Chapter 5 - Trix up the sleeves

'I said; Don't do it!' Brush yells to the mare, who keeps checking on their supplies, rather than staying close to the campfire.

With a lil jump of surprise, the mare quickly leaves the things and hurries back to the campfire, which serves as their only source of heat.

High in the mountains, many miles north of Ponyville and Canterlot, where the air is cold that the clouds rain snow down with no end on the unlucky souls that reside here; a group of ponies residing at a small camp. Even if it's the middle of the day, the sun barely gets the chance to shine through the stormy clouds, making the daytime extremely depressing.

The ponies seek warmth in their robes, shivering at a campfire that barely remains on.

'Luna, are you doing alright?' Brush asks the tired mare, who remains asleep with her eyes closed. She can't hear the stallion over the howling wind.

'LUNA!' Brush yells.

'Eh? Ah, yes. I'm feeling well...,' Luna mumbles as she finds comfort in her grey cloak.

She suffers as much from the cold as the rest, being treated more like a team member than of royalty now. But she was smart enough to bring one specific tool with her: A big comfy pillow to lie on, rather than the cold rocky ground.

Brush sneezes over the cold, making him feel sickly. 'Are you certain? You always have to return to Canterlot before night starts, and during the day you fly back here to help find the place, which you would normally use to sleep," he tells.

Luna nods sleepy at him, grateful for his concern. "-yawn- I'll be alright, truly...," she sighs, slowly dozing away on her warmed pillow again.

Brush remains unmoved, not even showing a smile to the good news. They've been searching for months now for signs of Lady Fame's crystal, checking through the entire northern region with the senses of the stallion's memory. But every day; it feels like they're getting closer and closer.

'I can sense the artifact...,' he whispers as he takes a deep breath of cold air. 'It's only a couple of mountains away now. Finally..., We will be able to put our history of Night Mare Moon, Ignis, and Fame behind us...,' he believes.

Luna smiles, glad that all errors will be corrected as well as possible, in the course of time.

'Let us not forget who to thank for bringing us here,' Luna reminds him.

Brush nods to her words. 'Yea, this HAS to be the place where we can find Fame. If it we wouldn't have met you, weeks ago, we would still be searching for directions. Thanks for bringing us," he thanks the blue mare next to the fire.

She giggles gladly. 'It's my pleasure. Everything I can do to help Equestria and the royal princesses is my honor. I'm just happy that I'm allowed to be a part in your noble quest.'

'Truly, your magic surpasses that of mine. Everything would've taken way longer if it weren't for you,' Brush praises back at the mare.

The guide smiles from his compliment. 'Well, that's what you get when you travel around from town to town to advance your skills in magic,' she explains. 'And aimlessly wandering around the frozen north also helps...'

'Yea. You had a magic show, right? You've told me about it sometimes,' Brush recalls.

'Ah yes, that was a while ago. But then my house got wrecked by an... accident,' she grunts, still bitter about the past behind it.

Brush feels a little awkward, bringing up such an unfortunate event. The conversations are basically the only thing that keeps them awake in this storm, so he feels like they have to keep the conversation rolling. It's basically the only moment of the day that the red stallion doesn't sound a little hostile to them, considering his devotion to strict leadership.

'Well, it's good that we crossed paths,' he admits again.

The mare chuckles along with Princess Luna, both amused about how Brush manages to repeat himself multiple times while he tries to keep a straight face. She pulls her large, stars-decorated, blue wizard hat, further over her white mane, feeling the chill moving over her skin.

'No thanks needed. I always have my tricks up my sleeves,' she tells with pride, shaking the snow from her shimmering cape. 'You need help: You get it free of charge!'

'From the Humble and Helpful Trixie!'

***

After a few hours, the storm was slowly subsiding. Aside from snowflakes slowly falling from the sky, the weather is perfect to continue their trip.

