Echoes of the past

Special thanks to Alexstrazsa and Warrior Kitten for editing the story.

“So… the beginning.” Crimson sighed and looked up at the ponies around her.

Manehatten. A dangerous city, especially if you were one of the less fortunate ones. Every corner of the city’s slums hid danger.

“Hey, Vinyl, wait up!”

“Oh come on, you slowpoke!” the white unicorn filly taunted her friend. “Crimson, you’d think you were faster with your fancy bat wings and all.”

“You say that so easily, Vinyl. At least you can see where you’re going!”

“Aww, sorry about that. Though you’re still good at moving around just by hearing and using your memory.” Vinyl gave a sheepish smile as she rubbed her head. “I keep forgetting you can’t see.”

“Yeah...”

“Look, sorry. I’ll make it up to you. What do you say I mix something up for you once we get to my place, huh?”

“That sounds alright. Will that prissy friend of yours be there? She’s annoying… though when she plays, it’s beautiful.”

“Meh. That is so not my style of music, but she’s brilliant. And you can bet she’ll be there, so no fighting!”

Crimson rolled her eyes and followed Vinyl. Her two musician friends lived in the same apartment block, and today their parents planned to meet. The Scratch family invited both the Philharmonicas and Blazes to an afternoon get together. The two young fillies had to run out to bring some last minute goods, though Octavia had yet to arrive. Her cello class was all but short, and she loved every bit of it.

“Vinyl... do you smell that as well?”

The little unicorn filly perked up at her friend's question. “What do you… Oh… It smells like burning.”

They continued their trot, but soon the yelling and strength of the smell, along with the dark smoke in the air, made the young ones uneasy. Their fear was justified, as when they turned the corner, Vinyl immediately wished she hadn’t.

Though she couldn’t see anything, Crimson could hear and feel the intense heat radiating. “Wh-What's happening, Vinyl?”
The small tomcolt couldn’t form words. The building where they lived was nothing more than a tall, slowly crumbling inferno. Everything was melded together by panic and chaos.

By the time things had calmed down, it was already night. The three young fillies sat together, shivering in the chilly night air as police colt look after them. The news hit them, and hit them hard, that their beloved parents had been trapped and perished in the raging fire. They cried, as they could do nothing else while their young souls crumbled under the pressure of harsh reality.

If fate offered any comfort, it was the fact that they ended up in the same orphanage together. They adapted fairly quickly to the new life that they couldn’t leave. Deep down, they were hurt. Even the rough tomcolt Vinyl, who earned quite a reputation among the orphans, struggled to keep her emotions in control.

Eventually, the years flew by and the deep scars closed up. They bonded together as true sisters, with all their love and antics.
It was around the time their studies finished when Vinyl and Octavia went to pursue their dreams as musicians. Crimson had chosen a different field altogether, studying biology and engineering. She had plans to help those who were in need of help; who lost something life took.

The three gathered to celebrate and say goodbye to each other in a small, but quiet bar. Vinyl originally protested but had gotten shot down, but not in regards to the booze, and both Octavia and Crimson knew well that was a battle they couldn’t win.
“Alright everypony, bottoms up!” Vinyl let loose a battle cry to rally her more timid friends against the endless hordes of drinks before them.

“Vinyl... you are simply mad,” Octavia said, looking over the glasses.

“Octi is right. I mean, thirty shots for... three of us?” The blind bat pony frowned. She could hold her liquor, but this was ridiculous.

“Oh come on, softies, this is just a warm-up. It's party time!” Suddenly, the grin on Vinyl’s face grew even bigger. “Oh, I know how to make this more fun. Drink or dare!”

Crimson heard Octavia facehoof, and had a feeling she was being given a pleading look.

“Hey Cree, you first. Pick one of us!” Vinyl chuckled.

Crimson smiled, the game sounding more and more of a good idea. She heard Octavia’s hooves meet her face once more, and she laughed. “Sorry Octi, hehe. You have your violin, don't you?”

“Yes, yes, I have it with me.” Octavia raised an eyebrow, and though Crimson couldn’t see it, she heard it perfectly in Octavia’s voice. Crimson got a devious smile on her face. As Vinyl shared the look, Octavia’s ears drooped.

“Alright, simple then. Play your favourite song on it. Something not too short or long, but...”

“I dread to hear what comes next,” Octavia mumbled, ears still down, and with a sigh of resignation.

“Play it upside down. Vinyl could work it with her magic, or dangle it down from the bar while we hold you up.” The two white mares smirked, while the game’s first victim rolled her eyes.

“Fine... And the bar. I don't trust Vinyl and magic when alcohol is involved... and don’t you dare drop me or you’ll both get it.”

“Sure!” The mares giggled, and even Octavia shook her head and chuckled. It was just a ridiculous dare, but one she could enjoy.
They moved the tray full of drinks to the side and helped their friend get in the awkward, dangling position upside down on the edge of the bar. Vinyl quickly fetched Octavia’s violin, which was her second choice after the trusted cello. With one last roll of the eyes, she began playing her song, falling into a trance whilst doing so. By the time she finished the piece, the few visitors in the bar cheered and applauded. Octavia blushed, knowing full well how ridiculous she looked, yet enjoying the praise nonetheless. After a bit of shuffling, she was back on her hooves.

