Chapters Chapter 2 - Learning the ropes:
As the night cleared out, and morning arrived, Artcraft woke up inside of what appeared to be a small room with a caged door. Adorned with everything that one should expect from inside of a cramped room. It didn't leave much to the imagination at all. Just a table, a chair, A bookshelf containing a wide assortment of spell books as far as anyone else can see, and a small wooden picture frame containing a picture of both Artemis and Julie Bruner.
Suddenly Artcraft heard footsteps approaching the cage door, two armored figures opened the door grabbed Artcraft out of there, and pushed him into the main living quarters of what used to be his house. Everything was mostly knocked off of the shelves, soldiers moving in and out of his home. One of them gestured and then bowed to that tall, menacing figure that took Artcraft hostage, and for what reason, Celestia only knows.
He took a seat at the kitchen table and motioned for his two soldiers to push Artcraft towards him so he could address him.
"This village will do nicely for us, for the time being, until we have to move on to the next one!" Said the ominous figure who was now looking at Artcraft's quivering form. "Just so we're clear, you obey me and only me, is that understood?" Asked the ominous figure still giving Artcraft that cold calculating stare from before.
"Y-Yes I understand p-perfectly." Said Artcraft returning the look in fear. Artcraft was unsure of what this man was capable of, but he'd rather not test it for obvious reasons.
"Very good, now what's your name little one?" Asked the ominous figure.
"A-Artcraft sir, it's Artcraft." Responded Artcraft as he waited for his captor's next move.
"My name is Commander Starboom, leader of this pack, and now to be your new mentor and owner, is that understood?" Asked Starboom as he looked back to Artcraft for his answer.
"Y-Yes Starboom, I understand." Said Artcraft.
"No no no, that won't do at all, to learn the ropes, you'll need to learn how to be more formal to your superiors. From now forward, you will refer to me as master; is that understood Artcraft?" Said Starboom.
"Y-Yes m-master, yes I understand." Said Artcraft as he waited for Starboom's next order.
With a hearty chuckle, he replied, "You'll fit in here just nicely Artcraft, with that attitude. just remember to mind your superiors at all times, and keep to your studies, I cannot have a student who doesn't know how to tap into his magic potential." Said Starboom.
"Y-Yes master, I understand, t-thank you for your hospitality master," said Artcraft.
"We'll begin your training now Artcraft, you can start by going over to me what you've already learned from your parents." Said Starboom.
"Yes master, well where should I begin?" Asked Artcraft
"Try basic magic spells to me, show me what you're capable of!" Commanded Starboom. He stood up to tower over Artcraft's small form and looked down at him as if he were very unimpressed and bored. This was extremely intimidating to Artcraft for multiple reasons.
"Y-yes master, I'll do it." Said Artcraft as he charged his magic, he felt it flow through his horn and throughout his body, this was it, this was the moment he was waiting for, to hopefully cast his first spell. basic teleportation worked just about as well as you'd expect from a unicorn that's still wet behind the ears.
The spell tapered off and then disappeared—a complete dud; Starboom didn't look pleased at all, to say the least. "You have a lot of work ahead of you Artcraft before I would ever consider you to be unicorn material. Go back to your room and hit those books! Learn the fundamentals of magic and its properties. And then I'll see you back here tomorrow to show me what you've learned from them. Dismissed!" Said Starboom as he gestured his two soldiers from before to escort Artcraft back into his room for the rest of the night.
"You hear that you little runt, you better impress our commander because you don't want to know what'll happen to you should you disappoint him again." Said the first soldier to Artcraft as they approached his room, one of them opened up the door and the other one tossed Artcraft into his room, rather roughly for lack of a better term.
"Maybe we should give this little one a small demonstration of just how we do things in our troop. what do you say, Riff?" Said the first soldier as he looked over to his friend for his response.
"I couldn't agree more Buzz, and I was in the mood for a little bludgeoning tonight anyway." Said Riff as he and Buzz both entered Artcraft's room and barred the front door. They approached Artcraft's trembling form.
"B-but I did my best, I swear I did." Said a very shaken Artcraft as both soldiers got closer to him.
