Scroll 34- Mind Games Part 3
Beyond the Skies- Mind Games Part 3
When Raquel felt herself landing back on solid ground again, she was still trying to process what happened within the last few seconds. One moment, she was standing in the middle of a room with Twilight and Calvin as Maeve was explaining to them a few things about where they were going and what they should keep an eye on. Then, in the blink of an eye, the rogue did something to push them out of their bodies, like it was something out of ‘Doctor Strange’. Everything was an unrecognizable blur, and the only thing that she heard was the sound of a door being closed, followed by another one being opened.
The first thing that she realized when opening her eyes was that instead of being in a vibrant and sparkly castle, everything around her was rather bleak in color. Over her head, there was a thick blanket of clouds that blocked out the sky as she slowly rose back up on her feet. “O-ow… my head…” she groaned, “...I-is everyone okay?”
Originally, she didn’t hear anything, which made her concerned. Ending up in some unknown place was one thing, but getting separated? That wasn’t exactly good. However, Raquel soon felt a bit of relief when she heard another voice. “Y-yeah… I guess…” the pained voice of Calvin now echoed as she saw him walk over, “I know that she warned us, but that still hurt.”
“Amen to that,” Raquel muttered, before both of them noticed Twilight trotting over to them, all the while brushing off some dirt that ended up on her mane and fur, “You okay, Twilight?”
“Just a rough tumble, that’s all,” the alicorn said as she looked back at the two that were with her for a moment, before looking around, “So, uh… Raquel, I know that this is your mind, but where exactly are we?”
“I honestly have no idea,” she replied, before turning to notice that Calvin was approaching what looked like a stone pedestal as he brushed his hand against it, “Calvin? Did you find something?”
At first, he didn’t say anything as he looked off in the distance farther away. Calvin then glanced back at the pedestal, before looking over to Raquel, “I think so,” the Skyshifter said, sounding a bit puzzled while he was speaking, “Though, could you explain why this might be here?”
As Raquel looked past him and at the sign, her heart almost skipped a beat, for on the pedestal were some words that looked to be carved into the stone, a name that she recognized immediately.
Willow Park Elementary. The same school that she and Calvin used to go to.
“W-what the heck?”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“T-that’s the name of the school that Calvin and I used to go to,” she said, looking away from the sign for a brief moment, “B-but, why would it be here?”
“I’m not really sure,” Calvin added, before he looked off in the distance. At first, it was really difficult to see anything. Though, after a couple of moments, there was something that stood out to him, “Hey, correct me if I’m wrong, but our school never looked like that when we went there, right?”
Before Raquel had the chance to answer, she looked towards where the Skyshifter was pointing at and just stopped mid-sentence. While the school building looked exactly how she remembered it, the whole school was being overshadowed by what looked like a giant tent. The front of the school had decoration signs, like it was straight out of a carnival or circus. There were even colorful strobe lights that provided the only other source of light, compared to how bleak and dim everything was around them.
Then, a voice began to echo all around them, one that everyone heard, but Raquel recognized almost immediately.
Well, isn’t this unexpected, and also abysmal. I didn’t even have the time to prepare for… surprise guests.
Before any of them could do anything, what could only be described as a tear in the fabric of reality split opened in front of them, before someone stepped forth. The figure looked almost identical to Raquel, except that her hair looked to be flowing and suspended in the air, and her eyes were inverted in color. She also wore clothes like that of a circus ringmaster as she stepped out, with her arms behind her back and a smile painted on her face.
“Is this… the Aberration?” Twilight asked, only to have the newfound figure immediately twisted her head in an inhuman way.
Now, that is just rude. That makes me appear as if I’m some monstrosity!
“Is there something you want for us to call you? Do you have a name?” Calvin then asked.
Even though the question was innocent enough, the figure just looked at him with what could only be described as savage curiosity. Because in a split second, she was directly in front of him and inspecting him from every possible angle. So, you’re the reason why we were tossed away. You’re quite a peculiar one. So young, yet so curious. Different from the others here.
“U-uh… thank you?” the Skyshifter said, very puzzled by what was happening as one of her hands moved along his shoulder.
If you really insist on a name for me, then perhaps ‘Abby’ would suffice. Aberration just sounds plain dreadful. she replied, before immediately appearing in between the three of them. Despite the smile not going away, her voice had a more serious tone, But I know that you’re not here for pleasantries. So, what is the reason why you came all this way then?
“Don’t try and play dumb with us,” Raquel immediately retorted, “You know exactly why I would be here.”
Oh, really? Abby asked, Are you saying you want to admit that I was right?
Raquel definitely shook her head and grit her teeth, “No! You’ve been messing with my head, and I want you to get out! You may look like me, but you aren’t me!”
At first, it was all quiet. But after a couple of minutes, Abby had a look of realization on her face. Oh, I see what the problem is now. You’ve had the wool over your eyes for so long that you don’t see the truth. You see us as nothing more than a sickness that can be cured… Heh… oh, how wrong you are.
With a simple motion, Abby just raised her hand up as an idea began to form in her head. Tell you what, how about we play a game? Just between the two of us.
Before Twilight and Calvin realized what she was implying, Abby snapped a finger, and both of them vanished from sight, something that both angered and terrified Raquel as she stared down the Aberration in front of her, “What did you do!?!”
Now, don’t be so quick to judge. Besides, for this game, I think it would be unfair if you relied on the help of someone else for once. If you win, I will return them to you. If you don’t… well, let’s not jump to conclusions. So, what do you say?
Raquel just grit her teeth, before sternly staring down her lookalike. She absolutely did not like how quickly the situation had changed. However, if she had any hope of either finding her companions or dealing with Abby, Raquel needed to play along. “Grr… fine, I’ll play-”
Excellent! Now, the game is a relatively simple one and one that I think we enjoyed a lot, once upon a time. Hide and Seek. All you need to do is find me three times, and then, you win. However, with each time you find me, it’ll get increasingly tougher. Also, you’re not allowed any help or clues, but you will get a clue as to where you can start searching. Oh, and most importantly, have fun!
With another snap of her finger, the Aberration disappeared, as a small playing card began to float over to Raquel’s foot. It looked like any other card, but when she flipped it over, Raquel watched as words began to surface on the card.
I’m in a place where imagination can grow. Where fact meets fiction, and anything can be stowed. Where a mind can be nurtured and creativity can thrive, and for others, a place to feel both safe and alive.
What am I?
“Oh, great, riddles,” she sighed, looking at the card as she looked towards the school in the distance, “What am I getting myself into?”
For Calvin, he can’t help but feel as if he and Twilight were never going to catch a break. One moment, they were with Raquel and had just met the apparent source of her problems. The next, he and the Alicorn felt himself whisked away somewhere else entirely, as both of them crashed on top of one another. “O-ow… Twilight, are you-?
