Mark of Baen

by CrypticMetaphor

X

Both Twilight and Baen were silent as Stardust swept up the remains of the urn and deposited them in the nearby waste bin. She sighed before lighting all the lamps in the house and then seating herself in an easy chair and attempted to calm her nerves, tears still flowing. Twilight bit her lip nervously as Baen kept watch, staring out the living room window in case the Wraith’s came back.

“Stardust….I’m sorry, I didn’t know….,” Twilight admitted sadly.

“No! No you didn’t!” Stardust snapped as she then produced some herbal tea and sipped the calming warm liquid.

Baen nodded, satisfied with the state of outside, and then turned back to the two mares, “Start from the beginning. Who exactly are you and how did you come into possession of the earn.”

Stardust, finally in a more relaxed state, placed her cup down and looked at the two ponies, “Let me just go on record and say that I intended NO HARM to this place, at all,” she sighed and rubbed her temples, “Before I came here, I was a researcher in Trottingham as a hobby, mostly old antiquities and the like. One day, I solved a series of clues and deduced the location of the Urn of Styx. The Urn itself was a powerful relic of the ancient world that, supposedly, could manifest and control sentient shadow creatures. I eventually found it in the old ruins of Pone-Henge,” she waved her hoof in the direction of the waste bin, “Honestly I didn’t believe the rumours so I thought it was just some sort of well made pottery.”

Twilight sat across from her, “But they were true, weren’t they?”

Stardust nodded sadly, “Unfortunately yes…..,” she looked at the two of them somberly, “Originally I came out here to examine the Urn in a more private setting, and since it had something to do with shadows well….this seemed like the ideal place to run experiments,” she looked to the side, “Until that is, I decided to open it. The first time I did, The Wraiths ran wild and I could barely contain them. They escaped my house and rampaged through town and…..well….,” she smiled weakly, “I used my light magic to deal with them, turn out light spells of significant strength destroys their solid form. But as long as the Master Wraith is intact, they’ll just keep reforming.”

Baen nodded, “So I assume whoever holds that Urn controls the Master Wraith and by extension, the Wraiths themselves?”

Stardust nodded, “Yes, I managed to put their essences back in the Urn and I was going to explain myself to the townsponies but…..,” she folded her ears, “they treated me like a hero and showered me with praise and gifts….I couldn’t bear to tell them the truth at that point. I kept saying that, ‘tomorrow I’ll tell them’, but tomorrow never came. Each night’s the Wraith’s would escape and I’d have to contain them, and it just repeated. Several weeks ago I started to look into ways to safely destroy the Urn, but I couldn’t find anything at all. The only way to stop the madness is to destroy the Master Wraith, which I intended to do while it was still dormant….until YOU,” she glared at Twilight, “Broke the Urn and woke it up!”

Baen stamped his armored hoof causing both mares to jump as he stared evenly at the two of them, “This is no time for infighting, yes, Twilight made a mistake. But be that as it may,” he jabbed a hoof out the window, “That THING is going to destroy the town and probably terrorize all of Equestria if we don’t act with haste! We already have one life hanging in the balance,” he turned to Twilight, “So let’s go clean up this mess and get moving to save Spike.”

Twilight hardened her expression in resolution of the deed before them and moved to join Baen, but she stopped noticing Stardust swirling her tea absently, “Stardust?”

Stardust lowered her head in shame, “This is all my fault….,” she muttered quietly, “Me and that stupid Urn….”

Baen turned to Stardust as Twilight made for the door, “I understand how you feel. But as the Pink One would say, ‘A pity party is not a party anypony should be invited to.’ You said yourself that your light magic is your special talent and that it’s strong. So if you truly feel remorseful for what you’ve done,” he stepped forward, “Come with us, make it right.”

Stardust gave the barbarian pony a forlorn gaze and turned her head away, “I….I can’t face them now…..not like this……”

Baen snorted in annoyance, “Can’t? Or won’t!”

Stardust said nothing.

Baen shook his head in mild anger, “Well I’m not going to stand idly while those monsters endanger innocent lives. Come on Twilight,” he said with finality as he walked past her and out the doorway.

