Heart of Raven Black

by Vin Diesels Go-Kart

Chapter 23: Things We Tell Ourselves

"I'm not going to argue with you about this, Thomas."

The annoyed Crow sat uncomfortably on a bar stool. The distillery wasn't over crowded, but the evening rush had already started. Across from Daniel sat his brother. The Zealot didn't know how many drinks he'd had, but it was enough to get the fool irritable.

Daniel hated when his brother drank. It always brought out their father in him.

"You don't have to argue about anything. I didn't ask you to come looking for me!" his brother spat back. A few heads turned, but no one approached them about the raised voices.

"I came here because I knew you were in trouble, and you didn't disappoint me in that regard. You sent four men to the hospital over a stupid bet."

"They owed me thirty dollars!" Thomas defended. "Besides, since when do you give two shits about what I do with my life? Where do you get off coming back here and playing the caring brother after all this time?"

Daniel stood up and leaned over the table.

"I went out and did something with my life. I didn't just give up on myself and wind up in the gutters. Now I'm here to drag you out of the mud so that you have a chance to actually succeed for once. I won't let my own blood waste away in this dead end town."

Thomas met his gaze and the two locked eyes.

"If my memory isn't completely shot yet, I remember you walking out on mom right when she needed us the most. She was on her way out when you walked out the front door and never came back." His eyes took on an extra glare as tears began to well up. "She needed us by her side and you just left her to die!"

"My presence wouldn't have saved her from her fate." the elder brother retorted. "Her mistake was traveling to that foul country. She should have realized that the filth alone would be enough to make her ill. It was her own damn fault that she got sick. Was I suppose to just lie there and die with her like you did?"

Thomas got up and kicked his chair away. The wooden furniture flew across the room and smashed into another customer. The man looked angrily at the brothers, but didn't take action against them, knowing well enough to stay out of the business of two feuding siblings.

"Our mother took care of us! She raised us as best she could and she always provided for us!" Thomas' face became red. "She gave birth to us for Christ's sake! And all you can think about is the one time she left us to pursue her own interests? Are you so selfish that you can't get over something so petty?"

Both of them now loomed over each other, their hands firmly on the table top. Everyone in the room could tell that each wanted to raise their arm at the other, yet no punch was thrown, no weapon drawn. Instead, Daniel merely crossed his arms.

"Don't try playing that 'holier than thou' shit with me you little convict. You act like I'm the criminal here when you're one mistake away from getting thrown into prison for life. You go around with built up anger, taking a swing at the first thing that makes you mad. It's a pathetic method of handling your unstable emotions."

Before Thomas could retort, the Crow started toward the door. The bar was dead silent, the only sound coming from Daniel's footsteps on the aged floorboards.

"I came here hoping to reconnect with my brother, whom I still care deeply for. If you want to stay here and rot, then be my guest." Daniel turned to his brother a final time before leaving the establishment. "But if you want to put your anger to better use, and save this family, then I'd recommend joining me outside."

The two brothers glared at each other. That night in the semi-crowded bar, they were the only two people in existence.

"I'll be out here for five minutes before you never see me again, if that is what you truly desire."

The Zealot let the door shut behind him, leaving his brother standing by the table. Thomas looked down at where his brother had been sitting. A single coin sat on his side of the table. Not any American currency, but familiar looking all the same.

Cursing himself, Thomas left some money on the table and ran out the door.

* * *

"Trixie, I need some support back here!" Daniel yelled. The blue unicorn looked at him, then quickly turned back to Irene.

"Stay here for now, okay?"

The little girl nodded fearfully. Another rocket whizzed by as Trixie ran over to join Daniel. They had retreated further into the back alleys, but the Columbian police were keeping them pinned. Daniel was directing his legion of crows at various aggressors, while simultaneously fending off others with his sword. Few made it by the crows, but those who did quickly met their end at his hand.

"We...... need an escape route." he grunted, pushing an officer away and then sticking him with his blade when the man recoiled.

"Why are you asking me to find a way out? Trixie isn't even from here!" she shouted.

"Well look around! Unless you'd like me to do it while you take care of them." he said, motioning to the gathering of police who were still fending off his avian horde.

A bead of sweat ran down the show mare's face. "I'll just go check this alley over here, shall I?"

The pony galloped as fast as her hooves could carry her. There were three ways out of their current position. One was being used by the police, another was blocked by a mountain of trash, but the other seemed promising. It was unobstructed and it didn't look like the police had covered it yet. She ran back over to the Crow.

"I think I've found our exit." she informed him.

"Alright."

He withdrew his blade from an unfortunate soul before turning to follow the blue unicorn down the alleyway. Trixie found Irene again.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"I d-don't think I can..."

"We can't stay here any longer."

The girl started crying. "I'm only goin' slow you down. You two gotta get outta here 'for they box ya in."

Trixie put a hoof on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "I'd rather get captured, or worse, than let you get hurt."

The two looked at each other.

