//------------------------------// // Molt // Story: Raven’s Last Flight // by Chemtest //------------------------------// “Official announcement from Princess Celestia, exclusive Canterlot Times issue. Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria, has left the country today to go traveling in the lands of Centauria, Saddle Arabia, Purrsia, and Donkania, citing that she feels shame for not having assisted fight off the changelings. Our reporters managed to catch the Princess before she left the city, asking for a comment. She responded, ‘Thrice have we felt shame for having failed our nation, it eats away within our moonlit soul. When we threatened eternal night in a state of madness, and we could do nothing to stop ourselves, instead we relied upon untrained citizens, mere foals compared to us. Then, when Discord, our very uncle, was released from his Harmonic prison, we did naught to help him, but once more relied upon the tenuous bonds of friendship and the unstable nature of magical artifacts. Then when our very own capital city was under attack, we did naught but sleep through it. We have become weak. We shall be no more.’” A squeaky shout sounds, “What do you mean you don’t know what a Cutie Mark is?!” “When asked to comment, Princess Celestia told our reporters, ‘Princess Luna has always been a mare of action, itching to move and to fight what she sees as evil. Indeed, that is what caused her fall to the Nightmare, for she always felt the need to fight for what was right, so she was coerced into fighting for what’s wrong. I can… understand why she would feel shame for the events of the Wedding, indeed, I do myself, being defeated when my ponies relied on me. I suppose I just didn’t want to fight Chrysalis, she used to be… a good pony, a loyal citizen of Equestria. I digress, I fully support the actions of my sister in whatever she does. Most of her life has been spent fighting, from the moment she was born and used as a slave in the Romauian arena, all the way to when I sent her to the moon.’” A southern voice would shout in disbelief, “You mean your ponies don’t know a thing about Cutie Marks? How?!” “Princess Luna trots towards troubling news, it would seem, as our office in Saddle Arabian capital, Mehdicha, has reported troubling news of a new king unifying the Centaur tribes, and Catser Wilhelm of Purrsia mobilizing his troops on the Donkanian border. One must wonder, with such conflict in the area, why would Princess Luna decide to go there and not somewhere else? One journalist speculates that Luna wishes to seek war and bloodshed, in order to ‘redeem the blood she hasn’t shed since her return’, others, under the impression that the Moon Princess is a vampire, say that she leaves to find new blood to drink. Nobody can say for sure, but the presence of the Princess is sure to shake up those realms.” A scratchy voice would shout, “You’re lying! You have to be!” The shouting is stopped as a changeling guard, holding a newspaper, turns around and shouts at the imprisoned foals, “Hey, stop fighting in there, food’s here.” As he says that, another changeling would arrive, carrying bowls of mushroom soup and bread. The food trays would be slid into the cell, to the hooves of the foals, with Raven looking at it, sitting down and shrugging, “I do not even know what a Cutie Mark is, I cannot say much else than that. However, they do sound fascinating to study, so I would be glad to join your group. It’ll be the first time I’m working with crusaders.” Apple Bloom frowns and sits down her with her food, “You keep saying odd things, Raven. Where are you even from?” He looks at his food, and then leans down, taking a bite of bread, only for his eyes to widen, “That’s… bread. I taste it. How fascinating.” He then quickly devours his entire meal, making a mess of everything as he does, before sitting up, a small smile on his face, “It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted bread or mushroom soup.” Scootaloo, meanwhile, would take a sip of the soup, only to gag at it. He then looks at Apple Bloom, “You won’t recognize the name, I’m sure. It’s gone by many. Black Forest, Germania, Abnoba Mons, so on. It is a forest around which the Gothic peoples have come to settle. As for where I’m originally from, it’s a realm called Judea.” Sweetie Belle’s ears perk up, with her swallowing a piece of bread, “Wait, wait, wait, you’re from a place called Judea, and then you moved into a forest which is a dark color, and the Goth settled near to it? And you haven’t eaten bread in a long time? And you act this… strange?” She looks at her friends, and then at him, leaning in, “You’re Death, aren’t you? You were mentioned in a book we read.” He would look at her, that small smile slowly growing, “You… are a very clever person for your age, Sweetie Belle. I was unaware your people knew of me, I do not know how records from Earth would end up here, a different realm.” Scootaloo would slowly blink, “Umm, isn’t that jumping to a conclusion really quickly? He doesn’t even look like a skeleton.” He nods along, “Oh yes, I was a skeleton once. Then a group of paladins killed me, and I was fully dead… until I woke in the middle of a city in a body that isn’t mine. It was quite strange. I had to figure out how to walk on four legs, and then I was kidnapped.” Sweetie smiles, “See? He was a skeleton once. Plus, look at the color of his eyes, green. His body is dark, like the dark magic he uses. It just all lines up too much to be a coincidence. Plus, we are the sisters of the ponies who met Discord, and Chrysalis, and Nightmare Moon, two of which were foal stories. Is it really that much of a stretch?” Apple Bloom would look him up and down, “Can ya prove it, Raven? Or… should I be calling you Death now?” He looks at her, “No, Death was always a title given by others. I chose Raven, I like it more. Ah, I have likings for names now, how odd.” He then holds up a hoof, pausing, closing his eyes, “Exoskeleton shall do nicely.” He slams the hoof down onto the floor, the exoskeleton there morphing itself, fitting his hoof, with him lifting it up, now having bony fingers made of black chitin, “Not many materials here, so this should work.” The three fillies are left staring, until the changeling guard speaks, “You, colt.” Raven would turn to face him, with the guard giving him a nod, “Those fillies there say you’re Death. That true?” He blinks, “You would kidnap me without knowing? Now surprising. Yes, I am Death, if you must call me that.” The changeling frowns slightly, and then opens the gate, motioning him to leave, “Come with me, the Queen will wish to speak with you, alone.”