~Raze's Journey Chapter 7~
“I’m so sorry!” Raze apologized profusely while Octavia sat at a bench with a slightly annoyed expression upon her face.
“It’s fine, Raze. Really.” She said with an almost extremely calm voice.
“But I really want you to know that it wa-”
Octavia interrupted hastily. “An accident. You’ve said that about five times by now. I understand what you meant.”
Raze was about to continue despite her last interruption when Pinkie finally got back with a few more bandages. She laid down the wrappings upon the table and smiled.
“Octy, you’ve got to be more careful about who you pick to dance with! Also, why didn’t you say you were coming to visit?! I need to know when my sister is coming up!” Pinkie said while putting some peroxide onto a towelette and proceeding to dab it onto the medium sized cut on her forehead.
“I was here on business and wasn’t looking to be sidetracked. I had no idea that I’d have to attend a party in order to find out what my business entailed. Though, it is nice to see you again, Pinkie.” Octavia said while wincing slightly from the applied peroxide.
Vinyl who had since stopped playing music had just finished putting up her supplies and decided to join in on the conversation.
“I’d say Octavia was looking for some business, but not the kind she’s trying play off.” Vinyl said with a small smirk.
“Not now, Vinyl.” Octavia muttered as Pinkie applied a bandage to her cut.
Pinkie carefully wrapped it around Octavia’s skull two times before finally cutting it off and placing the tape to keep it together.
“All done, you’ll be just fine big sis!” Pinkie said while turning to look at the devastated wall of Sugarcube Corner.
“That wall though… It probably won’t be.” Pinkie finished with a small frown.
“I can try to fix it. I mean, I don’t have any money, but I can find a way to earn some to help fix it!” Raze said quickly as Octavia butted in.
“No, it’s fine. I can afford it easily.” She said while taking out a type of purse from behind her mane.
“No, I couldn’t let you pay for it! I should be the one to do i-”
“Sorry, what I meant to say was. I am paying for it.” She put emphasis on the word, “am” while throwing Pinkie two large silver bits. Pinkie caught them and gasped loudly.
“Wowie! These two bits are worth five hundred each! That’s way too much! It should only cost about one hundred bits or so to fix the wall.” Pinkie said while Octavia just shrugged.
“I make quite a bit in my profession, so it’s no trouble. I also think I may have missed a few of your birthdays unfortunately due to my work. So, I expect you to keep what’s not used little sis.” Octavia finished with a small smile.
Pinkie smiled at that. “Thanks so much, Octy!” She wrapped Octavia in a bone crushing hug quickly.
Octavia returned the crushing hug back for around a full minute before trying to let go of Pinkie who was determined to make it last.
“Pinkie, you’re crushing me.”
Pinkie let go almost immediately. “Oops, sorry…”
“It’s not too big an issue.” Octavia said as Pinkie reached out again only to be stopped.
The Doctor and Derpy were looking over the booth next to Octavia’s booth. The Doctor frowned slightly while Derpy just retained her natural smile.
“So, hows that “Job” going, Octavia?” The Doctor asked her as she narrowed her eyes.
“You…” She emphasized the word causing Pinkie to back away as Raze looked up.
“Do you know him too?” Raze asked her.
Octavia immediately shook her head. “I know nothing about him and he doesn’t know me. For now…”
“If you want to play, I’m more than willing ol- mmph!” The Doctor was silenced by Octavia who seemed to have moved from her chair at a speed unseen by most everyone except Raze.
‘She’s fast!’ Raze thought as he watched Octavia remove her hoof from the Doctor’s muzzle.
“Not a word.” Octavia whispered while moving away.
The Doctor frowned, but agreed silently. As Twilight mimicked the frown.
“Why are you here?” Twilight asked her.
Octavia turned to her and smiled. “I do need to have a word with you later… I’ll tell you then.”
Twilight wanted to ask her more, but decided to it for now. “Fair enough. We’ll talk at the library tonight.”
Octavia nodded. “Thank-you.”
“Well, it’s beginning to get a tad late, so I must be going.” Rarity intervened while Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded in agreement with her.
“Got to catch up on my sleep for work tomorrow.” Rainbow Dash said to them.
“Bout the same idea here.” Applejack said with a small frown.
“Awww… But the party isn’t over yet!” Pinkie exclaimed to them.
“Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but I am tired…” Twilight said as Pinkie frowned.
“Bu-” Pinkie was silenced by Octavia.
“You can come over with me and Twilight to the library. Think of it as a small sleepover.” Octavia finished as Pinkie smiled and pulled her into a hug.
“Thank-you so much, Octy! I’ll go get my sleeping bag!” With that, she zoomed off leaving the group to disperse leaving Octavia, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Raze to sit at a table.
The Doctor and Derpy were still there at another booth of course and Vinyl was busy putting up her equipment.
