Chapters Prologue: Countdown to Destruction
"Adjusting heading by a few degrees," stated a green-furred earth pony. His face was unusually grim and he appeared to be quite beat-up.
"Turn on stealth mode," ordered his captain, a blue-furred, rainbow-maned Pegasi.
"Stealth mode activated. Captain, with all due respect, we cannot fool them for long," he said nervously.
"I know, Private. I know," said the Captain quietly.
The ship moved without incident for a few moments before a strange phenomenon occurred. In the distance, what appeared to be a rift in space could be seen, along with a dark ring of energy that blasted out from it.
"Shields at maximum!!!" Yelled the Captain, pupils contracting in fear.
Just before the energy hit, the shields were up, and yet it was not enough. Though it did not seem like anything was wrong at first, soon the Sparkle AI began sending out a red alert.
"Warning. Core Breach imminent. Please evacuate the ship immediately. Repeat. Core Breach imminent. Please evacuate the ship immediately," a robotic version of the infamous martyr Twilight Sparkle's voice said.
"Sparkle, what the hay happened?" Said Captain Dash.
"Unknown energies, possibly abyssal magics, have breached the ship and entered the core. Please evacuate immediately," responded Sparkle.
"Okay, soldiers, you heard her! Get to the escape pods!" Captain Dash stated, hitting a control to open the pods.
The ponies on the ship began to run towards the escape pods, multiple higher-ranking officers yelling at them to stay in an orderly line.
"Destruction of main warp core in thirty seconds," said the Sparkle AI cheerfully.
The ship began to go wild, escape pods being claimed left and right, Pegasi jumping out of the hatch in the floor.
"Twenty seconds."
Officers tried calling orders, but got swept away by the crowd. Multiple ponies lost their lives due to the fall.
"10 Seconds."
The stragglers were left on board, having to cling to Pegasi to stay alive.
"9."
Explosions began happening, the power flickering for a few moments.
"8."
Life would never be the same for these ponies.
"7."
Another explosion rocked the ship, causing it to tilt nose first.
"6."
More explosions as the thrusters of the ship imploded on themselves.
"5."
The last stragglers managed to jump out of the ship on the backs of Pegasi as it began to drop.
"4."
B͠loo̸d ̴i̢s̨ thȩ ͜co͝st ̢of ̷manifés̛tation͘.
"3."
B̡lo͝ơd is ͏t̀h̕e̴ s͝o̕u͞r̵c̸e ͜of theìr sal͡vation͠.
"2."
B̀l̶̢͞o͘o̶̴d̀ ͡iś̵ ̸͘t̡͘͡hȩ̴͝ ̷̀c̶͢u͢rr̕en͡c͟y̷̛ o̶f̵̷͘ ̷͡t̨͟he҉̀͝ ͜s̛oú͝l͘.
"1."
B̧̕͡l̶͜o͢͠ò̸͞͠͝d̛ ̴̵͝͠i̕͘͢͜s͏̢͏ ̸̸ẁ̸̸͠͞h̶̶a͜͜͡͠t̸̵͡ ̢͜w̷̢͞il̸̷l̴̴ ̷̵̀̕͠m҉̵͟͠͠ą͠ķ̷̢͏e̡̛͡ ̷͝t̢͏҉̨͡h̴̷͢e̡̡͏m̷̢͘̕͠ ̸̧̛͟w̶̶h҉͘͢o̕͘͜͜l҉͟e̷̸͏.͏̷̕
"0."
The explosion could be seen from miles away.
Part 1: Chapter 1: Genesis
I was falling. Straight outta the bucking sky. You can imagine that I lost any bravery I may have had and started screaming like a little filly. I may have a dress with wings on it, but I certainly don't have wings. Well, maybe me and Pinkie will in G5, but I dunno.
Either way. I was falling like crazy, since this portal had just spawned me almost a thousand hooves up. I nearly hit the ground before a familiar set of claws wrapped around me and caught me safely, not letting me hit the ground, before lowering me carefully.
Damn, am I glad Drago came with somehow.
At least, I was until a 150 kilogram bucking statue fell on my back. Damn, that hurt. At least he didn't break my back in the process.
Anyway, he teleported off me and just stared at me. Creepily. I have no idea who he is, but I'm pretty sure he's that one SCP who likes teleporting around and breaking necks. I tell ya, he'd better not do anything like that to me.
Weirdly enough, he only teleports slightly whenever I ain't looking at him. That's good, I guess? Thought he was hostile though.
"Mena... Don't be concerned. 173 means no harm," said Drago.
Ah. So that's the number. That one's famous, as far as I know. Or infamous, depending on how you look at it.
"You sure about that? He seems to like breaking necks," I said, voicing my concerns quite well, thanks.
Immediately as I blinked, said statue picked me up and started hugging me. Yes. A statue. Hugging me. I know how weird that sounds.
"Like I said, he doesn't wanna hurt you. We're just as confused as you at how we got here," Drago commented.
"Well, at least I'll have an army of origami dragons helping me out," I muttered.
"Not an army, but I have a direct link to the box, so I can open it and get a few to come out. Times are tough in our room, though. Giants are quarreling with us again. Thankfully, it's not about the size of the room. It's more about us accidentally taking roost on a sacred mountain of theirs. Should be dealt with and not cause a war like those stories say about us," he said, looking at the portal.
Wait... He looked directly at the portal there. Directly at all of you. Mind explaining what he means by war? Either way.
"Okay, that's great. You see it, too?" I asked.
"Yes. I see them. Y'know, at some point, it might become like our room. They'd be able to come to you, and you'd be able to go to them," he said.
Holy crap... I can actually meet you guys? In person? Well, Tartarus yeah!
Still gonna have to wait, though. Which is kind of annoyi- WHAT THE BUCK WAS THAT?
"I just saw a massive explosion in the distance, two of them!" I yelped.
For good reason, too! I ain't messing with any explosions unless they're pink! And by that I mean if they're mine!
"I thought your world was peaceful!" Drago said, his... Uh... Paper Spines? I think paper spines... Going down on his neck.
"It's supposed to be! Well, Pinkies' world anyway. My world is the least peaceful place you can go," I commented.
Hey, it's true. If you ever go to the GrimDark by some stroke of bad luck, avoid the cities. Also the Rock Farm.
...
Just don't go. Believe me, it ain't a tourist-friendly place. Despite the Empress A'Ku'Mus' best efforts. And don't think that just because I know you that you won't be getting a number. I have to make cupcakes to keep that stupid story alive. I'll just make sure not to torture you.
