze, every passing bug, every rustling leaf. For the moment she splayed them flat out against her skull, manually holding them in place. One thing was clear, though: the whole situation blew. Trixie never liked feeling powerless, ever. Right now she was supremely powerless. "Oh my, are we sulking now? This is infantile, Lulamoon." "Trixie isn't sulking, Trixie is trying to work out what to do now that you've turned me into this thing!" "I was under the impression that the entire point to this exercise was to get back at your mentor, it would seem that that is the next step." "I CAN'T GO BACK TO TOWN LOOKING LIKE THIS!" Trixie yelled. "Why ever not? It isn't as if you have many other options, unless you had planned on becoming some kind of nomad." "Why not? Because I look like a bat made love to a narwhal! Trixie would be lynched!" "We take offence to that Lulamoon, and do remember that you're already on incredibly thin ice. Regardless of your colourful protest, it'd be most logical for you to return to your mentor." "Why? Why should I? Why do you even care? What's it to you?" Trixie asked, aggravated. "This was your plan, Lulamoon. We don't have to explain our reasoning to you." That sounded sketchy. Maybe. It was really hard to tell with Nightmare. She always seemed incredibly pushy, but Trixie still didn't really know why. "It's not like I can get back anyway." Trixie sighed. "If the guards see me coming up to the gate looking like this, they'll probably attack on sight. "Hmph, ignorant fools. It matters little, you can simply enter the town by air. Or are you so absent minded to have forgotten your wings?" Trixie had not forgotten her wings. In fact, she was immensely aware of them. She scowled, gritting her teeth. "Yes, brilliant, these wings that I can't use! I've only had them five bucking minutes!" Trixie growled. Nightmare chuckled darkly, which as a disembodied voice in Trixie's head was incredibly off putting. "Allow us." Trixie's newly extended horn lit up, but not of her own doing. Her eyes went wide as a wave of unfamiliar magic washed over her. She didn't have a chance to ask Nightmare what was going on before she stood up. Or rather, her body stood up. Trixie hadn't told it to do that. "Hey! What are you doing?!" "You've gotten what you wanted, now it's our turn. We've grown weary of your inaction, Lulamoon. We're taking control." "What do you mean 'your turn'? Stop it right now!" Trixie cried as her wings folded neatly to her sides, and she trotted through the door. Her movements felt stiff and awkward, and it was an incredibly strange feeling not being able to correct it. "Hm, it has been such a long time since we found ourself with a body, it is rather nostalgic." "NIGHTMARE LET ME GO!" "Be quiet, Lulamoon. Shouting will accomplish nothing." "I'LL ACCOMPLISH YOU IN A MINUTE!" Trixie yelled. "NOW GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!" "Not only is that an empty threat, but it also doesn't make any sense." "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll try to use better grammar when I've got control OF MY OWN BODY!" Trixie was getting desperate as she found herself stood in the clearing outside, wings unfurling. She could feel the gentle breeze dancing over the skin, suddenly very aware of the constant swirl and movement of air currents in a way that she never was before. "Grammar isn't the issue, Lulamoon. Now shut your mouth." Trixie's wings raised up in unison, coming down once, then twice, then she was off the ground and ascending. Very quickly. This terrified Trixie, not because she was afraid of heights, Trixie wasn't afraid of anything. No, Trixie was merely concerned by the lack of ground. "NIGHTMARE PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Trixie screamed. Nightmare did not put her down. "NIIIIGHTMAAAAREEEE!" Trixie continued to scream and yell as she hurtled through the air well above the treeline. Being a unicorn she'd never flown anywhere before, and this was not how she would have liked her first time to have gone. Something else she noticed was just how quickly the whole thing was taking a toll on her. Her new, previously unused wing muscles were already aching, and she was quickly getting out of breath. It was evident that her body just wasn't used to this kind of exercise, obviously because it would've been impossible for her until a few hours ago. She was wearing out fast too, her breaths came in deep gasps, and she was already starting to sweat. The outline of town