Trixie whimpered softly as she rocked back and forth, struggling to stay warm despite the night's cold chill.
They're coming, she heard echo through her mind. It was Discord's voice, it was always his voice. Always watching over her. Talking to her. But he was gone, she knew he was gone. She'd heard the stories, even felt it when he had died. He was gone.
And yet he still wouldn't leave her mind. Still wouldn't give her peace. Always told her they were coming, that they'd find her. That she had to run and run and run, never stop running, never let them find her. She was the anti-Avatar, or at least she had been. For a year she had ruled, for a year she had been the most powerful pony in the world.
Yet now, look at her. Covered in dirt and mud, her hair frizzled beyond repair, skin sticking to her bones. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd eaten anything more than a bit of grass.
She hadn't even seen any ponies, either, just--
No. She had seen ponies. A few of them. But what she'd seen had... horrified her. Or rather, what she felt. Something about them scared her and she'd merely hid, watching them go. She didn't know why. She had the Alicorn Amulet, she was the most powerful pony in the world. Second only to... them. To those horrible, horrible six. She felt the amulet again and considered, for the hundredth time, taking it off. She suspected it was what was making her hear the voices. It probably wasn't even Discord. It was just her own abused mind mixed with his corruption and magic.
But she couldn't. Whenever she came close to removing it, she felt that hollowness inside. That empty void that she had felt ever since she had been defeated by the Avatar in the Spirit World. When she had... fallen into that horrible blob. Discord and the amulet had filled that void and she couldn't bear the thought of it returning. Slowly her hoof lowered and she closed her eyes, trying to stay warm. She didn't even know why she was here. She just felt this... pull to the north. As if there was something there, something she needed. Calling her. Not like she had anywhere else to be, after all.
She wished she had been born a fire bender, it would have been easy, then. Just like Twilight.
Her eyes narrowed. “Buck you, Twilight. Buck you right in your smug, arrogant face. Why did you have to fight me? I won! I'd finally won! Why couldn't you just have the good sense to die and STAY dead?” she asked the nearby rock. “Stupid, stupid, STUPID! You never deserved ANY OF THIS! Twilight! You were just... you're just a lucky mare! You had everything GIVEN to you!” She laid her head back and whimpered. “I'd have made a much better Avatar than you ever were. I'd have ruled this world, brought all the nations under my control. I'd have been the most powerful pony to have ever exist.”
She rocked her head back, cracking it against the stone wall, even though it hurt. She was so focused on her suffering that she didn't even notice the two pegasi and griffon walking up to her.
“Well well well, what do we have here?” one of them said, making her stop.
She stared at them for a few moments. Slowly a grin spread across her face. “It's my lucky day,” she said coldly as her eyes focused on the canteen around the griffon's neck.
“I'd hardly say that,” the griffon said. “Cute little thing like you, you--” He never finished the words before the water in his canteen shot out and turned to ice, impaling him through the head. Trixie flicked her hoof and the ice split in two, one blade impaling the first pegasus while the second found its way to the last's throat. The remaining pegasus just stood there, his eyes wide with horror.
“I've been having a very, very bad time lately,” Trixie said before getting to her hooves. “Frankly, I think I should kill you anyway.”
“P-please... please don't,” he said softly.
“I'm really... really in the mood to,” she said softly. “I'm in a... real kill all non-unicorns mood. Even wanna kill a few of them, you know? But, you know what? How about we make a deal. I'm hungry and thirsty. Maybe if I have a full stomach, I'll feel a lot more merciful.” Her eyes glimmered with a yellow light. “And do please tell me there are more of you in hiding. I'm absolutely in the mood for a bloody night. Now lead.”
The pegasus gulped and turned around, his head held high as the razor edged ice stood at his throat.
------
Silver sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. Her hooves wrapped slowly around herself and she trembled, hugging the blankets close as she could. It had all felt so real, as if she had BEEN Trixie for a moment. She hadn't had visions or dreams like that since she was just a foal.
It didn't fade now that she had awoken, either. If anything, it felt more clear than ever. She slowly crawled out of her bed and made her way towards the door, slowly walking out of her tent. The night air was cool and crisp and she could feel it, a soft, strange hum to the north. The same thing that had lured Trixie here. The forest. She took a deep breath and shuddered. “I hate this place,” she whispered to herself. Ever since she had come here, she'd felt it. The strangeness. The way her body reacted to it, her powers as well.