“Ugh, not again.”
“Huh?” Calvin asked, “What do you mean ‘again’?”
The Alicorn turned to the Skyshifter, before letting out a sigh, “Oh, s-sorry. It’s just that it always seems like whenever something bad is happening, I end up getting separated from whoever I’m with.”
She was going to say more, but it was around this time that both of them noticed where exactly they were. Instead of being outside of a school, they found themselves on what looked to be the interior of a massive tree. The surrounding walls and branches reminded Twilight of Golden Oaks Library, as she was stunned by everything around her. All the memories from those few years started to slowly flow back into her mind.
At least, until Calvin called out to her, “Hey, Twilight… you should probably come see this.”
The statement, followed by her seeing Calvin standing by what looked like the frame of a doorway, piqued her curiosity as she trotted over. “Huh? What is-?”
Immediately, there were two things that caught the Alicorn’s attention. The first was that there were numerous branches spreading out from everywhere on the tree. The second was that instead of seeing the night sky, they saw the fabric interior of the tent they could just only make out a few moments ago. She didn’t even want to think about how exactly ‘Abby’ was able to pull off something like this with so little effort.
Before either of them could do or say anything though, another voice was heard, “Eep!! S-sorrow! Fury! T-there are strangers outside!!”
“Will you shut your trap already!? I can see them clear as day!!”
“Fury, that’s no way to treat Panic! She’s trying to be helpful.”
The Skyshifter felt a shiver travel down his spine, before he slowly looked behind him, “Twilight? Did you hear that?”
The Alicorn blinked and tilted her head, puzzled by the question, “Hear what?”
At that point, Calvin retraced his steps and went back into the room they arrived in before he took in his surroundings. Even though he didn’t see any other people in the room, the Skyshifter couldn’t shake the feeling that they were still here. So, in theory, it was entirely possible that he could talk to them. There was some doubt, but he knew that he had to try something.
“I don’t know who you are, but I know that I can hear you, and you can possibly hear me. Can you please come out?”
It was silent at first. But after a moment, there was a faint noise. From under a giant table, one of the chairs moved away from it as a pair of arms pulled out from underneath. Slowly, a new figure emerged from underneath to see them. Yet, the strangest thing was that they looked almost exactly like Raquel, but their face was covered by a white mask, with the only thing on it being a painted face.
The face in question was one that portrayed anxiety and fear. “W-who are y-you?”
If he was honest, Calvin had no idea how to answer that, mainly because, unlike Abby, this figure was the complete opposite of her. Instead of being rather energetic and happy, she was rather timid and scared. Nevertheless, he had to say something. “I’m… someone who wants to help a friend.”
“A… f-friend?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and looking towards Twilight’s direction, “Her?”
“No, not her,” Calvin shook his head, “She’s… like you, but different. We came to help and… ended up getting separated. Her name is Raquel, if that helps-”
Immediately, the figure backed up in shock at the last bit, “Y-You know the ringmaster?”
Before Calvin could even ask what the figure meant by that, two more emerged from underneath other pieces of furniture in the room. They were almost completely identical to the first figure on the table, with the only difference being the faces that were portrayed on their masks. The first was one of pure anger, while the other looked like one of sadness.
“How do you know her?” the first one demanded.
“W-woah! Hold on second-”
“HOW do you know her?!”
“Fury, stop,” the second one interjected as she put herself between Calvin and the figure trying to make demands, “S-scaring them won’t help us! L-let them answer first.”
The first figure, who was called Fury, just stared Calvin down like an angry giant before she took a couple steps backwards and backed off. “Grr… fine. But if either of them try anything, they’re going to regret it! I’m trusting you, Sorrow.”
“Sorrow? Fury? What is this, Inside Out?” Calvin thought as he carefully glanced at all three of them. Each one of these figures reminded him of a character from the Pixar movie he was thinking of. Fury reminded him of Anger. Sorrow was like Sadness, and the first figure he met had a lot of similarities to Fear. Even though there was a couple that were missing, their presence had a new thought enter his mind.
If the ‘ringmaster’ was Raquel, then do these figures represent her emotions? If that were the case, then why did it feel that something was missing from the picture?
Still, whoever they were, they asked him a question that needed to be answered. “We… are her friends. We came with her because she wanted our help, but then, we got separated by this… other girl. She didn’t have a mask and-”
“Didn’t have a mask?”
Sorrow turned away from Calvin to look back to the first one, before she asked a new question, “What is it, Panic?”
“I think… they’re talking about P-Passion.”
“Passion? W-Who’s that?” Twilight asked, puzzled by the remarks as she tried to make sense of what was being discussed.
“S-she’s our sister,” Sorrow began to explain, “There were four of us here once, and we spent much of our time together with the Ringmaster. Things were different then, and we were all happier for it, but none more so than Passion. She went out of her way to make sure that the rest of us were happy and okay as well. But… one day, the Ringmaster never came back. We waited for days for her to come back to us, to no avail. Then, Passion… had enough.”
“What happened?”
At that point, Fury decided to bluntly interject, “She said that if waiting for the Ringmaster wasn’t going to make us happy, then she’ll make happiness by herself and just… left us. Her mask and everything else that belonged to her was left on the table, and we haven’t seen her in weeks.”
That remark did more than just explain what was going on to Twilight. In fact, it made the alicorn ponder on a new thought that surfaced in her mind. Raquel had only just gained her abilities with magic a few weeks ago. If it was true that this ‘Passion’ figure also left around the same time, then was it possible that both of these events were related somehow? Based on what little they knew about what was going on, it couldn’t be just a coincidence.
Then, the alicorn chose to speak up, “Excuse me, but do you mind if I talk with my friend in private? It’ll be just a moment, I promise.”
The three masked girls all looked to one another for a moment, before they nodded simultaneously as Twilight led Calvin back outside. “Uh, Twilight? What did want to-”
“I have a theory about something, but I want to talk about it with you first,” she interjected, “Do you remember when we went to the Skylander Academy and Raquel learned that she had powers?”
“Uh… yeah. We were both there when she found out.”
“I know, but here’s the thing that’s on my mind,” the princess clarified, “The timing of when that happened is very close to what Fury described about their sister leaving. Not to mention that, aside from the three of them, we’ve only met one other person in this place, and she didn’t have a mask.”
It took Calvin a moment, but then a realization clicked in his mind, “Wait a second… Are you saying-?”
Twilight could only nod her head, “I think that who Sorrow and the others called Passion might actually be Abby. And if that’s true, then we’re going to need her sisters’ help to find her.”
“Hold on,” the Skyshifter interrupted, “There’s one thing that still doesn’t make sense to me. Isn’t Passion supposed to be… a good person? I mean, with how her sisters described her and everything.”