"Well it wasn't good enough for Starboom, and it won't ever impress any of us. I don't know why he decided to spare your pathetic hide and to be honest, I don't care, but you're going to learn the mind if you ever want to be one of us." Said Buzz as he picked up Artcraft by the collar of his shirt and held his small body in the air.
"Aaauugghhh!!!" A swift punch straight to Artcraft's side, a small crunch could be heard and Artcraft had fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. another punch, then another. The pain was burning and intense for Artcraft's small body to endure.
"Hey! Save some of him for me Buzz, you greedy bastard, I want some too!" Said Riff as he then took over where Buzz left off.
"Sure, not a problem Riff, just make sure you don't hurt him too badly, he still has to prove himself his worth to us." Said Buzz as he walked out of Artcraft's room and left Riff alone with Artcraft.
"Hey there kid, Buzz isn't usually that green with his prey, and neither am I. So don't expect any mercy from me." Said Riff as he slammed Artcraft's body to the ground and then started to kick him... right where Buzz had just punched him.
"My name *kick* is Riff fucking *kick* Razor you little runt. Yeah, this is what you'll have to look forward to *kick* every time you fail and I'm going to enjoy it for all that it's worth." Yelled Riff as he continued to kick Artcraft's side again and again, the pain was unbearable for him, he later passed out from the abuse given to him.
"What a pathetic waste of life. I can't believe that Starboom chose you to be his student, I swear he must be going senile on us. Well, I'm satisfied for tonight, see you around kiddo." Said Riff as he left the room.
Chapter 4 - Shaded truths:
The new day dawned, and Artcraft woke up to a loud bashing on his room cell door.
"Hey, kid! Commander Starboom wants to see you right now. Hurry up and don't be late!" Said Riff as he waited by the cell door to escort Artcraft to the living room.
"You are aware of why I have summoned you Artcraft, aren't you?" Asked Starboom as he was guzzling down a large mug of his favored wine, some of its drops leaving his maw as he drank.
"N-Not entirely master, was there something you wanted to tell me? Also, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now, but why did you have to kill my parents, why did they have to die?" Asked Artcraft as he looked to Starboom for a hopeful answer.
"It's not exactly easy for me to explain this to you Artcraft, but I had to kill them, it was ordered by my superiors. The princesses of our fair land of Equestria, even though I was banished to forever wander the desolate terrain of the Badlands, never to return to Equestria, I have settled here on the edge of Equestria in hiding from them!" Said Starboom as he took another gulp of his wine.
"So could this be why you have summoned me here master?" Asked Artcraft as he looked at his mentor quizzically.
"As a matter of fact, yes it is my pupil. I feel it's about time you knew the truth about the land that which you reside. You see, my twelve soldiers and I didn't exactly see eye to eye with the princess's standards of rulership. We believe that they've exercised too much power and can make or break any decision, regardless of the individual. We aimed to rebut their rule, I'm sure you can see just how well that ended for us. By their order, we're supposed to weed out the frail, the feeble. to separate the chaff from the wheat, to find prime cut youth and train them to become cold, ruthless soldiers!" Explained Starboom.
"T-That's horrible, why would they make such an awful order?" Asked Artcraft.
"Because Artcraft, they have an insatiable desire for control and carnage that they're willing to do this, much to mine and my pack's dismay. I saw untapped potential in you particularly, you have the eyes of a natural, born leader, to be my successor to complete this coup, to secure a brighter future for us all!" Stated Starboom as he now finished his wine.
"You think that I can change the will and power of the actual princess master? I-I don't know, it just seems like an exercise in futility to me." Said Artcraft.
"Never doubt yourself Artcraft, you know what you're being trained for, you know what needs to be done!" Said Starboom.
"Understood master! So is it time for me to show you the fruits of my studying then?" Asked Artcraft as he looked on at Starboom's still ever-stone-cold face.
"Alright then, now's a good time to begin! Artcraft! Show me what you've learned!" Commanded Starboom!
