Chapter 8
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“So... just to clarify, you’re willing to give me a shot?” I ask, giving Twilight a blank look.
I’m sitting in Twilight’s kitchen, a pot of tea between us and cup in front of myself, her and Spike.
She sighs, looking down. “I’ll admit it. I have been a bit judgmental about you.”
I slightly raise an eyebrow.
“Okay, I’ve been completely judgemental of you,” she groans, before taking a deep breath and doing the breathing technique Cadance taught her. “I wanted to try and start things off on the better hoof again. And I really should thank you. Spike seems more sure of himself since returning from the Empire.”
“Yeah, having an entire Empire of long lost ponies seeing you as their hero can do that,” I say, lifting my cup and taking a sip.
Twilight chuckles, before coughing. “Raven, I don’t want there being any negative feelings and, seeing as I am meant to be studying friendship, to refuse to be friends with somepony who hasn’t done anything actually wrong would be, well, wrong. Friends?”
“Just don’t try turning me into another study project,” I put my cup down. “It wouldn’t go well.”
She laughs nervously.
I would deadpan, if I wasn’t already. Seriously, trying to maintain your emotions on your own means you have to watch even showing emotion. It sucks. “You were planning on it, weren’t you?”
“Well...” Twilight grins sheepishly.
I shake my head. “I’d be careful, Twilight. There’s a saying back home. Curiosity killed the cat.”
With that, I get up, thank her for the tea and head back towards the Everfree.
Despite my lack of leaving the Everfree all that much since moving to Ponyville, the townsponies seem at ease with my presence.
Honestly, I’m surprised, what with how my Welcome to Ponyville Party went. Somehow, Pinkie had got it in her head to go with a theme more fitting my appearance. It wasn’t grim or anything, but it was closer to a night theme, but also creepier.
Despite that, it seems I’ve been accepted by the town, even if I live in the Everfree and barely show any emotion. I mean, sure, Zecora lives there too, but she shows emotion.
As I’m walking, back, I can’t help noticing Pinkie is darting about. Her aura seems frantic.
I shrug. Probably nothing. Most likely she’s worrying about a party of something.
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“Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos,” I murmur, sitting in the lotus postion and floating above the floor of Zecora’s hut.
I honestly hope she and Twilight can figure something out soon, now that Twi and I are on at least neutral terms. It’d be nice not having to meditate for hours just to keep my powers under control.
“You must head to Ponyville at once, Raven, dear,” I open my eyes to find Zecora standing before me, looking as worried as her aura feels. “If not, Twilight Sparkle will commit many horrible crimes, I fear.”
I blink, before raising an eyebrow. “And just what kind of horrible crimes could our future Princess of Friendship be about to commit?”
Yeah, I kinda spilled some stuff to Zecora about the future. I made sure she promised not to tell anyone. Though it did give her the incentive to try making the potion that relies on Alicorn magic. She’s still working on that, FYI.
“If you do not hurry to Ponvyille like I say, Twilight Sparkle will take many lives this day!”
I blink, confused. I blink again, before facepalming. “Dammit.”
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“Wait up, I got one more!” everypony turned to see Rainbow Dash flying in, carrying a moping Pinkie in her forelegs. “Found this one poking at the ground with her hoof, drawing frowny faces.”
Twilight held out a foreleg. “Have her come sit with the others.”
“Are you really that dumb?” a voice from behind made the unicorn jump, turning around to see Raven, who had had hood down... and a not at all pleased look on her face. “And your Celestia’s star pupil?”
“Hey!” Twilight frowned, looking hurt. “I thought we were friends now.”
“Just because we’re friends, doesn’t mean I’m not going to call you out when you do something stupid,” the biped said walking forwards to stand next to the unicorn. She then groaned, a frown playing across her face. “I cannot believe I actually have to do this.” She took a deep breath. “Will the real Pinkie Pie please stand up? Please stand up?”
“Oh, oh, oh! Me, me!” one Pinkie said, followed by a chorus of Pinkies cheering the same thing, after which they all started doing some odd rap song with the words Raven said as the chorus.
Dash gave the grey skinned creature a deadpan stare. “Oh, yeah, that worked wonders.”
Raven just gave a small smirk, holding up a hand glowing with her black energy. At once, all the Pinkie were lifted up into the air, held by the same energy... save one. The only Pinkie who hadn’t reacted.
“That’s the real Pinkie.”
“Huh?” Dash looked from the supposed real Pinkie, to Raven, confused. “Wait. How can you tell?”
“She’s the only one feeling pain and worry,” Raven replied simply. “Every other Pinkie in this room is only feeling giddy for fun.”
“But... how can you know, she’s the real Pinkie?” Twilight asked anxiously, looking from the pink mare flopped on the floor and the ones held in Raven’s magic.
“Simple,” Raven said, walking over to Pinkie and kneeling down, a small smile forming on her lips. “All the other Pinkies are blank slates. Pinkie herself had to tell them all who was who and what to do. She’s the only one who actually cares about any of you.”
“Hey, we care!” one of the spellbound Pinkie called down.
“Yeah, we care about fun with them!” another called enthusiastically.
Raven turned, giving Twilight a cold stare. “Every clones’ only thought is to have fun, because that’s why Pinkie made them. So, if that’s the case, why would one of the clones have decided to just wallow in sadness at a table, admitting she doesn’t know which Pinkie is which, whilst every other Pinkie kept insisting they were the real one?”
“Um, well, you’ve got a point there, I guess,” Twilight murmured, becoming unsure.
“Also,” Raven’s expression soured again and Twilight yelped as the book she’d brought with the spell to deal with the Pinkie clones floated out of her saddlebags, clipping her flank and floating over to Raven, stopping and floating in the air next to her. “You realize you almost did something horrible here, don’t you?”
“Um, what?” Spike glanced between the two, confused.
“If you couldn’t tell the real Pinkie from a clone, you might have sent her into the Mirror Pool by mistake, correct?” Raven asked and nopony could ignore that her black energy was starting to glow around her slightly, similar to what had happened when the Hydra had torn her clothes. “Did it not occur to you that if this spell couldn’t tell the difference between the clones and the original, that it meant it takes living beings, regardless of their origin?!”
Raven looked up at the ceiling, where all the Pinkie clones were staring down, confused. “I’ll find somewhere they can exist in peace.” She glared at Twilight, causing the mare to flinch. “I will not let lives be lost because you ponies didn’t think it through.”
She held up her hands and a sphere of black energy spread out, covering her and the Pinkie clones. When it faded, they, Raven and the book were gone.
“Wh... what did Raven mean?” Spike asked worriedly, looking around, only to see a horrified expression on Twilight’s face. “Twilight?”
“I... I could’ve... I almost...” tears started to run down her face, before she rushed forward and pulled Pinkie into a tight embrace, sobbing apology after apology.