Scrapbook
~Arguing with Yourself~
His heart thudded in his chest as his hooves fumbled with the door's deadbolt. Sliding it into its place, the gasping pony stumbled and fell backwards unto the floor. Holding up his bloody hooves, he stared at them without actually seeing them.
The sound of hooves racing passed his front door snapped the earth pony out of his stupor. The entire town was up in arms, looking for him. Royal Guards were going from home to home, breaking down any door that was not opened. There was no place he could hide! It was only a matter of time before they found him!
Jumping to his hooves, he backed away from the door, shaking his head. The entire town
"No...t-this...this isn't happening!" Dashing up the stairs, he raced to the bathroom. Slamming the door shut, the stallion ran the water in the sink. Grabbing a bar of soap, he immediately set to washing his hooves with a passion. After scrubbing furiously for several minutes, all the while aware of the sound of breaking doors growing nearer, the stallion held up his hooves to inspect them. His eyes widened in horror.
The blood was still there!
Groaning, he fell backwards and sagged against the far wall in despair.
"It's over now," he muttered, closing his eyes in defeat. Angry shouts echoed from the road, as another house was invaded. Screams of terror sounded as the inhabitants were awoken from their peaceful slumber. "And no one will ever know."
Sighing, he rose shakily to his hooves. Stumbling over to the sink, he gazed at his tired reflection in the mirror.
"No one must ever know..." Shaking his head again, the stallion slowly extended a bloody hoof and stroked the glass, leaving a blood smear across it's smooth surface. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he felt tears slowly roll down his face.
"They would not see the intent; the good that it would bring!" he snarled, gazing back into his own gray eyes. "They would only see the tragedy!" Rearing back, he went to strike the mirror, but slipped on the rug beneath him and tumbled into the bathtub. Flailing his legs wildly, he struggled to sit up in the slippery tub.
Eventually he gave up, lying with his back draped over the edge of the tub, he gazed up at the ceiling, thinking. Why? Why had all this happened? He could only remember bits and pieces of the past hour, but the ones he could...
He shivered as memories flashed before his eyes. The knife plunging into the unicorn's sides, sinking up to the handle. The scared and confused look on her face as she gazed up at him from the blood-covered floor. The sight of glass flying through the air as he raced to escape from that Celestia-damned library.
Groaning, he closed his eyes, bloody hooves massaging his temples as he fought off a growing headache.
"I'm losing it," he mumbled, squeezing his head with his hooves. "Am I a good pony, or a mad pony?" The sound of shattering wood made him jump. He froze, ears perked up, attempting to catch even the faintest of sounds. There were no hooves coming up his stairs, so they hadn't reached his house, yet.
Growling loudly, he smashed the back of his head against the floor of the tub. Why? Why was there such a fine line between being good, and being mad? It wasn't his fault that only he could see it, and if it hadn't been for that blasted experiment he would still be blind.
But now...now he didn't know what he need to do. Maybe he should turn himself in. Maybe he should kill himself before the guards arrived. Maybe he could run for it.
"D̢o ͝y̴ó̴u ͢͜ŗ̸͝e̢͏͜a͘͡l̢͢ļ̷y ̀͠͏t͝h̛͘͝i͞ń͟k̶̷ ̵̛t͝h̛à̧̧t͘ ͞I͟͝ ̵̢ẃ͘ǫu҉̀l̢d̡͟ ͟l̴e͏t́͘ y̴̵̡o͜͟u ́̀g̨o̕͢?͏" A deep chuckle filled the bathroom, chilling the blood in his veins. "Y̵̢̕o̵ú͘ ̀w҉ill̴̀ ͏͢͞ń̕e̵͏͡v̡e̡͏̨r̷͘ ̡g҉͢et̕ ̸́ą̴w̸͢a͏̧y̨͡ f̴̢̨r̶o͜͠m̡̕ ͘͜m͏ȩ̶͜!̷" Struggling to his hooves, he jumped out of the bathtub, glancing around the bathroom in horror. That voice! That horrid voice was back again.
"You aren't real!" He screamed, ears splayed back as he slowly turned in a circle. "You aren't real!!" The dark voice chuckled again, causing the very floor of the bathroom to shudder. Dashing to the mirror, the stallion placed his bloody hooves on either side of the bloody glass and gazed into it.
"All that you are," he growled through clenched teeth, "is a face in the mirror! If I close my eyes, you will disappear!"
"N̢͜͠ò̀," the voice rumbled, "I Á͟Ḿ̵͟ ̸̕t̴͡h̴͡a͝t f͜҉̡àc̶e̶͘ ̸̧t̕͠͠h̶at̴ ͢y̸o̵̴̢u ̡̢̀s͠e͘e ̶̨i̢̡n̸ t̵h͘e ͡m͟i̢͝͝r͠͝r͞͏o̢̧͢r!͝ ̨̛͝ ̢As̶̵͢ l̨o̸̢͢n͡g̸̴̨ ̛̀͟a̶̷s͡ ̷̛y̢̕o̴̢͘u̵͞ ̧҉l͞iv͠e̶,͘͟͠ ́͢Í ̵͏w̕į͜͢l͡҉͜l҉ ͘͝͠s̨͢t̷iĺ̨͡l̶̸̕ ͏̧b̧é t̵͝͠h͝e̢r̵è̛!̸̕͞" Backing away from the sink, the stallion shook his head, eyes never leaving his reflection which grinned back at him evilly.