"Y-Yes master I will!" Said Artcraft as he began to channel his magic through his body again! He could feel it, this was for real. The magic felt loose, yet tense at the same time as if it was ready for its first command. Artcraft wasted no more time and began to cast his first spell. His body began to glow green and then he vanished.
Reappearing right next to Starboom, he was panting at the amount of magic he had to use to perform the spell. He looked up to his mentor for his approval, only to be backhanded by him.
"Ahh... Oow." Said Artcraft while lying sprawled over the ground, holding his left cheek as his body landed with a thud.
"That's not good enough Artcraft! I'll admit you're making excellent progress in such a short time. However, the princesses are very powerful magic wielders. They'd eat you up for dinner in your current state!" Stated Starboom.
"Now get up and try again, we'll take this outside to avoid any damage to the house!" Said Starboom.
"Y-Yes master at once! Mark my words, master, I'll make you proud of me! I will avenge my parents!" Stated Artcraft!
"That's the attitude I want to hear Artcraft! Now come with me!" Commanded Starboom.
The two walked out to the backyard, Starboom stood at the center of the yard, while Artcraft was facing him. His horn lit up a faint lavender as he concentrated his magic, waiting for Artcraft's next move. Artcraft followed suit and focused his magic again, his reserves weren't very high due to that teleportation spell from earlier, but he still tried to go for it anyway!
'Hmph; this little one does have the potential to be my new weapon indeed. He's a diamond in the rough for sure. Revenge is as good as mine Celestia! One day, you'll fall, and my reign shall begin.' Thought Starboom to himself with a sinister chuckle as he looked on at Artcraft's now green-glowing body. And saw that even though he was straining beyond what his body could take, he still charged his horn to ready up a blast towards Starboom.
"You think that'll be enough to impress me Artcraft? You're still wet behind the ears! But hit me with everything you've got!" Goaded Starboom.
"AARGGHH! HAA!" Yelled Artcraft as he released his first beam of magic blast from his body, and came straight at him. Just as it was about to touch him, he swatted it away into the sky with one hit. the spell flew away at an arc before it exploded, taking half of a tree with it!
"There... I did it master!" Said Artcraft panting before he collapsed on the ground and fell asleep. Starboom approached Artcraft's sleeping form and slightly cracked a small smile, knowing that he was already making progress for his new world takeover. It won't be long now, perhaps a few extra years, knowing full well the battle that would ensue with Celestia, it would be all worth it in the end when he's sitting on her throne, his feet up against her burnt corpse, and her crown over his head!
Chapter 5 - Discovering purpose:
Artcraft was feverishly studying, aware of what he believed would happen if he became a failure, perhaps this had become his purpose, to become more knowledgeable, to endure this pain and rise above his obstacles. However, at this point, only time could give Artcraft the answers he craves, the wanton to realize that purpose.
Starboom was slowly revealing the truth and more knowledge to him, information that would hopefully provide Artcraft with answers, or at the very least, some guidance. At times it feels as if Artcraft was slowly losing his grip on reality, losing himself and his sanity, he couldn't let that happen, could he?
It almost felt like the insanity itself was slowly clawing its way into his mind, trying to take it over and refusing to want to let go. It felt both horrible and strangely liberating at the same time. But why? Artcraft just couldn't figure that out for the life of him. But it was time to begin his training with Starboom again, he'll have time to think about that later.
Both Starboom and Artcraft were outside again, ready to train. "Artcraft! Show me what you've learned!" Commanded Starboom as he beckoned Artcraft closer to test his progress to magic. He was genuinely curious as to how far he could stretch Artcraft's magic abilities.
"Yes master, I'll show you that I'm ready!" Said Artcraft as he readied his horn to cast a spell, the first one being a defense spell. If experience has ever taught Artcraft anything it's that he'd have to go all out. He understood what Starboom could take and what he was capable of. Starboom launched a magic beam from his horn towards Artcraft. Just as it was about to hit him, the beam bounced off of his magic barrier spell.
"Not bad Artcraft! But I know you've got more in you than that. Under my tutelage, you'll learn to be stronger and master all of your magic abilities. Now keep trying!" Commanded Starboom as he lunged at Artcraft to strike him. The blow shattered his magic barrier, grazed his cheek, and knocked him back, staggering him some. "You got hit, my pupil! Pay attention! Practice dodging and mastering your magic!" Commanded Starboom.