Brush stands from the spot he stayed unmoving, and shakes the snow off that gathered on his back. So do Princess Luna and Trixie, when they notice that it's time to move on. The start to pack their bags, which they carry on their sides. With their magic, it's easy to perfectly fit their things in there. Which is especially required for Luna to get her cushion as small as possible.

'Are you girls ready?' he asks for confirmation. When they all nod, Brush turns around to follow further up the mountain path behind the camp, with him walking on front.

Trixie moves to the stallion's side. 'Are you sure, Brush?' Trixie asks him. 'You haven't slept all night. Aren't you tired?'

'No, I'm not,' he grunts a little grumpy, without looking at her.

'Yea, right...,' Trixie responds sarcastic. 'You have bags under your eyes! You're going to give yourself a heartattack if you don't rest when you can in this constant storm!'

'I SAID I'm fine, thank you very much...,' he grunts again, growing a little more aggrevated from Trixie's best intentions.

'I don't understand one thing about you, Brush,' Trixie tells. 'How do you managed to remain so calm and... distant? You still haven't told me before. I know you were mentally scarred by you-kno-who, but that wasn't it...'

The stallion first sighs in response, sounding unamused to the mare's subject of conversation. 'By losing every bit of dignity that you have left inside your head, Trixie...,' he tells her. 'By losing ever bit of dignity that you have left...'

Trixie drops the subject quickly, noticing how it the red unicorns reacts to it.

'There's one thing I have wondered ever since we met, up till this very moment about YOU, actually,' he suddenly tells.

Trixie looks back at him, wondering what he could possibly be talking about.

'How in Celestia's name do you manage to not getting frozen, while all you wear is a fancy cape and a hat from your show?' he asks, unable for Trixie to figure whether he asks it seriously, or as a joke.

'Hehe,' the mare chuckles. 'Well, a true artist never abandons that which she adores most! In my opinion; It's my hat and my cape,' she explains with a compassion for her gear. 'I warm myself with good memories and dreams of a bright future for me.'

Luna can't help but giggle in herself a bit, finding it amusing to see Trixie cling to her possessions like that. Brush, on the contrary, only shrugs and accepts the answer as "valid".

'A true artist clings on that which he adores most?' he repeats Trixie's words. 'I guess

I never was a real artist then...'

'-Tsk-,' Trixie denies snappy. 'You're being too hard on yourself again, Brush! Ease up! You're a great friend, leader, and survivalist! Not to mention that this entire journey is based on doing the best thing for Equestria! Some would call you a hero!'

The fact that Brush doesn't grunt in response, already tells Trixie that Brush appreciates her pep-talk. 'Thanks Trixie. You've been kind this entire trip, despite my... behaviour. You... you kind of remind me of Twilight Sparkle...,' he mumbles.

'Nay,' Trixie dissagrees. 'I'm not anything like her.'

When the silence starts to push in their conversation, the mare knows that their chance for chatter has passed for now. She slows down, to the point that she can walk next to Princess Luna.

'I honestly never would've expected to hear something like that from Brush, Trixie,' Luna whispers to her.

'Why's that?' Trixie whispers back at her.

'Because Brush' friendship with Twilight Sparkle is the real reason why he would risk his life, is what I believe,' Luna tells her. 'You must've really touched his heart these past months, if he's giving you a compliment like THAT.'

The blue mare smiles, feeling complimented somehow, even though she hasn't received it officially as a compliment. It means much to her to know that she is important to somepony else. 'I thought so,' she whispers.

'So, how are you feeling, princess?' Trixie asks the alicorn mare, changing the subject to regular mare chatter.

Luna smiles at her, always glad to speak to the fellow mare on this journey. 'Not much different than always, Trixie. How about you?'

'Oh, still in one piece,' she tells with a smile.

The past months, Trixie and Luna have become friends during their travels. Without the population around them, or royal regulations in use, the two mares have discovered that they are alike in several ways.

Chatter is the only thing that can keep their minds off the cold. So if they aren't discussing with Spectrum Brush about the next steps of the day, they're chatting with each other. Brush doesn't mind; considering he is the only one neccesary to look out for potential dangers that could lurk around every frozen corner.

