It’s been a while since my transformation. Every day goes as usual, but it’s still different to a certain degree. There would be only one person killed one day, or a dozen the next, or when I feel like kicking back, I get away for some quiet time at places like Ghost Fort or Ghost Town, wherever I find quieter. Problem is there’s been some activity that’s spread across every place I’d go to, people dead along the streets and inside buildings, none caused by me. I could tell I was no longer alone in my murderous crusade.

One night, I was out walking, with only the intention to find whoever I see and have my bloodthirsty spirit quenched. Doing it for a while now, my attitude has become as disgusting as others would see it, where I find it at my pinnacle. With so many deaths under my belt, I can claim to be the most unaffected and apathetic pony… or, pony monster, as it were. I’m the most unemotional, apathetic and coldhearted pony monster I could be. As I would stride along with that knowledge of myself, the sound of a blood-hurling scream echoed in the moonless night.

“MmmhmhmhmhmHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!”

That laugh. It caught my attention more than the scream. It didn’t sound too far, so I decided to investigate this occurrence. I walked up and rounded the next corner turning right. That’s where I found her.

She was a pony I’ve never seen before, having being the only pony around for a while. The news about these new freaks spreading out causing chaos and insanity left their marks, but this sight was the evidence to confirm it for me. I didn’t think it would be another pony monster such as myself, just wannabes getting in my way, but there stood this new pony, another alicorn no less.

Her face grinned evilly pleasing, a smile even a mother would fear. Her coat was a dark shade of purple, her mane and tail a different shade with two brighter highlights, and her cutie mark, from my distance, looked to be a cross over a jarate. Her voice sounded as demonic as my own, but with more enjoyment than I would express.

“Another wonderful kill. This one thought they could hide from me long enough to find safety. They can try to run and hide, but no matter what, they’re dead once in my sights.”

Her magic levitated a green-colored machete that dripped fresh blood. I could tell she enchanted her magic with viruses and curses, a shitty approach unlike my own. I’d usually carry a weapon around my body or in my mouth, and tonight was a katana I “found” during my early killings under one wing, and a dagger strapped to my front left leg. She hadn’t notice me as they kept herself in her own little world, staring down at her newest victim. I decided to see who, perhaps what, exactly I was looking at with an aloud assumption.

“Looks like I found who’s dropped my kill count lately.”

My voice surprised her, but when she turned her head and see me standing where I was, she was less than amused. It started as a shock, just for a few seconds, before turning into disappointment.

“Oh great, another pony monster. We’ve got more than enough here already.”

I just stared at her cold and uncaring. I’ve been insulted worse, even by former peers. Neither of us moved, just glaring at each other in study.

“So who are you supposed to be?”

“Nothing worth your knowing. Let’s turn that question over to you for the moment.”

“What makes you think who I am is worth anything to you?”

“Well, I’d like to know who’s been costing me my living lately. I don’t like others taking my job away.”

“Fine. My name is Brutalight Sparcake, leader of the Elements of Insanity, and we’re not here to take ‘your’ job away. We just do it for our own pleasure.”

Elements of Insanity she says. Discovering that there was a team of others like me answers a lot, but I still didn’t care. If this Brutalight is the leader, then she must be strong. I wondered what more I could find out about her, but it became my turn to be recognized.
“Now it’s your turn, and no turning things around this time. Who the hell are you?”

“Jesus Manson.”

“And where, pray tell, did you come from? I’ve never heard anything about a new pony transformation.”

“That’s because I’m not new. I’ve been around much longer than you or this Insanity team of yours.”

“Is that so? Then why hasn’t anypony seen you around?”

“I tend to seclude myself, and travel around anywhere to feed my need of death.”

“I see.”

She took a good look at me for a few seconds. I couldn’t read her mind, but I could see where her eyes wondered around to. My weapons were first, then my cutie mark, then my folded wings, and lastly, my broken horn. The latter I could tell intrigued her the most. Only so long did I allow her to look before I tapped into my temper.

“If you don’t mind, stop with the damn staring.”

“Sorry. Didn’t know I’d hit one of your sore spots. So, Jesus Manson, besides sounding like a holy creep, what’s your story?”

“None of your damn business, that’s what.”

She stared back at me mad. I could tell that my attitude was getting on her nerves, so I took a gamble and see how far this conversation would go.
“Well aren’t you such a charming stallion. I don’t see what your problem is. I think it’s safe to say that you are from Equestria as well. Everypony around here is.”