was fast approaching, but one of her wings had already started to cramp. Nightmare was apparently oblivious to this and just powered through, which left Trixie's entire side hurting. "Nightmare...s-top! My...side!" She managed. Nightmare didn't stop, didn't slow down, didn't even acknowledge that Trixie had spoken. "NIGHTMARE!" "ENOUGH! We are weary of your babbling, Lulamoon!" Trixie's eyes went wide as her horn lit up again, and another spell flashed over her against her will. This time though, she felt...fine. Great, even! Her thoughts were a little cloudy, but nothing hurt anymore. In fact, she felt better than ever! A goofy smile crossed her face as all her aches and worries just seemed to evaporate. Why panic? Nightmare knew what she was doing. Sure, she didn't know why she suddenly felt so relaxed, but it probably wasn't a problem. Probably. Instead, she thought about how wild it was that she was flying. Her! A unicorn! Flying through the air! She thought about how pretty the stars look and how weird the forest looked from above. Actually, she was even starting to feel just a teensy bit drowsy. Trixie yawned, hardly even aware of how hard her wings were pumping, or how heavily she was breathing. Trixie moved quietly across the night sky, enough to not draw the attention of any of the town guards or scouts as she approached the town walls. She stealthily cleared the perimeter with nopony the wiser. Not that she was particularly appreciative of that fact, she was rather busy admiring how pretty the stars looked. Nightmare lined up an approach to the tallest tower in the town, the tower Trixie recognised as Twilight's. Somepony was clearly in as the top floor was still lit up. However, rather than landing, Nightmare aimed for a large open window, using Trixie's wings as a large airbrake before perching on the ledge and hopping inside. She'd landed them on one of the staircase windows. This part of the tower was still dark, not that it made too much of a difference with Trixie's new super night vision. Trixie giggled, feeling every part the super spy. Nightmare guided Trixie up the sweeping staircase, hooves ever so slightly clacking on the stone floor as they made their way up towards the living area. Soft light slowly crept from above, and soon enough they were before a closed door at the top of the stairs, bright rays shining from around it's edges. Nightmare paused at the threshold before pushing the door open. The light was borderline blinding to Trixie's new eyes, and she found herself in a veritable sea of harsh white as far as she could see. Or couldn't see, rather. Something in the back of Trixie's mind was telling her that her eyes should be hurting, but they weren't. "Wow! It is so bright in here!" She remarked aloud. Trixie was very astute, she was the most astuteliest pony she knew! "Trixie? Is that you?" Came a voice from the far side of the room. Twilight's voice. "You've come ba- OH MY GOODNESS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Trixie's vision slowly came back to her as Twilight galloped across the room. Her coat seemed to have grown back a little, but her mane was still looking decidedly buzz-cut. She also looked really worried about something. "Twilight!" Trixie chirped upon seeing her mentor. Until she remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Twilight. "Twilight." For her part, Twilight was trotting all the way around Trixie, taking in every detail of the blue mare. Trixie could understand why, Trixie was magnificent after all, but this was hardly the time nor place! Trixie was trying to be angry! "Oh my gosh Trixie, are you okay?" Twilight asked, coming back around to face the mare. "Are you hurt? How did this happen. Stay here, I'll go and get help!" Twilight had spread her wings to leave before Trixie spoke up, stopping her in her tracks. "You were really mean to me in the forest, Twilight." Trixie said, managing her best scowl. "I...what?" "You said mean things about me when we were by the river and it hurt my feelings!" Trixie yelled. She didn't like her feelings being hurt! What had Nightmare said to her about pain an anger? "Pain is Prench for bread, bread is Prench for pain!" "What?" Twilight asked cocking her head. "Trixie what are you talking about? I haven't seen you since you left!" "Yuh-uh you did!" "Trixie did- did you hit your head on something?" The purple alicorn asked, looking really rather concerned. "You stay right here, I'm going to go and get a doctor." "We apologise