//------------------------------// // Black Magic Women // Story: Rhapsody in Orange and Black // by dramatic_spoon //------------------------------// “I can’t believe you knocked someone out with that head of yours,” Apple Bloom shook her head as they continued to the town hall. “He scared me.” Tomahawk replied while checking his mask, “I don’t think it’s broken.” He flicked the switch on, blinding himself with the eye lights. “…Well, you ruined the haunted house for everyone else.” Gem grumbled, “Almond Joy and his friends were behind us in that line.” “It’s only Almond,” Rhapsody shrugged, “He doesn’t like us anyway.” The group stopped as a crowd gathered around a stage. The Mayor, in a ridiculous looking clown suit, stepped forward towards a podium. “Fillies, Gentlecolts and foals! You all know what time it is, so I present to you…” The mayor’s response was cut off as green fog began to engulf the podium. With a look of mock terror, the mayor quickly abandoned the stage, nearly tripping over her clown shoes. The fog began to swirl together, spinning faster and fast. Suddenly a bright flash caused everypony to flinch and take their eyes off the stage. As the smoke cleared, Zecora appeared in the middle of the stage, her usual Mohawk gone in favor of curls. Replacing her usual array of golden rings was a black jacket with a purple undershirt. “It seems to be Nightmare Night once again,” Zecora paused to place a black top hat on her head and smile, “So it seems that the show must begin. Gather around, colts, mares and foals, and y-” Zecora was cut off at a second explosion of fireworks, knocking off her hat. As the fireworks cleared, Trixie stepped forward, clad in her own black jacket, white undershirt and top hat. The magician reeled up onto her hind legs as she took her own hat off. “PRESENTING…THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRI…” she trailed off as Zecora glared at her, “…Trixie was not informed that you would be here.” “Nothing here should be explained, for I thought you abstained.” The zebra grumbled as she placed her hat back on. “Yes, well…” Trixie went back onto all four hooves and placed her hat back on, “I changed my mind.” “Such careless actions are offensive, two magicians be quite expensive?” “There’s no need for two,” Trixie’s smirk returned, “For I have enough for all!” “Such arrogance has no excuse, why should I suffer this abuse?” Zecora turned back to the crowd, “So tell us audience, shall I depart and leave this fool, or shall I stay and let us duel?” “You wish to challenge me? Inconceivable!” “That word works not in the way you use, but are you afraid that you may lose? For this is my domain, not yours, and my magic show endures.” Zecora rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Trixie. “You’ve done this for years!” Trixie barked back, “Let some new blood take over.” “Then a duel shall decide, which will stay and who shall hide,” Zecora looked back at the crowd, “But perhaps we should let them choose, for if they demand how can we refuse? So my friends please inform, shall one stay or shall both perform?” The crowd erupted into cheers and calls in favor of the two. “So you see, for performance they thirst, perhaps I should be kind and let you go first.” Zecora smiled as she stepped back. “Hmph!” Trixie huffed as she stepped forward, “Then let the best mare win.” She flashed a flawless smile at the crowd before taking off her hat, “Let’s start this with something I know everypony will enjoy. I need two pieces of candy.” Tomahawk smirked as his aura flared up and two pieces flew out of Golden Gem’s bag. “HEY!” “Heh.” Tomahawk stuck out his tongue before noticing two pieces of candy float out of his bag, “HEY!” He whipped around as Rhapsody stuck out her tongue, her own aura alight. “…Well, I suppose I can make due with four,” Trixie rolled her eyes and engulfed the candy in her own aura. The showmare tilted her head, allowing her hat to fall to the stage, landing upside down. In a puff of pink smoke, a wand appeared in Trixie’s mouth. “Now then, let’s begin with something easy.” Her aura gripped the wand, and brought the candy to her. She tapped each individual piece with her wand, dropping it into the hat. Another puff of pink smoke engulfed the hat, accompanied by several sparks. As it cleared, Trixie reached into the hat with her wand, and pulled out four sleeping bats, their fur the color of the candies. She gently blew on them, awakening the bats who took to the air. As they flew over the crowd, the bats exploded over the foals, showering them with candy. While Tomahawk and Lightning Gem began to fight over the candy, the others took the opportunity to silently gather it up. Trixie scooped up her hat and bowed to the audience. “A decent start, I must confess, but not enough to impress me, surely you jest?” Zecora stepped forward, “After all it is Nightmare Night, and for my trick, I think it will fright. For horrors and screams are what we need, so for my trick, I need him to succeed.” Zecora reached into a pocket and pulled out a hoofful of silver dust. The mare blew on it, scattering the dust, which quickly began to glow and spin. A small silver whirlwind formed, in the middle of the stage, sucking Trixie’s hat off the stage. The whirlwind slowly began to