“Yes I am, but I don’t care about origins. What I care about is you and your so-called Elements have been cutting into my work, and I’m sick of it. I don’t like others doing my job, especially some newbie pony who thinks she’s so strong.”

“Excuse me? I possess more power than anypony else, and I bet that counts you too. Besides, what power could you have if you can’t access it?”

Her hoof pointed up to my broken horn. If she wanted to point out what most would consider a handicap, I had no shits to give.

“Whatever you did to break that thing must have been worth the loss. Now you’re stuck with those blades you claim to kill so many with. I bet you don’t even have some kind of demented but useful power like my friends do.”

“I don’t. I kill by sheer will, one after another by my own hooves and tools. No magic. No guns. No cheap shortcuts like what I think you’re implying. I’ve done it in Equestria, and I’ve done it far more and worse here, without any given damn about what anypony else says. Tell me, what makes you so special?”

Brutalight took aback to my question. She began acting as if I should treat her with the respect she feels she deserves, even by those who would just meet her.

“Magic is where I excel the most. With the spirits I have in my control, I can make almost anything possible. How dare you insult some of my greatest strengths.”

“Whatever. Now listen, and listen good. I don’t like you and your little group of dumb fucks costing me my job. Back off or I’ll make sure your friends are added my kill count. Got it?”

The purple alicorn didn’t say anything at first, but starting out quietly and building, she began to laugh. She honestly thought I was acting like some kind of bluffing joke. I didn’t react to this, just watched her make a fool of herself to me as she thinks I’ve done with her. If this is how she’s going to take my threat, then she opens the door for me to prove my point.

“Hahahahaha! That’s very funny. You think you can threaten the Elements of Insanity? You’re just making yourself look like a fool the more you talk. Do you honestly think we’ll stop because of your so-called threat? Well think again, Jesus Manson.

“You know, I think I’ll just call you JM. Your whole name just sounds like shit to me.”

“I could care less.”

Neither of us said a word for a few moments. I just stared at her with an expression cold as ice, and she looked at me with a mad glare. At this point, my nearly nonexistent patience had faded, so I readdressed my threat.

“Now are you going to listen to my warning, or are you willing to put the lives of your friends at stake?”

“What makes you think I would? You’re not exactly intimidating to me. I don’t even believe that you’re the pony you claim to be.”

“That’s your mistake, and while you bring up intimidation, I don’t see you as anything more than an irritation. A large, irritating bitch, who fails to see what they’re up against.”

“Likewise, you stubborn prick.”

“Yes I am, but at least I know true bullshit when I see it, and now I’m going to make an example out of it.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re nothing compared to me, Brutalight. I’ve been doing this far longer than you, without needing to rely on magic shortcuts like what you and your friends do. I am the superior, and I won’t let some misfit monsters making my work pathetic cries of attention! Claim all you want about yourselves, but you will NEVER be anything compared to me! You are fucking nothing, Brutalight Sparcake, and I’ll prove it!”

I did it. I hit the nerves that infuriated the purple alicorn enough to create a green blade out of magic, and then charge at me with it.

“I’ll show you who’s nothing!”

As she ran up to me, she used her magic to thrust the blade straight for my head. I did what I knew to do, but all she could see when she stood near me was my head turned at the blade appearing to be sticking into my face. She laughed for a moment. I allowed it. I turned my head back up to show her blade not shoved into my face, but caught between my jagged teeth.

“What?!”

I used my head to chuck the blade back at her, herself dodging. I had her set up in just the right position for me to buck my hind legs right against the side of her head. The hit was hard enough to have her slam into a nearby wall, only to crash onto the ground. Normally, a blow like that would be a killshot, but not her. She groaned, then growled, and I turned to face her.

“I’ll make this clear – I’m a merciless murderer of anyone and anypony, including smug cunts like you.”

She got back up on her hooves, a livid growl sounding out of her. She used a front hoof to punch me in the face. It’s been a long time since anypony had managed to land a blow against me, and even more surprising, I felt it hurt. Yes I did expect some feeling, my emotional and mental states far more numb than my physical being ever was, but there was this extra force behind it. After that blow, I knew that this battle of words has turned into a full-fledged fight.

That’s exactly what happened.

She used her magic to create new green blades to attack me with, to which I dodged them all. I decided to play things out at first, to see how much she’d try to force against me. The next attempt was using magic, again, to create strangely colored jarates, chucking them my direction. One that fell not too far from me exploded, showing them to be grenades.

