Edit: (2/26/16): Grammar, some spelling fixes, and I changed some wording. Also removed the review responses because they were from attempt #1 of this story, which I have since deleted. Also removed that extra I had at the end. I realized it was just kinda stupid... Anyway, If you've read this already, you don't have to re-read this. Not too much has changed. Though some reviews would be nice...
Eaod2000- Hello! Welcome to attempt #2 of this story. I was looking through the MLP archives, and came across a story I thought looked familiar. I then realized it was mine. Anyways, I read through it, and... it sucked. So, I am going to re-try this, but this time I'm going to have a little help. (by that I mean a LOT)
This will be co-authored with Djsoresupon3. And by that I mean I will provide the story, and he will write. Anywho… Take it Away!
Djsoresupon3- Alright guys. Djsoresupon3 here, this time, providing some assistance. I mean, I've kind of reached the point where I'm like 'why the fuck not? Seems fun'. So here I am, very excited to be working with Eaod2k ;)
Eaod2k- It's more like You're here to write, cause I suck. Well… hmm… Don't actually know where I was going with that…
DJ- You make it sound like I'm an amazing writer…
2k- Have you seen my stuff? I'm good at making a story, but bad at putting it in words. I mean, look at the piece of crap the first attempt at this story was… *shudders*
DJ- To be fair, my first story was so bad, I deleted it. And then burned it. Because I can do that to an electronic file. If my freaking wifi had a face, I'd punch it. Multiple times.
2k- 0.o wha- jus- HE'S A WITCH! *jumps off bridge into river, shouting*
DJ- … Uh… I guess we're… uh… onto the story?
2k- *appears from absafucking nowhere* WAIT! THE DISCLAIMER! AAAHHH!
DJ- It would be my absolute pleasure. *Clears throat* Eaod2k nor I own MLP (weird, right?), it is owned by Hasbro. Any similar appearance to real-life characters is purely coincidental… well… I mean… not purely, fuck it. Story.
2k- *out of nowhere* Flames will be used to burn any and all witches! *looks at DJ, an inch from his face* are YOU a witch?
DJ- N-No. Witch? What's a witch? Never heard of her.
2k- *narrows eyes* I'm always watching, DJ. Aaaallways watching… *Backs off into shadows, letting the story start*
"Normal speech"
'Normal thoughts'
'Raven's thoughts'
"Raven's speech"
Chapter 1
In a forest near the edge of Bemidji, Minnesota there was a lone house. It was of simple design and was built to hold, at most, a small family of 3. Inside, a mother watched her son while he calmly and peacefully slumbered. Her child, from the time he was born, was… different? Gifted? Cursed? At this point, they all meant the same thing. She closed his door, careful not to wake him, and walked out towards the living room. If one could really even call it that. The house lacked decorations of any sort, except for a single calendar on the wall, and a few mostly bare shelves. She walked up to the calendar, grabbed a pen off the nearby shelf, and crossed out the current date. It had been almost two weeks since they had moved here, which just meant they'd have to be on the move again soon. She sighed as she rested in the lone couch and simply sat there, waiting. It wasn't long before a knock at the door caught her attention. She got up and went to the door, which had what one might consider an unnecessary amount of locks.
"Who is it?" She asked to the person on the other side.
"In your eyes, I see the eyes of somebody I knew long ago", a male voice said on the other side. The mother sighed in relief at the response, while she undid all of the locks and opened the door. There stood a man who stood about 6'3", maybe 6'4". He had solid build, with wide shoulders and short, light brown hair. Once the man saw his wife, he smiled and opened his arms out to her. She smiled back before giving him a hug.
"It's good to see you", she said.
"It's even better for me", he replied. The way they spoke, it almost sounded like they hardly ever got to talk. But, in fact, they saw each other everyday. They treasured every moment with each other, knowing something tragic could happen to them at any moment..
"So how was it today?" She asked him, breaking the hug and letting him inside, where he took off the heavy coat he had been wearing.
"I think we need to leave a little ahead of schedule", he said, surprising her.
"What? Why?" She asked, voice wavering in fear.
