“You and I have unfinished business, Twilight!”
I… I may have overdone the magic here on that white unicorn…
No, they all deserve to suffer for what they did to Trixie!
Trixie winced inwardly. That was true… Twilight was arguably the reason she was nearly mugged all that time ago... And why she had to take on the job at the rock farm. Being a showmare, she was used to the occasional heckler, and even sometimes the outright mean ones in the crowds she performed for. But… never had it been so bad before… She turned her attention back to the unicorn she had since learned the name of. Twilight Sparkle. Personal student of Princess Celestia. And unparalleled in raw, magical power.
“Why are you bullying my friends, Trixie?” Twilight asked.
These ponies are all her friends? But… that would mean… Why am I doing this?
Because they ruined Trixie!
But… my boasting was what led to the Ursa Minor being led to town!
Those two foals were the reason the Ursa Minor was lured! Not Trixie!
Speaking of which…
“I’ll just keep casting spells until you accept my duel, Twilight!”
Snips and Snails ran screaming away, having been conjoined at the horn.
Who… who would do that?
They put Ponyville and Trixie at risk!
That’s… yeah but… that seems a bit… cruel.
“Trixie. Put him down!”
The baby dragon, Spike, was terrified. Trixie could tell. One had to learn how to gauge an audience’s reaction in order to better perform. Trixie was horrified.
I… doesn’t that hurt?!
Why should that matter to Trixie?
Because that’s wrong!
He helped with embarrassing Trixie.
No… no. Trixie only embarrassed herself. Trixie shouldn’t have gone so far in her boasting!
“Alright Trixie. Let’s duel.”
Trixie looked at Twilight. She was angry. Furious. She wanted Trixie gone forever. To never see Trixie again.
The audacity!
Should Trixie blame her? After all, Trixie was hurting her puny little pony friends.
“Draw!”
Trixie started by throwing an apple cart towards Twilight.
No. Aim for the group of ponies. Trixie would force Twilight to turn her back on Trixie!
That’s… a good plan! Trixie would love to make more ponyvillians suffer for the things they did to Trixie!
This isn’t right… Trix--I shouldn’t do this! It’s too late now. Trixie is now mine. N--no! Trixie doesn’t want to! I am myself! You are Trixie. But… Trix--I don’t want to! It has been done. Please don’t make me… Trixie isn’t making anyone but herself do this.
“And now. It is time. For you to leave ponyville FOREVER!”
Trixie cannot believe how easy that was! And now Trixie has gotten her revenge. Now Trixie can do what she wants.
I...Trixie want… to st--TRIXIE HAS NO SUCH DESIRE. TRIXIE IS HAPPY! No… I’m not… SILENCE FOAL! You can’t silence yourself…
“She’s already gone!”
Trixie threw Twilight away from behind her puny friends.
Now that she’s out of the way…
Trixie cast the most powerful shield spell in her arsenal. Twilight would not interfere. This was now Trixie’s town.
Why? Why am I doing this? Trixie is merely giving Twilight Snarkle her just deserve. But… this is her home. What right do I-- does Trixie have to-- punish that puny unicorn and put her in her place!
“You two! Hurry up with my throne!”
Trixie could get used to this. These ponies will do anything that Trixie desires.
“I thought I told you to dance!”
Perhaps some… encouragement is needed.
Trixie cast a spell that made Pinkie Pie believe that she had to dance, and that her very life depended on it.
That’s manipulation though! You… I… am forcing ponies to do what they don’t want to against their will!
And they will learn to love it! They will learn to cope, and do what is necessary to survive! Just like Trixie did!
Not… not like this…
“Pull you fools!”
Trixie couldn’t be bothered to walk. And what better ponies to drag her to the forcefield breach than the two imbeciles who caused this whole mess!
It is perfectly justified.
No…
“You three! What are you doing?”
Some beavers were smacking the forcefield with their tails. One of them chattered some gibberish and gestured towards the forcefield.
Trixie supposes that she shouldn’t infringe upon the beaver’s needs.
Trixie rolled her eyes, and lifted the forcefield just high enough for the beavers to leave, then let the barrier fall behind them.
I deserve something… much nicer to sit in.
Trixie pulled upon her magic, and summoned a massive throne of gold.
They… they can’t possibly pull this! It’ll hurt them!
Trixie doesn’t care!
Yeah… I suppose Trixie doesn’t care about anything…
***
“And it’s way more powerful than your measly Alicorn amulet!”
The nerve of that pony…
Then, I guess you’ll never see the truly awesome power of this amulet beyond the Everfree Forest!”
Trixie must have that amulet. She must!
No… Trixie’ll just use it to hurt more ponies…
Trixie will merely use it to further her own agenda!
Now that I--Trixie, thinks about it… yes. That amulet could be all powerful!
“Okay, okay. You’re on! A second duel.”
That amulet will belong to Trixie… she just needs to trick Twilight Snarkle into taking it off!