I took flight and managed to dodge each one, all exploding in random spots across our battle ground. Using her magic, again, she sensed for the heads and skulls of those murdered in the ground. She brought them to the surface, and used those to strike me with. I nosedived straight for her as she did, showing her the capability of my wings.

For each head tossed at me, I angled myself so that my wings could slice through them with ease. I charged straight for her, but she used her magic, again, to transport herself from that spot to somewhere else. The more she used magic, the angrier I got.

“You are pathetic! Try fighting me without magic! Fight like a real warrior!”

I didn’t know where she was, but I know she hadn’t left. If there’s one thing the two of us could relate upon, I bet it was our refusal to flee from a challenge. My wings still opened out, I looked around to find her. It was quiet for a minute, just long enough for her to prepare her next attack.

Her laughter began to echo not from a side, but from above. She stood atop one of the building, hovering what looked like an old sawmill blade above me. A smile of the most maniacal kind crossed her face, and she forced the blade to race down on me. This time, I did not dodge.

I used my mouth the pull the sword out of its sheath, using it to stop the round blade in its tracks. With a thrust of my next, I sent it away, and retook flight to charge for her on the rooftop. Slash after slash of my blade swung towards her, my full intention to sever an upper part of her body, but to no avail as she proved her agility well, dodging every swinging slice. She was quick, and impressively so compared to all who’ve tallied up my kill count.

The closest instance I got came from when a slash came just close enough to her head to slice off a few small bits of her mane. We both stopped in place, where one of the hairs dropped down onto the blade of the sword, splitting in two.

“Not bad, big boy, but let’s see just how much more you can do.”

Her wings opened up from her sides, and she took off into the air. I didn’t hesitate to follow, flying close to wherever she was going. Where we ended up took us over a familiar graveyard, a sight I hadn’t seen for a while. Beyond that was Mann Manor, where she tried going around one way, but I went around the other.

I increased my speed fast enough to cut her off just beyond the old manor. We just floated in the air for a couple minutes, not a word spoken. Part of me wanted to argue about her intentions of bringing us back near the place that spawned several creatures such as myself. Instead, I charged straight in for an attack with my sword, only to find myself countered by a new blade of her magical creation.

The difference with this blade was that it wasn’t green, so it wasn’t tainted by any magic. It was a simple, double-edge sword. It looked like a sword I “acquired” from a victim a couple years ago, a claymore, but this one was fitted to her likings, perhaps 90% scale of most models with a blood-tainted wooden handle. Dried blood left a stain along each blade line, all surrounded by a light aura of her dark magic.

“An actual sword that isn’t plagued… Do you think you can handle it?”

“Do you think you can handle me?”

We both got into a quick battle stance, and then charged at one-another, our swords colliding with a loud clash. The more we fought, the more she surprised me. She was an impressive sword combatant, resisting some of my more clever approaches with ease. I tend to make attacks honorable swordsman would not, more underhanded and intrusive, to best put it, but she kept fighting strong.

The battle was in the air for the most part, until I clashed with her hard enough to lose control with her wings. She had to force herself to land on the ground, and I charged right for her again. I failed to see her smirking, and then using her blade to slice into the ground and have dust pick up into the air. Her timing was perfect as my eyes became blinded. I had to shift directions away from her, crashing onto the ground nearby.

My sword got knocked out of my mouth in the crash. I tried to get the dust out of my eyes when she stepped towards me with an evil chuckle, kicking my sword away from my hoof’s reach. Even though I could still barely see, I could sense that she was just inches from me, ready to take a strike at me.

“You’re not the only one who knows cheap shots. Then again, I usually tend to use, smarter tactics than my opponents.”

I didn’t say anything. I decided to bait her with silence just long enough to regain my sight. Even with my sword out of reach, and a dagger on my leg, I still had one tool she seemed to have neglected.

“What’s wrong, JM? Did you run out of things to say? I knew you were all shit with those threats you tried to make, and now I think I’ll have some fun. I could use a prize for another victory. Hmmm… ah yes, your wings will do…”

She started to laugh again, louder this time, and then used her magic to thrust her claymore at me. It was perfect. She took the bait like a blind fool. A clashing sound was heard, not what she expected. She looked down and saw it- my wing, as sharp and strong as a sword, blocked her blade with ease.

“What the hell?!”

“You’re some ignorant bitch, aren’t you? I didn’t think you’d forget about how strong my wings actually are. Remember, just a little while ago, those skulls I sliced through like cake?”

I made my move there, jumping up and using my hooves to attack the lower area of her legs. She stumbled back a couple feet, facing me as I gave her a bloodthirsty look through my empty eyes, and my wings open in full span. The next sound to come out of her was another growl.