“Well, that was interesting,” Octavia finally said, but was quickly reduced to giggling as she realized it was her turn. “So, Vinyl. I wonder what sort of dare I can dare a daredevil such as yourself.” She put a hoof to her chin in deep thought.

“Come on, Octi, or I’ll just have a drink.” The two chuckled.

“Well, I guess I have one.” Octavia gave a devious smile over the elegance, simplicity, and sure victory over her rival friend. “Have a bottled drink each time you choose to drink. I’ll even pay for it.”

“Aha! You wanna knock me out, hmm?”

“Seems that way, Scratchy,” Crimson said, with a smirk.

“Oh, I know you support this, Cree, but you just wait,” Vinyl replied, flashing a grin of her own.

“Shush, you. Now down with the bottle, mare!” Crimson snapped.

Octavia handed the bottle to Vinyl with a sly smile that said ‘this’ll be good by the end of the night.”' The unicorn eagerly took the bottle and downed it in one go, gasping for air once she finished. This resulted in the perfect shock of not just her two friends, but the others around who had gotten engrossed in the three mare’s game.

“Sweet Celestia... Vinyl, you are just... mad,” snapped Octavia, half in concern and half in disbelief. Crimson merely blinked, having heard Vinyl all but inhale the entire drink.

“Oh, well, yeah, that was nothing... Though, here comes Cree.”

Crimson quickly put on a big nervous smile and gulped, knowing she was in for it if she didn’t act quickly. She sure knew her stomach and head would hate her later. “Drink!”

“Hey, spoilsport, that's not fair. You didn't even hear what I wanted to dare you with!”

“Vinyl, I know you. I think it’s safer to drink than go through your craziness.”

Vinyl shook her head and smiled deviously. Meanwhile, Crimson quickly cleared one of the shot glasses.

The game went on, and steadily all the three friends blushed from the drinks they consumed. As could be expected, Vinyl took the prize with five bottles down, when she skipped a dare. Octavia and Crimson were tipsy as well, as when it came to Vinyl’s dares, some were truly daring, like having flank shots off the strong stallion who worked at the bar. Needless to say, Octavia’s gray coat turned red, blushing furiously just from the proposal. The stallion had been a bit disappointed she didn't go through with the dare, but had a laugh nonetheless.

With only four shots remaining on the tray, they knew it was time to get home before they fell asleep under the chairs. Vinyl protested at first, claiming it was too early to spoil the party, but from her position on the floor, she had failed to persuade them.

They carried the comatose party animal, who at that point was loudly snoring, out of the bar. Octavia and Crimson shared a final hug, as the musical duo would be on a train to Canterlot early in the morning while Crimson would be working at the hospital. Once broke the hug, they waved farewell and went their separate ways.

Crimson walked with ease, as her memory was brilliant and once she had gone somewhere, she could find it again easily. Her hearing aided her as well, though drinking so much had started to throw her off, and she quickly found herself lost.

Unbeknownst to her, a horrific figure watched her from atop a nearby building. It began to follow her, and once she had wandered into the shadier part of the district, the fiend made its move.

From a moment of quiet and dizziness to another of complete disorientation and shooting pain in her neck, Crimson had no idea what happened. When things finally registered, she tried to break free with all the might of her hooves and wings, but strained in vain. She was locked in an iron grip, and the attacker didn't even budge from her efforts. Her muzzle was covered as she tried to scream for help, and utter terror flooded her as she felt the blood being sucked from her. Then, the monster pulled away, unphased by Crimson bleeding to death, and spoke.

“Mmm... you. You will be a perfect servant.” Sadistic, sinister laughter was all she heard before it bit down again and sucked her blood. She screamed silently, more so when her blood began to burn like liquid fire, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Crimson half awoke. She could hear the world and feel it, but she wasn't in control. She couldn’t speak, nor control her body at all. It was like her mind was tied up and her body was nothing more than a mere puppet.

“Oh, I see you are awake in there. Most delightful.”

She couldn’t answer back, and suddenly her limbs began moving. Crimson could feel herself jump and run with astonishing speed and grace. Then, things blacked out again and returned at random. She was trapped in a lucid dream-like state, with flashes of memory bringing silenced screams, futile struggles, and hot, fresh, erupting blood with the sinister echo of laughter in her mind and feral predator instincts burning through her veins.

Crimson witnessed herself drift through this nightmare until she could feel again. Awake, the laughter of the monster welcomed her return.

“You're such a perfect little pawn. And most amusing, you're still in there, somehow. Well, why not make things more interesting for you, shall we? After all, you’re sure to be bored after two years of hunting.”

Crimson felt her body finally respond, but was met with an incredible burning in her eye sockets. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground, covering her eyes as she rolled on the floor uncontrollably.