“Perhaps,” the alicorn said, before a look of uncertainty emerged on her face, “By definition, Passion is… a bit complex, since it can represent something good and something bad. For example, Pinkie Pie has a passion for baking and making everypony that comes into Ponyville happy and welcomed. However, that Kaos guy in the Skylands is very passionate about trying to conquer all of it for himself and make others fear him.”
“Then, which side applies here?”
At that, Twilight couldn’t help but give a small shrug of her shoulders as she looked back at her friend. “If I have to be completely honest, I think that with what little we know, something caused Passion’s view on things to change and caused her personality to change with it. She might think that her intentions are good, but her actions and methods say otherwise.”
Then, the princess looked back over towards the three sisters as she said one last thing to Calvin, “And that is why we need their help in order to find Raquel as soon as possible.”
As she walked through the dimly lit halls of the school that had somehow taken form in her mind, Raquel felt rather uneasy, not because of the creepy and quiet atmosphere that was around her, but because it felt like everywhere she walked, there was always someone or something that was watching her. It didn’t help that the game that she was being forced to play made this expedition into an uncomfortable trip down memory lane.
There was also the fact that every, once in a while, she was reminded that this wasn’t just a simple walk through the campus. The only way that Raquel was going to get anywhere was if she played the game set out by Abby. Yet, the Aberration had just as much patience as a young child and even acted that way when Raquel was doing something that she didn’t want her to. Come on, why are you in so much of a hurry? We’re supposed to be having fun!
“Fun for who?” Raquel groaned, for there was very little fun in the game Abby was making her play. While the concept seemed simple, she couldn’t find the answers to the Aberration’s riddle. Raquel believed that if she tried to go to each of the classrooms that one of them would eventually give the correct answer, but none of them were right.
It was only after the second time going through the halls of the school again that a different thought crossed her mind. What if the answer to the riddle was based on another person’s perspective? After all, the answer to a question could change depending on whoever was answering. In fact, once she turned away from the classrooms and moved towards another building, that was when she got a hint that she was on the right path.
Getting warmer…
Now, there were only two choices in front of her. The first was a door that led to the auditorium which, if she remembered correctly, was used a lot for after school programs and special activities. The second was a door that led directly to the school’s library.
“Now, if I were him, which one would I pick?”
For a moment, her hand drifted over to the first choice. However, a cold and unsettling feeling stopped her halfway. Raquel felt like she was second guessing herself, but it also felt like something or someone else was telling her that this wasn’t the right choice, which seemed strange, given that Abby didn’t seem like somebody who would give hints or appreciate it if anyone playing her ‘game’ was somehow cheating.
So, she moved her hand to the handle for the library door and opened it. Yet, as Raquel walked inside, a different voice greeted her instead of Abby’s. Among the numerous shelves of books, two spectral figures looked to be at a table. One was a light orange shade, like that of a peach, while the other was blue.
Oh, my, hello there. The first one asked, as realization clicked inside Raquel’s brain, What’s your name?
“Is that… Ms. Woods?” she thought. That was the name of the librarian at the school when she came here, though she retired about a few months after Calvin’s disappearance. So, why-?
C-Calvin. Are you… the librarian?
Indeed, that’s little old me alright. But what are you doing here? Don’t you want to go outside and play with your friends?
I… don’t have any.
Really? Out of all your classmates, you don’t have a friend?
I thought I had one, but she just saw me as weird and told me to stay away. I thought there was something and tried to ask why, but she wouldn’t tell me anything. Am I… weird?
No, no, I don’t think that. The figure of Ms. Woods paused, before looking over to some of the books on the shelves. I see every student that comes here as unique and different. Like many characters in stories, the more you believe in yourself, the more that you will be able to do great things. Now, did you want to read something while you’re here?
Uhm… how about this one?
The image of Ms. Woods walked over to the shelves where Calvin now stood, before looking at him, The stories of Spyro and the Skylanders? Tell me, are you a fan of these?
I just thought that it looked cool and wanted to give it a try.
Before it could continue any further, a loud snap was heard, as both of the spectral images disappeared. Moments later, the voice of Abby echoed through the walls of the library as her form emerged from the book Ms. Woods was once holding. Well now, you seemed to be learning the basics of this game really quickly. Guess I just have to make things more difficult to balance it out. This time though, you’re going to have to find the little hints yourself.
“Why bring me here though?” Raquel tried to ask, “What does this have to do with me?”
You see, little Raqy, no matter what choices you make, they always leave an impact on people, even if you don’t intend it. Your choice to push the boy away on the first day only sets things up for what’s to come later. Now, enough from me. You got riddles to solve! Happy hunting!!
With another snap of the fingers, Abby disappeared and left Raquel in an empty library. Ideally, this wasn’t good for her, because she couldn’t figure out what the next clue might be. Her first thought was that it was in the book on the floor. However, a brief overview of it didn’t quite provide the results that she was looking for.
“If it’s somewhere here, then am I going to have to go through all of these books to find it?” she wondered, before shaking her head, “No, that would be too obvious. If she’s trying to make this harder, then it can’t be in someplace that I can easily find it.”
As she was thinking this, Raquel attempted to open the door to the library to see if anything would happen, only to be met with resistance, as it didn’t budge. However, despite this, the girl now had a different thought come to mind. Maybe what she was looking for wasn’t a particular thing, but some kind of key, something that could open the way out and also provide the way forward.
With a new plan in mind, the first place that Raquel went towards was the librarian’s desk. If there was anyone that might’ve had a key for this place, it was more than likely the one that was in charge of taking care of it. Unfortunately, the only problem with this idea was that Ms. Woods’ desk was an absolute mess, for the only thing that she could see was a massive pile of books and papers that were overflowing.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” she groaned, before moving a few papers onto a nearby table. While cleaning up the messes of others was not exactly an ideal thing she’d want to do, it didn’t seem like Abby was really giving her a choice in the matter. “Why does it feel like she’s only having me do this just for her own amusement?”
Luckily for her, it did not take too long to find something outside of loose papers and unreturned literature, though it wasn’t under the pile, like she believed it would be. Instead, it was inside a drawer that was underneath the desk and only visible once everything else was removed and out of the way. When Raquel opened it, the first thing she saw was a keyring with a couple keys on it, as well as some kind of tag that was attached.
The moment she turned it over, the girl was greeted by the next clue that was left for her.
I can bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face. I can happen at any time and in any place. I form in an instant and last for a lifetime, but I can just as easily be forgotten. Sometimes, it's not only mine.
What am I?
This baffled Raquel right away. She was under the impression that what Abby wanted for her to find was a particular place. Now, it seemed like it was an object she had to find… at least, that’s the impression she was getting from this clue. However, standing around here was not going to help in the slightest. The only real way for Raquel to find what she was looking for was to use the key and leave the library behind.
Yet, the moment that she unlocked the door and stepped on through, the scenery that awaited her underwent a massive change. “What the-?”
