Quoth the Raven: Into the Light

by LordLycaon

Let There Be Light, Part 1

“Maybe you have to know the darkness, before you can appreciate the light.” - Madeleine L’Engle

-o-

A chilly nighttime breeze ruffled her fur as she left the theater, causing a shiver to course over her body. Her teeth chattered for a second before she felt a warm coat being draped over her withers. Summer Streams smiled up to her boyfriend as she pulled the coat about her tighter. “Thank you, Page. It’s getting really cold out here.”

The stallion—Page Topper—gave her a warm smile. “You’re welcome. I can’t let a pretty mare like you catch a cold, can I?”

A faint blush crept up under her dark tan fur, and she brushed a lock of her verdant green mane out of her eyes. “You say the sweetest things.”

He nuzzled her behind the ear. “And I mean every word.”

Again, she felt the heat rise up to her face and she nuzzled at him back. “That was a good show, Page. How did you get us tickets? I was sure it was sold out.”

A cockier grin crossed his face. “Well, when I interviewed the director for the newspaper, he was kind enough to invite me and a date back to watch. Just another perk you get for dating the best journalist in Manehatten.”

“And certainly the only perk.” She chuckled as it was his turn to blush, but a soft frown crossed her face as a thought occurred to her. “I do feel kind of bad I ditched Swirling Line for our date. We’d planned a girl’s night out, but…” She gave him an impish smile. “I think this was the better idea. She’d understand.”

“I should hope so,” Page said, and the two shared a laugh before another breeze blew through. “How about we get something warm for the road home?”

She smiled widely and nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

The two started walking down the streets of Manehatten, ponies of all walks of life passing the two without much notice. Skyscrapers loomed over them like giants, and the street lamps gave the grimy streets a warm glow.

As she walked, Summer cast a warm look in Page Topper’s direction. She had only been dating him for a few weeks, and he kept their relationship romantic but respectful. If she was a good judge of character with stallions (and she had known her fair share), she knew that he was going to take an extra step tonight. The thought of their first “special night together” caused the mare to smile softly, and she walked closer to him, even going so far as to lean into him as they walked.

He caught himself before he could stumble and looked at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Mmm.” She nodded. “I’m still cold.”

He tilted his head curiously at her. “But I gave you my jacket, it isn’t enough?”

“Oh, it’s warm.” She leaned into him again. “But, you’re warmer.”

He blushed rosily. “Oh… Well, that’s okay the—”

Summer screamed as a large pony landed in front of them. It wasn’t the fact that he seemed to have jumped out of nowhere at them that caused her to scream, but the fact said pony wore a suit of green and yellow spandex—with a ratty brown mane sticking out of the top—and wore a set of the most hideous goggles she’d ever seen. The way the wide lenses had large googly eyes in them caused the mare to almost jump out of her skin.

“Nya ha! Scream all you want pretty mare! For I, the Frog, am here to steal your valuables! Hoof them over, or face my froggy rage!”

While Summer had fallen on her haunches, staring up at the insane pony in a frog suit, Page stood protectively in front of her. “Buddy, I don’t know who you are, but—”

The googly eyes turned their attention to him. “Are you trying to get froggy with me? The Frog?! Hoof over your bits, tough guy, or we’re gonna bounce!”

“Listen you—” Page didn’t have time to react as the spandex-wearing pony suddenly leaped off of all fours and kicked Page squarely in the chest. The fierce kick sent him soaring into the side of the building, all the while knocking his bit purse into the air.

“Page!” Summer screamed in horror as the bit purse landed in the waiting hooves of the Frog.

“Nya ha! A heavy purse for once.” The pony suddenly turned his attention on her. “Now, pretty mare, let’s not make things worse and hand over your valuables!”

She stuttered as she reached for her bit purse. “P-Please, d-don’t hurt us.”

He snatched the purse from her shaking hooves, a wide happy smile on his face. “Nya ha ha! I, the Frog, would not harm a pretty mare as long as she gives me her—” His head snapped to the side. “Eh?”

“Don’t you ever quit?!” They heard a distorted voice say.

Summer screamed again as a pony made of living shadow sped through the air and tackled the Frog to the ground. The spandex pony landed with a grunt and kicked off his attacker.

The shadowy pony flapped their wings and landed near the stunned Summer Streams. “Are you alright?” it asked her in a voice that sounded like a mishmash of two different voices.

Summer’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open when she looked at her rescuer. The way the shadows seemed to swirl around the pony’s body, the way the mane, tail and wings seemed to drift off like flames, and the pure yellow eyes that looked at her in concern, it could only be one pony that stood before her.

“T-the Raven…” she said breathlessly.

The Raven nodded to the groaning Page Turner and turned to face the Frog as he got back to his hooves. “See to your boyfriend. I’ll take care of this guy.”

“Nya ha! The Raven thinks she can take down the Frog? No one can defeat the Frog!”

The Raven facehoofed. “Are you kidding me? This is the fourth time this month that I’ve run into you! How do you keep getting out of jail?”

The Frog posed dramatically. “No bars of iron can keep the slippery Frog locked up, and the Frog certainly did not crawl through sewers to make his escape either!”