“That’s it. I’m done. I’m going to make sure…”

“You’ll what, kill me? Scar me for life somehow? I really don’t think you will, or can.”

“I’ll show you!”

“Then, Enguard!”

What happened next became our final clashing that night. My wings, versus her sword.

I started by going in for an attack, and she countered with her blade. Using my wings, I fought against every attempted strike she made. At the same time, every time I got close, I would swing my legs up and attempt to buck her. Most times she blocked with her magic, getting somewhat wiser to my methods.

The couple blows I did get kept forcing her to step back farther and farther, up until we approached the cemetery gates of the haunted graveyard. The thing was, neither of us noticed at first. We were too busy locking our eyes onto each other to look at our surroundings. It wasn’t until my wing met with her sword, locked against each other’s forcing strength, and I unleashed another full-out hoof-to-hoof attack.

Using as much strength as I could build, I forced myself against her magical blade, slash after slash with both my wings, until I found the sweet spots I needed. With one full force blow, my wing managed to slice through her claymore, putting her in shock. Her moment of disbelief opened my door to ram her with my head, followed by a swing of my wing that just barely cut open her neck, and bucking her onto her back.

She laid there, still in initial shock of pain. Little to her liking, I got above her and pinned her down to the ground with a front hoof. I looked down on her with the most demonic stare I ever had. Hell, if I didn’t know better, I could swear my mouth started to smile. I hadn’t done that for so long. I’ve enjoyed pleasure through my actions before, but never at any point for any reason that I started to smile. Then I looked down at her face, and it looked fearful.

“Hahaha…”

I didn’t even expect myself to laugh. It was just barely a sound, but I did in fact have a small laugh. I saw her face again, but this time the look of fear turned into hatred and anger. I leaned my head down to look at her eye to eye, and used a hoof to stroke across her open cut, collecting some blood that had been escaping out of it.

The smile disappeared as I stuck my tongue out, licking the blood of my stained hoof. The taste, it was different. Perhaps because it was the first time I’ve had a taste of another pony’s blood rather than the grails filled by my past victims. I gently swallowed the blood, still enjoying the taste in my mouth, and saw her livid eyes.

“Thank you for another delicious taste of blood, Brutalight. I await to enjoy more.”

I pressed down on her neck with my hoof harder, sparing my other hoof to access the dagger I had held on it.

“Now, to demonstrate how wrong you were about me, and what will happen to your friends after I’m done with you…”

“Oh no… Fuck No!”

Her horn glowed again, using her magic, again, to grab a big enough nearby object. In this case, it was a tombstone, Scombine’s to be precise. I learned that when, even with my hoof pressing down on her neck and straining her breathing, she was focused enough to strike me time after time with it.

The first hit managed to get me off her. The second time, a hard hit to the head. The third time, I tried to block it, but got pushed back farther than expected. The fourth and last hit was in full force rage, hitting me so hard that I felt some wind knocked out of me. I stumbled and fell back, my back hitting one of the other tombstones, but one I knew of very well.

She then stepped over me, much like I did with her, hovering the stone over us. Her hoof stomped on my neck, just below my head, holding me in place. The last hit to the head did enough as it was. I couldn’t get up to fight at that moment.

The sound of her evil laughter could be heard again, even with her neck still bleeding. She used more of her magic to levitate another item into the air – my dagger. This was pathetic. Never have I been in this kind of position before. Pinned down by an enemy, and my weaponry taken away so easily. I couldn’t do much more than focus on an exit strategy, and breathing.

“Hahahaha… what were you saying about ‘demonstrating how wrong’ I was? Now that it’s You who’s been put in this position, it’ll be you who I make an example of tonight. I will admit, if you didn’t shove me into this place I wouldn’t have grabbed this stone to…”

Her eyes turned up at the stone when she was talking, and when she saw it, her talking stopped. Her eyes opened wide in surprise that the stone she used against me was Scombine’s stone.

“Scombine… no… we didn’t end up in…”

Her head jerked over to the side to view the surroundings, confirming that it was indeed the forsaken graveyard. I could tell she hated that place as she looked around at the site, but even after trying to get up, she got more assertive, pressing me down harder. She magically threw the stone back to where it was, turning her attention right back to me.

“So… you don’t like this place. What’s wrong… bad memories… did you lose… somepony here? Perhaps… you lost yourself?”

Taunting with a hoof on my neck, it was a bad idea with mixed results. My words got under her skin, but she got more forceful on me, applying more weight on me. She then leaned her head down, facing my eyes to eyes with just a couple inches of space in between.