for our charge, we've cast a quick numbing spell on her and it seems to have effected her mind somewhat." "Ah! Who said that?!" Twilight yelped, scanning the room. Trixie's horn called upon her magic again, forming a sphere of arcane energy. The ball pulsed and wobbled, dropping down to the ground and forming a holographic visage of Nightmare, in all her imposing glory. "Neat, I didn't know I could do that!" Trixie cooed. "You cannot, this is our doing." Nightmare spoke. Out loud. Twilight was immediately on the defensive, dropping down into a combat stance, horn ready. "Who are you?" The mage asked, voice steely cold. "We understand that you are the highest power presently in the land. We have use for one such as yourself." Nightmare non-answered. "Who are you?!" "My, how one-track of you. We are Nightmare Moon, regent of the night and rightful ruler of Equestria." "That's just a story!" Twilight countered. "We would say that we're evidence otherwise, no?" Nightmare posed. "It matters little what you think, young alicorn, we shall be requiring your services." Twilight scowled, mulling over the holographic mare's words internally. It was almost an uncomfortably long pause. "What is your relation with my apprentice?" "Ah, young Lulamoon? We had need for an intermediate vessel, to which she has performed... well, to say 'adequately' would perhaps be pushing it..." "You're possessing my student?!" "Hmm, to a degree, we suppose. Not that we wish to for much longer." "Aw, you're leaving?" Trixie pouted. "Quiet, Lulamoon." Nightmare scolded. "What have you done to her?" Twilight growled, gesturing to Trixie's additions. "What is all this?" "Aside from the numbing spell, we have not done a great deal. Rather, we've merely guided Lulamoon along her own path. In fact, we would say that we've been instrumental in her surviving in the wilds for as long as she has." Nightmare nodded. "No, Trixie wouldn't be able to do... whatever this is!" Twilight protested. "It's beyond her scope." "Under your tutelage, mayhap." Nightmare smirked. "But, we are getting waylaid. We came here with a proposition." "What do you want?" "It's rather simple. We seek to retake or place as ruler, which we cannot do without a vessel. I can sense that you clearly have incredible power, which we have great need for. My proposition is that you become our vessel and in return enjoy a life of immortality in leadership over all the land. We shall rule from the lap of luxury, it is a most desirable position." "And if I refuse?" "Refusal is not an option." Twilight was pensive, thinking out her next move. "What about Trixie?" "Ha, what about Trixie indeed!" Nightmare scoffed. "We shan't beat around the bush, alicorn. Lulamoon is dying." "I'm WHAT?!" Trixie yelped, head suddenly feeling much clearer. Twilight's eyes went wide. "Lulamoon doesn't have the latent arcane power to keep one such as us going, we've been draining her reserves since she found us. The longer we are intertwined, the worse her condition shall get. On the contrary, an alicorn such as you, Twilight Sparkle, has such vast mana reserves that harm would not even factor in to our relationship." Nightmare explained. "You have your steaks. Allow us to bond, or your student will unfortunately pass." Twilight was stunned, silent. Trixie was equally stunned. She was dying? How could she be?! She felt fine! She was young and fit! Granted things had been a little different since she'd come into contact with Nightmare, and thinking about it she'd experienced a lot of pain since then, internally and externally. Actually, she didn't feel fine at all. Nightmare herself had just said she'd numbed Trixie's pain. And there were those times where it felt like all her magic had gone... Oh. Was that what that actually was? Was that literally Nightmare running up all of Trixie's magic? Ponies needed magic to live. Especially unicorns. This was bad. "B-but Trixie is an alicorn now too, kind of? Right?" Twilight floundered. "Doesn't that make a difference." "Ha, hardly. Lulamoon is a false prophet if anything, the horn and the wings, but no earth pony heritage and no clue. She is no true alicorn." "Twilight." Trixie piped up. "Twilight, Twilight! Trixie really, really likes being alive, Twilight!" Twilight, for her part, looked pissed. She wasn't even looking at Trixie, she had stormed right up to the holographic Nightmare Moon. "Not only have you hijacked my student's psyche, you've toyed with her body and are holding her hostage! You