"Yes, Master! I'll improve! Watch this!" Shouted Artcraft as he managed to collect his magic again, the effort was straining him, but he had to persevere, his body was glowing green again and he teleported behind Starboom just as Starboom was starting to charge him again, readying his magic blast to Starboom's blind spot. "Here you go, Master! The result of my training!" Shouted Artcraft.
This was a mistake as his shouting alerted Starboom to his presence, allowing Starboom plenty of time to react to Artcraft's 'sneak attack'. He managed to intercept Artcraft's blast and lock him into a choke hold, his hand wrapped around Artcraft's neck and holding his smaller body in the air. "Bit of advice Artcraft, when you plan a stealth attack, don't let your enemy know that you're there! That would defeat the purpose of being stealthy!" Stated Starboom.
Once Starboom released his grip on Artcraft's neck, he then backhanded Artcraft away from him, causing his body to bounce backward and him to hit the ground, face first. Artcraft managed to get back up, weakly so, but getting hit like that by someone so big would do that to someone. "Now come at me Artcraft!" Commanded Starboom as he awaited Artcraft's next move.
"Yes master, I'll do my best this time for sure!" Said Artcraft with confidence. He then readied up a second shield and cautiously watched Starboom, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
"You'll do more than your best, especially if you seek revenge against the princesses, they will never go down without a brutal fight!" Stated Starboom as he also made his barrier spell appear. Starboom charged an additional magic blast to break through Artcraft's second shield effortlessly, causing his body to fly backward again and lay sprawled on the ground.
"You're still wet behind the ears Artcraft, there is still so much more for you to learn. Begin again! But this time, focus your magic, concentrate it into a beam of energy like you did last time, then release it at me." Commanded Starboom.
"Yes master, I will!" Said a now more confident Artcraft. They continued their training, more magic shots being fired, Artcraft was getting more and more stronger for every day that had passed up to that moment. The more knowledge he gained, the more Starboom was pleased. Because he knew that it would get his plans that much closer to fruition.
"Here it comes master!!! AARRGGHH!!!" Yelled Artcraft as he was readying up his next attack. "I'll show you that I have what it takes! I'll put everything I have into this blast!" Said Artcraft as he released his magic towards Starboom who still had his stone-cold face as always.
"I don't think so Artcraft!" Shouted Starboom as he shielded his body with just his two hands, taking Artcraft's attack into them and making the spell fizzle. Then it disappeared completely, Starboom reached out his hand and said. "Enough! It's getting late out. That's all for today, you're getting better at Artcraft! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll get your revenge sooner than you think!" Said Starboom as he and Artcraft both entered the house to end the day.
Now it has been 9 years since Artimus and Julie died. Artcraft has been trained and abused to become colder, more brutal, and more emotionless. The soldiers were ordered to keep Artcraft down and continue kicking him until he either cried, which happened often, or finally snapped and became the weapon that Starboom had always wanted.
If he failed, which also happened a lot, he was sent back into his 'room'. which in truth, was kinda better than most prison cells, but still bad all the same. it was adorned with a library, a toilet, a hay bed, a small table for his studies, and a picture frame of his parents, the only thing he ever had to remember them by to give Artcraft motivation for revenge. The time to strike would happen soon, Starboom was happily awaiting that day when he could have his revenge against the princesses.
Chapter 7 - Anguish and pain:
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.
Chapter 8 - Lost to madness:
"I will admit that I'm very proud of you, my pupil. You have met my expectations and then some. It brings me great pleasure to declare you a princess slayer!" Said Starboom while having his talk with Artcraft in his cell.
"So then, Master, how much longer do we have to wait for them to pay? I'm getting impatient!" Said Artcraft as he was busy tinkering with something wooden.
"All in good time, my pupil, once we've gathered our bearings, we can depart for Canterlot!" Said Starboom as he then looked at Artcraft who now had a decent-sized wooden machine on his back, and it was on, powered by his magic and black arts. "So what have you been working on, my pupil? something to give us an advantage, I hope." Asked Starboom.