Instead of it being completely empty, the school courtyard was now a circus fairground. More of the spectral forms that she saw in the library were present here, but now consisted of various shapes, sizes and colors. Numerous carnival decorations were hung on the walls as she watched the figures around her visit the different booths that were set up. Some of them were games, others were just face paintings, and there was even a dunk tank as well.
Even though everything here was rather sudden, it all felt very real. So, what exactly was she seeing right now?
“Raquel, you made it!!”
Immediately, Raquel turned around to find a spectral version of herself running completely through her. Unlike a lot of the other forms around her, this younger version of herself was a rich violet that stood out from everyone else around her.
“T-There’s no way that can be-”
“Why are you guys so surprised? You probably saw my parents helping the teachers get everything ready earlier today.”
The girl that was watching this unfold was now stunned. That was her. She remembered saying those exact words and when all of this happened. But why was this happening now?
“Well, you told us that you weren’t exactly comfortable with large groups of people. So-”
“I’m not. But as long as they don’t get too close to me and invade my space, I’ll be fine.” the young version of herself replied, “Speaking of people though, have you seen anyone else from our class? I know that my brother’s with me, but I haven’t had the chance to walk around yet-”
“I think we’ve seen mostly everyone. Outside of… well…”
“Oh no,” Raquel’s mind began to race as she realized what she was seeing. It was something that she thought was in the back of her mind. Yet now, Abby was bringing it back up front and center and forcing her to relive it. But out of everything she had gone through before coming to Equestria, why this one?
“Outside of who?”
“Hold on a minute. You mean you don’t know?” one of the other specters around Raquel’s younger self told her, before another one spoke up, “Raquel, when was the last time that you saw Calvin?”
“Well, last Friday, obviously. It was his birthday then. Why? Is he sick or something?”
At that moment, all the noise, voices and music fell silent, and the entire carnival ground began to darken. Then, a spotlight began to shine over the younger Raquel and the kids she was with. It felt like the mind was trying to tune out everything else around her as the kids responded to the question that she posed.
“No, it’s not that. We heard from some of our teachers that he’s… gone.”
“Gone? What, like he moved to a different school or-?”
“It’s worse than that, I think,” another voice replied, “When I heard the teachers talking with some of our parents, they said that one of the students from our class had gone missing and hadn't been found. They didn’t say any names, but Calvin’s been absent for the last few days, and no one has any idea what happened to him.”
That was news that the younger Raquel did not take very well. Back then, she just saw Calvin as the weird kid that she would tease and mess with on occasion. But the news about this hit her differently. Something very bad happened to someone she knew at school, and the young girl couldn’t help but feel as if she was somehow responsible.
However, as the younger version of herself was beginning to break down, so was everything else around her. All the color began to wash away, and everything around her grew dark and went to a standstill. Nothing was moving at all, and the entire courtyard was completely still. While this was happening… different voices now echoed around her as Raquel turned around to try and see where they were coming from.
“W-what’s going on? Everything was so cheerful just now-”
“Don’t ask me! I have no idea!!”
“W-Where’s the ringmaster? Did something happen to her?”
“I-it’s going to be okay, girls! Just stay calm, and we’ll find out what’s going on-!”
The last of the four voices sounded very familiar to Raquel. However, before she had the chance to comprehend what she just heard, all the color was suddenly splashed back into the environment. As the girl looked back around, she found her younger self running off. “Raquel, wait!! Come back!”
The young girl didn’t listen. All she wanted to do was get as far away from them as she could. As her older self followed them, Raquel found the girl by herself, in the farthest side of the school and crying to herself. As she moved closer though, that was when a different voice was heard… and another one she recognized.
“Oh my, is everything alright? What seems to be the matter?”
Raquel could feel the hairs on her neck stand up as she turned her head towards the familiar voice. This time, another spectral adult walked up to the young girl that was by herself. Her red outline was vastly different from the others that were all around her, and it was a little difficult to make out what her appearance was supposed to be. But, the young girl knew exactly who this person was.
“M-M-Miss V-Valkyr?” the young girl looked away for a moment, before she asked the first question, “I-Is it true?”
“I… think maybe we should go somewhere else to talk about this. Follow me.”
As Raquel watched them walk away, she had a clear idea as to what came next. After that night, she took it upon herself to change her ways for the better. Though, there was still one thing that eluded her. Why was it that Abby wanted her to see this?
Then, she realized something as she looked back at the tag that had the riddle on it. “Wait a minute. Tears to your eyes, smile on your face… happen anytime, and in any place.” The more that Raquel thought about what she just saw and the riddle, she realized that what she had watched unfold was the answer.
“A memory.”
A soft giggle was heard as all the festive lights and silhouettes of everyone there vanished, before Abby appeared before her. Very good. I had my doubts about you with that one, but you’re doing great at this game.
To Raquel though, she was getting rather irritated with Abby’s antics. So, when she saw the Aberration, she asked the first question that came to mind. “All you’re doing is just making me relive moments I’d moved on from. What are you trying to prove to me?”
Aww… are you saying that you’re not having fun-?
“I’m saying that I want you to get to the point!” Raquel snapped as a fierce glow could be seen in her eyes, something that almost startled the Aberration as she fell silent. The whole environment was at a standstill as Abby just let out a sigh. With another snap of the finger, both of them appeared underneath a massive circus tent with a large tree in the center.
You’re a poor sport, you know. But if you insist on getting to the point… then indulge me in one more riddle. No searching for clues here and now. Just a simple answer here and now that can explain everything. Would that suffice with you?
Raquel sighed. While she wasn’t exactly open minded to having to do one more riddle, it didn’t appear as if Abby was going to go back on her word, “Fine. One more then. What do you have?”
I am both right and wrong, good and bad. I can make someone happy or someone sad. Sometimes, there are many of me, and sometimes, there’s only one. Yet, once I’m made, I can never be undone. Some claim that they can always have me and that I’m here to stay, only to be shocked when I am cruelly taken away.
What am I?
Compared to the two other riddles from before, this one was a lot tougher for Raquel to answer. For while there might have been context and hints towards what the answer might’ve been last time, this was just a straight up question with no help whatsoever. She needed to think of an answer, but not many options were coming to mind.
Even though she tried her best to figure something out, Abby could sense her hesitation. Well, what’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?
Annoyed, Raquel just groaned as she looked back at the aberration, “Well, it isn’t like you gave me any choices to pick from. How am I supposed to-”
Immediately, the smile on Abby’s face vanished as she glared at the girl, And somehow, you still manage to get it right.
Before Raquel could say anything, she felt something grab her by the throat as she was lifted upwards into the air. Yet, you don’t see the bigger picture. Choices have consequences, especially when you choose to take it away from us.
“W-w-what a-are you-?”