"We have to move, now!" Daniel shouted. He watched as a pair of Firemen appeared at the front of the police's forces and let loose their fury. They started making quick work of the Zealot's flock.

Trixie looked around, frantically. She spotted a drain grate on the ground next to where Irene sat. The grating was broken and there was a hole just big enough for the girl to slip through.

"Do you know where that leads?" she asked, pointing a hoof at the grate.

Irene nodded. "The sewers."

"Is it safe down there?"

A fire grenade flew over them and landed in a nearby trash bin, setting it ablaze.

"Safer than up here!" the girl declared.

"Okay then, go quickly." Trixie ordered, pushing the girl with her muzzle.

Irene hesitated. "But what about you?"

"Trixie!" Daniel yelled. He had possessed one Fireman, who had started waging war on the other, but the police officers were back on the offensive and the Zealot was starting to become overwhelmed.

"We'll be fine." the unicorn assured the girl. "Now get going!"

Trixie ran over to the Zealot's side, shooting officers with magical blasts of energy that did nothing more than knock them back, while Irene slid through the grate and out of site. After a moment of fighting, there was a lull in the Columbian offensive.

"Now's our chance." Daniel said. The two quickly made for the other alleyway. Not more than ten seconds of running passed before both stopped. Their only other escape route was now swarming with Columbian military. The soldiers quickly got behind cover upon their approach.

"We need a new plan." Trixie said.

Daniel looked around, then looked up. The two buildings they were between separated by at least fourteen feet. The airships hadn't arrived yet, so the skies were still open, but of the pair of them, he was the only one who could utilize the sky.

Trixie created a shield between them and the military, who had already opened fire. Bullets ricocheted off the force field while on the opposite side, the police were still blocked by the two Firemen. They were still battling one another, but the familiar flashing of the possessed Fireman indicated that the spell he was under wouldn't last much longer.

The Zealot removed the coffin from his back and undid the chains.

"Get in." he ordered.

Trixie looked almost offended. "I beg your pardon?"

Several bullets raced by. One of the officers had sidestepped the Firemen and was now running toward them, firing off rounds as he did. Daniel shot Possession at the charging policeman, who quickly fell behind cover next to the pair.

"Unless you want to be left in their hands, I'd suggest getting into this coffin so we can depart." the Zealot advised hastily.

Turning back to the unicorn, he was surprised to see that she'd already climbed into the coffin and was awaiting further instruction, but the Crow offered none. Instead, he closed the coffin and resecured the chains. The military were still hammering away at the force field, but it now showed signs of weakening. The police were working their way up, avoiding bullets from their turned comrade.

Daniel lifted the coffin onto his back, the blue pony tucked inside, then turned back to his temporary ally. The officer's badge read "Nathaniel". Possession's green light blinked wildly as the Vigor lost it's power. When Nathaniel turned and faced the Crow, he was no longer under his influence, yet not entirely in control of himself either. The military broke through Trixie's barrier just as the police worked up enough courage to charge their position, but Daniel continued to look at Nathaniel.

The officer returned the gaze as he dropped the empty machine gun he'd been using, pulled out a pistol, gave the Zealot a quick salute, and then shot himself in the temple.

Daniel regarded his lifeless body for only a brief moment before Columbian forces were upon him. Quickly, he dissipated into feathered shadows, taking off into the air and flying out of sight.

* * *

Trixie didn't know how to describe the feeling. When the Zealot became the flock of crows, so too did the coffin. Teleportation was something that took getting used to. It was as if all of your mass is suddenly scattered through space, only to reform a moment later. However, this feeling only lasts a fraction of a second and is barely identifiable after the first use of the spell.

But this......This was something else entirely. It was as if her very mind was divided into multiple different entities. She could see from several perspectives at once, as if she had a dozen eyes all looking in different directions. When she finally realized that her thoughts were contained in the birds themselves, she began to sense another presence.

Daniel. She could feel him in there too. It felt as if their minds had been dumped in the same vat, and were now sloshing around together. At first the feeling, the idea, it repulsed her. Then she began to see. She could feel with him, think with him, and learn with him. His knowledge became hers. She could see snapshots of his life, his childhood, his years before Columbia as well as his eventual involvement with the city. She couldn't control what she saw or how much of it was presented to her, but she took in every bit of it with great interest. She saw different cities too. Not just Columbia, but other places. New York, Baltimore, Washington, Boston. They were so alien to her, yet they seemed so familiar.

Before the unicorn could observe any further, all of the minds suddenly collected together again, until there were only two. Then she slowly felt the other mind fade. It wasn't gone entirely, but it was barely noticeable amongst her own thoughts. She felt the coffin set down and heard the chains rattle as the Zealot undid them.

For some reason, she expected light to flood the small container when the Crow opened it, but it was barely any brighter outside. The clouds that had formed over the Everfree were now spreading across the rest of Equestria, and dusk would soon be upon them.