are sick!" Twilight spat. "Your words mean nothing, young alicorn. We still hold all the cards." Twilight scrutinised the hologram for a moment, boring through it. "What are you?" "We are the spirit of the night, master of the moon and stars, and we are here to rightfully reclaim our throne." Nightmare asserted haughtily. "Trixie, what is she?" Twilight asked, not looking away from the holographic alicorn. "I-I don't know! Everything started when I put on this hat!" Trixie stammered. "Our helm is no mere 'hat', Lulamoon!" "Have you taken the helmet off?" Twilight asked. "N-no." "You're wasting your time, Twilight. The clock is ticking." Nightmare pointed out. Almost on cue with Nightmare's words, Trixie noticed various aches and pains start to make themselves known again. Whatever spell Nightmare had cast seemed to be wearing off, and Trixie was sure it would hurt like a bitch. "Well, if it started with the helmet, it seems fairly logical for it to end with the helmet. Take it off, Trixie." Twilight reasoned. "I-I can't, I can't move or use my magic!" "Then I'll- AH!" Twilight yelped as her own magic field was repelled by Trixie's horn. "We can't allow you to do that." Nightmare growled. "So you're bound to the helmet?" Twilight pondered. "Don't worry Trixie, we can get that thing off you and get you some help." "You shall do no such thing! We've made our intentions very clear, young alicorn!" Nightmare sneered. "Make your choice!" Trixie gulped. Her blood started racing. This was genuinely, actually terrifying. She knew Nightmare was powerful, and Twilight was powerful, but she had now idea just how powerful either of them were. And consequences in mind, she really didn't want to find out how powerful Nightmare was. Y'know, because Trixie would die. The three of them were caught in some kind of strange, bastardised version of a Mexicolt stand-off. Well, Nightmare and Twilight were, Trixie was a resigned spectator for the time being. She hoped she could stay a spectator. Trixie didn't know what kind of ghostly bullshit the holographic Nightmare was pulling, but she definitely could do without being used as a body in a fight. Seconds passed and they felt like hours. Nopony dared move an inch. "I choose." Twilight spoke, breaking the silence. "I choose to fight!" "Ha, insolent foal!" Nightmare sneered. "You're of no use to us dead, young alicorn, but that shan't mean we shall be gentle." Nightmare's hologram let out a dark chuckle before popping out of existence. That was not a good sign. Then Trixie's body started moving. Nightmare was using her to fight. This was the one thing she didn't want to happen. "A fight you shall get, Twilight Sparkle. I do hope you're not opposed to us borrowing your apprentice!" "That's a dirty move, Nightmare!" Twilight protested. "D-doesn't Trixie get a say in this!?" "We've heard quite enough of you already, Lulamoon. Now, be a good charge and let us fight the alicorn in peace!" "Trixie really, really doesn't want to fight!" "What Trixie wants doesn't matter! This no longer concerns you, Lulamoon." "'No longer concerns me?' This concerns Trixie a lot!" Trixie bleated, all the while stalking ever closer to her mentor. "In fact Trixie would go as far to say that this concerns her the most out of anypony here!" "This is beyond your scope, Lulamoon, now be quiet!" Nightmare warned, making Trixie's body snap to an aggressive stance that Twilight matched. Her horn lit up, charging some kind of immensely powerful spell. "I'M SORRY!" Trixie yelled. "TRIXIE'S JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT SHE COULD LITERALLY DROP DEAD AT ANY FUCKING MOMENT! HOW INCONSIDERATE OF ME TO KEEP TALKING!" "We've enough power to keep your body going until you're no longer useful. Now stop whining, you're making it very hard to concentrate." "OH, EXCELLENT, THANK YOU!" Trixie mocked. "THAT REALLY PUTS TRIXIE AT EASE, TO KNOW THAT I'LL BE FINE AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME TO BE. WONDERFUL!" "Lulamoon, shut up!" Nightmare growled as Trixie's horn flickered. "My goodness, am I distracting you? I'm so sorry! It's just, you know, TRIXIE DOESN'T WANT HER BODY TO BE USED IN ALL OUT ARCANE WARFARE!" The former unicorn exploded. "IT KINDA TIES INTO THE WHOLE 'NOT WANTING TO DIE' THING!" "Perishing in battle is an honour, Lulamoon. You would be a martyr for our cause. Now, we'll repeat this only once: shut up. "That's great, I can be a martyr for the cause? The cause that I've heard nothing about up