Brandon's Legacy

HOPE AND DESPAIR

Twilight sat in the panic room a little longer now, listening for any sign of police ponies and praying they wouldn't find her. She was alone now and considering what had just happened, she wanted to keep it that way.

The purple mare didn't know where to go from here. She could no longer roam freely around town anymore, she was a wanted criminal. Despite this however, she began to think about the events that transpired the past few days.

Mrs. Cake had been murdered and she was in jail so there was no way she could have done it. So the question that plagued the mare's mind now was, who was it? The single lead she had now was the Carrottops. She had to somehow manage to get to the farm again and interrogate them.

Night had fallen now and the purple mare silently opened the door to the outside and looked around. “No a single police pony in sight, good.” Twilight remarked to herself in a relieved tone as she stepped out and closed it behind her. The streets were quite this time of night, save for a passerby or two whom was on their way home, as the purple mare moved through them.

The purple mare quickly made her to the farm and surveyed her surroundings. “Locked tighter than canterlot's star swirl the bearded wing, perfect.” Twilight remarked aloud in a dismal tone as she saw police ponies patrolling the farm in great numbers.

“Hello Twilight.” A voice said which caused the purple mare to whirl around and see a pony whom was dressed in clothing that covered them from head to toe leaving no way to see who it was.

Twilight recognized this set of clothing right away, the was the garment set of every killer she had encountered. Twilight immediately went into a defensive stance prepared for the killer to tackle her at a moments notice yet they did not. After a few more tense moments the purple mare realized they weren't going to attack her which confused her. Weren't they here to kill her?

“Who are you? And what do you want?” Twilight asked in a low tone as she stared at the killer who seemed to just stare back.

“Heh, you should know by now, that's not how the game works Twilight.” The killer replied and though she couldn't see their face she could have sworn they were smiling at her.

“I don't give a flying buck about your game!” Twilight exclaimed in a hushed tone and tackled the killer to the ground who simply laughed.

“What are you going to do, kill me?” The killer asked in a jeering tone.

“No, I’m going to bring you in to clear my name!” Twilight exclaimed as she stared at them still having them pinned to the ground for the moment.

“That would be pretty hard to do, given you have no evidence to back up your claim, don't you think?” The killer replied and chuckled at her.

Damn it, they had her. “If you aren't here to kill me or to expose me, then why the buck would you show your face?!” Twilight asked in a pissed off tone as her temper rose.

“Simple, I just wanted to see Brandon's accidental masterpiece for myself.” The killer replied and disappeared in a flash of magic from under the mare and reappeared behind her which caused the purple mare to whirl around and glare at her.

“Brandon's accidental masterpiece? What do you mean?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Heh,heh,heh, who would have thought that seeing those close to you die before your eyes and being forced to kill a filly would have the same effect as the methods I was taught to pass down to my apprentice.” The killer replied seemingly ignoring Twilight's question.

“Wait, Applebloom never had an apprentice! You're also much older than a filly by the looks of you!” Twilight exclaimed in remark to having taken in the killer's appearance now.

“You're right, she didn't. But nopony said that Brandon didn't have more than one apprentice.” The killer replied with a wide smirk.

“Wait, you mean there are more out there? Not just Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?!” Twilight exclaimed in shock.

“Who knows, but if there's one thing I do know, it is this; the game must continue.” The killer replied as they put emphasis on the last part of their sentence.

“I've said it once, and I’ll say it again! I don't give a buck about your game!” Twilight exclaimed in a pissed off tone.

“You don't have any choice. Nor does Scootaloo, Nurse Redheart, Erick, or Ditzy Doo, for that matter.” The killer replied .

“DON'T YOU LAY A HOOF ON THEM!” Twilight roared as she lunged at them only to hit the ground as the killer disappeared in a flash of magic.

Time is ticking Twilight, the game continues. How many more must die before you figure out who it is this time?

The voice echoed at which point Twilight looked towards town fearfully and cursed herself for allowing herself to feel again, while at the same time found herself feeling a all too familiar feeling, once she hadn't felt in ten years.

Fear for a friend's life...

With one last glance at the Carrottops farm, the purple mare darted off towards town and to the library in hopes she would find them there before the killer did. She head no idea how she would cope with it this time if somepony died again that she was close to, but she wasn't going to let that happen again if she could help it!

