//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Lunaverse: Galaxy Rangers - A Flutter of the Heart. // by Rixizu //------------------------------// A Flutter of the Heart Chapter 5 by Rixizu Fluttershy eyes were blurry as she tried to open them. Her head hurt and she didn’t know why. She couldn’t move her limbs. Was she too wrapped up in her blanket? She felt a strange swinging motion as she tried to move. What was going on? Her eyes cleared, and she got a better view of her surroundings. She appeared to be in a dark warehouse. That made little sense, and she looked down and found herself suspended rope in the air over something covered with a tarp. Where the hay am I? In a moment, everything came back to her. She remembered her meeting with Trixie and what happened afterward. Moondancer had attacked her and knocked her out with a spell. This was horrible! Trixie was in danger! Fluttershy struggled against the rope binding her. “Ain’t no use doll. No way could a little thing like you get out of those bonds.” A stallion said from Fluttershy’s left. He was an earth pony with a well-dressed blue suit over his chocolate colored coat and a well quaffed gray-blue mane. “Who are you?” Fluttershy asked. “Just a stallion with a bone to pick with that marefriend of yours.” The stallion replied. Fluttershy noticed there were other ponies in the warehouse. There were at least twelve of them and they looked like bad news. “She’s got a lot to answer for.” Oh no! Poor Trixie! “Please don’t hurt her.” Fluttershy gave them a pleading look. “I’ll do anything!” The ponies just laughed. "No can do. That marefriend of yours will pay! Nothing has gone right because of that mare! She's made my organization into a laughingstock. Worse, she's inspired others to fight against us! Us, the mob, the scariest ponies in the world and they're winning!" The Boss paced. “Damn these heroes and their freaky powers. That weird bug mare with the motorcycle has almost completely dismantled my organization in Manehatten.” The Boss stomped his hoof. “I won’t stand for it. Somepony will pay, and first I’m starting with Trixie!” "Um, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Fluttershy replied trying to be diplomatic.   This only seemed to enrage the Boss further his face turned red from his fury. “I don’t care.” His face turned cruel. “And now I have the perfect tool to get back at her, you.” He pulled the tarp way from under her and revealed a tank full of crocodiles. He smirked. “She better do as we say, or her marefriend will be dropped into this tank of ravenous reptiles. We made sure to not feed them for a week.” Fluttershy gasped in horror. Those poor crocodiles! How could anypony be so cruel? Fluttershy knew that, while crocodiles could survive a long time without food, years in fact. Intentionally starving any animal was evil beyond words. These ponies were monsters! She gave the crocodiles a sympathetic look which they appreciated. The Boss misinterpreted her reaction and made an evil grin and the goons behind him laughed and jeered at her. “So doll, you understand just how screwed your marefriend Trixie is. I know her. She wouldn’t endanger somepony she cares for.”   Fluttershy grunted in annoyance. Trixie wasn’t her marefriend despite how much she wished it to be so. “Boss, she’s coming!” A goon yelled from outside. "Perfect." The boss said. "I told her that if she tried anything, you would go bye-bye and gave her no time to get her friends. I said she only had five minutes to get here before things got nasty. This time we have her exactly where we want her and she’ll do what we say.” I don’t think you know Trixie very well if you think that, thought Fluttershy. “Fluttershy!” Trixie cried out from outside. She kicked the door open and hit an unfortunate thug in the face who was standing too near. Trixie ran past the poor pony not even noticing. Trixie relaxed as she got sight of Fluttershy hanging from the roof. She eyed the many goons around her weighing up her options. "Welcome, Trixie."  The Boss said grinning. "As you can see we got your marefriend so don’t try nothing." Trixie narrowed her eyes. “If you harmed a feather on her, you will regret it.” She stepped forward menacingly. Trixie! Fluttershy’s face turned beet red and her heart sped up. She never realized that Trixie cared that much about her. "Hold right there." The Boss said. "One more step and the little filly here takes a dip in this pool of ravenous crocodiles." He held a remote with a large red button in the middle. Trixie froze and eyed the pool and Fluttershy with worry. “What do you want? Who the heck are you?” “We, wait, where are the three ponies that I sent to get you?” The Boss asked confused. “Them? I beat the crap out of them before I got here.” Trixie replied. The Boss ground his teeth. "Fine. We will talk about that one later. Who am I, you ask? Look closely.” Trixie squinted and thought for a long moment before shrugging. “No clue.” The Boss threw up his legs. “Come on! How can you not remember me?” Trixie shrugged. “Clearly you weren't worth the brain cells needed to remember you.” "What?" The Boss exclaimed his face turning red. Trixie, please don’t antagonize the bad guys. Please. “Nevermind.” The Boss took a deep breath to regain his calm. “This is payback for everything you did.” Trixie groaned. “Again? What is it with people