Chapters Cold Beginnings
I. Cold Beginnings
The mare sat slouched over her desk. Papers scattered across the oak surface, files of a particular stallion. A black marker lay uncapped on the desk beside an empty mug, the brown ring stained in the bottom of the cup from the coffee consumed hours ago.
The mare's gaze was flat, lifeless and cold. Staring down at the one sentence unmarked by black. The one last piece of sensitive information of the file. The name of the young stallion. All other data erased, dates, doctors, places. All that was left were the dwindling two words, 'Reace Faust.'
The mare let a small sigh escape her mouth as the marker levitated into the air with a soft glow of blue magic. The marker pressed against the name, permanently erasing it from the file.
"Be gone." The mare cooed softly to herself, a pleasing smile creeping along her cheeks as she looked at the sheet of paper.
The mare's deep crimson eyes darted along the rows of words, her smile growing at each bracket of black, every last piece of important information wiped from every file. All expect the small insignia marked at the bottom of the page.
RKF.
With a gentle twitch of the mare's ear, her head shot up in an instant. Looking to the door to her office. The mare scowled lightly as a there was a small knocking at the door.
"What is it." The mare asked as the door opened slowly, the head of a young mare peeking through the small crack.
"Uh... Uh... There's someone here to see you, Ma'm..." The young mare stuttered before slipping back behind the door, only to be opened further by an armored solider.
The mare's scowl hardened as she cocked a brow.
"And what is this..." The mare questioned with a teasing tone.
"I was requested to come see you, ma'm." The armored stallion responded, standing up straight as the mare stood up from her desk, pushing the black framed glasses further up the bridge of her muzzle.
"Ah yes." The mare paused, shuffling the papers around her desk into one, neat pile. "You must be Vagabond." The mare didn't bother to look up at the stallion for verification instead the stallion replied. "Yes, Ma'm."
Slowly the mare's gaze lifted back to the stallion. Short, neatly combed back rusty mane, dark slate eyes and a dark coat. "Hm." The mare started, looking over the rims of her glasses. "Short, simple answer. No background nonsense, no playing around. Perfect." The mare straightened her posture as she stepped out from behind the desk, towering over the young stallion.
"Now tell me, do you know why I have requested you." The mare asked bluntly. The stallion didn't look away from the mare, a hint of a familiar yet pleasing look in his eyes. Fear.
"No Ma'm. I was simply told to-" The stallion was cut off once the mare raised a hoof, signalling enough was said.
"Then I shall elaborate." The mare turned back to the desk, the pile of papers lifting towards her with the aid of magic.
The mare turned back to Vagabond, holding the files out to him. Gingerly the stallion reached out a hoof, taking hold of the small pile, a puzzled look on his face. "You are aware of what research is conducted in this facility, yes?" The mare asked, letting the stallion have more than a two worded response.
"Yes... Ma'm." The stallion started, looking down at the files. "Medicinal experimentation, Ma'm." The stallion gave his final response as the mare nodded, closing her eyes briefly.
"Yes, indeed. And I have requested you to guard a certain subject in one of these said experiments." The mare's eyes flashed at the stallion as they opened.
"A live experiment? On another pony?" The stallion's pitch grew higher with concern. The mare nodded as the cover to the files flew open, revealing a page with scribbled notes of dialog and in big, black, blotched letters 'Experiment Two-Forty-Two.'
The stallions eyes grew wider as his mouth hung agape. "M-ma'm..." The stallion stuttered, looking from the file to the mare.
The mare let no more of a response come forth. "You will simply be guarding said subject, Vagabond. You have a unique set of training, as well as skills." The mare turned back to her desk, slowly walking back to her seat.
"You have been chosen to accompany Doctor Hignstaph, more formally known as The Director." The mare spun on the ball of her hoof, turning back to the shocked stallion.
"You will also be the one to exterminate said subject by it's expiration date, in seven months time." The mare said bluntly.
The stallion stood still in fear, not saying a single word. The mare sat down in her chair, looking over the frame of her glasses to the stallion. "You are dismissed."
With that, the stallion shakily nodded his head and turned towards the door to the office, clutching the file at his side. Once the door closed with a light 'click' the mare let out a long sigh, gazing up at the plain ceiling.
