My home, my cell that I've known almost all my life. Every day I am greeted by these walls, and every night I'm put to rest by them. They confine me, yet, they do not define me. They only hold me, keeping me from experiencing the wonders I've read about the world outside my cell. I've read that outside my walls there are dragons, griffons and other wondrous creatures to behold. Many amazing ponies of fabled strength. Protecting the values of friendship; holding the morals of peace. The most recognizable figures in all the books are two princesses of unimaginable beauty, Celestia and Luna. Celestia, the eldest, rises the sun for the day while the youngest, Luna, rises the moon for the night. It's inspiring to here such a wonderful thing, but then again it's bittersweet knowing I'm still trapped. Locked within these walls of grey.
I sat here in my cell contemplating the legends I've been reading my whole life. How each has one resounding figure, Celestia. As I pondered I hadn't noticed that one of the authorities was standing outside my cell. Authorities are armored ponies, no face but instead a mask. The armor is a solid layer of steel seeming to entrap the wearer, cover almost every aspect of their body. They are the only ponies other then the colts in white that I am allowed to see. The authority was standing outside my cell, slowly growing impatient as I was lost in thought.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Hey, Fallen, your needed for testing again!" The authority hollered through the door. Fallen was my code name since I never had a name of my own.
I rose from my spot, "Alright, but why? We just got done with testing yesterday." I stated.
"Yeah, but we they've made a breakthrough. So, they need you to test it." He replied, I just shrugged my shoulders and decided to get this out of the way. Testing eventually becomes trivial, you stop caring what they do as long as it doesn't kill you. I trotted to the end of the cell as the authority opened the metal cased door. I stopped in the doorway and waited for the authority to begin moving so I may follow. I held a slight canter behind him as we trotted to the lab. The colts in white preferred that all experiments are held in that location. I never understood why though, must be all the fancy machines.
We continued at this pace all the way down the corridor. The sides of the stone walls we littered with loose vines and other foliage. They complimented the dull exterior by adding a sense of life to it. I always enjoyed seeing it; a pleasurable thing to calm me before another go round with the colts in white. The corridor began to narrow as we neared the end of our journey. We came upon a large, ardent door that has some sort of circuitry adorning it. The authority walked up to the door and started pressing, what seemed like, random buttons. boisterous bleeping noises could be heard from the door. then a signal sounded, the door flung open, and the authority stepped to the side. He motioned me to enter the room. I nodded in agreement and walked into the incandescent room. The lights seemed bright at first but my eyes quickly adjusted. The room was massive and teeming with life. The colts in white moved avidly throughout the lab, checking results and running experiment. One of the Colts in white happened to notice me upon my entry.
"Ah, Fallen, my favorite subject come with me!" He said enthusiastically as I began to follow him. "We have been making great strides to find ways to make you stronger genetically. And today we have done it, we have found a way to make your hide regenerate four times faster then a normal colt. With this any injuries that occur will heal faster, and your chances of surviving them all the greater!" the colt in white stated.
"You want me to regenerate, really? you think you can make me regenerate?" I asked.
"Well in a sense yes, you will still need a day or two to fully heal but it is a vast improvement." The colt in white replied. "Now if you would kindly lay down on the table we will begin." I hadn't realized we were already in the room since I was lost in our conversation. I looked at the table and it had been modified to transfer liquids through a pony. Tubes and tanks were decorating the sides of the metallic table. As I inspected the table the colt in white roughly coughed. I jumped to attention and carefully climbed onto the table. The colt in white walked over and began strapping me into the table. The leathery straps harshly bit at my coat but it was only a minor irritation. The colt in white finished his routing and began the next. He flipped a switch and the tanks on the sides filled with an elegant blue liquid. The liquid glimmered in the bright setting of the lab and bubbled carelessly as air escaped the tank.
The colt in white grabbed a few of the tubes and stepped in front of me, "Now, this will sting but it is necessary for a proper transfer." He said calmly. I looked down and saw that he had a syringe that was full of a clear liquid. The colt in white moved the syringe over my heart, he let out a stressed sigh and sent it into my chest. The liquid filled my veins and cause me to break out into a cold sweat. My heart vigorously pounded in my chest, beating my sternum as if were trying to escape. My vision became blurry and my thoughts were fogged. I saw a white silhouette of a pony before me, "Now we can begin, Fallen," The colt in white stated. A sharp, stinging pain could be felt in my arm as the tubing was carefully slid in. Then I fleetly lost feeling in my body as my blood was sucked out. Now my mind was in a deep haze, unable to process anything as it was being sapped of life. But before I could let go of the world I was quickly pulled back in. The pain I felt as the blue liquid shot into my veins was agonizing. I brought my head up as I gasped for air, and the cold sweat I had before had suddenly vanished. The lava like liquid began to pierce my heart; I hollered in duress as the torture continued. My back arched with me as the jolts of pain curled around my body.