Twilight lingered on the landing, nibbling her lip in thought before turning toward Stardust, “You know...I once knew a mare like you.”

Stardust’s right ear flicked as she slowly sipped her tea.

“She was powerful in her own right, studious, and well,” she chuckled, “she wasn’t perfect in any regard when it came to being social. But one thing she would never do is back down when things got tough. Everypony believed in her with all their hearts, even when she thought so little of herself. But, in the end, their belief was well placed. So Stardust,” she said with a small smile, “know that those ponies in town believe in you with all their hearts, and I’m sure they’ll understand when all is said and done.”

Stardust stared into space, in silent contemplation.

Twilight nodded somberly, “Well, I’ve said my piece.”

The alicorn turned and slowly closed the door, leaving Stardust in the dark of her home. Stardust sat up from her chair, hearing the galloping of the two ponies fading into the distance. She glanced around the empty home and sighed, glancing at her notes and books in silence. As she hopped to her hooves, she lightly paced over to her closet that held the gifts from town and stopped. She stared at a plaque that read ‘To our town hero, thank you for being the light in our lives!’

Stardust looked to the side in mild shame and then stared once more at the reflective awards, her face staring back at her with uncertainty. Then she heard it. Screams in the distance. She whipped around with wide eyes. She bit her bottom lip in nervous panic, but then her eyes travelled once more to that plaque. She smiled weakly at it, her heart fluttering lightly.

Then her ears heard the screams once more, then her reflection’s eyes steeled and narrowed.

*

Everypony was scattering and screaming in terror as the Wraiths screeched through the air overhead attacking any unfortunate pony to cross their paths. Twilight and Baen skidded to a halt and beheld the mayhem.

“This is worse than last time,” Twilight said in shock.

Baen nodded as he brought out his ax, “We must act swiftly. Stardust said if we kill the Master Wraith, the Wraiths themselves can be permanently destroyed.”

Twilight glanced around and her pupils shrank as she found the creature in question, perched atop City Hall in all it’s frightful glory.

“Well….at least we know where the Master Wraith is…,” Twilight muttered as she and Baen collectively realized the enormity of the situation before them.

“Come one, remember Tirek?” Baen nudged her as he had a wild smile, “We’ve fought bigger!”

Twilight nodded and the two became determined, “Let’s take that monster down!”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” Baen’s Wrath Aura flared to life as he galloped at the creature, “HEY TALL DARK AND GRUESOME!!! FIGHT ME!!!!”

The Master Wraith’s eyeless gaze fixed upon the charging barbarian and it leapt from its perch….and it’s skeletal figure changed. It became more thin, long grabbing claws and spindly arms and legs, and long whip-like tentacles of darkness split from it’s back and whipped back and forth like menacing serpents. Baen leapt at the creature bellowing in fury and swang wide, his ax blade slicing through the shadowy hide like gelatin. The Beast screeched unnaturally and swiped at the barbarian who, acting swiftly, vaulted over the claw and buried his blade into it’s skull….and hung there by his handle.

Baen planted his hooves against the skull and attempted to pull it free, only to see the shadows seep up the blade and soon to the handle.

“TWILIGHT! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!”

Twilight blasted a bothersome Wraith into oblivion that was attacking two mares as she whipped around, “Baen! Hang on!”

Twilight started blasting her way past numerous Wraiths who now started to focus their efforts on the mare, deeming her a threat. Twilight started cutting her way through the swathe of oncoming foes with her magic akin to a scalpel slicing deftly through flesh by a precise hoof. The mare however found herself blocked causing her to stop, but Twilight stood her ground as the Wraiths advanced on her. She looked from side to side, thinking deeply on what to do. Seeing Baen smacking the Master Wraith as it continued to grab at him, one idea popped into her head. An idea she hoped she would’ve had time to test before implementing, but desperate times.

Twilight gritted her teeth, “Come on Twilight, you’ve used complex spells before, this’ll work….I hope.”

