Chapter 1: The Selfish Consequence

She watched as many different animals zoomed about inside, skittering hither and thither while the mare inside the cottage used her unicorn magic to juggled bags, cans, pots, pans, trying to prepare an early breakfast for those around her. She could visibly see the mare sweat and pant, and the mare's eyes squinted every time she looked in the direction of a lit lamp. The animals were yapping and growling for their much-demanded breakfast; even she hadn't ever seen them that rowdy and angry. She wanted to help the mare inside, but she knew she couldn't go anywhere near there.

She was a monster.

She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and sighed. It had been hours since she first hobbled over to the patch of dirt at the border of the Everfree Forest, lying down to watch the cottage. There she remained, occasionally swinging her sharp tail around and stretching her webbed wings. It was at this time, while watching the animals move around inside, that she looked to the sky; she smiled as dawn was nearly over, and the sun's rays would soon hit her golden scales.

It was almost time.

Then a large amount of noise could be heard from the cottage: the clanging of pots and pans, the thud of bags, the scream of the mare, and chirping of various pitches.

Some of the birds flew out of the cottage, and then flew right back in; none paid her any mind, and she watched quietly. Her attention was then fixed on the mare, stomping her hooves in frustration.

"Will you all just be quiet!" She heard the mare groan loudly, now panting. The animals didn't stop. "Trixie cannot concentrate with all of these disTRACTIONS!" Trixie yelled as the sound of a can hitting the ground echoed throughout the cottage. The monster craned its neck to see that Trixie was staring at something out of her sight.

"Why you—"but Trixie stopped herself short; there was a period of thinking, and then contorted her lips into a smile. "Get whatever you wish; Trixie has no time to deal with you." The creature saw the tops of two bunny ears hopping away, and she had no doubt that Angel was making his way to the carrots.

Trixie tried to sort the pots from the bags, but the many birds flying and chirping about kept taking her attention. The lights from the lamps glared brighter, forcing her to squint. Her body was covered in sweat, and at this moment the monster noticed that her cape wasn't on (she figured that a certain mouse's midnight meal with it forced Trixie to hide it). Trixie opened a window and stared out at the Everfree Forest, forty-five degrees from where the vigilant currently lay.

"I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Trixie growled. "I bet you're enjoying me being tortured by your pests while you go around doing Celestia-knows-what!"

The monster flinched.

"Well, you listen to me: nopony makes a fool of Trixie!" With that, she used her magic to grab a random can, remove the cap, dump the contents into a random bowl, throw the can, and roll the bowl into the middle of the room in the blink of an eye. "There you go, you vermin. Have at that!"

Then, suddenly, every animal began to crowd around her. The food likely remained untouched as birds flew in her field of vision, and Trixie jumped every-so-often; the creature saw a chipmunk latched onto Trixie's hoof.

The monster began to growl.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Trixie soon lost her balance and fell on her side, suddenly being bombarded with animals of all types. Her entire body was soon covered by little paws, with Fluttershy's number-one friend watching from his bed, laughing his little head off. "That's it!" The creature witnessed all the animals suddenly flying across the room, a magenta Trixie fuming smoke from her nostrils. "Trixie does not have to deal with such ungrateful, dirty, disgusting—"

For a second she stopped talking, and then, before she knew it, she swung it full force at the source. In a split second, Angel was defenestrated, and landed with a thud onto the ground outside.

All the noise stopped. Animals scurried to their holes and houses; birds flew to their retreats. The lights went out in a second.

For at that moment, outside, in the Everfree Forest, the beast roared, and the cottage shook with fear.

At that point, it made its way clumsily towards the fallen rabbit, rustling the trees and bushes it hid in. She saw Trixie race out of the cottage, fear in her eyes. The beast gained control of its two legs before running full speed to Angel.

"Are you alright, rab—" but Trixie was cut off as the beast used its wing to pin the frightened mare to the ground, its claws digging at the ground under her. White smoke fumed from its long snout, and its dark purple eyes glowered from behind it. It growled at her, fully intending on intimidating the brash mare.

She was, after all, a monster.

"Now see here," Trixie began between gasps for air. "You don't understand! I was trying to help him." The beast's snout came closer to her, and Trixie began to see the monster's gold-hued scales. "I-I'm telling the truth!"

The monster's shifted its gaze to Angel, who had by now gotten to his feet. With a slow movement she picked the bunny up with her tail and brought him to her face. Her features softened as Angel hopped onto her snout. Angel brushed himself off before he began stroking her snout. The monster sighed and imitated a giggle.

"You know," Trixie began, sounding as angry as possible; the monster resumed her glaring. "This wouldn't have happened if your animals didn't act all crazy." The monster growled; Trixie ignored her. "They made my job of taking care of them excruciating!" She stopped growling. "They were really mean to me."

Her attention shifted to the bunny resting on its snout. Angel shook his head and crossed his arms. The beast then looked back at Trixie, who was well prepared.