"You are simply the end of a nightmare," he whispered, eyes locked with the creature in the mirror. "You are a dying scream, and tonight I shall end this."
"T̶̢̕ḩ͜͠i̵̛̕s̨̕ ̢͜i̶͢͠s͏̢͢ ̨͘n̨̢͘ò̷t̡̛ ͘͝a ̶҉d̶ŗ̴e͠am,̸̧ ͞҉my ̴̛̀f҉͞͞r̴͝i͘e͜n̷̕͢d," his reflection smirked, flashing its sharpened fangs, "And҉̀ ̵̢́i̧̨t̶̷ w̴į̸ĺ̕͘l ́͟n̶̢ęv̢͡͞e̢r̸ e̴ǹ̶͟d̡͜!҉́̕" With its grin growing bigger, the creature leaned forward, almost as if to break free from the prison of the mirror.
"I͢͝ ͞a͟͝m̶̀͜ ̨ņ̴͢ot̶ ̵̧ǵ͢oin͘g̨̀ ̵͜a͏n̷҉y̵͝w̨̛h͘e̷̕͜re̶̷.̶̢" The stallion screamed. Rearing back, he brought his hoof down upon the mirror, shattering it. Pieces of glass and flecks of blood fell across the floor. Panting heavily, the stallion stared down at his hoof, blood flowing for the slashes in it from the broken glass.
"Soon you will be dead, and my silence shall forever hide you," he murmured softly, watching the crimson liquid drip to the floor.
"Y҉̡ou͠ c̕͘a̛̕ǹ̨͢ ́n͏̀o̴t̸ h̵͝o̡͘p͏e̵͠ ͘t̡͜o̴ ̡̛͠c̴̡͞o͘͠ntr͜o̢l ́͜͝m̡e͞͏.̶̡ ͞ ̷͘͝I̡̡͢ ̴l͏̧i̢̛v͞͏é̕ ̨͠͞de͏͏͡ę͝p ̴̸i͟n͘s͘͠i҉d̀͟e ýo͜͡u̢.̧́"
"No," shaking his head, the stallion raised his eyes and gazed at the ruined mirror. "But I don't need to control you, because you need me. You can not survive without me!" Limping over to the mirror, the stallion glared at each of his own many reflections in the broken pieces.
"As you dance with Tirek; as you draw your final breath, I shall be rejoicing." His reflections snarled back at him, baring it fangs.
"Y͠͡oư͏ ̵f͞o̷͞ol!͟͢ ͜͜I͟͜ ͜͟͞s͝͞h̕͠a̡͡l̢l ̵̕l̡̡̕i̛̛͢v̧e̡̛ ̶͘f͏o͝r҉̧e͟v́̕e̛͘ŗ̡ i͞ns̛͏́i҉̴͜d͞e͟ ̴y̴̢ò͟u͝!͟" It roared, causing the stallion to flinch.
"No," he whispered, tears once again beginning to flow from his eyes.
"W̴͘i̢̨͟t̢h͠ ̛͟D͞is̶ć̶ơ̸r̴̨d ̕͘hi͞͠m̸̴s͏e͏̸ĺf͠͏ ͟b̧͞͞y ͠m͟y͟ ̸͜s̀͟i̶d̷͢e!̧"
"No!" the stallion growled, eyes flashing in anger.
"An̕҉́d͏̕ ͡j͠u͘s̷̴̀t̛ ̶̷know̧͟ ́t̷̡h̸̵̢a̡t̢̨̛,̸̡ ̨̡n̵͞o̶̕w̛҉ ͏a̴̷͢nd̨̨͡ f͟ơ͝r͟͞e͢v͞͠er̡,̧ ̨ţh͝e̸̢̕ỳ'̷l͢͠l̴ ̸͞͡ẁ̸̢i̢͘l͜͡l̸̛ ̧͞͝n͟͢e̷̡͜v̸̨er̢͏ ̡͟͟b̵͢e͟ a̵̷͠b҉͏̢le ̕͝t̸o̸͝ ̢s͢e͝͏p̴̡͘a̵̷r̡̕ą̸͠té̛͝
̧m͜͠҉e͏͜ ͏̵͠f̧͝͞ŕo̕͘͜ḿ̡͝ ͟yo͝͠ư!"
"NO!" the stallion roared, smashing his injured hoof against the floor. Whinnying in pain, he grasped his injured hoof and stumbled backwards.
"It's over!" he screamed as he fell against the wall. "Why can't you just die?" The creature roared with laughter, shaking the entire house to its very foundation.
"DAMN YOU, WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME BE?!" The stallion screeched over the laughter, "SET ME FREE YOU BEAST!!!"