The Raven sighed in exasperation.

He laughed arrogantly. “If the Raven thinks she can capture the Frog, then I dare her to leap!”

“You asked for it!” The Raven gave a flap of her wings and lunged at him, but he quickly leapt above her tackle and she crashed through a number of trash cans.

“Nya ha ha ha! The bird will have to try harder!” He darted for a nearby fire escape. “Alleyoop!” With an impressive leap, he caught hold of the platform and leaped from one to another before he got to the rooftop of the building.

The Raven spit out a bit of muck and glared up at the bouncing crook. “I hate that guy…” She quickly looked in Summer’s direction as the unicorn helped her struggling boyfriend. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him.”

“Don’t let him get away,” Summer said while the stunned Page Turner leaned on her shoulder.

“Promise!” the Raven yelled before she flapped her wings and took to the sky.

Summer watched as the shadow pony disappeared over the roof’s edge. “Get him,” she said nastily as she realized her night was now completely ruined.

-o-

‘This guy is really starting to get on my nerves.’

Swirling Line hopped from shadow to shadow as she chased down the crazy thief who called himself the Frog, a guy who dressed up like a frog and robbed ponies in the street. Who even does that? Seriously, at least guys like Mafioso and his thugs Knives and Brawn were somewhat understandable, albeit all of them were insane (though she had to wonder whether Mafioso was crazier than that sadist Knives).

‘Let’s just get this over with and go back home,’ muttered Nevermore. The shadow spirit who inhabited her body was just as fed up with the Frog’s endless antics as she was. At first, he’d annoyed her with snide, frog-themed quips when they encountered him, but the stallion was already rapidly losing whatever charm he might’ve had.

“Nya ha ha! Still think you can take down me, the Frog, crazy bird lady? Someone’s feeling froggy, and it ain’t just me!” The Frog called back at her as he laughed and leaped from one building to another.

Swirling growled. “That does it!” She flapped her wings furiously, quickly catching up to the leaping Frog.

“Nya ha!” he laughed before he caught hold of a hanging pole. He flipped over it and spun during his flip and caught her squarely on the chin with a kick.

She grunted painfully as she flew back and crashed into a shed on the roof they were on. Gardening tools showered all around her as the wall of the shed fell on top of her, the shadows around her body protecting her from any sharp objects that might’ve cut her open normally.

‘You flew right into that one,’ Nevermore said with more than a hint of exasperation.

‘If you make one more joke, Nevermore...’ Swirling said as she rubbed at her pained chin.

She looked up to see the Frog striking a pose atop another shed, it’s dramaticness enhanced as the moon shone behind him. “Now you see that the Frog is superior than any black birdie mare thing! Nya ha ha ha!”

“You’re aware of how childish you sound, right?” the Raven asked with eyebrow raised in annoyance. The Frog, apparently ignoring her stated question, only continued laughing victoriously. This guy really liked the sound of his own voice. “Whatever. Time for you to go night-night.”

“You fool! The Frog isn’t even sleepy! In fact-!” He was interrupted by a shadowy hoof to his face, sending him flying across the roof until he skidded to a stop near the edge. He briefly raised his head, babbling incoherently, before completely surrendering to unconsciousness.

Swirling sighed as she picked the stallion up, silently thankful for her strength enhanced by Nevermore’s shadow magic. “This took way longer than necessary.”

‘Let’s just get him back in jail before he wakes up,’ suggested Nevermore, to which the pegasus nodded and took off, making sure to bring Summer Streams’ purse back to her. All things considered, not the worst night of her life.

-o-

A pair of eyes followed the Raven as she soared across Manehattan after having discreetly brought the audaciously dressed stallion to the nearest police station. The pony watching narrowed her eyes. She had heard tell about the Raven, though, until now, she had never seen the mysterious being in action. She knew the magic that the shadowy mare used.

Perhaps a meeting with this supposed hero was in order…

-o-

She beamed happily at the all the ponies before her. Every one of them spoke of how wondrous the works of Swirling Line were. Such masterful artistry, such creativity! Even Princess Celestia spoke of how great the pegasus’ paintings were, how they conveyed such incredible emotion, how well the colors blended to create true masterpieces.

“It’s nothing, really,” Swirling said as ponies showered her with praise. “It all just comes to me.” Her many adoring fans and admirers gave their approval of her modesty through applause and nods of encouragement.

A hoof fell on Swirling’s shoulder, and she turned to see an alicorn with a navy blue coat and a mane like the night sky looking down at her with an oddly serious expression.

“Swirling Line,” said , “we must—”

“WAKE UP!”

The purple-and-white pegasus’ head shot up from the counter as the sound of a stallion’s voice hollering at her, her eyes wide in shock as her dream fell apart, forcing her back into the waking world. Her eyes darted around until she found her boss, Lou, leaning out of the kitchen window with an irate glare.

“Get back to work, Line!” he shouted. “We got customers to feed! Get your flank in gear, or get out!”

“Sorry,” she muttered as she pushed away from the counter, stifling a yawn with a hoof.

“Still no sleep again, huh?” asked Summer Streams, who was busy at the cash register.

