A million thoughts passed through Tempest Shadow’s mind as Trixie told her near fictitious tale of the Dreaded Ursa Major. She thought of the most efficient way to snap that pretty blue neck in twelve different ways. She thought about vaporizing her on the spot. She even humored the thought of tying her up and throwing her into a bear den, maybe the same ursa cave. No, that would be to mercifully quick. Dismissing her dark thoughts, Tempest decided to wait and confront her, old friend, when they were alone. Tempest didn’t want to make a scene in front of so many ponies, no matter how much she really wanted too.
No, Tempest you’re a different pony now. You can’t go around attacking ponies. That’s not what good ponies do. She thought mentally restraining herself from her murderous thoughts.Sensing her rising tension her parents wrapped their arms around her to comfort their distressed daughter. Tempest looked between her mother and father’s comforting eyes as they stood by her side. She truly felt blessed at that moment to have them back in her life. Boysenberry however was a different story.
“-and that is how Trixie defeated the Ursa Major and saved the town!”
Tempest shook her head as the ponies cheered and stomped the ground with applause.
“Well, that was a nice show,” Merlot said, trying to ease the tension in the air around them.
Tempest snorted in response.
Chardonnay tried her hoof next. “Yes, and I think it was sweet how she allowed that filly to hold her hat. Wasn’t it sweetie?” She asked Tempest.
“I guess,” Tempest replied a bit curtly. “Mom, Dad, I’m going to stay out for a while. Why don’t you two head on home? I’d like some time to myself.”
Once her parents were gone Tempest waited in the cold night. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck as a cold gust blew past her that sent a chill down her neck. As ponies scattered to go about the remaining of their day, a few remained behind to get autographs from the three show ponies. Tempest stood out of sight nearby and watched as Trixie, Starlight, and Maud signed papers, books, and even a stone slab. That one made Maud very happy.
Hiding around a building corner Tempest watched, and waited. She was a patient pony. She learned long ago that in order to get the best results one usually had to be patient. She firmly believed in, ‘good things come to those who wait’, and wait she did. It was getting colder as half an hour passed. The resulting cold was a direct result from the previous day's rain. The dampness in the air made even the slightest gust feel like a razor blade to the skin. Tempest wished she brought a coat. The dry arid skies were very different than it was here and she really wished she had her armor. She took comfort knowing she had ear muffs and boots at least. She adjusted the scarf once more as on last colt left the three showmars and trotted off with a smile on his face.
Tempest watched as Trixie stepped towards her fellow performers as they enclosed into a small huddle.
“That was great! Did you see all the smiles?!” Trixie asked enthusiastically.
The periwinkle mare, Starlight Glimmer, giggled in response to her friends giddiness.
“Yeah, it was pretty great! I can see why you like doing this, Trixie. It’s really nice to see all those smiles we brought to those ponies faces. We could have made a single pony who was having a bad day smile, and that just fills me with pride! Right, Maud?”
Both unicorn mares looked to their dull grey companion, who nodded slowly.
“It was riveting. Boulder loved it too. He didn’t like that boulder you used. Said he was too hard headed.”
Trixie rolled her eyes at the earth pony, while the unicorn Starlight giggled at their friend. The three chatted more and Tempest decided to make her move. Stepping from the shadows she made her way to the trio with complete determination. She had a great many things she wanted to say to Trixie-no, Boysenberry. She refused to think of this mare as anything different. The fact Boysenberry used her traumatic experience for her show was completely unacceptable. Tempest wouldn’t allow this transgression to go unchallenged.
“Well, Maud and I are going to go shopping for the trip back to Canterlot. You need anything Trixie?” Starlight asked.
Trixie thought for a moment then shook her head.
“No, Trixie has everything she needs,” She then turned to glare at Maud. “Unlike somepony who eats everything in sight, Trixie doesn’t gorge herself every meal.”
Maud slowly turned away, her grey cheeks turning slightly pink. Starlight gently patted Maud on the back reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Maud. I know you have a high metabolism. Trixie does too,” The unicorn said.