wanting revenge against me? I don’t even know who you are.” This almost set off the Boss again but regained his calm back in time. “I will only say this once, I want you to lie on the ground and let my ponies restrain you.” He smirked as five thugs surrounded Trixie. “We’ve warded this entire warehouse against illusions. All your spells are useless here.” If Trixie looked concerned about this, she didn’t show it. She looked bored instead. “And if I don’t, you will drop Fluttershy into a pool of crocodiles.” She put a special emphasis on the word Fluttershy. She seemed more amused than scared now and had a crooked grin on her face. Everypony in the room gave her a confused look. "Don't make this any more difficult," Moondancer said appearing from the shadows from behind Fluttershy. She looked very pleased with herself. Fluttershy would have jumped if she could move. Where the hay did she come from? Trixie wasn’t surprised at the sudden appearance of her ex-assistant. “I thought you might be involved in this after I learned that Fluttershy was in danger. It made too much sense. I’m kinda angry with myself now; I should have figured you were a spy sooner. No wonder you sucked so hard at your job.” “I am going to kill you!” Moondancer’s calm demeanor shattered and four ponies had to restrain her to stop her from trying to strangle Trixie. It took several minutes to calm her down. "Obey or else," Moondancer growled murder in her eyes. Trixie seemed to consider this for a moment. “Else.” She punched the nearest goon in the throat. The poor mare flew into a nearby wall and dropped to the ground. “Wha?” The Boss’s job dropped. Trixie didn't stop there. The remaining goons tried to jump her, but she ducked under them with a speed they had not been expecting. Fluttershy felt bad for the stallion Trixie hit in between the legs with both of her back hooves.   “Stop it!” The Boss cried out when Trixie dropped another goon with a punch to the face. “I mean it! Or else your marefriend will take a dip for sure.” Trixie ignored him and continued fighting. The rest of the goons, after being conflicted and confused for a moment, joined in to apprehend her. Trixie, seeing she was about to be overwhelmed, grabbed the stallion she hit in between the legs and threw him into the incoming mob. They didn’t see this coming and collapsed into a heap. “Give me that.” Moondancer grabbed the remote from the Boss. She gave her a cruel smile. “Seems your little friend doesn’t care about your life after all. So much for the Element of Magic, avatar of friendship and Red Ranger. I always knew she was a total hypocrite. She only cares about herself. When the chips are down, she only cares about saving her own skin.” Fluttershy screamed as she fell into the pool. Water filled her vision, and she plummeted underneath. She struggled against her bonds. She couldn’t move her limbs. If this continued, she would drown. A bunch of green shapes came toward her jaw extended. Fluttershy sighed in relief as one crocodile pulled her from the water with his jaws onto one of his friend’s back. Fluttershy coughed water out of her throat. "Thanks, Mr. Crocodile." He smiled back at her happy to help and whipped the water behind him with his tail. He bit at the rope holding her and in a second, she was free. Moondancer stared at her speechless. She tried to say something, but nothing came out. She scowled and her face distorted into something ugly and evil looking. One of her eyes turned orange and the other purple. "I see," Moondancer said, "somehow she had this figured out. I don't know how, but she did. Fine then, I will just handle it myself.” Moondancer’s horn lit up and Fluttershy felt herself being pulled out of the water and eeped in terror. She fell back on the crocodile’s head when one his friends snapped at Moondancer’s face and she jumped back in fright. She tried to grab Fluttershy again with her magic, but several of the crocodiles jumped out of the pool and snapped at Moondancer this time almost getting her head, missing by only a few inches. “On second thought, never mind.” Moondancer eyed the crocodiles and backed away far from the pool. For the first time, she realized just how many of the deadly reptiles were in the pool. "That's right, back off meanie!" Fluttershy said so proud of her new friends. The crocodiles that snapped at Moondancer gave her a wave. Moondancer growled in annoyance and her eye twitched. She turned back to Trixie’s fight and her eye twitched even harder. It wasn’t going well for the thugs. Despite being so outnumbered, most of the goons were down for the count. Trixie wasn’t playing fair even a little and fought dirty as one thug found out when Trixie levitated the mare’s hair and threw it in her face distracting her for a moment and received a painful looking punch to the gut taking the breath out of her. Moondancer turned her gaze toward the Boss. “Well, do something!” “I, um, well…” The Boss said flustered. “Didn’t count on her being this good.” “Imbeciles! All of you!” Moondancer replied her face turning bright red. “It shouldn’t have been this hard!” "Yep, I'm just that good," Trixie said overhearing this conversation elbowing one nearby goon in the face as he tried to sneak behind her, "I don't even need to transform to beat you guys." Moondancer's eye twitched and gave out a cry of impotent