//-------------------------------------------------------// Back From Death -by ScarFox9700- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 For the entire two years that he had been around, everypony loved Lt. Charles Taylor. He was a friend to many, and a hero and inspiration to many more. He inspired Ponies to reach for their dreams, and to do everything that they were capable of doing. However, what most ponies have forced themselves to forget, was that Taylor once had a comrade. His name, was James, Ensign William James. At first, James seemed to be a lot like Taylor. He was a survivor, but unlike Taylor, he had serious problems. While Taylor's issues were more physical, almost all of James's issues were mental. He had severe PTSD, and was extremely paranoid, schizophrenic, and was diagnosed with also possibly having a learning disorder. While Taylor was well loved and respected, James was somewhat feared. At Taylor's insistence, he did seek mental help, and after spending time in a mental hospital, James emerged a different person. Now, he was quieter, more introverted, and seemed to have an incredible talent for drawing out designs for buildings. "Wow James, these are really good! You should really consider trying to become an architect!" "Thanks Taylor. And actually, I was sort-of thinking about that. Maybe my pet mortuary business could be a side business for that." Taylor shrugged. "Maybe, it's hard to say. However, I do know that you'll have to go to school to become an architect, so maybe your business could help you pay for school." "Yes, that's a good idea Taylor. Like I said a little bit earlier, I'll talk to Miss Flutters about that when I go and see her tomorrow." "I hope that this works out for you James, however, if it doesn't just know that it isn't your fault. Most likely, there just isn't a market for something like this here in Equestria. Also, James?" "Yes Taylor?" Taylor frowned. "You need to err on the side of caution. There's something not quite right about Miss Flutters." James looked at him curiously. "What do you mean Taylor?" "I mean that, I just got this, well, bad vibe about her. Something seems off." James rolled his eyes. "Taylor, have you ever considered being evaluated for paranoia?" Taylor shook his head. "This isn't paranoia James. I've gotten these gut feelings about people before, and they usually aren't wrong. I'm not your dad, so I can't tell you what to do, but I can ask you to please be careful. Not everyone is what they appear to be. Ponies are no different." James nodded slowly. "I'll take your advice Taylor. I know that you wouldn't say something unless it needed to be said, so I'll be careful." "I know that you will James. Now then, go do what you have to do, and I'll be here waiting for you when you get back." "Ok, goodbye for now Taylor." "Goodbye James." And with that, James left Taylor to go keep his meeting with Miss Flutters, completely unaware of what lay ahead. Author's Note Well, here we go. Hang on, as this story is about to get very dark, very fast. Also, like I've said before, this story is a spinoff, and is not canon to "Bermuda Beginnings". It also will not contain any spoilers for later chapters of Bermuda Beginnings. It's an alternate timeline, if you will. It follows the same path as Bermuda Beginnings until Chapter 33. From then on, everything is different. I've also changed the characters's personalities a lot. In this story, Taylor is somewhat angrier, and always stands up on his own two feet, and is not afraid to put you in your place. James on the other hand is much more introverted, and has been diagnosed with possible psychopathy. This story contains language, violence, blood, gore, horror, and is VERY dark. If you do not want to have this story ruin how you see Taylor, James, and the others, then skip this story. If not, then hang on, and brace for impact! ScarFox out, for now! //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 After walking back down the trail that he had taken the day before, James found himself back at Flutter's cottage. Once he reached the front door, he knocked. "Coming!" A voice from inside called. A few moments later, the door opened, and James once again saw Flutters. "Hello Flutters." "Oh, hello James!" Before Flutters could really say too much more, from behind her, her pet Mountain Timberwolf, Missy, came bounding out. When she reached James, she tackled him backwards, and began to lick his face happily. "Hey, hey Missy! Stop that! You're so slobbery!" He then kissed her on the nose. "But if you were wondering, yes, I did miss you too!" Missy barked happily, before letting James get back up again. Once he was standing again, Flutters looked at him. "Hey James?" "Yes?" "I was thinking about what you told me yesterday, about wanting to build your own pet cemetery, and I think that I have the perfect solution for you." James was curious. "Oh? And what did you have in mind Flutters?" Flutters pointed her hoof to behind James. James turned, and he saw a wheelbarrow. Inside was a rake, some trimming sheers, some smaller clippers, a hammer and a box of nails, some scrap wood, and a shovel. "Whoa. What's all that for?" Flutters just stared at him. "Well, grab that wheelbarrow, and follow me, and I'll show you." James didn't like the way that she looked at him for a moment. It made him feel rather uncomfortable. However, he just shrugged it off as his own paranoia, and after grabbing the wheelbarrow, he wheeled it after Flutters. "Are you sure that you know where we're going Flutters? Because it seems to me that we're totally lost!" And indeed, they definitely seemed to be. The trail that they were following kept dipping in and out of the Everfree forest. The only sounds were them walking, the movement of the wheelbarrow, Missy, the wind, hissing through the trees, and a few other occasional animal noises. "Gosh, this is kinda creepy". James muttered. "I certainly hope that I do see Taylor again later on today, as I'm starting to get 'you're out here in the middle of nowhere to dig your own grave' vibes!" "For the last time James, YES, I know where we're going!" Flutters seemed to be getting really annoyed with James. "It's just up ahead!" "That's what you said an hour ago!" James muttered. After walking for a few minutes more, Flutters suddenly stopped. "We're here, do you see it James?" She pointed at something. James looked at where she was pointing. Sure enough, in a clearing in the woods, James saw what appeared to be a small cemetery of some sort. It was run-down and overgrown, but it was indeed still there. "Wow, so um. what is this place Flutters?" "This, is the Pet Cemetery. This is where I've buried all of the animals who used to live with me." "Oh, but um, why is it all run down?" "Because sadly, I lack the strength to fix it up myself. However, that's why you're here. You wanted a pet cemetery so bad, and now I'm giving you one, provided of course that you take care of it." James was stunned. "What, really? You mean it?!" Flutters nodded. "Yes, I certainly do James, now then, get to work please." "Yes, right away Flutters!" With that, James grabbed the wheelbarrow, and rolled it up to the cemetery. When he got to the front gates though, he noticed that there was a sign over the cemetery. "Pet Sematary. Huh? Why is that spelled wrong? Hey Flutters?" "Yes James?" "Um, this sign is spelled wrong. 