Meanwhile on the other side of Ponyville two hours before, Ditzy Doo, Trixie, Nurse Redheart, and Erick sat in Twilight's library debating on where to go from here...

“I can't believe she's gone...” Scootaloo remarked aloud in a saddened tone.

“It's a painful loss for all of us, but the Twilight we all knew is no more.” Nurse Redheart remarked aloud with a sigh.

“Speak for yourself, I only helped you because the Carrottops back-stabbed me.” Trixie remarked in a cocky tone.

“Sure you did, and you risked your neck or us just because of some petty revenge? Get a grip on your ego Trixie, what's the real reason?” Erick asked with a glare at the blue unicorn.

“Alright, let me start from the beginning.” Trixie replied with a depressed sigh.

FLASHBACK

“You were careless Trixie.” Mr. Carrottop said with a glare.

“I did not ask them to save the great and powerful Trixie's life! I only returned the favor. Repaying a debt if you will.” Trixie replied defensively.

“We're through Trixie. You were given strict orders that if Twilight showed her face again to contact us. You disobeyed.” Mr. Carrottop replied turned and began to walk out the door only to turn and look at her.

“If I were you, I would sleep with one eye open tonight.” The Green stallion remarked with a smirk before he left the room.

END FLASHBACK

“What the hay does that have to do with anything?” Scootaloo asked in an annoyed tone as she glared at the blue unicorn.

“The Carrottops provide protection from the killer as long as we give them a cut of the profits, what this protection is, I do not know, all anypony knows who works for the Carrottops is that they won't be targeted next by the killer.” Trixie replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Hold the reigns a second! You were never told what kind of protection you get?” Erick asked in a curious tone.

“Didn't I just say that?” Trixie replied in an annoyed tone.

“Do you think that the Carrottops have something to do with the murders?” Scootaloo asked curiously as she looked at the stallion whom looked deep in thought.

“Possibly, it seems as though Twilight's suspicions of the Carrottops were correct however.” Erick remarked aloud thoughtfully.

“So our next plan of action is to sneak into the Carrottops place and get information out of them!” Scootaloo exclaimed enthusiastic which was met with a sarcastic laugh from the blue unicorn.

“Good luck with that! That place is locked down tighter than Princess Celestia's castle!” Trixie remarked aloud with a rolling of her eyes gesture.

“Then all we need is a distraction.” Ericka replied at which point everypony stared at Trixie who suddenly became nervous.

“W-Why are you all staring at me for?” Trixie asked in a nervous tone.

Twilight arrived at her house merely an hour later, the moon still hung high in the sky and the purple mare knew she still had several hours left before she needed to lay low, she could only hope that the others were here as she opened the door slowly and cautiously.

“Scootaloo, Redheart, Erick, Ditzy, Trixie?” Twilight called out in a audible whisper.

No response.

“Blast it! They must have left here thinking this would be the first place the police would look.” Twilight thought to herself as she looked around for any sign of them.

“Maybe they went to the basement to hide.” Twilight thought to herself hopefully as she walked over to the floor, pulled the door open with her mouth, and walked down the stairs.

“Anypony here?” Twilight called out into the basement a little louder this time.

Just then as the purple mare waited for a possible reply from her friends, a light flashed by the window of her library causing Twilight to look up and realized immediately that it was magic light projected by unicorns. Fearing it was police ponies looking for her or the others, the purple mare dove into the basement and quickly closed the door behind her causing darkness to envelope the mare's eyesight as she carefully stepped down the stairs to her basement.
In the past Twilight would have grabbed a box of matches she had in her room prior to coming down her before Applebloom began her killing spree, but in her haste to avoid being seen, she had been unable to go to her room and grab them. Lucky for her however she kept a spare set of matches down here in case her candle went out while she studied. She could only hope the years had been kind to them and they would light at all.

Twilight carefully lifted her right front hoof out and found her desk in the darkness, well the hard part was over, now she had to open the box and prey to Celestia that at least one of the matches would light the candle on her desk. As luck would have it, she found the box with ease, opened it and struck one of the matches a crossed the floor as she always did.

Nothing.

The purple mare flicked the match a crossed the floor once again.

Still nothing.

“Horseapples...” Twilight cursed aloud in annoyance as she tossed the dud of a match to the floor, took another one out and flicked it a crossed the floor.