until right now? What a fucking privilege, knowing I get to be a footnote in whatever rule you're trying to establish! In fact, why don't- aaaaAAAAAAAAHHH!" Trixie's rant was cut off when she suddenly lurched forward, making a beeline for Twilight. Apparently Nightmare had had enough of it all and decided to just get on with the whole thing. Twilight was no slouch, though. She'd be waiting for Nightmare to make a move, and deftly dodged the oncoming assault. Nightmare was quick on the rebound though, unleashing the spell she'd been charging up. Twilight teleported out of the way, leaving the stream of arcane energy to hit the wall behind her, blasting a hole in the building. Reappearing behind Trixie, Twilight's magic made to lift the helmet off the mare's head, only to be slapped away by Nightmare's magic. "There'll be none of that!" Nightmare sneered, firing another bolt of magic at Twilight. Twilight again dodged, leaving the bot to create another hole in her wall. Twilight wasn't overly concerned about the state of the building for the time being, though. She needed a plan to stop all of this, but without hurting Trixie. That was the tricky part. Nightmare continued to use Trixie's body to attack Twilight, and Twilight continued to evade the onslaught. Trixie was really feeling the toll all of this was taking on her. Everything hurt like tartarus. Nightmare didn't care, Trixie was just a means to an end to her. This was bad, Trixie wasn't a means to anypony's end, and she'd prove it! Somehow! It was very hard to come up with a plan when she had no control over her body, was scared beyond rational thought, and was experiencing a wide variety of pain. That was a toxic cocktail by any stretch. "TWIIIIILIIIGHT! MAKE IT STOP!" Trixie screamed. "I'M TRYING!" Twilight swooped down from above, trying to pry the helmet off of Trixie's head as she passed. No such luck, as Nightmare blasted the alicorn with an offensive spell, knocking her off course and flying into a table. Twilight wasted no time in recovering, bouncing right back onto her hooves and charging at Trixie. Trixie's eyes went wide as Twilight made to collide with her, only for Nightmare to lift her out of the alicorn's path with a beat of her wings. Twilight skidded to a halt and doubled back on herself, also taking to the air. The two mares were now essentially dogfighting in a very tightly enclosed space. It was total carnage. Furniture was being trashed, the building was being damaged, papers were strewn everywhere. Every move Twilight made, Nightmare had a counter. And every shot Nightmare took, Twilight evaded. It was a very odd stalemate. And in the middle of it all was Trixie. Absolutely terrified. She was in the middle of a strange combination of sensory overload and sensory deprivation. The new information about her apparently impending expiration mixed with the constant evasive movement, and the screaming of nerves all over her body was overpowering her brain. At the same time, the lack of control over her body was also playing havoc with her mind. Trixie would probably have been sick if there was anything left to come up. It was hard for her to really make out what was actually going on. Twilight would teleport in and out of view, and as it turns out, it's very difficult to process your surroundings when you're not in control of where you're looking. One thing that Trixie could tell though was that some of Nightmare's shots were landing. Every now and then Twilight would yelp, and when she next came into view she looked just a little bit more crispy than before. Trixie didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing that Twilight hadn't really been on the offensive. Yes it meant that Nightmare had the upper hoof, but Trixie also really didn't like the sound of being shot at. The two were currently locked in a slow loop around the perimeter of the room, Nightmare trailing Twilight. Twilight was managing to duck, dive and roll around Nightmare's attacks, but it was slowly becoming obvious that it was a waiting game of who's stamina ran dry first. Twilight glanced back at Nightmare/Trixie and smirked, horn shining brightly. The chase came to a rather abrupt end when a bubble of purple magic encased Trixie, stopping her dead. Twilight slowed to a halt, landing just in front of Trixie, checking over her shield bubble. "Ha, I've caught you!" Twilight yelled triumphantly. "Give it up, Nightmare, I'm in control now." "Bold of you to assume that you've attained