//------------------------------// // Part Twelve: Braeburn’s Revenge. // Story: The Elements of Lunar Harmony // by Paganbrony //------------------------------// The Elements of Lunar Harmony Part Twelve: Braeburn’s Revenge. Trixie had barely recovered from the shock of what had happened but she figured if something that nasty was roaming the woods then Spitfire could be in serious trouble… It wasn’t long before she was once again searching for Spitfire putting the horrific events, the questions unanswered and the fear that still gripped her aside instead focusing on her search… Deeper into the woods in yet another clearing and only just coming around from passing out earlier Spitfire found herself propped up none too comfortably on a pile of stones tied up and with Trixie’s cape still over her head. Every now and again she would hear the shuffle of hooves and hushed voices that let her know she wasn’t alone, but whoever had tied the ropes around her had cut into the splint and bandages on her wing and this now left her in tears as the pain continued to build but still she refused to cry out or beg for help. After what seemed like ages the cape over her head was dragged off roughly and she came face to face with a familiar and not so welcome stallion. “Braeburn… WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING…?” Spitfire’s face flush with involuntary tears along with her angry reaction and the level of pain evident in her voice startled the cow pony who hesitated, as the Wonderbolt scanned the clearing spotting his posse who nervously milled about and sneaked worried looks to each other and at Braeburn when he wasn’t looking. This gave Spitfire the impression Braeburn had lost his standing within the group, no doubt she thought the idea of kidnapping and tying up a young injured mare had made things uncomfortable for the rugged yet fair morals of the pioneer ponies. Braeburn could sense the unease at his hostage so he decided to get his plan underway sending half of his posse into the woods like he’d planned before he continued. “Ah want the first group to spread out and take your positions get your traps ready and if you manage to catch her holler” With a large grin on his face and as posse members disappeared into the woods Braeburn turned his attention back to the bound mare. “Why are all those ponies with you at your camp, are they part of your gang…? What is your leader up to, what is that witch planning next?” “Dumb hayseed… She’s not my leader… Well not technically…” Spitfire stumbled over her words as she remembered she was in actuality part of Luna’s group and therefore under the leadership of her student the violent and reprehensibly bad tempered Trixie. “Ah knew it! That no good mare she’s become a hardened criminal and formed her own gang with which ah bet she’s planning a whole string of robberies across Equestria.” “Um seriously… Braeburn you need to slow down and think… When Trixie finds out what you’ve done you’re toast you silly foal.” Spitfire seriously hoped this was true and would be sooner rather than later but her thoughts drifted into what she’d said the night before, would Trixie even bother? Or would she just walk away? And would she be able to find her? “Who are you…? What’s your name…?” “I’m Spitfire… …The Captain of the Wonderbolts.” Spitfire blinked as Braeburn and his remaining posse burst into raucous laughter at her statement. “Well ah do declare ah was right! It is her… That’s her alright…” Braeburn who was focused on the Wonderbolt jumped a little as the voice interrupted and the laughter from the posse died down as the idea they might have just tied up one of the good guys sank in. The voice seemed surprised but more than a little excited but as it came from behind Spitfire due to her restraints she was unable to see who was speaking. Braeburn snorted derisively before adopting a more commanding tone as he tried to reassure his remaining posse who were now huddled in a circle whispering. “This witch is so evil she even corrupted a Wonderbolt, the captain no less which means she must be stopped at all costs for the safety of Equestria…!” The posse hesitated for a moment as they stared confused first at Braeburn then Spitfire before the fire in his eyes and the passionate way he spoke once again fired their resolve. (Historical Note: Of course since the Wonderbolts were known to be the prime example across Equestria of everything good and true in the land thanks to careful manipulation of the papers and the fact they spent most of their free time at Cloudsdale wrecking bars instead of causing trouble for the earth ponies below… …Those not privy to the teams secrets rarely heard of their exploits and therefore believed the Wonderbolts were practically saints and so the posse knew in their hearts any pony capable of tainting that reputation had to be stopped.) Just then the sound of a distant scream interrupted matters as it echoed through the forest followed by an explosion then silence, it had seemed distant but as those still visible to Spitfire began to pray or just tremble as another scream and another explosion but this time seemingly much closer served to once again shatter the nerves of the posse. “You’d better get ready she’ll be here soon enough.” “That sir is fine with me we shall return in but a moment.” Braeburn’s curt order to the disembodied voice ended the discussion followed by the sound of retreating hooves. Another short scream sounded through the woods this time there was no explosion but it sounded closer a lot closer. Spitfire winced as she turned to see the posse members near the tree line who seemed about ready to break and run, slowly she turned back to Braeburn. “Well there little miss Wonderbolt care to tell me exactly why that heinous villain who has no heart would go out of her way for you?” “Because… Well… She’s my…” “SHE’S MY FRIEND YOU SONUVA B…” KA-BOOM!!! As several of his posse sailed past him with