Chapter 13
“Raven? How are you doing?” The girl in question slowly opened her eye and turned her head to look over her shoulder. From her kneeling position on the floor in the center of her room, she could Bubbles standing in the doorway, a smile upon her lips. Upon seeing the mare, Raven smiled.
“I’m well,” Raven replied, still smiling and rising from her spot on the floor. It was summer in Equestria now, and the mid-afternoon sun lit up the room with a wonderful, bright glow. Perfect for meditation. In recent months, Raven’s vocabulary had expanded substantially. She could now explain and complete sentences much better than before.
So far, life in Equestria was good!
The visions had continued to happen, though. But with them, came learning. All she could piece together, was that at some point in her life, she had been aboard a ship long ago, part of some sort of group of children her age. Along with that, she was part of what she could guess to be an experiment that lead to the Warframe.
And that was all…
On the up side, she had slowly learned how to harness her seemingly growing abilities over the last few months. The energy wave was easy to master. It was rather convenient too, allowing easy grab of objects. The Void Beam had no use other that offensive attacks.
There were other abilities in her visions too, but she couldn’t seem to figure out how to use them. The ability to disappear was one that was going to take a lot of work and meditation. But for now, it was something for a later time, right now she was meeting with her mother! Well... it's not like she didn't see her on a daily basis, quite the opposite. But for the most part, that was limited to evenings and not midday. Rising from her spot, she wiped and straightened her jeans before heading for the door and exiting the room.
“More meditating?” Bubbles asked.
“Yeah,” Raven replied casually. “Need to keep my visions under contru…” she paused to think about the word for a moment. “Cont… contrul… ugh…”
“Con-trol,” Bubbles finished slowly. “Don’t worry though! You’re learning so much faster than most do!” Raven just nodded sagely. It was true that she was learning far faster than she expected. It was amazing she could understand them so well from the start. Perhaps it had to do with that… ‘experiment', or maybe the metal embedded in her face.
Well, whatever the reason, she didn’t question it. The rest of the walk was in casual silence. Within ten minutes, the pair were at the doors to the throne room. The guard to the right of the door stepped forward and bowed slightly before offering Raven the crown he was holding on a pillow. “Princess!” he greeted. Taking the simple metal tiara, she placed it on her head and bowed to the stallion.
It was hard to believe what had come of her. From warrior to royalty… well… royalty of a pony princess. Eh, she could be dead. Shrugging internally, the guards reached over and opened the doors and Bubbles said her goodbye before heading off in a random direction. Raven entered the massive throne room and immediately headed for the dais. Thankfully, she would not be holding the throne anytime soon, she could lead… a team of four, not an entire nation that still has a hit or miss record with her existence and recent come to power.
Some hated her simply for what she was and how she was not ‘from a proper suitor’ or ‘pure of blood’ as most nobles liked to call it. Others did their best to get in her good graces. Many offered their young sons as a suitor while others played nice to get what they wanted. Those were nothing but power plays.
It was a rare few that actually cared.
Foals and teen fillies did their best to look like her. The latest fashion magazines showed how apparently ‘eye patches are all the rage’! The metallic eye patch that Raven wore and the scar surrounding it became a teen hit.
It also lead to more accidents with stairs and flying.
Yeah, depth perception is kind of important when you have two eyes.
The eye patch didn’t last long in the fashion industry, but the scar and her hair style stayed. Hard to believe I became this popular, Raven thought. As it looked, her fighting days were long gone, replaced with a life of luxury. A semi-simpler lifestyle. It was nice.
Once Raven reached the bottom of the dais, she placed her hands behind her back and waited. Her eye wandered up to the three points of the small tiara that sat atop her head. Just a horseshoe type wrap that ended in three points on each end, very simple and rather powerful. Made a statement of ‘yeah, I am very important, but don’t flaunt it,’ while also saying, ‘I hold the power and you do not mess with my power’.
Up above, Celestia could see Raven waiting patiently, knowing that, the mare quickly wrapped up her discussion with Notepad. Nearby, Notepad's daughter Raven Inkwell, stood nearby, a clipboard full of notes in one hand and an eager look of learning upon her face. With a curt nod, Notepad agreed to her latest task and motioned for her daughter to follow. The pair turned to face human Raven, gave a bow, turned to Celestia and bowed before turning and disappearing behind the curtains that hung behind the raised dais.
Standing, Celestia held her arms over her head and stretched, her back popping in several places. “Ugh…” she groaned, exhausted. Life for her just never slowed down. Reaching up, she grabbed her tiara and unceremoniously dropped it on her throne, where it *tinked* loudly as it landed. “Finally! I can just sit back and relax for a few days…” Her attention moved to her waiting daughter, a loving and excited smile creeping onto her muzzle. Whatever it was, Raven always brought a smile to the old matriarch. “Finally, ready for some mother daughter bonding?”