Ah, who am I kidding, I have to torture you with at least electrocution. That whole story relies on it. And I'll have to harvest your organs while you're alive... Sorry, getting off-topic.
"Look, we need to start finding a place that we can hide out. It obviously isn't safe out here. Let's go," Drago said, shrinking to a more reasonable size and beginning to walk in a random direction.
I followed. No point in doing anything else. Especially not with the fire and brimstone going on over there.
So we walked. And walked. And walked some more. By the time that it turned to nighttime, even the statue got tired.
Good thing we found some creatures willing to take us in. There is something weird, though.
I didn't know I had a cult who worshipped me.
"Yes, Mistress Pinkamena, we have been awaiting your holy arrival!" Said the 'High Priest' as he called himself.
"Awaiting my arrival. How long now?" I asked, a little concerned for his sanity.
"Oh, we have been waiting for generations, ever since our world discovered the Realm of the Gods!" Said the High Priest, pretty much licking my hooves at the moment.
Yep. Insane. Definitely bucking insane. I ain't no god, but I can see where that mistake could be made.
"The Realm of the Gods, huh?"
"Yes, Mistress! The Realm of the Gods, your home!" Said the priest. As he spoke, I eyed a pony being forcibly pushed to the ground, crying out for help.
Well, no time like the present.
I teleported to the pony and slit its' throat, not bothering to do anything else as its' blood began to spray out of the cut. I looked around to see the other cultists all staring at me as each and every one of them dropped.
This was gonna be a long day.
Immediately, one pony crawled on his belly, filled a goblet of blood and held it to me. I shrugged and grabbed it, gulping it down.
Yep, they're scared. Thought so. I would be to, if I worshipped a 'god' that I believed came from the 'Realm of the Gods' that had just drank pony blood in front of me.
Anyway, I tossed the goblet aside and stared at them all for a while. I mean, glad to know live sacrifices are a thing here. If they expect me to lead them into battle, though, they're gonna be sorely disappointed. Oh, speaking of battle...
"And where did you place my... Servants?" I said, attempting to play off that I was their goddess so that I could at least have backup if I was ever in trouble.
"We placed them in your chambers, M-Mistress," stuttered one of them.
"Go get them... And get off the ground, you shame yourselves before me. My followers are expected to be prideful of themselves and not prostate everytime I so much as move an inch," I said.
Hey, I almost convinced myself there. Good job, me.
The cult got off the ground, thankfully, and one of the ponies opened the door, bowing as 173 and Drago teleported and walked out respectively.
Drago stared at me, and I heard his voice in my head without him talking out loud.
"Servants? Really?" He growled.
"Sorry... Had to explain this somehow. That looked all too much like Sugarcube Corner, and if they do worship me... They likely do live sacrifices down there. Guess what would've happened to you?" I shot right back.
"...I'm sorry. I just don't like being told I'm nothing but a servant," he muttered sourly, bowing to me even though it seemed to pain him to do so.
173, on the other hand, somehow teleported into a prone position. How he did that with eyes on him, I have no idea.
"You... You truly are all-powerful... To have two legendary followers... As your servants... Quick! Get the offering! Have you discovered how to release it?" Asked the High Priest, eliciting a hell of a concern in me.
"Yes, Father," said a priest, rushing to the building that I guessed they slept in. Drago took one look at the building and immediately began to look terrified.
"M-Mena... Whatever you do... Don't anger the quark... Please..." He whimpered.
"Quark? What quark?" I asked.
He looked at me with haunted eyes.
"SCP-2995."
Chapter 3: What on Equis?!
So. I currently am holding what appears to be a small star. Yes. I said a small star.
Not only am I holding said small star, but it is currently moving. It feels really weird to hold in my mouth.
Drago looks absolutely terrified at the moment. He actually tried to warn me not to go near the star thing, but it doesn't seem to hate me. So that's good, I guess.
I'm gonna open my mouth now, this feels really weird to hold.
Ah. There we go. And the star is spinning. Not really doing anything, just spinning. Wonder if it can talk? Heh... A star talki-
"You... You truly have come... The last remaining essence of that which my father loved..."
Uh... The star just talked.
"I can see how she shines within you... Your soul... Though tormented, the light has not been destroyed..."
I kinda feel like I'm going crazy. Here I am, talking to a bloody star thing. I must be more insane than I thought.
"You are confused... But know that you have saved the universe by coming to me... I will not destroy it. For I do not wish to destroy the last of the light of my mother."
"Your mother? What happened to her?" I ask the star.
"My uncles... My father's brothers... They were jealous of my father finding true love in the emptiness of space... So they devised a plan to destroy my mother... But she was not fullly destroyed. She found a host, in a different dimension. She found you. Your soul is like the light she emitted. Life-giving... Nourishing... Calming..."
Is it bad that I actually pity this star? I mean, I know that it's just a sentient star, but still... Losing what you think of as your mother must be tough.
So, I did the stupid thing and hugged the star. And the star hugged back. I don't know how I could tell, but I could.
If his father was still alive... Maybe he'd be happy to see this. Maybe? I dunno... What's a stars' family life like anyhow?
As these thoughts ran through my head, a warmness started spreading through me, making me a bit nervous about if I was on fire or not. But no, it seemed that the star I was hugging had disappeared... Into my... Neck?
"Do not be afraid. I cannot move on my own in this world. So I must ride with my mother's essence."
And now I'm hearing the star inside of my head. Bucking Tartarus, this is strange.
Now, the cultists are trembling at this point. Some of them are even slackjawed and drooling. I mean, I knew I was attractive, but that's pushing it a bit...
... Until I look down at myself and realize I am legitimately glowing. Literally shining. I guess they think I turned into my 'true' form, eh? Heheheh...
Anyway, I shrug and look at the cultists, and as soon as I do, they start running this way and that, collecting stuff to make something. I dunno what it is.
Drago is currently staring at me hauntedly, and I can't fathom why. So I ask.
"Uh... Drago? What's wrong?"
"You... The star... I... That..." He stutters.
Even 173 is looking at him funny... Or as funny as a statue can look at somepony.
"The prophecy... The prophecy is coming true..." He mutters, falling just as I reach out my hooves to catch him.
"What prophecy, Drago?" I ask, rather nervous.
"The third part of the poem. It's in direct conjunction with the prophecy handed down from dragon to dragon, which spoke of a being from another world with the light of stars in their eyes," he explained, finally recovering.
"Let me guess. This is gonna be another case of Mary Sue where I become more powerful than a Princess," I muttered, rolling my eyes. I'll be needing Silence to explain why this is a subplot for any reason when he comes back.
"Um... Kind of?" He sighs. "Look, you need to hear the prophecy first."
