//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Call of a Raven // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 9 ___________________________________________________________ Trixie slumped down in the dirt, her pick axe lying next to her. How could ponies live like this? More the point, how had she sunk so low? She used to be the most revered unicorn in all of Equestria, all ponies admired her skills, wanted to be her. Now, she was just toiling away on a damned Rock Farm, just to make enough bits to eat. Sure, the owners fed her, but the stuff they ate... Trixie was sure she’d never understand these ponies. “What a shame. Such greatness wasted on this pathetic farm.” Trixie shot up, whirling around. The quarry was empty, her having been left alone. Now, however, she was not alone. Standing nearby was a figure in a cloak. Being the only other living thing near, Trixe assumed she, judging by the voice, was what had spoken. Trixie snorted. “Trixie doesn’t need reminding of her failures.” She turned, lifting the pick and thrust it hard into a nearby stone, trying to vent some anger. “Shame. And here I was about to tell you how you can get revenge on the one who wronged you.” Trixie paused, glancing at the cloaked figure. “Trixie is listening.” The figure chuckled. It was a light sound, but held an edge to it as well. “In a town not too far from here, there’s a store that sells old relics. One such relic is called the Alicorn Amulet. It gives power to whomever wears it. More than enough to punish the one who caused your downfall, Great and Powerful Trixie.” “And you would tell this to Trixie why?” the unicorn asked, eyes narrowed. She wanted revenge on Twilight Sparkle, yes, but she could tell there was something this being wasn’t telling her. The figure chuckled. “Oh, I just need you to use your magic on these.” She chucked a small cloth bag at Trixie, who caught it in her magic. Opening it, Trixie pulled out several small stone figures. Some looked like ponies, but others didn’t. She looked to the cloaked figure. “And for what reason do you need of Trixie to do this?” The figure gave a long chuckle. “Let’s just say it’s a little surprise I’m planning for my sister.” ___________________________________________________________ I walk through the Everfree, taking a deep breath of the forest air. It’s pretty peaceful, at least if you follow the path to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Strangely, no creatures go only this path. Won’t even go near it. It’s been about a week since the whole Mirror Pool incident. Mayor Mare had several ponies, plus a squad of Royal Guards go with Pinkie to seal off the entrance, to ensure nothing like it ever happens again. Unlike in the show, Twilight didn’t go with her. She really didn’t take the fact she’d almost risked killing her best friend, on top of the deaths of so many other living ponies all that well. She’s been in Canterlot the last couple days, Princess Celestia helping her with a personal psychiatrist. Not that you could blame her. After all, this is Equestria and I doubt, aside from natural or accidental, the concept of death is thought of that much, let alone murder. She is doing a far lot better. She came back yesterday and I heard her mention something about practicing something with Fluttershy. I didn’t ask why, though I swear something has been nagging at my brain since then. I’m not gonna lie that it took a lot of meditation to get myself under control with the guilt of putting Twilight through that. I mean, we are meant to be friends now and, in anger at what she’d almost done, I gave it to her straight. Had I been less angry about it, maybe gotten to her before the girls rounded up all the Pinkies, I could’ve explained it in a way that wouldn’t have horrified her so much, or at least let her down more gently. As for what I did with the herd of Pinkies, I was very tempted to just drop them all in Starlight Glimmer’s village. Let her see that ponies all having the same mark doesn’t mean everything’s all fine and dandy without the Mane 6 having to show it to her and her just ignore it... but I resisted. Maybe it’s my anxiety over how big an amount of changes I can do to the timeline without screwing things over, or maybe it’s a subtle message from the Tree of Harmony, but, on meditating about what to do with the Pinkies, I got a strong feeling living Starlight’s village alone was the right course of action. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a feeling I got. So, I helped them sorted their minds out through meditation, and believe me, it was nowhere near as easy as it sounds (more like a bloody nightmare). I nearly blew up Zecora’s house several times because of it. That might also be why I can’t figure out this nagging feeling in my brain about today. With all the stuff I’m having to juggle along with maintaining my powers, it’s understandable that I’d forget a few things. I’m pulled out of my reminiscing of the past as by a twig snapping. I’m pause, glancing around, extending my senses. I can sense two things nearby. One is a sleeping Manticore which, by its aura, is pregnant with cubs. But that’s not all. There’s something else nearby, too. Someone else is here, watching me. “Whoever you are, come out,” I call, whipping my cloak back. “I don’t like playing games.” Before I understand it, the ground seems to explode from below me and I tumble back, hitting my head against a tree. I groan, rubbing my head. “What just hit me?” I look up, only for my eyes to widen. Standing before me is another humanoid. She’s wearing a brown outfit with a T on the front. Her hair is long and blonde. But her eyes are the most startling thing; they’re blank, completely white. “T-Terra?” I gape. “What the hell? Why’re you—” “HRRAAH!” Terra cries, throwing her arms forward, the earth beneath her flying out towards me. “Shit!” I cry, leaping into the air, flipping and landing behind her. I swipe my legs under her, knocking her over. “Just what the flying hell? First I end up as Raven, then Terra shows up and attacks me?” Terra gets up, turning to me and growling like a wild animal. She