"Yes, it definitely will give me an advantage, for you see, I've been trained by you master, or should I now say Starboom." Said Artcraft as he gestured to his wooden machine on his back and pulled its string.
What came out was what Starboom could only describe as a mechanical nightmare, four wooden arms. one with a sawblade, one with a bone saw, one with a scalpel, and the last being a drill. "W-What manner of the machine is this, Artcraft? this was not part of my plan to get revenge on that accursed Princess!" Said Starboom.
"Your dream will now become my dream, Starboom, he... hehe... hehehe!" Said Artcraft as he grinned madly, cackled, and looked on in anticipation.
“Is it too late to apologize?” Asked Starboom.
“Yes!” Said Artcraft as he lunged towards Starboom and gutted him with all four mechanical arms.
"YYYYAAAHHHH!?" Screamed Starboom, blood spraying everywhere, his body flailing aimlessly, then he seized up and showed no more apparent signs of movement.
"...You're still alive, I see! You are worthy of your title of commander, indeed, but unfortunately for you, you have outlived your usefulness to me; your part has been played, now, it's my turn. Sleep, Starboom, and relax; that princess will pay for her injustice to me!" Artcraft said as Starboom reached out and grabbed his arm with a pained expression and bleeding profusely from his chest, limbs, and stomach.
"Y-You're a dirty b-backstabber, that's n-not how I would want my s-soldiers to act! It was supposed to be me on her throne, me who takes revenge, me who would use Celestia's corpse as a footstool, I was meant for Equestria... n-not you... Y-You were meant to be my weapon... n-nothing more than—" Starboom sputtered out more blood one last time before falling silent, his eyes went milky-white as they rolled into the back of his head and he finally succumbed to his mortal wounds.
"What a pity that you couldn't see my soon-to-be success, Starboom. but make no mistake, it will be me that has revenge and only me, is that understood?" Said Artcraft as his cell door was suddenly busted down.
"C-Commander Starboom!? Y-You... what have you done to him?" Said Buzz to Artcraft.
"I simply relieved him of his duty, I will now be your commander, is that understood?" Asked Artcraft expecting an answer.
"Buck you! Y-You murderer!" Spat Buzz.
“Oh, come now, can you honestly say that you're any better than I am? Don't be such a hypocrite, because I cannot stand those kinds of ponies!" Said Artcraft as he met Buzz's glare his own, his wooden arms rising on the cue of his magic.
"I will end you, Artcraft!" Yelled Buzz as he charged Artcraft! He screamed out in pain as he was gutted by Artcraft's mechanical arms. 'W-What the hell... he didn't even have to move his body an inch! Wait... those wooden arms, they're glowing with his green magic, so that's h-how he's able to fight! ' Buzz thought as he was pinned up against the wall the buzzsaw arm was currently stuck in his stomach. "W-Why? Y-You have become a m-monster. You will n-never command me!" Said Buzz as he spat up blood and was steadily losing more.
"On the contrary, Buzz, once you've died, I'll make you into a puppet too, like Starboom over here, the rest of this troop will also soon follow!" Said Artcraft. "So now you understand that your efforts will still be in vain, because, in the end, I'll be the one to control you. After all, to destroy an army, I would need an army." Said Artcraft. Then to the soldier's horror, his horn flared to life as he turned his machine back on, a horrible sound of gushing blood, crumbling bones, and shrill screams filled the air.
"Yes! Everything's all going according to plan... excellent! Now to hunt down the remaining eleven of them." Artcraft said with an unnaturally wide grin as he left his celled room and began his hunt. "This is going to be rather fun indeed! Come on out! If I have to look for you, I'll make everything hurt more for all of you!" Artcraft declared.
Suddenly Artcraft was surrounded by the other eleven soldiers as soon as he made himself known. "Riff, it's such a pleasure to see you again! I see you've come to serve me just like all the rest of these little lambs! How... generous of you!" Artcraft said bearing his manic grin.