"Oh my brother, for what is to come." The mare cooed softly to herself, a wide grin forming along her pale cheeks.
Author's Note
Now, pardon myself for the formatting if it isn't all too fit. If anything, it would have remained large slabs of walls. I do welcome questions, but the answers will remain spoiler free if they are about the story itself.
IV. Tick Tock Goes The Clock
With the small click of her hooves against the concrete floor, the mare walked down the lengthy corridor, the dim lights flashed about as the power became unstable. The storm continuing to rage on outside.
The mare turned her gaze, looking along the wall as large black letters painted the wall with the level letter, C and a mere number. But every time her head turned towards the wall, her scowl hardened. There was only one room she was looking for.
The lights brightened as the backup generator kept the peace, to it's best. However the screams raged on as the mare walked down the corridor, the loud bangs against the thick metal doors. The mare never responded to any of the yells or pleas, letting the vivid clicks of her hooves fill her head, mimicking that of a clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tock.
The mare kept her head level, gazing down the long corridor coloured an off white as the occasional crack ran upwards, through the concrete walls. It may have been an old building but this section was less up-kept than any other.
The mare skirted to the side as she cringed. The ear piercing sounds of some horrid object scraping across metal.
“Tsk.” The mare hissed softly as she straightened her posture, glaring from the corner of her eye at an unusually thicker metal door compared to the rest on the C Section block.
A matter she would have to deal with later. But for now, there were more important matters at hoof.
Questions that needed answers.
And insubordinate's to deal with.
The mare's pale coat may not be pristine, but it was as close as it was going to get. The blood had stained what ever it covered, matting the clumps of fur with blood. The mare refused to care for it, instead she now neared her destination.
The large black print on the wall reading C7. A stallion remained at the metal door, peering through the thin slot, held open by a large bolt. The stallion abruptly turned as the mare approached him with a hard scowl, an unsettling anger rising inside.
"Ah, Mrs F-" The stallion started only to be interrupted by a short, sharp smack of the mares hoof contacting against the side of the stallions head.
"You imbecile!" The mare hissed through gritted teeth. Although the stallion was far taller than the mare, at this point she remained to tower over him as he recovered from the unexpected attack. A hoof gently held against the side of his head, merely missing his temple. Surely he would have a bruise to remember.
The stallion grumbled lightly, standing straighter once more and having the higher perch as he looked down at the mare. "The subject is fine." he hissed gently.
"It was specifically instructed that all harm that came to the subject would be mild and easily evicted with the appropriate dosage of medication." The mare had no hesitation saying as she backed down, resuming a rather calm manor and tone as she glared up at the stallion.
"As has been taken care of." The stallion replied, remaining to keep his hoof against the side of his head. "He will simply be unconscious for a matter of hours." He finished with a low growl.
"Good. Then I will see him." The mare demanded in a lower, more forceful tone.
"It is strictly forbidden for any contact with the subject.." The stallion said, matching his tone of voice with the mares, finally putting his hoof firmly back on the ground.
"I do as I please." She said bluntly looking from the stallion to the door. "I shall go alone and that will be the end of this debate."
The stallion gave no further inquiry, leaving the matter as it is. The mare nodded, her scowl deepening for a moment before the stallion pushed aside the metal door with an unpleasant creak and a scrape of metal against the solid concrete floor.
The mare stepped in, a long sigh passing through the air as a cloud of mist in the cold room. Slowly the mare stepped further into the holding cell, a basic concrete box.
"Oh Reace... What did they do to you..." She said softly as she knelt down beside the snowy stallion who lay lifelessly against the cold concrete floor.
II. The Perfect Day
The light clatter of the rain against the window brought a hollow sound to the room.
The mare sat in the chair, one leg crossed over the other as her hooves clamped together as she rested her chin on them, basking in the dull light the dark sky provided.
Shadows licked along the walls as a sudden bright flash came from the clouds. The mares features illuminated in the brief light, her gaze locked on the window as she watched the storm rage outside. A sly smile creased the corners of her lips, giving a small toothy grin.
"The perfect weather for the perfect day..." The mare muttered quietly to herself with a low chuckle to follow.