He cleared his throat as best as paper can do and began chanting.
"The Starlit being, the queen of all,
A sudden urge passed through me to say my part, because, y'know, those words have been passing through my head about a million times a day.
"Blood is the cost of manifestation;
I look down at the symbol now etched into my chest, slowly dripping blood.
It fades.
Chapter 5: Great... I'm a Queen now...
"I mean, I'm honoured and all, but I have to ask why you built that," I ask,staring at what appears to be a throne sitting in what is probably gonna be a palace eventually.
"Because you are our Queen, our Princess, our leader! All Hail Pinkamena, Goddess of the Stars!" Said a priest whom is currently bowed so low that his belly is almost touching the ground.
I'm gonna kill Drago for this.
"Okay... Sure. Queen of a small group of avidly religious ponies," I say, rolling my eyes.
"No, no, you misunderstand our numbers, my lady! You are worshipped throughout the land, even by some of the ponies in the war," he continues, shoving his muzzle into the dirt in submission.
I roll my eyes again, unimpressed by this turn of events and mutter underneath my breath.
"If that's true, they'd all be here groveling like slaves themselves..."
"Oh, do not worry, My lady! Our messengers are spreading the news of your arrival throughout the lands right now!" He says brightly.
Oh Celestia-damn these ponies... That's gonna get straight to the other armies and immediately get them to atta-
"Oh, golly, hi, Lady Pinkamena!" said a voice.
Oh for the love of... That annoying, stuck-up, plotting, evil mastermind... I bloody love how smart she is.
"Oh, hey, Cozy Glow. With all due respect, don't try to think you can make everyone here your friend. I know how you act. 'Course, I absolutely love how intelligent you have to be to have that kind of power over ponies," I say.
"Oh, thank you so much..." Says the now-blushing filly in full battle armour.
Wait, full battle armour? Are you saying...
"Queen of Friendship Cozy Glow! We've arrived! I admit we went against your orders to do so, but we couldn't just leave you alone, and we wanted to see this Goddess with our own eyes. Where is she, by the way?" Said the voice of a stallion.
"General Flash Sentry... What is the meaning of your disobedience?" Said the filly, not looking happy.
"I apologize, your majesty. If you feel I need a punishment, I will take it," said this 'Flash Sentry'.
Cozy looked at me apologetically and flew towards him, lighting her horn, which I just noticed she had. I immediately heard the muffled cries as she began force-snuggling him.
Now that, I didn't understand. I was thinking more stab him, y'know? But I guess she did give herself the title of Queen of Friendship...
Maybe he'll suffocate..?
As she finished, without suffocating him, unfortunately, she flew back to me.
"Sorry, I have to keep them in line. Anyway, we wanted to join your followers. We also were waiting for this moment, albeit partially because we need your help beating the Dark Emperor, the Queen of the Hive, and the Solar Empress... Also that one little resistance group, but they're not really necessary to beat yet," she said.
"Wait, hold on... Empress, Queen, and Empire? What are you talking about?"
"What? Oh... You probably don't know," she said. "There's a war going on."
Yeah... I think Cozy Glow coming here was a bad idea.
Considering the fact that the whole place is lying in ashes, and there is literally noone else alive but me and the SCPs with me...
I mean, obviously she should have seen that coming. She specifically told me about there being a war going on.
Damn near got caught in the crossfire. Doesn't look like they came for me, but still. Thank Celestia that big red devil thing didn't see me. I watched as it sucked the life force out of everypony in the area, then decided to stomp on each and every one of them.
I am sure as Tartarus not gonna be going anywhere near settlements from this point on. And no, I don't care that they made me Queen and believed I was their Goddess or something, I ain't helping them with something even I can't beat. Buck that prophecy! It still hurts down there, y'know!
Ugh... Now here I am, staying exactly where I am until that thing clears out and stays out.
Dear Celestia, that thing was huge.
Anyway, I'm starting to question how I'm gonna survive in this Equestria. I dunno who's fighting the war, but I can guarantee that it'll be that thing who wins.
"Looks like you could use some help, hm?" Says a weird voice that seems to have a continuous snarl to it. I turn around immediately.
Standing before me is some kind of dragon-alicorn hybrid that looks like it belongs back at home. Sharp teeth, exposed a bit as she smirks, green draconic eyes, clawed back paws, sharp-edged front hooves... Everything a normal monster would need to be welcomed into our world with open hooves. So I do the intelligent thing and ask the question that only GrimDark natives know the answer to.
"What is the music of life?"
"Silence, of course," she says, smirking.
"How the buck did you happen to land in the same timeline as me...?" I ask, a bit stunned she had answered correctly.
"A mistake by Princess Aku, which accidentally flung me someplace I'm not supposed to be. It was rather strange, to be truthful," she responded, folding her half-Alicorn, half-Draconic wings on her sides. "Unfortunately, it seems interdimensional travel weakens one quite significantly. I barely managed to pass by that brute without being noticed."
"Ha. Tell that one to me again. I've gone through three worlds already," I say, rolling my eyes and earning a somewhat grinding laugh as a result.
"Have you now? Quite the traveler you are," she said.
"Ugh, died once, got reborn by an outsider somehow, got stuck with some SCPs that some other SCPs implanted in me, somehow had two other SCPs follow me, found out I was supposed to be some Goddess, had a living, breathing, talking star tell me my soul had bits of its' mothers in it and then literally transplant itself inside of me..." I grumbled, crossing my forelegs.
"Oh my... It seems you got unlucky with that SCP world... You must have landed in a black world. For some reason, Darkness has run rampant lately. Strangely enough, it has nothing to do with our world or the Discords of other worlds. That's partially the reason why Aku meant to send me to the Veil," she said.
"Veil?" I asked in confusion.
"Oh, yes, you wouldn't know. The Veil has been classified for eons. I can tell you only that it is a place where darkness and light often clashed. The last time that happened was when Princess Aku had to defend the Veil from the Spirit of Darkness and Corruption," she clarified.
Now, I was interested in this, and since Mr. Big Red over there didn't appear to be coming near us, I decided that I might as well ask.
"There's a story behind that, isn't there?" I asked.
"Yes... But it is better shown than told," she said, lighting her horn and teleporting us away.
Wish she had done that when we first met.
Upon completion of the teleportation, I found myself in a small crystalline cave, with the pony from before standing next to me. She looked at me before asking a simple question.
"Ready?"
I shrug and smirk.
"Sure thing."
She lit her horn.
Chapter 7: What Came Before
I find myself floating in what seems like infinite space. Globes of what look like liquid in a spherical form gently Bob throughout this place.