Do you still not understand? A pity. For I am just as much a part of you as my sisters. Yet, they were so keen and patient, waiting for you to come back. Yet, the only way that I knew you would come to us is if I made you.
As she was speaking, the form of Abby began to morph and change. The aberration that was once the same size as Raquel now stood over her as her form was now that of a giant sphinx. Yet, her head was still the same as she stared into her eyes while a magical grip held her in place.
I am what you feel when you revel and rejoice. I am what you feel when hard work is paid off. I am the excess of emotions that make life mean anything. You do not accept this, but deep down… I… am… you.
“Leave her alone!”
The crackle of flames were heard as Abby briefly turned her head towards the sound of the voice. While it was difficult to make out what was barreling towards her, a brief flicker of magic to block the incoming strike, and a swing of her tail was enough to knock the attacker to the floor. Yet, Raquel knew that voice all too well, for she was able to make out the image of Calvin out of the corner of her eye while in his transformed state.
Well now, you’re just full of surprises. But, do you really think your heroics can work here?
Before Calvin could respond, shapes took form on either side of him, before they shot forward into the ground as large spikes. He didn’t have the chance to defend himself and had only had a few brief seconds to move. Many of the times that the Skyshifter tried to attack, it would either be deflected back towards him, or he would be pushed aside. Even if an attack did manage to strike its target, he would barely affect Abby.
You’re a persistent one, the sphinx grinned, turning her attention more towards him while still holding Raquel in a magical grip. But why you go so far as to risk your life for her is beyond me.
The girl herself tried everything she could in order to get herself out of her current predicament. But her options at this moment were very limited. She wanted to try and use her powers, but any attempts were silenced by her captor as the grip got tighter. The only thing she could possibly do at this moment was tell him to run. That this was a fight he couldn’t win. “C-Calvin…”
Unfortunately for Raquel, her attempt only made the Sphinx even more obsessed. Huh, isn’t that surprising? So, you’re the boy that is responsible for everything.
“What are you talking about-?”
Before he had the chance to react, the Sphinx’s tail shot forth and wrapped around the Skyshifter as she threw him into the opposite wall. When you vanished and the Ringmaster learned of it, everything changed! Everything!!
When Calvin tried to get back up on his feet, Abby twisted one of her paws as magical arrows shot towards him and tore through his clothing. The attacks were enough to force him down onto one knee, before the sphinx attempted to crush him under her forepaw.
Your circumstances had the ringmaster abandon us! Left us dazed and trying to pick up the pieces of something we had no knowledge of. All of us tried our hardest to fix what was broken, but was overcome by pain and suffering. We tried to do what we thought was right… but it was of no use.
The sphinx began to put more force into her paw as the ground began to break under Calvin. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to maintain his form very long, and only moments after finding himself in this position did he find himself change back to normal and lose his ground, something that made Raquel panic when she realized how bad things were getting.
Only in trying to make this place our own can things truly be what they used to be. Only in complete control can we feel joy and happiness again. And if I have to break you so that can be achieved, then so be it.
Despite his situation, and how grim it might’ve seemed, Calvin still held on the best he could. Yet, the Skyshifter still found it within himself to say something back to her, “Is this really who you’re supposed to be? Because your actions say otherwise.”
And who are you to tell me about such things, boy?
“Because I know who you are,” he defiantly retorted, “And how twisted your thoughts are. Y-You talk about joy and happiness, but you seem very pleased in enjoying people’s pain. Some can say… you’re v-very passionate about it-”
The simple remark was the last straw for the sphinx, for she threw out any sign of composure and just snapped at the boy. SHUT UP!!
The cracks in the ground grew larger as Abby forced more weight onto the Skyshifter as his body was shaking. You DARE call me by that wretched name!? Who do you think you are!?! You’re nothing to me! NOTHING!!
As Raquel watched this unfold, a moment of realization struck her. This wasn’t just an unknown force that was hurting him… it was who she used to be. She saw her old self tormenting him, like it was years ago, and hated it. Even if this thing was a part, that was not who she was anymore. “Come on, get up!! Do something!!”
Even if Abby saw this place as her domain, this was still her mind. This was a place that belonged to her, and she was not going to let anyone, not even this Aberration of herself, change her.
Raquel’s mind was her own to wield… and hers to shape as she saw fit. And right now, above all else, she wanted to stop Abby from hurting anyone else.
“ENOUGH!!”
In a violet flash, magical power surged forth from her fingers and lashed outwards like a whip. The sphinx herself was caught unaware as multiple threads of magic wrapped around her legs and slightly pulled her away from Calvin. As the sphinx turned her head slightly towards her, her eyes widened. What in-!? How did you-!?
“You say that you are me,” Raquel retorted, the grip on her hands tightening around the threads, “But if that were true, then you would know that the one thing I hate above all else is seeing myself go back to my bad habits.”
But he’s-!!
“-Forgiven me for my past mistakes that I’ve done to him and told me that what happened was beyond his control,” she interjected, “He’s here to help me. All you’ve done is nothing.”
Now that the sphinx was forced onto their back legs, that gave Calvin an opportunity to break out of his predicament. With Abby’s attention focused on Raquel, the Skyshifter first changed into Stealth Elf to sneak out unnoticed. Then, when he was in a proper position, he broke out of hiding and changed back into his Imaginator to strike the sphinx in the chest with a kick that sent her barreling across the room as Raquel let go of the threads.
“T-thanks for that,” he spoke, before looking at the glowing band that was around Raquel’s wrist, “That wasn’t what I was expecting though… What changed?”
“Let’s just say that it was about time that I confronted my fears,” she said with a sigh of relief, “Are you alright? Where’s Twilight?”
“She’s working on something right now that could help us,” the Skyshifter answered, “I didn’t understand her explanation fully, but from what I can understand, the longer that Passion is… well, like this,” he then motioned over to the sphinx, “The more that she’ll try to draw power from everything around us.”
“Wait, Passion? Who-”
“Passion is Abby. Well, who she was. Long story, and I don’t think we have the time to share it in depth right now.”
At this, Raquel can only give a shrug, “Okay then. So, we’re basically buying her time?”
Calvin was only able to nod, before the sight of the sphinx rising back up onto their paws was enough to have both of them be on guard. So, if that’s how you want to play… then fine! LET’S PLAY!!
Immediately, both of them had to move out of the way in different directions, as a barrage of magic arrows were launched towards them. Now that Raquel was taking part in the fight, it didn’t feel like too much of an overwhelming fight. Yet, considering that there was probably no limit to Abby’s strength, there was no telling how long they could last in a direct confrontation, especially since it was likely that she could manipulate everything in the environment.