***

'Halt,' Brush suddenly interupts the mares' conversation, stopping their walk before a gap between mountains, atleast half a mile wide.

The only thing that connects the two peaks is a long frozen bridge of pure ice, being only as thick as four pony lengths.

They understand what is going to happen; Brush will tell them to cross it, after he checked whether it's safe.

'I'll cross it first,' he tells them indeed. 'If it's safe, follow me.'

He pokes the ice first, which is followed by a loud creaking sound that echoes between the two mountains. When the creaking stops, Brush waits a minute longer and then starts to walk onto the ice.

'I'll fly on ahead,' the alicorn mare suggests, stretching her wings and takes off.

Effortlessly crossing the ravine, Princess Luna looks down into the abysss below her. She feels a little nervous about the two unicorns who are forced to take an ice bridge to the test. Aside from the fact that the bridge has never been used before, there's also the lingering danger of slipping over the smooth ice and fall down to their doom. But when she notices how Spectrum Brush moves over it, without any sign of fear, she feels a little more satisfied with the risk.

'Trixie, are you coming yet?' Brush asks, noticing how Trixie continues to wait at the begin of the bridge.

'Just... gimme a moment,' Trixie mumbles, clearly frightful of the natural bridge that she is forced to cross. When Spectrum Brush is already halfway the bridge, she decides that she should be able to go as well. After all; she's lighter than the stallion. So, with little hoofsteps, she dares to cross slowly.

Brush continues bravely, believing that the bridge is strong enough to hold him without a doubt. When he's about to reach the end, Luna begins to fly next to him.

'Close one...,' the princess sighs in relief.

Brush raises an eyebrow in response to the princess' words. 'What do you mean? That bridge was perfectly fine.'

'Yea, turns out it was. But when i noticed those little cracks on sides, I got a little scared,' Luna laughs.

Brush halts just when he has reached the other side. 'Wait... Did you say cracks?'

Both hearing a creepy cracking sound, growing in volume by the seconds that tick away, they don't hesitate to turn to the Trixie, who still moves slowly over the icy walkway.

'Trixie! Get off of there! NOW!' They both yell at her.

Before Trixie could respond to their sudden outburst, she is startled by the collapsing sound of ice that occurs a couple of feet behind her. When she looks to see; she realizes that the entire bridge is falling apart, about to fall down with her still on it!

Rushing for her life, the mare tries to remain ahead of the crumbling ice. Her lungs are filled with ice cold air, breathing in and out rapidly as she hurries with all her might. But the cracks keep up with her, slowly closing in on the hooves of her. As she draws closer to the princess and the stallion, the noise becomes louder and louder in her ears.

'AAH! HELP ME!' Trixie yelps in fear for her life. She can feel how the floor beneath her is crumbling faster than she can gallop, causing her to slip. With a final attempt for a leap, she manages to hold onto the ledge of the broken bridge, only inches away from falling into a deep ravine below her. Her hat is blown off by the wind, dropping down the great distance beneath her.

'Trixie!' Luna and Brush both gasp, rushing to the mare's aid.

The two ponies grab onto Trixie's hoofs, preventing her from slipping away. 'At two!' Brush commands the princess. 'ONE, TWO!' they count, followed by pulling Trixie up with all the strength they possess.

With a powerful pull, the blue unicorn is thrown over the ledge, crashing on top Brush. Still fearing for her life, Trixie holds onto Brush without any intention of letting go. He's a little surprised about Trixie's action, unknowing how to handle now with a mare squeezing him in a hug.

'P-Pull yourself together, Trixie,' he tells her.

The mare still shudders from fear, clamping onto the stallion for comfort. Brush can't do much but simply wait until the mare calms down from the scare.

'This is going too far..., Luna grunts  when she pulls herself up from the snow. 'We've been searching for months now... We've crossed miles over these frozen mountains for so long! Isn't the crystal already safe; Being stuck in a place where nopony would dare to come?'

