Orchestra of Death

I hadn't noticed it, but the sun was setting when I was hanging from the branch. Braeburn and I were sitting in front of the campfire that he had set up using Branchy the Reliable. He was drinking from a canteen and I was roasting a marshmallow with a twig. When he was done, Braeburn let out a content sigh. He looked at the drink in his hooves then turned to me.

"Thirsty?" Despite all the marshmallows I had eaten, I was still kinda peckish. Though a drink should help that.

"Sure." He tossed me the canteen and I took a large swig. The taste of apples flooded my brain and by George it was delicious. I smacked my lips together savoring the flavor while giving an approving nod. "That's some good stuff." Braeburn grinned and stuck his chest out in pride.

"'Course it is. That there is Apple family cider. The best cider there is."

"I'll take your word on it." I leaned back while tending to my mallow, pulling the flaming ball of goo from the fire. I puff of air and it was ready to eat. Braeburn looked up at the moon and got up to stretch.

"You can head on ta bed, I need ta keep watch."

"Watch? For what?" Braeburn turned to me and furrowed his brow.

"Some Bandits have been terrorizin' Appleloosa lately and ponies have been disappearin' from town every time they show up. They certainly are a weird lookin' bunch I'll tell ya that. I would of just left this ta Sheriff Silverstar and his deputes but they were some of the first ta vanish. I was dubbed sheriff until we find him. So far, I've tracked them to this here cave, but I can't seem ta catch any of 'em." I was shocked to say the least. But a thought came to mind. I had learned of the general knowledge of the ponies from the entry into Equestria. I decided to ask about the Bandits to see if I could find an anomaly that would point to anything supernatural.

"What exactly do the Bandits look like?" Braeburn sat tapping his chin for a moment.

"Well... They all had the same colors. White an' green... They all had these glowin' eyes too." To emphasize his point he went wide eye'd and wiggled his hooves next to his face.

"They could have died there colors, and the glowing eyes could be magic."

"That's what Ah thought, but that's not the weirdest part..." He shuttered as he remembered the image. "...They ALL had the same cutie mark. A single, colorless eye."

Now that was just not natural. Identical cutie marks was completely impossible. Something was going on and I was pretty sure whatever Death sent me after was behind this.

'The 'Bandits' are probably possessed ponies... note to self, use non-lethal attacks.......Do these things have a non-lethal function?'

I realised that taking Braeburn with me would be putting his life at risk, But with his position as the law man (temporary or not) I couldn't ask him to stay behind.

"Hey Braeburn? Mind if I help you with this?" Breaburn was taken aback before he started grinning.

"Yer willin' ta help a total stranger?" I just rolled my shoulder and cracked my neck.

"Well you did save my life so it's the least I can do." Braeburn laughed and tipped his hat back.

"Now aint that something! I've been needin' some help ever sense my posse vanished yesterday. Welcome aboard partner." With that we shook hand and hoof. We talked about what he knew about the bandits and what they did. Apparently they had a color system for all the hideouts they had occupied. Braeburn wouldn't tell so I headed into dreamland while he kept watch.

When the sun rose I yawned and stretched my tired arms. I took a look around and saw that Braeburn had fallen asleep on the log across from me. I decided that he needed some sleep after staying up longer than myself. I glanced at the cave, A crazy idea running through my head. I walked into the cave and found a fork in the path.

Well now what? I noticed during my pondering that there was a white rock lying on the ground in the middle of the right path, and a unnaturally black one in the left. I could go on without Braeburn or head back and grab the cowpony. Going back for Braeburn was the better option to keeping his trust. I got about half way back when I saw Braeburn walking into the cave.

'Crap, now I got to explain why I left.'

"Hey Braeburn! Sorry for bailing earli-" Breaburn ran past me in a blur screaming his head off.

"RUUUUUN!" I looked back towards the entrance and saw a mob green ponies headed straight for us.

I couldn't agree with Breaburn more.

James Vs. Possessed Bandits
Rebel 1, Action!

James vs. Possessed (Theme)

We ran like the devil was at our heels. The fork in the road came up and I was about to panic or do something stupid. "WHAT PATH DO WE TAKE!?"

"HEAD FOR THE WHITE PATH! THE BANDITS ALWAYS MARKED THE SAFE PATHS WHITE!" Braeburn turned right and headed into the path, only to stop when he realized I didn't follow him. "What are ya doin'!"

Turns out it was something stupid.

"Keep going, I'll hold them off! Mark the paths you take at every fork! Hurry!" He was about to protest when I pulled my weapons out. "WRAITH WEAPON ACTIVATE! NON-LETHAL!" A light show later I was sporting a pair of high tech stun dart launchers connected to my arms by a single tendril each and Braeburn had run on ahead. The possessed ponies were about 50-35 feet from me when they stopped their charge. I glared them down before flipping them the bird.

"BRING IT BITCHES!" Three of the possessed accepted my challenge and ran forward. I shot the two on the sides and pistol whipped the third, electrocuting him on contact. "Huh, looks like these do have some close combat capabilities. Heh-oh Shit!" Apparently the possessed didn't like my alliteration cause another six ponies had started to advance forcing me to flee. As I ran the possessed followed closely. about five got close enough to grab my legs and slow me down. They got smack-shocked hard in return.

