The Illutionist

by joca002

Chapter 1 - Lost

The cold wind forced another shiver down the unicorn's azure body, her tattered cloak useless. The edges of her pale blue mane were caked in frost as was the magician's hat on her head. The mark on her flank, a magic wand with a dash of pixie dust, seemed dull and hopeless. The trees surrounding the dirt path swayed eerily with the winter wind. Dark clouds floated menacingly on the sky, covering the Everfree Forest in a thick shadow. The unicorn’s heavy breathing was the only sign of life for miles.

Stumbling on a loose pebble, the unicorn went tumbling into the bushes. A low moan of irritation escaped the pony's lips before she shot up onto her unsteady hooves. The unicorn threw her head back and yelled, “Curse this twisted forest and its most unfriendly vegetation. Trixie demands retribution!” As if on cue, a strong gust of wind swept dirt and twigs onto the unicorn’s face. Rubbing at her head furiously, Trixie shot a glare into the heavens only to be met with a steady drop of snowflakes.

Hurrying back to the path, the unicorn cursed under her breath as fresh snow quickly piled on top of her long line of hoof prints. Trixie felt something heavy drop in her stomach as she noticed the dirt path beneath her was steadily and greedily swallowed by white patches of snow. In only a few moments, Trixie's last remaining link to civilization was gone. She gulped, mind on full gallop, “I'll be all alone and nothing more than a forgotten name at this rate.” With a shudder, the unicorn began to run.

Trixie shot through what little remained of the path with a new found vigor. Branches scratched the unicorn's sides, slush was blown on her eyes, and frigid air burned the back of her throat. The unicorn laughed through the shivers. “Is that the best you can do? I will not be defeated so easily forest!” Trixie's exclamation was met with an even larger flurry of snow and ice. Winds were becoming sharper and colder. Her mad dash for safety progressively slowed to a trot, a walk and then a bone chilling crawl through knee-high layers of snow.

With the little visibility she had left, Trixie spotted something move amongst the trees. “Are my eyes playing tricks on me?” Even in her mind, Trixie's voice shuddered. “Does it matter at this point?” Disregarding her safety, she approached the thick row of trees. That's when it stepped into view. Twice the size of a regular pony, half as long and hard to make out in the blizzard, the bipedal figure stood calmly amidst the raging wind with thick robes that seemed to blend in with the shadows. Trixie's shudders intensified.

Before she could gather her wits though, the figure turned and moved behind the cluster of frozen trees. “Wait! Trixie demands answers!” With her voice lost in the wind, Trixie began to follow, past the trees and deeper into the snowstorm.

The figured kept its distance at the edge of Trixie's vision and despite the unicorn's struggle to move past the numbness that was starting to set in, the figure moved with ease, leaving no trail behind and keeping a steady pace. Gritting her teeth, Trixie kept her eyes locked onto the strange figure ahead, admittedly afraid to be left behind. The figure glanced behind its back many times, face hidden in its shadowy robes, but acknowledged Trixie no further.

After what seemed like a cold eternity, the figure stopped and slowly faced Trixie. Raising one of its sleeves to the left, the figure remained still. Trixie quickly looked to the direction the creature pointed and felt a flutter of relief. In front of her, the rocky, tall side of a hill display a deep cave. It was almost too good to be true. “Shelter!” Trixie rushed to its entrance, leaping and kicking past the fresh snow.

The inside of the cave was in the shape of a cone, with the tip being the five foot wide entrance. Snow and ice covered the floor nearest the entrance but quickly transitioned into milky white stone, jagged and cracked. The ceiling and inner walls of the cave were also made of the strange stone. Numerous light brown stalagmites and stalactites littered the space further in. Tiny glowing fungi clung to the the rock structures, bathing the inside of the cave in a gentle, light green glow.

Satisfied with the cave's interior, Trixie turned around to thank the figure, but saw nothing more than snow upon snow. Too tired to care, the unicorn slumped at the base of a large stalagmite, far from the chill of the entrance. Succumbing to the exhaustion, her eyelids slid close. The last thing Trixie remembered was a shy warmth enveloping her in a comfortable embrace.