Pinkie trotted down the stairs carrying her things which just so happened to be much more than just her sleeping bag.
“I got my stuff all packed up!” She said excitedly.
“That’s great, Pinkie!” Twilight said while Octavia smiled.
“Shouldn’t we be going then?” She asked with a flip of her mane.
Fluttershy nodded, “Ummm… I should go too. But…” She stopped right there.
“But what?” Raze asked her.
Fluttershy hid behind her mane. Thoughts buzzing through her head. She felt like they’d been watched all night. But she hadn’t heard anyone speak up, so she kept it to herself.
“Well, ummm… It just feels like s- something’s been watching us all night.” Fluttershy said to Raze as the other ponies looked at each other.
The Doctor looked over at Octavia with an accusing glance that went unnoticed by the others. Octavia’s ears folded back and then she stepped back.
“I’ll go check around and see if anything is happening outside.” She stepped forward only for Twilight to join her alongside Pinkie.
“You’re not going anywhere alone, Sis!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Octavia’s ears folded down, “Look, I appreciate that you care for my wellbeing, but I don’t think it would be wise of anyone to follow me.”
While the argument continued, Raze and the time duo left the building with Fluttershy following them. She tried to avoid putting herself in the way of the argument.
“So… What now?” Raze asked them both.
“Well, we’re heading home for the night. I’m sure that should be the next destination for you, Raze.” The Doctor stated while Derpy yawned and shook her wings.
“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late here.” Derpy said while her eyes mismatched themselves.
Raze nodded in agreement while suddenly feeling tired, ‘Is this a trend?’ He questioned himself while Fluttershy tried to make herself known.
“Umm… I- If you wouldn’t mind…C- Could you help me get back to my c- cottage?” She said in the hopes that she wouldn’t have to travel alone.
Raze knew where Pyrus’ mountain was and figured that her home was close enough, so he agreed with a smile, “Yeah, let’s go.”
He turned back to Derpy and the Doctor, “See you guys tomorrow.”
“The same to you, Raze.” The Doctor said while Derpy followed him away.
“Well?” Raze said to Fluttershy who smiled back.
“Thank you, Raze.” She said as she moved forward.
“No problem.” He returned while following her.
The time passed as they reached the bridge and continued past it. Silence was what dominated the walk making the ambiance around them far more noticeable. Crickets scratched their legs together and the occasional frog could be heard croaking.
Raze and Fluttershy walked down the path that brought them closer to her humble abode. The area was generally quiet after getting by the river. The only sound being hooves and boots tapping the ground every second with the occasional scratch of the crickets.
Raze looked around warily. ‘What’s this feeling I’m getting?’
A chilling wind blew through the area. Fluttershy shivered and Raze stopped walking.
“So… The weakest accompanies you…” The voice seemed to appear from everywhere and yet nowhere could any figure be seen as Raze looked around.
“Who’s out there?!” Raze questioned as Fluttershy moved closer to Raze while the wind picked up yet again.
Fluttershy looked up as blackness descended upon them both capturing Raze and her respectively.
Raze instantly lost sight of Fluttershy alongside the world around them. His senses felt dulled and he immediately tried moving only to stumble back.
‘What’s happening to me?!’ Raze became desperate and decided to run forward to try and escape the shadows moving around him only to finally hit something.
Just in that instant his momentum that had brought him forward was now being reversed as his landed upon the ground sprawled out as his lifted his head up to see what he’d hit. What looked back at him appeared to be his shadow.
“Hello, Ap-” The shadow was whisked away as ki blast disintegrated it’s form.
‘This must be what Discord was talking about...’Raze thought while getting up quickly.
“Fluttershy! I’m going to get rid of whatever this is! Try yelling if you hear me!” Raze shouted only to hear nothing in return.
He felt a tapping on his shoulder and turned only to feel a sudden lance of pain as his face bashed by an iron-like fist. Hitting the ground as the shadow walked toward where he lay.
“You were rude to me. Now I’ll repay you.”
---
Fluttershy galloped through the darkness’ seemingly endless path as she finally stopped at a dead end that revealed a unicorn standing before her.
“T- T- Trixie?!” Fluttershy gasped as she backed away.
The unicorn before her shook her head, “No you foal… I’m much more than that pathetic mare.”
She stepped forward revealing that the unicorn’s usual colors were a much darker blue. Though the cutie mark still resembled Trixie’s yet the star was more pronounced and blackened.
Fluttershy turned tail and galloped away as she was confronted yet again by the much darker Trixie.
“Thou dost not understand thy position. Thou art in Our world now!” False Trixie yelled aloud as the ground shook and cracked around them both.
“What?!” False Trixie questioned as several blasts flew past them hitting areas outside the shadow area which created a way out for Fluttershy. She resumed her escape as several more powerful hits were heard.