The laughter died out instantly as the creature stared at him, it leaned forward till only a single red eye filled ever piece of broken mirror in the bathroom, all of them leering evilly at the stallion.
"C͡a̧n'̡́t y̴͞ou̷̵͏ ́͏s̷͟e̕͏e҉̸?͝" it whispered, "Yo̵u ͝a̕r̡͘͝e҉ ҉̛͡m̴ȩ.̡͢͞" Silence filled the bathroom as the stallion stared down at the eyes in horror.
"N-no..." he whimpered, shaking his head slowly back and forth. "No."
"I ͏a̴̸m̛͝ y͡͝o̕͟͞u̕!̸̴̨ ͜͠W̛e͜ ̶͝a̴̵r̢è͡ ̸t͢h̛҉e̸͜͜ ̵̕s̴͏a͏͘ḿ́͡e̸͘!̡҉" The creature threw back its head and laughed.
Celestia damn you," the stallion cried, rising to his hooves. "Take all your evil deeds, and rot in Tartarus!!!" The creature growled happily as it leered at him.
"I̧̛'l͢͝͞l̴̸ ͜͠s̵̶̷ee͡ ̵y̛͞ò͞u͠ ͏t̸́̕h͠e̡͏r̨͠e̴͏͘,͟͟ ̵̸b̛o͢͟҉y.̡̀͠"
"NEVER!!!" Head swimming, the stallion stumbled out of the bathroom. Tripping, he fell down the stairs and landed in a bloody, crumpled heap. Groaning, he raised up his head right as the front door shattered in an explosion of wooden shards. Light streamed in through the doorway, blinding the stallion instantly. Raising a hoof to shield his eyes from the assault of light, the stallion squinted up at the pony standing in the doorway.
Clad in purple and gold armor and a long spear held at his side, the unicorn stallion stared down at the crippled pony before him with such intense hatred that he seemed to scorch the very air with his gaze. Raising an armored clad hoof, the unicorn pointed down at the stallion with all the authority of death itself.
"There is nowhere left to hide, doctor," he snarled, baring his teeth, "It's over!" Slowly, the stallion rose shakily to his hooves. Staring up at the unicorn before him, a smile spread across his face until it threatened to split his head in two. Throwing back his head, the stallion laughed in the guard's face.
"No, Captian," he cackled, grasping a piece of mirror that followed him downstairs. "The game was only just begun!!!"
Scrapbook
~Blackbeak~
Tears ran down the face of the old pirate as he sat at his desk, surrounded by treasure. In his claws, he grasped the sketched portrait of a young female. Tears blurred his vision as he stared down at her. She had left him for that measly, little excuse for a blacksmith who could barely feed himself.
The griffon laughed harder, tears streaming down his face, as he imagined them in some run-down shack with a old, leaky roof and thin, holey walls that wouldn't keep out the chill.
How many winters will they survive, he wondered as he sipped his goblet of wine. It didn't matter to him. He wiped a tear from his eye as he chuckled again. He had everything he needed right here, safe and sound aboard his ship. Let the little bitch freeze with her useless flockmate. He didn't care...
...he had bigger fish to fry.
Pushing back from his desk, the massive, silver griffon rose from his chair and walked out onto the ship's deck. His crew cheered as they watched him emerge from his cabin. The stormy sea rocked the ship mercilessly and rain spat in his face as he looked upon his crew, each eager gaze meeting his.
The griffon captain roared at them to get back to work, a smile creeping across his jet-black beak. As the crew replied with happy cheers, his first mate approaches him, a mug of mead grasped in his claw. Handing it to the captain, the first mate asked what their heading might be. Lighting flashed across the sky as, in a booming voice, the captain answered,
"Tonight we head where there are no rules! Tonight we make haste towards the accursed land! We have all the treasure that we need," at this the crew cheered again, raising their claws and weapons into the air, "But...we need the youth!!!"
The crew's roared drowned out even the sounds of the storm as they cheered, each knowing exactly where they were headed. Griffons scrambled along the deck as each one of them manned their station. Quickly the crew hoisted the mainsail, the black, tattered cloth catching the howling winds of the storm. The ship lurched forward as the crew worked with a will, a old sea shanty sung amongst them as they toiled.
As his crew slaved away, the captain made his way to the helm. Grasping the wheel in his claws, he felt a grin spread across his face. His red eyes flashed with an eerie light as lightning streaked across the sky. Letting loose a howl to the winds, the captain yanked on the wheel, adjusting their current heading.
Satisfied that they were on course, the captain handed off the wheel to his first mate. Working his way across the deck, the captain weaved between his crew. Making his way to the bowsprit, he grasped at the ropes, steadying his footing as the ship cut through another nasty wave. Gazing out across the dark, stormy sea, the captain could feel his spirit soar.
"Tonight we head for glory," he laughed, wind whipping through his feathers and salt stinging at his eyes. "and no force in all the New World or the Free World can stop us!" He laughed again as a lightning bolt struck the wave in front of him and thunder ripped through the air.
"You better batten down the hatches, Celestia," he growled, a hunger look flashing across his predatory face. "Blackbeak is coming for you..."
