This attack was different.
With all of Spike, Pinkie, and Chrysalis' previous experiences with the corrupted ones, the enemy always started off either doing nothing, or taking the attack slow. But Trixie... she wasn't slow. She didn't stop. She was galloping right for them out of the bushes ahead and down the path, showing no signs of stopping.
Chrysalis, still stuck in cake batter, did what she could and quickly took a shot at Trixie, the shot being a miss. Right at the same time, a tendril that protruded from Trixie's body threw something on the ground, and it burst into a massive cloud of smoke. Any sign of Trixie vanished, while the smoke still lingered on.
With a bit of struggle, Chrysalis managed to break free from the batter, with both the help of her physical strength and her magic. She took her crossbow, and grabbed an arrow, arming it on the spot. She was on high alert, and Spike and Pinkie were too as well.
But unlike them, Chrysalis heard... no... she felt Trixie's presence, lurking, waiting to spring up and snatch any one of them. Was she going to let that happen? To her, of course not, but them?... Well... she didn't consider the alliance official. But they were all that was left that she considered reliable. If saving them was something she had to do, then so be it... even though she knew she'd quickly regret it.
Out of nowhere, Trixie leapt out again, aiming for Spike, eyes wide in excitement and glee, mouth gaping open with malice.
With the help of Chrysalis' sudden enhanced instincts, however, she managed to grab Spike with her magic, and quickly yanked him out of the way to safety.
Trixie continued to charge anyway, and her extra tendril threw another smoke bomb, allowing her to again vanish fast. Right after that, Trixie again dashed out from another spot, this time with no designated target, vanishing after another smoke bomb was thrown. And then she did the whole thing again. There was no doubt that she was clearly taunting them, disorienting them, and confusing them on whether her next move could be an attack or a taunt. At some point, she charged for Chrysalis, but Chrysalis easily got out of the way, again failing to retaliate successfully.
Pinkie darted left and right, on hind hooves, carrying her bazooka. Spike continued looking around, trying his best to keep his bravery high. Chrysalis just listened, relying on what her newfound senses could find to figure out what would happen next. Every so often someone would take a shot in an attempt to hit her, and they would always be too late. The worst part about all of it was how the smoke was making it increasingly harder to see. A disadvantage for them, but an advantage for the enemy.
"She's making this impossible!" Spike shouted.
"Just figure out where she goes next and stay out of the way!" replied Chrysalis.
"Easy for you to say!"
A few smoke bombs later, Trixie finally resorted back to hiding. Spike and Pinkie knew nothing about where she was, continuing to look every which way possible. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, could tell where she was pretty easily. And she could already figure what Trixie's next move was too.
"She's after you next, pink one!"
Sure enough, Trixie sprung out from behind Pinkie, but Chrysalis didn't need to interfere this time. She immediately spun around and shot her party bazooka, somehow still shooting cake batter even though nobody even saw her reload it with cake.
The large amounts of cake batter knocked Trixie back, seeming to have done the trick.
"You actually expect that to have done the trick?..." Chrysalis grumbled.
"Nope! Just a way to stall!" Pinkie admitted. "Speaking of which, you should probably do something before she gets up."
Chrysalis' eye twitched, masking the humiliation and irritation she felt over that statement... she hated getting corrected like that, nor did she ever want to admit she was in the wrong. She flew up above Trixie as the corrupted magician was getting up, bones contorting and snapping as she got up. Trixie's head snapped, glaring directly at Chrysalis, the hissing getting more aggressive.
Chrysalis tried again, shooting a bolt of blistering green magic, going right for Trixie's head.
Trixie didn't jump out of the way. She didn't fight back. No, what she happened to have done instead was disturbing and unexpected.
Her head split in half, no blood or gore visible, just the black corruption in place like her body was made of it. A tendril carrying multiple smoke bombs came out and threw them. They all burst, flooding the area with smoke that festered with no sign of leaving.
Her voice could be heard echoing around the forest as it was said with mocking pizazz and even a bit of boasting.
"̷A̶n̶d̵ ̴n̶o̵w̷ ̴f̸o̷r̴ ̶m̵y̷ ̴f̷i̸n̵a̶l̴ ̶a̸c̵t̷!̷ ̴O̷n̷e̷ ̵y̵o̵u̸ ̴w̶i̷l̶l̷ ̵n̸e̶v̵e̸r̵ ̸f̷o̴r̶g̸e̸t̶!̴"̵
"If you value your time here than I advise you two stay close!" Chrysalis barked. "Just don't touch me either if you really don't want to take chances..."
Suddenly, deep in the smoke, there was a flash of colored light, something that to Spike and Pinkie was reminiscent of Trixie's past magic shows. Inside that flash, Trixie’s figure could be seen.
Spike quickly sent his fire breath over at the figure, briefly lighting up the path in the smoke. Trixie’s figure was still there, but the fire seemed to have gone right through.
“Huh?! What just happened!?”