---
Raze stumbled back as the Shadow ran forward only for Raze to jump to the side and fire a ki blast from his left palm. A loud explosion was heard that could be heard from even Canterlot at that point.
Raze landed only to find the Shadow right next to him, “That won’t work!” Raze felt the knee crash into his stomach causing him to gasp and reach down only for him to be bashed in the face.
Raze hit the ground with a crash and was then subjected to a large blast of mysterious energy. The explosion was much smaller than the one caused by Raze’s attack.
The Shadow looked seemed to start laughing as he turned to Raze, “You move pretty quickly.”
“If anything, I move much slower during a race I had the other day, but that’s not for you to concern yourself with. I’ll end this now.” Raze finished as he jumped toward the Shadow.
“You know that all of your attacks won’t work, but I suppose that you’ll try any-” The Shadow’s body disappeared as Raze phased through it.
“way… What was the point of that?!” The Shadow questioned as Raze frowned.
“I’m still trying to figure this out?” Raze questioned aloud.
“You won’t have the ti- ah!” The Shadow stopped its movement.
Raze frowned, “Wha?”
---
Fluttershy looked to see that the darkened Trixie had stopped in place.
“Huh?” Fluttershy queried while Dark Trixie stumbled back.
‘No! What’s happening to me?!’ The body appeared to be convulsing rapidly as the horn holding the shadowy magic sparked erratically.
‘Thy body is worthless!’ The blackened soul of the nightmare seemed to be corroding away alongside Trixie’s own.
Raze looked on as the shadow broke to pieces before him. The world around Fluttershy and Raze disappeared in a few large flashes leaving behind a much more weakened Trixie who seemed to be still controlled by the menacing creature inside her.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?!” Raze questioned her.
“Yes, but I should be more concerned for you! You look hurt.” Fluttershy said while going over to him.
“It’s nothing I can’t handle!” Raze said with a smirk as he frowned and turned his attention to their attacker who already seemed to be much better than before.
Shadow Trixie smirked herself, “We believe it’s time to leave.”
Raze shook his head, “No way! No more interruptions! We settle this now.” He flashed forward appearing beside her only for her to disappear in flash of light.
“Raze! Look out!” Fluttershy gasped as Raze turned to find another flash of light sparking in his face effectively blinding him to five claws slicing down his back.
Raze moved away only to find that whatever it was could move extremely fast. He moved to the side and opened his eyes.
“Gotcha!” He grabbed the revealed beast by the arm and threw him off to the side.
The creature itself seemed to have a lion’s body, wings, and something else that he couldn’t quite see, but he was sure something was back there. Raze frowned and got into a fighting stance.
“I don’t know what you’re supposed to be, but it’s all over…” He leapt forward and thrust his fist into the beast’s stomach ripping straight through the other side as the beast roared in agony. Seconds pass as the beast stops entirely and then hunches onto Raze's side
Raze held the beast as he heard the sound of hooves disappearing into the distance. Then he heard a horrified scream come from Fluttershy and he looked down to his left side to find that a stinger protruded from the area.
His eyes widened as he pulled his fist out of the creature’s stomach. He backed off with his left arm still covered in blood. The stinger pulled out as he stumbled back and hit the ground. Pain coursed through his body as he began to twitch.
His eyes lost focus and everything went dark as several ponies filled his vision.
---
The darkened Trixie galloped through the back alleys of Ponyville with a smile upon her face. Surely she had won the night and could move on to her next targets. Confident that she wouldn’t be found, she slowed to a stop and slumped onto the wall next to herself.
Her horn had a small crack at the tip and continued to spark, but the important thing was that the body she inhabited still lived.
She felt her eyes beginning to droop, ‘Thy only problem wouldst be Thy timing.’ The nightmare within commented as several hoofsteps were heard coming into the alley.
“Well, I expected this feeling to be false…” An unfamiliar voice spoke up as the nightmare made the body tighten up.
Trixie’s form stood up as she looked to see an earth pony walking toward her. A strong wind blew in as Trixie looked at the end of the alley to see yet two more ponies walking toward them.
She turned to back to the first earth pony who to have something around her neck shining.
“It’s a shame that you turned up here. What’s even worse is that I’ve lost fifty bits…” The voice was definitely identifiable as a female as the nightmare Trixie backed up.
“Thou dost not scare Us!” Trixie’s voice coated with an air of unease as the light grew brighter encompassing her form.
The shadow within her began to break apart and that’s when a loud explosion seized the area and a black form escaped into the sky leaving the body of a unicorn behind with an even larger crack in her horn.
“And she’s gotten away… At least she left us a gift.” The earth pony collected the body and was soon flanked by her two allies as they left the alley.
The multiple ponies failed to notice that a lone pink pony was watching them the whole time.
~End of Chapter~