Eventually my torment was ended as the blue liquid replaced my original blood. I couldn't move as I gasped for breath. My body was soaked from sweat as it finally had a chance to escape. My muscles agitated from the affliction it was still under. I looked around the room but my neck tried fighting my efforts. I had noticed that the colt in white had walked over to an old counter and was studying something covering the counter. I continued to watch as he diligently worked; he chuckled with glee about something but I couldn't tell. The colt in white then quickly spun around and waltzed over to were I lay.
He had smug look adorning his face, "It seems we were successful, Fallen. You body was perfectly compatible with the enhancements and it is now recovering from the shock." He said joyfully.
"G-g-great, I.." I could barely speak after what had conspired earlier.
"Shhh, you need to rest now. Here! This should help you sleep, Fallen." The colt in white said as he pulled out another syringe. he carefully put the syringe in my arm and sent the serum into my body. Magically all my pain seemed to disappear and my body cooled itself. My eyes grew heavier and I couldn't manage them anymore. I let them close, allowing sleep to embrace me in my time of need.
Testing
"Ge....child. You.....get up!.....Plea.....up!" A voice calmly spoke. I lifted my head through the sickening haze and saw an outline of a tall, white pony before me. I tried to reach out and get a hold of the pony before me, but as I did the haze fleeted and I awoke in a large, decrepit room. I was startled at first to see that I was not in my cell. Then again it was also a relief to know that I wasn't in my cell. I arduously rose, carefully inspecting my surroundings to find clues of where I may be. I found nothing, nothing to help me identify were I am, not even an identification mark. I was finally on all four of my hooves and I continued to look around. Still I couldn't find anything, but I managed to here some soft banter. I couldn't zero in on where it came from because of the awkward acoustics in this room.
"I'm sorry, I have too!" Somepony spoke before the boisterous sounds of heavy set hoof beats came from behind me. I swiftly turned around and saw a lightly armored colt charging me. A gallant, silver blade was forcibly gripped between his teeth. He had a tear running down his face, perhaps he was in pain but I didn't know. All I did know is that the blade was aimed at me. The gap between us closed quickly, he reared up and brought the blade slamming down with immense force. I managed to dodge the first blow with a side step, but the second upward thrust cut deep across me sternum. I was sent back onto my flank from the force. On the way down I let out a distressed grunt. My sternum lit on fire as jolts of pain wrapped around me. I laid on my flank holding my wound tightly in hopes that I wouldn't bleed out. I as I held me chest I heard the colt let out a heated breath. I looked up and saw that the colt wound back his blade and charged at me again. Letting out a blood curdling roar as he did. My heart raced as he got closer, "No, no I can't die here, I won't!" thought to myself.
The colt was now over top of me; he hopped up on his hind legs. When he did so I sent my rear right hoof into his stomach. The colt was stunned from the force of the blow and dropped to the ground. The blade he had within his mouth had fallen to the ground next to me. I impelled my leg out to grab the blade, but I was to slow. The colt had already risen and was again over top of me. My senses were flooded with anxiety as I saw the look in his eyes. He reared up front left hoof and sent it into my chest, forcing me into the ground. I began to holler as my affliction reached new levels, but the colt paid no mind. He ground his hoof harder into my chest. I continued to scream but I quieted myself as I felt tears fall and speckle my chest.
"I'm sorry, but I have too. There making me, the doctors....they're making me!" The colt spoke softly as he reached down to retrieve his blade. I was confused at first, about the doctors. Who are they and why would they do this to somepony. However, there were more pressing matters at hoof, such as life. When the colt finally had the blade in his mouth I fought the pain and gripped his collar. When I had a firm grip I sent my other hoof crashing into his jaw. The blade spiraled out of his mouth. I kept my grip and sent another solid blow into his jaw. The colt stumbled off me and fell next to his blade. I rose as quickly as I could in my condition, fighting every ounce of pain. I was loosing an abundance of blood, and because of that my body was being affected. The colt had once again had a grip on his blade, his mouth and face were dotted with blood from my hammering blows. He coughed lightly to clear his throat as I fought to keep my balance.