“Enhancements…” Chrysalis explained. “She looks to be a magician. Skilled with tricks, fake magic, deception. She’s taking advantage of that!”
“Ooh! How do you know all that about Trixie?!” Pinkie asked.
Another flash of light in a completely different spot went off, and Trixie’s figure stood just like the previous time. This time Chrysalis fired a shot, and just like with Spike, it went through.
“The most obvious answer is the clothes she wore and her methods of attack…” Chrysalis snarled. “But I suppose perhaps another answer I must give credit too is…” Chrysalis closed her eyes, sensing for Trixie as more bursts of light went off to toy with them. “…This corruption. My own senses are enhanced.”
Chrysalis picked up her crossbow and pointed it behind her. The three of them all heard it. The familiar sound of the rapid galloping, the hissing of the glitch… all of it getting louder as it got closer.
“Anyone that’s near… I sense… and learn… I can tell where she is if I focus… They’re too mindless to learn, feel, focus… but I’m not mindless.”
Chrysalis’ eyes shot open. Instead of shooting her crossbow like she appeared to have intended to, her head whipped to the side, and a surge of magic from her horn was launched to that direction, right where Trixie popped out. The blast of magic finally hit her, knocking her down to the ground. This time, she didn’t get back up. It was safe to say that this short but dangerous encounter came to its end.
Spike and Pinkie didn’t know what to say. Pinkie was silent (for once) and Spike just stuttered. “…Is it- did you- is she-“
Chrysalis sighed. “She’s fine. She’s lucky I decided to even be merciful.”
Just the use of the word… the description of her actions. It made Chrysalis’ mind race.
”What’s wrong with me?! They’re already getting to my head, aren’t they!? I can’t let that happen! I resisted this corruption, though… I can resist this!”
"AH! PINKIE!" Spike shrieked. "YOUR TAIL!"
"Hm?" Pinkie looked. Resting at end of her poofy tail was a small glob of the glitch, which was slowly increasing in size. Immediately, Pinkie shrieked and panicked. "AH! WHATDOIDO?!?WHATDOIDO!?!"
"I-it must have came from Trixie and we didn't notice!" Spike exclaimed.
Chrysalis quickly held Pinkie in place with her magic, lit her horn, and quickly shot her tail, splitting it in two. They all backed off from the chunk of tail, which got completely covered by the corruption. Chrysalis got ready to destroy it, but it quickly scurried away before anyone could even hit it.
Pinkie looked at what remained of her tail. Luckily for her, the corruption didn't crawl too far up her tail, so all Chrysalis shot off was hair. Just barely seen in the stump was the tip of the flesh and blood base. It was slightly grazed, but for Pinkie, it was something she could easily shrug off.
"You saved her," Spike said.
"I'd rather not put up with another corrupted imbecile right now..."
"Thanks, Chryssi!” Pinkie chirped.
Chrysalis snapped. “What did you just call me!?”
“Chryssi!”
“Listen here, pinky-”
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out!”
Chrysalis screamed, immediately stopping herself. The whole time she was regretting even speaking to them. She wanted to leave, get away and avoid putting up with them. She kicked herself for saying what she said next.
“If we are going to be on… an alliance!” Chrysalis hissed through her teeth. “Refer to me as Queen Chrysalis! Or just Queen! Anything that isn’t some pathetic pet name! Understand?!”
“Okie-dokie-lokie!”
“Well, we should get out of here before Trixie wakes up!” Spike exclaimed. “So I guess this means the alliance-“
“Yes! It’s official!” Chrysalis spat. “Now… we shall be off then, as you said!”
“We better get back to the Treehouse of Harmony, then!” Pinkie piped. “C’mon, everyone!”
“Uh, no… I refuse to go there. Perhaps another place to take refuge is in order.”
“Oh yeah?…” Spike crossed his arms. “Where?”
Chrysalis opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t think of anything proper to say.. “Well… a Treehouse isn’t exactly a safe hideout, ’Harmony’ related or not!”
“Well, I feel safe there,” Spike proclaimed.
“Me too!” Pinkie chirped.
Chrysalis groaned. “Fine! Fine! We’ll go! But I want to waste no time there! I already despise myself for even giving this alliance a chance.”
“Then why don’t you just leave?!” Spike exclaimed.
“What else am I supposed to do? It’s not like it will end with me becoming your friend! I just need someone to use to fulfill my goals! You of all others should know that, what with how well this world knows me! Now point to the direction of this… treehouse!”
Spike sighed and did so, and Chrysalis was already off. But she stopped one last time.
“Not every alliance ends with differences being put aside for good. That’s not how they work. It never has been.”
Spike and Pinkie had no response. They just joined with Chrysalis, helping to lead her to the treehouse.
But they didn't leave without being watched.
The corruption that fled just now stared, watching them leave. It fizzled, leaving no screeches or hisses as a reaction.
Two blue eye-like gleams appeared on the blob, clearly resembling eyes.
For a few more moments the blob watched them until they were fully gone, before disappearing back into the darkness.