'Cemetery' is spelled c-e-m-e-t-e-r-y, not s-e-m-a-t-a-r-y." "Well, feel free to fix it if you want, I don't care." On a hunch, James half-turned to look at Flutters. She was sitting on a rock next to the path, with Missy sitting next to her. She was just, staring at him. Staring, and if James wasn't mistaken, she was also darkly smirking at him as well. "Hey! Why aren't you working? I'm not giving you this cemetery for free! You have to work for it!" Now James was getting extremely irritated. "Hey, I'm getting to work, you don't have to shout and be so bossy!" The next several hours was spent by James in the cemetery. He cut back weeds, trimmed the grass, repaired damaged sections of the fence, put back up fallen headstones, re-piled some rocks back up, and made the cemetery more presentable. All the while, James was getting more and more afraid. From what he could tell from occasional glances, Flutters never moved from her rock, and she never stopped staring at him. James also began to feel that something was very wrong with the cemetery. He kept feeling that something else was watching him, something besides Flutters and Missy. "Gosh, this place really gives me the creeps. I mean, I've gotten some bad vibes before, but this is really pushing it." At one point, James stopped to rest. He went up to the gates, and after opening them, made the move to leave. "Hey, where do you think that you're going?" "To get some water. It kind of hot working in a cemetery in the sun." "No. You turn your ass around right now, and you stay in that cemetery until you're finished!" Now James was more than just upset. "What do I look like, your f@#king slave?! I've been here for hours, and I need some water! Come on now, don't be a bitch. Just give me some water." In response, Flutters started throwing rocks at him. "Whoa! What the f@#k?!" He hit the ground, and began to dodge the rocks. Flutters was sitting about 10 yards or so away from him, but still, the rocks that she was throwing were at times big enough to be cobblestones. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GOSH-DAMN MIND BITCH?!?!?!" James was legitimately freaking out. One of the rocks nailed a tombstone right next to him. The creepiest part of all, was that Flutters never said a word while she threw rocks at James. The only sounds were from her grunts and heavy breathing while she launched the deadly projectiles at him. Soon though, the throwing stopped. Everything was as silent as it was when James was still working. James was crouched against the stone foundation that made up the post that held the front gate on the left side. Just because Flutters had stopped throwing rocks didn't mean that she was done, indeed, for all James knew, she could be directly in front of the gatepost, just waiting to bash his skull in with a rock. Eventually, James worked up enough courage to peer just enough over the gatepost. Sure enough, he saw Flutters, still sitting on her rock, still staring at him, but this time, she didn't have any rocks in her hooves. James then took the risk, and stood up. "Well, is that it? Are you done being a psychopathic, rock-throwing bitch?" "F@#k you!" Came the response. "What is WRONG with you Flutters?! I thought that you were my FRIEND!!! You said that you were going to help me with a pet cemetery! What the f@#k is this bullshit?!" "I am your friend James, and I always will be. I just want what's best for you." "ARE YOU F@#KING MENTAL?!?!?! FRIENDS DO NOT THROW ROCKS AT OTHER FRIENDS!!!!!!" Flutters shrugged and yawned a bit. "I wouldn't have to be so mean, if you would just do all of your work in the cemetery, and not leave before the job is done." "If you, would just, give me some f@#king, gosh-damn water, and maybe a little food, then maybe I could work a little harder and a little faster!" "Catch!" From out of her saddlebags, Flutters produced a thermos, as well as a small lunchbag, which she then threw in James's direction. James picked up the food, as well as the thermos, and examined them. The lunchbag contained raw oatmeal, and the thermos was full of water. James drank the water, but he decided to leave the oatmeal for later. "Ok, so now what?" "Do I really need to say it again James?" "No, I get it. Finish fixing up the cemetery." "Very good, now finish it!" James nodded, and went back to work. By the time James had finished work for the day, the sun was setting, and it was getting late. "Just pack up all of the tools, and put them back on the wheelbarrow." "Ok." James did so, and was about to leave the cemetery again, when Missy stepped in front of him. "Hey Missy, could you move please? I need to leave." Missy's face didn't look so pleasant and gentle anymore. Now, it looked downright hostile. Her red eyes glowed with anger, and she was growling deep in her throat. "Missy, what's wrong girl? Can't I leave?" Missy barked angrily in response. "No James, you cannot leave. At least, not tonight." James looked back at Flutters. "What are you talking about?" She looked at him, smirking darkly. "Because Mr. James, you are needed here. You need to look after my cemetery for me, and if you do good, I will be your best friend forever. However, if you disobey and do not do what I have asked of you, well" Here she laughed in an unsettling way, "Let's just say that nopony will ever see you again." James's fear level was rising by the second. "Wait, does this mean, YOU'RE LEAVING ME HERE?!?!?!" She giggled. "Yes, but only for tonight if you're good!" "ALL ALONE?!?!?! In a creepy as hell cemetery, in the middle of f@#king gosh-damn nowhere?!?!?! "Of course not Silly! You're not going to be all alone. Somepony's gotta stay here and make sure that you stay put. Any volunteers Missy?" Missy barked once, and after looking at her mistress, she then looked at James. By looking into her eyes, James knew that she was thinking, "Oh, you and I are gonna have some 'fun' tonight!" "Just stay put James, and Missy will be your best friend too. However, if you try to leave, Missy will kill you!" Missy then hopped the fence, and was now inside the cemetery with James. She looked at him hungrily. "Um, Flutters, I'm no animal expert, but um, it kinda looks like Missy wants to have sex with me, what do I do?" Flutters giggled. "What you're supposed to do silly, f@#k her! All she wants is a little 'extra love'. Plus, you're gonna want to snuggle close to her for warmth. Treat her well, and she'll be like a mate to you." Flutters then made the move to fly away. Missy then began to walk slowly towards James, drooling all the while. James