“Only enough that I don’t sleep through the entire day,” Swirling answered. “About three hours.”

“Ouch. That can’t be healthy.” The unicorn huffed and flattened her ears as she helped another customer. “At least you didn’t have a date ruined by some crazy guy in a frog suit.”

Swirling’s head snapped back in apparent surprise, but she struggled to keep a knowing smirk off of her face. “A guy in a frog suit? Your dates keep getting crazier and crazier, Summer.”

The unicorn gave her an irritated glare, her tail swishing. “Real funny, Swirling. The guy mugged us and kicked Page Topper so hard, he had to go to the hospital to make sure nothing was broken.”

Swirling hoped her gasp was realistic sounding. “He did? Is he okay?”

Summer nodded. “Yeah, he was just sore.” A smile ran across her face. “But we were saved by the Raven! Can you believe it?”

“No way!”

Summer’s smile only widened at Swirling’s apparent surprise. “It’s true! She chased that goon down and even got our money back!”

“She sounds pretty amazing,” Swirling said, unable to keep the grin off her face.

‘Ego,’ Nevermore grumbled.

‘Oh, be quiet. I’m allowed some recognition.’

‘Ponies...’

“She is!” Summer grinned wide. “I hope I actually get to thank her some time.”

Swirling shrugged grandly. “You never know, you just might.”

“It would be—”

“GET TO WORK!” they heard Lou yell from the kitchen.

They both turned towards the window but they saw the owner of the restaurant hard at work making meals.

“How does he do that?” Swirling asked with a bemused stare.

“It’s like he has eyes in the back of his head,” Summer said, with similar smirk.

The two shared a humored giggle, and as Swirling went back to catering to an ungrateful lot of customers, her mind couldn’t help but drift back to her daydream. Who was that strange pony who tried to talk to her? She was certain she’d seen her likeness somewhere before, but couldn’t put her hoof on where.

-o-

Manehattan was a hive. All the ponies in this city ran around like bees, scurrying and flying about as they made their way to and from work and home, ran petty errands, trotted around the streets with supposed friends, and blathered on and on, completely unaware of the very real danger that skulked in the shadows of the night. An evil that could undo all the good that the Disciples of Light had worked towards for decades.

White Star looked up at the sky, squinting her eyes at the sun slightly. Loathe as she was to admit it, sunlight didn’t sit well with her on a physical level. Being albino meant she burned easily, forcing her to wear a cloak around her body that hid her pristinely white coat and mane. She despised having to wear it. It felt too much like a disguise.

‘It is a curse I must bear,’ she always told herself whenever she lamented her unfortunate genes. ‘An eternal test of my faith. A test I must not fail.’

As she walked along the street, passing ponies who only occasionally gave her a passing, curious glance, she spotted an older stallion standing by the entrance of an alleyway. She scanned him briefly, her crimson eyes quickly spotting a necklace bearing a symbol reminiscent of an eye hanging from the stallion’s neck. She approached him, and he nodded at her the moment he spotted her, already knowing who she was.

He led her down the alley, arriving at a door marked with the same symbol that his necklace bore. He knocked on it three times, then four more, then twice. After a few moments, a slot on the door opened, a pair of eyes scrutinizing them.

The pony behind the door said, “I am here all the time, even if you cannot see me. I appear to be as big as a dime. I am able to do something different, but closer than another galaxy. I am important in your life in more than just a couple ways. What am I?”

“You are the sun,” said White Star and the stallion at the same time. The slot on the door closed, and the sound of locks being opened, followed by the door turning inward, a scrawny pegasus stallion motioning for them to enter.

White Star lowered her hood once she was inside, immediately receiving respectful bows from everypony before her as she removed her cloak.

“Mistress White Star,” the older stallion said, his head low. “We are grateful that you saw fit to grace us with your presence.”

The snow white mare nodded. “Unfortunately, I am not visiting for pleasure. I have received word of this… Raven creature. What do we know of it?”

The stallion looked back at his fellow Disciples, all of whom bore looks of shame. “Not much, I’m afraid. Only that it’s capable of melding into the shadows, as it were one itself, and is much stronger and faster than any normal pony. From witness accounts, it strikes from nowhere, and returns to nowhere, usually attacking petty criminals.”

She thought on that for a few moments. Why would a creature of the Dark hunt only criminals? The Darkness was all-consuming; it didn’t leave anyone behind to evade its hunger. Unless…

“The creature is leading the citizens of Manehattan into a false sense of security,” she said surely, confident in her hypothesis. “There must be greater forces at work than one lone demon.” She narrowed her eyes at them, her mouth turning down in a frown. “This is all you have learned of it?”

The Disciple lowered his head. “I am sorry, Mistress. We’ve worked long into the night and day to learn what we can of it, but there is only so much for us to work with.”

Her glare bore down on him. “I am not pleased.”

The stallion balked and hung his head in shame. “Forgive us, milady.” One Disciple approached the stallion, whispering something to him that made his eyes go wide in shock. Upon seeing White Star’s curious expression, he said, “There’s just been a development. The Corrupted One is coming to Manehattan.”