Brush shakes his head at her. 'Trixie was her before us, remember? If a mare like her manages to stay here, it means more ponies can. And if only ONE pony already manages to get this far, it means that Fame's crystal could be discovered... No, we MUST find it. I will not rest safely until that gem is safely locked away in Canterlot!'

'But at what cost, Brush?!' Luna suddenly speaks out with more volume. 'We've encountered yeti's, risked the chance of hypothermia, put an innocent mare into danger by taking her with us, who nearly fell to her DEATH! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT THAT?!'

'LUNA, THAT'S ENOUGH!" he suddenly interupts her, surprising her with the royal canterlot voice. He has alot of nerve to use it, considering he is not of royalty, and using it against HER. The mountains still tremble from the shout, unleashing an avalanche on the other side, leaving the ponies out of danger. Trixie quickly jumps off of him and goes standing next to Luna, both looking quietly at the cold-hearted stallion, while the snow rumbles in the distance.

'You are here on MY quest! Which makes ME responsible for all of your lives! I will not stand idle and watch how a guide and a princess get hurt, if I could prevent it!" he yells at her, disregarding her rank, adressing her like an equal. 'I will risk my OWN life if that's what neccesary to save you two from any harm. As long as I'm around; NOPONY gets hurt! DO YOU GET THAT?!'

Luna is at aloss of words upon hearing this, understanding Brush' best intentions. She turns her face away, rethinking of what Brush just told her. Their guide mare remains speechless as well.

Brush thinks that he may have been a little too harsh to Luna, considering she only want whats best for them. Deep in his mind; he knows that she's right. They've been searching for months, everyday believing to get closer to the end of their journey. But the truth is: The stallion has no idea where to go further with this.

'Luna... You and I; we're the same... We both want to find recognition and forgiveness for the horrors we faced, sometimes forgetting the road that is needed to walk to reach it...,' he suddenly speaks with a calm and exhausted voice.

Luna looks back up at him, listening to him.

'But this is my plan and my thing to do. I could've just ignored my past and accepted the forgiveness that everypony would give me, but that's not the decision I chose. You wanted to come with me and help me, which I appreciate from the bottom of my heart. I let you come with me, because you want the same redemption as I do. But if you,Trixie, or anypony else falls victim to this journey... I could never look at myself in the mirror again.'

Luna nods. If she wouldn't know better she could've sworn that she noticed some emotion hidden in his words.

'If... If you wish to turn back and head home to Canterlot; I would never hold it against you. This is a fools trip. Only a moron like me could possibly come up and execute it. That does not mean you two should risk it...'

Luna looks at Trixie, noticing how much she has calmed down from the fall she nearly made a moment ago. Trixie looks back at her and gives a nod. She doesn't wish to quit now, considering Brush won't be able to do this without them. And the princess knows that too.

'No, Brush,' she tells him. 'I already made the deal with you; Your information for my help. And a princess always keeps her promises! And besides, you wouldn't continue without a pair of friends at your side, right?'

The red stallion looks over his shoulder at the mares, unable to believe that they're willing to continue with this after all. Luna and Trixie both smile at Brush' staggared face. Luna gives a little wink at him, telling him that she's fine with the risk herself. Brush doesn't smile in response. But deep down, they all know that he is grateful for the mares' help.

'Thank you,' he whispers.

***

Unhindered by any more delays, the ponies climb further up the mountain path. Their trail proceeds along one of the many peaks that decorate the horizon of the frozen north. They walk among something that they picture as a path, though it's pure snow. The only direction they can count on is Spectrum Brush' senses. But their path ends; covered under a several feets thick layer of snow.

'Blast!' Brush grunts in anger. 'The snow has covered the entire road! Just when we're getting so close!'

Luna sighs and shakes her head. 'Brush, this snow is here because of that avalanche you caused...'

'I know that, Luna...,' he grunts dissapointed, blaming himself. 'But...But I am certain that-' the unicorn whispers sad.'