"Beautiful, isn't it? I remember when Princess Aku saw this for the first time. She was just as stunned as you," said the voice of the pony I had met. However, when I looked for her, she was nowhere to be seen.
I attempted to speak but found I could not. As I tried, I heard a soft laugh, though not as grinding as before. It was almost... Divine.
"Relax. You're currently sharing a memory in my mind. You won't be able to move or speak due to that," she said, her voice noticeably less snarly as well.
I mentally huffed and simply stopped trying to move and speak.
"Much better," she said.
I stared at the orbs, trying to devise an explanation in my mind for what they were, with no success.
"I see you're interested in what those are, hm? Allow me to explain."
She brought my vision close to one of them.
"This is what you know as a universe. There are millions of them in this multiverse you stand in at the moment," she said, allowing my vision to go back to its' previous position.
"This multiverse is also my home," she said, seeming to appear in front of my very eyes. But... Something was different. She glowed with a radiant aura I had never seen before.
Suddenly, I recognized her. She was depicted in many different ways in the religious books I had read. This dragon pony... Was the beautiful goddess Valencia Natuura, known as the Queen of Life, Light, and Spirit. But she rarely made an appearance to mortals like myself... Usually preferring to guide us from a distance. So why was she here now?
She smiled gently and spoke.
"I may not have been entirely truthful with you. My apologies. But I had to know you were an agent of light, not darkness. My fears were negated, however, when you stood upon the crystals of truth," she said quietly.
"Princess Aku, as you know her, is one of my multiple lieges that have sworn to protect the light at all costs. She was not, in fact, the one whom fought against Viros, the Lady of Darkness I had spoken to you about. No, I was the one who fought, managing only to stifle her powers somewhat."
"As a result, my spirit and essence was forced into a mortal body, unable to escape its' prison. Thankfully, this body can withstand death several times over," she said, giving me a sad smile.
"But the light, I fear, is being threatened by darkness once more."
With a wave of a wing, a sudden gust of wind blew us to a different part of this multiverse, to a place where the universes were dark, a sense of dread emanating from them. Upon the other side, glowed radiant universes, their auras emanating calm and peace.
In the middle, however, lay a terrifying sight. What had seemed to be a line of clouds turned out to be a massive, raging storm, the lightning red and black, the clouds dark. Within this storm, lay a few universes, seeming to be thrown around in the tempest. Radiance and Darkness frothed in those universes, fighting one another for dominance. As I watched, a single universe crumbled in on itself, turning completely dark and emanating the same aura as the others. It seemed the amount of radiant galaxies were dwindling.
"You see it too, do you not? The pain, the destruction of the light, swept away forever by the darkness," she said with a sad tone to her voice, stroking the darkened universe in what seemed like an apology. She turned back to me.
"You wish to know who Viros is and what is occurring here, I am sure. My apologies. I can feel the death of each universe quite viciously. They are like children to me. Nonetheless," she said, giving a defeated sigh and walking towards me.
Placing a single hoof on my head, she brought me to a different memory. One I found... Almost familiar.
"Yes, you know what this is, don't you? I was watching over you even then. He would not have laid a single hand on you, Pinkamena," she stated.
I stated at the scene, my eyes tearing up angrily as I watched. It reminded me of what I had lost. What I had almost been submitted to.
"I understand your pain. It's not easy when somepony you love is turned against you. Let this give you comfort: You can still save her. She is not gone. She was simply transported into a dark galaxy, having fallen to the darkness already," she said, stroking my mane with a hoof as I cried.
My sister... Poor, poor Pinkie... I should never have hurt you like I did.
"It is not your fault. Though you feel as if you must atone, it was simply the darkness taking a new host. Grieve as you must, but remember: It was never your fault."
She stopped stroking my mane, walking away and simply watching me.
"You and Pinkie are both more important than you realize. Your fate's have been written in the script of time for eons. For you, the destiny of being the starlit goddess. Or rather, the Angel of Life. For her... The destiny of the Angel of Darkness," she says quietly.
She turns and stares into the distance, watching as the battle between Silence and the Crimson King commenced.
"He did not survive. He gave his life so that you could escape. He was one of my most loyal angels."
What...
No...
Silence couldn't have...
I...
I suddenly felt weak. My sister and the one I loved, both gone. One to the dark, one to death. I had nopony left.
I watched as a battle that I would forever remember continued. I knew Silence was giving his all in this fight. I could practically see reality distort as he fought. He always did enjoy glitching everything.
It was his specialty. Ever since I met him, he'd always use glitches to fight.
What was he thinking...
I saw the Crimson King smile. He was enjoying that battle. He had finally met somepony that could stand up to him.
Silence was using everything he had, every trick up his sleeve, every ace in the deck, every trap card he owned. But it still wasn't enough.
The King caught him unawares, thrusting a hidden dagger into his neck.
Silence fell, but managed to get back up. Then he did what he had told me he would never unless he had to. He used his own life force to glitch reality into collapsing.
"A move he had to make. The Crimson King was a danger. He had to be eliminated. So Silence did the unthinkable: He destroyed that universe, using the divine trump card I gave him - a spell he learned from me, meant to coalesce energy and collapse it all on himself. He died a hero, Pinkamena," she said, waving a hoof and dismissing that memory.
I stared at the goddess accusingly. She saw it happen, why couldn't she do anything? She's supposed to be all-powerful or something, so she should have BUCKING USED HER POWER.
"Calm yourself, Pinkamena. I am not your enemy. I cannot be everywhere at once. I have a single mortal body. Do not let Darkness take you as well," she said sternly.
She was right. I can't let my anger control me. I need to keep it together. For them.
I breathe, shoving my anger back down to manageable levels.
Valencia, who had been noticeably tense, breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
"Now. To understand the darkness, you must understand her. The Lady of the Darkness, Viros Exeat," she said, an image of somepony... Who looked exactly alike to her...?
She sighed sadly and simply stated "I am both. I am neither. I am a battle in itself."
"I am Dark. I am Light. I am the middle ground, the gray area. Yes, Pinkamena...
I am waging war with myself."
Author's Note
https://youtu.be/dK3IdNMl6HE
Maybe this describes our friendly neighbourhood goddess.
Part 2: Chapter 9: On the Road Again
'Sixty-two thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight rocks... Sixty-two thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine rocks...'
I've been walking for a few hours now. And that entire time, nothing has changed. It's been a wasteland of nothingness for ages, other than the occasional caw from a crow. I haven't even seen a tree. It makes me wonder how I'm even breathing right now.
It's gotten to the point where I've been counting rocks to stave off boredom. And even that tried-and-true way of Pinkies' is reaching the limit of its' effectiveness.