So, both Calvin and Raquel came up with a different plan to keep the Sphinx on her paws. Instead of staying in one place, both of them would be constantly on the move and even switching places to attack from areas that Abby least expected. For Raquel, this worked surprisingly well, since her magic was as unpredictable as they were. She even went as far as to mimic some of Abby’s own spells, to give the aberration a literal taste of her own medicine.
Grr! You dare use my own spells against me!?
“Technically, it’s my magic,” Raquel shot back with a confident smirk, before she began to channel another spell as the magic crackled around her fingers, “You’ve just been borrowing it.” Within an instant, a spike of magic was released as it struck Abby in the head. While the initial hit did not exactly do anything to start, it was enough to cause the Sphinx to stagger in pain and provide Calvin an opportunity to get some strikes in before she could retaliate.
What makes you think the two of you can hold your ground long enough to stop me?! The Sphinx shouted as her eyes began to glow, and the very ground under their feet began to violently shake. You are just prolonging the inevitable!!
“Shoot!” Calvin gasped, before switching out of his Imaginator and raced over to his friend. As he did, the Skyshifter grabbed hold of his pendant and murmured a few words as it started to give off a violet glow, and seconds later, he shifted into the form of Spyro. By the time that Raquel noticed his changed appearance, the form of the purple dragon was motioning for her to hurry and motioning his head towards his back, “Get on!! Quickly!”
Not even questioning it, the girl did what the Skyshifter asked her to do as she hopped onto his back. With as much as he could muster, Calvin attempted to spread his wings and take off from the ground, as chunks of the floor were breaking apart. Things were rusty at first, since the Skyshifter had never tried anything like this before with this particular form. But right now, it was the only choice he could think of in such a short amount of time.
As both of them got off the ground, Abby did not let up in her attempts to stop them. Now, the sphinx used her spells to continue her attacks, along with taking the broken pieces of the floor to try and knock the two of them out of the air. While Calvin did what he could to move out of the way, Raquel had to step up to the plate and use her powers to counteract what was happening, so that they weren’t knocked out of the air.
However, she was beginning to notice that despite whatever methods they tried, it did little to actually affect Abby. If anything, many of their attacks didn’t even faze her. “Calvin, we need to change our approach. Whatever we’ve been doing isn’t working so far. Any ideas?”
The dragon had to take some time to think of a proper answer, given that he also had to avoid incoming chunks of rock and magic. However, when he glanced over at the tree that was towering over everything else in the room, an idea struck his mind. “I might have one. This is going to get really bumpy, so you might want to hold on right now!”
“Wait, wha-?”
Raquel had no choice but to hold onto the dragon tightly as Calvin went into a downward nosedive. Moments before touching the ground, he pulled up, as the momentum of the wind on his wings carried them skyward. Instead of attacking their foe, his focus was on speed and outmaneuvering whatever Abby tried to throw at them.
Then, at one point, she heard the Skyshifter say something that sounded too crazy. “Okay, Raquel? When I say so, I’m going to need you to let go!”
“Wha-? Are you serious-!?” she asked, before the dragon had to move out of the way of another incoming rock that flew past their heads.
“Just trust me! This is part of the idea!”
“What even is the idea!?”
“You’ll see,” he said, before stopping his ascent and letting gravity bring them back down, “Don’t worry, I will catch you! Now, let go!”
At that moment, Raquel had some very serious doubts about what exactly Calvin was trying to do. Yet, she didn’t really have a choice, as both of them were now in freefall and plummeting towards the floor. But when she looked at Calvin, the girl watched as his whole body glowed a bright emerald green, and his form expanded in size. Before she could realize what was happening, a colossal wooden arm extended upwards to catch her just as the figure made contact with the ground.
The Skyshifter was no longer a dragon, but a colossal wooden figure that was roughly the same size as the sphinx that was in the room. There was red wood on the right arm and chest, along with moss on the legs and a crown that looked either like horns or antlers. As the giant blue eyes shifted towards her, she couldn’t help but hear a hint of Calvin’s confidence in the voice of this figure. “See? I told you that I would catch you.”
Now, Raquel was beginning to see why exactly Calvin would choose a form like this. The previous two transformations did little to actually combat against Abby, not just because of strength, but also size. Any attacks he did try barely even affected her. This time, he was trying to fight in a bigger form to possibly be on the same playing field as her, with power to match. “Y-yeah, you did.”
Really now? Do you think that a change in form will be enough to best me?!
“Maybe it’s about time you fought against something your own size!” Calvin snapped back as he looked over at Raquel and placed her on his shoulder, “Now, hold on tight and let me know if she tries any surprises. I can’t move as freely as I did earlier, so I need you to help me with this, alright?”
Personally, the girl couldn’t help but wonder if this was still part of the solution Maeve had intended when they first arrived. But if this was going to help them start to fight back against the aberration, then she was on board with it. “Let’s do this.”
The sounds of battle and carnage outside of the tree did little to distract Twilight as the alicorn focused on the task at hoof. With each moment that passed, she weaved the magic from her horn into the mask that belonged to the one named Abby, or as her sisters called her, Passion. The plan for what she was attempting was simple, yet complicated. It was simple in the fact that the alicorn knew who they were up against and how they were able to channel such sheer amounts of power. However, the method in which she was planning to sever that connection was complicated.
The plan in question involved restoring an enchantment on the mask that would effectively limit Abby’s ability to draw on the Mindscape for power. Yet, the enchantment was rather complex and not like anything Twilight had seen before. Plus, there was also the fact that if the Aberration realized what she was trying to do, she would more than likely try to stop her.
After weaving a few more glyphs and focusing her magic into the mask some more, the mask began to glow briefly, as Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, it’s done,” she said, before looking over to Sorrow, Fury and Panic. “Now, we need to get this over to Calvin and Raquel, before it’s too late.”
“T-that’s great!” Sorrow said as a spark of hope started to form on her face.
“U-uh… I-I don’t mean to sound like a downer,” Panic retorted as she put her arms behind her back, “B-but, how would we k-know if it’s the r-right time to-?”
Before she could even finish her sentence, all of them heard the sound of a large crash, causing Twilight and the sisters to run outside. Directly in front of them, a sphinx was trading blows with what looked like a giant walking tree in the middle of the room. While it looked like any other giant monster fight, the alicorn realized immediately that the situation had escalated dramatically.
“I think now is the only chance we have! Now, come on, we need to hurry!”
The cracking of wood and the sound of crackling magic echoed throughout the chamber as two titans began to clash. Despite the differences between their forms, both giants were on equal footing with one another, and neither one of them looked to be having any kind of advantage. Even though this was considered as Abby’s domain, the giant that defiantly stood against the sphinx was rather persistent in his attempts to bring her to heel. Every tactic she tried, whether it be ranged attacks or trying to slow them down, was either countered or he happened to find a way around it
Of course, one of the main reasons as to why this was the case was because the Ent had someone helping him, for Raquel, who had only awakened her magic a short time ago, was using her newfound abilities to help turn the tide of battle. Mainly, she focused on negating specific spells that Abby would try to channel, while also creating opportunities for her giant friend to capitalize on to hurt her. Though, she had to be careful and not try to exhaust herself too quickly.