Once again, nothing.

“Oh give me a bucking break here!” Twilight exclaimed aloud in frustration as she tossed yet another dud to the floor, picked another match out of the box and flicked it a crossed the floor.

Another dud.

“Horseappling, mule, of a bucking matchbox!” Twilight exclaimed aloud in frustration as she tossed the fifth dud from the box now to the ground. She was starting to run low on matches and if one didn't light she would be stuck in the dark until she risked looking out of her basement door to see if it was safe to leave it.

Four more duds later the purple mare was down to her last match. “Oh, please light!” Twilight exclaimed in a pleading tone at the match as if she was talking to it and then proceeded to flick it a crossed the floor.

Nothing.

“Horseapples!” Twilight exclaimed and was able to throw the match to the ground when a particular scent hit her nose.

It was sulfur.

“Alright, one more time...” Twilight said aloud and held her breath as she flicked the match a crossed the floor once more.

Much to the purple mare's delight, the match burst to life in a bright red and orange flame which she quickly put to her candle's wick causing it to catch fire and burn brightly.

With the basement room now lit up, Twilight was able to clearly see her basement. At first glance she could tell right away the years hadn't been kind to it. Dust was caked onto the book shelves, some of the books looked as if the natural moisture in the room had warped or damaged them, and the floor was covered in what looked to be moss, dirt, and possibly grass.

“Home, sweet home.” Twilight remarked aloud followed by a depressed sigh as she walked over to a bookshelf to give a closer examination of her books. Just as she approached the bookshelf however she caught sight of something on the floor.

Curiously, she walked over to get a closer look and stopped dead in her tracks upon realization of what it was.

Twilight and the others rushed down the stairs only to come to a screeching halt at the side of Pinkie Pie in a puddle of her own blood.
“Nooooooooooooooo!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs running over to Pinkie Pie and holding her tightly as she sobbed rocking back and forth.
Richard looked at pinkie Pie then to the hood which held the voice distorter then to the open window then to Twilight. “Twilight, we have to hurry! The killer is on the run and she doesn't have her robes to conceal her identity anymore! This may be our chance to find out who the killer is!” Richard exclaimed as he attempted to pull Twilight away from Pinkie Pie's corpse.

The stains from her fallen friend's blood had endured the years though it was clear by the looks of it that the medical ponies must have did a poor job of cleaning up the pool of blood her friend had left behind. The purple mare felt something warm trickling down her cheeks and put a hoof to her right cheek.

It was tears.

She hadn't even realized that she had even begun to cry. However she was soon in full blown sobs. “I'm so sorry Pinkie...If only I had stopped you.” Twilight said aloud between sobs as she knelt down in front of where her friend was murdered.

Twilight...

A hallow voice snapped the purple mare from her sobs and caused her to look around. She had heard this voice once before. “Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked aloud. She knew she was diagnosed clinically insane, but this was boarding on down right “coo-coo clock insane” in her book as she looked around for the source of the voice.

Her eyes fell upon a bookshelf and blinked twice in disbelief.

“Hello Twilight.” Pinkie Pie said with a warm smile as she stared back.

“You can't be real. I must be really going off the deep end again.” Twilight remarked aloud as she closed her eyes, shook her head violently, and opened them again only for the figure to be still there. “Yep, it's official, I’ve gone off the deep end.” Twilight remarked aloud dismally closing her eyes once again with a facehoofing gesture then looked in front of herself again.

Pinkie Pie was gone, however in her place lay a small doll. Twilight recognized this doll right away.

“Smarty pants...” Twilight remarked aloud thoughtfully as she walked over, sat down, lifted up the doll, and hugged it tightly.

Aside from her brother, this doll was the closest thing to her a friend she had before she had met her now deceased friends in Ponyville. “You were my first friend I ever had.” Twilight remarked aloud thoughtfully, snapped her eyes open in shock, and gasped.

The purple mare stared at the doll. “Friend.” Twilight said aloud to the doll and went wide-eyed at the fact she had successfully said the word. “But, how?” Twilight asked herself aloud as she stared at the doll.

She didn't know how or why. But as she looked at the doll she could feel a warm magic emitting from it. This magic was soothing and calming. Just maybe this doll was the cure to her insanity...

Maybe...