I looked at the colt, we were eye to eye. Both understanding that only one could, or would leave. I looked around quickly to look for a weapon and only found was a shard of metal. It must have been a piece of his armor. Though it wasn't large, it was large enough to block his attacks. I settled back on my hind legs, bracing for his next move. The colt reared back and then bolted in my direction. I held my ground, waiting for the right moment to parry. The colt was now five feet away, he slid his and legs out and jumped into the air. Using the momentum of the fall to help carry the blade down onto me. I jumped back, watching his blade slam into where I once was. The blade had hit with such force that the colt couldn't remove it form the stone ground. I watched as he struggles, knowing this would be my only chance to successfully retaliate. I placed the metal shard into my mouth and charged him. He was to concerned with removing his blade he didn't see me coming. I sent my head crashing into his ribs. I figured they must have shattered on impact from the sounds. The colt was sent toppling over himself before sliding to a stop. He gasped for breath as I trotted over to him.
It didn't feel right having to kill this misled colt. He had no choice, or so he says. As I walked over to him all I could here was him fighting for breath. The hit did more then shatter his ribs, it punctured a lung. Now I had no choice, I had to kill him, I had to. I placed myself over top of him, got up on my hind legs, and sent my metal shard through his skull. I removed my mouth from the shard and finally saw the atrocity I committed. I killed him, I took a life. I couldn't wrap my mind around what had happened, I didn't want to.
"No, no, no, no...Fuck!" I screamed at the corpse before me. Tears cascaded down my face as the horror slowly crept into my mind. I couldn't accept my actions, and I broke down. I laid on top of the body and cried for the first time in my life. I laid there for what seemed like hours, not caring for my own injuries, not caring for my own fate. Eventually I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I lifted my head to see a colt in white smiling before me.
"You did good, Fallen. We've gotten the results we need for today. The authority will show you to the med bay were you wounds will be treated." The colt in white said softly. He had a caring look on is face and for some reason I trusted him. But, I didn't want to get up, I couldn't. My body had lost to much blood and my heart was to burdened. The colt in white saw this and called for a stretcher and a few more authority. I watched as the authority systematically slipped through the door with the stretcher. Two of them came over and grabbed me, sliding me gently onto the stretcher. I was hoisted up and fleetly carried me out of the room. The stretcher shook vigorously as they trotted and my head throbbed. Every bounce caused me to slowly loose consciousness. Eventually I couldn't fight it and I blacked out.
I abruptly found my way back into consciousness. I was in a sterilized containment tent. There were machines of all sorts surrounding me. Measuring blood levels, oxygen, and heart rate. I watched the green line bounce around on the machine, allowing it to distract me. But, it wasn't long before something else caught my attention. I looked over and saw blurred figures behind the tarp. I figured it was two authority ponies talking judging from the muffled voices. I listened more intently as there conversation carried on.
"So, did you see that fight in the chamber?" One said.
"Yeah, it was crazy. Looks like we finally found a decent subject!" The other replied in a more gruff tone.
"Hey! Your not paid to speak, Fallen is trying to rest up now allow her that little pleasantry!" A third pony joined in the conversation. The whole area immediately went quiet as the third pony cantered into the tent. Their head broke threw the curtain and it was the colt in white I had known since I was brought here. Cal, the most caring colt I had ever met. I beamed brightly at the sight of him and he returned the favor.
He trotted over to my bed, "You alright kid?" He asked worriedly.
"Y-yeah, I'm better....kind of." I replied as I looked down at my chest.
"Ha, well you look like hell kid."
"Yeah," I replied as I carefully sat up. "Why did they do that to us, ya'know, make us fight?"
"I can't rely say, must have been some sort of sick trial run of your new regenerative skills. Still doesn't make it right though. Anyways, how are you. Mentally not physically of course?"
"I...not so good, what I did in there. What I had to do..." I slowly started to loose myself again. "why, I don't..?"
Cal, cut me off., "Hey, it's alright you did what you had to do. The only thing that really matters is that your okay. Now I got to go and run some tests, you get some rest."
"I guess, thanks Cal!" I said happily as he left the room. Cal was probably one of the greatest ponies I ever knew. He always helped me although he never really knew what to say. I still accepted his help, and I'm proud, even privileged, to call him my friend. My only friend, but all I need is one.