kept backing away from her, but all too soon, he ran out of cemetery, and was up against the back fence. "Flutters, I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart, please call off Missy right now. I did nothing to deserve this." "It's too late James. You broke my rules, and now you have to pay the penalties. Don't worry though, Missy is the most loving and devoted wolf out there. She'll love you to pieces. Just play nice, and maybe she'll go easy on you." Flutters then nodded at Missy, who, at her mistress's approval, began to crouch, preparing for a leap. NO FLUTTERS, PLEASE NO!!!!!!" "Bye bye James!" "NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Missy pounced. As Flutters flew off into the dusk turning to evening, behind her, she could hear the sounds of Missy having her way with James. "So beautiful", she whispered to herself. "Missy's always wanted a litter of pups. Maybe now she'll finally get what she's desired most!" For the next couple of hours, the only sounds in the area of the pet cemetery, were grunts, moans, crying, screaming, pleading, as well as cries for help. Eventually though, as darkness fully fell, the cemetery, went completely silent. Author's Note Wow, that really escalated quickly! I mean that really got out of hand fast! All James wanted was a pet cemetery, and now he's Flutter's slave, on top of getting raped by Missy the wolf?! Gosh, I sure hope that he's going to be ok. What happened that night? What is wrong with Flutters? Why is this cemetery the way that it is? When do things start turning evil? Well, stick around for the next chapter(s), and I'll tell you! And yes, if you were wondering, although I do use swear words, I do not fully spell out f@#k, and I do not EVER use the phrase, ***damn. Instead, I say gosh-damn. I try not to swear at all if I can help it, mostly reserving that for scenes involving combat. At times though, I do use language, however, when I do, I try to at least be a bit reserved about it. Anyway, I hope that you're all at least trying to enjoy yourselves with this strange mix of horror and lust, and I'll see you all later! ScarFox out for now! //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 James had never felt so betrayed in his entire life. Although he had only gotten to know Flutters over the course of the past few days, she didn't even remotely seem like the kind of pony who would not only leave him trapped in a cemetery in the middle of nowhere, but would also trap him with her pet albino Mountain Timberwolf, who clearly wanted nothing more than to rape him. As James stood there, with his back to the back fence of the cemetery, he began to levy his options. Missy was almost as big as he was, and she had teeth and claws. She was also faster, and stronger. Running seemed out of the question. He could fight, but with what? All of his tools were in the wheelbarrow just outside of the cemetery, and there wasn't anything else handy to use as a weapon. Another option was of course to give Missy what she wanted, but that would mean him violating the Laws of Nature. Normally, humans and wolves do not have sex. Missy however, didn't seem to care. "Please Missy! Don't do this!" Missy wasn't listening, and she kept coming closer, drooling all the way. Because of a combination of stress and fear, James had a panic attack, and he fell to the ground. Before he could fully recover, Missy was already all over him. James was dressed in tan pants, work boots, and a white shirt. In short order, Missy's teeth and claws were tearing away at his clothes, her whimpering and barking in pleasure all the while. "No Missy, no! This is wrong! Please stop!" This only seemed to encourage Missy more. She had torn through his shirt at this point, and was busy licking and slobbering all over him. "HELP!!!!! SOMEPONY, ANYPONY, HELP ME, PLEASE!!!! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY A WOLF!!!!!" However, because of how isolated the cemetery was, nopony heard James's cries for help. No help was coming for him that night. While Missy was attempting to have her way with James, she kept biting, and scratching him. What James failed to realize was that her saliva, as well as some blood from a few minor cuts from James's attempts to fight back, were mixing with his blood from where Missy had made him bleed. Eventually, James did manage to escape from Missy, only to accidentally slip, and hit his head on a headstone, knocking himself out. When James came to sometime later, the sun had almost fully set. He tried to get up, but was unable to, as something was on top of him. He was lying on his back, his shirt was torn open, and to his horror, his pants were gone now as well. James then felt something drip onto his face. He looked up, and sure enough, Missy was on top on him, lovingly looking down at him. Her saliva was dripping from her mouth onto his face. "Eww, gross! Missy, please! Stop this now!" "Uh uh." A voice whispered. "I have ya right where I want ya. And Y'all are gonna f@#k me, and give me the litter of pups that I've always wanted." James was frozen in fear. He and Missy were alone in that cemetery. Who had just said that? "Hey, my eyes are up here big boy. However, if ya wanna look at my tummy-tits and puffy wolf-slit, feel free, cuz yer gonna see them a lot more often!" "No...." James thought, "I-it can't be!" He looked up, and sure enough, Missy was still staring at him. "Hey Sweetie! Yer really cute by the way." She then turned herself around, so that she was in a mating position. She moved her tail to the side, revealing her dripping wet slit in it's entirety. "What'dya say big boy? Wanna make me howl?" James shook his head. "No, not really. What I would really like would be to go back to Ponyville, and see Taylor." Missy then turned back around to face James. "Well too bad! Yer gonna stay right here with me! Mamma Flutters told me that I could 'have a little fun' with you, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do, with, or without yer permission!" James shivered a bit. "Can't we just find a spot to sleep, and then snuggle? I'm getting kind of cold, and your fur looks really soft and warm." Missy smirked. "Only if ya f@#k me big boy!" James shook his head. "I'm sorry Missy, but I'm afraid that I can't do that. I'ma human, and you're an albino Mountain Timberwolf. It just, won't work. I'm sorry." "Hmm, well then big boy, I'm sorry too." "For what?" "Fer what I'm about to do to you! Oh no wait, no, I ain't sorry!" Missy then pounced on James again, only this time, she was actively trying to get his dick inside of her. She kept humping him over and over, trying to get him inside of herself. James meanwhile, was actively trying to get away from Missy. However, she then bit down on his neck. "Keep fightin' me, and I'll bite ya so hard y'all be spittin' blood fer weeks!" "Filthy wolf-slut!" Missy bit his neck hard enough to draw blood. "What was that? I could have sworn that ya just called me a slut. Wanna repeat