superiority, alicorn." "You're trapped, I'd consider that my advantage." "Ha, we'll see about that-" "AH!" Trixie yelped, as Nightmare used her forehoof to test the resilience of Twilight's shield. It didn't give an inch, and gave off a very odd tingly static feeling, a mild shock. "Hmm, better than we had expected, alicorn. No matter, it'll do little to protect you." "Protect me? From what-" Twilight didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. A thin, intensely bright beam of magic shot from Trixie's horn, penetrating the shield bubble and hitting Twilight square in the forehead. Twilight's eyes rolled up and she collapsed. The shield flickered, but didn't entirely give, Twilight's horn still keeping the spell going. "My, you're nothing if not resilient. I must commend your effort, even if it is futile in the end." "I can... stop you." Twilight managed, eyes lulled and speech laboured. "We'd say you're too late for that. We'd wager you're feeling rather woozy, no? Finding it hard to focus? Hard enough that you won't be able to prevent us from doing this." There was a flash and Trixie disappeared from the bubble, reappearing beside Twilight. Nightmare had simply teleported out. Twilight grunted, the shield finally dropping. "Nightmare what did you do to her?" "Nothing that would harm her, that would be counter-productive. Why do you worry, Lulamoon? Did you not want to 'get your own back', as it were?" "Yes, I wanted to get my own back, not be a pawn for some magic ghost to make her unconscious!" Trixie protested. "This is, oh, buck, this whole thing is fucking bucked!" "How colourful." "This is all your fault! All of this! If I wish I'd never found this stupid helmet! Everything could be back to normal by now!" Trixie lamented. "But no, look at all of this. Look at the state of me! I don't even know what I am anymore!" "We wouldn't put too much stock into it, Lulamoon, you're not long of this world anyway." "Not helping!" Trixie spat. "We no longer have any reason to help, Lulamoon. Rather, now that we have Twilight, it is about time that we parted ways. We can't say we've not been looking forward to it." "Oh right, of course, this is the part where you take over the world and leave me to die. Excellent, Trixie was looking forward to that part." The mare growled. Nightmare trotted Trixie's body to where Twilight lay. Twilight was spread out on her side, Nightmare picked her up and set her right side up, carefully keeping her from falling over. "Finally, a vessel from which we can lead the eternal night!" "'The eternal night'?" Trixie frowned. "Yes, the eternal night. Long ago the ponies turned against us, they scorned our night and celebrated the day. NO LONGER! They will learn to love our night, and hate the day as I do! With a proper vessel we shall use our mana to finally block out the sun for good, and allow all creatures to bask in our glorious night! It will be beautiful." Nightmare explained. Something inside Trixie, a part of her she didn't know she had, snapped. She'd been pushed to her absolute limit, and now past it. She was going to die, and her last fuck had just been given. "Eternal night." "Were we not clear? Yes, eternal night." "Do you have any idea how much of an absolute dumb fuck you sound right now?" There was a beat of silence. "Excuse us? How DARE you-" "No, HOW DARE YOU?! How dare you orchestrate all of this just for the stupidest plan this side of Equestria!?" Trixie exploded. "I have had it up to HERE with you, you bitch, so you are going to shut the fuck up and listen to me or so help me I will die on the spot and you'll be trapped in that bucking helmet again!" "We don't care for your-" "Trixie does not give a hot shit what you do or don't care for! Do you think I care for being used as a meat puppet? Do you think there's a pony alive out there thinking 'oh gee, I sure would love to get possessed!'