Worse than that, she knew Diamond's were reacting as well. Her cutie mark was fighting the jar, trying to break free. It couldn't, she was pretty sure at least. But it was trying. All it would take was one little crack in the jar and she was sure it would find a way out. She had to be careful, now more than ever. She took a step towards the forest.
“You're up late,” Button's voice came, making her jump. She turned around and gave a nervous smile.
“O-oh, Button. What are you doing up this late?”
“I'm going moon gazing with Luna. She's soooo smart. You know she has a bunch of names for all the stars?”
“Yeah, yeah, stars,” Silver said dismissively as she tried to think of a way to ditch him. “I just couldn't sleep, had a nightmare. You should go to bed when you can. So Luna is still up?”
“I... just told you she was. Are you okay? Wanna chat for a bit?”
“Not really. I think I'm going to just go for a little walk, clear my head. Maybe get something to drink.”
“Are you sure? I can--”
“I really wanna be alone right now, Button,” she said as firmly as she could, before looking back to him. The hurt was evident on his face and she instantly felt guilt. “Wait, no. Button, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that.”
“No, it's fine, I--”
“No, it's not. I'm just... I need some time with my thoughts. A little bit of time to clear my head. I just... want to be alone.”
“Okay,” he said, before sighing. “Is... it about Acrylic?”
She blinked as an opening prepared itself. Slowly, she nodded. “Yeah. I just... I... need to think about--”
“Say no more, I completely understand,” he said with a nod before turning around. He paused. “You know... Acrylic... he really does like you. I... don't know if it means much, but if you gave him a shot, he'd do everything he could to make you happy.”
Silver sighed and felt a fresh burst of guilt in her body. “I'm sure he would,” she said before she started trotting off. She chewed on her lower lip and she occasionally glanced back, trying to see if anyone had seen her. Fortunately, most of the camp seemed quiet tonight. Her eyes wandered towards the forest.
It was calling her, telling her to come. The Spirit World wanted her. When she stepped near the edge of the forest she felt a sudden surge of deja vu. She shuddered and then frowned. “You stepped here, didn't you, you blabbering airhead?” she asked Trixie. If the mare could hear her, she didn't respond. Silver gave another shudder before stepping inside.
She wasn't lost, even if she couldn't see a thing. She had never been here before, but she knew where every root and stone was. She never tripped, she never faltered. Even though she didn't know what she was looking for, she could still feel it. Like a great beacon, calling her forward.
It was too dark to see, but she knew when the Spirit World and the normal world began to mix. The grass turned blue, the trees gained polka dots. There was even a strange bunny with antlers. Yet she couldn't see any of it, but she could feel it, as if she was connected to this place on a strange level. “No, it's not her,” she whispered softly to herself. “Not... Trixie.”
She shuddered. It was something else, she just didn't know what it was. She pushed on, through the darkness.
------
Diamond sat up in her cot, covered in cold sweat. She looked around frantically, alarm bells going off in her head. She didn't know why, though. Something just felt off and wrong. She reached out with her mind, trying to grab whatever that feeling was to find the source. But, slowly, it melted away and the tighter she tried to hold it, the more it faded. She finally laid back down and closed her eyes, trying to drift back to sleep. But she quickly found she couldn't.
Something was wrong, she just didn't know what it was. She got to her hooves and trotted towards the door of her tent, stepping out into the cold night air. She felt it wash over her and it made her feel a little better, but not much. She didn't like this place in the slightest. She had woken up here in the same way plenty of times. As always, she found her eyes drawn towards the forest, as if it was calling her. Telling her to come. A part of her wanted to go there now, to try and find out what it was that happened to Twilight.
But another part of her, a part deep in her core, told her to stay away. Something bad had happened there. Something horrible and terrifying. She knew if she went there, she'd find what happened to Twilight. But she also knew it wouldn't be pleasant. The other Avatar was dead, long dead. But there was still that small bit of connection between the two of them. And however the mare had met her end had not been pleasant.
Another shudder went through the alicorn before she turned towards the village. She'd made excuse after excuse, but she knew she couldn't do it forever. They came here for that, for Twilight. Once she found out what happened, they could go home. Maybe.
She took another slow breath and headed towards the small, damaged field they'd practiced in so often. To her amazement, she wasn't the only one. Sunset was standing in the middle of it, her hooves aglow as she danced and weaved around the area.
“You're up late,” Diamond called out.
The other mare didn't even look up. “I'm practicing. Something you should spend more time doing,” the unicorn said before spinning in the air and kicking a burst of flame into the sky.