As the two ponies walked away they went past Tempest and Starlight leaned in to whisper to Maud once out of earshot from Trixie. “Trixie’s just mad you ate all her peanut butter crackers.” Tempest rolled her eyes and ignored the two ponies as she approached Trixie, unaware that Maud looked back at her before disappearing around the corner with Starlight.
Now Tempest was alone with Trixie. It was time to make her move. Like a predator stalking its prey, Tempest silently approached the azure unicorn from behind. The mare was completely unaware of Tempest's presence until she turned and walked face first into Tempest’s strong, and surprisingly fluffy chest. Trixie let out a muffled scream and jumped back escaping her fluffy smothering. In her haste Trixie tripped over her cape and rolled backwards into her wagons side on her back with her rump over her head.
She blew her tail off her face and glanced at Tempest who was glaring down at her. Standing up, Trixie did her best to play off her fall like nothing happened by quickly dusting herself off.
“Greetings! Trixie didn’t see you there. Are you alright, miss?” Trixie asked.
Tempest narrowed her eyes dangerously at Trixie who didn’t even shy away from her tense gaze, but continued to speak.
“Trixie did remember seeing you in the crowd. Were you here for the show?” She asked.
“Yes, I was.” Tempest snarled at her.
Trixie smiled at her seemingly unaware of the mares venomous tone.
“That’s great! Trixie’s glad you liked it!”
I didn’t say I did. Tempest thought never taking her yes off the mare.
“Trixie hopes you really enjoyed the show! She and her friends will be making rounds with new tricks in the future and- you look very familiar. Have you be graced by Trixie’s presence before?” Trixie asked.
Again Tempest glared down at the unicorn with nothing but contempt in her eyes. That stupid smug grin, and that annoying third pony talk! Tempest really had to fight back every urge in her body to fry the mare to dust with her raw unrestrained magic. Alaas she managed to restrain herself. For now.
Circling around the unfazed unicorn Tempest looked Trixie top to bottom. She was what Tempest would consider a soft pony. A pony who barely had any physical prowess. Her magic seemed elementary by what she saw. In truth she wasn’t even that pretty in Tempest’s eyes. Trixie was a very average unicorn with an overinflated ego and bombast that could keep an airship flying for millennia. Atop all this she didn’t even recognize Tempest. She really hated this mare.
“Oh, we’ve met once long ago,” Tempest said slowly circling around Trixie. “Back then you went by a different name, Boysenberry B. Lulamoon.”
Suddenly Trixie looked shocked at the mention of the name. She looked around as if she were expecting somepony to hear and was worried about it.
“H-how do you know that name?” Trixie asked her suspiciously. “Who are you?”
Suddenly Tempest reared up on Trixie. She leapt onto her and pinned the petite mare to the ground under she strong hooves. Trixie struggled to break free, but Tempest had size, weight, and strength advantages over the soft build mare. Tempest’s horn violently discharged. Blue magical energy sparked and oozed down beside Trixie’s head as Tempest aim her broken horn at Trixie’s horn.
“Oh, you better remember me like your life depends on it!” Tempest's voice was filled with spite and hate with every word she spoke.
She was really holding trixie as a formality, she was waiting for an excuse to fry her, but first she wanted to hear Trixie explain herself.
“Tell me, Trixie, why are you here and why are you using MY most traumatic life event as the golden crop for your little performance? Couldn’t you have made something else up?! OR HAVE YOU GOT YOUR HEAD SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE YOUR OLD FRIEND?!”
“Wait, old friend? Who are-”
Trixie paused as her eyes gazed up at Tempest's broken horn. Her eyes went wide and filled with what Tempest thought, was fear. She ceased to struggle against Tempest’s pin hold and just stared blankly at the broken horn base as past memories came rushing back to her. Trixie did indeed remember this mare. It was so long ago she last saw her and so much had happened she quite forgot her, old friend.
“Fizzlepop? Is that really you?” She asked with a stutter.
Tempest snorted allowing a few sparks from her horn to hit Trixie across the face. Not enough to harm her but enough to leave a strong stinging sensation behind and a small burn mark across her cheek. “Good, you do remember me. I guess you also remember how this happened?” Tempest asked, gesturing to her broken horn and allowed the sparks to intensify. “Or, did you manage to forget how you conned me into going into that cave for that stupid ball? ALONE?”