'No, Brush,' the female alicorn interupts his futile hopes. She places a comforting hoof on his back. 'Face it; The path is gone... It's over.'

'It can't be. I cannot give up now...,' the stallion speaks in denial.

'Wait... What's that?' Trixie asks, pointing with her hoof at a huge wall of crystallic ice as part of the mountain, which reflects like an enormous mirror in the little amount of sunlight.

They awe in amazement at the wall, never having witnessed such a spectacle of forces of nature before.

'It-It must've come exposed because of the avalanche!' Brush gasps.

Slowly walking at the natural phenominom, the three ponies look at their reflections in the wall, feeling entertained somehow. Trixie and Luna both continue to look at how detailed their reflections are, being as clear as a mirror from home.

But Brush doesn't really care. He ignore his rotten reflection completely and keeps looking up and down the mirror, searching for anything useful. When he makes a little step forward closer to the wall, his hoof hits something hard. Looking down at the ground, Brush notices that he hit a cube of ice. But this ice is different than everything he saw before; Considering the cube has a symbol engraved on it, which resembles a symbol that he saw from the past. It's the symbol of Lord Ignis' dominion!

'Could it be...,' Brush whispers as he starts to plow through the snow, eagerly digging a path into the soft cold substance.

Luna and Trixie look at him surprised, confused at what in the Equestria's name he's trying to do. They step back a little when the flying snow starts to hit them.

'Brush... What are you doing?' Trixie asks him.

For a moment there's no sounds coming from the hole he digs. But when the rain of snow ends, the two mares look curiously over the ledge into the pit he dug.

'I found it! I actually found it!' he yells exhausted up to the mares above him.

They know what he talks about, but can hardly believe it. With pounding hearts of excitement, the mares jump into the pit. Landing next to the stallion, Luna's and Trixie's eyes look in amazement at the rune-inscribed wall before them. They have no clue what the symbols mean, but know enough that it has to be the doorway into Lady Fame's chamber!

'We have found it...,' they whisper together.

After they're done with gazing, Brush turns around to the girls. 'Ok! We have succesfully completed step #1! Now it's time for step #2: Claiming the crystal, and secure it in the lockbox!'

'Lockbox ready, Trixie?' he asks the blue unicorn.

'Yes!' she replies cheerfully, pulling a brown box from her bag. The box is decorated with gems and symbols of Canterlot, proving to be one of the same lockboxes that contained Lord Ignis' crystal months ago.

'Ok... Let's open this door,' Luna tells with a grin. 'What do the inscriptions say, Brush?'

She knows that the stallion has the knowledge to decipher it, having learned it from the Hatred Harbringer himself. When Brush is done reading, he drops his flank in the cold snow.

'It... It says we can't enter...,' he whispers with a defeated look on his face. 'This ice is magical...'

'Wh-What?' Luna stutters surprised.

Brush turns around to face the both of them. 'It says that only an equal of her power can open it...,' he sighs.

'An... equal of power? Wait! That means nothing!' Trixie speaks out. 'Can't Princess Luna be considered an equal? She rules over Equestria too, like Lady Fame did ages ago!'

Brush shakes his head. 'No. It says, specifically, that we need POWER! We need somepony who exceeds her own strength; A power that can overpower Lady Fame's knowledge!'

'What about my sister? She's the most powerful being in Equestria! She could-' Luna proposes.

'No, she can't!' the red stallion interupts her. 'Celestia is not the strongest, but Ignis is! His... His flames of hatred are the only thing that can melt Lady Fame's ice...'

This is it. Their road ends just before the treasure. With no way inside; They have no other business here anymore.

Luna shakes her head. 'I'm sorry, Brush...,' she apologizes to him, knowing that this was his only way to fix his mistakes for himself.

They stand silently at the runed ice, nopony willing to say that this is the end of their journey. Princess Luna and Trixie try to give the impression by turning around, ready to walk back to the camp.

'Well... See it this way; Nopony could possibly get the crystal then. It's already locked away better than it is in Canterlot,' Trixie chuckles.