“I don’t particularly enjoy this place. So many memories here best left behind.”

“Believe me… I know the feeling.”

“Can you admit that you became a monster by this place, and become who you are today?”

“No… not entirely…”

I got in the deepest breath I could to keep talking, managing to get in quite a bit of air.

“Don’t forget… I didn’t need this place… to become half the man I am now. This place… just enhance it.”

“Well I suppose half wasn’t enough for you, wouldn’t you agree? Otherwise you wouldn’t be pinned down like this.”

Her smile came back, and with her magic, she pointed the dagger down at me. Judging by how she was set up, I expected an attempt to kill me. I expected a chuckle, which I heard her give. I expected her to aim the weapon for a weak point, perhaps around my wings, or even my head. I didn’t expect what she actually did next.

“You know… I’ve enjoyed this. I’ve enjoyed this a lot. A pony who actually stood as a challenge for me to fight. I think… I’ll take a special trophy home with me…”

“And what will… AAGGHHH!”

My words were cut off as I felt myself being stabbed. She shoved the dagger into me, but not into my wings or my organs, but into one of my legs. I couldn’t understand it. Why there of all places? Why shove it there, and yet, not all the way through? She chuckled again as she pulled the dagger back out, and hovered it between us.

“Ahhh I just love a blade smothered in fresh blood. What I love more, is the delicious taste of blood…”

Then, she stuck her tongue out, and licked up a side of the blade, cleaning it of blood. I could tell she enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed her blood’s taste. After a good taste, she stepped off of me, and back just far enough for me to breathe normal and get back on my hooves, or three of them. The leg she stabbed left me having a limping. I haven’t limped since my first tussle with bullies back in Canterlot, before my sister was even born. How she spoke to me next, it almost sounded, flirting.

“It appears we share many likings, don’t we? We love to kill, we love the taste of blood, we love causing chaos and misery to others.”

“So what?”

“Perhaps that, in time, you’ll come to join me and my friends. I could only use somepony just like me to work with.”

“What? How could you be so damn naïve? I told you, you and your friends are getting in my way. Why would I ever consider joining you?”

“Come now, JM, don’t be foolish. After all, we could become so much greater if we killed together, wouldn’t you agree?”

I didn’t answer that time. I didn’t want to process the reality of how she sounded. I didn’t want to understand it at all. All was silent for about a minute before she spoke up again.

“I think we can call tonight a truce. You showed me who you are, and I showed you who I am, with the added bonus of this blood-coated blade for my own, personal pleasure.”

“And what exactly does that mean?”

“Not much. Like I said, for ‘personal pleasure.’ I think I’ll go do just that before my next kill…”

Her horn began to glow brighter than before. She used a teleportation spell to send herself elsewhere, but not before saying her goodbye.

“Until we meet again, Jesus Manson. I look forward to it…”

I couldn’t explain, I just couldn’t. I had no idea what the fuck just ended what happened overall. On top of that, when she left, were my eyes playing tricks on me or did she wink? I just couldn’t fucking explain it.

Brutalight Sparcake. The leader of the Elements of Insanity. The most difficult opponent I ever had in a fight. We were merciless against each other for who knows how long, and it ends with us getting a taste of each other’s blood, and her departure. What was even more strange, was how we both seemed to have enjoyed the tastes.

“What the… what the fuck just happened? What the fuck was that shit?”

My head throbbed with a headache that stopped my train of thought, which it also reminded me of the painful state my leg was in. I just growled with the pain and tried to walk, but not far at all, perhaps only a few steps before I tried to fly. I didn’t know what else to think at the moment but leave and rest for a while, neglecting to notice the tombstone I hit.

It was the same tombstone of that grave. It was the grave where the spirit took control of me and took its part to create Jesus Manson. What was different about it now was the crack that I left on it, running down its center jagged. We left our marks from our battle there that night, not to mention on each other’s flesh. For now, rest was needed to return to killing tomorrow…

Author's Note

This is a story which I still have not decided to continue with. For now, the Prologues and this chapter will stay up for reading pleasure regardless what my decision may be. I'm still new to this community so forgive me if this isn't perfect.

If you enjoy this story or would like to share your opinion, please do. If others like this story enough, then I'll give it serious consideration.

And just to make this known, I wrote this in a Document, using different fonts for the characters' dialogue that won't replicate. If readers have a hard time seeing who is saying what, please say so and I'll edit it

Enjoy some Elements of Insanity fanwork!