“I know, I know,” the alicorn said with a shrug before trotting over. “Can you tell me a bit about Twilight?”
“I've already told you plenty. She was one of the most powerful Avatars to ever live, she mastered all four of the--”
“No,” Diamond said with a shake of her head. “I don't mean about her bending, or her fights. I mean... about her. Can you tell me about her, personally?”
Sunset faltered slightly and then turned, the flames dying. “I don't understand.”
“What kind of pony was she? What kinds of... things did she like?”
The unicorn gave a sigh. “Ah. For something like that, you will want to speak with Daring.”
Diamond stared for a few moments, cocking her head to the side. “I'm... sorry?”
“My mother was very, very focused in everything she did. She always had a plan, a goal, something to achieve. Something to do. Since the moment I was born, she knew exactly what my life would be, what I would be. What I would do. How I would do it. She trained me each and every day, until the day she left, to achieve this. To be a bender who would one day help to train you.” The mare stepped forward, stopping in front of Diamond and looked down at her. “I am one of the greatest fire benders you will ever meet, because that is what my mother trained me to be. She did everything she could to make my training a success, to teach me everything I needed to learn.”
“That... doesn't really--”
“My point is, I never had time to learn... those kinds of things about mother. When it came to me, she was all about business. Her likes, her dislikes, things like that she never deemed important enough to discuss with me. That... kind of focus she only shared with Daring.”
Diamond blinked. “I... really? But I thought you were her--”
“I was her student before all else. She taught, I learned. Like I will teach, and you will learn. Now, do you wish to train, or do you wish to return to your bed? Either way, there is no point to this conversation.”
The alicorn sighed, before nodding. “Fine, let's train. Just a little bit! No burning me alive or anything.”
Sunset's horn burst into flame. “I make no promises.”
------
Silver gave a soft gasp when she came to it. It looked like a great, white oval, suspended in the air, longest top to bottom. She couldn't see on the other side, but she could feel it. She took a slow, deep breath before stepping forward and closing her eyes.
A light chill went over her body when she stepped inside, feeling as the world shifted slightly. There was no leaving of her body, though. Once she felt she was completely inside, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around.
She was in the Spirit World. She let out a soft gasp and looked around at all the trees. They ranged from every color, from green, red, blue, yellow, orange. The world was aglow, though if it was from a sun she couldn't tell. The shade seemed to work strangely as well, since even though she was under the trees and the light from above was blocked out, it still seemed to get to her just fine. She started walking.
Everything here felt so... good. So right. And yet so wrong at the same time. This was where she belonged, her home. But it wasn't correct. Something was wrong with it, there should have been so much more life, so much more activity. She couldn't feel any of it. No spirits. She sighed and kept walking, going towards her destination, though she still didn't know what or where it was. She just knew she was close.
Closer than she thought. She froze when she saw it, her mouth falling open. An island surrounded on all sides by a great purple lake appeared through the trees. However, what was on the island caught her attention.
A massive tree, hundreds of feet tall and at least a dozen feet wide. Its many branches reached out to the sky, hundreds of them. It looked like it was made of crystal. However, there was something else about it.
It was dead. It was very, very much dead. The crystal didn't shine or glimmer, it was darkened and black. There were no crystal leaves. A hole had been cut into the base, allowing a pony to walk inside. She spread her wings and flew over the moat, landing on the other side. She took a slow, deep breath and walked forward, stepping into the hole.
And slammed face first into an invisible barrier. She stumbled back, holding her nose and letting out an indignant whine. “Hey!” She punched out a hoof, hitting the barrier and making it glimmer for a moment before it once again went invisible. “Let me in!” she shrieked. Whatever she was looking for, it was there. Inside. She could feel it. She hit and bucked it as hard as she could, but it refused to move and finally she was left there, panting with exhaustion. “Stupid... bucking... barrier. Just open up and--”
A giant blue hand grabbed her, lifting her into the air and dangling her upside down, making her yelp. She was soon staring into the yellow eyes of a blue monkey/cat like creature. “Well well well,” he said softly. “Looks like another pony has made their way through the barrier.”
She stared for a few moments. Her eyes widened. “Ahuizotl,” she said softly.
His eyes widened slightly, before narrowing into a glare. “Ah, of course. A friend of that little pegasus, I take it?” He slowly lumbered towards the purple moat, before chuckling. “Well, dispensing with you is easy enough. Oh Smooze, I've got a new snack for you.”
Silver's eyes widened even further. “Wait, the Smooze?” she asked, before looking to the ooze. “No! Stop! Don't!”
