The Tainted: A Story of Those Under Evil's Curse

CHATPER 1: Crimson Verse: Before and After.

"Where's Ink?" they pointed me towards a door "thank you" with those words I went to the door.

Then I knocked

Try to muster my courage; we haven't exactly left on good terms "Ink... brother are you in there? um it's Verse..." -emotions always fell around him- "Vinyl found me... said you were in need of support" -like always my voice broke.

I heard something from the other side.

I took a deep breath to build my courage.

I forced the door open against my wish not to do so.

I forced myself to press through the doorway; the image would be burned in my memory forever.

My brother; my strong and brave brother reduced to a sniveling wreak.

I couldn't let anypony see him like that.

I shut the door and turned back to him.

A wreak of a body on the ground.

A wreak of a body with blood dripping on the ground.

A wreak of a body with blood dripping from his rip cage.

A wreak of a body with the rip cage sticking out of it.

I fell to my brother's side in tears- "brother..." -my voice fails me- "you- you're rips..." -I bite back bile firmly in my throat- "they're sticking out..." -I saw his eyes widen.

His body starts to move.

Move as if he didn't have control.

His eyes were filled with fear.

Those large red eyes.

Those large... blank eyes?

Those eyes curtained between black hair.

Those eyes curtained between... blue hair?

His beautifully crimson coat the same as mine.

His... icy coat the opposite of mine?

His cuttie mark of a quill.

His cuttie mark... of a cloud?

"It's been awhile Versie," -I felt my eyes widen- "how have things been sense you ran away?"

When it spoke it came from a jawline full of razor sharp teeth.

"I learned quite a bit afterwords, perhaps I should show you..." -a wicked and toothy grin met me as I stepped backward- "it was in the fighting rings after all."

I felt my breath slow as the world around me slowed as well; a state of being that I've known all to well in the past.

I dodged swiftly as if his hoof was moving through water; it missed my nose but another ripped a clump of my hair out.

I force magic at my foe; a trick that seems to end before it begins.

I watch as it only makes his fur rustle as if only blown by a strong wind.

I feel something strong hit my leg.

Crack!

I scream feeling my leg is broken while I try to limp away.

I see his head lower and my mind is full of sad memories of when I was stabbed through the chest.

I kick forward, hard.

Crack!

I hit something hard.

I look forward to see my foe stumbling around as if lost.

Crash!

I look back and the door has swung open.

Vinyl Scratch charges into the room screaming "who the buck are you?!"

Octavia rushes in after Vinyl shortly after.

First I see Vinyl hit our foe in the face and then Octavia flies out of the sky and lands on his back.

Something is pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Something I fear.

The evil and toothy grin meets us all this time.

"See you fouls latter" he turns for the window.

Between the three of us we still can't stop him from crashing through the window and landing on the streets below.

I got to the window as fast as my leg would let me.

My breath rushes out at the sight.

The sight of my birth.

The times before even Luna and Celestia were born.

I tried to jump out after him but Vinyl and Octavia wouldn't let me.

"Damnation!" I can't help but scream as I have to watch from the window seal my brother disappear as well as the thing he has become.

I continue to watch even after he's gone.

This happened two years ago.

My name is Crimson Verse and I'm a vampire.

I'm also a dancer at a nightclub, like I have been for the last 15 years.

This new world feels as if the world has been covered in smog and the building have been changing until it seems to fit in with the with the dark mind that created this world that we now live in.

At my club I have to wear dresses and the owner thinking it makes him seem like a decent pony gives me the ones that he thinks will "suit" me better.

In reality all they do is give him something to stare at when I preform, such a sick pervert he actually is.

Today though the dress I got has me curious and in need of answers.

This dress is to much like the one from when I was just about to reach adulthood.

To much like the one I wore on that fateful day, even down to the blood.

The thought made my body shake with rage, just like the thought of my boss did.

It only got worse when I walked into the club with the dress on my back.

Then I was outside of his office door.