“What?” It was more a surprised statement than a question. Why would the Corrupted One come here? What could she possibly…

It clicked.

“She is here for the Raven.” Her Disciples’ eyes widened in shock. It made sense. Both seemed to only really appear during the night, and the Corrupted One claimed sovereignty over the night. Perhaps she’d even sent the Raven as a part of some plot. Or perhaps the Corrupted One saw a potential pawn in the Raven. Either concept was terrifying, as the Raven, from they could tell with what little they knew, was certainly a grave threat if allowed to roam freely.

“We must approach this situation with the utmost caution,” White Star said calmly. “The Corrupted One is now our primary target. In order to truly deal a blow to the Dark, we must strike at one of its greatest assets. The so-called ‘Princess of the Night’ must be dealt with.”

“But… how, milady?” the stallion asked.

“Fear not. I already have a plan of action.” Her face scrunched up slightly. “We must be take each step as if it could be our last, for these steps very well may be such.”

The stallion looked at her, his eyes still held submissively low. “What will you have us do, milady?”

“Gather your peers. We will be there to greet her and her pawn.”

“H-How are we to… defeat the Corrupted One?”

A faint smile crossed her face. “Worry not, for I have long prepared for this.” Her hoof touched something that hung around her neck. “The Darkness will know to fear the Light.”

-o-

Swirling stifled a yawn as she flew across the skies over Manehattan, lazily scanning the ground below for any sort of wrongdoing. Ever since taking down Mafioso and rendering his organization leaderless, things had calmed down somewhat, and the Raven had earned something of a reputation amongst the criminal underworld. Most criminals had learned that they shouldn’t try to commit crimes at night anymore, or risk the Raven’s fury. At least, that’s what she gathered from her informant Tricky (whom she still didn’t quite completely trust).

Her head turned suddenly as a shout reached her ears. She banked to the side and found a stallion hopping around clutching a hoof while his friends were all laughing. The dropped crate and the moving van was all she needed to know it wasn’t a job for the Raven. With a sigh, she turned and continued on her way.

‘Slow night,’ came Nevermore’s dry tone.

“I guess that’s technically a good thing,” Swirling replied as another yawn fought its way out of her. “Sweet Celestia, I’m tired.”

‘You’ve hardly done any work.’

Her ears flattened. “I worked ten hours today, and I spent the past few nights doing hero stuff. I’m allowed to be tired, Nevermore.”

While she couldn’t see it, she felt his eyes rolling at her.

Another yawn took her and she pulled up to hover. “I’m going take a break. Maybe something will happen later.”

‘Fine. If that’s what it takes to get you to stop complaining.’

She blew a raspberry at him, to which he reacted with a grunt of disapproval. Touching down on a rooftop, Swirling willed the shadows on her body away for now, knowing that they would return the instant she commanded them to, and lay back on the roof, gazing up at the sky with a somewhat dreamy expression.

Stargazing was an old hobby of hers, one she’d picked up when she was a little filly back in Cloudsdale. Back home, the stars were much easier to see. She would lay on the roof of her house and watch them, even when she was supposed to be sleeping. There was something about the beautiful, celestial display that touched her deep down. She was first inspired to try painting because of the those little lights called stars. A whimsical smile crossed her face as she remembered that old painting—the artist inside her today would’ve cringed if she saw it.

Speaking of the artist inside her, her mind gradually put little pieces together, putting together a puzzle that, hopefully, would become a new work, or perhaps the final adjustments she would need to truly complete her Rebirth painting. That one was coming along fairly well. She’d been working on a more detailed final draft for a few weeks now. She would’ve been done by now, if it wasn’t for her job and superhero stuff getting in the way.

‘The arts always suffer,’ she heard Nevermore quip.

Her expression flattened. “I hate you sometimes.”

The spirit’s only response was a grunt followed by silence. The mare sighed as she returned her attention to the beautiful night sky. She wished it was clearer; all the lights in Manehattan made it difficult to make out most of the stars. It was one of the few things she didn’t really like about Manehattan (accompanied by her boss and all the thugs around every other corner).

After a few more minutes of watching the few visible stars, Swirling stood, stretching out her wings before willing the shadows back over her body. She stood over the ledge of the roof, preparing to take off when she heard the sound of hooves touching down behind her. With a sharp turn, her now-yellow eyes caught the sight of a tall, dark blue mare with wings and a horn, her mane an ethereal mass that resembled the night, her gaze stoic and calm.

She was less than four feet away.

“Holy-!” Swirling stumbled back in surprise, tripping off of the roof and falling into an alley, landing unceremoniously in a dumpster before she realized what was happening. She poked her head out of the garbage, a banana peel resting atop her scalp as she climbed out of the large receptacle.

“That was less than graceful, I confess.”

The sudden voice startled the shadow-cloaked mare, who instinctively flew off as fast as she could into the night sky.

‘How courageous of you,’ Nevermore commented dryly.

“Shut up!” She stopped when she felt she’d put a fair amount of distance between her and the other mare. Now that she thought about it, the other mare seemed vaguely familiar somehow. Had she seen her somewhere-?

