//------------------------------//
// Chapter XII: Titans Together (Part VI) 
// Story: The Legend of the Titans 
// by Silent Bob 
//------------------------------//


Ponyville 'Loving Heart' Hospital
Same Time


Out of thin air, she had appeared. A striking, red-headed vixen of a mare. Within a split-second, she was in Princess Luna's face..

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!"

Shocked, Luna fired forth a shot from her horn -

ZAAAAAAAAP!.!.!

- But missed. Before she could react further, the assassin literally burped forth a cloud of green mist. It seemed to leap into the princess' eyeballs, and within a second, she had fallen to the floor.

"No! Princess!" Twilight had cried, a side of her Raven had never seen leaping forth. She snarled and hissed, throwing blast after blast of purple energy at the being, but she was far too quick. In an instant, a puff of green mist met the purple princess' eyes as well.

"AGGGGGGGH!"

She shot them shut, tears flowing from them, before hitting the carpeted floor as well. At that, the figure disappeared yet again.

Now, Raven was alone. Alone with the ghost.

"Who are you?!" Raven growled. "More importantly: where are you..."

An ethereal laugh leaped from the shadows. "Awww, that's sweet. Tough talk from a goth without her guns..."

She narrowed her eyes. "You've been spying on me, haven't you? How much do you know about the Titans?"

"Enough," she cooed.

Raven actually chuckled. "Riiiight... you don't know anything more than what you've seen in this universe..."

"As I've said..." she mused. "Enough. I've seen those like you come before. Heroes... champions..." the voice gave a giggle. "Freaks... Freaks who think their 'powers' means they are obligated to something. However, deep down, why do you really fight? Is it because you think it's the only way for the rest of the world to like you? Even if they'd still treat you as an outcast?"

Raven gritted her teeth. "Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos..."

The voice giggled again. "Oh this is funny... I could crush you like a bug right now and you wouldn't even know it... if you really were a threat to me, don't you think I'd... neutralize you by now?"

"Seems people like you like talking in both worlds," Raven muttered. "Still: either you're very egotistical and rattling off the usual speech to me, or I'm someone you're not supposed to bring down. How right am I?"

"Mmmm.... astute, dearest..." the voice whispered. "But not to worry - that's not my job. If I was, this wouldn't be a very fair fight..." The cheshire cat-like grin flashed for a brief second in thin air. "As for my target, however..."

"Who is your target?!" Raven growled. 

"You're one of the smarter ones, aren't you? Take a guess!" she laughed. "Two of these bodies, aren't like the other one... two of these bodies, just don't belong..."

Raven suddenly gasped in realization.

"Raven! Everything alright?!" Cyborg called, the thumping of his hoofsteps coming down the hall.

Raven shook her head. "Cyborg, are you alone?! Where's Princess Celestia?!"

"She's right behind me!" Cyborg said, pounding into the room. 

The dark Titan's eyes widened in horror. She darted to the door, before calling out: "Princess Celestia! You need to get out of here! There's a cloaked assassin after you!"

"W-What?!" she gasped, galloping into view. 

Then, she saw her fellow princesses'. 

Her pupils dilated. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "No! LUNA!"

"Twilight!" Applejack cried.

"Awwww crap!" Cyborg grunted, shooting an arm before his eyes. "Hang on -" A motion center appeared on the monitor upon it. "Yo, everyone! Keep still! My toy here will detect movement!"

The group froze: even Celestia, a look of fury on her face. 

"Awwww man - I hate this game!" Pinkie grumbled. 

"Shhhh, girl," Cyborg said softly. 

"Sorry," she gulped, making a zipping motion with one of her hooves.

Beast Boy blinked. "Wait... ponies use zipper-"

"Beast Boy!" Cyborg growled. 

"Sorry!" he grunted, causing Pinkie to stifle a giggle.

The motion detector quietly went to work...

'Beep... beep... beep...'

Cyborg glanced at it, lowering an eyebrow. "I'm not picking up anything..." 

'Beep... beep... beep.....'

Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Allow me to assist..."

Suddenly, to the Titan's amazement, her horn began to glow a bright hot yellow. There was a flash of light, and the room was bathed in light.