The creature laughed, before flicking his hand out and tossing her into the lake. She yelped, trying to spread her wings out and catch herself, but she was too slow. The moment she came close, the gunk reached out and grabbed her, pulling her in. She thrashed and fought, but it was hopeless. She was dragged deep into the goo, helpless. With a sickening blorp, she disappeared under the surface.
She thrashed, but already she could feel it beginning to dissolve her. It was worse than she imagined. It didn't start on the outside, absorbing her body. Instead she could feel it inside herself, taking her spirit, or at least her magic. She shuddered and tried pulling away, but it was everywhere. There was nothing she could do.
Silver frowned and felt her magic surge within her. She opened her eyes and they turned yellow. The glop receded, putting her in a bubble and only holding her hooves. A smile formed on her lips. “Ah. Smooze. You know who your master is, don't you?” she asked, before reaching out and touching the goop. “Take me back up.”
Slowly the bubble began to rise, lifting her up and back into the surface. When she came up, the giant monkey stared, his mouth gaping open. “H-how? You should be dead!”
The earth pony started trotting forward, before turning her yellow eyes on him. “The Smooze knows who its master is. The important question is, do you?”
He stared at her for a few moments, confusion on his features. Then he gasped and stumbled back, before falling to one knee. “M-master Discord! I... I didn't realize you had been reborn, I thought the last pony--”
“I am not Discord. I am his chosen one, the Avatar of Chaos,” she said before stepping onto the land. “And you tried to kill me.”
“I-I thought you were a normal pony, I thought--”
“If you ever try to kill a pony again, I will tear you apart.”
He froze. “But, master, I--”
“Any. Pony. At all.” She stepped forward, reaching out and gripping his face, making him look her in the eyes. “I will be reborn, again and again, a hundred times, a million times. Just like Harmony's Avatar. If you ever try to kill another pony, I will destroy you. It will not be fast. It will not be pleasant. And you will not enjoy it. If you believe you cannot die because you are a spirit, you are sorely mistaken. Do I make myself clear?”
She saw it then, the fear in his eyes. The realization that he was fairly sure she could do it. “As... as you wish.”
“And stop calling me master. Do I look like a stallion to you?”
“Forgive me, ma-- mistress. You ponies do all look alike.”
She hmphed, before pointing towards the tree. “There, what is it?”
“That is the corpse of Harmony,” Ahuizotl said softly, relief in his tone as the subject shifted away from him. “Once she was a powerful spirit, much like Master Discord. Now, however... this is all that remains.”
“I... see. Why can't I go in it? Is it her power?”
“No, her power is long gone. That is the seal placed by the previous Avatar. She and your... last incarnation had one great, final fight here. But before entering, the Avatar sealed it, so none could enter or leave.”
“And my last incarnation? Trixie?”
“She was... unable to escape.”
Silver nodded, before stepping forward. She put a hoof to the barrier and slowly spread her magic out, trying to force it to shatter. Nothing happened, her magic was not even able to touch the barrier, just fizzling off it. She sighed. “Wonderful. That means I'll need...” She paused. “Other entrances into it?”
“There are many throughout the tree branches. But when she sealed it, all of the entrances were sealed.”
“Of course they were,” Silver muttered. “That means I'll probably need Diamond to break it. But...” She glanced to the spirit. “Tell me. Did Trixie have the amulet? The blue unicorn?”
The creature nodded. “Yes. She bore the Amulet of the Pact.”
“Amulet of the...” She paused before smiling. “You knew Discord, didn't you?”
“Of course. I am his most loyal subject,” he said proudly.
“Then we have much to talk about. I want to know...” She looked around. “I want to know what happened here. I want to know what happened so long, long ago between Discord and Harmony. And... I want to know about my forces, about my generals.”
He paused. “Err... mistress, do you not already know? You are--”
“I am the Avatar of Discord. But when he was destroyed, much of his knowledge went with him.” She held up a hoof. “I still hold much of his considerable power, however. As well as the training and practice on how to use it,” she warned.
He nodded slowly. “I... see. Very well, mistress. Allow me to... enlighten you. I will tell you all that happened so long ago. The fall of the traitorous Harmony and first defeat of the great Discord.”
“I'm on a time limit here, so less of the 'Great and Powerful' and more just getting on with it.”
He blinked, before nodding. “Very well.”
Silver sat down and eyed the creature, taking a slow breath. If nothing else, at least this little trip would prove to be enlightening.