"I think I saw 'them'", he said, causing the mother's breath to hitch.
"You saw them?" She asked, sounding truly panicked.
"I think I did. I'm not sure. But I want to be on the safe side", he told her. She glanced towards the direction of their son's bedroom, before looking back at her husband.
"Do you think they know where we live", she asked, slightly calmer. Her husband shook his head.
"I highly doubt it. I haven't told anyone the direction we live in, and I gave a fake address for all of my jobs. So they shouldn't be able to find us too quickly", he assured her. She nodded her head, having mostly calmed down.
"Would you like some tea?" She asked him, getting up to go make some herself.
"I would love some", he answers, unwinding on the couch. The mother went into the small kitchenette that they had, and fished around for a kettle. Once she found it, she quickly filled it with water with practiced motions, before setting it a burner, and turning on the stove. She went to see what kind of tea they had left, when suddenly a loud 'thud' was heard from outside. She turned to her husband, who had a fearful look in his eyes.
"GET DOWN!" he yelled at her, flipping the couch onto its back. She immediately dropped down onto the ground, behind the kitchen counter, right as the front of the living room exploded. Pieces of wood and various other materials rained down on her, causing her to shriek. There was a loud ringing noise that echoed inside of her head, disorienting her. She struggled to get up, but soon found the strength she needed. She got up and stumbled into the living room, where she saw her husband. She gasped in shock and panic when she saw him, struggling to get up, his leg impaled on a piece of wood, blood quickly dripping onto the floor. She went to him and tried to help him up, but he weakly pushed her away.
"You have… you have to get to Alexander…", he said, his voice strained from the pain. She only took a moment to decide, body already starting to produce adrenaline, causing her heart to beat faster. She started to turn around, but multiple 'clicking' noises distracted her. Her husband, recognizing the sound, gained new-found strength as he leaped forward and tackled her to the ground, right before bullets began ripping through the weakened house. More debris began falling down on them, the acrid stench of sulfur and gunpowder filling the air. While it only lasted seconds, to them, it felt like eternity. The mother, struggling to get up, stopped when a crunching sound drew the pair's attention. A man strode in, boots crunching in all of the scattered debris in the house. He was dressed in a formal business suit and had his graying, black hair slicked back. He was followed in by two men with assault rifles slung over their heavy combat gear. He walked up to the struggling couple and bent down to a crouch.
"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Mist. How good it is to finally get to meet you both in person", he said, his tone and smile not reflecting his menacing stance. Both the mother and her husband stared defiantly at him. He seemed to frown at this, annoyed. "Fine then, straight to the point it is. Where is 'it'?"
"Fuck you, you monster! We'll never give you our son!" Her husband spat at him, causing the man to sigh before standing up. He turned to the two armored men.
"I honestly do not know how to handle people in this kind of situation. It just seems beneficial to everyone if they just told me where 'it' is", he told them. They didn't respond in any way. Suddenly, the man turned around and kicked her husband across the face, knocking him back to the ground. "Though I do wish I could 'negotiate' like this more often."
The mother went to try to go to her husband, but felt someone grab her hair. Jerking her head around, he forced her to face him.
"Can we not all just be civilized folk? Just tell me, please. Where. Is. 'It'?" He asked, his tone growing menacing.
"Let go of her!" Her husband yelled, barely on all fours. The wound in his leg was getting worse. The man just sighed in reply.
"Some people!" He exclaimed. Using his free hand, he reached inside of his suit and pulled out a 10mm handgun with a Suppressor attached. He pointed the gun at him. "Just need to treat them like rabid dogs, I suppose."
"Wait! Please no!" She shouted at him. He looked at her, then looked at her husband. He, surprisingly, dropped his arm.
"You know it does not have to be like this. Just tell me where 'it' is. If you do that, both of you can live. Is that not what you want?" He asked her. She looked away, but didn't reply in the slightest.
"Let her go!" Her husband yelled again, now in a kneeling position. The man sighed as he glanced around.
"Fine", he said, letting go of her. He looked around the now completely destroyed living room. "This is a quaint little place. Is it not? Though… I feel like there is something... missing. Oh well."