?" Trixie sneered. "There's not. So you are going to shut the buck up and I am going to tell you why your plan is craptacular!" "Lulamoon-" "What do ponies need to live, Nightmare? What are the basic necessities for living? The real basic, bare bones essentials that any mammal needs to survive?" Trixie asked. "We fail to see the point in-" "ANSWER THE BUCKING QUESTION!" "Hmph, shelter, water, food-" "That's right, food!" Trixie jeered. "Ponies are herbivores, we eat plants. Plants come out of the ground, Nightmare, we grow and cultivate them. Now, considering that ponies need plants to live, Trixie would say they're pretty important to our survival as a species, yes?" "We suppose so..." "Do you know what plants need to live, Nightmare?" Trixie posed. "Care, water- "PLANTS NEED THE FUCKING SUN!" The mare shouted, genuinely furious at the level of ignorance Nightmare was exhibiting. "No sun, no food. No food, no ponies." "W-well, we-" "Where do you think all the warmth on the planet comes from, Nightmare?" "We don't-" "It comes from the FUCKING SUN! So, you're ruling over starving land of ice, wonderful. Let's keep going." "We've heard quite enough-" "Do you know what vitamins are, Nightmare? Twilight told me that they're tiny nutrients that everything needs to live. They come from all sorts of places, but there's this one called Vitamin D. Vitamin D does a lot in a ponies body, and it's really important for keeping our bones strong. Want to take a stab at what the biggest source of Vitamin D is?" "This is foolish-" "The fucking sun, Nightmare! So, you're ruling over a dying, frozen nation, and any survivors have rickets. Doesn't that just sound amazing?!" "It-" "No no, let's keep going!" Trixie insisted. "Ponies aren't the only creatures living on the planet. There's yaks and griffons, birds, trees, whatever. You know what they all need to live too?" "Lulamoon, if you say 'the fucking sun'- "THE FUCKING SUN! Everything, I'll say it again, everything needs the sun to live, Nightmare! Got it?! We. Need. The. Sun. To. Live. But sure, go ahead, block it out forever, give it a few months and you'll have successfully exterminated all life on the fucking planet. Congratulations, you've committed omnicide, well done you!" Trixie mocked. "Aren't you proud of your little plan? Getting to be the queen of nothing for eternity, sounds absolutely bucking grand! I can see why they killed you the first time around, keeping somepony as dense as you around would be a real detriment to the gene pool." "WE'VE HEARD QUITE ENOUGH FROM YOU, LULAMOON!" "OH, HAVE YOU? HAVE YOU REALLY? BECAUSE I STILL DON'T THINK I'VE GOTTEN THROUGH TO YOU, YOU GHOSTY CUNT! IF YOU BLOCK OUT THE SUN, EVERYTHING DIES. NOT 'SOME THINGS', NOT 'ALL CREATURES', EVERYTHING. THAT INCLUDES TWILIGHT! EVERY-THING!" Trixie ranted at the top of her lungs. "SO FUCK IT, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, IT'S NOT LIKE I'LL BE ALIVE TO SEE IT ANYWAY! WHATEVER YOU DO IS A LOSING MOVE, SO JUST GO WILD!" Trixie was starting to sweat, it was getting more difficult for her to breathe, and there was a shooting pain running down her foreleg, but she didn't care. She was far to angry at that moment. "Stars above, you're an idiot. Did you think any of this though at all?! You were just going to make it night forever and expect the world to carry on as normal?! It must be nice being so ignorant! And here I was thinking you were some kind of sage, ancient spirit! SILLY ME, RIGHT!?" Nightmare was silent. "And what, to your ends you've essentially enslaved and mutilated me, and attacked Twilight all for this backwards ass, back-of-a-napkin tier plan? REALLY WORTH IT, HUH?!" Trixie seethed. "I GENUINELY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU DIDN'T FACTOR ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR LIFE INTO YOUR PLAN, HOW DUMB IS THAT?!" Trixie started to laughed. She laughed at the absurdity of it all. She laughed at her situation. She laughed at Nightmare. She laughed and laughed and laughed. She was in hysterics, the whole thing had driven her to it, and all she could do was laugh. "AND TO THINK YOU PLAYED YOURSELF UP AS SOME WISE, ALL KNOWING ENTITY! WHAT A JOKE! HA HA HA-CHAGH!" Trixie choked. She couldn't force anymore air out of her lungs. In fact it was getting very hard to breathe at all. Slowly, she began to slouch lower to the ground as her body started to respond to her own commands. "You've made your point, Lulamoon, and now you are dying. How wonderful that you managed to delay me for long enough that you're body can't even co-operate with me. You must feel proud." "B-Buck you!" Trixie managed weakly between hacks. Her eyelids dropped lower and lower, her breaths became more infrequent. Nightmare said that she was dying, and as much of a blockhead she'd just established Nightmare to be, Trixie had no reason to doubt Nightmare about this. She certainly felt like she was dying. Trixie closed her eyes. At least she'd been stubborn enough to stop the total annihilation of all life before she shuffled off the mortal coil. That had to count for something, right?