“The rumors of your swiftness are true, then,” the voice from the alley said. The Raven turned sharply, jaw agape at the sight of the mare from the roof. “I had nearly lost sight of you. If it wasn’t for your unique magical aura, I may not have found you again.”

“But… I… you…” Swirling fumbled with her words. “Who are you!?”

The mare narrowed her eyes, then sighed in disappointment. “I suppose I should have expected that. There are bound to be ponies who do not recognize me, even so long after my return.” She motioned towards a nearby flat-roofed building. “I would like to speak with you, Swirling Line, in regards to your nightly activities. I would much prefer that we do so in a less open area.”

Swirling did a double-take. “Wait, how did you know my name?” The navy blue mare simply gave an amused smirk and headed for the building she’d pointed out. Every instinct in Swirling’s body screamed at her to flee. Ponies knowing one’s name before one met them was always a lure towards some kind of disaster.

She followed the taller mare, landing atop the roof and watching her carefully. The alicorn turned to her, looking her up and down, her gaze analytical to the point of being judgmental.

“I am Luna, Princess of the Night,” she finally said. Just then, it clicked in Swirling’s head. To Luna’s surprise, Swirling dropped low, bowing in such a way that clearly showed that she wasn’t exactly used to being faced with royalty.

“I am so sorry for being disrespectful, Princess!” the pegasus said, scrambling to try and fix her mistake. “I’ll do whatever you say to make up for it! I—”

“That is not necessary,” the princess said coolly, raising a hoof to quiet her. “I merely wish to speak with you.”

“W-with me?”

Luna’s nod was serious and deliberate. “I am fully aware of your nighttime exploits, Miss Line. I cannot say that I approve of you taking the law into your own hooves.”

‘Oh, this’ll be good,’ Nevermore said snidely.

Just before Swirling could chastise her tenant, Luna said, “I can assure you, spirit, that this is not a good thing.”

Swirling Line stared at the alicorn before her with her jaw agape. “Y-you can hear him?”

“Yes,” came the princess’s curt reply. “I visited you in your dreams earlier this morning, and am familiar with your mind now, as well as the spirit’s.”

“Wait, you… that was you I saw just before my boss woke me up!”

“Indeed. However, we are straying off topic.” She stood straighter, looking down on the smaller pony. “You are breaking the law by doing the work of those who enforce the law. I cannot condone such acts, even if you are doing so for supposed good.”

Her eyes widened; she couldn’t do that! “B-But, Princess Luna, I’ve done so much as the Raven! I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The Lunar Princess raised an eyebrow at her. “The news reports have claimed you have taken lives.”

She cringed, stepping back. The image of her hoof buried deep into a thug’s chest on the day he had tried to kill her, his eyes glazing over and blood drenching her foreleg, still haunted her dreams to this day. “Princess Luna, please let me explain. He would’ve killed me. I-I—” She choked back on the words, unable to say them with confidence. “I didn’t want to kill him. I just… reacted.”

Luna dipped her head. “That is why you must stop, Swirling. You are not prepared or trained to handle the power you have been given. It will only be a matter of time before another is hurt. Mayhap not of your intention, but it will happen.”

‘I’m more than capable of looking out for her,’ she heard Nevermore snap at the alicorn. ‘Your concern is appreciated, but we don’t need or want you telling us how we will go about our business.’

The teal eyes of Luna narrowed dangerously. “I would suggest watching your tone with me, spirit. I am within my right to banish you back to your realm.”

Nevermore scoffed. ‘You can’t, and you know it, Princess. We’re bonded. To banish me is to kill her.’

Swirling felt her blood run cold. “WHAT?!” she screamed at him.

‘Yeah… probably should’ve mentioned that. Anyway, it’s unlikely we’ll ever end up split apart like that.’

“You tempt fate, spirit,” Luna said, her eyes narrowed. “I know not what your intentions are, but your words and tone will lead you both into disaster someday. And I fear you may not be the only ones affected by such.”

“Just like you will lead Equestria to ruin yourself, Princess?” they heard a voice spit in disgust.

Both Swirling and Luna turned swiftly to find themselves face-to-face with a number of white-robed ponies. Each of them kept their hoods up to obscure their faces, but the one to speak wore a white porcelain mask, their eyes hidden behind a thin black cloth.

Luna turned to face them, her horn already glowing with power. “I know not who you are, but I would suggest you turn tail and flee. You are intruding upon royal business.”

The two of them could almost hear the sneer in the masked pony’s voice. “Threats, princess? You make threats against your own ponies? You are truly the Corrupted One. Equestria is rotting from the inside with you sharing the throne.”

Swirling saw Luna’s lips turn up in a snarl. “Who are you? How dare you speak to me in that manner?”

The masked pony held up a hoof, daring to silence the regal alicorn. “I’ll not hear more words from you, Princess, unless they are words of surrender.” He made a motion, and the robed ponies quickly encircled both Swirling and Luna.

“I don’t know who you jerks are,” Swirling said, “but if you don’t leave now, I’m going to kick your flanks back to the cleaners where you got those ugly bathrobes.”