Nothing out of the ordinary could be seen.

"They must have booked it," Cyborg sighed in relief. "But don't worry, princess. I'm detecting heart beats. Your sister and Twilight are all good. Just unconscious."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before smiling at him. "Thank you Cyborg. I'm glad to see the Titans' aren't all... business."

"Pffffft -," Beast Boy grinned. "Business? Since when have we been about that? Well, save for Robin-"

Princess Celestia smiled warmly at him.

"Mph," Raven grunted. "You should try to mean it sometime, Beast Boy. It might help a bit..."

"But wait - what of the assassin?" Starfire squeaked. "He may still be here!"

"It was a she," Raven grunted. "And she liked to talk," she added in an annoyed tone.

"We can cover the details later - motivations - whatever," Cyborg grunted. "We need to sweep the hospital, then maybe start sweeping the town."

Princess Celestia nodded. "I'll go rally the local guard, as well as those who came with me. Detection spells are a required course at the academy."

"Sweet," Beast Boy smiled. "Then this shouldn't be too hard, huh?"

"Never say that," Raven grunted. "Ever." She then squinted in thought. "But wait - Princess, are you sure you'll be alright alone? The assassin didn't even touch me - I'm pretty sure she's after the crown."

Celestia winked at her. "I appreciate the concern, but I should be alright now that I know we have a... shy friend around."

"Alright, but what can we do?!" Rainbow Dash said, a determined grin on her face. At that, she swung two hooves forward, making fake punches. "You guys may be heroes, but we've kicked a fair share of flank too, you know!" 

"Oh I'm sure we could find something," Cyborg smirked at her. "I knew I'd like you."

"What's not to like," Rainbow shrugged.

"Oh um-," Fluttershy squeaked, backing away from the group. "Well - it was in self-defense, mainly. I don't know what I can do to-"

"Uh uh," Applejack smirked. "You're not getting out of this. I know what you're capable of. Twilight says you dropped a friggin' bear, for um- pardon, princess - but for Celestia's sake!!" 

The Titans blinked in awe. 

Even Celestia raised her eyebrows.

Finally, Fluttershy sighed in defeat.

:"Ehehe," Beast Boy giggled. "Always the quiet ones, right?"

"Well, alright - if you want to help, you can," Cyborg shrugged. "So long as the princess is cool with it, I guess. And uh - you don't mind me giving a game plan, right?"

Princess Celestia smiled lightly. "Your world isn't the only one with heroes, Cyborg. Don't worry - they can handle themselves." She then blushed slightly. "And I wouldn't um - mind seeing the Titans, doing their work... for curiosity sake, of course. Hehe."

Cyborg returned the smile. "Heh, it's a pleasure, princess" Cyborg narrowed his eyes and grunted, slamming two fists together. "Alright, then - here's the run-down. We've got some sort of female Predator stomping around with a thing for taking down Princesses."

"Probably a prelude to a bigger attack," Raven muttered. "She implied there others on the way - others after us."

"And you hate it when they talk," Cyborg smirked.

"Could have just been reverse-psychology," Raven shrugged. "She was playful, but not stupid."

"Well, let's just focus on one thing at a time," Cyborg said. "Now listen up, y'all, I'm only going to say this once..."





Ponyville Hospital
Level Four

Starfire, Fluttershy, Applejack and Dr. Cox swept through the halls of the hospital, the latter occasionally summoning forth a detection spell or two. 

"Starfire, Fluttershy, and uh... Applejack, right?"

"You betcha!"

"Alright - you'll be taking the hospital. Look around and see if there's any unicorns who can do the detection spell. Stay together, alright? And stay frosty."

"I gotta say, Dr. Cox," Applejack said, chuckling slightly. "I thought those kinda spells were a guard thing. Didn't expect a doctor to know about them."

Dr. Cox didn't bother to look at her. "This isn't the first time I've used them. I served as a field medic during a skirmish with the changelings twenty years back... picked up a thing or two."

Applejack's eyes widened. "Heh - ain't that something."

"Mmmmm yeah," Dr. Cox grunted. "It was something alright..."