hurls several chunks of rock at me, which I manage to stop with a shield of energy I manage to raise in time. “Terra, quit it! What the hell is going on around here?” I shake my head. Frowning, I decide to get to the bottom of this and focus on Terra’s aura, only to reel back in horror. I... I don’t sense anything. No emotions, nothing. Just pure blind instinct. What happened to her? In hindsight, this was a bad move on my part, as, my concentration broken, my shield falls and I’m slammed back into a tree by a large chunk of rock. I slide down the tree, wincing. Shit, I think my right arm just got dislocated. Okay, yeah, maybe refusing sleep since my arrival and meditating to replenish myself instead wasn’t such a good idea after all, even though I fear sleep itself right now. I look up to see Terra glaring at me, thrusting her arms back and shooting towards me, propelled by the ground moving beneath her. I try to focus my magic, but the pain from my arm is too strong. I can’t focus. Just as Terra’s about to reach me, I hear a roar, followed by Terra being knocked aside and slammed into a tree. Groaning from the pain, I turn to see my rescuer, only to find it’s the Manitcore I sensed earlier, its bloodshot eyes indicating it clearly just got woken up, and it looks pissed. Terra gets back up and snarled, foam forming around her mouth and charges, her hands glowing, several large chunks of earth coming out of the ground behind her, which she sends soaring at the Manticore. She dodges, before whirling around and slamming Terra back with its scorpion-like tail. With Terra distracted, I push myself up and turn to the tree I’d slammed into. This gonna hurt. Taking a deep breath, I pull back, then slam my shoulder into the track, crying out in pain as my arm returns into its socket. Fuck, that hurt more than I thought it would. Never trust the advice of crazy women in cartoons. Shit! I turn in time to see Terra lifting the Manticore up by lifting the earth beneath it, before throwing her arms forward, sending the creature slamming headfirst into a nearby tree, followed by a sickening crack. I stare, wide-eyed as the Manitcore, the one who’d come to my rescue (even if only by chance due to it coming out of anger at being woken so abruptly), slumps down to the ground, not moving. There’s silence for several long moments, my eyes fixed on the beast lying there, unmoving. “RAH!” Terra roars, looking up at the sky. I’m not really sure what happened next. I remember getting really angry, an ear-splitting scream and an explosion... then I’m standing the middle of a huge crater, Terra’s body beneath me. I blink, groaning as I hold my head, before looking down, my eyes widening. Terra, she... she’s not breathing. I take a step back, my eyes wide with horror. Did... did I just...? Oh, God, please tell me I didn’t... Suddenly, Terra’s body, even her clothes, turn brown, like dirt, before crumbling away. I fall to my knees, looking down at my hands, tears running down my face. “I... did I just commit...?” My attention is caught by something glinting in the light of the sun coming down from the canopy, coming from within Terra’s... her remains. I slowly walk over and, with disgust, push some of the dirt away to reveal what looks like some kind of gem. It’s yellow with a T emblazoned on it. I lean down and pick it up, confused. Why would Terra have a gemstone inside her body with a T on it? Frowning, I run my magic over it, before my eyes widen. This... that wasn’t Terra, not the real one, anyway. Whatever this gemstone is, I’m getting a strange hunch that it’s some kind of means of summoning golems. So, that thing had Terra’s powers and it looked like her, but it was just a blank slate, earth infused with magic in the shape of her. But... but how? Why? I’m the only being in this world who should know anything about Teen Titans. Why and how would someone create a golem of Terra and send it to attack me. I blink, before my eyes narrow, black flames glowing around my body. Someone made me feel like I’d killed another living being! They put me through that emotional shit and for what? What possible reason?! I’ll take this gem to Twilight. She should be done with whatever it is she and Fluttershy were doing by now. I head back towards town, only to groan after coming out of the forest when I see a giant fish bowl surrounding the town. I walk up to it and bang on the glass. “Yo, Lulamoon. Get your second rate, self-absorbed, lying flank out here now.” I stand, my arms folded, waiting several minutes, before I see Trixie in a large golden chariot without wheels, being pulled by Snips and Snails. I growl. She’ll be sorry I for treating children like that. I don’t care how powerful the Alicorn Amulet is, she’s never dealt with my brand of magic. The chariot stops and Trixie looks at me in confusion. “And just what are you?” I snort. “I’m Raven and I demand you release Ponyville at once. You have no right to act like tyrant ruler.” She just sneers. “Trixie is only punishing these ponies for mocking her.” “Alright, I’ve had enough,” I mutter, already in a bad mood from what happened in the forest with that Terra golem, becoming surrounded by my aura and appearing in front of Trixie, only this time inside the dome. She yelps, startled. Before glaring and firing a spell at me, I move to this side, avoiding it, only to get bucked in the head, flying backwards and hitting my head against the dome. Shit, does that hurt! I try to get up, but suddenly feel a magical aura around my head. Looking up, I see Trixie leering down at me. I start feeling woozy and panic. No! No, I can’t fall asleep. I’ve been avoiding it for so long, I can’t fall asleep now! “Trixie will learn about you later, creature,” Trixie’s voice is getting fainter, no matter how hard I fight back. “For now, just sleep.” I try one last ditch effort to get up and use my own magic, but it doesn’t work. Meditation doesn’t stop my body from feeling tired, it only would lessen it. Now, having just had to deal with that Terra Slate, I’m too exhausted. Too weak to fight it, I fall into the abyss, everything going dark... for now.