expand, forcing Trixie and the nervous ponies close to the stage to step backwards away from it. Finally the whirlwind exploded outwards, revealing Flash Sentry, still clad in his guard armor. “…So then we had to cl…” Flash blinked, “Trixie? Why are you…” He paused again, looking around, “Why am I back in Ponyville?” “For this trick, I need a volunteer, and your wife, it seems is quite clear. For what better way to make you disappear?” “…Wait, what?” Four boards shot out of the stage, surrounding Flash Sentry and forcing him to stand on his hind legs.. Before he could flap his wings and leap out of the box, a final panel of wood slammed down on it, sealing him in. “You shall now see a new trick I have developed in force!” Zecora smiled, pulling out a large saw from her hat. The mare began her work, sawing through the lower third of the box, eventually cutting through it. She quickly withdrew the blade, revealing no blood on it and began cutting through the top third as the crowd watched on in silence. As she finished the final cut, she spun the saw around, causing the blade to vanish in a blink of an eye. Zecora smiled at the tense crowd before pushing the box onto its side. The chunks of wood collapsed to the floor, revealing nothing within them. “Now, you must all be waiting for the main course, but patience I shall ask for, there’s no need to be coarse.” Zecora smiled and stepped to the side, revealing a neat pile of severed hooves and wings, absent of blood. “There’s no need to panic, the reveal is in due course. But I must ask my friend to back away from the source.” Zecora motioned for Trixie to step to the side. The mare did so, only to leap further back at a pile of fur, Flash Sentry’s cutie mark on the largest piece. “And now for the finale, a tour de force!” Zecora motioned for Rhapsody to come up on the stage. The filly excitedly leapt onto stage, still carrying her bag of candy. Zecora smiled and reached into the bag, pulling something wrapped in a towel out of the bag. “That wasn’t in there before.” Rhapsody blinked. Zecora held up the item and slowly unwrapped the towel. As she dropped the towel to the floor, several gasp and screams of horror escaped the crowd: Flash’s disembodied head sat in Zecora’s hooves. The head yawned and slowly opened his eyes. “Oh man, Trixie, I had the strangest dream I…”He trailed off as a look of confusion appeared on his face, “I can’t feel my legs.” “For my friends, this trick is called The Divorce.” Zecora smiled. Zecora burst out into villainous laughter and disappeared in a burst of sickly green smoke. Flash’s head landed snout first against the ground. “…And here we thought you weren’t an evil enchantress,” Trixie rolled her eyes, as she engulfed Flash’s head in her aura, bringing it towards her. “That sai-” “Trixie, why can’t I feel my wings?” “Hmm? Oh, Zecora did something to separate your body into parts.” Trixie spun Flash’s head around to look at the pile of dismembered parts, “See?” Flash stared in silence, taking in his situation, “You know, I thought I’d be a bit more freaked out over this, but after the whole thing with Porcina and the new Changeling armies, I’m not.” “Yes well…” Trixie extended her aura to gather the rest of his body parts, “This might be a bit messy.” “…How am I even talking without a thorax? Heck, how am I breathing?” Flash looked out at the crowd, “Who brought Flash Bulb here? Is he watching this?” “Sorry Mr. Sentry, we didn’t know you were gonna be part of the show.” Rumble apologized. “…That dress looks pretty bad on you, kid.” Flash attempted to shake his head and failed, “I mean…that lace pattern really?” “...Is this really an appropriate conversation to be having right now?” Trixie spun Flash’s head around to face her, “You are severed head and you’re more worried about how Rumble looks in a maid uniform than whether or not your son is traumatized?” “I’m fine mom.” Flash Bulb called out. “Thank you,” Trixie turned her attention back to Flash. The magician stomped her hoof on the stage, causing a massive fishtank full of water to appear. With casual indifference, she began to toss the various severed parts into the tank as Flash’s head watched. “Um…Trix, what are you doing?” “Putting you back together, duh.” “Yeah, but… won’t I drown if you throw my head in there?” “Probably not.” Trixie muttered “…What?” “Just go in there.” Trixie dropped Flash’s head into the tank and quickly covered it with her cape, “…You know I’ve never done this before.” “…I would hope so, mom.” Flash Bulb sighed. “Yes, well…” Trixe trailed off as the something stirred beneath the cape, “Oh, look, he’s back to normal.” The mare tore her cape off the fishtank, revealing it to be completely empty. The mare flipped over the tank, looking inside for any sign of Flash. “…That can’t be good.” Trixie’s hat began to shake and expand atop her head. In panic, she tossed it away and stepped back as the same sickly green smoke began to pour out of it. Flash’s head popped out of the hat, gasping for air. “Probably not my ass.” He muttered as he pulled himself out of the hat. Zecora reappeared on stage smiling at the crowd as she was joined by Trixie. “Entertaining you all is always a delight, that is all for the show, happy Nightmare Night!” The two bowed as the crowd cheered.