But something snaps in Brush' head. He traveled for months, overcame many obstacles, only to reach the point where he can't continue to the conclusion of his quest. His lack of sleep is finally taking its toll; causing the broken stallion to go berserk.

"NO!" Brush yells, surprising the two mares. "We are THIS close to finally put an end to it all. And now we are supposed to be blocked by some stupid ancient scribbles?!"

His eyes glare at the blockade, his pupils generating a small yellow glow that reminds of the light from a flame, and his way of thinking is lost in his rage.

'W-Wait, Brush,' Luna gasps at the enraging stallion. 'It's over! We don't have to get the crystal!'

But he has stopped listening to reason.

'I was manipulated, mindcontrolled, used for destruction! And now my only chance for true redemption are taken from me?!' he hisses in fury.

Luna and Trixie take a step back, rather frightened by Brush' sudden outburst. The anger he shows starts to gather inside his horn, making it glow bright red.

'I won't be stopped! I-WON'T-BE-STOPPED!' he screams in unbridled fury, resulting in an aura of fire surrounding the stallion. His horn glows crimson-red, instantaneously melting the ice in a mile radius. The radiance can be seen from miles away, marking their location on that specific mountain. Luna and Trixie quickly cover their eyes, hearing a mighty explosion from Brush' direction.

And just like that; The silence returns.

When the heat starts to make way for the chilly wind again, the mares dare to look again. Baffelled by surprise; The runed ice has molten, along with all the snow that surrounded them. The giant wall of ice is covered with water, making the reflections all blurry now.

When Brush realizes what has happening, he is shocked to see what his rage has caused. The last time he was this furious and destructive, he wasn't himself. He was a monster back then. Even though the wall is broken, and the passage of his quest has reopened, Brush needs a moment to process.

'...Let's go,' he finaly tells them and moves inside the dark cave, almost like he ignores what he just did. but he doesn't; he is actually truly dissapointed in himself for using a trick that he was forcefully taught.

Luna and Trixie remain quiet. The power Brush shown was overwhelming, even if he wasn't Ignis. It makes them a little scared of him.

'Incredible power...,' Trixie whispers.

'Brush...,' Luna catches his attention.

The red unicorn doesn't respond at first. He knows how dissapointed she must be at him now for letting himself go like this. 'I know, Luna... You were right; It was safe enough before I blew the gate open... I let my passion for redemption be my own downfall...'

'That's not it,' she corrects. 'The sun is setting. If I am to return to Canterlot in time, I must go NOW.'

It's true; the sun is close to touching the horizon. Giving a faint orange glow on the ice peaks of the northern mountains of permafrost, the day is dawning. Princess Luna remains princess of the night at all time, making it neccesary for her to be at the castle of Canterlot before the sun has vanished behind the horizon. Delaying the night is unnacceptable, and would also bring suspicion about her whereabouts.

Brush and Trixie look at each other for a moment, and nod.

'Luna, it's ok. Trixie and I will check out this cave. We will meet up with you at the camp if you feel alright," the stallion kindly offers.

Luna looks a little guilty, dropping her ears in dissapointment for herself, feeling like she's leaving them on their own. 'Are you really sure?' she asks polite, feeling a lingering emotion of worry for the male.

The two unicorns nod. 'This has been the deal for weeks now, Luna. We cannot possibly expect from you to delay the night this time. Trixie and I will be able to take it from here and secure the jewel.'

The princess smiles, glad to hear their compassion for her duties. 'Alright, I shall return in tomorrow's dawn. I wish you the best of luck,' she wishes to her two unicorn friends, and flies off with stretched wings. And like that; she flies off, moving out of sight when she starts to fly above the snowy clouds.

Brush continues stare into the snowy sky for a couple of more seconds, followed by sighing from tiredness.

'Brush,' Trixie gets his attention. He looks back at her and nods, admitting that they should hurry and see if the cave leads to someplace.

The cave goes on without any side ways, or even tunnels for daylight. The tunnel could be a few feet, or a couple of miles! The only light that the two ponies have to work with; are the lights from their magical horns.