Twilight shut her eyes and looked inward while concentrating on Baen himself. She had done this once, only once, before Baen had left for his vacations. For the longest time, the mystery of it had intrigued her as well as The Princesses. She focused hard, sweat appearing on her brow as her horn lit up with her magic aura as her focus deepened. One day, for a brief moment of meditation and focus, she had felt it briefly. That feeling that always rose whenever Twilight was near Baen when he used his abilities. The heat, the fury, the ancient power. Baen turned his head to call out again, only for the words to die in his throat. Twilight felt it, briefly, once more. Akin to a shard of flint striking a rock, she felt the spark, it’s heat. She held onto that feeling and poured all her effort to turn the spark into a ember.

Baen’s eyes widened, “By Tieg…”

Twilight started to exude steam as her magic aura became more wild and more flame like, traces of red sparks entering it. The aura spread from her horn to across her whole body as it deepened to a much more dark indigo color, darker than any shade seen by most ponies. Soon, her eyes snapped open as her irises became a deep red and gave off a familiar glow. Her aura whipped wildly about her as she focused it and fired it straight at the Master Wraith’s head. The beam vaporized any Wraith unfortunate enough to get in it’s path, the smell of burning ozone filled the area briefly as the Master Wraith’s body slumped. Baen dropped like a stone to the ground, his ax clattering beside him. He quickly scrambled to his hooves as the Wraiths wailed in fear and fled to their fallen master. Twilight stood rooted to the spot twitching uncontrollably, grunting and growling like somepony possessed. Her magic aura still flared bright with heat and raw untamed power as Baen galloped to her. Twilight’s body was awash in heat, her muscles felt like hardened wrought iron, the amount of power and adrenaline flowing through her veins made her feel like she could take on an entire army by herself. She continued to tremble as her vision was red, her ears ringing. Then she felt somepony shaking her rapidly.

“....”

She could barely hear them until her gaze fixed on Baen’s face. Was he talking? She couldn’t hear, it was like she was underwater.

“T...L...T”

Twilight felt her body give a heave as the magic aura around her flared larger and hotter. Baen then looked worried, more worried than she had ever seen him before. Baen shook her harder and gave her a smack.

“TWILIGHT!!!”

Twilight’s aura abruptly burst out of existence as her eyes stared vacantly for a second. Her glowing red eyes fading back to her normal violet ones.

“Baen….? Why does my cheek….,” she felt her entire body give out as she slumped against Baen.

“Twilight, did you-”

Baen’s head snapped to the now moving Master Wraith as it rose high, it’s head regenerating as it’s minions churned around it like a storm. It stood over the two ponies, Baen looked to a weakened Twilight who could barely muster a spell, her stamina all but gone. Baen saw his ax firmly under the foot of the Master Wraith. The Barbarian braced for a long fought battle, only for a wagon to break against the monster’s head.

“HEY! OVER HERE YOU FREAK!”

The Master Wraith slowly turned and glared down at a furious looking Stardust.

“I’m going to do what I should’ve done the first moment I brought you here,” Stardust’s horn flared bright gold as her eyes followed suit.

Stardust then spoke loudly, her voice holding great power as her magic swirled about her in a hurricane of light, “Creatures of darkness and woe, harken to me! By the power of the golden light, that protect the innocent and just, I condemn thee forever more,” ancient runes of light circled her horn in a nexus of magic, “to be that of DUST!”

At the final word of her spell, Stardust’s horn erupted with a crystal beam of raw light magic laced with runes. The Light hit home square in the creature’s chest. The Master Wraith roared in pain and fear as it’s body started to turn to dust. It reached with spear like claws to impale the Unicorn who stood defiantly in it’s presence. It let out a mighty shriek as the remainder of it’s form crumbled away. The Wraith’s around it tried to flee, but met with the same fate as Stardust’s spell linked between the creatures. Everypony watched on in awe as the beasts became nothing more than dust piles. One pony carrying a large broom and dustpan got to work as everypony came out of hiding to congratulate Stardust. But their praise stopped when she raised a hoof.