rage. "Imbeciles! Imbeciles! Imbeciles! Fine, you are mine, Trixie!" She stomped towards her hated enemy and ignored the goons in her path. One thug bumped into her and she backhooved him in the face paying him almost no mind. Terrified, any remaining ponies opened up around her tried to stay out of her way. Trixie smirked. “It’s your turn, huh? Let’s see what you can do.” The thugs formed a circle around the two combatants giving them the space they needed. "I've been looking forward to this," Moondancer said stretching her neck, then her front legs. The two combatants circled each other looking for an opening. Much to Fluttershy’s surprise, Trixie slipped and collapsed on the ground. Moondancer took advantage of this opening with a punch to Trixie’s face, but Trixie was ready for it and her horn lit up with a light so bright it pained the eyes. Moondancer howled in pain and rubbed at her eyes unable to block the swift kick Trixie threw at her ribs. “You little.” Moondancer bared her teeth. “That trip was a trick wasn’t it?” Trixie just smiled and swung a punch at Moondancer's midsection which the mare blocked. Trixie jumped back when Moondancer threw a punch of her own and blocked the follow-up blow. Despite all the previous fighting with all those thugs, Trixie didn't look tired at all as she dodged and blocked any attacks Moondancer threw her way. She moved with a swiftness and grace that made Fluttershy fall in love with her all over again. There was something elegant about it. Moondancer howled in pain when Trixie took advantage of overextended punch and got a hit to the jaw for her trouble. Trixie stroked her chin with a hoof. “I seem to recall offering you a chance to spar with me. Too bad you didn’t accept, right?” Moondancer's face contorted in anger in an ugly way and she spat blood on the ground. She charged and attacked with a terrifying abandon that caught Trixie off guard for a moment. She yelped in pain when Moondancer clipped her side. “Looks like you do still have some fight left in you,” said Trixie rubbing her wound Despite this, she looked like she was enjoying herself. This time Trixie was prepared and kicked Moondancer’s hooves out from under her as she charged causing her to fall painfully onto her face. She howled in pain when Trixie kicked her in the ribs and flew several hooves away from the impact. Moondancer hissed in rage as she tried to get up from the ground and paused for a moment. She took a deep breath to calm herself and she relaxed and gave Trixie a cold stare when she got back on her hooves. "You think you're funny, don’t you?” Moondancer said in a low deadly voice. “Rile me up so I don’t fight very well.” Trixie shrugged. “I try.” The smile Moondancer gave next made Fluttershy’s blood turn cold her face became unequine again. “But there’s something you don’t know about me. I didn’t want to do this, but you don’t leave me much choice.” Moondancer dashed forward with seeming abandon. Trixie dodge the punch sent her way with ease and yelped when she was thrown off her hooves by...a lizard’s tail? Trixie crashed to the ground with a blocked a punch sent her way and grunted in effort at the sheer force of the blow. She gasped when the saw that she hadn’t blocked a hoof, but a tiger’s paw. Trixie kicked Moondancer off her. Her eyes widened when she got a good look at her opponent.  Fluttershy gapped in wonder and fear and the crocodiles with her shook in terror. Somehow Moondancer’s normal unicorn body had twisted into something bizarre. It was hard to describe. She looked like a mishmash of a pony and various animals like a mad scientist stitched her together. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what she was looking at. Nothing about her body’s construction made any sense. The only consistent thing from her old body was her face though now she had two mismatched fangs and her eyes had changed color. The Boss and the remaining goons gasped and backed away. Many of the thugs fled the warehouse in fright screaming ‘monster’. Others kept their distance and backed up against a wall or hid behind the nearby crates. Trixie, instead of being afraid, tilted her head as she looked over her foe. Her face lit up in sudden understanding. "Of course." Trixie brightened. "I knew Corona was behind this. You're another one of her freaky monsters. You really had me fooled. Well, I’m going to ruin whatever she has planned. I won't let you or anypony hurt Fluttershy." It all makes sense now. Did this mean that Puissance and Corona were in cahoots? Fluttershy stroked the crocodiles’ heads to calm them down and whispered to them that everything would be okay. The poor things were so scared of whatever Moondancer was. Much to Fluttershy’s surprise, Moondancer’s face twisted in rage. “I am not a monster you nitwit!” Trixie gestured to Moondancer’s new form and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Really?” "Yes, really," Moondancer growled back, "I'm a Discordian. And I'm not working for Corona! What do you take me for? I would never betray Princess Luna!" “But you work for Puissance!” Fluttershy said in protest. How exactly were the two different? “Oh, so that’s what going on here!” Trixie said in dawning understanding. “Not sure what a Discordian is, but it makes sense I guess.” "Yes," Moondancer said with strained patience, "but she's just a slimy Night Court noble. Not an