Raven returned the smile with one of her own and reached up to remove the tiara. With a flick of her wrist, it sailed like a frisbee before *clacking* off the back of the throne and onto the seat next to the other tiara. “Yep!”
Celestia merely giggled at the action. “After holding power for a thousand years, it’s rare I get time to relax with the ones I love. Come! Cadance will meet with us later!” With a little pep in her step, Celestia was down the steps and leading the way towards the doors.
Within 15 minutes both mare and human were in Celestia’s personal royal bath. Unfortunately, even after several months of getting accustomed to her new self, Raven was still getting used to her new body as it were. Celestia, for her part, felt comfortable in her own fur. She entered the steaming room that held the massive bath in all her naked glory and not a single care in the world. The bath was private for a reason. She continued forward and didn’t hesitate to enter the bath and just sink. Her wings going limp as the heat of the bath attacked the pain in her sore muscles.
Raven was a little more reserved in her dark blue bathrobe. She removed it with little thought though, not like she was going to be judged by anyone and at this point, and Celestia had seen her nude multiple times now. As she hung her robe on one of the many hooks near the door, she looked down at her smaller form, the scars of experiments long past revealed. The scar under her arm was the only one she knew that had a story. The rest that lined her abdomen were a mystery.
Avoiding meditating on something that would lead to a brick wall, she turned and entered the bath with a sigh of relief. The naked pair sat in the warm water in content silence for some time, simply enjoying both their company and the feeling of warm water on sore muscles.
“So how are your meditations going?”
Raven didn’t realize that she had closed her eye. Opening it, she lifted her head from where it rested on the towel at the edge of the bath. Raven blinked once and wiped her eye with a wet hand, which didn’t seem to help at all. “Good,” she replied while still wiping her eye. After several seconds, she got it reasonably dry. “I’m still struggling with what some of the visions meaning… mean.”
That was also a slap in the face, how mature Raven seemed to be. She was smart to, solving complex math equations with ease. The only places she lacked in were history and magic. But that would be addressed on the fall. “Anything on further magic use?” Celestia inquired.
Raven sighed. “No… well… yes and no,” she answered, pushing off the edge of the bath and further towards the center, floating listlessly in the deeper center. “I can see… abilities?” Celestia nodded, smiling at the correct pronunciation of the word. “Teleportation and cloak is all I got.”
Celestia hummed in response. So, a temporary invisibility spell and winking, or teleportation spell? Rather difficult for a filly Raven’s age. Pushing off from her spot, Celestia joined Raven out in the deeper part of the bath and gently took the girl into her arms, holding her close as she used her wings to keep them afloat. “You will figure them out in time… and perhaps one day become a great mage!”
Everything seemed to stack up to exactly that. Raven’s magic didn’t show any forms of the ‘mancy teachings, strictly supportive roles. Although that beam, which over time had become smaller and finer with the burning of excess energy, was a formidable weapon. The two started to spin lazily in the water.
Celestia rested her chin on the top of Raven’s wet head. With both arms wrapped around her chest and her arms too, all the child could do was relax into her mother’s bare chest. I wonder how similar I will turn out as I age? More in the form of her body's aging process. Considering that there was a very similar visual build to that of a human’s back in the Origin System, perhaps she would fill out as it were?
Only time would tell… literally.
Both were so lost in thought, they didn’t hear the door open until it had been closed behind them. Celestia lifted her chin, slightly surprised and released Raven, only to calm down when she turned to see Cadance enter the bathroom in all her naked glory. Both females in the bath smiled welcomingly as she slowly entered the water herself. “Finally… made it!”
Cadance settled herself into the bath and closed her eyes contently. Deciding to finish their talk later, Celestia moved back to the edge of the bath and opened a wing and started preening it, plucking and adjusting feathers as needed. Cadance laid her head back and relaxed to the best of her ability.
Silence permitted throughout the room.
This is a perfect time to get back at Cadance for that cream cheese thing last month…
A devilish grin slowly formed on Raven's lips. “Cadance?” she asked, causing the teenage mare to open her eyes and lift her head. “When was the baby due again?”
Celestia’s head snapped so hard to her left, Raven swore she heard a whip crack. “WHAT!?”
***
“You are so dead,” Cadence grumbled as she walked side by side with cousin, rubbing her still stinging bottom. Next to her, Raven was struggling not to burst out laughing.
“Payback sucks, huh?” Raven asked between giggles. Oh, that was perfect! Celestia wasted no time by grabbing the begging teen princess and bending her over her knee and spanking her bare wet bottom. Raven was going to remember that smacking and begging for a very long time!
