//------------------------------// // Finale: Part One // Story: Replacement // by Mlp Kitty //------------------------------// Raven awoke shortly before sunrise for her daily meditation. Like it or not, even in another land her powers were the same and only a few quiet moments helped her to keep calm. As she sat chanting on the roof of the library she noticed a strange burning feeling coming from her flank. She glanced down and gasped, in the place where a cutie mark should be was a large red mark of Scath. "But that's impossible," Raven wispered, her eyes never leaving the all too familier mark, "I defeated him." She then remembered yet another problem. "The trip to the Crystal Empire! If I'm not there, or worse! If I show up with this on my flank, they'll find out for sure I'm not the real Twilight!" Raven began to panic and the telescope sitting on the balconly was ingulfed in a black aura before splitting in two. Seeing the damge, Raven took a deep breath and stopped pacing. "All right, control, think, what would Twilight do?" Suddently she bolted upright, she knew exactly what she needed to do. * * * "Twilight darling, I'm honared that you want to wear one of my creations to such an important diplomatic event," Rarity said as Raven struggled to hold her wing over the mark. "Anything to brighten your day Rarity," She responded, struggling to keep a fake smile plastered across her face. "Besides it isn't that important." "Well, welcoming an important dignitary is important in my book." Rarity replied as she pulled out a bolt of fuisia fabric. "Do you think you'll actually have time to sew something?" Raven asked as she used her hoof to press her wing down again. "I mean, we leave in a few hours." "Nonsense darling," Rarity chuckled. "I won't be sewing anything, I simply need to alter one of my old creations." She brought the fabric over to a violet colored dress. "It will merely take me a moment." * * * A few hours later, Raven stood on a balcony in the Crystal Empire, bedecked in a violet gown with yellow and white ruffles and a fusia sash tied in a bow. Personaly, Raven thought it was tacky but so long as it covered the mark she was content. On her cue she used her magic to release a banner that unfurled down from the balcony. She then waved as the other princesses walked beneath her. "That's it?" Spike yelled from behind her. "We came all this way for that?" "Spike!" Applejack shouted, "Don't be rude! I'm sure the princesses musta needed Twilight ta do it or they wouldn'ta asked her!" Raven turned around, almost tripping on the dress as she did so. "Exactly right AJ. After all, I'm still a relativly new princess, Dignitarys don't entirly trust me, but it's still meaningful that I make an apperence." "She's right Spike," Said the white alicorn, Princess Celestia. She placed her hoof under Raven's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "I'm so glad you understand." Raven resisted her instinct to move away from phisical contact. "Thank you Princess." * * * Raven stood on the balcony again a few hours later waiting for the princesses to finish up with their meeting. "How long can they talk?" She grumbled under her breath. "Twilight?" Cadence said as she walked out on the balcony followed by Luna andd Celestia. "Are you okay? You've been acting a bit, well, strange lately." Before Raven could assure her that there was nothing wrong Cadence continued, "I hate to assume the worst but," She began to do some sort of chant and dance. Raven watched with a raised eyebrow. When Cadence finished she looked at Raven with an amount of anger so strong and sudden it made Raven take a step back. "Changling!" Cadence shouted. Luna and Celestia wore matching glares. "No wait!" Raven cried her mind racing to think of an excuse. "Ever since getting attacked by those plundervines I've been having memory problems! Ask Spike he'll tell you!" The Princesses looked at each other with varying levels of apprension. Finally, Celestia spoke, "Very well then Twilight, we will talk with Spike to confirm this." And with that the princesses left. * * * "Don't worry Twilight, I cleared everything up with the Princesses," Spike said in between gem stones as they rode on the train heading back towards Ponyville. "I can't believe they thought an imposter could take your place and I, out of everypony, wouldn't notice." Raven winced. If I'm discovered it will break his heart. Before Spike could start talking again, the conducter came to announouce that they had arrived. "I still don't get why the Princesses thought you were a changling," Rainbow Dash said. "Yeah they'd have to be mega menie pants to not trust Twilight!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced joyfully off the train. "I don't know Pinkie, the Princesses ain't the only ones who noticed somethin strange about Twi lately," Applejack said. "Applejack, you didn't really think Twilight was a changling, did you?" Fluttershy asked. Applejack blushed, "I had ma suspicons." Rarity gasped, "Why Applejack I'm appalled!" "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash yelled, "That's 100 percent not cool AJ!" "No," Raven mumbled, "That's 100 percent correct." * * * Raven was summoned to Canterlot later that day. She burst into the throne room still wearing the dress from the day before. "What's wrong?" She asked Celestia mentally pleading, please don't be Trigon, please don't be Trigon. "An old enemy of our past has returned," Celestia responded, her tone grave. Crap, Raven thought, Even if it's not Trigon I still need to figure out how to fight without giving myself away. "Who is this enemy?" Raven asked. "His name is Lord Tirek," Celestia answered, turning to face Raven. "He has the power to consume magic, if he managed to take the magic of even one alicorn he would become unstoppable." "So what are we going to do? Go into hiding?" Raven asked. "No," Celestis said turning towards Luna and Cadence again. She bowed her head and closed her eyes for a brief moment before taking a determined stance. "We must rid ourselves of our magic!" Raven gasped, if she removes my magic she'll sense that it's demonic. And for a breif moment the world seemed to hold still.