The masked pony turned his attention on her. “The pawn dares to speak? Begone creature of darkness. It is your master we want.”

“I am not anyone’s pawn!” Swirling set herself and charged the masked pony.

“S-Raven, no!” Luna cried, but it went unheeded.

Just as the Raven about to tackle the mask-wearing jerk, a bolt of magic struck her in the side, winding her as she hit the rooftop with a grunt of pain. A robed unicorn’s horn was glowing brightly, as were all the other unicorns present. She stood back onto her hooves and shook her head.

“You guys wanna do this the hard way?” she said, golden eyes narrowed. “All right, then. Let’s do this the hard way!”

“STOP!”

Swirling and the robed ponies both flinched at the use of the Royal Canterlot Voice. They turned to see Princess Luna glaring fiercely at them. “I will not abide violence!” She turned back to the masked pony, who only glared in her direction. “I will not ask again; who are you?”

He stood tall, proudly puffing out his chest. “We are the Disciples of Light. We are the ones who will banish the Darkness and all of its corrupting influence. You, Corrupted One, will be the next of the vile Darkness that we will eradicate from this world. You and your pawn.”

“I told you, I am not a pawn!” Swirling shouted in an indignant rage. She flew after the masked pony again, only this time, she saw the sneak attack coming and dodged the magical bolt. Just as she swung her hoof at him, another of the Disciples rushed forward and threw up a hoof to block her approach.

Whatever he had planned to do was foiled as her enhanced strength blasted him away. A pegasus flew at her, a spear in his hooves, aiming to skewer her. She quickly went to the ground, sinking into the shadows as the pegasus’ spear pierced the concrete of the building, only for the Raven to leap out again, delivering a powerful uppercut that sent the stallion flying back against his volition.

The Disciples didn’t discriminate. Several charged at Luna as well, unicorns’ horns blazing, while earth ponies and pegasi brandished a number of bladed weapons. The Lunar Princess frowned and charged her horn, sending out a pulse that knocked away her would-be attackers, blasting them against walls and onto other rooftops.

“Fall, Corrupted One!” Luna whirled to see an earth pony Disciple bring back his blade to strike. His eyes shone with wild fanaticism, while foam lined his mouth. She dodged his attack and ducked his follow up swing, but whirled to deliver a two-legged buck to his chest. The Disciple groaned as he was blasted through an adjoining building’s window.

Luna shook her head and turned her focus back to the Raven, who was currently fending off four other Disciples, while the masked pony and his allies stood by, as if they were waiting for something. Even as centuries’ worth of warrior’s intuition screamed at her, a sudden jolt of pain shot through her, running out from her left side to the rest of her body, effectively crippling her.

The princess’s scream of pain caught Swirling’s attention, distracting her long enough for somepony to clock her in the face.

‘Pay attention to the fight!’ Nevermore scolded her.

“Princess—” Swirling was cut off when a bolt of crimson magic struck her, blasting her to the ground.

“Such a pitiful creature,” said the voice of a mare, who leaped down from a perch upon a nearby water tower. Her coat and mane were both the purest white, her eyes a bright red hue. She trotted calmly towards the Raven, her eyes scrutinizing and cold. “You are the Raven, then? I had expected you to be… larger.” She shook her head, turning away from the shadow-clad mare and approaching the princess, who still was in very apparent agony. “No matter. You are of no consequence now. The Corrupted One is the true prize this day.”

Luna struggled to stand, but her legs gave out with a pained yelp. “H-How are you… What have you done to me?”

The white mare replied with a bolt of power into Luna’s chest, winding the princess. “Be silent, wretched creature.” Her voice was neutral, void of emotion. “You are a living plague that must be cleansed from this world.”

“I don’t think so!” Swirling growled as she charged at the unicorn, only to be met with yet another burst of magic, this one from the masked stallion, who had knocked her away with a spell more powerful than those of the other Disciples.

“You will not interfere in our affairs, demon,” the mare said, giving her a disdainful glare. She turned to the masked Disciple. “Ensure that the Corrupted One is properly restrained. I will end her threat myself once we have returned.”

The mask-wearer bowed his head. “As you will it, Mistress.” He motioned to his fellow Disciples, who all followed him toward Luna, placing what must’ve been restraint spells on her wings and legs before putting some kind of bulky, metal ring on her horn.

“Let… her go…” Swirling panted out. What did that mask guy hit her with?

‘It’s a sleep spell,’ Nevermore quickly explained. ‘I’m trying to keep it from getting to you, but I can’t hold it off for much longer.’

As Swirling struggled to stay on her hooves, fighting her body’s steadily growing urge to fall and rest, the white mare turned to her again, her crimson gaze like daggers.

“Annoying,” she spat dispassionately, her horn lighting up with a red aura. “Sleep, creature. We will return for you when we are finished with the Corrupted One.” A single bolt flew from her horn, striking the Raven square in the barrel and launching her off the roof to fall into the alleyway below.

Swirling’s last sight before blacking out was the pavement below her.