My eyes are twitching as I'm staring at the stained glass with his name on it.

I couldn't stand this stallion; more than my blood boiled around this guy.

My very being shakes with rage at the thought he might know to much about me.

I bucked the door open, well more like down.

I was tired of holding back my anger, it was time to brake a skull or two.

I heard the shriek of my boss and some other pony.

"What the buck is wrong with you?!" -I didn't recognize my voice as I shouted- "when I started we made a deal about what I would and wouldn't wear" -I threw the dress on his desk- "you crossed the line!"

I heard him scrambling but was blinded by my rage "now now Verseame" -I felt my anger rising hearing that nickname- "there is nothing about the dress that-"

I brought a hoof down hard on his desk cutting his voice out "that's shit!" -I didn't care if it would leave a bruise I hit the table again- "we were over the idea of blood on anything!"

"That's not blood, it only looks that way" -I felt the snarl starting to cross pull at my lips- "Verse just breathe, it was a request for a party that's going to be held here next month, besides it has the level of sex appeal that-"

I screamed something I didn't even understand at first.

I scream it again, this time hitting the desk for emphasis.

Thump!

"Your logic!"

Thump!

"Is a dream!"

Thump!!!

"Of horsewhips and chains!"

Crash!

I laughed as I felt the desk brake under hoof.

I laughed when he screamed in shock and fear.

I gladly let the whimpering mare run past me and outside as I held my boss up and shoved him against a wall as I took on a hushed tone.

"I've longed for the day I could do this to you" -I feel his fear like electricity- "how I have wanted to strangle you" -it's one of the best feelings ever- "for all that I have had to do" -it's the best addiction in the world- "all for this job" -I dropped him- "but I'm going to let you live, you better remember this."

I smiled and could feel how wicked it looked "you see, I can control my anger" -I took a long breath loud enough for him to notice- "but these is a limit to this control" -another breath- "I've worked as a dancer at this club for 15 years now" -a final deep breath- "I will wear this dress but you better pray to Luna and Celestia that you never give me an another reason to" -I drew my hoof across my neck- "well you know by now."

He let out a breath when I picked up the dress.

"Oh and one more thing" I could feel his body stiffen.

"Who put in the request?" -I was being a little to friendly, just like a snake- "you never rent out the club to others."

"Um it was just some stallion" -he was lying but he wasn't that sure of himself as he spoke- "he was really nice about it."

"Thanks, just forget I asked" -he seemed relaxed at that- "you're a horrible lier and have no clue yourself" -I gave him another sadistic grin- "but if you remember anything else you better let me know, I do know where you sleep after all" -he was panicked again; good- "I am good friends with your son after all and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help me with... oh why am I telling you this, you already know that."

"Wait!" I didn't listen and left just using my magic to fix the door as I left.

As I walked for the entrance every pony kept their distances.

Once outside I did something I told myself I should never do.

I walked down the streets with my hood down.

"It's been a while sense you've let your hair down" -I spun around already regretting my choice about my hood- "I forgot about how you had it to let down" -I knew the voice but not the name- "I didn't think I'd have the hair to let down myself" -is it Ink or somepony else now?- "it's nice to see you again" -it feels like my flesh is crawling- "I'm going to be throwing a party at that club you work at and would love if you'd headline the show" -before I could even speak he jumped in- "or I could just tell Inks about your" -I felt my heart falls into the darkest part of my soul- "powers" he let me sit here as the word sinks in "Inks doesn't remember after all" -I felt my blood run cold- "but we do."

My heart feels like it's being swallowed by the darkness "you... how could... who the buck are you?"

"Me? I personally like the name Mist similar to the spell that created me" -he smiled and I saw his fangs like mine- "or you can call me Inks protector."

"You..." I turned and galloped off as my mood fell lower.

"I can remind him of it, just remember that Versie."

With his words ringing through my ears like a child's rhyme I picked up speed trying to calm my pounding heart.

When I got home I forced myself to get prepared.

Prepared to visit Bon Bon.