surprised expressions and wide eyes Braeburn turned his attention towards the flashes of blue light as Trixie entered the clearing her intentions as clear as the fear that stabbed into his heart rooting him to the ground. “You’re criminal shenanigans are over witch… I’m here to see to that!” Braeburn lowered his hoof from the dramatic pose he’d struck to boost his confidence, unfortunately it was also in time to see the last of his posse being propelled away by ever increasingly powerful blasts of magic that shot from Trixie’s horn. The stallion barely got the chance to wonder what had motivated the witch so intensely before she was mere paces away. The answer was simple, rage pure unadulterated rage and all the other names that sum up the emotions that were running through every nerve in Trixie’s body as she closed the gap and came face to face with her pursuer. It was at this precise moment the sound of rumbling came from the forest along with the sound of numerous falling trees as all concerned turned to see a giant machine burst through into the clearing. At first glance the machine seemed familiar but as it entered the clearing whilst uprooting trees on the edge that had stood in its path it was clear to Trixie and the semi conscious Spitfire this was a whole new beast. As the monstrous creation shuddered to a halt Trixie hid her shock momentarily at the size and array of spikes that adorned the mobile horror. The steam driven land train was indeed familiar but the design had been given an overhaul that now included black and red paint plenty of armour and spikes several weird looking claw like devices and what appeared to be a giant carnival cannon…? Any further study was interrupted as from the machine came two voices that began speaking the same sentence but taking turns in doing so. “INTRODUCING…” “…THE NEXT LEAP IN STEAM DRIVEN ENGINEERING…” “…AND CIDER PRODUCTION AND CRITTER EXTERMINATION…” “…THE SUPER SPEEDY CIDER SQUEEZY 9000!!!” From behind the armor the brothers Flim and Flam vaulted up onto the top of their monstrosity and struck their usual pose while grinning madly with perceived victory. (Historical Note: After their last encounter with Trixie, Flim and Flam had sworn to help capture Trixie and in doing so had fetched their SSCS6000 prototype the SSCS3000 then after the aforementioned modifications renamed it and had rejoined Braeburn to hunt Trixie.) Trixie acted less than impressed but grudgingly admitted if only mentally that at least those idiots had a modicum of flair and an unexpected talent for engineering. Trixie began focusing instead on her anger at Braeburn who seemed a little more confident but still intimidated by her mere presence despite his backup. Flim used this opportunity to activate a switch next to his hoof, Trixie barely registered the claw as it shot towards her, one of the many on the SSCS9000 now moving in an erratic and menacing fashion as they snapped open and shut. The blue magician jerked out of the way and with a concentrated blast disintegrated it but quickly had to jump to avoid the next one that swung in from another angle. Landing face down and having to hold a hoof to her hat to keep it from slipping Trixie landed closer to Spitfire. Spitfire tried to speak but the pain overrode her vocal chords as fresh tears escaped and she whimpered instead as her body continued to stiffen up. Trixie forced herself to her hooves too late as with the flick of another switch a flap opened on the front of the SSCS9000 from which flew another mechanical arm but much smaller than the others that caught Trixie squarely around the neck. Struggling Trixie felt something tighten around her neck and heard what sounded like a clasp or a lock click shut. “AH HA…! Surrender witch you have no hope of winning now.” The claw released Trixie and retracted into the SSCS9000 leaving her standing unharmed but confused, slowly Trixie raised a hoof to her neck and found there to be a collar of what appeared to be metal with a single red gem embedded on the front. Flim and Flam were practically beside themselves as they celebrated and danced while Braeburn recovered his pep almost instantaneously upon seeing the collar in place. “W-What do you think you have achieved exactly… This is hardly Trixie’s style…” Trixie ran her hoof across the collar and thanks to her knowledge of magic and all the time in the world to read endless books on the subject on account of having no friends on her travels she knew instinctively she might finally be in trouble. “Oh on the contrary my dear… I think it suits you perfectly and us so we can take you in…” Bowing her head Trixie tried to summon her magic but only a feint spark shot from her horn as it refused to build in strength. Raucous laughter followed this attempt as the brothers celebrated it was Flim who spoke in between laughs. “Ha… Ha… Ha… You can try all you like but that’s a magic blocking collar our father used to use in his act to show no magic was involved… It’s quite useless to resist no magic user can cast anything whilst it’s on… And we’re the only ones who know how to remove it.” (Historical Note: Barnabus Flimflam a world renowned stage performer and charmer of mares would attempt tricks and feats of daring without the use of magic thanks to the collar that included freeing himself from bonds whilst underwater and other amazing acts. Unfortunately his main draw was the act of catching an arrow fired straight at his chest, not being stupid or insane he would for this trick only substitute the real collar for a fake one and guide the arrow gently without alerting the audience to his deception. On the night he died he’d had a little too much home brewed cider at the home of a certain Apple family and after being caught with the mare of the farm in the barn was chased away by the husband and his mother. As Barnabus had hurriedly made his way to his stage in the center of Ponyville he forgot in his nervous state to change collars and began with his most daring feat this resulted in Flim and Flam becoming orphans when instead of catching the arrow it killed him stone dead much to his own confusion as his last words were ‘Whoops’ then ‘Oh.’ He never learned of the daughter he’d sired that night named Applebloom. When born the color of her coat and mane matched that of Barnabus and ergo Flim and Flam’s causing the hick husband father of two to loose it and later was to drive a cart with his wife tied up inside off a local cliff in his agitated mental state leaving the now three children to be brought up by their granny who somehow always forgot to mention the details to any of them.) Spitfire barely noted the angry yet wary look on Trixie’s face as she halted her attempt and watched as Braeburn stepped around the mare to between her and the SSCS9000 and with a gloating voice spoke all trace of his earlier fear and trepidation gone. “As ma friends here were saying… It’s pointless so if you’d be so kind as to sit quietly while ah tie you up.” Spitfire was beginning to pass in and out of consciousness and her heart sank as her vision that was already blurry began to darken. As Braeburn and his companions reveled in their triumph and Braeburn fetched a rope from nearby. Trixie glanced at Spitfire who was getting worse and despite the hopelessness she felt she gave her magic one last go. Trixie drew herself to her full height and using every ounce of her strength summoned her magic. To no avail, Trixie strained until her head felt ready to explode but even with her eyes closed she still couldn’t see the familiar glow through her eyelids and as she started to pull back in defeat that same windy voice echoed in her mind. “Do you want to save her…?” Flashes of what had transpired earlier ripped through her mind forcing her to cry out. “Do you want the power to free yourself…?” Suddenly the collar started to tighten around her neck slowly beginning to choke Trixie as she clawed at it with her fore hooves, Braeburn the brothers Flim and Flam watched as Trixie first cried out then began choking as the stallions just stared on baffled. “Do you want to be truly great and powerful…? …Answer me child…” “Y-Yes…” Although forced Trixie was desperate scared and without any pony to help her she relented knowing she couldn’t beat the collar without help and Spitfire was looking in terrible shape so she silently cursed the voice as she felt her magic flow back into herself. The anger and fear of not being in control she had felt earlier returned in force as the voice whispered urgently to her to use her magic against the stallions, yes it was to save her friend but as she summoned all the rage all the anger and frustration she could to fuel her magic something went wrong… Stored for years and usually kept locked deep down inside her very being, the darkest part of her heart awoke… The rage and hatred the loneliness that she had always known had somehow been freed rising to the surface despite her best efforts. The intensity of her magic and the multitude of dark emotions that were now driving it quickly began to overpower her, usually her magic was like a blinding light that gave Trixie a deep sense of inner contentment and joy when used but now it felt hot inside like fire and the light versus dark battle inside Trixie’s mind ended as the light was extinguished. Rearing back her eyes mane and tail awash with magical blue fire Trixie rose up onto her hind legs and brought her fore hooves together. Spitfire’s last memory before toppling over unconscious was of the blue mare’s eyes finally draining of any hint of control as she began to chant in a cold monotone voice devoid of her usual triumphant personality. “Power beyond the twilight and crimson blood that flows, Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows, I pledge myself to conquer, All the foes that stand before the mighty gift bestowed, In my unworthy hooves,” As Trixie’s fore hooves still together across her chest began to separate, between them appeared a small spinning globe of magic that increased in size and power as the distance grew. “…DRAGON… SLAVE…” Braeburn closed his eyes against the blinding flash that followed but was unable to escape the blast as it landed square in the middle of the clearing. No pony saw Braeburn after he was hit by the concussive force of the spell but had they, they would have seen him be thrown high into the air and sent far over the horizon followed by a small twinkling light. The spell like an expanding bubble of destruction shot out in all directions at a speed too fast to run from, too massive to miss as the SSCS9000 the brothers Flim and Flam and the remaining posse members were similarly thrown far into the distance by the force of the magic. The trees of the wood weren’t as fortunate as the blast wave hit them they were torn from the soil and were sent high into the air or disintegrated entirely as the blast wave consumed the entire woods. As the light the magic fire and the concussive noise died down and silence slowly returned to the scene Trixie heard mocking laughter ringing in her ears as she came to rest back down on all four hooves before they wobbled and then gave out entirely. Magic, Dark magic or whatever kind that was Trixie had never used that much power in her life and before she would have said (only to herself mind…) that her using so much would have been impossible let alone use a spell forbidden by the highest echelons of society and magic. Trixie slowly staggered to Spitfire and just as her body gave out and she collapsed beside her she used what little time she had before she too passed out to think. The blue magician knew deep down what ever the hay had messed with her mind had supplied the exact words of the spell and the power and for the first time ever Trixie was in fear for her sanity and her own life and the lives of those around her as her mind slipped into the waiting darkness.