-o-

Vision was blurred. Everything hurt. Her body ached as she slowly struggled onto all fours, her legs shaky and unbalanced. As her view became less and less obscured, Swirling saw that she was in an alleyway (not having landed in a dumpster or trash can for once). She was no longer in her Raven form. It was still night out, too. Her memory of what happened was vague as she tried to recall. Something about…

She gasped as the memory hit her like a bulldozer.

“Princess Luna!” she shouted, sitting bolt upright. She looked back to the roof of the building she had fallen from, a sudden sense of urgency taking her. Reverting back into the Raven, she flapped her wings to land on the roof.

She looked around and felt a knot of dread forming in her gut. “Oh, no! Where have they taken her?”

‘How should I know?’ asked Nevermore. ‘I can’t see anymore than what you see, and you were out cold for at least two hours.’

A desperate search didn’t yield any clues as to where the Disciples had gone, or Princess Luna’s whereabouts. She grabbed her mane in frustration. “This isn’t good, this isn’t good! We can’t let them do anything to Princess Luna!”

‘Why do you care?’

Swirling blinked in momentary confusion. “What?”

‘She wanted the Raven gone,’ the spirit explained. ‘So what if she was kidnapped by a bunch of nutcases in bathrobes? No skin off our backs.’

“How can you say that, Nevermore? She’s our princess!”

‘Not my princess,’ he declared hotly. ‘I don’t see the need to risk my neck for someone who would banish me from this realm.’

Her ears pinned back. “But… she’s still an important pony! She—”

‘Important to who, exactly? When she was Nightmare Moon and originally banished to the moon, Celestia controlled the moon for a thousand years, and everything was fine.’

That… was a very unsettlingly good point. Swirling could feel her resistance to Nevermore’s cold logic starting to wear out as she fell to her haunches, her head hanging low. “But… but… it’s not right.”

‘Doesn’t really matter in the long run. Ponies forgot about Luna before. They’ll forget about her again eventually.’

Swirling closed her eyes, digesting what he had told her. It was true that Luna had been forgotten long ago before her fairly recent return—even she never knew that Princess Celestia had a sister. Still… it was a depressing thought. Princess Luna didn’t seem that bad. Maybe a little strict, sure, but Swirling would’ve been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She shook her head to get the thoughts out of her mind, but they kept coming back like a swarm. A sigh escaped her as she walked towards the building’s edge. “Maybe you’re right…”

‘Of course I am.’

Her eyes fell over the streets below as carriages and ponies went about their night, all of them oblivious to the fact their Princess was in danger. What would they think if they learned that Princess Luna was kidnapped, or worse?

Her head snapped up as she peered ahead. What if they knew that she had known and that she did nothing to help? What would Summer Streams think? Or the Day family? Could she really turn a blind eye to somepony in need? Even if it was a pony who wanted her time as the Raven to end.

“...No.”

‘What?’

“I said no,” she reaffirmed, standing resolutely on all fours. “I can’t just walk away from this. I have the power to do something, and I’m going to use it. I won’t turn my back on anypony who needs help, no matter what. Leaving the princess to her fate is as bad as if I’d killed her myself, if not worse.”

There was moment of silence between the mare and her tenant. ‘You’re not going to change your mind, are you?’ She shook her head adamantly, and the spirit sighed in irritation. ‘Do you even know where to look? Manehattan isn’t exactly a narrow corridor.’

“Well… I…” She gritted her teeth as she silently admitted that he had a point. Those ponies could’ve taken Princess Luna anywhere in the city. Heck, they could’ve taken her to the train station and be halfway to Los Pegasus by now. She needed a concrete plan! She needed to know where the Disciples took the princess! She needed…

‘Information,’ Nevermore suggested.

That one word made it click. “Tricky! We could go and see if he knows anything about the Disciples!” When Nevermore grunted in agreement, she took off in the direction of Tricky’s apartment, heading for the biggest rathole of a neighborhood in all of Manehattan. As she soared through the night sky, she pleaded with whatever deity may have been listening that the shifty stallion would have something - anything - that could help.

He had to have something.

-o-

Luna groaned groggily as she opened her eyes, a pervasive feeling of exhaustion draping her body, preventing her from getting any further onto her hooves than to sit on her haunches with her head hanging low. The only time she’d been this weak before now was after she had been freed from the Nightmare. It was not a feeling she enjoyed very much.

She glanced up at her surroundings through bleary eyes, squinting at the bright light coming from the ceiling. She was in what looked like a… a cell, maybe? It was difficult to make out most of the details. The room was almost a sterile white, devoid of any furniture or decoration.

She attempted to stand, but only tumbled back to the floor, her exhaustion claiming the better part of her body. She found chains on her hooves holding her in place. An experimental twitch of her wings revealing that a viselike clamp had been placed over them. She barely had the strength to cast any kind of spell, but a brief and failed attempt at such told her that her magic was being restrained somehow.

“What… what is this?” she muttered quietly.

She look around her cell, finding it devoid of any markings. The walls were plain and uninviting, cold and without compassion on the architect’s part. The only sound was that of her own breathing.

“Hello? I demand that you release me! As your Princess of the Night, I will not be bound and chained like a common knave! Answer me!”