Yes… start with something simple, like an age spell. Let’s see what that amulet is truly capable of!
“Let’s start with a simple age spell!”
“Yes. Let’s.”
Look at her. Look how smug and sure of herself she looks. That amulet must be powerful!
Powerful indeed…
Trixie cast the aging spell on Snips and Snails again. And before her, were two crying babies.
“Now, lets see what your little charm can do.”
“No problem.”
This should be good.
I am… intrigued.
And before her stood baby Applejack and Rarity.
What power and such ease…
Yes, look how easy that was. Twilight isn’t even breaking a sweat!
“Oh ho-hum. So you can perform an age spell. Big deal.”
And then like a maelstrom, Twilight Sparkle cast spell after spell. Duplication spell, multiple instrument playing spell… and… a gender swap spell?
That amulet will be mine.
…
“With this amulet, I can-hey!”
Trixie laughed evilly.
“With this amulet… I shall now rule… all of Equestria!”
She didn’t even pay attention to when the Rainbow-colored one stole the Alicorn amulet out of her hooves. Why should she care?
Hook, line and sinker.
What?
You just got played!
I--- no. TRIXIE disagrees!
You’re not Trixie! Begone from my head!
You are Trixie. You are me!
I don’t do what you do.
No matter you don’t control me!
No. I never did. And now you don’t control me! BEGONE!
What is happening? My… my power… it’s… a trick. IT WAS A TRICK!
Hook. Line. And Sinker.
YOU FOAL! YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF--
Quiet. I need to reestablish myself.
“Can’t you… forgive me?”
“Hmmmm....” Went Twilight Sparkle. Trixie’s heart sank.
Who am I kidding… I was tinkering with dark magicks… I don’t deserve forgiveness…
Trixie cast her smoke illusion, turned tail, and ran. She didn’t even bother to listen to what Twilight had to say. She had broken Equine law. As a citizen of Equestria, Twilight was obligated to turn her in. It wasn’t until she was well outside of Ponyville did Trixie realize she had made a wrong turn. She was along a little-known road bordering the Everfree Forest. Trixie gulped.
This… I shouldn’t be here. I should… I should turn myself in. I need to pay for what I did… maybe then I could beg forgiveness…
A low growling interrupted her thoughts. Trixie immediately broke out of her musing, and looked around in a panic. She was low on magic, the Alicorn amulet had drained her of most of her magical energy, and she was in the LAST place she should while suffering from magical fatigue. Her fears were confirmed. Stalking towards her was a beast made of what looked to be wood and timber.
Timberwolves… I remember reading about those… they’re vicious, and many creatures have fallen victim to their sharp teeth… some even… some even died.
I could die here, tonight. Nocreature would know.
…
Maybe that’s for the best…
Despite her internal monologue, Trixie’s instincts took over when the Timberwolf lunged. Trixie lept back, and turned tail, intent on dashing as fast as she could back towards Ponyville. Another growl accompanied the snarling of the first timberwolf, followed by a third. She was surrounded!
Trixie was breathing heavily. She wouldn’t let herself be torn to pieces, logic and reason went out the window, as all her thoughts and emotions focussed on one thing and one thing only.
To survive.
She pulled all the magical power she could feel within herself, not caring about how much it hurt. Nothing else mattered. She had to survive. She pointed her horn towards the first timberwolf, and with a scream of pure desperation, she just pushed all that magical power out the timberwolf yelped and then wailed as it caught fire. Before long, all that remained was ash. She then lashed out without thinking, and bucked behind her. Pain flared up along her rear hooves, but she paid it no attention. She heard splinters, and another pained yelp from the second timberwolf. That was the last thing she did though, as she suddenly felt a weight on her back. Pain. That was all that she felt, she fell to the ground, exhausted.
She felt… strangely cold. Even as pain overtook more and more of her thoughts, she could acutely feel the cold that was spreading from where points of pain originated. Everything seemed to come into focus, and slow down. She could hear her own heartbeat, feel every painful breath she took, she could hear a dripping noise. Drip, drip, drop.
Something liquid dripped down to the ground in front of her. It was red. She could feel a slimy substance wetting the fur on her neck. She suddenly found herself being flipped so her belly and throat were exposed. She stared up into the gaping maw of the timberwolf.
So… this is it… I suppose I deserve nothing less. After what I did… even if it wasn’t entirely me… I still made the choice to pursue dark magic.
The maw opened up to a seemingly impossible width.
I hope it’s clean, and quick. Predators are fast, usually. Right? The timberwolf will rip out my throat, and I’ll die soon after, and sustain its pack.
And then a rainbow blur filled her vision. Time sped up again.
The timberwolf’s yelp was abruptly cut short, and the wolf collapsed into timber. All that remained was a cyan pegasus.
Almost like a rainbow had fallen from the sky to protect me in my darkest hour...
“Are you… my guardian angel?”
Trixie managed to utter, before everything went black.