He walked over to the husband and put the gun to his forehead, causing the pair to freeze. The man turned towards the mother.
"So mother dearest, why don't you just tell me where 'it' is? I really do not enjoy doing this… at least not fully", he said with a wolfish grin. She didn't say anything again but locked her gaze with his. He broke first by pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Okay, okay. How about this? I am going to count down from three, and if you do not tell me where 'it' is… well."
He pulled back on hammer of the gun. They locked stares again, holding it in eerie silence. Again though, the man broke it first by looking away to sigh.
"Three", was all he said before he pulled the trigger. Despite the recent explosion and ripping gunfire she had heard just moments before, nothing came close to how loud that single, suppressed gunshot seemed. She watched the blood splatter all over the floor and walls, some splattering her horrified face. She watched as her husband crumpled onto the ground, never to get back up. She had to force herself not to yell or scream in anguish; She couldn't, wouldn't, give that monster the satisfaction. The man took out a handkerchief and wiped the gun down while looking down at Her husband's dead body. "Oh, I figured it out. This place needed a new paint job. The old one was just so… bland. This is much better."
He then walked over to the mother and put the gun against her head.
"You will have to excuse me about that. This thing has a very sensitive trigger", he said, in mock apology. "One last chance. Where is 'it'", he questioned. "And believe me… I will know if you are lying."
The mother looked about the room. From where the couch was, to the two men who hadn't moved since coming in. Keeping her eyes from landing on her husband's body, her gaze landed on the spot where her beloved son crouched, hidden. Though she could barely see her son, she could just make out the mixture of disbelief, fear, and sorrow in his eyes. She looked him in the eyes, smiled, and mouthed 'I love you' before turning her gaze back towards the man, her eyes ablaze in ferocity.
"I hope you burn in hell you fucking monster", she said. "No. You're not even a monster. Do you know what you are? You're just some fucking little pencil-pricked, own-mother-fucking, mouth-breathing, pen-pushing, slack-jawed, narcissistic basta-"
A suppressed gunshot interrupted her. She fell to the ground, blood flowing from the single hole between her eyes. The man stood there, a small frown on his face. He looked back towards the two men.
"My God, what is wrong with some people?" He asked them. Of course, he got no reply, so he settled with shaking his head. "I guess we will just have to do this the old-fashioned way… turn this house upside down if you have to. 'It' has to be here, or at least some hint of where 'it' is."
The two men nodded before going to search the house, neither noticing as the 14 year-old boy sadly slipped into a shadow, his tears falling freely down his horrified face.
Time-skip 3 years
Alex sprinted as hard as he could, bullets flying from behind him and peppering the ground at his feet. He turned sharply behind a corner, but swore as there was nothing but a dead end and some garbage dumpsters. He quickly went to turn around and leave the alley, but a sniper shot impacted the wall right next to his head, prevented him from leaving, so he ran to get cover behind one of the garbage dumpsters. He pulled out the 10mm handgun he had swiped from a dead merc while looking around, desperately trying to find some form of escape. But there was nothing that he could use, and he was hearing heavy footsteps enter the alleyway. He looked from the side of the dumpster, using it as cover, and spotted three of the merc's that they had hired to capture him. Recently, the corporation had gotten much more violent and open about their actions, openly seeking the help of mercenaries to kill him. He took aim and fired three shots. Two hit one merc in the chest, hopefully killing him, while the other hit one of the others in the leg. The third took aim, but Alex was already out of his line of sight. Alex tried to activate his powers, but nothing happened, he had already exhausted his energy in the chase trying to escape. Desperation began taking hold of Alex as he looked above the dumpster, which was relatively easy even when crouching due to his 6'4" height. He saw that the remaining merc's had taken cover behind the other dumpsters. He saw one of them stick their head out. He quickly brought up his gun and fired, but the merc took cover before it could hit him. Alex took cover to avoid their return fire. He stopped quickly to eject his mag and check his ammo, bullets pinging the dumpster behind him, as he took inventory. He had fired four shots, and had another eight to go. Re-loading his mag, he popped back to the side, noticing one of the mercenaries doing the same. Using his superhuman reflexes, Alex got his shot off first. The bullet sailed through the merc's head, killing him instantly. Alex quickly got behind the dumpster as more bullets pinged against the cool metal. He steadied his breathing, realizing he may have a chance to be able to shoot his way out of here and escape. Right as he was about to peek around the dumpster again, something rolled on the ground past him. He turned to look at the cylindrical object, eyes widening in horror.