Even though her efforts to help did a lot to have the fight be in their favor, it also happened to put a target on her back. For when the Sphinx realized what she was doing, Abby began to channel attacks that focused on removing her from the fight. Some attempts even tried to knock her off of Tree Rex’s shoulder and have her fall to the floor.
One such attempt was almost successful. That was, until Tree Rex had a Woodpecker companion catch her before she could hit the ground. Now, she was dangling from the bird as its talons were wrapped around one of her hands, something that didn’t exactly please the Sphinx
Tch! Why won’t you just GIVE UP!!?
“Getting annoyed already?” Tree Rex smirked, before he readied his fist to slam into the ground, “Good. Then, let’s keep it that way!”
At first, Raquel was going to try and get the bird to bring her back to where she was. However, it was as she was getting her bearing that she looked down to see Twilight… as well as what looked like three people with drama masks on. At first, she was confused as to why she was down here and who these other girls were.
Then, Calvin’s words from earlier clicked into place, as she remembered what the alicorn was working on. “Hey? Can you set me down?”
It took a few seconds for the woodpecker to recognize what she was asking for, but when it did, the bird gently brought her down to the ground as she hurried over to the others, “Twilight, what are you doing here?”
“Well, trying to help you and Calvin,” the alicorn stated in a tone that came off as rather obvious. “I finished the-”
Raquel immediately tried to get her to stop speaking as she placed a finger to her mouth “Shh…! Not out in the open. If she notices us, then we’re in trouble.”
“W-we can help,” one of the girls, who wore a mask that was associated with Sadness, told her as some magic began to form around her hands. In a matter of seconds, it began to expand and wrap around all of them, as a shroud was cast over them, “I-It won’t last long, but i-it’ll do for now.”
“Thank you,” Raquel said, before she looked back to Twilight, “Now, Calvin told me you were trying to come up with something that could help?”
“Yeah, and I just finished working on it,” Twilight told her as she levitated a mask to her. It was similar to the ones that the other girls wore, only that the face that was painted on it displayed happiness, “If you can get close enough and place this on her, it’ll do the rest.”
CRACK!!
Immediately, both of them turned to see that cracks were beginning to form around the breaking illusion, as the girl who was trying to maintain the spell was pushed to the ground. When the spell shattered, all of them looked up to see that the Sphinx that was fighting the giant was now standing in front of them. Yet, its attention was not on Twilight or Raquel… but instead, it was on the other girls.
Y-You… How COULD YOU!?! the sphinx howled as its outburst caused the ground to crack and shatter, forcing the group to disperse as Raquel watched the girls tumble across the floor like ragdolls, You’re my sisters!! WHY!?!
“Passion, p-please! Stop this!” one of the other girls, who had a mask of fear on her face, tried to speak, “T-this isn’t you! Why would you-?”
The sphinx did not want any of it, as more magical energy began to surface around her, as her rage was centered on a new target. Everything I’ve done WAS FOR YOU!! I WANTED TO FIND A WAY FOR US TO BE HAPPY AGAIN, LIKE WE USED TO BE!! A FUTURE WHERE WE DON’T NEED THE RINGMASTER, BECAUSE SHE ABANDONED US!!! THREW US ALL AWAY LIKE BROKEN TOYS!! AND NOW, YOU ABANDONED ME TOO!!
Raquel could only watch in horror, for there was nothing she could do to either protect them or get there in time. However, much to the surprise of all of them, something different happened. For as Abby was about to unleash her spell, she was struck in the face by a giant anchor that caused her to be thrown off balance and tumble to the ground. Any spellcraft that the sphinx tried to channel was interrupted as the other masked girls took the chance to find safety.
As Raquel turned to see where the anchor came from, she now noticed that Calvin had changed forms again. Instead of a giant tree this time, he was a walking humpback whale, with a giant anchor. “I hate to interrupt this family reunion, but your fight is with us!! Now, leave them out of this and get back over here!!”
As the chain from the anchor was pulled back to Calvin, the head of the anchor hit the sphinx’s side as it was dragged back over. With an opportunity present, Raquel looked back towards Twilight as she said the first thing that came to mind. “If you can get me on Calvin’s back, then he and I can try to bring this fight to an end. You think you can do that?”
The princess could only give off a confident smirk as she looked back at her. “Oh, I think I can.”
Raquel might not have realized it at the time, but asking a pony known throughout Equestria as the bearer of the Element of Magic if they could do something involving magic was enough for them to take it as a personal challenge, so much so that before Raquel realized what was happening, Twilight’s horn began to shimmer brightly as a giant dragon claw took form and wrapped itself around her. “Hey, Calvin! I got something for you! Catch!!”
“Hold on! This wasn’t what I had in mi-!!”
At that point, Twilight just focused intently and used the spell to throw as hard as she could, as Raquel was flying in the air towards him. At first, the Skyshifter had no idea what was being sent to him. But when he realized that the alicorn just threw Raquel to him, his immediate priority shifted to catching her and forcing him to take his eyes off his opponent for a mere second. “Twilight, are you crazy?!”
“Hey, Raquel asked if I could!”
“Not like that!!” Raquel grumbled as she got back on her feet. However, the moment that she looked away from her, her attention was brought back to the one they were facing, “Calvin, look out!!”
The Skyshifter had mere seconds to react and put up his anchor in defense, as Abby charged at them. Instead of casting a spell or striking from a distance, she was using her wings as a fan of blades to try and strike them at close range.
YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME!! THEY ARE MY SISTERS!! MY FAMILY!! YOU CAN’T HAVE THEM!!! I WILL BRING THEM HAPPINESS AGAIN, NOT YOU!!!
“Get off me!” the Skyshifter snapped as he pushed the Sphinx off of him and tried to hit her again with his anchor. This time though, she sidestepped the chain completely and avoided his attacks. “What the-? How?”
Raquel was beginning to notice it, too. After she saw the ‘sisters’ that were with Twilight, something with Abby changed. Not just with her attitude, but with how she was fighting. The sphinx was now faster and resorting to different tactics to stop them. If this continued, they might not get an ideal opening to stop her.
Or… could they? “Hey, Calvin, I got an idea, but I need you to trust me on this one.”
“You’re going to need to be more specific.”
“Just let her get close. That’s all I ask,” Raquel said, her focus back on the sphinx, as it prepared once more to last out at them. What she had in mind was going to be a major risk, but if she was able to pull this off, this fight could end in an instant. It just depended on if Calvin was willing to play along.
I WILL NOT LET YOU LAY A FINGER ON THEM!!