They remain silent at first, thinking of different possibilities about this cave. Could it be Lady Fame's crystal chamber, a trap, or something completely different? But when a couple of minutes have passed, Trixie starts to get an urge to speak to the "leader."

'So... About that flame-,' she starts.

Brush grunts. 'Not now, Trixie... It was a terrible mistake -dot-, he answers, keeping the subject closed.

'Well... Ok if you don't want to talk about "that". But... could you atleast tell me what you think about Twilight Sparkle?' she surprisingly changes the subject completely. 'You asked me multiple times about her, but you never said what YOU think about her.'

'Me? What I think about Twilight?' he repeats the question, a little amused from Trixie's curiosity. 'Well... There's not much to tell actually. I only knew for like a day.'

Trixie chuckles softly. 'And that was enough to make a journey like this? For a friendship you made in a day?'

'...I'm not doing it for her, Trixie. I'm doing all this to feel better about myself, prevent another disaster for Equestria, and find redemption of my actions as a "Harbinger of Hatred"...,' he grunts irritated. 'M-Maybe I just do it for the Mane Six, considering the harm I did to them too! They're my friends too... sort of.'

'Don't make me laugh, Brush,' she chuckles on. 'Nopony in their right mind would do this, without somepony specific in their mind to do it for.'

'...Still, if I'm wrong, it would mean I would have a chance to score, hm?' she speaks flirty to him.

He can hardly believe that Trixie just said that! Brush' face becomes red, feeling a little startled from the mare's unsuspecting comment.

'Eh..., Trixie?' he questions as he looks at the smiling mare.

'What? You and Twilight are mere friends, right? I don't see a ring decorating your horn...,' she chuckles and winks slyly.

The stallion feels highly awkward, never having expected something like this to happen in a place like this. Is she serious?

'Haha, calm down, stallion! I'm just joking!' she suddenly laughs, knowing from Brush's silence that he must've felt a little crazy from that.

Brush breezes his lungs empty, relieved from the nerves of awkwardness. 'Heh, got me there...,' he fakes a chuckle.

When the silence returns during their walk in the icy tunnel, Trixie tells about the thing on her mind at the moment.

'...Do you think the gem is truly in here?' Trixie asks a little worried from possible dissapointment.

'I believe it is. It HAS to be...,' Brush mumbles.

'Good...,' the mare sighs.

Time must've flown by, thanks to their little conversation, because it ends right when the tunnels ends; A large cavern, lit by a sapphire-blue object that floats continuesly in the middle of the chamber. Three large crystallic statues in an equine shape surround the pedestal, which stands beneath the crystal itself.

Brush cannot believe his eyes. After searching for so long, he has found the crystal that can only belong to one pony: Lady Fame.

'We did it...,' he whispers. 'WE DID IT!'

A big smile decorates the stallion's face, unable to cover his happiness like all the emotions he surpressed the past months.

'Wonderful...,' Trixie mumbles as she looks at the gem, which radiates a light of terrifying power.

'Prepare the lockbox, Trixie. We will capture it in it now! But don't make any physical contact with it! The slightest touch can already consume you in her grasp!' Brush warns her, with a grin of succes on his face. 'It's high time that this adventure gets a happy ending!'

Before he could make another step towards the center of the cavern, he is surprised that he can't move his legs all of the sudden.

'Ugh! What is this?' he wonders as he looks down to his hoofs, which are being entangled by ropes.

The rope flies around his body, tying him completely up. 'A trap?!' he questions in panic. Struggling futile against the ropes, Brush collapses on the rocky ground, with barely any space to move.

'That... would be called a magic trick,' a voice chuckles.

Brush can only lie down immobile and look at the blue unicorn that passes him, looking down at him with a sadistic smile.

'And it's the best Trixie can do..., yet,' Trixie laughs, starting to speak in the third person.