It wasn’t until Cadance was forced to do an unwanted pregnancy test that came back negative that Celestia finally apologized. It was a good prank though, if the princesses had to admit it. Had Celestia convinced, that’s for sure. To add more insult to injury, the timing fit too, because the spring heat was not too long ago and, as explained to Raven, meant that it was far enough into summer to check for pregnancies.
Boy, that heat was something though.
***
Raven wandered the seemingly dead halls of the castle. The only guards that held posts were mares, not stallions. When the season was only a few days away, everything had been explained in somewhat broad detail to Raven as to why just about every male in the castle staff were gone. Since apparently only that mares go into serious heat -for some strange reason- and they tend to be very moody and miserable and often spend time at home or beg their husbands and coltfriends for help. The young girl didn’t know much other than to use the word ‘reproduction’. Not quite sure how that work in general for ponies, or humans like herself.
Court had been cancelled for two weeks to accommodate for the spring heat season, making the castle seem even more dead than usual. Even though she seemed to be that age, or right around it at least, Raven wasn’t showing signs of heat. Then again, there was nothing to go off to compare her to.
There was one problem though.
“Gah!” Raven yelped as she was suddenly lifted into the air with a spin.
“How’s my baby girl doing!?” said girl heard her mother say above and behind her. Raven couldn’t respond as the top of her head was being smothered by her mother's face as she rubbed her cheek around Raven’s hair. “Ready to break-break!?”
“Uh… you mean breakfast?” Raven asked for clarification.
“That’s what I said baby!”
Yeah, so little know fun fact about alicorns and heat. When a mature alicorn such as Celestia goes into heat, her cycle is radically different from that of any other mares. Every ten years Celestia goes into a massive, very painful reproductive heat that stallions tell to scare their friends around the campfire.
Every other year though?
Celestia becomes extremely clingy and her, quote unquote, motherly side shows -for some odd reason that even she can't explain. Because she has refused to bear a child over the years, all that 'supposed' magic must go somewhere. Generally, it’s on the smallest, foal looking stallion or mare. Or she just goes to visit the orphanage a little more than usual.
This time, it was dumped all on Raven…
***
That was something for sure!
Where were they headed anyway?
In front of the pair of girls, Celestia led the trio dutifully. Rounding one final corner, the elder mare led the girls out of the castle and into the outdoor training grounds of the Royal Guard. They were empty at the current moment, leaving the three females alone for the current time being.
Confused, both Raven and Cadance searched the surrounding area for an answer. “The training grounds?” Cadance questioned. “What are we doing here?”
Celestia came to a stop not too far ahead, but didn’t say anything for several seconds. Both Raven and Cadance came to a stop themselves and shared a confused glance. After a short while, Celestia slowly turned around and held out a hand. “Raven, I believe that this is yours?”
Cadance glanced at the metallic object in her aunt's hand before she glanced down at Raven. Oh… so that’s where that went. Raven thought. In her mother’s hand, sat the still intact Lato pistol she had grabbed so long ago. Ordis…
“I have been examining this weapon ever since I got it,” Celestia admitted. “I want you to show me what it can do.” Raven’s eye continued to look up at the face of her mother then down to the weapon for several seconds.
Could she? Could she take up arms after such a time of peace?
I made an oath…
Swallowing the lump in her through, Raven stepped forward and with a shaky hand, reached out and took the weapon. There was no going back now. Several targets were set up not too far away, designed for the crossbow/spear range. Raven turned to face the targets, but hesitated. She lacked ammo…
A light *tinking* sound nearby grabbed her attention. Several magazines floated nearby in a gold aura. Raven glanced at her mother's horn before lifting a hand and taking the mags, dissipating the aura. She shoved them in her pocket and faced the targets fully once again. She pressed the mag release with her thumb and let the magazine in the gun drop into her left hand.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath…
Raven slammed the mag home and racked the slide with utmost speed and precision and took aim. Visions of a taller body and armored arms came forward. She was fighting grineer specters to prove herself to the Lotus…
Two gunshots rang out.
Both hit the target right in the head. Cadance snapped both hands to her ears and winced, not prepared for the loud crack of the pistol. Next to her, Celestia's horn glow dissipated as she finished casting her deafening spell. Raven snapped the next target and fires two more rounds, both stuck the head yet again. She went down the line, each target hit with two killing shots to the head. When she went dry on the last target she dropped the empty mag from the gun and pulled a fresh one from her pocket, slamming it in and racking the gun.
She went back down the line.
Keep going!
The Lotus spoke out to Raven. She had to finish the mission! Celestia blinked in shock when Raven spun and started running down the course. Cadance and Celestia shared a confusing glance before bolting from their spots, chasing after their third party.