Also, the fact that I'm using Pinkies' way is proof of just how much I miss her. So much that I am apparently becoming more like her every hour. I actually caught myself bouncing along at one point, which is kinda scary.
'Sixty-two thousand nine hundred and thirty rocks... Wait, that's not a rock!'
My ears perk up as I give what I thought was a rock a closer inspection. It looked like a weird hunk of metal, but I've never seen that kind of shape before. I can only guess that it's a melted sword blade. I move on, not very intent on picking up strange items I have never seen before.
As I walked further along the path I had decided to take, I started to notice more and more of the chunks of metal, in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. I began to slow down, not wanting to run headlong into any sort of battle.
Soon enough, I was astonished to discover some kind of strange object in the middle of the field, burning and surrounded by the corpses of ponies. I have no idea where it came from or what it is for that matter, and so, I gave it a wide berth. That did not, however, help me avoid the weird stick I had pressed against the side of my skull.
"Stop right there, changeling!" said a familiar raspy voice. Immediately, I noticed quite a few ponies rise from their hiding places with what I assumed were the same black sticks that the familiar one was holding. All the black stick things were pointed directly at me.
"Why are you here, changeling?!" growled the familiar voice.
"Oh, hey, Dashie. I thought I pulled your number back in the Grimdark," I said teasingly, putting up my usual insane facade. It seemed to work on a few of the ponies pointing their sticks at me, but Dashie just kept pushing her stick into my skull.
"You aren't fooling anyone! Lieutenant Pie, bring out whatever changeling detection stuff we have," she ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am!" said a familiar alternate version of me, as she pulled some green cream-like stuff out of the pocket dimension in her mane. And yes, Pinkie has a pocket dimension in her mane. My version of it is openable by my knife, but that's another story.
Alternate me opened the jar and pulled some of it out, then smeared it on my face. I decided to kick my insanity up a notch.
"Awww, how rude... You didn't even get my permission. Oh well, I'll make sure you pay when your number comes up, heheheheh..." I said, adding extra evil to the laugh at the end as I began glowing with radiant light.
I heard Dashie gasp as she backed away from the glow.
"What... What are you?" she said, her pupils shrinking.
I just smirk.
"I can be your worst nightmare or your best friend. You choose."
She was charging at me, looking like she was gonna kill me with her bare hooves, regardless of her entire squad yelling at her to calm down.
So, I did the sensible thing and defended myself.
Noting the incoming passage of Dashie, I simply dodged to the side. Not wanting to hurt her, I didn't strike back, instead attempting to talk to her.
"Dashie, C'mon! You didn't let me finish what I was going to say!" I said, dodging yet another punch as she twisted around and launched one at my face.
"Shut up! Just shut up!" She growled, now launching a flurry of blows, catching me on a few of them.
'Damn, she's fast! I don't want to be forced to hurt her, but I may not have a cho- OOF!'
Dashie fronted to the left before dealing me a nasty right hook to the side of the head, actually managing to toss me a few feet. I slid to a stop and just lay there for a few moments before getting yet another blow to the stomach, two hooves winding me.
Following up, she punched me in the head, kicked me in the side, ripped a bit of my mane out, seeming to want to inflict as much pain as possible.
Finally, I had enough. If she wasn't going to listen, I would force her to.
At last, my GrimDark managed to reach me in the universe I was in. I think it had more to do with divine power than anything, but I felt the strength I had been missing return to me... Somehow... Increased.
The markings that had been on my chest began to glow, as I began to feel good ol' insanity return to me.
I took several more punches and kicks, simply taking my sweet time getting up as I began to giggle maniacally.
"Well, if you won't listen... I wouldn't mind another pair of wings for my dress.... Ooh, and maybe that Cutie Mark! Two Dashies, won't that confuse everypony?" I asked, and before their very eyes, the dress I had customized to be much easier to wear during combat appeared, along with my trusty old knife.
I, of course, wore both of them.
I could hear the rest of the ponies start to back away, whimpering. They probably could feel the horrors of the GrimDark from where they were. Tartarus, even Dashie had stopped for a bit, startled by my sudden transformation.
I giggled at her expression before tapping her snout and blowing her back a few meters with my favourite energy attack.
She looked like a missile as she slammed into the large hunk of metal she had called a ship. She left a dent in it and definitely looked like she had felt that attack. Ah, suffering. How I missed doling you out.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not evil right now. And no, I didn't kill Dashie, even though I probably broke her legs. And her wing...
Ok, Ok, I know I shouldn't have done that, but I haven't registered the full amount of power miniature star gave me. Jeez, let me be... A mare deserves to be insane sometimes.
Anyway. I approached her at a leisurely stroll, waiting to see if she got up. Of course, being the overly-brave Pegasus she is, she eventually got up when I was a little bit away and flew up.
"Awww, little Dashie, flying away like the cowardly loser she is," I said, knowing for a fact that she was gonna get angry cause of that one.
Yep, there it was. She immediately growled and divebombed, hoof outstretched to punch me.
Regardless of how fast she was, however, I was faster. Simply turning into a pink most made her slam headfirst into the ground, leaving her with a pretty nice concussion.
After that, I kicked it up a notch and began mistwalking around her, solidifying only to break a bone every so often, or get a slash of a knife in. At this point, her squad had opened fire on me, and I had to mistwalk to not get hit. It was getting a bit annoying, so, I shot a few energy balls in their direction, felling several of them.
Well, blood is the cost of manifestation, after all. Might as well.
Needless to say, they dived for cover after seeing the first barrage. Just to make sure they stayed there, I also made sure to create a wall of energy and set it to attack the first head it saw.
Afterwards, I continued beating and breaking the broken Dashie. She was at the point where she was in so much pain, she was literally begging me not to continue. With tears streaming down her snout... Hehehe.
I wanted to keep going, but remembering the words of the goddess, I calmed myself down from the bloodlust I had been going through.
That was when I heard a groan of disappointment from beside us.
Chapter 12: Discords' Deal
"Oh, why did you stop? It was just getting good!" complained a voice beside me, which I immediately turned to discover the source of.
It was Discord himself.
"Oh. Hiya, Discord! Come to die already?" I asked cheerfully, brandishing my knife and waving it in a circle, while I stood on my hind legs.
Pinkie's not the only one who can break the laws of physics, y'know.
"Oh, honestly, that's quite adorable, Pinkamena. However, you will find that I am not here to fight. Instead, I have come with an offer for you, one you may find quite compelling," he said, snapping his claw and transporting a table, piece of paper, quill, and two chairs, one of which he sat on and one I sat on.