His eyes shrink from surprise of this unexpected turnout. 'Trixie, what do you think you're doing?! Untie me!' he desperately demands, only to be ignored. The mare looks away from him and gazes into the icy pattern inside the blue gem, hoovering a step away from her.

'Lady Fame; The most powerful magical alicorn of Equestria. The strongest magical enhancements could come from this little gem? Trixie can only imagine what kind of magic power she would have when she takes this!" she tells. 'So, according to you, the slightest touch can already activate the gem?'

Brush gets the idea that she has gone mad. Her thirst for power is a deathtrap!

'Have you gone insane?! We were supposed to make sure that crystal can't do any harm! Don't do anything stupid, Trixie! She will control you like a puppet, instead of lending you her power!' he yells at her. 'We promised  together that we would secure the gem!'

Trixie giggles at the adorable way Brush struggles with her magical ropes, which keep the stallion down. 'Oh, Brush. This was Trixie's plan this whole time! While I was wandering in the middle of nowhere in selfpity, Trixie was lucky to discover you and the princess' presence! When I figured you are friends with that accursed purple pony, and you were after an artifact of great power, ...Who was Trixie to turn down such a wonderful oppertunity?'

'Trixie has better plans than yours, Brush... I can use it to take revenge on the pony that made a mockery out of me... With this crystal's knowledge; Nothing can stop Trixie! Twilight Sparkle will pay for the humiliation she brought upon me..., And so will her friends! I will be the most powerfull unicorn in Equestria! And not even Princess Celestia will keep that title from me, because I, Trixie, deserve it!'

'T-Twilight?! B-But you said you were friends with her!" Brush panics, hearing the name of his best friend involved in some maniacal plot for revenge.

Trixie only laughs at Brush and walks up to him. When her face is one hoof away from his, she strokes her left hoof over his cheek, making him only more infuriated. 'Guess what, Brush; Trixie is a good liar.'

'HEEEELP! I'm so scared!' Trixie acts poorly, re-enacting the moment she nearly fell into the ravine today. 'Oh, Brush. You're such a dashing stallion!' Trixie speaks while flapping with her eyelashes rapidly, pretending to seem flirty.

Then she bursts out in a laugh. 'Haha! You completely fell for it, idiot!'

'Y-You... filthy traitor...,' he grunts. Brush feels betrayed. He put Trixie in his circle of trust, believing her to be actually something like a close friend! But now, she is on the verge of bringing another horrible catastrophe to Equestria!  

'Don't be a foal, you madmare...,' he gasps as the ropes tighten around him. 'I became possessed by such a power myself! You will be used as a host the same way! The only thing "Great" and "Powerful" about you; will be your foolishness, if you continue with this!'

Trixie gives him a disbelieving frown, unconvinced by his attempt to talk her out of it.

'Pfah! You were just too weak to handle it! You're nothing but a fool, like all the rabble out there! But not Trixie!' she tells him and pushes him on the ground, focusing her attention back on the blue gem.

'I-AM-THE-GREAT-AND-POWERFUL-TRIXIE!' she yells as she jumps onto the pedestal and presses her hoof against the crystal. When the connection is made, a blast of white energy fills the chamber like a raging current.

'NO!' Brush gasps with desperation, afraid of the event to follow.

An ice cold current starts to fill the room, making Brush shake as much as he possibly can in his paralyzed state. Trixie vanishes, becoming invisible in a cloud of mist. Many lights spout from the fog, a huge burst of energy coming forth which pierces through the walls like an a spear.

A silhouette in the mist starts to grow, stretching wings from back, enlarging a powerful horn, and growing long snow-white manes from her head.

Brush tries to move, either to get out of the ice filling room, or attempt to stop Trixie at all cost. But he can't even budge away from his spot. All he can do is witness how Trixie is being transformed in a terrifying shape that resembles the monster he once became.

He can only yell in denial, cry a tear from the feeling of betrayal by how his supposed-ally turns out to have abused him. The sillhoutte explodes in a wave of frost and magic, blowing towards the bound stallion.

'TRIXIE! DON'T DO IT!'