Starfire winced slightly at this, before smiling at Fluttershy. "Once again, we are in your debt, Fluttershy. Your kindness is admirable on many levels."

"E-Even after I tried to get out of it?" she squeaked. "I-I'm sorry for that - I didn't mean to be such a coward..."

"A coward?" Starfire said, lifting an eyebrow. "You are far from a coward, my friend."

"She's right," Dr. Cox nodded. "The more you're afraid of something, the braver you are when you face it. I see it in Newbie a lot." He then glared at the trio. "If you tell him I said that I'll kill you, though. Kapeesh?"

The three quickly nodded, gulping.

After a minute, the quartet arrived at an entrance to a stairwell.

"That's the whole floor," Dr. Cox grunted. "Wherever this ghost is, she isn't up here." 

"How many floors do we have left, then?" Starfire asked. 

"Three," Dr. Cox said, narrowing his eyes. "And I hope to Celestia she skedaddled. Trying to pick a fight in a hospital? Endangering my patients?! Well, I hope she really likes it here, because she's going to be here a good long while once I get done with her..."

And they continued their search.





Town Watch Barracks
Central Ponyville

Princess Celestia arrived at the local guard barracks a minute later, a stern look on her face. She had flown there without pause and without breath. When she entered, the entirety of them immediately bowed. 

"P-Princess Celestia?!" the leader gasped in awe, a tired look in his eyes as if he had just been woken up. 

He was a strange-looking bat-pony who seemed to have suffered a terrible accident in his past. The top halves of his wings were missing, replaced by menacing metal spikes. "W-We weren't even aware you were here!" 

Princess Celestia smiled warmly at him. "At ease, Shadow Streak. I'm glad to see you again."

"Y-You as well, princess," he stammered. "But - I assume you've come for our services, right?"

"Always business," Celestia sighed. "Though that's not a bad thing right now, I suppose..."

And so she began to explain what was happening.

"Princess Celestia... if you get a buttload of guards and get them to create a perimeter around the town - that'd kill her chances of escape if she tries to book it."

"Assuming she can't fly," Raven had grunted. "As a lot of creatures here seem to be able to..."

"If this is a changeling like I think it is," Princess Celestia mused. "It's possible. Though not to worry - unicorns aren't the only ones who can see more than what meets the eye..."

"Alright, people!" Shadow Streak growled. "Here's the scoop: we've got what's likely to be an invisible changeling assassin on our hooves. Apparently, she's after the princess, but if she's giving up, we're not about to let her just head back to the hive to brag to mommy bug about what she's done.

So, I want two unicorns with the princess at all times. Everyone here who can fly: you'll be hitting the skies to make sure she doesn't book it via wings. Nighties, partner up with days, and use echo-location to help your search. Every other unicorn - form a circle around the town. Nothing with holes in its legs is getting out of here, understood?"

"By your will, commander!"

Celestia raised a hoof. "Oh, and one of the Titans I spoke of - he is a changeling himself."

"Woah - we're working with them now?!" one of the guards gasped. "What the heck is-"

"Stow it, Necrospear," Shadow Streak hissed, before nodding towards the Princess. "We'll take all the help we can get. I don't care if it's a damned dragon if shit's hit the fan. Pardon my fancy, princess."

"It's alright," she nodded. "But this changeling won't be hard to spot." She then smiled slightly. "He's one of the cutest-"

The guards blinked.

"I mean uh," Princess Celestia coughed. "He's uh... green. Whatever you do - don't harm a hair on his furry head!"

The guards continued to stare at her.

"What?!"

They quickly turned away, chuckling slightly.

"Well, alright then," Shadow Streak grunted, before walking over to a nearby table, plucking a cigar from a small box, and lightning it with a nearby candle. He then stuck it in his mouth, taking a few puffs. 

He narrowed his eyes. "There: now I'm ready. Keep your wits sharp, people. It's time to do what we were born for."





Ponyville Hospital
Central Ponyville

Outside the front door of the hospital, Beast Boy tapped a hoof in annoyance. He stood with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, each who seemed equally as agitated. 

"Come on, come on!" Rainbow Dash grunted. "Hurry up, will you?! Did the friggin' guard stop for a doughnut or something?"