"What could you offer that I'd want, silly?" I asked in the most Pinkie Pie tone of voice I could manage. I was actually quite interested in knowing.
"Oh, nothing really... Power... Servants... Your sister who you're here looking for..." he said.
My blood turned cold.
"How... How do you know about that? I thought I was convincing!" I said, dropping the act since he had seen right through it.
"My... Employer, shall we say, has been very interested in you. You and your sister. You both play an extremely important role in the fate of the multiverse. And considering you landed in my Equestria..." he said, transporting a singing teacup to his hand, now wearing a red velvet vest with a black silk tie and sporting glasses that appeared to be upside-down.
"Employer? What are you talking about?" I demanded.
"Calm down, Miss Pie. We have time. Considering I've frozen it for a while. Would you like some refreshments?" he asked, calm and collected as he offered a plate of cucumber sandwiches. I just gave him a look of 'really'.
"Oh! Well, silly me! I forgot you can't eat vegetables anymore. Blood is the cost of manifestation, was it?" he said, making the cucumber sandwiches disappear and replacing them with several cupcakes that looked suspiciously like the ones I made in the GrimDark.
Wait.
Did he just say a line of the prophecy? How much does he know?!
"You're... Well-informed, I see," I stated, keeping a straight face and hiding my emotions as best I could.
"Ohh, it's nothing. I simply asked to be informed of a few pieces of information. Now, back to the matter at hand, hm?" He responded, bringing my attention back to the piece of paper and placing the quill and inkwell by my hoof.
I stared down at the piece of paper, the words swimming due to the fact they got more boring as I kept reading. Soon, I just raised my head and simply asked the only question that mattered.
"What is this for?"
"Well, I'm glad you asked! This is a lovely contract that grants you a place by my side as ruler of this Equestria! It comes with benefits such as the ability to truly use chaotic magic and energies to their full potential, the ability to call yourself the Queen of Equestria, multiple powerful servants including Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, Empress Daybreaker, Princess Nightmare Moon... Oh yes, and the ability to have your sister back without having to fight your way through millions of universes to do so. Oh, and might I add that you have no requirement to be with me in any way, unlike what that pesky Crimson King wanted to do to you," he stated with a smile, a floating checklist made of cotton candy clouds right next to him with a checkmark in every box.
I rolled my eyes.
"What's the catch?" I asked.
"Ah, yes, always read the fine print, hm? Very well," he said, his smile still there, albeit a tone of displeasure in his voice. With a snap of his fingers, he began reading the piece of paper, tracing his talon over the words as they moved into place in the air.
"As a result of gaining the benefits listed above, the signer must not end Discords' reign, blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah... Ugh, these things are so legal and boring. Not like chaos. Chaos is much more fun," said Discord, causing a few hunks of metal to sprout legs and begin walking.
"Now, what do you say, Miss Pie? Do you feel as if you'd like to sign this contract?" he asked, an innocent smile on his face.
Too innocent... He couldn't have known about those things unless he heard it from the Goddess, and he would've been told to say he was an envoy... And the fact that he said Employer as if he was referring to some entity not of this plane...
"Nope," I said with a slight smile.
As if in shock, Discord, who had been lying back on a sunchair with a beach shirt and sunglasses on, spit out his drink.
"No? Why on Equis not?" he asked, placing a claw in his ear and pulling out a walking hunk of metal, which promptly jumped on the ground and started running away.
"I don't trust you enough," I responded.
My brow furrowed as Discord stared at me, breaking out into laughter.
"And is that your final answer?" he asked, leaning forward.
"Final answer," I responded, my body tensing up.
"Very well, then. I suppose if you don't want to..." he said with a smile, clasping his talons and paw together.
"I'll just have to force you to."
Chapter 13: What Can I Do?
Discord snapped his talons, making everything he had created disappear, and before I could react, he reached over and grabbed my head, casting a spell.
I heard a single forcible word in my head in his voice.
"Follow," his voice said.
Against my will, my hooves complied.
He walked to a spot far enough away from the ship before forcing time back to normal and teleporting us to what appeared to be the Castle of Friendship in this world.
"You will accept this power and these servants. They are bound to you by blood. You will reign as my second-in-command. You are to spread terror at least once a day," his voice ordered.
"As a result of these privileges, you will not attempt to disrupt my reign. You will not interfere in Lord Balroths' plans," he said, before adding something as an afterthought. "You will kill and ingest a single pony a day. You will torture a single pony a day before releasing them. If you fail me, you will be turned to stone. Are these orders clear?"
I heard myself speak, my pride recoiling as I did so.
"Yes, Master Discord," I said against my will.
"Good," he stated before teleporting away, leaving only a small puddle of chocolate milk and the dying remnants of wild laughter.
I was seated on a throne in a rebuilt friendship map room. I couldn't do anything, I felt trapped in my own mind. I was too busy fighting off this... This... Mind control... To be able to move.
I could feel sweet release... If I just gave in, stopped fighting... If I went back to my primal instincts... I would be so much happier...
But every time I felt like I was close to giving up, I could hear Pinkie, back before she was brainwashed, begging me not to do so, to fight a little longer, if only for her and not myself.
And I think that's why, eventually, I managed to lock that urge in the back of my mind. I may still be bound by it, but I sure as Tartarus won't let it control me.
The only thing I worry about is how I can accomplish my mission now. How can one find a way out when a forced oath caused them to do everything they didn't want to do? And it didn't help that if I failed at all, I would be turned to stone... Then I'm sure the multiverse would be doomed.
I can't let this continue... I need to find a way to reverse the oath.
On the bright side, I know where Luna is now. Looks like she wasn't missing or dead... She's Nightmare Moon, but at least I can keep an eye on her. She is one of my servants at the moment.
The other one is a blast from my past... Heh... Rainbow Factory Dash. Sadly, not my GrimDarks', but still. Better to have a familiar face nearby.
They do everything I want... I get the feeling he placed them fully under my control, but I don't know how to use mind control.
As for the power... Ugh... Tendrils of weird multicoloured energy. I mean, they provide an easy way to hold multiple things, but fairly useless unless I want multiple energy blasts. They can be summoned out and in, handy. I guess.
I have a jeweled hairband that I hate, but have to grudgingly admit looks good on me. I dunno what it does. Hopefully something I can use.
I need to think.
"Hey, Hey, Mena! C'mere!" somepony said.
I continued staring at the whimpering, sobbing lump that used to be a pony on my torture table. It was common for Factory Dash to call on me at this time, asking if I needed anything before leaving me to the high I always got from torturing somepony. I decided that I would give her a response.