Gunfire rang out as target after target recoiled slightly, prices of straw exploding out the back as the hollow point rounds tore out the back. Raven ran in between two lines of targets designed to simulate being flanked from both sides, each one received a round to the head. She continued to charged headlong as she climbed over a wooden wall, landing in a crouched position. She fired at two more, killing them, then bolted not long afterwards.
Celestia and Cadance hovered up above, confused just as much as they were nervous.
Raven continued this action for several more seconds. Firing at several targets and each side of her while she ran head first at a lone one directly in front of her. With her mags running dry, she couldn't afford to double-tap. Each target dropped dead from the rounds with every shot. Each foot step brought her closer to her intended target.
Raven saw a flash of red…
She tackled the final target, rolling on the ground once before pinning it under her with her knee. She held the gun at the figures head and unloaded the last of the rounds into his head.
“Raven!”
The girl panted heavily. “Finally!” She grabbed Stalker by his broken and bleeding helmet. “I hope you rot you son of a bitch!” she screamed at his dead corpse.
“Raven!?” A hand grabbed her by the wrist. Lifting her head, she saw the concerned look of the Lotus… before it faded to reveal Celestia’s even more concerned look.
What… what happened to her frame? Stalker and the Grineer?
And was she crying?
A tear rolled down the child's cheek as she slowly turned to look at the straw dummy pinned underneath her.
What…
What happened?
The gun clattered on the ground as Raven rose to her feet and immediate ran for the castle. Cadance lifted a hand and tried to stop her, but was shoved aside as Raven ran by…
"Auntie?" she asked, as Raven disappeared around a corner and into the castle.
***
Celestia stood outside of her daughter's room, Cadance right next to her. “What do you think happened?” Cadance asked nervously. She knew about what her cousin had been experiencing, and it made her nervous and equally concerned.
Celestia closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. “Probably another flashback…” This one seemed a little more intense than the others. Gods above… how Celestia wished that they would just end. This flashback really had to have really hit home from what Celestia observed. Perhaps a friend or a family member? Celestia knew that pained look.
The grabbed the handle to the room and pushed, only to have herself push up against the door. Locked. The mare ignited her horn and quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside. As she entered the room was pitch black, the lights off and dark curtains pulled shut. Celestia clapped twice and the lamp next to the bed ignited, causing the lump on the bed to jolt and curl up.
The two mares shared a concerned glance before Celestia approached the bed and took a seat. The bounce from her form caused the lump to move again. Celestia sighed and placed a hand on where she assumed Raven's side would be and started to rub it gently, comfortingly.
“I've seen that look to many times in my life,” the mare admitted. “That look of revenge after you have lost somepony very close to you…”
Under the blanket, Raven was listening silently. How did she know?
“Back when I was a filly,” Celestia continued through a story. “I had friends, and even myself at times, lost those close to us quite often. Whether it was war, raids, or animals, the pain… the, revenge… was tough. It was hard not to act on it.” The mare sighed a sad sigh. “But many did…” she stopped rubbing her daughter's side and reached up to remove the blanket, revealing Raven's messy hair.
“Honey, I know it has been tough. But please, remember them for who they were, and not by how they died…”
The room stayed silent for several seconds before Raven moved, rustling the sheets. She sat up and propped herself against the backboard, head hung low as tears rolled down her face.
By the void, what was wrong with her?
“Ordis…” Raven said softly, causing both mares ears to twitch. “His name was Ordis…”
Cadance took a seat in a nearby chair while Celestia placed a comforting hand on Ravens covered knee. “You two must have been very close?” Cadance asked softly.
Very. “He was my… aid.” It was going to be hard and probably impossible to convince these two that Ordis was a highly advanced cephalon A.I. that controlled a spaceship. How was she supposed to explain that anyway? This planet is decades behind the Origin System. Advanced technology such as what she was used to was nonexistent.
Might as well make a story out of it...
As the three girls continued to converse late into the night, telling stories of friends, family, and the ones they loved, a storm started to for over the city of Canterlot. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked overhead. As the storm raged on throughout the night, the three girls, and even the castle staff and guard failed to notice the large golden portal tear open in the castle gardens.
Golden lightning crackled and sparked as it singed the grass and obliterated a nearby statue. It lasted for several seconds before a body view through, landing face first in the wet grass. He laid lifeless, unmoving as the pouring rain splashed against his back and the garden grounds.
As the portal started to close, two strange weapons and a sword fell out, clanging against the ground as they landed. As the portal closed in on itself, it disappeared in a flash, leaving nothing behind but the scorched ground. Just above, a laughing statue watched on silently.