"Yeah, seriously," Beast Boy groaned. "This is taking forever... he's worse than Decker was back in Jump City with this kind of thing..."

"BB, you'll be leading squad two. Rarity, you said you don't know detection spells, right?"

"Unfortunately no, dearest. I may make beautiful outfits, some of which I just have to show your leader later, by the way, but it's Twilight who makes magic."

"Hahaha! Ooooh man... didn't you say you made him a new costume?!" Beast Boy had giggled. 

"Oh yes! And um... one for you too, dearest. I hope you don't mind..."

...

"W-What's wrong with my costume?"

"Focus, people..." Raven groaned.

"She's right," Cyborg nodded. "BB, you'll be going with Rainbow and Rarity here. Princess Celestia can send you a unicorn guard or whatever and you can start your sweep when she does. Circle the outskirts of town."

"Sir, Commander Beast, sir!" a blue, female unicorn guard huffed, galloping up to the scene. "I'm Sergeant Steelfur, sir! Reporting for duty!" 

Beast Boy grinned in delight. "Commander?! Sir?!"

"Sir?" she said, glancing at him in confusion.

Beast Boy's eyes began to water. "Awwww man... dreams do come true."

"Hey, fuzzball!" Rainbow Dash grunted, waving a hoof in front of him. "Get out of your power trip and let's get going!" 

"Indeed," Rarity said, narrowing her eyes. "That ruffian is going to pay for messing with Twilight! She could have ruined that dress I made for her!" 

Beast Boy and Rainbow looked at each other blankly, raising eyebrows.

"Well um- whatever motivates you, I guess," Beast Boy blinked, before doing his best to make an epic, leader-like pose. "Come on ladies, then, let me show you what your dashing commander is made of!" 

"Sir, yes sir!" Steelfur saluted.

...

Rarity and Rainbow deadpanned. 

"We're civilians, fuzzball," Rainbow said, sticking her tongue out.

Beast Boy simpered. "Oh... uh- yeah," he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I knew that! Totally!" 





"Where does that leave us, Cyborg?" Raven asked. 

"Well, no offense, but since your magic isn't working, that leaves me to scan for this chick - so you'll be coming with me annnnd..."

"Ooooo! Pick me! Pick me pick me pick me!" Pinkie squealed, bouncing up and down.

Cyborg grinned wickedly. "And Pinkie, here."

Raven's pupils dilated. "W-What?!"

"Yep. We're going to pay downtown a little visit. Let's see what Ponyville is all about! Booya!"

"Ohmygoshohmygoshmygosh Isn't this awesome?!" Pinkie grinned with glee, bouncing down main street next to Raven. "We get to be in our very own squad together! I've never been in a squad before, but isn't it cool?! Plus, I get to spend time with you! I mean - you don't talk much so I haven't gotten a chance to know you, you know? But now I can and it's super cool! I can't wait to show you downtown. Oooo, I bet you'll like the spa - oh, and Sugarcube corner! Do you like cupcakes?! I like cupcakes! Oh my gosh you have to try my special kind..."

A vein was throbbing in Raven's forehead as she moved.

"Stop talking stop talking stop talking or I'm going to beat you over the head with a stick stop stop talking..." she muttered under her breath. 

Cyborg gave a chuckle. "Damn, Pinkie. You've got some lungs, girl. And some energy... ya sure you should be eating so much sugar?"

"What he said," Raven moaned, her voice hitting that of absolute annoyance. "We're attracting more attention to us than we need..."

Indeed, as they moved along, the denizens of Ponyville seemed to taking every chance they could get to take a look at the strange trio. Unlike when the Titans had first come into town, however, they seemed to be more curious glances then worried ones now.

"Oh, they're cool, seriously!" Pinkie grinned, before waving at them. "Hey everypony - have you ever heard of the Teen Titans before?!"

There was a great deal of commotion and questions, about a second in, a teal pony gave a magnificent 'EEP' of glee. With manic eyes, she galloped towards them. 

"T-The Titans?!" she gasped. 

"That's right, Lyra!" Pinkie giggled.

"Ohmygosohmygosh!" she said, dancing on two legs. "They're... the Titans... the legendary ones?! THE HUMAN ONES?!" 