“Everypony, I have something I have to say,” she looked to the side, “I….haven’t been entirely honest...with any of you. I originally came here to study an Urn that contained those monsters. But then things got out of hoof and they kept escaping every night and I had to reign them in by myself, at the expense of all your safety. Those rewards, bits, they weren’t well deserved or earned. I should’ve said something earlier,” she lowered her head, “I’m just a fraud. I’m no hero. I’ll return your belongings and...be on my way…..”

The mare turned and sullenly began to trek back to her house, only to be stopped by the Mayor.

“What you said,” he stated with a critical eye, “Was it all true?”

“Yes….,” she stared at him sullenly, “I’ll understand if you want me to leave-”

“Leave? Don’t be absurd,” The Mayor said, “It’s true you lied, but you were making an effort to at least ensure our safety and you admitted the truth. You might’ve lied, but you’re no fraud my dear,” he smiled as he gestured around, “You proved that in spades tonight.”

Everypony nodded in agreement as the Mayor cleared his throat, “However, I will have to be taking back those awards and such until you properly earn them.”

Stardust nodded with a small smile, “of course.”

The Mayor tapped his chin, “Though, if you are to stay here, you’ll need a proper job…..hm…..,” he glanced around, “The local Crystal Shop is looking for somepony to help run her, if you’re up to it Miss Stardust.”

Stardust smiled brightly, “Of course! If it means I can properly make amends, I’ll do it!”

Everypony cheered as Baen and Twilight watched on with smiles.

Stardust approached the duo, “Thank you...both of you. After all that’s happened, I’m so sorry for the way I acted to you both,” she looked at Twilight, “Especially you Princess, you didn’t warrant the treatment I gave when you arrived.”

“Oooh no, it’s fiiiine,” Twilight slurred lightly, “Just...remember to be honest….wow everything’s swimming.”

Stardust blinked in confusion as Baen smiled sheepishly as he sheathed his ax, “She had a bit of….a magic overload. She’ll be fine in about an hour or so.”

Stardust nodded as she looked to the side for a moment then back at Baen, “You know, I wouldn’t mind staying in touch with the two of you.”

Baen beamed a little, “I’m always open to new pen pals,” Baen nudged Twilight, “What about you Twilight?”

“Tomorrow is Applesauce day…,” Twilight giggled sleepily.

Baen chuckled lightly, “It was nice meeting you Stardust, but we’d best recover before we set out.”

Stardust raised an eyebrow, “Where exactly?”

Baen looked to the train station, “To Fleece.”

*

The day came and went, and Baen and Twilight were on the road again. Though for some reason, the barbarian was much quieter than usual, which made Twilight nervous, he almost seemed worried and anxious when they pulled into Manehatten. Not wasting time, the two ponies disembarked and ventured to the Airship terminal. After another hour of tense silence, and the occasional side glance from Baen, the two ponies boarded the airship and were off once more. Twilight sat in silence in their shared cabin as Baen focused on the view of the steadily darkening night sky. Twilight inhaled lightly and made a small smile as she looked at Baen.
“So...A new pen-pal for the both of us, that’s good,” she said with that small smile.

Baen made no indication he heard her.

“I mean, technically, we both helped somepony with a problem and made a new friend. Plus we’re making some good progress. I thin-”

Baen abruptly stood up and walked out of the cabin and toward the main deck.

Twilight sat in silence and followed after him, “Baen! Wait up!”

Baen came to the main deck and stood at it’s edge, biting the inside of his cheek.

Twilight slowly approached, “Baen? Is something wrong?”

Baen sighed in mild anger, “Yes.”

“Is that why you’ve been so quiet since we left Hollow Shades?” Twilight inquired.

“Yes,” he spoke through grit teeth.

“Well what is it? You know if you have a problem you can tell me anything,” she offered only to regret it as he whipped around and glared at her.

“How long,” he stated coldly.

“Excuse me?” she said somewhat shocked.

“How long have you been trying to tap into Old Magic?!” Baen demanded.

Author's Note:

Seems Twi-Twi has been doing some magic biz that Baen didn't know about. But why is he upset? Stay Tuned! Next chapter, some more emotions and we get to the Fleece two parter