Whelp…time to start wrapping things off.
Chapter 28: Pride vs. Love Part 1
Several days had come and gone since Twilight and Trixie had returned from their rather eventful time at Canterlot. Nothing had changed in the peaceful town and all in all it was shaping up to be another wonderful day.
Inside the Golden Oaks Library, two unicorns were just starting to wake up from their blissful sleep. Each gave a tired yawn to the other and while both were reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of the bed and each other embrace, they also knew that there were things that needed to get done.
However, unknown to them at the time; today was far from normal.
It had started off with a slight unknown tension in the air; a tension that Twilight or Trixie had no idea on its source. Said tension was faint but constant; instilling a sense of foreboding dread in the library.
“I’m going to go check on my friends.” Twilight suddenly proclaimed, unable to focus on the book that she was reading and decided that a quick visit to each of her friends might be able to calm her nerves.
“I’ll go with you.” Trixie added, also feeling the strain that was in the air and seeking a respite from it. The odd thing was that there was something about this tension that felt…familiar to her. The former Showmare shook her head in disagreement and simply concluded that she was merely over thinking things.
The two managed to get the library straighten out and both made their way through the threshold only to find that what was on the other side was nothing like they had imagined.
The ‘peaceful-looking Ponyville’ was gone; and not in the disappeared kind of way but more of the atmosphere doing such a radical change that it no longer felt like Ponyville. The buildings were mostly deserted and in various states of disrepair while the haunting gaze of the moon dominated the skies. Ponies were walking around with coats that were dirty and manes in dire need of brushing.
“Well…well…well. It took you losers long enough. I had almost thought that you might have turn chicken and ran.” A high pitch voice dominated the air and one that was familiar to the two unicorns. They both turn their attention to the source and gave a gasp of shock.
Standing a couple paces away was some kind of Trixie clone; with the only major differences being the fact that this one was wearing Trixie’s old costume and the fact that she also had a very menacing looking amulet around her neck, one that was modeled to have a unicorn’s head and pegasus wings and is set with a blood red ruby.
The Trixie clone gave a confident smirk before gesturing to the amulet and saying “You like? It’s called the Alicorn Amulet and it grants me the power I need to finally get what I so rightfully deserve.”
A power that the clone had already shown by the fact that she had managed to trap all of Twilight’s friends in some kind of magical bubble. Trixie was still in shock about the existence of the clone but Twilight had managed to get over it and replied “I don’t know what you are or where you came from but I won’t let you hurt my friends.”
Twilight started to charge her magic but the Trixie clone didn't appear to show any signs of response excepted for a tired yawn.
It was then, faster than Trixie could see; Twilight felt her magic stop before she herself became trapped in another one of those magic bubbles. The Trixie clone brought the bubble to her and replied in a calm voice “I’ll deal with you in a moment faker; right now, I more pressing matters to deal with.”
The bubble floated up to join with the others and the clone Trixie turned her now ruby eyes on the real Trixie. The real one felt her legs starting to shake and was having a hard time getting air into her body.
The clone gave a delightful laugh before replying “And here we are again…just like before. You always were so weak and expendable that I still cannot fathom the fact that we come from the same place. Just the thought makes me feel dirty.” The clone’s body shivered for a moment before giving a predatory smile at Trixie and adding “You really thought you were free…didn't you Love? You thought that after everything that had happen; you would be able to just push me aside and have what you want? Well…here’s a tip from your better; the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Now…I’m here to get what I…what we want; revenge against this has been of a unicorn and her pathetic friends.”
Trixie felt her heart beating in her throat and her breath coming out in short but rapid gasps. Her mind screamed at her to run but her body remained frozen in fear. The clone chuckled some more before taking a few slow even steps and replying “Are you going to cry?” The clone laughed in mirth before continuing “You are! You’re going to cry like the little blank-flank filly you were back in Manehatten. Go ahead then baby; cry all those delicious pathetic tears of yours.”
Trixie could feel the water forming in her eyes but for some odd reason she refused to let them fall. She didn't want to give this clone the satisfaction of seeing any tears. Before she had a chance to try and wipe them away; she felt a magical force hitting her on the side of her face; tossing her on the ground like a sack of rags.
The clone laughed again and said “You think you’re so strong now don’t you? Did you forget who it was that gave you your courage in the first place?” The clone used a burst of magic to hit Trixie in the face again before continuing with her voice rising in volume “Did you forget who it was that taught you those spells?! Did you forget who it was that even bothered to pay attention to a nothing like you!?!”
The clone was now over the curled up form of the real Trixie and pushed her right hoof down onto Trixie’s throat. Trixie gave a frightful gasp of shock as she felt her body struggling for air. She could only look at the face of the clone on top of her and she could see the victorious smile that was on her face.
The clone lowered her head so her mouth was over the real Trixie’s ear and whispered in a cold voice “When you are out of the way, I think I’ll take my time with that purple excuse of a unicorn. Mmm…yes I’m going to break her so much that she’ll be begging for my forgiveness and then.” The clone paused for a moment before saying in much lower tone “I’m going to cut off her horn and consume all of her magic and turn her into a broken husk.”
“NO!” Trixie shouted as her horn lit up in a burst of magic strong enough that it was able to fling the clone Trixie off of her, but not strong enough to cause any physical harm.
The clone, and by proxy Twilight and her friends; watched as Trixie slowly got up from the ground on shaky legs. What happened next came to a surprised for everypony there as silver lines sprouted from the ground below Trixie and started to weave in some weird pattern. Even from inside of the bubble, which was somehow disrupting her magic; Twilight could feel the raw magical power that was building up in her marefriend.
The sudden sound of a window being smashed managed to diverted everypony attention and what they saw were the real cape and hat flying towards the still form of Trixie. The cape and hat were placed in their respected spots and it was at that moment that Trixie raised her head to face her clone.
Whatever fear or terror that had been in her eyes were gone only to be replaced by a stare that was frightening cold and focus like she was trying to burn a hole in her clone. Trixie’s expression appeared to be neutral but her body showed a stance that implied disappointment; which only further that theory when Trixie said “I was a fool. I had thought that I could forget my past, forget who I was. Yet, here you are; the incarnation of my old self still clinging to the dark part of my heart. For so long I had tried to get rid of you, to ignore you; but the harder I tried, the stronger you got.”
The clone replied in a low tone as well “You will never escape me. Even now I can feel your heart begging me to return, to once again taste my power.”
Trixie shook her head and said “What you have…isn't power. It’s a poison, one that had plagued me for too long that I had almost lost my true self. As much as I want to reject you, as much as I want to deny it; the simple truth is that you are me just as I am you.” Trixie could see the clone starting to smile, no doubt believing that it was already victorious. However, Trixie’s next words managed to cut that grin off her face by saying “That does not mean I will let you take over my body, my soul, my life ever again. Despite all that you did for me, to which I must thank you because without those experiences I would never have become the mare I am now; you are still a cancer and I will stop you.”
The clone laughed in a high pitch tone and responded “Stop me, you? You seem to forget I’M the one with the all-powerful amulet.”
To the clone surprise, Trixie chuckled herself and countered with “You seem to forget that I, unlike you, have no need for cheep gimmicks.”
Trixie lowered her head and everypony watched as her horn started to glow with a very strong aura. What they didn't hear due to the sheer magical output that Trixie was releasing was a single word that, once a long time ago, had made Equestria’s enemies running for the hills.
“Per…so…na”
I may be watching too much of Superjeenius’ Let’s Play of Persona 4 Golden which may or may not have influenced this chapter.