yerself? Cuz if ya do, yer throat sure looks mighty tasty!" James started coughing, in addition to crying. "Make it stop! Oh god please make it stop!" In response, Missy did let go of his neck, but only just. "Now then, I'll let ya be free fer now. However, if ya don't stop callin' me names, or if ya keep trying to hit me, I'll bite, and I won't let go, got it?" James didn't answer. "I'll take yer silence as compliance. Now then, on to the real fun!" James once again said nothing. All he did was cry, and mumble insensibly. "I thought that sex was supposed to be fun!" He thought, "This is hell!" His body was frozen in place, while Missy continued to try and get him inside of her. Eventually, after grinding her slit against his dick to get it hard, it finally slipped inside. "Yay! It's finally in! We're f@#king now!" "God, please, just kill me with a heart attack, stroke, anything! Just please end this madness!" "Oh, hush now! It aint that bad. Sex is so much fun!" "If this is what 'fun' feels like, I'd prefer to be sad for the rest of my life." Missy heard him, but was too busy riding his dick to really answer. She just kept crying out in bliss. "Oh f@#k yeah! Harder! Faster!" Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Missy felt that James was getting close. "Oh wow, here it comes sweetie! Are ya ready?" Silence. "Well, I'll just assume that ya are!" Then, without any further warning, Missy suddenly grabbed James's back with her back paws, and flipped the two of them over until she was on her back. She then kept working James's body with her paws until finally, he blew his full load inside of her. "Oh wow, so, so much creamy puppy-batter!" She giggled. "It's over. My life is over. This is how it ends. A wolf f@#ks me in a cemetery, and I die because she gave me a f@#king disease!" "Oh, don't worry Sweetie, I'm completely clean of any diseases. All I need is a little lovin'!" Missy then dragged James over to a corner of the cemetery, where she laid down on the grass. "Come on Sweetie, it's time for bed." She then pulled James close to her, and wrapped her paws, and tail around him. James snuggled into her warm fur. "Goodnight, big boy." She whispered. "Goodnight", James whispered back. Then they both fell asleep in each other's warm embrace. While they were sleeping though, things began to happen. Something inside of James died that night, only to be replaced by something else; something much darker. Now that he had Missy's blood and saliva in his bloodstream, it was beginning to wreak havoc with his internal system. Ensign William James was dead, replaced by a shell of his former self. The next morning, James woke up with the sun. He was still in the cemetery with Missy. "Oh, gosh, my head! It feels like a brick hit it! And my stomach! I feel like I'm going to throw up!" James felt extremely sick. He also felt sore, had crusted blood on him, and actually felt like he was going to die. His movements woke Missy up. "Mmm, hey big boy. How are you doing today?" "Um, I feel like my head is going to explode, I want to throw up, my cuts and scrapes feel like they're on fire, and I feel like I'm dying." "Well, that's a good sign", said another voice, "That means that you're finally waking up!" James turned his head, and sure enough, there stood Miss Flutters at the cemetery gates. "Well, I see that you're still here James, so I guess that this means that you're free to leave. Let him up Missy." Missy complied, and once James was up, he attempted to pull what was left of his clothes back on. He got his pants, boots, socks, and underwear, but his shirt was ripped up, possibly beyond repair. He put it on as best he could anyway, and quickly left the cemetery. "Where are you going James?" Flutters asked. James didn't even look back. "First, I'm going to the hospital to get fully evaluated, and hopefully fully treated. Then, I'm going to talk to Taylor. I see now how right he was about you." (James didn't mention going to the authorities about what had happened, as he knew that Flutters could easily kill him in his weakened state, and nopony would ever know what had happened to him. "Oh, well, ok then. Have fun James!" "And one other thing Flutters, I'm not coming back here. I don't want to be your friend anymore, and I certainly DO NOT want to be raped by Missy again!" He began to sort of, half-walk, half run away down the path leading back to Ponyville. "I don't know about that James!" Flutters called after him, "I've seen the future, and you'll be back here soon enough!" She said more, but James was already out of earshot, and even if he wasn't, he was no longer interested in anything that Flutters was saying. There was only one thing on his mind right then; getting to the hospital. About an hour or so later, James finally made it to the hospital. His first stop was to get to the front desk at the Emergency Room section. "Oh my Celestia!" The on-duty nurse cried when she saw his condition, "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!?!?!" Indeed, James wasn't a pretty sight. His clothes were torn, dirtied, and had some dried blood on them, he was covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, scratch marks, and even bite marks. "You would not BELIEVE what I went through last night!" James was then helped onto a gurney, where he was rolled to an examination room. The lead nurse ordered one of the other nurses to go find Taylor, and tell him what happened with James. "If anypony knew the most about humans around here, then it would be Taylor." While they waited for Taylor, the doctors and nurses worked on James, trying to keep him stable, trying to treat his injuries, but most of all, try and figure out what even happened to him in the first place. Author's Note I appologize if this chapter seemed to fall flat on its face. I had to get this scene out of the way, as it does play an important role in what's to come. For a good while now, most of the story will be about Taylor talking to James about what happened, as well as Flutter's plotting, James's dreams, andof course, the main reason for this story, the dead pets in the pet cemetery coming back to life! I know that THAT part should go great, so don't you dare miss it! Meanwhile, comments, and constructive critisism, as well as spreading the word about this story, are always appreciated, and I'll see you in the next chapter! ScarFox out for now. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 When James didn't come back the previous night, Taylor became very worried. "Why hasn't he come back yet? Oh gosh, I hope that nothing bad's happened to him! I warned him again and again that Flutters was bad news, but he didn't want to listen to me!" As Taylor was still contemplating this, a nurse suddenly came into his room. When Taylor saw her, his concern increased tenfold. She was red in the face, and clearly out of breath. "What's wrong Nurse Starlight?" "You need to come right now!" "What, why?" "It's James! He's dying!" "WHAT?!?!?!" Taylor screamed. "WHAT HAPPENED!!!!" "That's what we don't know! He looks like he was attacked by a wild animal!" That was all it took. In a flash, Taylor was out of his chair, and running as fast as he could to the Emergency Room. He was barefoot, and although he was wearing his pants, he wasn't wearing a shirt, but only a bathrobe. Taylor however was too panicked to notice this though. When Taylor arrived at James's room a few minutes later, the first thing he could do was run to the sink, and throw up. James was barely even recognizable anymore. His entire body was covered in dirt, dried blood, horrific scratches, and his clothes were in shreds. His skin was so pale and ashen in color, and he was throwing up extremely violently. However, he wasn't throwing up vomit. From what Taylor could see, James's was throwing up blood, and something that seemed to be bile. James's eyes were wild with fright, and when he wasn't puking, he was crying and screaming in pain. Taylor ran out of the room, and collapsed in the hallway, also crying. It was like this that Nurse Starlight found him a few minutes later. "Oh god Nurse Starlight! What happened to him?!" "That's the scary thing Taylor, we don't know. James seems to be critically injured, but he also seems to have contracted some sort of disease. This is why he is being moved to the isolation ward immediately. Whatever he has is unlike any disease that we've ever seen." While Nurse Starlight was talking, Taylor saw James being wheeled out of his room on a gurney. The gurney was encased in a magic force-field, and just after they left, a specially trained team of ponies entered the room to secure, and decontaminate it. The stress of everything that he had just witnessed pushed Taylor over the edge, and he blacked out. "Oh goodness!" With help, Nurse Starlight managed to get Taylor back to his room. Once he was back in his bed, she had Nurse Freckles get onto the intercom system. "Will Nurse Redheart please come to Taylor's room please? I need Nurse Redheart in Taylor's room please." A minute or so later, Redheart arrived. "I came as soon as I could! What's happened, is something wrong?!" "I'm afraid so Redheart. There's nothing wrong with Taylor, aside from a severe case of shock, but Ensign James on the other hoof......" Starlight then explained everything that had just happened. "And so that's where we currently stand. James could very well be dying from a terrible illness, not counting his injuries, and now Taylor's in shock because of what he saw of James as well." "And where is James now?" "Just a few minutes ago, he was moved to the Isolation Ward. There he will remain until we can figure out what's wrong with him. Meanwhile, his old room is in the process of fully being decontaminated." "And where's Taylor?" Starlight pointed behind her. "He's lying on his bed." Redheart looked, and sure enough, Taylor was there. He was conscious, but yet at the same time, he clearly wasn't all there. Redheart went over to comfort him. "T-Taylor? Can you hear me?" Taylor then turned his head to look at her. "Oh, Redheart!" He then pulled her into a hug. "It's ok Taylor, it's all ok. I'm here for you." She kept hugging him. "Oh Redheart, it was so horrible! I've never seen James like that before! Who could have done this to him, and why?" "I don't know Taylor, I really do not know. However, you may have really been onto something when you warned James about Flutters. I've always thought that there was something about her that seemed not right." "No kidding", Taylor whispered. "However, there is the chance that it was not Flutters, but we won't know for sure until James wakes up, or until he's been fully examined." Redheart nodded, as she continued to comfort him. Two more days would pass before James would be fully evaluated. When the examinations were finally complete, what the doctors found, was unlike anything that they had ever seen. James appeared to be normal, however, his skin was ashen, his eyes were very bloodshot, the dark circles under his eyes went all the way around his eyelids, and he had a number of very serious cuts, and slash marks on him, as well as a concussion from hitting his head on the headstone. "I have never seen a patient like this", Dr. Stables muttered, "He should be dead from blood poisoning, or brain damage, but, he isn't." Indeed, James heart was still beating, albeit, slightly faster than normal, but, when samples of his blood were sent to the hospital's lab, something very disturbing was found. "According to these notes doctor, Mr. James's blood has severely clotted in several places, due to two different types of blood being mixed together." "What type of blood was it, Nurse Freckles?" "Um, well, according to these notes, at first, the lab techs were unable to identify where the blood came from. However, they eventually did find a match." "What was the source though?" "I'm getting to that. From what the techs were able to determine, the blood at fault, came from a wolf." The doctor was very suprised. "What?! A Wolf?!" "Yes, a wolf. And not just any wolf, a Mountain Timberwolf. And not just any Mountain Timberwolf, one that's been dead for a while." "Wait, what did you say? Did you say, 'A Mountain Timberwolf that's been dead for a while'?" Nurse Freckles nodded. "Yes, that's what it appears to be." "But that doesn't make any sense. From James's testimony, the wolf that attacked him was clearly alive and well. Dead wolves can't attack, they can't scratch, bite, or rape! It's just not possible that the blood came from a dead wolf!" "Well, I can send the blood back to the lab for another test if you want doctor." Dr. Stables nodded. "Yes, please do that. Maybe something got messed up, and a sample was switched, or something." "I'll send another sample of blood to the lab right away." Nurse Freckles then went to prepare another sample. About a day or so after this, Taylor was finally permitted to see James. He had been moved out of the Isolation Ward, and back to the room that he'd been put into the first time. When Taylor lay eyes on James again, he was still shocked, although this time, he didn't throw up. James's skin was still ashen, and his eyes had dark circles under them. Some of his reddish hair had turned black, and his eyes were rather bloodshot. His face, body, and limbs were crisscrossed with scars, scratches, and stitches. "Um, J-James? How are you feeling?" "I still feel God-awful. I feel like I'm dying from the inside out. They keep telling me that I'm fine, but if that was the case, why do I look the way that I do? Besides the scratches of course. Also, I do not believe the load of bullshit that they told me about Missy." Taylor was curious. "Um, what load of bull about Missy? And come to think of it, who's Missy?" "Missy is Flutter's pet albino Mountain Timberwolf. And from what they told me earlier today, I'm supposed to believe that that furry bitch, the same one who attacked, scratched, bit, and flat out RAPED me, was dead! It's absolute bullshit! Completely, f@#king, bullshit!" Now Taylor was extremely confused. "Ok, this isn't making any sense. Do you mean that Missy was later hunted down and killed?" "No. I mean that, at the time of her attacking me, Missy had been dead for approximately 2 weeks." Taylor was unsure what to think about that. "Gosh, Missy must sure be one mighty strong dead wolf then!" "Oh, F@#k you Taylor!" Now Taylor was angry. "Hey! You cut that language out right now James! I was just making a harmless joke. That's no reason to fly off the handle at me. And don't you dare do that again, do I make myself clear?" James nodded. "Clear as glass. And, I apologize. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry for lashing out like that." "Well, you're forgiven, but just don't do it again." "I won't. But, on another note, how can Missy be dead? She seemed very much alive when I saw her." Taylor sighed. "I don't know, but I'm about to go see if I can find out!" Taylor began to leave the room. "Wait, where are you going?" Now Redheart was extremely concerned for him. "I'm going over to Flutter's house, and see if I can get some information out of her." "But, b-but, you can't! She's DANGEROUS! And she has a rapist pet wolf!" Taylor nodded. "I know. That's why I'm taking this with me." Taylor then revealed the Navy-issued revolver that he'd had with him when he crashed in Equestria. "I have my revolver if anything turns nasty, but I'm hoping that it won't. However, if I'm not back in 4 hours, send a rescue party for me." Redheart reluctantly agreed, and Taylor quickly went on his way. With directions given to him by James, Taylor was able to locate Flutters's house. "Gosh", he said when he saw it. "Are they sure that anypony even lives here anymore?" Indeed, the place really did look run down. Most of the plants and grass surrounding the cottage were dead, broken birdhouses still hung from dead trees, and there was a lot of trash and debris. "Huh, I guess that 'Miss Flutters', really isn't to keen on keeping her house and yard neat and clean." Stepping around as carefully as he could, Taylor then made his way up to the front door. It was wooden, although the wood was starting to crack a bit. Nevertheless, Taylor knocked. "Hello? Miss Flutters? Are you home?" Taylor knocked for a bit, but there didn't seem to be anypony home. "Huh, I guess that she's not here." Just as he was turning to leave though, he heard the sounds of floorboards creaking close to the door. "Who is it? Who's there?" A mare's voice asked. "Um, Miss Flutters? Is that you?" "Yes, now who are you?" "Um, my name is Charles Taylor. I'm a close friend of Ensign James. I've come here to ask you a few questions about him." The door then opened, and a mare with orangeish-yellow fur, and a purplish-pink mane and tail, as well as a few tattoos, glared out at him. "What kind of 'questions'?" "Um, well, for starters, where was James last night? He didn't come home, and the next time I saw him, he was in the Isolation Ward of the Ponyville Hospital. Where was he last night?" "He was out in the pet cemetery." "Oh? And what was he doing out there so late?" Flutters shrugged. "I dunno. It's none of my business. He said that he wanted to stay." "Why?" "Like I said, I don't know." "Ok, well then, who's Missy?" Flutters then turned behind her, and whistled. In the blink of an eye, next to Flutters, there appeared a massive white wolf. She was big, she didn't smell good, her fur was matted, and her red eyes glared at Taylor angrily. Her mouth was also open revealing a lot of sharp teeth. She also was growling angrily. "Wow. So, that's Missy. She seems......pleasant." Missy then barked angrily, causing Taylor to recoil ever so slightly. "Ok, I guess that she doesn't like me too much!" Flutters smirked. "Well, no shit Ponelock!" "Where was Missy last night?" "Missy comes, Missy goes, what's she up to? Who really gives a f@#k?" "Um, I do, because James is my comrade." Flutters then lit up a cigarette. "Like I said, I don't care." Taylor sighed. He could see that his question and answer session was getting nowhere. "One final question before I go. Where were you last night?" Flutters blew a cloud of smoke into Taylor's face. "I said piss off! I'm done answering your questions!" Taylor coughed. "Ok, now that was just flat out rude! All I asked was....." "I SAID, if you don't PISS OFF, I'll let Missy have you!" MIssy then began to bark angrily. "Ok, well, I can see that those teeth are not for show, so I'll just be going then. Goodbye Miss Flutters." "Goodbye Taylor. It HASN'T been a pleasure!" Flutters then slammed the door. "Well, I know where I'm not wanted!" Taylor then turned around, and began to walk away. As he was walking though, he turned his head back around, and asked, "Are you sure that you don't want to come see James Miss Flutters? I thought that he was your friend?" For a few moments, there was only silence. This was then broken by shouts of "SIC HIM MISSY, KILL HIM!!!!!!" "SHIT!!!!" Taylor then took off faster than if the devil himself had been chasing him. As he ran, he periodically kept looking behind himself, fully expecting to see Missy, but he never did. He figured that Flutters was bluffing, but he didn't dare call her on it. He kept running, and didn't stop until he was back to the safety of the hospital. Author's Note Well, here it is at last, Chapter 4. So now James is sick, Taylor's freaking out, and he had the displeasure of finally meeting Flutters and Missy face to face. What will he tell James when he gets back to the hospital? How will James react? Is Missy really dead? What's going on with that? Well, stay tuned to find out! Also, I appologize that this chapter took so long to write. It should have been up last night, but my internet decided to leave the building at around Midnight. I had to wait until now to finally get it up. At any rate though, here it is, and I hope that you enjoyed it, if you could that is. Anayway, I'll see you all again in Chapter 5 ScarFox out for now. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 Once Taylor was safely back inside the hospital, he stopped to catch his breath. In all of his adult life, never had he ever run that fast, and for that long. "Gosh........that was........horrifying! What was that thing?! And Flutters was a total bitch!" Taylor then took the time to fully collect himself. Once he had, he made his way back up to James's room. Just before he entered, he checked his watch. He'd been gone for about 2 hours in total. Taylor then sighed, and knocked on the door. "Who is it?" A voice asked. "It's me, Taylor, I've come back safely." The door opened, and Taylor was pulled inside by Redheart, who hugged him. "Oh Taylor, I'm so glad that you're home safe!" Taylor hugged her back. "So am I Redheart, so am I." "How did it go?" James asked. "What happened? Did you have to use your revolver?" Taylor shook his head. "Fortunately, no, I didn't have to use my gun. However, I had the displeasure of meeting Flutters and Missy up close and personal." James looked at him. "And what happened?" "Well, I went up to the door of her house, and knocked. The place was so run-down, that I didn't think anypony still lived there anymore. Eventually though, Flutters did come to the door, and when she opened it, all she did was glare at me. I tried to ask her questions, but she was having none of it. I then asked about Missy, and in response, I was introduced to the creature that attacked you James. Such a 'pleasant' beast." Taylor rolled his eyes. "Then what?" Taylor sighed. "That's where things got dangerous. I kept asking questions, but in response, Flutters just lit up a cigarette, and blew smoke in my face. She then told me to 'piss off'. I did so, and she slammed the door in my face. I turned to leave, but half-turned back one last time to ask if she would be interested in coming to see you. In response, she screamed, and I quote, 'SIC HIM MISSY!!!!! KILL HIM!!!!!'" Redheart was appalled. "She didn't! Then what happened?!" "By that point, I was running away faster than if the devil himself had been chasing me. Flutters seemed to have been only bluffing, but I was too scared to call her on it. I kept running, and I didn't stop until I was safely back here." When Taylor finished his story, both James and Redheart were shocked beyond words. "Gosh, I thought that Flutters was my friend! However, after she made work as her slave in that cemetery, threw rocks at me when I protested, left me in that cemetery, had Missy rape me, and didn't seem to care about me at all, I terminated that friendship." "As you should have" Redheart agreed. "Flutters is a danger to society as a whole, and needs to be locked up." Taylor nodded. "I also agree with you James. Missy was quite obviously alive and well. How her blood was from a dead wolf, must have just been a mistake." James wan't sure. "I would think that, however, while I was snuggling with her, I felt a patch on her stomach that seemed to be bloody. The blood was dried, crusty, and smelled god-awful. I felt a little closer, and it appeared to be a stab wound that didn't heal properly." Now Taylor was getting concerned. "What? A stab wound?" "That's what it felt like. However, I could have been mistaken." None of the three in that room really knew what to think. They all agreed that James needed rest, and a cot was brought for Taylor, as he refused to leave James's side until this whole ordeal had been resolved. Redheart decided to coordinate with Starlight on taking care of James throughout the night. That night, while he was sleeping, James had a dream. In his dream, he was walking through Ponyville. He exited town, and was walking through a field; a field that led to the pet cemetery. Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a cat appeared in front of him. James could see that the cat had greyish-white fur, a black tail, and one blue eye, and one green eye. "Wait, Patches? Is that you?" The cat appeared to be Patches, James's cat that had passed away years ago. "Meow." The cat began to walk away. "Patches? Wait! Come back!" James began to follow what he thought was Patches. The cat was fast, but he was faster. However, this chase was getting closer and closer to the cemetery. Eventually, James reached it, but Patches was nowhere to be seen. "Patches? Patches! Where are you? It's me, it's Willy! I want to take you home!" There was no answer. James then opened the gates, and went inside the cemetery. He looked around, but there was no cat. "Huh. Well, this was stupid. I guess that patches isn't here." "You so sure about that James?" A voice behind him asked. James whirled around, and standing by the cemetery gate, was a cloaked figure. The figure was completely covered in a black hooded robe, and was holding a sickle. "Are you......are you the Grim Reaper?" "Nope! I'm much, much worse!" The figure then pulled its hood back, and James suddenly found himself staring at the sadistically smirking face of Flutters! "Flutters! You f@king bitch! What have you done with Patches?!" Flutters laughed. "What? You're little kitty? I let Missy 'play' with him!" She pointed to something behind James, and when he turned to look, his heart sank. In front of him was a headstone. "Patches the Cat. 12 years old." "YOU MONSTER!!!!!!" James screamed. Suddenly, James felt something grab his leg. He looked down, and to his horror, there was a cat-like paw, with razor-sharp claws, coming out of the grave, and sinking into his leg! James screamed in agony, and tried to get away from the paw, but he couldn't. Then, up from the grave, came something almost indescribable. It was Patches, but he was no longer the Patches that James had when he was a kid. This "Patches", looked like he had been chewed to death by a dog. His fur and flesh were torn and bloody, both of his ears were missing, as was his green eye. His tail was cut short, and his right back leg was little more than blood and bones. "PATCHES?!?!?!? NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!" James continued to scream. "Patches" however, decided to hurt James. He began to tear into James with his claws and teeth. "NNNNNNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was then, that James woke up screaming. James? James! Wake up!" Taylor was trying to wake James up. Finally, he woke up screaming. "GWAHHHH!!!!! Oh, thank God, it was just a dream!" Both Starlight, and Taylor, were extremely concerned for James's well-being. "N-no, I'm fine. I'm completely fine!" "You don't look fine James. Do you, um, w-want to talk about it?" "NO! I mean, um, no. No, I don't. At least......not right now." James then lay back down on his bed. Taylor looked over at Starlight, who looked at him with equal concern. Neither of them knew what to make of what had just happened, and hoped that it was just to be a one-time thing. However, they were dead wrong. Eventually, at close to 1am, Taylor managed to fall back asleep. Starlight wasn't far behind, but James continued to lie awake. He couldn't get back to sleep. He had this horrid gut feeling that something bad was about to happen. Just as he was maybe about to finally get to sleep, he heard a strange sound. "......Meow......." James thought he was hearing things. He looked all around the room, but couldn't spot the source of the noise. "Hmm, must be do tired I'm hearing things. "....Meow..." the sound came again. "Ok, now this is starting to get weird, who or what is making that sound?" James looked down at Taylor, but he was fast asleep. He then looked over at Starlight, who was also sleeping. 