As the purple mare cautiously walked back up the stairs with smarty pants in a moldy saddle pack she found, a pink poofy maned pony could be seen unknown to Twilight staring and smiling at her as she opened the basement door and closed it behind her.

“Okay Trixie, you go to your house and get supplies and we'll wait here.” Scootaloo said as Trixie nodded in annoyance.

She had been roped into putting on a show for the ponies. She could only hope the security the Carrottops had didn't know she was responsible for the break out. If they did, she would be arrested on sight, but it would at least buy the others time to sneak in. She didn't like this idea at all but on the bright side she thought that at least in jail she wouldn't be targeted by the killer so she went along with it.

Plus, she owed it to Twilight to do this, it was her fault after all that Twilight had been locked up, she set her off on purpose. While the show mare wouldn't admit it outright, ever since her performance in Ponyville that went sour all those years ago, she felt a fondness for Twilight for helping her see the error of her ways along with a sense of jealously of her skill in magic.

Trixie quickly sneaked into her house and looked around, empty as it had been ever since she had been shutdown by the Carrottops. The blue unicorn quickly went to her personal bedroom, pulled a footlocker from under her bed, and opened it with her magic. Trixie lifted up a cope and hat from the footlocker with her magic and stared at it thoughtfully.

“One last show...” Trixie thought to herself with a smile only for a rattling to make her whirl around and look into the darkness of her room.

“Is anypony there?” Trixie asked aloud curiously though she knew better than that. Somepony was in here with her and she had a feeling she knew who as a shadow darted past the doorway in outside of her room.

“Coming after me already are we? Well, then show yourself and face the great and powerful Trixie!” Trixie exclaimed as she looked about herself nervously.

No response.

“So you are a coward then? Afraid to show your face to the great and powerful Trixie?!” The blue unicorn exclaimed as she looked around herself trying to keep a brave face though in reality, she was terrified for her life at the moment.

Let's play a game Trixie...

A voice echoed throughout the room which made it impossible to know where it was coming from. “What kind of game?” Trixie replied though her voice quivered slightly as she spoke despite keeping a brave face.

If you can make it out of your house alive, I’ll let you live...

The voice echoed once again at which point Trixie's house seemed to burst to life as wood creaked and splintered followed by twisting and contorting to odd shapes. Soon the blur unicorn realized just what was happening, the killer was altering her house by magic.

Her doorway was soon reduced to a small hole which she could barely crawl through.

Let the game begin...

The voice echoed followed by an eerie chuckle.

“Have you forgotten who I am? I am the great and powerful Trixie!” The blue unicorn boasted bravely as she walked up to the small hole. “Now I wish had paid attention in magic middle school when they were teaching basic teleportation spells.” Trixie thought to herself dismally as she got down to her belly and began to squeeze her head through the hole.

Just as Trixie had gotten her head through the hole however, a sharp jet of pain coursed through her body and moments later her horn toppled off her nose and in front of her face followed by fresh blood that trickled down her head now much to her horror.

“Dear, Luna! My horn! You sick and twisted bucking mule!” Trixie exclaimed in horror and rage as she yanked her head back through the hole back into her room and held her bleeding stump of a horn with her hooves as she sobbed loudly in pain.

What's wrong Trixie? Don't you like my game?

“Quit bucking around with me and just kill me already if you're going to do it!” Trixie exclaimed between sobs.

That wouldn't be fair of me now would it? I'm giving you a sporting chance to escape alive. However, I never said anything about unharmed...

The voice echoed once again followed by another eerie chuckle.

A few tense moments passed as Trixie continued to sob due to the to searing pain from having her horn chopped off. However, the unicorn knew that if she wanted to make it out alive she had to suck it up and push on.

What's wrong Trixie? Feeling vulnerable without your precious horn?

The voice echoed in a jeering tone.

“Humph! I'd hate to disappoint you, but magic has never been my strong point! So the only pain I am enduring here is physical.” Trixie retorted attempting to put on her brave face again. She wasn't about to let this psychopath have the satisfaction of messing with her head. Her retort was true however, she never was skilled at magic.

But she did have one particular skill set. And if the killer was going to try and mess with her head, she may as well do so right back! After all, she had managed to get under everypony's skin many years ago with ease, what makes this pony any different?

Lets see how brave you are by the time the game is over...

