(Note: This takes place in the future of Survival is Hell, but it does not follow the same storyline- just the general universe. Consider this a spiritual successor)

Most people know what Necromancy is, the use or manipulation of the dead through magic. Its definition has expanded over time, depending on who you ask, but as technology advanced so did the magic. First there was the discovery of Biometal, which was used to create Biomechanical limbs and prosthetics. The technology soared with the discovery of steam power as an energy and mechanical source, but it’s gone even further.

Cybermancy is a new term that describes those who use and manipulate technology with their magic. Unlike Necromancy, though, it isn’t frowned upon. There aren’t many mages who know enough about the technology to be considered Cybermancers, yet the technology is prevalent in nearly all forms of life nowadays.

From augments to artificial people, fixing your sight to fixing your tea. Equestria is in a time of war, though. Civil war, to be exact. Many neighboring states and countries have joined in, it’s practically a world war. See, not everybody uses the technology in ways that are considered good. They preach the advancing of technology by any means, usually illegal, and strike at the peacekeeping government for trying to limit the dangerous progress they try to make.

Many people would probably join the faction, who call themselves the ‘Seekers’. But the thing is, Seekers are generally seen as villains. They use illegal and experimental Cybermancy and Biomechanical weapons to strike at their enemies, their enemies being anybody who doesn’t support them. A new faction was formed, with the blessing of Celestia and Luna, to combat these Seekers. They were never given an official name, but the Seekers and the public dubbed them ‘Chasers’.

Not all Seekers are villainous, though. Seekers take in anybody they can find and force them into their ways. They’re called Seekers because they seek advances by any means, but people nicknamed them ‘Snatchers’ too. It’s even gotten to the point where they would attack someone, erase their memories and brainwash them.

And that’s where a story really starts.

“Barely even a bruise…” A girl said as she stood on a roof top five stories high, next to a boy about the same age.

“Maybe if we landed on our necks?” He suggested. The girl shook her head.

“No matter the trajectory, we’d still be just fine…” She sighed.

Their countless augments were calculating trajectories and showing their results, which told them that the jump- or fall- would be easily survivable. They heard the distinct sound of a weapon being drawn behind them. They turned to find a girl holding a handgun up to them.

“I can see where your fake skin and metal bodies meet, you’re Seekers…” She said. The Seekers’ information gathering augments recognized and brought up files on this girl. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, known affiliate of the Princesses and suspected Chaser.

“If you know what we are, then why don’t you shoot?” The Seeker Girl asked. The Chaser’s gun lowered ever so slightly before returning to its place pointed at them.

“Normally I would have, but it’s not every day you sneak up on two Seekers discussing suicide… And it’s not everyday you alert a Seeker and they’re not running or trying to kill you…” She continued.

“We’re not exactly the kind of Seekers you’re used to then. But, I think I’m going to sit the rest of this interview out. Come on then, Vinyl. Might as well give her half of what she expects.” The Seeker man started. The other seeker knew what he was saying, they had been running from Chasers for a while now. She just sighed and shook her head, Twilight was getting confused.

“You go, I’m tired of running.” The Seeker dubbed Vinyl said solemnly. Both the man and the Chaser were surprised by this, but before the Chaser’s surprise lifted the man gave her a slute and dropped off the roof. Twilight rushed forward to try and catch him, but he was already gone. She cursed and immediately pointed the gun at Vinyl’s head.

“Where is he going?” She demanded. Vinyl shrugged and walked over to the wall enclosing the doorway to the roof and sat down against it.

“I don’t know, we never know where we’re going. I’m just sick and tired of running, of being shot at every time I catch my breath…” She said. She pulled the hood of her open jacket down to reveal two toned electric and midnight blue hair and red irises in her eyes. You could clearly see where her skin went from real to fake around her jaw, and further towards her neck where the fake skin faded into skin colored biometal.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, never taking her sights off of the Seeker’s head.

“If we hadn’t been doing what we were doing, if you would have just found us lounging about up here, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You would have started shooting and we would have started running.” Vinyl replied. Twilight’s grip relaxed slightly.

“Last time I was identified as a Chaser by one of your kind I was nearly killed with no provocation whatsoever.” Twilight retorted.

“Have I tried to kill you? Have I even reached for any sort of weapon? The only time I’ve used a weapon is to hunt for my dinner and to defend myself from muggers, I haven’t even tried fighting a Chaser because I know I’m not in the right.” Vinyl explained, her tone almost annoyed.

“Wait, what?” Twilight asked, letting her aim fall to the ground in confusion. It snapped back up and she fired, barely missing Vinyl’s head, as a series of nearly silent movements appeared all over Vinyl’s body.

She pulled a biometal compound bow, a multitude of blades and a long range rifle from compartments in her back, four handguns from compartments in her thighs, two trench knives from her calves and revealed long cylinders of arrows in her forearms. Claws extended from her fingertips and blades extended from her elbows and talons from her toes.

“These are all of the weaponry and weaponization that I have built into my body. If I meant you any harm, I would have used any of them before you even had a chance to set your aim straight after that miss.” She said. Twilight held her aim until Vinyl had finished replacing everything and eventually let it fall again.

“Tell me, then… Why haven’t you done that, or ran?” Twilight asked.

“I told you, I’m tired of running. And I’m not the kind of Seeker you think I am. I don’t even remember my life before a month ago, I just remember waking up like this and being sent to gather information. That man I was with Calls me Vinyl because the closest thing to a name I can remember is ‘Vin’ and because I’m always listening to music.” Vinyl answered. Vinyl didn’t react, arms crossed on her curled up knees staring into the ground, as Twilight sat against the wall next to her and started looking over her weapon.

“So you were snatched, and their brainwashing didn’t take… Do you remember anything else?” The Chaser asked, surprising Vinyl a bit with how her tone changed to be somewhat sincere.

“Pain… lots and lots of pain… Enough pain to make me want to scream out and shoot myself in the head over and over again until it stops…” Vinyl replied darkly. Twilight gave the Seeker a look. After a minute or so she sighed and stood again, holstering her weapon. She offered a hand to the Seeker, who hesitantly took it.

“You say you’ve never attacked a Chaser, and I’ve never heard of a Seeker that matches your description and weapon loadout so I’m going to go ahead and believe you in that respect. I can’t kill you for that reason, but I can’t just let a Seeker run around free. I’ll have to take you to Mother then and see what she wants to do with you.” She said, beckoning for the Seeker to follow as she started down the stairs.

This day just got very interesting, Vinyl thought.

Author's Note

so this is an original story idea that I had from a dream a long time ago that just never worked out. Since I very recently developed the craving for writing cyberpunk, I could't help but adapt it. Considering the original only got this far and took a week instead of an hour tells me that this is at least going to go further than that did.
So this one's been in the works for nearly a year now, but I don't have anything special planned. Either way, tell me what you think?