"AARRGHH!!! I'll kill you for this, Buzz was my best friend!" Riff yelled out as he lunged out at Artcraft only to have his torso impaled by his drill arm holding him up. "AAAHHH!!!" Riff screamed out in pain as the other nine soldiers looked on in a mix of anger and terror.
"Holy... that was fast! Damn you..." The ninth soldier said as Artcraft threw Riff's impaled body at him like a projectile, causing them both to fumble over the ground, some of Riff's blood was leaking over the soldier's chest. "EEuuggh!!!" The soldier yelled out in disgust as he pushed Riff's dying body off of him.
Slashes and clinks could be heard as the other soldiers tried but failed to even land a single blow on Artcraft's body. "Is this the best that Starboom's troop can do? I'm disappointed, plenty of time for me to work around your bumpy edges though, so not a big loss for me!"
Artcraft said as he thrusted his wooden scalpel and bone saw out to stab at the seventh and eighth soldiers that tried to charge him. Artcraft then used his wooden buzzsaw arm to rip into soldier number seven, blood gushing out everywhere. The seventh soldier was kicking and screaming in agony before he went silent and died. though the eighth soldier did survive off of borrowed time.
"T-That... h-horrible.. m-monster! W-What have w-we done? W-We've created a m-monster!" Riff weakly said as he was coughing up blood and his vision fading. As the ninth soldier was looking at him, he was about to lose it mentally, watching all of his men being slaughtered like this, right in front of him.
"Like lambs to the slaughterhouse, this is all too easy for me guys, you might wanna try a little harder to kill me before I get bored and finish you all off!" Artcraft said with a slightly annoyed look on his face.
"I'm not going to last much longer soldier, you need to stop him before he escapes, he's not a pony anymore, he's a demon!" Riff said as he sputtered his last gout of blood and then passed.
"N-No! Please wake up! Wake up, Lieutenant Riff! O-Oh, god, I-I can't do this alone!" The ninth soldier cried out as Artcraft's silhouette with beady eyes slowly rose from behind the ninth soldier and stabbed him with his drill arm, hoisting up his screaming body and then whispering into his ear.
"That's quite alright, buddy, you no longer have to worry about being alone anymore! Rejoice, I'll take good care of you in my first-level collection!" Artcraft said as he roughly pulled his drill arm out of the ninth soldier, staining the ground with his blood, and then letting his now dead body fall limp to the ground.
The eighth soldier and sixth soldier charged Artcraft only to be stabbed together like a kebab, with just his drill arm and then he used his buzzsaw arm to rip into their screaming bodies to kill them, then released their bodies and looked at the remaining five soldiers. "Only five left? I haven't even broken a sweat yet and you're already all killed? How very disappointing, indeed." Artcraft said as he slowly approached them.
"W-We got this man! He can't get us if we all team up on him at once! CHARGE!" The fifth soldier rallied his comrades to charge him all at once. Artcraft swung his buzzsaw arm to sever both of Soldier Four's legs.
"AAAHHH!!!" The fourth soldier screamed in agony at having both his legs cut off! His bone saw arm slashed through the second soldier's neck, blood gushing out everywhere, and the second one fell dead. Both his scalpel and drill arms went into soldier's three and one, ripping them open and then releasing them to hit the ground and eventually die. "I-I'll make y-you p-pay for this you... MONSTER!" The fourth soldier yelled out as he threw his spear into Artcraft's general direction.
Cling!!!
His four arms blocked it as Artcraft smirked, "A spear... really? You don't even have a leg left to stand on anymore! Meh, I'll give you credit where it's due, at least you've tried the hardest to kill me!" Artcraft said as he slit the fourth soldier's throat and watched the life leave his eyes. "That leaves only you, number five! So what was that about teaming up on me all at once? I bet you're now about to eat your words!" Artcraft said as he was slowly walking towards the fifth and last soldier.
"N-No! S-Stay back, demon, or I'll... I'll..." The fifth soldier said as Artcraft closed their distance to stare at him face to face.
"Do what? I'm right here, so tell me, what're you going to do?" Artcraft said bemusedly.
