Unsalvageable

"Sweet Celestia.."

I blink hard, that's not the reaction I expected. I swallow hard before saying, "I need your help, Trixie." She backs up into the wagon and slams the door.

"Please, don't do this!" I scream but my shouts are met with dead ears. I was too late. A deep green light grew into life, twisting and turning around the wagon before turning dark brown. New father.

"I told you this would happen! Now look, look at what I had to do! This is your mission, act like it!

"Yes.. new father. I'm sorry." All those years of searching to end like this. I hate it, I can't believe he did that. I didn't even have a chance to explain myself to her, he just snapped her up. How could he be so heartless? He treats me like a son, but he won't listen to me. He takes my suggestions and turns them around, making me feel so insignificant. I feel helpless. I am helpless.

"I will give you the spell again, you need it. I can tell. Be strong, my son. Soon you will not need my help."

"I won't?" I never thought the day would come.. I won't need him? I always depended on him, does this mean I won't see him, I won't be with him, he won't love me?

"You will have as much strength as I, you will be a God-kin! We will live for eternity with power and joy!"

"Together?"

"Yes, my son. Together forever. Now, go and do what I ask of you. Make the ninth sacrifice."

"I will! I'll go now!"

I felt new fathers presence leave, I was alone, but strong. He cast the spell. Now is the time, Number Nine.

* * *

With my mind clear of fear and anxiety I was able to find Fluttershy's cabin with ease. However, the time spent with Trixie and new father was time I meant to spend watching the cabin. Now I had to risk walking in with somepony else there. I don't have time to wait for voices, I need to go now. The cabin is large, made of a tree. There are animals sleeping around the cottage, all in different houses custom to their liking. I walk the path up to the front door and knock twice. I hear soft hoofsteps coming towards me, but no voices.

The door opens slightly, and slowly, a mares head peaks through the crack. "Can I help you?" Her voice is soft, almost a whisper. I know that voice. Fluttershy. I rear my front legs and kick the door open violently. She screams softly, I know her quirk of being quiet, I use it to my benefit.

"Shut up and get in that corner. Now!" I am filled with several emotions, all competing for top spot. Anger, but not with Fluttershy, at her. Relief, having an easy target is just about the best thing that can happen to a pony like me. Pure rage, a mixture of the spell and finally being in power is fuel for the fire, all I want is to see her bleed, but I have to wait. There is a right way to do this, and there's a wrong way. I made it this far, I can't mess up now.

"W-what do y-you w-want?" Her tears are freely flowing, she is weaker than Cheerilee. I can't wait to see her face when I bring out the Blade.

"Have you heard from Cheerilee recently? I heard she had an accident." Her face lost all color, in fact, her entire body went dark. Her fur literally turned to a dark shade of yellow, her main dark pink. It was weird, but I've seen weirder.

"P-please don't hurt m-m-me!" She can barely talk, I almost can't make out what she's saying. Her face is low to the ground, the rest of her body is slumped as well. I can tell she knows whats coming, but I have an odd feeling... I can't put it to words, it's like when you realize too late that you made a mistake. But this is not a mistake. New father wouldn't ask anything of me if it weren't important.

"I have to. You're Number Nine, the Caretaker. It's the rules, honey, no way around it. I'm sorry but- no wait, I'm not sorry, haha, I love this! Every moment of it!" I begin to laugh at her fear and discomfort. She looks pathetic, lying in a heap of cowardice. I understand why she's so afraid, most ponies are, actually, all ponies are afraid. But this is different. She isn't afraid, she's more than that. I can't put a hoof on it, and don't really care to.

"What?" She manages to get out between sobs. I have to hurry, there isn't time to relish her pain.

"I killed Cheeriliee." This statement sends her into another weeping fit. "I'm going to kill you." I speak slowly, making absolute sure that she hears every word. "I'm going to kill five others, you may know a few of them. But most importantly, I am going to set free a force of malice and pain that has been unknown for thousands of years, a force more powerful than Celestia, a force that has been around since her father left the throne. I am to usher the new age of damnation. You play a pivotal role in this. Your soul is a sacrifice to the force, he will gain power from the tears of your friends, the cries of remorse will allow him to grow. Let's not make him wait any longer." Fluttershy has been crying softly the entire time, every sentence I complete only makes her sob more. I want to bask in her pain, and listen to her cry. But time is up.

I pull my Knife from its sheath, its wide spectrum of colors reflect the light of the cabins many candles. I hold the handle in my mouth and bring it to her throat. Her body has to be clean, Cheerilee was the first, so shock value was a big part of her death, but Fluttershy is different. She has to die without pain. I hold the Blade to her neck, let out a breath, "Goodbye, Number Nine."

Her neck is torn open surgically, the skin open for seconds before blood starts to flow. She is dead before the pain reached her brain. I begin the set up. First, I have to clean her fur. I take a cloth from her kitchen and wet it. I dab her neck and chest to remove the red flood. I have to sew the cut shut before I can clean thoroughly. She has an abundance of medical supplies scattered around the first floor, so my search is short. The first kit has supplies for blunt injuries, mainly broken bones. The second has what I'm looking for, surgical tape and stitches.

The cleanup only takes about half an hour, easy work too. I set her body up, sitting on the large couch. I leave her eyes fixed open, I want the next friend to find her life-like. It's still early when I leave, around four in the morning. I haven't slept in three days, my body is taxed. I walk back to Trixies wagon, I need to sleep.

Her wagon is actually pretty close to Fluttershy's cottage, helpful to me. I open the door to find Trixie limp on the floor. Breathing. She is alive, new father made me think otherwise so I would focus on Number Nine. Clever. I am still changed under the spell, my old persona would be angered, hurt. I don't care, with his magic coursing through my veins, new father seems in the right. He did what was needed to get me to follow through. I respect that. I also don't care about Trixie, not in this mindset. I walk past her and lie down on her bed, sleep takes me quickly. I have no dreams that night, my mind too tired to give me entertainment.

I wake up late in the morning, Trixie is still asleep, but my toughness is gone. I stare at Trixie for a while, I want to wake her, to explain what I really am, but I know it's a lost cause. I leave before she wakes. I have some arrangements to make before Number Ten.