insane ex-princess out for revenge against Luna herself. And no, I don't believe Corona is reformed either." Huh, I didn’t know a spy like Moondancer would be such a patriot. “Finally, somepony that talks sense!” Trixie said beaming. "Now, back to the manner at hoof." Moondancer said, "I would give up if I was you Trixie or things will get nasty. I hope you say no, it's been a while since I've tested my claws on somepony." "I hope you give up," Trixie replied, "it's never been good for anypony's health to mess with me." “I think it’s about time I show you what I can really do.” Moondancer’s body flickered in and out of existence and she disappeared. Trixie didn't panic and instead stood her ground, senses alert and ready. She jumped out of the way when Moondancer appeared from above and to the right with swung a kick aimed at Trixie's head. Trixie tried to retaliate with a kick of her own but screamed in pain when Moondancer's skin became brick-like. Trixie flew back from a painful looking punch to the chest. Moondancer gave Trixie no time recover as she moved in for another attack. Trixie tried to attack first with a blow to her head, but instead, her hoof got stuck on Moondancer's mane like it was sap or glue. Trixie tried to pull away, but it was no use giving Moondancer plenty of opportunity to deliver several painful blows to her ribs. Trixie caught the last punch with her hoof and yelp when Moondancer’s strange bird-like claw became a dog’s head, a German Shepard to be exact, and bit into Trixie’s hoof and she pulled her hoof away and blew on it. "Okay, this is different," Trixie said. She stomped her hoof into one of Moondancer’s back legs and this time it did hurt her. Moondancer’s hair turned back to normal and Trixie jumped away. She eyed her opponent trying to think of the best way to approach this situation. “Aren’t you going to call your armor?” Moondancer asked. “You will need it.” “Nah, I don’t need it.” Trixie waved a dismissive hoof. “I can win this on my own. Besides, you aren’t really a monster. It doesn’t feel right.” "Fool." Moondancer moved into to strike and this time her body split into three. They surrounded Trixie circling her like predator moving in for the kill. They jumped at Trixie as one. Trixie kicked the first one that came near her and it popped like a balloon and the Red Ranger flinched from the sound. This gave the second Moondancer the opportunity to grab Trixie from behind, she struggled in her grip but couldn’t free herself. The first Moondancer punched Trixie in the face then the chest. Trixie grunted but didn't cry out. When the first Moondancer moved in to deliver another punch to the face, Trixie's horn exploded in light blinding the two. Trixie tore herself from the second Moondancer's grip and headbutted her in the face. This Moondancer burst into oranges as she dissipated much to Trixie's confusion. Moondancer recovered and she and Trixie exchanged blows. Unfortunately, when Trixie got a good hit in all it did was bounce off Moondancer’s body stretching it like rubber. Trixie hissed from another hit but kept fighting. She got another hit in, but this time it slipped off of Moondancer’s fur like she was slippery with soap. "Give up," Moondancer said grinning at a panting Trixie, "you can't win." Trixie whipped sweat off her forehead. “Make me. I’m not even close to done yet.” “I think I will.” Moondancer circled around Trixie and Fluttershy blinked her eyes not sure what she was seeing. Moondancer’s body seemed to stretch like a coiled spring and she encircled Trixie like a snake. Trixie tried to get out of the way but she wasn't quick enough and Moondancer wrapped her in a vice-like grip. Trixie tried to struggle out of it but to no avail. Trixie tried her flash trick again, but Moondancer was ready for it and closed her eyes before Trixie got off her spell. Moondancer tightened her grip painfully in retaliation. Trixie then summoned her morpher, but a nearby goon saw this and knocked it out of her hooves before she could use it. "Finally!" A voice said from the doorway. "How long does it take you to subdue one pony?" Puissance walked through the door not too happy. She pushed a thug trying to get back on his hooves out of her way as she strutted towards Trixie and Moondancer. Several scary looking ponies accompanied her in black suits and shades. Boss poked his head out from behind the tank. “As you can see, everything is under control!” His ponies came back into the warehouse relieved to see Trixie subdued. They tried to act as if they hadn’t just gotten their butts hooved to them. “The mastermind finally comes.” Trixie had not given up her attempts to escape and gave Moondancer some difficulty keeping her trapped.  “I was wondering when you would show your wrinkled old hide.” "Quite," Puissance replied perturbed, "I'd almost given up on you, Discordian." “I get the job done.” Moondancer yelped as Trixie bit her, but she didn’t let go. “A little help here?” A unicorn that came in with Puissance leveled his horn at Trixie and shot her with a stunning spell. Much to his surprise, it wasn’t enough to put her down, and he needed to shoot her two more times before she went unconscious. “Thank Luna!” Moondancer let go of Trixie and shifted back into her pony self. "Bring her," Puissance said, "It's time to get going. We still have a lot of work left to do."