"I don't need anything, Factory Dash," I said, continuing to tap the knife blade against my hoof, cutting myself a bit without realizing.
"No, this is actually important. Somepony calling herself Natuura wants to check on your work for Discord or something," she said.
My ears perked up.
"Excuse me? Natuura?" I asked to confirm.
"I can just send her off for you if you want," Factory Dash said.
"No, No... Send her in," I stated.
"Ooookay. Sure thing," she responded, retreating from the room and returning a few moments later with a familiar dragon pony in tow.
I was just about to open my mouth and greet her before I noticed the warning look in her eyes and the slight head tilt towards Factory Dash.
I adopted a more neutral expression before speaking.
"Hello, Miss... Natuura. What business do you have with the liege of Discord, Lord of Chaos?" I said, using the usual greeting that unlucky ponies who wandered in the castle got.
Upon hearing that, the whimpering lump of flesh on the table started begging me not to torture another victim. I rolled my eyes and shot some tranquilizer into the flesh lump, knocking it out instantly.
I turned back to Natuura, who had adopted a convincing look of nervousness on her face.
"Err... Is that... Your work, Lady Pinkamena?" she asked, adding a shakey tone to her voice.
"Why yes, lovely Rose here is indeed my work. Would you like to experience it first hoof?" I asked, adding a twisted smile at the end.
"U-Uh... No, thank you..." Said the goddess, and this time I could tell she actually was a bit scared. Understandable, what with having a mortal body and all...
I wonder what she would taste like?
No, no, don't let it control me now! Please...
Just one taste...
Just one...
"Oh. Disappointing. Oh well. Factory Dash?" I said, finally having to rest from fighting my instincts.
Factory Dash hit Valencia over the head.
I sharpened my blade with a maniacal smile on my face. She was strapped to the table with an inhibitor ring on her horn. I was excited to finally taste a goddess. Maybe I would finally become one myself, heheh...
My smile fades a bit as I feel like I forgot something. Was this goddess important...? No, I don't think so.
Valencia woke up at last, and immediately, her eyes contracted in fear. Imagine that. A goddess feeling fear... Her wings would look beautiful on my dress... And her Cutie Mark... Even her flawless horn... She was a perfect addition to my collection.
"P-Pinkamena... Th-this isn't who you are..." she said, attempting to convince me to let her go.
"Oh, this has always been who I am, silly! I just never listened to my instincts. I fought them for a long time! But not anymore, heehee..." I said, giggling maniacally.
"P-Pinkamena, you don't understand! If I die, reality itself will end! I'm the only thing keeping it together!" she begged.
"Oh, silly, once you're dead, I can take over! After all, I do plan on eating you. Just like Master Discord said to do," I reply, with a bright and cheerful smile.
"Y-You're g-going to do w-what to me?!" she squealed, her terror obvious.
"Well, firstly... I'm gonna cut out your horn," I giggle.
I adjust my blade.
Author's Note
Be warned: Large amounts of gore in the next chapter. I have two warnings because it's that important. This one is for you guys who want to know what really happens in the basement. ;)
Chapter 15: Torturing a Goddess
Author's Note
Warning: This chapter contains large amounts of gore. Do not read this chapter unless you're fine with that.
Chapter 15: Torturing a Goddess
"Pinkamena, please! You have to understand that I'm on your side! Don't lose yourself to the darkness, please!" She begged.
I simply laughed and began cutting out the horn with practiced ease, expertly slicing without hitting any arteries. With a pop, the entire horn came out. I licked the blood off the bottom and hung it on my necklace. A beautiful alicorn horn, right in the middle of the unicorn ones.
To her credit, and my annoyance, Valencia didn't scream, only grit her teeth with silent tears rolling down her cheeks. I rolled my eyes and licked my blade.
"I'm surprised you didn't scream. Thankfully, there's plenty of time for that. Anyway, next up are the wings. They're going to look amazing on my dress," I giggle.
"Pinkamena... Why are you doing this? You're an agent of light... Not darkness," she groaned.
"Hmhmhmmmm... Huh? Sorry, didn't catch that," I said, aligning a saw to her wing.
Her terror returned in full force and I could see her try to yank her wing back. I punched her in the face.
"Now, now, I won't have you ruining my new wings. They're perfect," I said grouchily, before bringing the now-active saw down and sliced through her wing with ease.
She whimpered in agony at this, barely holding in the full-throated scream she was about to give. I picked up the wing, licked the blood off the end, and placed it gently aside.
I moved the saw to the next wing and was about to bring it down when Valencia gave a desperate cry.
"Please, Pinkamena! Don't do this! I-I don't want to die!" she begged, tears rushing down her snout.
"Welllll, that's why they all say! And my answer never changes," I giggle, before catching her unawares with a cut from the saw. She gasped in pain as I slowly and excruciatingly cut downwards, leaving the wing on by only a small amount of skin, which I tore off right afterwards, finally getting a cry of pain.
"Ooh, it's much more fun when they scream!" I said happily.
At this point, Valencia was crying like a little filly. I giggled and pretended to comfort her.
"Awww, you're so cute when you're being tortured," I giggled, using my knife to mark out a point to cut her Cutie Mark off from.
Afterwards, I took my adrenaline and injected it in her neck so she would stay awake.
"Can't have you falling asleep on the job, can we?" I commented, stabbing my blade into her skin and cutting out her Cutie Mark.
She screamed this time, her body practically jumping up and down from the pain. I stared at the Cutie Mark, wondering if I should cut out a bit of my own skin and sew it on.
I shrugged and lay it on the trolley before attending to the other one, cutting it out and getting another scream of agony. I studied it again, staring at my own flank in deep thought. I smirk and nod.
"I'm gonna do the first step of replacing you now," I said, holding up her Cutie Mark to show her.
Unfortunately, she was rude enough to go unconscious, so I connected her to my generator and gave her a good shock.
She screamed and screamed as she got electrocuted before I turned it off and jammed another adrenaline syringe into her neck.
She looked at me with tears in her eyes as I glared at her.
"That's rude, falling asleep. How would you like it if I came to your place for a special get-together and I fell asleep, huh? Aren't you a Goddess? Aren't you supposed to be strong? Meanie," I said.
"Pink... Pinkamena... P-Please... No more..." She whimpered as she bled.
I rolled my eyes and used an energy tendril to sear her wounds shut. She whimpered.
Finally, I showed her the Cutie Mark.
"As I was saying, this is the first step to replacing you!" I said angrily, bloody knife, needle, and thread ready to go.
