Where in Equestria are we?

by Blackdrag-rose

IX: World of Greed (Part 1)

"You mean you let her leave with the third key still around her neck?" the Gatekeeper said, alarmed that they might very well lose one of the keys.

"Yes," Vinyl admitted, hanging her head in shame, "I got caught up in my explanation and making sure Tavi was okay that I completely forgot that we had obtained the key."

"This isn't the time to be throwing blame around," Derpy shouted, gathering the attention of those around them, "We need to enter that world, track down Trixie, get the key, and make sure that we get the Key of Greed while we're at it."

"Your crazy Derpy," Lyra commented, "Trixie has a head start in the world of greed and we have absolutely no idea where she went. As far as we know Hateful Rarity already has her and the key. We would literally need everypony involved in the search so we could actually find her."

"We are not losing that key," Vinyl stated, still surprised that Octavia was hanging around her, "Tavi, we have to go rescue Trixie before she does something incredibly stupid. Do you think you'll be alright here with the Gatekeeper and the rest of the soldiers?"

"You are not leaving me behind Vinyl Scratch," Octavia said, pulling herself off of Vinyl and staring into her eyes, "I lost you once, but I'm not losing you again. Give me a weapon and some armor and I'll join you in your quest."

"Are you sure about this Tavi?" Vinyl asked, "I wouldn't want you to suffer or harm to come to you."

"Be quiet Vinyl," Octavia answered, "I am going along with you and there is nothing that can stop me. Now; give me a weapon and let's go find Trixie."

"I'm not going to be able to persuade you am I?" Vinyl asked, sighing softly.

"No your not," Octavia answered, "Now, my weapon?"

"How does a sword with sound vibrations sound?" Vinyl asked, the Terminal summoning up the exact weapon she had mentioned.

"It will have to do," Octavia said, attaching it to around her body, "Now let's go get that key and save Trixie."

Octavia advanced towards the gateway and left a shocked Lyra, Derpy, and Vinyl behind. The Gatekeeper wasn't so surprised that Octavia wasn't willing to stay behind after that story she had told them all. Plus she had lost her world's version of Vinyl and it had shocked her to her very core. The Gatekeeper was glad that Trixie had saved such a high spirited pony from the evil factory.

-World of Greed-

Trixie wandered through the trees of the forest, wondering where the animals were and what they just happened to be doing at the time. She was honestly surprised that the Gatekeeper didn't take the key from her when it had been right in front of him, yet here she was, still wearing the key. A twig broke and she turned towards the sound, watching the trees in case something emerged from the treeline.

After a few minutes of nothing she moved on and continued down the path she was on, wondering why there was a worn path in the forest. If the Warriors of Harmony had been to the world constantly then she wondered why the Gatekeeper had sent her here in the first place. Or the Army of Hatred was tearing the place apart and this was one of their common roads that they traveled when they came to this world.

Something flew overhead and she ducked behind a tree, making sure her cape didn't reveal her location as she watched the skies. Floating in midair was a huge mechanical owl, which reminded her of the owl she had seen back in the factory, but she knew it couldn't be the same owl. The dang thing had exploded and had nearly taken her life back in the factory that the Hateful Pinkie ran. Yet here Clockwerk was, watching over the skies as if he was searching for something in the forest. Something like her.

"Hehehe, come on out Trixie," the robotic owl screeched, its wings opening to reveal what looked like small cannons, "If you don't then I will hunt you down and and blast you out of you hiding spot, exactly like I did to the troublesome members of the Cooper Clan. Only I killed each of those troublesome raccoons, where you are requested as a guest of the Lady Rarity. Come on out Trixie."

Trixie didn't like the sound of having the robotic owl following her and blowing holes in the forest just so he could flush her out into the open. She didn't like the idea of visiting Hateful Rarity, not after what she had seen in Oblivion's home world and what had happened in both the Caribbean and the Cupcake Factory. She was so busy thinking about her options that she failed to notice the deranged owl loosing something from his wings. A canister dropped out of the air and the next thing she knew a patch of the forest exploded into a fury of flames, with her staring at the owl in terror.

"Do you see now?" the owl loudly asked, though he knew exactly where the poor mage was and was simply terrorizing her, "Do you see the power that I wield? Do you feel the terror seeping into your body and willing you to abandon your pitiful attempt to hide from me? Come on out and I promise that you won't be incinerated by one of my bombs."

Trixie utterly hated the owl, who she seemed to think had a superiority issue or something, and she was beginning to grind her teeth as she thought of a way to get past him. Maybe she should have waited for her companions before she had entered the gateway, but she had been hot with anger pumping through her veins. She was growing tired of these different worlds and the evil hateful ponies that she ended up meeting. She needed a way past the owl before he continued to drop bombs and ended up killing her in the process.

Trixie moved from her hiding spot as another canister landed not far from her location and took the first five trees in each direction with it. She growled and threw a bolt of magic right at the owl, but when it phased into nothingness she was completely surprised. His metal skin, or armor as it seemed to be, appeared to have magic absorbing properties, which made it tougher for her to blast the vile owl.

"You might as well give up," Clockwerk called, keeping his mechanical eyes on the mare, "I will take you before Lady Rarity and you will be her guest."

"Fat chance of that Clockwerk," came a voice as Trixie appeared below him, her staff blazing with energy as she swung it into his chest.

"Hahaha, did you really think that that would work?" Clockwerk asked, his mechanical armor absorbing the magic right before her eyes, "I am the mechanical genius of Lord Oblivion's Army. Do not think that you can simply destroy my armor and tear me to pieces just like that."

"Who said that this is the real me?" Trixie asked as a staff erupted out of Clockwerk's right shoulder, knocking out his bomb droppers and the wing.

"Hahaha, nice try," the robotic owl said, turning his entire body in a one hundred and eighty degree turn and latching onto Trixie, "but after the defeat I suffered at the hands on Sly Cooper I have modified my armor to remain in perfect working order despite the damage. Now you shall meet with Lady Rarity."

Before Trixie could let go of her staff the owl began to fly, perfectly as if his wing hadn't been damaged, towards the palace she had seen earlier. Not that letting go would have mattered since the owl was holding onto her and it didn't look like he was going to let her go anytime soon. The last thing she saw of the gateway before it was swallowed by the trees was her companions, plus Octavia, step into the new world.

-The Gateway-

"Faust almighty," Vinyl whispered, noticing the vile owl flying off with someone in his steel claws, "We're too late. They've already captured Trixie."