"Oh shi-" He tried to close his eyes and turn, but before he could finish his sentence, the brightest flash he had ever seen completely burned into his vision. The concussive blast was enough to make even him disoriented. He felt himself fall and hit something, probably the ground. Alex tried rubbing his eyes to see if that would do something, but his vision remained white. As he tried to get his bearings, he felt someone grab his shirt. Alex turned to bring the gun to bear, but felt it get knocked from his grasp. Then, he was hit by something across the face, most likely a fist. He fell to the ground again and tried to get up, but by the time he propped himself onto his knees, something much harder struck him in the face. Alex guessed it was a boot, based on how the impact felt. He collapsed again and tasted blood in his mouth. It was then that Alexander realized the constant ringing in his ears, that would not go away. In fact, that was all he could hear. His vision began coming back, but everything was still blurry. He felt someone pick him up by his shirt collar, and while he tried to struggle against it, all that earned him was another punch across the face. Alex spit out the blood pooling in his mouth to avoid swallowing it. He felt himself lifted to his knees where he was stood with his back straight. His vision was starting to refocus, and he noticed something was in front of his face. After several seconds of trying to blink the fuzziness away, he got his vision clear enough to where he could recognize what it was… He was staring down the barrel of a gun.
Unknown Domain
"Alexander", a mysterious being called out. The being had marble-white skin, which contrasted with her deep purple, hip-length hair. The being stood at about 5'10", and had a feminine, curvy frame which was brought out with a long, royal purple dress with dark blue edging. Though what stood out the most about this being was her face. While her skin was absolutely flawless, no matter where you looked, you would always find yourself drawn into her deep, caring sapphire eyes, which seemed to pierce into your very soul.
"Alexander", she called out again to the teen who laid suspended in space. However, this time, she got a reaction, with his eyes fluttered a bit before opening. Alexander looked around himself, seeing nothing but vast black void.
"Wh-Where am I?" He asked, and though he hadn't seen her and was asking rhetorically, she answered him anyways.
"This is my realm", she answered, causing him to turn to her. He seemed to pause as he stared at her.
"Who… who are you?" He asked, sounding a little dazed.
"I've been watching you Alexander. For a very long time. I've guided you, protected you… and now I've saved you by bringing you here", the being said, not answering the question he had asked.
"But where is 'here'?" He asked, gesturing around him.
"I told you. This is my realm. It's where I reside and where I've been watching over you", she replied.
"Why me? Why try to… save me? I'm not worth saving", he said to her. The being just smiled gently back at him.
"Alexander, you are very special. More than you realize", she said, taking him by surprise.
"So… who are you?" He asked. The figure couldn't help but giggle at all of the questions.
"I am the shadows. It does not matter where, nor how small, as long as a shadow exists, I exist there too", she answered. Alex seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
"... You mentioned that you saved me. Does that mean that I didn't die?"
"Your…", she hesitated, "physical body has perished, but I was able to separate you from it before you were killed."
"So, I did die?"
"Only in the physical sense", she assured him.
"Does that make you some kind of angel then?" He asked her. She blushed lightly at his choice of words.
"No, I am not what you call an angel. In fact, many would choose to call me a demon, just because my powers can cause fear", she said sadly.
"Cause fear? Like mine did?"
"Yes… your powers were the end result of what happened when I tied my soul to yours", she said, hesitantly.
"Wait, I got my powers from you?"
"Y-Yes. I would… I would understand if you resent me for what I have put you through", she said, though she sounded on the verge of tears. The sight broke Alex's heart. He floated closer to her and wrapped her into a hug.