"P-Please... s-spare me! E-Everything I did, I d-did because I was o-ordered to! I-I d-don't want to die!" The fifth soldier cried out in hopes of mercy.
"No; I need you to complete my collection; your contributions to my cause will not go unappreciated, I assure you, nameless soldier!" Artcraft said with a glint in his eyes. The last one was shaking and then screaming as Artcraft's buzzsaw arm went right into his chest and up into his throat to kill him.
"Well... I guess that's all of them, I suppose I better get right to work then! Revenge won't achieve itself, will it?" Artcraft mused as he went back into his home to create his twelve puppets.
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Chapter 1 - New Beginnings: Artcraft's Origin
It was a bright and beautiful morning, on the outskirts of Equestria. In an old-fashioned, farming village, not too far from the Badlands. A young colt that could say that he's had it all, a wonderful town, a happy beginning, and a loving family. His parents, Julie and Artemis Bruner, were there.
"Honestly I don't why you'd be so concerned with this now. Why even bother asking me if our son has what it takes to carry on our tradition?" Said Artemis as he cradled his hand to Julie's cheek. "Honey, I believe you made the right choice! You and I are both very proud of our son, he's destined for very great things!" Said Artemis as he looked to his beloved.
"That may be the case dear, but he's still so very young. There's still so much for him to learn before he's ready for us to teach him magic." Said Julie as she was a bit unsure for a moment before rethinking her statement. "Scratch that dear, I think you're right, he's ready to be taught your work so he can walk in your footsteps and be more like you." Said Julie as she looked to her husband for his response.
"Yeah, totally Julie. I have confidence in his ability to learn art. Which is why we both agreed to the name Artcraft. A name destined for greatness!" Said Artemis as he came into the kitchen to see what Julie was preparing.
"Oh yeah, that smells so good honey, vegetable stew, my favorite! You spoil us you know that?" Said Artemis as he had to keep himself from drooling at the delicious meal before him being prepared. "I'll go outside and spend some time with Artcraft, be sure to let us know when dinner's ready, I'd never miss this for the world," said Artemis as he stepped outside into their backyard to play with his son.
"Don't worry Honey, I won't. I know how much you love my cooking!" Said Julie as she went back to tending to the stew.
"Go long son!" Shouted Artemis as he threw the football to his son. Artcraft reached out to catch it but almost had it.
"Darnit, I could have sworn I had that!" Said Artcraft as he got up off the ground, dusted himself off, and walked over to his dad. "Just wait for Dad, pretty soon, I'll be the best I am at what I do, your art. I want to make you proud of me!" Said Artcraft.
"Son, you always make us proud. every day. And don't you dare think otherwise, don't let anybody tell you differently either. They're a bunch of stinkers!" Said Artemis
"Hey honey, Artcraft, dinner's ready, come get it before it gets cold!" Said Julie as she gestured her husband and son into the kitchen through their backdoor.
"Coming mom, c'mon dad, stop being such a slowpoke." Said Artcraft as he raced his father to the kitchen.
"Alright then son, you're on!" Said Artimus as they rushed into the house.
Later that night, there was a lot of commotion going on, ponies screaming, loud magic shots being fired, and the soon-to-be strong odor of death and smoke in the air. "W-What was that!?! I-I need to find Mom and Dad." Said Artcraft as he frantically made his way downstairs to their living room only to see them readying themselves for something.
Artcraft didn't know or understand why he had such a horrible foreboding feeling all of a sudden, but he did, and it didn't help that there was currently a lot of screaming outside his house.
"Son!?! stay back, something's not right, you need to get back into your room right now!" Said Artemis as he braced himself against the front door of their house.
"Your Father is right son, get back to your room right now, we don't want anything happening to you. we love you so much, just please get to safety for us." Said Julie as she went to guide Artcraft back upstairs to his room. but before she could reach the stairs, a very loud smash could be heard as their front door was forced open, hinges coming off and all.
A tall, menacing figure standing at the threshold of their front door, holding what could only be described as a large-bladed knife. "S-Stay away from our son, we don't want any trouble, just tell us what you want, and we'll happily give it to you!" said Artemis.
