The Raven’s Sky

by Chemtest

Past

Raven salutes, “Head Paladin Mass Offense, status?”

The imposing stallion keeps his salute up, “Mission failed, Lord Raven, the bombs fell before we could act!”

Raven shakes his head, “Not your mission. Your squad?”

He thinks for a bit, “Unknown. Alduin hasn’t been seen since the mission, but neither have Ghorbash or Dovahkin. No investigation has been given.”

Louis steps forward, “Then let’s search for them. Raven, you remember where they fought?”

Raven nods, “To the north, the quarry near Crystal Way. Head Paladin, would you be willing to accompany us on our investigation?”

Mass Offense looks back to his soldiers, “Report back to Filly, Paladin Dove is in charge until I return.”

The soldiers nod, “Of course, Elder. But what about the talisman?”

Louis smiles, “Oh, the Resurrection Talisman?” He looks over to a nearby counter, and grabs a necklace. It seems to glow golden in the little light. Louis tosses it over to Mass Offense, “Were you looking for it?”

He catches it in his armored hoof, and looks at it, “Yes... we were. I was going to find Raven and bring him back with it. Turns out I didn’t need to. I’ll keep it with me, just in case.”

His soldiers smile, “Very well, Elder. We’ll continue our duties as usual.”

Raven waits for the soldiers to disappear, then he faces Mass Offense, “How the Tartarus are you still alive?”

Bedlam speaks up, “Sorry, but I seem to be out of the loop. Do you know this Steel?”

Offense looks down at the filly, “Watch your tongue, Mark.”

Bedlam scoffs, “Like Tartarus I will! I see a Steel, and I’ll call him a Steel!”

Raven moves between them, “Woah, woah, calm down.”

Bedlam spits, “Calm down? These Steel bastards have done nothing to ever help me, all they’ve done is steal! Do you know how many fillies have died because these Steels decided to take all the good weapons? Too many to count, Raven, too many!”

Offense looks towards Raven, “We have offered them protection for decades, but they never agreed! It’s not our fault that their leader is selfish and stubborn! I bet she doesn’t even know many Rangers have been lost in an effort to protect ponies. They could’ve been protected too!”

Bedlam steps towards him, “Your demands were outrageous! You asked us to give up our entire identity! The very thing that makes us us!”

Offense looks back down to her, “We only ask that you change your name! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are gone, and they don’t need a group of selfish fillies to take their title! Just call yourself the Crusaders, or the Marks, we wouldn’t have cared!”

Bedlam looks to Raven, “I’d like to know how you two know each other.”

Offense does the same, “I’d like to know why you are traveling with her.”

Raven looks towards Bedlam, “This is Head Paladin Mass Offense, who has been my most loyal soldier. Ever since he turned against Celestia as a Corporal and fought alongside Dovahkin and Ghorbash until he was Head Paladin. I trust this stallion with my life, and I’ve trusted him with the lives of others many times before. Although you must now be, what, 236?”

Offense shakes his head, “247, Raven. I fought against Celestia at 27.”

Raven nods, “Anyway, he’s a tough soldier, a good strategist, and a loyal friend. Now, before I tell you about Bedlam, how about you answer my original question?”

Offense nods, “Well, the magical energy from the bombs messed me up bad. Apparently, since I was at the core of the blast, I was exposed to enough Chaotic Mana to become a ghoul. That means I am immortal, like you. Though it comes at the downside of being fused to my armor. The armor is literally the only thing keeping me together.”

Raven nods, “Louis, is that possible?”

Louis nods back, “Oh yeah, a strong enough blast of Chaotic Mana could have thousands of effects on a pony. Usually death, but sometimes other things can happen. I suppose with a thick amount of armor between the Mana and victim, it could lead to immortality through the destruction of the cell’s Telomere and the replacement of it with Mana.. The chances are small, but it’s the only explanation. I mean, that is what you do as well, Raven. No other ways of immortality have been found other than the destruction of the Telomere. From what I remember of my experiments on Luna, the only thing that keeps alicorns alive so long is that their Mana automatically destroys the Telomere as soon as a cell is formed and forms a protective barrier of it’s own.”

Raven smiles, “Alright, sounds right. So, basically, I freed this filly and her friends from some Slavers, and she decided to tag along. Now, how about we all just get along?”

Offense and Bedlam look at each other. Offense extends a hoof, “Let’s just forget about the past.”

Bedlam takes his hoof, and shakes, “Gladly.”

Raven nods, “Good, now then, onwards to the quarry!”

Comments

[jen_lee_hattie]

That was a fun read hope to read more soon.

[dragonus85]

Conflict resolution was way to quick for my tastes