I cut into my own flank, enjoying every moment of it, and cut out one of my own Cutie Marks, placing it to the side. Afterwards, I begin sewing Valencia's Cutie Mark onto my own, her own blood and all. After I finished, I giggled.
"That looks great! Should heal at some point, too, if Master Discords' magic works! Now... What to do next?" I said.
Valencia stared at me in shock, not only from the pain, but the fact I had just cut out my own Cutie Mark and replaced it with hers.
"Welllll, the wings and horn are done... The Cutie Marks are done... Ooh, my favourite part comes next!" I say, clapping my front hooves together.
"What... What more can you do..." She groaned.
"Eat you alive, of course! You'll taste fine. I think. Hmmm... I'm gonna cut your belly open first, though," I say, doing exactly that and getting a bit of a blood spray in the face plus a cry of pain as a result. I smirk.
Licking my lips, I suddenly realize I'm really, really hungry. Hungry enough to eat a horse...
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to take this. An all-powerful being, fighting an inner war? I had thought goddesses were perfect in every way.
"As we speak, Pinkamena, forces of evil are looking to separate me into two, one good, one evil. One light, and one dark. You see, Viros is to me as you are to Pinkie. A Tulpa, a self-aware mental construct. She cannot separate from me, for I cast a spell causing it to be impossible. If these dark forces succeed in their task to break my spell... I do not want to know what would happen."
She turned back to me, her radiant aura now having streaks of darkness within it before they fade.
"You are my only hope. You must stop them from succeeding in their task. The entire multiverse is at stake."
"And if they do cause the darkness to separate from within me... I need to know you're willing to fight for me."
She looks at me, and for the first time, I can see desperation in her eyes. I know how she feels... I am the same way with Pinkie.
She needs me. Apparently the multiverse needs me. How can one single mare, a mare who isn't even that important in her own world, be so important for reality itself? I can't understand. My confusion rises.
"I know it's a lot to take in. But we do not have enough time. Even now, the multiverse is turning to darkness ever so steadily.
You have to be ready, Pinkamena, when the time comes. You have to make sure you escape the world you are in back to your own. There, and only there, can you begin your duty," she says, turning her back again, her aura darkening slightly.
"Goodbye, Pinkamena. And good luck."
And with that... I am awash in a swath of bright light.
I'm back where I was before the goddess brought me to her memories. Alone, behind a rock, with Big Red lumbering off into the distance.
I try to collect myself, trying to put into perspective what I have to do. My mind, of course, immediately goes to 'the entire multiverse is counting on you.'
That wasn't comforting at all.
I see movement to my left and jump before realizing that it's just a crow, coming down to feed on one of the corpses lying on the ground.
My nerves are a wreck.
'Ok... First things first, Mena. You need to find someplace to shelter,' I think to myself before realizing that there's no sign of 173 and Drago.
That's real great. Alone as usual. I really need to get used to everypony either dying or being taken away from me. I sigh.
Getting up, I look around at the ruins of the worship cathedral around me. I pick the opposite direction that the Big Red went and start trotting.
Let's hope I can find someplace to hide soon.
Chapter 10: You've got to be kidding me
"Discord?!?! " I said, honestly surprised at what Dashie had just said.
"Yes... He caused this war. He corrupted the CMC... Made Princess Luna, our only leader, go missing... He even twisted Princess Celestia.
Me and my crew are all that's left of the Resistance. It's up to us to save Equestria... But with Rarity gone, Twilight and Applejack missing... All we have left of the Elements are me, Pinks, and Flutters," she explains, kicking a stone with a hoof.
"Well then..." I say, looking at a hoof with a bored expression as it began glowing, much to the nervousness of the rest of the ponies. "You might need my help, hm?"
I hate putting up this false facade of being evil and insane, it's just not who I am anymore. But if it'll scare them into letting me help... I need to do it.
See, I know where I am. I am currently in a universe that is in the Veil. Fighting for dominance between dark and light. And if I can save this universe and escape... I can help the cause.
And something tells me... Discord must have something that can help me escape... He has to.
"You... Want to help us? I'm not against it, it's just... You're just a pony like us. What makes you think you'll be able to stop this war?" Dashie asked.
I couldn't help but giggle at that, considering the fact that I am certainly no normal pony.
"Oh, Dashie... Do you really think I'm a 'normal' pony like the rest of you?" I asked quietly.
"Well, yeah-" she begins before I interrupt her.
"Why don't you ask your 'Lieutenant' about the alternate self in her head?" I said, smirking, as this world's Pinkie gasped and began trembling.
"Wait... How could you know that? She's not told anypony about it since that thing got out of her head!" said Dashie in confusion.
"Dashie... Do you not question why her and I look the same? Seriously?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"You... You're a servant of Discord! You said that was where you were going!" Dashie yelled, spreading her wings to their full extent in the common Pegasi defense posture.
"Whoa, whoa, wait... That's what she said? That she was going to become a servant? Of Discord?" I asked, unwilling to believe that this alternate version of me would be so eager to serve.
"Yeah! That is what you said! And I don't like traitors!" She roared before charging at me.
Chapter 16: What Have I Done?
I stare at the glistening, juicy-looking intestines surrounded by blood. I can't help but take a few gulps of that blood before I look for the least important organ.
Finding it, I jam another adrenaline syringe into Valencia's neck. She gasps, suddenly much more awake than before. I smile and say "Wakey-Wakey, Liver and Brainy, silly," I giggle, pulling out her liver. Her eyes widen in shock as I bite into it, swallowing it in two bites.
Next, I go for her kidneys, reaching in both front hooves and accidentally burying my head in her intestines. When I manage to get out, I see her gagging in pain and her blood covering me. I clean myself off with my tongue, swallowing all the blood I can. I then eat both kidneys.
Not wanting to pull another organ out, I begin biting her and tearing strips of flesh off her body. As the blood lust overcomes me, all I can hear is her screams as I feast on her body.
Eventually, I realize that there is nothing left but bones and blood where she was. I also realize that I can hear her in my mind, basically sobbing.
At last, I manage to fight back the instincts to kill and collapse to the ground in shock at what I had just done.
Some time later, I feel Valencia mentally nudging me awake, though quite apprehensively.
"Valencia... I'm so sorry... I couldn't control it..." I whimper, before she silences me.
"I'm glad that you're back to normal, but you are unfortunately going to have to deal with me in your head, as I have nowhere else to go. That was very foolish, Pinkamena," she growls, her trembling tone betraying her terror of me.
"If it makes you feel any better, you... Um... Tasted great?" I say, not really helping matters.
She pauses and simply says "Wonderful."
I sigh and place my head in my hooves.
"Ain't this a predicament..."
