The Illutionist

by joca002

Chapter 2 - Shadows

Trixie had no idea how long she slept next to the enormous stalagmite. The moment her eyes opened, the unicorn tried to stand but her weary body kept her in place. Looking around, Trixie could see sunshine streaming into the cave, its reflection reflected off the shiny walls. From what she could now see, the cave had a near perfect triangular shape. The mushrooms no longer glowed and the temperature had risen into comfortable, albeit still chilly, levels. All around her, a relaxing silence drenched the milky white stone of the cave.

Taking her battered wizard's hat off, the unicorn gently placed it next to her and stared off into space. “Strange,” Trixie whispered, “Being lost in the Everfree would send me into hysterics any day. Not that anypony needs to know, but...this place does not seem that bad. It's a bit soothing even. It's a shame that I should get going so soon.” Rolling over onto a comfortable spot, the unicorn sighed, “Or not. Ten more minutes.”

That's when a lighthearted chuckle resonated throughout the cave. Trixie almost mistook the soft, quiet chuckle for a fellow pony, but the laughter had a strange quality. It was like the hollow echo a voice would make in an empty house. Trixie lowered her eyebrows. She hadn't heard any echoes when she had spoken. The chuckles continued regardless. With a shaky hoof, Trixie stood. “Hello? Is anypony there?” The sound continued. “Trixie does not enjoy this creepiness.” The small chuckles ended abruptly, replaced by a silence once again.

Trixie was about to dismiss the event as a figment of her imagination when she felt something behind her move. For a few moments, Trixie could not breath and her body would not budge. An explosion of adrenaline and fear shot through the unicorn’s system in a desperate plea to run. Every muscle and nerve in Trixie's body was ready to bolt through the exit but she couldn't do it. Something was watching her and its mere presence had frozen Trixie in place.

The shadows around Trixie visibly shuddered before they snaked there way in front of the shocked unicorn like living snakes. The tendrils swirled around each other, forming a dark cloud from floor to ceiling. Squinting her eyes, Trixie was able to make out a bipedal outline within the shadows. The same one she saw the day before. The figure's features were hidden beneath the veil of darkness that began to compress around it into a thick robe. Trixie tilted her head up. The figure was definitely at least a foot taller than her.

From within the shadows, a young male's voice, the gruffness of age barely settling in and weariness evident, spoke. “Is this better?” The voice no longer echoed.

Trixie had heard the tales of Shades many times. The stories of unfriendly specters that haunted the living world always caused a great reaction in her audiences. The part in which Trixie banished the Shade with a mere spell brought great applause every time. At this moment however, Trixie was not feeling ready to live up to her tales.

Throwing a pair of hooves in front of her face, the unicorn sunk to the floor. “Please don't hurt Trixie! She can't die yet!”

The figure remained quiet for a long time, shadowy robe flowing on a non-existent wind. When no harm came to her, Trixie slowly rose from her prone position only to be met with an eyeless stare. Then suddenly, the figure tilted its hooded head to the side and spoke with a voice full of curiosity. “Why not?”

The lack of evil or danger caught Trixie off guard. Was that something a dark specter would say to its victims? Or was this all a joke? Trixie scowled. “I'll show them,” Trixie thought. “But first...” Snapping into focus, Trixie breathed in deeply. A pulse ran through her body, tensing every muscle. A cone of light engulfed her horn and in an instant, a blue barrier stood between herself and the figure. Gaining some of her usual bravado back, Trixie yelled in mock supremacy. “Because I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

The figure chuckled softly again. It raised a cloaked arm and leaned closer. “That's very cute little one.” As soon as the outstretched arm made contact, a sound like stone splitting thundered throughout the quiet cave. The entire barrier cracked. “But this level of magic won't do. You need more practice.”

A rosy red spread over Trixie's face as she struggled to ignored the fear and irritation nipping at her concentration. The figure continued to add more and more pressure until finally, Trixie's mind could not handle the stress. With a yell of surprise, the unicorn was pushed back as her barrier shattered like glass. The figure made no further movements, giving Trixie time to collect herself. “What do you want with Trixie?”

The shadows, on what Trixie assumed were shoulders, rose in a shrug. “Nothing at all.”

The unicorn stomped a hoof on the ground, “Then why would you scare Trixie so much after leading her here? Is this some kind of joke?”

Soft chuckles emanated from within the shadows. “I've been alone for many decades little one. All that solitude has made me a bit prone to seek attention. Plus, I was very bored counting trees and organizing pebbles.” Trixie shot the figure an annoyed look, but found herself unable to cast another spell. The figured continued, “For what its worth, I did save your life.”

Trixie took a few breaths to calm herself. Why wasn't her magic activating? Before she could think much further, Trixie's eyes widen in realization. “So your not a Shade bent on devouring Trixie's life or a pony out to embarrass Trixie?”

The figure shook its head, amusement evident in its voice, “Out of luck I suppose.”

Trixie couldn't help but voice her new found curiosity. “What kind of creature are you then? How did you move with such ease through the snow? Trixie can honestly say she has never seen anything like you anywhere in Equestria before.”