Most of the time I was shooting behind me blindly. I managing to hit some every now and then, but most of my shots ricocheted off the walls, missing completely. I kept following the marks that Braeburn had left and caught up to him and oh how I wish I hadn't.

We were standing in the middle of a massive intersection. There were tunnels leading every which way. Every one of them had a stone on them, but none of them were white. For once in my life I wasn't panicking, Braeburn was. "Darn it. Where the hay do we go from here?" I looked back at the tunnel and saw the possessed had caught up.

"Braeburn! I hope your ready for a fight!" A pony jumped on my back before I elbowed him off and shot him in the crotch. "Cause a real big one just followed me here!" A pony tried to do the same trick to Braeburn, but he bucked the Bandit in the gut before pulling out his lasso and hogtying the unconscious pony.

"Alright then, ya'll are under arrest!"

The combined assault of the possessed was no match for us. They fell like flies as I shot, pistol whipped, and kicked while Braeburn bucked and lassoed. Every time one of us would get overwhelmed (mostly Braeburn) the other would takeout the extras. By the time we were done, not a single one was left standing.

"Aw yeah! We Rock!" I started dancing a little victory gig just cause I could, but Braeburn had to burst my happy bubble.

"We're not finished yet partner." awwwww. "I need yer help tyin' up these varmits." oh, okay. When Braeburn and I had finished hogtying them, one of the Bandits started to glow with a purplish light. And by purplish, I mean it was almost black and had a violet sheen to it.

"Uhhhh..... Braeburn?" He turned to look at me from tying a final knot on the last bandit.

"Yeah?" I pointed to the now hovering pony.

"Are ponies supposed to do that?" Braeburn looked to where I was pointing and went wide eyed.

"Nnnope"

The unconscious bandit soon fell out of the aura and a entirely different pony fell out. No longer was she green but was orange with a brown mane. The aura was growing as it removed more from the other bandits turning them back to normal. Once the aura was finished collecting itself, it shot into one of the caves and disappeared. One of the ponies was waking up noticed us while grabbing his crotch.

or at least attempting to, despite the bindings he was in.

"Braeburn, Why the hay am I tied up? And who bucked me below the belt." Braeburn was slack-jawed for a while before he was able to talk any further.

"SHERIFF!?" I did a double take looking back between the Sheriff and Braeburn.

"Wait. HE'S the Sheriff?" Braeburn nodded.

"The one that went missing?" Another nod.

I went over to the sheriff and untied him, only for him to buck me in the crotch, 'I did kinda deserve it.' He was confused, in pain, but most importantly PISSED. It took a while but we managed to calm him down and not kill me or my children. Although that does raise an big question.... 'can wraiths have kids? Schme. I'll ask Death later. Braeburn's done calming Sheriff Silverstar down.'

"So yer sayin' that some sorta magic made the first group ah Bandits, and then said Bandits were kidnappin' the towns folk in order ta make more?"

"That's pretty much what all I've found points to. Especially after seein' it happen right in front of my eyes." I looked around the cave taking note of all the ponies covering at the sight of me, before tapping him on the shoulder. I pointed over to the crowd and he facehoofed. which in all honesty is kinda funny to watch. "Don't Worry Ya'll! He's friendly!" Most of the ponies were still nervous but had started to come up to me after they were untied. One in particular surprised me.

"Excuse me, mister?" I looked down and saw a colt, not even half the size of the other ponies. "What are you?" I normally would have been offended but he was just a kid, and kids have a tendency to be rude without knowing it. Like that one time an eight year old called me the 'nicest weirdo ever!' after saving his cat from a tree by face planting into the ground.

"Well I'm a human." The little guy's eyes went wide with wonder as a smile spread across his mussle.

"Are you the one who saved us from those mean ponies Mr. Human?" I smiled and knelt down to rub his head.

"Yep, but don't give me all the credit kiddo. Braeburn helped too. Now..." I stood up and looked to every pony in the room. I hadn't noticed but they all had been listening to our conversation intently. "...let's get everyone home." Cheers rang out from the ponies. I even saw a few hats getting tossed into the air. As I was leaving I noticed a certain cloaked figure standing at one of the caves entrances. I pulled Braeburn aside for a moment.

"You go on ahead. There's... something I need to take care of." he was confused for a moment, but saw some ponies headed the wrong way.

"Alright, just hurry on out once yer done." Braeburn rounded up the stragglers and soon every pony had left the room. I turned to Death as he entered the center of the room. He wore the same neutral expression with a slightly agitated look.

"Your mission is still unfinished."

I scoffed "Figured as much, guessing you want me to go after that aura?"

"That would be the general idea. That 'aura' is a possesser. It was your target and needs to be delt with soon James." I sighed. It figured that my new boss would do this.

"I'll get to that after I get these civilians back home. They're innocent and need to be helped." Death glared at me and raised his scythe to my trout.

"Devouring that soul is your Top Priority. You better have it done soon or I'll take it's soul and your's myself." With that death left once again.

Shit. What have I gotten myself into?

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