With both his arms, Calvin held up the anchor to block the strikes that were coming at him, as both of them were at a standstill. Anytime one of them tried to push forward, the other would push back and prevent them from gaining ground. Yet, in an unexpected move, the Giant removed one of his hands from the anchor in an attempt to grab at the sphinx’s mane. When she realized what he was trying to do, the sphinx flexed her wings forward to push herself away from them.
Do you really think that such childish attempts to hurt me would work?!
“Who said I was trying to hurt you?”
The Sphinx was baffled by that. But that momentary distraction was all that was needed, for she felt something wrap around her body and wings as she tumbled to the ground. When she turned her head to look behind her, all she could make out was the sight of Raquel with the same magical threads from before. Yet, how this girl got behind her was something that puzzled her.
Until she realized something. The attempt to grab her mane was not an attempt to hold her down. It was a diversion, so Raquel could have her right where she wanted to be. Now, she was at her mercy, and any attempt to struggle and try to break free did little to help.
Your efforts are FUTILE! You cannot maintain your magic forever! She taunted, all the while trying to stand up, What makes you think you can stop me!?
Raquel just tightened the grip on the threads as they began to wrap around the sphinx’s neck and bring it closer to the ground. “I might not be able to,” she replied, one hand holding the threads while her right hand held the mask Twilight prepared for her, “But this might!!”
Wait, what are you-?! Before the sphinx could act, Raquel forced the mask onto her face, as the magic woven into it began to lock into place. Immediately, the massive creature began to flicker and shrink, as she struggled to break free. The magic she once held now evaporated like steam, No No NOOO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!
It did not take long for the mask’s effects to fully kick in, and within a matter of minutes, the Aberration that was once a massive sphinx was almost the same size as when Raquel, Calvin and Twilight found her, just with a mask covering her once confident face. She was still bound by the threads that Raquel held onto, but now that it was all over, Abby just laid on the floor and was not even attempting to resist at all.
If anything, she was crying now. “W-why? I-I just wanted for my s-sisters to be happy.”
“T-that wasn’t happiness, Passion,” they now heard another voice as the sisters started to come to them, “W-what you were doing w-was along the lines of obsession. Y-you were stuck in the past and c-couldn’t see that things were changing. It was s-sad to see you like that.”
“Plus, you could’ve… I don’t know, tell us what you were doing instead of thinking you had to do it yourself!” another sister that was wearing a mask that represented anger snapped, “We’re supposed to be looking out for one another! How are we going to do that if you just vanish without saying anything!?”
“Y-yeah, it’s scary w-when we’re not together. With you, I-i’m not as afraid as I would normally be.”
Raquel just watched as Abby listened to what her sisters told her as she tried her best to keep it together. She couldn’t see it because of the mask, but if she did see her face, it would probably be in tears after hearing her sister’s words to her. At that moment, the girl began to reconsider her original reasons for going this far. She thought that Abby was a menace originally, but in reality, she was just misguided, like she once used to be.
“P-please,” she heard the Aberration say, “W-whatever you want to do with me… leave my sisters out of it-”
Then, Raquel did something that Abby didn’t expect at all. She opened her hand and let go as the spell just faded. “You know, when I first came here, I just thought of you as something to remove and be done with. However, the more that I think about it, the more that I realize that just getting rid of something isn’t going to solve anything.”
“H-huh? What do you-?”
Calvin himself was surprised by this as he and Twilight watched this unfold. Yet, Raquel did not stop there, “Whether I like it or not, you and your sisters are a part of me and represent who I am, so maybe we should make that a good thing. In order to understand what I can do, I need to understand myself first, and all of you know me better than anyone.”
Abby hesitated at that, as she and her sisters looked back at her in disbelief, “Y-you would do that?”
Raquel could only sigh as she gave them a smile, “I might not be the ‘ringmaster’ that you remember. But, I can still try my best. All you need to do is just give me a chance.”
Now, all the sisters looked at one another and started to talk amongst themselves. Each one of them seemed a bit hesitant to take up Raquel on what she was proposing to them. Though it looked like the more that they were discussing this, the more that they all seemed to be at ease, so much so to the point that the discussion between them lasted quite a bit longer than what they were expecting.
After some time though, all of them looked over to Raquel as Abby asked one more question, “Can you promise that?”
That surprised Raquel at first. Though, since it seemed like the only demand Abby was making, she chose to go along with it. “I promise not to do anything to separate you from your sisters. Bonds between family members are very important, and they should never be broken.”
It was after those words were said that the entire room began to give off a warm glow, as light flooded the entire complex. As each second passed, it became harder and harder to see, and Raquel also started feeling a bit dizzy. Yet, as this was happening, they all heard one last response from the sisters.
Thank you.
Back in the Castle of Friendship, Maeve and Ember were unsure of anything that was going on with Raquel, Calvin and Twilight as they remained on standby. Both of them just waited patiently, as they stayed inside the chamber with their bodies. Minutes soon became hours, to the point that the sun was beginning to set outside. So far, they had been lucky that no one found out what they were doing or were looking around for Twilight. Mainly since, if anypony just happened to find a passed out princess in a room with two strangers inside, they would immediately think of the worst case scenario.
All that changed in a matter of seconds, when all three of them woke up at the same time... not slowly, but as if they were startled awake. “H-huh?”
Immediately, Maeve was startled and fell off of the stool that she sat on, as she landed face first on the floor. Ember, on the other hand, looked relieved. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re back. I was beginning to get a bit worried,” the caretaker let out an eased sigh of relief, “What happened? Did everything go well?”
“B-better than expected,” Raquel replied with a smile, “It was definitely a bit strange, not gonna lie.”
“Heh. Well, as good as that sounds, and as much as I would like for you to share what happened, the three of you have been gone for quite a while,” as Ember was speaking, all three of them turned towards a nearby window to see that the sun had set over the horizon, and night was beginning to fall. “Maybe we should talk about your mind adventures over dinner? All of you must be hungry.”
Ironically, the sounds of a couple empty stomachs echoed within the chamber, as Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Raquel watched as both Twilight and Calvin talked a bit to Ember, as Maeve was getting off the floor. However, she didn’t follow them immediately, not because she was ignoring them, but because it was the first time since Raquel learned about her magic that their thoughts didn’t flood her mind. At first, the girl wasn’t sure what to think of it. Her mind was at peace, but it felt like something was missing.
So, as she got up from the bed she was on, Raquel tried something as she began to think to herself. “Abby? Are you there?”
At first, there was silence. Though, as she was about to leave the room and join the others, the girl heard a response, one that couldn’t help but give her a lot of confidence.
“I’m here, and always will be when you need it, for we are part of your Aberrant Mind, and are thankful to be together again.”
End Scroll 34
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what's the pic used for the thumbnail?
11472533
It's a cropped image of the Skylands that I found on the game's wiki.