Trixie stepped out of the coffin and looked at her surroundings. They were back on Equstrian ground, but the exact location was a mystery to her. There were trees and fields and mountains, the only thing standing out being a random plaque that stood in front of what appeared to be a cave-in.

"Is this....?"

"Where he died?" Daniel finished. "It is."

Trixie walked up to his side. From the way he looked, she guessed that she hadn't just gotten a snapshot of his mind, but he had gotten one of hers as well.

"What happened? What was all that stuff I saw?"

Daniel rested his hand on the plaque. Rain was starting to fall, but only in small increments.

"It's a side effect of my powers." he explained. "When I become my flock, my mind is scattered amongst the birds that incorporate it. They become me, and I become them."

Thunder echoed across the fields at their back, and lightning illuminated the quiet mountainside for a brief moment.

"This side effect is made even more complex when another joins me." the Zealot continued. "When I transport someone in my coffin, their mind and my mind share the same space. We become almost like a single entity for the duration of the transformation. During this time, certain thoughts and memories can sometimes be transferred."

"So those images were of your past?" Trixie asked.

"Past, present, future. It makes little difference when our minds run the information. It can be anything from our past memories, to our current experiences, and even our future hopes and aspirations. When a Zealot takes someone else on with them when they dissipate, the two become very close. It is often a very intimate experience, when emotions and dreams can be traded and stored. Many other Zealots have reported lasting connections with their travel mates even after only a single transition."

He hung his head low as his hand fell from the plaque and to his side.

"That is why I've only ever transported Jacob by those means. His mind is locked away inside himself, left that way after years of indoctrination, and not even our sharing of thoughts could ever unlock who he used to be. The Boy will always be a blank slate, reacting only through raw emotion alone."

He turned to Trixie. The show mare was listening intently. "You were the first free mind I've ever traveled with."

The pony thought over the deep implications he was telling her. The information was so much to take in. Is that why she still felt his presence, even now? Had they truly been of the same mind?

But there was something even more pressing than that. She'd felt herself go over knowledge that even Daniel was still pondering. There were similarities between his world and hers that made her wonder.

"Our worlds....." she finally said. "They're connected, aren't they?"

The Crow thought a moment before choosing to answer. "Yes and no."

"What does that mean?" Trixie pressed.

The Zealot sighed. "Our worlds aren't connected, but they are two versions of the same place. This version of earth is simply another shade of the same color. There exist, in this multiverse, an infinite number of other universes where every possible outcome has happened, is happening, or is going to happen. Your world is simply another version of the world that I left behind. Sometimes the only difference between some of these universes are things like the color of the sky, but others can be as different as humans in one world and little ponies in another. Somewhere along the line, this world's history branched from my world's and the two ended up in very different places, but they are still very much the same."

"How can that be?" Trixie asked, perplexed.

"It's not the how or the why...." they both heard a voice say behind them.

"It's the who." another voice finished.

The two turned to find a pair of humans that they both recognized.

"The Luteces." Daniel scowled.

Trixie gasped. "It's you two."

"Wait, you know them?" the Crow asked, turning to her.

"Well yes, they were the ones who gave me that record player thing."

Daniel turned to them and gave them an accusing glare.

"You turn her into your own little messenger? Why not just give me that Voxophone directly?" he demanded.

"It's complicated." The man responded flatly. "And there really isn't enough time to answer. We've simply stopped by to warn you that you're soon going to have a visitor, and it may or may not be in your best interest to find some cover."

Daniel hadn't noticed the faint screeching sound until the twins mentioned it, but now he could hear that something was definitely approaching. He looked up, seeing nothing but the dark clouds. When he looked back down to where the Luteces had been, they were gone.

Another screech caused the gears in his mind to start turning, and the Crow suddenly realized what was coming. His eyes widened in fearful surprise, and he quickly grabbed Trixie.

"We need to find somewhere to hide!"

The two made for the closest cover just as the Songbird touched down.

Comments

[Cobra of England]

Ah, Songbird. Good to have it back.

[Zecoro]

Oh snap! The Songbird! Shits gonna go way the fuck down! Lol
By the way, i must say, this is one of the coolest stories i read all day (i had to add that last rhyme in lol xD)
No in all seriousness, this really is a fascinating story. Very creative. Very fascinating overall. I can see this as being one HELL of a knock off movie Hasbro could make. Not of the same pg level as your average mlp episode. Maybe lose some swears but otherwise this would make one BEAST of a knock off movie. 10/10 for this whole damn thing.
And another thing. Judging by what ive seen, im betting theres a story that comes before this one that i never read. Of Thomas's story perhaps. If there is, im all too excited to read it. But im loving this story. I anxiously await the next update. :)

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

3292157 Well thank you! I'm glad you're liking the story. And yes there is another story that takes place before this one. I'll add the link here so you can check it out if you want.

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

3291083 Yeah this wouldn't be a proper Infinite crossover if Songbird didn't start relentlessly hunting the protagonists. Haha