As the storm raged on louder outside, inside wasn't any different. The mare stood, furious. Her teeth gritted tightly, a deep frown curving her brow. The mare slammed her hooves down on the desk with a loud BANG, making the other two innocent bystanders jump in surprise. And fear. Slowly the mare stood straighter with a deep sigh, balancing on her hind hooves.
Slowly she lifted a hoof, the gaze of the other two ponies in the room followed the slender hoof as lifted to the mares muzzle, pushing the dark framed glasses back into it's right place on the bridge of her muzzle.
Slowly one of the ponies spoke up, a shriveled, scrawny, Earth pony. "M-Ma'm.... T-the sedatives just wouldn't work-" the stallion tried to explain, his knees shaking as he looked up to the menacing red glare the mare gave.
"Did I not give specific orders not to bring too much harm to the subject." The mare hissed through her clenched jaw.
The pair nodded, slightly backing away as the mare stood down on all fours, stepping towards the two insubordinate's.
"A-Ah...." The other started. A young Pegasus, not different to the other. "H-He passed out eventually...." The Pegasus tried to reason.
The mares gaze locked on to the Pegasus, glaring with furious eyes like fire. Slowly the Pegasus backed away as the mare made eye contact, lowering his head in shame, but not drawing his gaze away from the mares.
"Do you two know what is done with insubordinate's in this facility?...." The mare asked with a slight playful tone and a small hiss.
The pair remained silent as the mare took a few more steps towards them. The Pegasus took two steps back for every step forward, the Earth pony only stepped back into a wall.
"Well, do you " the mare hissed again, her pitch reaching higher as she neared the Earth pony. Now there was barely a step between them.
The mare bared down on the stallion Earth pony whom shriveled against the wall, his ears flat against the sides of his head, the quick rise and fall of his chest as he hyperventilated. Pure fear running through his veins.
A Wonderful Colour Crimson Is
Author's Note
Now this is where things get... 'Interesting'... This will be your only heads up about the content that follows. So have fun Kiddo's.
A Wonderful Colour Crimson Is
III. A Wonderful Colour Crimson Is
The mare smiled, deep crimson liquid running down her face in streams before dripping off her chin.
The mare had moved quickly, forcefully driving the sharp tip of her horn into the abdomen of the Earth pony as he cowered against the wall, now gaping at the air.
Slowly the mare backed away, flicking her head towards the Pegasus, the splatter of blood trailed along the floor at the mares hooves.
"Run ." The mare teased as the Pegasus backpedaled, stumbling over his own hooves before crawling out the door. The mare grinned, pleased.
"Mia!" The mare yelled for her assistant who came in the door as soon as her name was called.
The young mare peered through the crack in the door, the light glimmered off the silvery stands of her mane as her deep blue eyes scanned the room.
"Send for a clean up team..." The mare ordered, her tone hushed and calm as she took off her glasses and wiped them briefly on the thick white coat of her chest, staining it red.
The mare grumbled quietly. "Oh well...." She sighed as she lifted the pair of glasses back to her muzzle as her assistant nodded and immediately handed the mare what looked like a handkerchief.
The mare hesitated slightly before reaching out a hoof and taking the small square of material and nodding to the young mare who simply smiled sweetly in return. The mare wiped her face, the thick blood smearing across her pale complexion.
It wasn't long after another crack of thunder shook the ground from above. The lights swayed gently as they started to flicker, the mares gaze followed the standard lights as the hung from the ceiling.
Soon a small group of ponies walked through the door the the mares office, wearing protective masks and carrying crates of supplies. Already the stench of the strong chemicals made the mare almost turn her head.
"You know what to do." The mare exclaimed before walking to the door, eyeing one of the cleaning staff as she walked past.
"Wait! Ma'm!" One called after her as she hovered a hoof in the air, about to take a step outside the door.
The mare stood, waiting for the stallion to continue. Slowly he hesitated, looking to his colleges before answering.
"H-he... He's still alive, Ma'm...." Slowly the mare peered over her shoulder, looking at the heap that was her victim, now being propped up against the wall by another pony.
"Hmph." The mare scoffed lightly before turning back from the insubordinate. "To the Red Wall then." With that the mare walked out of the office, leaving the cleaning staff with a look of utter shock.
