An Equestrian tale!

It was a very rainy afternoon out! Starboom still decided that it was a good time to train Artcraft nevertheless. "Let's see how well you fare against my two lieutenants, Riff and Buzz here. I'm sure that you're very familiar with these two." Said Starboom. As everyone was being buffeted by the downpour, the ground became very muddy and a bit slippery too. Riff and Buzz were never known for their mercy, or their fair play either. They enjoyed playing dirty, having absolutely zero sense of morality, or honor. Those were trite and meaningless to them.

"You're going to learn the mind if you want your revenge so badly! Let's go boys! Let's test him out and see if he's got what it takes to seek his revenge!" Said Riff as he began his usual team-up with his comrades on Artcraft. Their beatings were horrendous, kicking, punching, and using magic to sting him...everywhere. The pain kept running its course, making Artcraft feel every ounce of it. There was no quarter to this abuse. At this point, the tears have all but fallen silent to him now, the only thing motivating Artctaft, keeping him alive, making him stronger, and making him endure is revenge.

"Another failure of a training session Artcraft! Most disappointing indeed!" Said Starboom, pacing around Artcraft's body, giving him his usual unimpressed look. Then Riff shoved Artcraft's face into the muddy ground, grounding his head into the mud, then raised his head so Starboom could further address him. "You're still wet behind the ears and unprepared to seek justice!" Stated Starboom. "Perhaps we need to break you in more for you to learn! Troops! Continue to bludgeon him, make him regret disappointing me!" Commanded Starboom.

"Oh yes sir! We'll be happy to!" Stated Buzz as he was licking his lips sadistically. Starboom's men loved to abuse their prey, it was their moment of true inner joy, much to the immediate dismay of Artcraft, of course.

Every kick and punch dealt to Artcraft was met with painful cracks in his body. They were relentless in their beatings, always trying to slowly draw out the torture. Artcraft's screams of pain were only egging them on further to continue to beat him.

"Enough! That's enough, troops, throw him back into his cell and make him think about his failure!" Commanded Starboom. This has happened very often, failure after failure, beating after beating. Once thrown into his cage, Artcraft always yelled and screamed like a rabid beast. "Yyyyaaaaahhhh!" screamed Artcraft in insane rage as he bashed himself against the cell bars.

"One day you'll get it right Artcraft, you're making good progress, become more cold, more calculating, and more angry. Let that hate become your ultimate strength, let it make you whole and complete, my pupil." Said Starboom as he left the celled room Artcraft was in. Artcraft was at this point, already gone inside, what was once a gentle and happy colt, was now a bitter and hateful weapon, ready to strike down the princesses of Equestria.

It has now been 13 years, and Artcraft is now age 20, all his youth he's been taught to hate the royal family for their injustice to him. He has grown up so much since his first arrival to Starboom's clutches. Everything was going all according to Starboom's plan. Artcraft has now completed his training and still studying through his books and more. Already Artcraft knows as much as a world-class unicorn scholar would, his artwork gave him his only means of solace from his life's struggles.

"Your training is coming along very well my pupil! You're almost ready to have your revenge Artcraft!" Starboom said to Artcraft. All the years of suffering, training, and concentration on his art were the only things that Artcraft ever cared about! Artcraft has become much stronger due to everything he's endured, the thought of usurping Starboom admittedly came to mind. Artcraft's been thinking about that for a long time now, ever since he discovered the forbidden black magic that the princesses themselves have banned for a reason, he discovered how to further enhance his work, by turning actual ponies into puppets. This knowledge will serve him very well.

"Yes, master; everything I know, I've learned from you; thanks to you, revenge will be ours. I know I can't wait for that day!" Artcraft said happily as he began to crack a mad grin. "I'm only just waiting for your call master, then we'll strike them down like they deserve!" Artcraft said to Starboom!

"Indeed, my pupil; I knew I made the right choice when I chose you to be my harbinger of justice!" Starboom said proudly to his servant and student. "By the way, Artcraft, I couldn't help but notice you up late at night quite often, what exactly are you up to?" Asked Starboom.

"It's a surprise master; it's a magnificent weapon that'll be able to destroy those Canterlot royal pigs; it's admittedly my pride and joy!" Artcraft said to Starboom.

"I suppose it's fine so long as it kills them, they need to be stopped after all!" Starboom said to Artcraft!

"I couldn't agree more, master!" Artcraft added with a sinister chuckle.

Artcraft was eager to begin his quest for revenge, he knew the stakes and what he'd have to leave behind, but as far as Artcraft was concerned, it was a price worth paying. The special weapon is going to be the best invention that Artcraft would ever make as it will only help him with creating his puppets!

"Fantastic! Everything's going according to my plans! Starboom is purely a means to an end for me at this point! I'll take care of him when he least expects it, then his twelve soldiers too, they'll make wonderful first-class puppets!" Artcraft said with a dark grin.

Along with his recently acquired magical threads spell, he can now connect to his victim's joints and nerves to take them over, but only when they are puppets will this work. by extension, he can use their cutie mark abilities so long as he's connected to them, further expanding his arsenal of manipulation.