After long last, the pain finally began to die down. She felt something strange, an odd, new sensation. She couldn't comprehend it at first, but when things began to align with her other senses, she realized she was able to see.

With every passing moment, objects became more and more defined, but a headache struck her. The sensory impulses were overwhelming, yet she had just been glancing around. Then, her other senses began to kick in. She was laying in a pool, and she could feel her fur drenched in the liquid. It smelled of blood. She felt it in her nostrils, so she focused her new sight where she felt her muzzle, and while she couldn’t place the colors, the texture of the liquid she lay in matched.

Crimson froze when realization hit her. She was in a pool of blood. A lot of blood. Her ears perked up at the sadistic snickering around her and she began to hyperventilate. The vision was alien to her as, but she began grasp it, and in doing so wished she wouldn’t. She would do anything to be unconscious or worse.

Time lost its meaning, and with rapid breath, heart in her throat, and shivering, tears began to stream down her face. She blinked, eyes in an unfocused stare as she laid in the gore on her side.

“...Why...”

It was all she had the strength to say. The demon merely laughed. Soon, she heard a strange yet familiar sound. It was a sound of a magic aura, and then she heard a quiet wail as well. Crimson saw something small move into her vision, accompanied by hoof steps, splashing the blood and making ripples. A massive figure stood before her, and in the aura a smaller one. Tears began to stream heavier, and her heart stopped, as if crushed in an iron fist.

She couldn’t breath. She felt like a statue, caught in a moment that lasted an eternity. The shady figure finally showed itself as it lowered before Crimson. A soulless eye glowed the same shade as the pool around her, with a sickening, piercing, burning look. The demon’s smirk grew as it bared a row of sharp teeth and revealed fur drenched in blood, dripping down from his muzzle.

The quiet wail continued as the small levitated thing came to view. Crimson screamed in her mind with all her strength. Her burning muscles flexed, and she was on her hooves faster than she could register it. Every fiber of her body wanted to lash out at the filth before her, but she suddenly stopped.

A magic field appeared around her and she began floating in the air. It was the same aura that encompassed the small filly and the horn of the beast, and the same that leaked out from the monster’s eyes. Crimson felt more pain with every passing second. Her motherly instincts lashed out and her body tensed, but all were in vain. All she could feel was madness, and nothing would register. She could not bear it or process it.

Crimson was then struck by silence. A deathly quiet. She tried to cry, but there were no tears left. She held the filly’s lifeless body in her hooves and stared. It was drained of all life. Drained of all blood. Cold and limp. The once soft, shining fur was now matted with blood. Crystalline eyes were blurred and frozen in horror and pain.

The broken mare did the one thing she could do while in control of her body.
She trotted outside and buried the filly.

“...That was...” She swallowed hard, eyes full of tears and not daring to look at anypony around her. Then, she reluctantly continued, “a year ago... Ever since then I’ve been in control of my consciousness. Black Blood... used me as a mere puppet. To amuse himself with how I...” Her words run dry, Crimson shivered as she laid on the bed. Digging up those memories was painful, and to share them, even more so.

The room was silent. All five mares around her were rendered speechless. They couldn’t believe such evil could exist in their world. Even Sombra sounded nicer in comparison to this feral monster of Black Blood.

And then there was Crimson. She was a victim of the horror. A tool, a toy, a mere trinket for entertainment, used to butcher others, witness it, know it, and be helpless to do anything about it, drenched in the blood of all the victims. Even if it wasn't her will to do it, that blood stuck on her hooves forever. But now she was free from the monster and had a small glimmer of hope. It was a second chance, but she couldn’t escape what she turned into, and her past would always torture her and try to drag her down.

After some time, Twilight stepped closer to Crimson and rested a hoof on her head. The vampony shuddered at the unexpected contact.

Twilight attempted to calm her down and reassure her. “Crimson, I... I don't know how you could cope with even a fraction of what you told us, being a puppet to that monster… But understand this: It is his fault. He used you to do all those horrible things. You are the victim here, and you’ve suffered the most. Others have been killed, but with their death it was over... You’ve been forced to go through the torture every second. I promise we will protect you, help you, and try to give you a liveable life.”

The young princess paused, closing her eyes as a tear made it's way down her cheek.

“You've never ever done anything to deserve the fate you’ve been cursed with... Forced to endure.”

Everypony nodded in agreement, fighting back their own tears. They felt sorry for her, and at the same time their blood boiled, wishing they could give a piece of their own to that monster.

Surrounded by those who cared, Crimson began to calm down, and slowly drifted away into blissful darkness.

Author's Note

Here's the newer chapter, sorry it took a bit longer then i expected, tried to give a true feel to it what Crimson had to endure while been commanded around by her master. Being truthful, this is one of the most dark things i put my mind to it.

Curious of your thoughts, opinions and ideas welcome as well.

EDIT: Chapter been edited by Alexstrazsa and Warroir Kitten, and special thanks for time you spend on helping!