Cyborg and Raven glanced at her oddly. 

"And I thought Pinkie was a little kookoo," Cyborg muttered. 

"Whatever happens," Raven hissed quietly. "Don't tell her what we used to be. She has 'obsessed' written all over her."

"Thaaaaaaaaat's right!" Pinkie giggled. 

"God damnit..." Raven growled. 

Lyra looked like she was about to explode in excitement. She was actually shaking as her grin became wider.

The two Titans' sweat-dropped, grinning sheepishly as they backed away from her. 

"Oh um-," Cyborg gulped. "I think Pinkie here might be a little confused. I don't even know what a... a human is... I only know bout' us ponies! Man do I love hay... and stuff that isn't meat... and uh - saddles?"

Lyra seemed somewhat disappointed, but still gazed at this suspiciously. 

"Wah?" Pinkie chuckled. "No, silly! You were definitely human! Twilight told us all about you!"

Raven face-hoofed. "She's like Beast Boy - only a thousand times more annoying, and with a thousand times more ADHD. I wonder if there's any good places to bury a body around here..."

"Eeeeasy, Raven," Cyborg said, patting her shoulder. "Let's keep your psychopathic side to yourself, OK?"

"Mph... thus implying it's just a 'side'."

Cyborg raised his eyebrows. 

"S-So, you ARE HUMANS!" Lyra grinned wickedly, before giving a maniacal laugh. "By Celestia! You have no idea what I want to do with you right now!"

"We were humans!" Cyborg cried desperately. "So uh - since we aren't anymore, mind giving us some space? Nothing to see here..."

Lyra wouldn't have it, she charged forward...

"Lyra, no!" a peach pony with candy for a cutie-mark cried. "Don't do it! You're embarrassing yourself!"

"Quiet, Bon Bon!" she cackled. "I've been waiting all my life for this!

"If she comes any closer," Raven whispered to Cyborg. "Shoot her, alright? I don't want to end up a stuffed unicorn in this pony's basement..."

"Waaaay ahead of you..." Cyborg gulped, prepping his arm for cannon mode. 

...

Lyra continued to advance... the Titans were backed up against a wall... 

Her evil grin returned. The Titans gulped... 

Then... suddenly, she halted.

"Can I take a picture with you?!" she squealed, whipping out a camera from a saddle-bag she had and smiling hopefully. 

The Titans' jaws nearly fell.

"Hehenhe, gotcha," Pinkie winked. 

"W-What?!" Cyborg cried.

Raven shot her a glare. "You mean you told her that on purpose?!"

"Well duh," she chuckled. "Who doesn't like a good prank once and a while?! Lyra's just a little obsessed - she isn't crazy!"

"Awww Jesus Christ," Cyborg laughed, shaking his head with mirth. "God damn - that was some good stuff, Pinkie! Jeez - I never know what to expect from you, seriously!" 

"Seems like nopony does," Raven muttered, before glancing upward in shame. "Great - now I'm saying the pun... I guess it makes sense, though..."

"Pinkie, can you take the picture?!" Lyra beamed. 

"Sure!" she giggled, hopping over to her and grabbing the camera. 

"Well alright!" Cyborg shrugged. "First autograph in the ponyverse! Sounds good to me!" He then winked down at Raven, a goofy smirk on his face as Lyra galloped beside them. "Now smile for once, would ya?"

With gritted teeth, she merely replied with:

"I hate you. All of you." 

She then gave a sigh. "Still - I hope that... changeling wasn't serious about this attack..."



	


The Everfree Forest Outskirts
A Half-Mile From Ponyville


Out of the five in her team, Requiem was the only one who didn't seem to be eagerly awaiting the coming battle. Instead, her face was cold and tactical as she and her team scoped out the town. To her, this was all business, and from where she stood, it was foolish business as well. Still... the prospect of gaining an edge over her real enemies weighed too heavy...

"Looks like Silent Shadow did more than she was told," Requiem grunted, gazing at ring of guards forming around the town. "That or she was captured. However, I'm inclined to think she merely talked too damned much..."