“Now see here! That wasn’t Trixie’s fault! You chose to go in there! Trixie didn’t con you into going alone! You chose to go in!”
“So you do remember that day!” Tempest said pointing a shaking hoof at Trixie.
Suddenly Trixie seemed at a loss for words. Her confidence was gone, and she refused to keep eye contact for more than a second with Tempest. Tempest could see it in her eyes, there was guilt in Trixie’s eyes, but she didn’t care. Here was a mare who was directly responsible for her downward spiral in life and Tempest was getting her payback one way or another, but how?
She could very well beat the mare senseless if she so chose. She was soft. Her magic was barely more than parlor tricks, with a few things in there that were real magic. It seemed unfair to fight her. Then again, if Trixie attacked first she could just call self defense if it came to it. No! I can’t do that anymore! What am I thinking?! Twilight trusted me to do the right thing! While tempest fought her inner demons a crowd had gathered around them to see what was going on in hushed whispers.
“Is that Fizzlepop and Boysenberry?” A pony asked.
“Are they fighting?” Another asked.
“That mare’s going to beat up Trixie, mommy!” A filly gasped.
Too many ponies had gathered around to watch as Tempest glared down at Trixie. While she still wanted to batter the azure mare to oblivion now wasn’t the time. What was needed was a strategic withdrawal. She could finish this somewhere else. Tempest stepped forward and stared Trixie down. To her credit Trixie didn’t even flinch this time, even going so far to glare back at Tempest. That was almost impressive. Tempest smirked at the brave face.
“You and me. Outside of town at midnight. We’ll settle this once and for all,” Tempest declared.
Trixie didn’t take the bait.
“If you think Trixie will stoop so low to fight a crippled pony you are sadly mistaken.”
Of course she wouldn’t take it on the first go. Tempest knew she wouldn’t. Even growing up Boysenberry was good at deflection in a conversation. So Tempest would use her one greatest strength against her. Her ego.
“Boysenberry, I challenge you to a duel! Face me for honor!” Ha! I have her now! She’ll never back down from a challenge-
“No.”
Wait, what? Tempest's mind went blank. She wasn’t expecting to hear no as the answer to her challenge. That irked her. No one ever disregarded a challenge from her before. So, what was she to do now? All she needed to do was push a little more. Taking a moment to recompose herself Tempest turned on Trixie and looked her in the eyes with a thin smirk.
“What, the Great and Powerful Boysenberry too good to fight me?” Tempest asked.
Trixie scoffed offendedly and glared defiantly up at Tempest.
“Oh, that’s rich! But Trixie has more important things to do than fight a handicapped pony!”
Tempest felt her brow twitch involuntarily at the horn insult; however, she was nothing if not clever. She quickly thought of a rebuttal and put it into action.
“So, you won’t fight me because I’m crippled? Think I’m too beneath you, of Great and Powerful one?” Tempest asked.
The reaction was spot on. Trixie seemed at a loss for words again as the crowd murmured. There was clear division between them. Some wanted Trixie to fight Tempest to see a magic duel, others thought it unfair like Trixie, which was the vast majority of them. She wondered what Trixie would do. Accept her challenge and be humiliated at her defeat against Tempest, or would she back out and get a black mark on her for refusing the challenge?
She could tell Trixie was really trying to decide which path to follow. It wasn’t an easy choice for somepony like her to ruin her reputation on emotion alone. Then again, refusing the challenge, even from a crippled unicorn, was something she couldn’t do. So what would Trixie choose?
“Very well, Trixie accepts your challenge, but be warned that Trixie won’t hold back! You insult her honor and Trixie won’t pull her punches for it!” Trixie finally said after a lengthy wait.
Tempest nodded giving the mare a cruel smile, as her horn sparked with blue magical electricity. Trixie and the other ponies took a visible step back at the aggressive act from the broken horned unicorn. Tempest stepped around her and without turning to look back at her she whispered in her ear passing by, “Then meet me at the abandoned mine shaft at the edge of town. We’ll settle this there.”
With that Tempest made her way home taking a scenic route as the moon and stars danced across the sky.