The sound of ponies quietly speaking to each on the other side of the door directly in front of her was heard before somepony sounded as though they were walking away. Several moments later, she heard more hoofsteps, followed by the sound of the door being carefully unlocked. A bright red aura enveloped the door, pushing it open and ushering in a pure white mare with bright, crimson eyes, a peculiar amulet resembling a stylized eye hanging from her neck. Her cutie mark was a featureless outline of a five-pointed star.

“Who are you?” Luna demanded. “What have you done to me?”

The white mare narrowed her eyes at the princess, frowning at her. “If you must know, Corrupted One, I am White Star, leader of the Disciples of Light. As such, it is my sworn duty to destroy any and all creatures of the Dark.” She motioned a hoof toward her amulet. “As for what I’ve done to you, the credit goes to this. The Eye of Hyperion. It saps away the magic of whomever its bearer targets.”

Luna scowled. “Such artifacts only lead to ruin.” White Star’s response to that was a noncommittal grunt. The Lunar Princess shook her head, glaring at her captor. “Why are you doing this at all? Why risk your own life in capturing me? Surely, you know that my sister will never stand for such a crime. You would be lucky if she banished you to the furthest reaches of the world for this.”

White Star turned a nasty snarl at her. “Princess Celestia will see the value in what the Disciples do for Equestria. Our beloved homeland had known peace for years since you were done away with, but the moment you made your return, our world has been ravaged by all manner of dark and fell creatures. Discord, the changelings, Sombra—” She growled at the mention of the villainous unicorn king. “—and lastly, the Dark Lord Tirek. Do you think us all blind? You are the cause!”

Luna’s eyes widened. “You are mad! I have not—”

“Silence!”

Luna arched her back as another wave of agony rushed through her body. Her scream echoed through the bare room as she writhed under the sudden strain.

“I will not abide your wicked words, Corrupted One,” White Star said as the magical assault on Luna ended, leaving the alicorn panting for breath. “Soon, the cause will be no more, and Equestria can finally know peace again.”

The princess panted heavily as the pain in her body gradually subsided, and she glared up at White Star. “You are a madmare. You seek to destroy the one who guards the night and protects the dreams of others.”

“A mere ruse on your part,” the white mare growled. “Equestria was safe and peaceful when only Celestia sat upon the throne. It shall be so again.”

“Then why not end me here and now?” Luna inquired. “That would certainly be easier than keeping me prisoner.”

With a menacing scowl, White Star said, “Your presence in this world must be completely purged. A ritual is being prepared. Your body will be burned to ash, and your soul condemned to the deepest reaches of Tartarus, as you deserve for your endless, continuing sins.”

Luna tried again to stand, but the pain was too much, and she fell back with a grunt. “My sister will not allow you roam free once she finds out what you have done.”

White Star smirked insultingly. “She will thank us and welcome us with open arms. Just as Cerberus will welcome you to the fires of hell.” At that, she turned and made to leave the room, briefly acknowledging a robed stallion. “Ensure that the Corrupted One stays put. The ritual is nearly ready.”

The guard nodded, and the door closed, cutting Luna off from the world once again. The princess sighed weakly, looking down at the chains on her hooves and the clamp upon her torso. She reflected on White Star’s words, and shook her head. She had it wrong; all of it was wrong. Considering the power the unicorn had used on her, she might very well have the means to carry out her threats.

She looked to the ceiling, her eyes pleading. ‘Celestia… help me.’

Author's Note:

Theme of the Frog:

Theme of White Star:

Comments

[VampDash]

F*** these assholes. I say for once drop the no kill rule Raven and start hurting them... REAL BAD.

[vren55]

Oh shooot. well this is goooood. And can someone explain to me why i can't like this?

[Hopeful_Ink_Hoof]

6395688 are you looking at the thumbs-up or the voting bar? This is a new story and it will not show opinions for the story right away. If the bar is gray, but the thumbs-up icon is green, you liked it.

[Lightoller]

encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQnVLRchu3wt7yRm11lmYq4E-u-tx53lPzHXyGHsyj7SNFwr2YwZQ

[LordLycaon]

6396135 You'll get more next Saturday. Be patient.

[Lightoller]

6396173
As the arson beetle would say, "good, good."

[xXIllusionFoxXx]

6396173

I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY!?

HOW WILL I COPE?

[Zodiacspear]

6396988 Like we all do with the actual show...

But at least we're not in a mid-season hiatus, right?

[xXIllusionFoxXx]

6397005

Please don't remind me...

At least the mid-season awesome episode was about Luna. That was pretty cool.

[Maxes Altho]

Dammit, can't find an appropriate image to convey the emotion I am feeling, so I will just say it:
FUCKING INCREDIMAZING!
I laughed at the Frog's theme (my favorite battle music in XD, BTW).
Luna is right. these Disciples will be lucky if they are exiled by the end of this. I fully expect their bodies to be banished to the moon and their souls banished to the sun, with their minds being scattered to the cosmos.

[Alphamon_Ouryuken]

6395671
As much as I'd like to agree with you, I think it be more poetic if she just dropped them on Celestia's doorstep and let her deal with them.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off big sister.

[VampDash]

6400105 Either way.