"Hey… it's okay. There's no way I could hate you. Just… please, don't cry. I don't care. If anything, I'm… grateful", he said, smiling down at her.
"R-Really?" she asked with a hopeful tone. "Y-You don't hate me? You're not even mad at me?"
"Really", he replied, smiling lightly. Then, unexpectedly, He started chuckling. "If anything, I should thank you. You saved my life. And for that, I will always be grateful."
"Thank you…" she said, smiling. Alex breaks the hug so she could wipe her eyes.
"So, uh, what now? Am I going to be here with you for eternity? N-Not that I would mind that or anything", he corrected himself. She giggles a bit.
"No. I'm going to send you somewhere where I believe you will truly be happy", she replied.
"What do you mean by 'truly be happy'?" He asked.
"I mean that I want you to truly be able to experience love and friendship", she answered.
"Love and friendship? Are you sure I deserve such things?" He asked, looking down. She realized that now was her turn to cheer him up.
"Of course I'm sure Alex!" She exclaimed, taking Alex by surprise. "We all deserve second chances. You need to stop reflecting on your past and start focusing on your future."
Still surprised by her outburst, Alex could do nothing but nod. She smiled.
"Glad you understand. Now, since your body was destroyed on your world, I'll need to make you a new one", she said.
"I'm sorry, but make me a new body?" He asked her.
"Yes. It's not really that difficult, but it will take me some time. If you would like to do so, I can configure your body and anything else you so desire. But only if you choose to do so", she told him. Configure his own body?
"Well, for starters, I think if I could keep how I originally looked", he said.
"That makes two of us", she said.
"H-Huh? Oh, that's, uh, good. Y-Yeah", he stammered out, getting a giggle in reply. "Oh, uh, do you think you could give me purple highlights? For my hair?"
"Of course, and good choice", she added with a wink.
"Th-Thanks. Could I also design my clothes?" He asked.
"Yes, you can", she answered.
"Then I would like to have what I wore on Earth", he said.
She frowned at that. She recalled the rags he had called clothes back when he was on the run.
"I should be able to do that… though they might be slightly different. Because of… my memory of them is not quite so good", she replied.
'yes… my memory… lets go with that', she thought.
"That should be okay", he said smiling, but then it turned into a frown.
"What's the matter?" She asked him.
"You never answered my first question", he said.
"Pardon?" She asked.
"When I asked who you were, you never gave me a name to call you by", he responded. She looked down a bit at that.
"The reason for that, would simply be that I have no name to give", she said, her tone was somber.
"What do you mean you have no name?" He asked, astonished.
"Over the course of my existence, I have never been given a name to be called by. Simply titles given to me. From Protector of the Dark to Mistress of the Night", she answered, still looking down.
"Well… how about I give you a name?" He asked. She looked up at him, her face reflecting genuine astonishment.
"I-If you wish to give me a name, then I would have no quarrel against it", she spoke hastily, letting her nervousness show. Alex couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Had he ever laughed this much before he died?
"What about…", he paused, thinking. "Raven. Raven Mist."
DJ- And we're done!
2k- *Imitating Luna* HUZZAH!
DJ- Getting to write with someone else is actually really fun.
2k- I totally agree. My story isn't going to be shit! Yay!
DJ- Awh come on. It wasn't shit. I've seen shit… *shivers* I've seen shit man!
2k- *shivers, with a faraway look in his eye* cupcakes… I'll never look at Pinkie Pie the same way again…
DJ- Lol. cupcakes. I remember that. And then there's rainbow factory. Ha… ha… oh god…
2k- NUUUU! NEVER AGAIN! *runs out screaming and covering his ears*
DJ- Aaaand he's gone… Um… we hope you enjoyed this first chapter. And um… yeah…
2k- (from offstage) If you enjoyed this story, be sure to favorite and leave a review. Constructive criticism welcome. If we get 5 reviews before the next update, we'll include a special surprise in the next chapter!
DJ- Yep! Anyways, until next time, this is Djsoresupon3,
2k- And this is Eaod2000,
Both- And we bid you, adieu. Thanks so much for reading.