The figure leaned in closer. The unicorn couldn't see the face that was no doubt grinning at her, but she could feel the way the figure's gaze swarmed with curiosity of its own. “You are an interesting pony, you know that? Losing your fears so quickly. Or so it seems...” Leaning back, the figure spoke carefully. “I am...the last of a group that accidentally made its way to this world centuries ago. It's a very old, very long tale that would make an excellent bed time story and as it would be, you don't seem ready for another nap. Besides, what I am doesn't really matter. As for the second question, I wouldn't think much of it. What you saw was only an illusion, just like what you're seeing right now.”

Many questions sprung in Trixie's mind, but she couldn't help but feel insulted at the last revelation. “So where is your real self, eh? Cozy in a hut perhaps while Trixie slept on this stone floor?”

Approaching the exit, a somber voice replied from within the shadows. “My real body is nothing but bones little one. I was trapped in this cave a long, long time ago. Unlike my body, I managed to keep my mind and soul alive with a trick and a bit of magic. At this point, I'm nothing more than a shadow.” Before Trixie could reply, the singsong voice returned. “I'm sure the floor wasn't too bad. I did warm up your surroundings for most of the night.”

Trixie was speechless.

The figure turned away from the entrance, the shadows losing some of their opacity. “Thanks for the chat. Your visit was just what I needed to keep the insanity at bay, but you should really get going while the sun's still high. There is no telling when another storm will hit.”

“Wait!” Trixie quickly trotted in front of the figure, dispelling the shadows she moved through. “Does what you said mean you're not alive? How can a ghost manage such impressive feats of magic? This doesn't make sense.”

“Haven't you heard? Anything is possible if you believe.” Trixie deadpanned. Bits of chuckling escaped from within the figure. “Not satisfied, eh? Let's just say that I still remember the lessons about magic I taught back in the day.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “You were a teacher?”

“Among other things,” the figured 'shrugged' again, the remaining shadows bouncing slightly, “yes.”

The figure began to float forwards but Trixie stomped a hoof on the ground. “Then teach Trixie!”

The shadows tensed and a cold breeze entered the cave. “Excuse me?”

Trixie pushed aside the gnawing feeling of dread in her stomach. “For too long has Trixie gone without guidance. Life on the road has left Trixie with little time to study and hone her skills. An incident a couple of days ago left Trixie without the further need to travel. Now would be a great time for a teacher to help sharpen Trixie's amazing skills. After all, the Great and Powerful Trixie once encountered an Ursa Minor and vanquished it into the Everfree Forest. No pony was able to match Trixie's magical power. She...” Whatever else Trixie was about to say was lost as she stared into the empty hood of the figure.

In the blink of an eye, the figure had appeared inches away from the unicorn and with it, all the previous comfort in the cave vanished. Although the figure did not attack, its very presence snapped Trixie out of her rambling and shook her to the core. For the first time, Trixie was made aware of the sluggish way the shadows mixed and swirled within the figure. It was like watching a wounded pegasus trying to fly in vain. A pang of sadness filled the unicorn for reasons she couldn't understand.

Losing her bravado under the figure's eyeless stare, Trixie looked down and pawed at the ground. Words truckled out of her mouth before she could stop them. “My father is gone. I was left all alone and now no pony respects me. My... encounter with the Ursa Minor only made ponies laugh and ridicule me. No pony wants to watch my shows anymore. I tried to set things right at the town the Ursa Minor attacked but I only ended up making a fool of myself again. So I ran. To them, Trixie is just a fake. A phony. And a liar.”

Blinking away the mist in hr eyes, the unicorn shook involuntarily and sniffed loudly. In a short wave of anger, Trixie threw her head up in defiance to her emotions. With intensity to match the figure before her, Trixie whispered with courage.“But I want to show them how great I can really be.”

Serious and grim, the figured loomed over Trixie, last pair of shadows circling her slowly. “What I know isn't a game to impress others little one. My teachings requires a strong mind and an even greater spirit. Only a handful ever succeeded. And even less stayed sane.”

The unicorn suppressed a shiver and stood her ground. “If I can truly be great and powerful, then I don't care.” She locked her eyes onto the figure's empty hood. Fear and uncertainty were evident in her gaze, but something shone brighter. Resolve.

The figured chuckled ominously as the cool breeze intensified into a chilly wind. Suddenly, the darker of the shadows shot towards Trixie's hooves. When it made contact, Trixie's entire body felt drained and exhausted, but she still stood. Through her droopy eyelids, she could see the figure was gone. In its place, the young voice returned with its echo. “Then let's just say that the Great and Powerful Trixie perished in a cave during a snowstorm.”

Panic was starting to settle over Trixie but the shadows at her hooves prevented her from moving. Something warm landed on her head along with a familiar sensation. Looking up, a sense of relief flooded the unicorn at the sight of her wizard's hat. The voice continued in its cheerful tone. “And in her place, an apprentice was born.” The shadows melted away.

Trixie nodded, mixed emotions stirring in her core. “Thank you...umm.”

“Chase.” The voice added casually, “Rest if you must, but we'll need to head out into town. We'll need a proper place to train and as much as it pains me, this cave won't do.” Chase's voice began to fade, but his joyful nature remained in the air. Trixie saw her shadow shudder but felt no fear or danger, only a comforting gaze encouraging her forward. “You're not alone anymore.”

Trixie took a few calming breaths, but couldn’t keep the boundless energy from plastering a smile on her face.“I can do this.” With a bounce in her step, Trixie trotted to the entrance of the cave, past the rows of stalagmites. “I can really do this.” Head held high, Trixie took a step forward, out of the cave, into the light. “Look out Equestria!”