'Ok, so both of them are sleeping, so what's making....." "Meow!" James never got a chance to finish that thought. Just before he did, he happened to glance over at the doorway to his room. When he did, he got the shock of his life. There, standing in the doorway, just visible because the door was ajar, James saw a cat. And not just any cat either. This cat seemed to have greyish-white fur, a black tail, and one blue eye, and one green eye. "No, no! I-i-it can't be! P-P-Patches?!" James whispered hoarsely. "Meow." The cat, then turned, and began to leave. "No, Patches, wait!" As quickly, and quietly as he could, James got out of bed, put his slippers and robe on, and after sneaking past both Taylor and Starlight, he made it to the door of his room, and opened it. He looked out into the hallway. The hallway was dimly lit, and James didn't see anypony; anypony that is, except for the cat, who appeared to be Patches, walking down it." "Patches? Wait for me!" James then began to follow the cat. Sure enough, the cat led him through the hospital, down to the first floor, and then out of the hospital entirely. "Huh? Where's he going? I need him to come back! Patches? Where's you go?" "Meow!" James saw the cat heading down the road. He quickly made the move to follow. This is where James should have stopped, and rethought his approach. Here he was, at past 1am, outside in the streets of Ponyville, dressed in a robe and pajamas, following a strange cat, after he'd literally just had a nightmare of himself doing the exact same thing that he was doing right then! However, in his moment of clouded thinking, James wanted Patches back, so he continued to follow him, not noticing where he was going. Patches led him through Ponyville, then outside of town. Over a bridge, down a path, and down a trail leading into the Everfree Forest. Still, even though James was starting to have his doubts, he continued to follow Patches. The minutes ticked by, and eventually, the trail left the Everfree Forest, and began to cross a field. Now James's sense of worry and dread began to get the best of him. "Wait. This is the same path that leads to the Pet Cemetery! Why am I going down this road, I vowed to never return!" Now James stopped to think about this. He began to get the very bad feeling that something was severely wrong. "How do I really know that that cat is even Patches? I know that this isn't a dream, as I'm getting cold, but there's no way that that cat could be Patches, he died years ago. This is insane, I should turn back right now!" And indeed, James did just that. He turned around, and began to make his way back to the hospital. However, before he could get very far, he suddenly heard a loud ruckus. It sounded like a cat crying out in pain. He also heard angry barking, and maniacal laughter. "What in God's name......?" Something was wrong. Now, instead of running away like he should have, James began running pell-mell towards the source of the noises. As James ran, he saw the cemetery up ahead. He paused once he reached it, the noises suddenly stopping. Once the noises stopped, James stopped as well. Now, instead of just immediately investigating, James was both wary, and suspicious. "Why did those noises just stop? Was all of this just a ruse to lure me here?" James peered inside of the cemetery from the front gates, although he didn't enter. By the light of the moon, he could see that there didn't appear to be anypony, or anything inside, but that didn't mean that there wasn't anything there. "Hello? Is anypony here? Hello? Do you need help?" There was no answer. Now James was really creeped out. "Ok, I'm done with this, I'm getting the heck out of here!" James turned, and would have run away, but all of a sudden, from somewhere behind him, James heard a metallic bang, and then something hit him hard on the back of the head. James immediately collapsed to the ground. Sure enough, whatever attacked him, screamed like a banshee, and attacked him again. James was in such a state of shock that he was unable to scream. After one more hit though, everything went black. The next several hours were all a blur for James. One minute he was out, then the next, he was being dragged, followed by a trail of his own blood, then the dragging stopped, and he heard what sounded like digging. After a while, the digging stopped, and he blacked out again. He came around again, when dirt began to fall on him. He couldn't move, as he was paralyzed from shock and fear. The levels of dirt around him got higher and higher. Instinctively, he was able to put his hands over his face to provide some breathing room, but the dirt kept coming. Eventually though, it stopped. By that time, the full gravity of what had just happened hit him like a sack of bricks. Someone, or something, had just bludgeoned him with a blunt instrument, and, most likely believing him to be dead, buried him alive! James knew that he had to get out of the ground before he suffocated. Thankfully, he was now almost fully conscious, and knew what to do. After spitting on one of his fingers to determine which way was up, he realized that he was on his back, but at such an angle that his head was at the bottom, while his feet were much closer to the surface. James then held his breath, and after closing his eyes, began to claw his way upwards. Slowly, more and more, he continued to make his way back to the surface. He paused only to take a breath of air, and kept clawing. His oxygen levels were reaching the critical point, he was almost out of air! "Come on, come on! Just a little bit more! I.....can....make....it!" Finally, a few moments later, James felt his right hand break through the surface! He clawed at the dirt, so as to make the hole wider, and once he'd withdrawn his hand, he now had a breathing hole. "Almost there.....Just a little....bit........" James got his hand back on the surface, followed quickly by his other hand. Then, with the last of his strength giving out, he pulled himself out of his own grave, and lay on the ground next to it, gasping for air. "H-h-help, m-me. H-help Me!" He coughed. "S-somepony, anyp-pony, help me!" In response to his calls for help, a shadow bent over him. "Oh, you poor thing." A female voice cooed. "You've been through so much tonight haven't you?" "Y-yes." James muttered. "Well then, we can fix that, can't we? Come on Missy, let's get this poor sweetheart back home. We should have all of the time in the world with him now. After all, he's just like us now!" James was too tired, exhausted, and in shock to really comprehend what was said, but sure enough, he was gently picked up, placed on something large and furry, and transported away from the cemetery. Just before he lost consciousness once again, James was able to mutter, "Oh boy, what's going to happen to me now?" Then he succumbed to unconsciousness. Author's Note Oh no, what happened to James? Who knocked him out, and buried him alive? Was it Flutters, and if so, why? And how was Patches real? Or was that just an illusion? And what did the figure who rescued James mean when they said, "We should have all the time in the world with him now. After all, he's just like us now!"? Most importantly though, what'll happen to him now? Well, the only way to find out, is to keep reading, and I'll see you all in Chapter 6. ScarFox out for now!