The voice echoed once again to which the blue mare scoffed loudly. “Heh, You call yourself a killer? You had to trap me in order to even bring harm to the great and powerful Trixie! You wouldn't dare face me head on because you know you are no match for the great and powerful Trixie!” Trixie exclaimed with the best sneer she could put on her face at the moment as she walked towards the doorway, turned about face, and bucked it several times, eventually making the hole large enough to walk through.

You always did talk big, but you never were a pony to follow through. Yes Trixie, I know who you are very well. I saw your performance those many years ago. I saw how you allowed your bragging to get the better of you. And when faced with the Ursa-minor, you ran like a coward. So brag all you want, your words are as hallow as the brave face you have put on which I can see through...

The voice echoed throughout the house now as Trixie walked down her hall. “You say you saw my performance? Then you have stayed in Ponyville for a long time then?” Trixie replied as she found herself staring at what looked to be a blockade that she would have to climb over. She was trying to get as much information as possible so she could pass it along to Scootaloo and the others.

No response.

The sudden silence was unsettling to the blue mare, it made her feel as if the killer was watching her and waiting for the right time to strike. “Why don't you respond? Or have you lost your nerve?” Trixie replied in a jeering tone as she wiped blood from her eyes and began to climb the blockade. Her horn was still bleeding and she was starting to feel light headed at which point she shook her head violently in an attempt to whisk away the light headed feeling and regain her focus.

A unicorn's horn was a vital spot on their body and even Trixie knew the bleeding wouldn't stop without medical help. Despite this knowledge she hadn't bothered to attempt to at least bandage the bleeding stump of a horn while she was in her room due to fear of the killer attempting to just outright kill her if she stalled for too long. “So you have lost your nerve then. Ha, the great and powerful Trixie Preva-!” Trixie began to say only to be cut off by searing point jolting through her hind legs as she felt them slashed wide open which nearly caused her to fall backwards off the barricade and cry out in pain as fresh sobs of agony and pain escaped the mare's mouth now, but she endured, with all the strength she had left in her front legs, she pulled herself over the barricade, tumbled down the other side, and gave yet another cry of pain as her side hit a jagged piece of wood effective stabbing her as she tumbled down the barricade.

The blue mare's eyesight was becoming blurred now but she could see it, the front door standing wide open. Trixie whined, whimpered, and sobbed quietly to herself as she used her front legs to drag the rest of her body towards the front door leaving a streak of blood in her wake from her hind legs which were bleeding profusely at the moment. “I...won't...die...here!” Trixie exclaimed in a defiant tone as she grew closer and closer to her front door.

You're nearly there Trixie, but can you make it?

The voice echoed followed by a hysterical laugh.

“Stuff it down your tail hole, you bucking sick mule!” Trixie roared the best she could despite her vision blurring completely now making it nearly impossible to see anything clearly.

That wasn't very nice...

The voice echoed at which point Trixie could hear a door slamming in front of her. She could only assume it was the front door. Much to her horror she was right as her right front hoof touched something solid. The blue mare's strength was draining out of her now and she was desperately clinging to consciousness. With all the strength she had left, she pulled her body to the door, reached up, and began to turn the doorknob.

Just as the door swung open fresh pain surged through the mare's body as she felt her front legs slashed wide open causing her to scream out in agony. Despite the pain, despite the fact that any moment she was going to pass out, she dragged herself through the door frame and into her front yard at which point the last of her strength waned and she could move no more.

Though her vision was fading in and out now, she could see the silhouette of a figure standing in front of her now.
“Congratulations Trixie, you made it out alive. I'll let you live. That is, what little life you have left to live. Heh, heh...” The killer said in a jeering tone and walked away leaving Trixie alone.

“H-help me...” Trixie attempted to scream out, but the most she could muster was a feeble horse whisper.

It was now, as she lay on the verge of death, the horrifying truth hit her.

The killer never intended to let her live, he had given her false hope, made her think she had a way out. He had played her like a fiddle and the worst part of it was, this was probably the killer's intention all along. He counted on her realizing this just before she died from blood loss.

Trixie's breathing now began to slow as her vision faded completely. “So this is it? I guess I won't be able to put on one last show after all...” was the last thought that crossed the blue mare's mind before her breathing came to a halt and she knew no more as blood poured from her body and pooled under her...