"Mph, it might not be too bad," Gnarl grunted, sitting atop the shoulders of Grimoire, glancing at his surroundings with a pair of steam-punkish binoculars. "The guard's mobilized, but the Titans are split into groups. I see two teams in town. Dunno where the third is. Huh - weird - looks like they're hangin' with some normal ponies..."

"May I see those?" Shadowmist asked.

Gnarl gave him a snarl. "Screw off. These are mine. Wouldn't want to confuse your tiny dragon brain even with this low-grade goblin tech."

Shadowmist showed Gnarl his fangs, growling at him. 

"Ooooo, come on then, tough guy!" Gnarl chuckled. "I'm sooo scared of the big bad dragon who seems to have forgotten what puberty is!"

Nyx grinned at this, leaning close to Shadowmist. "I bet you could totally kick his butt. Just look at him - this short little goblin talking down to you... one day you'll be able to snap him in two!"

Shadowmist glared at her as well. "Don't instigate, she-witch. It's not honorable to fight such a foe."

"You scared?" Gnarl grinned, before making a chicken sound. "Bock bock bock bock..."

Requiem finally gave a growl. "ENOUGH!"

The group immediately closed their mouths. 

"I suppose we are lucky the Titans are split into groups. You idiots would end up fighting each other instead of them!" 

"Hey, no fair!" Nyx pouted. "I wouldn't hit Ender - Ender's cool!"

The lizard-like being merely stood silently. 

"Ender doesn't speak," Shadowmist pointed out.

"And that's what makes him cool, silly!" the draconequus giggled.

"Enough chatter," Requiem snarled. "Let me see those damned things, Gnarl!" 

"Y-Yes ma'm," he said, before handing her the binoculars. 

Requiem grunted, before gazing through them. Immediately, she groaned. 

"Gnarl, do goblins have any sort of education?"

He threw her an offended look. "Well duh! Probably more than the changelings have, too! What classes do you have? 'Stealing Love 101'? 'Failing to Take a Friggin' Capital Full of Ponies' 102!?'

Requiem narrowed her eyes at him. "You may think you can talk down to others because you ride upon your friend's shoulders, but if you continue to talk down to me, I will rip out your tongue and feed it to Shadowmist."

The dragon grinned, licking his lips. 

Gnarl raised a clawed finger, before sighing in defeat. "... Point taken."

"Those ponies with them are the Elements of Harmony," Requiem hissed. "They are responsible for the defeat of Discord, King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, and even Nightmare Moon herself. Something important to take note of..."

Gnarl merely shrugged. "Like I give a shit about pony affairs."

"As a mercenary, you should be more knowledgeable," Requiem groaned. "However, with them split up, this shouldn't be too difficult. They're most dangerous together, though still - I wouldn't underestimate them alone, either..."

"Oooo, so we get to fight the Titans AND the Elements in one fell swoop?!" Nyx bounced eagerly, her draconequus tail swishing about. "By god - Slade just made my month."

"Don't forget about Princess Celestia," Shadowmist grunted.

"Yeah, Shadow's going to deal with her, right?" Gnarl asked. "I mean - honestly, Grimoire and I can kick some ass, but not her ass. If she isn't down in a few minutes, sounds like we should just scrub the mission, honestly... screw the pay."

"We aren't scrubbing anything," Requiem said, her eyes narrowing. "You can leave if you want, but I'd hate to see what the H.I.V.E. would do to you for not even trying to complete a mission, you little green shit..."

Gnarl merely gulped.

"That's what I thought. And whatever happens, I'm getting my payment," Requiem grunted. "Which means - the mission isn't scrubbed - it's merely gotten more interesting."

"Ooooh hell yeah!" Nyx grinned.

"A decent battle awaits..." Shadowmist nodded, folding his arms. "The pony of metal seems as if he'd make a decent challenge..."

"Fine, whatever," Gnarl moaned, before smirking down at Ender. "What do you think, Ender? Any inspiring words for us before we end up on the moon for a thousand years?"

"..."

And Ender gave absolutely no fucks that day.

Gnarl wiped away a mock tear. "Bravo! Bravo! So. Beautiful."

Requiem merely nodding, a hint of a smirk on her face for once.

"Well then - let's clean the plate."