"Hmm.... well when you put it like that, then I will, but not with words per se." said the ominous figure in front of Artemis.
"What do you mean, we could give you anything you could ever want. money, food anything—AARRGGHH!!!" Yelled Artemis at being stabbed in the gut with that bladed knife.
"AAHHH!? No... Please stop this, he did nothing to you, we don't even know who you are!" Said Julie as the ominous figure got close to her, and then stabbed her too.
"Mom! No! Stop this you monster, s-stop this!" Cried Artcraft as he was then backhanded to the floor, in between his parents, looking at them face to face.
"We l-love you, son, p-please find the strength to go on, we want you to b-be happy... a-and safe!" Said Julie as she was hacking up blood, and wheezing before getting weaker from blood loss.
"Y-Yes but please get out of here and g..." was all Artemis could say before he died, right then and there. When Artcraft looked over to his mom, she was already dead, both had looks of pure terror on their faces.
"M-Mom, D-Dad? get up, please, g-get up, I-I'm scared!" Said Artcraft who was now being grabbed by his arm and then lifted by the stranger. "P-Please don't kill me!" Said Artcraft while looking into his stone, cold eyes.
"Congratulations little one, you have just been drafted." said the ominous figure with a hearty laugh in his very grave voice.
Author's Note
I understand this is taking a while and I deeply apologize for that, but i'm doing everything I can.
Chapter 3 - Artcraft's first journal entry:
Diary entry # 1: My first experience at being Starboom's servant.
It's funny really, how time can pass, it's already been 5 years since I have become Starboom's servant and student. growing up without my parents has been rough for me. I suppose it would be for anyone, wouldn't it? So far, master has been very good to his word of teaching me how to grow up and evolve into a stronger and more suitable unicorn.
- I-I just don't know how much longer I can keep up this facade, being cheery all the time, or is it submission? at this point, it's hard for me to tell. What I can understand is that there must be a cause for my pain, a reason for master's actions, maybe soon he could tell me so I'm not left in the dark any longer.
- Master wants me to find my stronger self, to be cold and heartless, like him. But do I have what it takes to make him proud of me? what if I were to fail him as a pupil again, I couldn't imagine the punishment of being a failure. Or could there be worse fates out there?
- Who can say, none know for sure, but maybe one day I can unravel these secrets of magic, and perhaps, maybe even the kind not meant for mortal minds to comprehend. Surely if I can do this, my master would view me as his equal, someone who can aspire to be just like him.
- But would he like that though? Would he be proud of me if I were to match him or even worse, surpass him? How would he respond to this? And would I be able to discover the real reason that my family had to be slaughtered?
- Your innermost conscious: Artcraft.
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Chapter 6 - Artcraft's second journal entry:
Diary entry # 2: Growing experiences, and gaining knowledge.
It's hard to believe that 9 years have already passed, this is getting to be too much for me. At first, I thought that being Starboom's successor was going to be a good thing, to finally have those royal Canterlot pigs their comeuppance. But now I can't hold onto myself much longer, falling into small fits of insanity and rage, my hate for those who have taken away the only ones I have ever loved was burning, festering, and being forged into a weapon for my master's purposes.
- How much longer does Master plan to keep doing this to me? will there ever be an end to this torture? The only silver lining to this is that I'm becoming stronger both physically and mentally. Now delving into the forbidden black arts fully, my mind has just about been consumed by both hate and insanity.
- And... it feels... kinda good, almost like my mind could finally be at ease, like a cobra, coiled in the shrubs, waiting to strike his prey. All this knowledge was amazing, so much was now open to me, and I could now understand much more than most ponies. Soon master will need my talents in magic, and I'll be there for him so long as I can have my revenge on those Princesses. What will happen after that? I cannot say, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
- Master although abusive, has also been preparing me for what's to come. His training was very grueling, very harsh, and very intense. But in the end, look at the power I have gained, no longer will I have been that weaker pony that cried, but the stronger pony that'll savor victory and will be eagerly anticipating that day when I can be the one to personally strike down those damned royal Canterlot pigs.
- Your lost conscious: Artcraft.