They misbehaved? The monster thought to herself.

"You shouldn't have lost your temper like that," she said, "before having all the facts." The beast's ears pinned against her head. "I'm only trying to help, as always." She whined. "You could've hurt somepony, you know?" At this, Trixie knew she had won; the beast lowered her head, unsheathed her claws and made the smoke from her nostrils disappear. Trixie, now fully confident, looked up at the sky. "And might I add," she said, a bit of haughtiness edging its way into her voice, "that you picked a horrible time to strike."

Angel and the monster looked towards Sweet Apple Acres, watching an increasingly-bright light coming over the hill. Angel deftly hopped down from her snout while the beast, knowing what would come next, hung her head and waited.

The first rays of Celestia's sun hit the beast's tail, and it began to shrink. The golden scales on the monster's body began to disappear, and her entire body began to shrink. The webbed wings began to lose their membrane, forming into a single wing with what appeared to be hair appearing. The dark violet eyes began to change color, turning into a midnight blue and becoming brighter. The toes began to shrink, soon melding with her entire legs.

The heavy, scaly tail soon became one made of long hair. Her legs shrunk to about one-fifth their size, sprouting hooves at the end. Her fangs, which had protruded even from her closed mouth, flattened and became hidden with a much smaller, much rounder snout. The wings became one unit on either side of it, covered in feathers. The scales were soon gone, replaced with a light yellow coat, and those dark violet eyes soon became as blue as the morning sky. A head of long, pink hair hung over her face.

And three butterflies with pink wings appeared on her flank.

Trixie resisted the urge to laugh at the now-mopey mare that stood in front of her. "Well," she sternly said. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" The mare in front of her didn't make a sound. "Well?"

The mare didn't make eye contact with her when she whispered, "I'm-I'm sorry, Trixie. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you."

Trixie refused to smile. "And why is that?"

"Because you're taking care of my animals every night."

Trixie harrumphed. "Trixie forgives you, Fluttershy. Now take care of your animals before I kill them!"

Fluttershy didn't utter any noise of protest; she walked past Trixie into her cottage.

"It's okay, everypony," her demure voice sounded from inside. "You can come back out now." Slowly, heads popped out of their beds, and creatures crept out, keeping a wary eye on their beloved owner. "Now, you really shouldn't treat Trixie like you did," she began; the creatures lowered themselves. She looked to the uneaten food in the bowl Trixie had left out earlier. "Kitt, this is yours," she said looking at her cat. "You need to eat this." The cat gave some signs of protest before a pleading look from his owner brought him to the bowl and his breakfast.

She turned her attention back to the other animals. "You should be grateful for what Trixie does for you after what she—"

"Ahem!"

". . . After what I did. After my selfish actions, Trixie took time out of her busy schedule to make sure you all were taken care of."

It was obvious that Fluttershy's speech didn't do anything for them, but as Trixie entered the room, the animals went their own way, not making any eye contact with her.

"Are they fixed?"

"They'll be fine," Fluttershy replied. "They shouldn't bother you . . . I hope."

"You hope?"

"I promise" Fluttershy blurted out. "I promise."

Trixie smirked. "Good." She then levitated a piece of paper on the table and shoved it in Fluttershy's face. "Now then, here's what I'd like for you to fetch from the market."

"Okay." Fluttershy took the list without even glancing at it. "I'll get my saddlebag and my bits."

"And also," Trixie cried, shoving another, more colorful piece of paper in front of her. "Give this to the Mayor of Ponyville for me."

Fluttershy looked at this new piece of paper, which had a picture of her new guest with the words, 'The Great and Powerful Trixie returns for another show' on it. That was all it said on the page. "Um, Trixie, are you sure you're ready for this?"

Trixie feigned concern. "Perhaps not . . . tell her to hold onto it, though, and not to post it everywhere. I'm afraid Trixie shall need more time."

"Okay," was all Fluttershy said before departing for her room.

As Fluttershy walked over to her saddlebags, she overheard bits of Trixie talking to herself downstairs. "Vermin . . . I can take . . . must begin soon . . . little more prodding . . ." Not hearing any more of it, Fluttershy swung the saddlebags onto her back and left.

Fluttershy emerged with her saddlebags, the sound of bits clinking in them. "Okay, Trixie, I'll be back." She turned her attention to Angel. "You be good now, Angel," she said with a bit of anger; the bunny sighed exasperatingly, and nodded. "You all behave yourselves." The others replied in kind. "Angel, please take care of everyponies' breakfast." Angel scowled, and began hopping to one of the bags on the floor.

"Right, then," Trixie huffed. "I shall see myself to bed then."

"Okay," Fluttershy whispered while opening her door.

"Oh, and Fluttershy?" The pony looked back at her; Trixie chuckled and smirked. "Be back before sundown."

Fluttershy nodded, holding back a tear, and dragged herself out the door as Trixie made her way to her new bedroom.