Chapters Blood of the Scorpion (Rewrite)
Everfree Forest Pov: Strychnine
A thousand years ago, I was imprisoned by the two sisters, and left in this forest to rot. However, they didn't account for the magic of the six to fade overtime. It took a while, even though the magic was nearly gone, to break free of that prison...but break free I did, and now I have one goal. To find the two sisters, and beg for forgiveness. Five hundred years ago I would have sought out revenge, but a lot has changed...both for the better, and for the worst.
I took a look around my former prison....there were many hoofprints...I had been visted before. Upon closer examination, I noticed there were three sets...couldn't tell what races they were...but there were here recently. Very recently. I followed the tracks to the treeline surrounding what was once my statue. I was not expecting them to have still been in the area...any sane pony would have ran for it the second the statue began to crack. To my suprise...and my chagrin...I saw three fillies. One Unicorn, One Pegasus with underdeveloped wings, and one Earth Pony. I looked to them with concern.
"Little ones it's unsafe for you to be here...stay where you are, I will come to yo-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA" The three fillies screamed, and fled to the east. I was shocked...they had quite the lungs on them
“Well, that was uncalled for...then again, I don’t exactly look like a fluffy bunny.” I said to myself, and it was true. My appearance was that of a monster. Black chitin, Scorpion tail, Two winding horns, Dark red eyes and mane. Similar to Fluffle Puff’s sister, but picture her form with a Scorpion tail!!! .
I moved to follow after them...best case scenario, they would lead me to a village that could send for aid from the crown...worst case scenario, they just picked a direction to flee and are about to run into a predator. I will not have the death of those children on my conscience.
Everfree/Ponyville border Pov Strychnine
I followed the hoofprints the foals left to find myself near what appeared to be a village. It looked to be a few decades old, no guards...which suprised me, given the close proximity to the everfree. But those concerns would have to wait...I needed to contact the royals. My approach to the town was unhindered....the few ponies that saw me either ran into housing, or froze in fear. I payed them no mind.
'It would appear not much has changed since I was incarcerated, I wonder...is there anyone here that could contact the sisters of harmony, or am I wasting my time here?' I thought to myself.
I was near what looked like townhall when, out of nowhere, I was rammed into by a blue blur. I was a bit shocked at first, seeing that the blur was a pegasus that had tried to tackle me...she had her forehooves wrapped around one of my legs, trying to pull me down I assume. It was not working, but the attempt in itself was admirable.
"You are not going to hurt ANYPONY!!" The blue pegasus mare yelled, before bucking me in the chest.
The buck did absolutely nothing to me. "So, you assume I'm here to hurt the populace of this village?" I ask, and she bucked me again. That one almost tickled. "I will take that as a yes. Might I know the identity of the pegasus assaulting me?" I ask, tilting my head with a smile
"Rainbow Dash, remember me as that one pegasus that KICKED YOUR FLANK BACK TO TARTARUS!!!" she said, bucking me twice.
"Or, in light of the many feeble attempts to harm my, I can remember you as the little pegasus that could." I say, giggling a bit, and receiving a whirlwind of bucks.
"Why wont you fall?" she asks, again grabbing onto my leg and pulling...panting heavily.
"I will not fall because you have done nothing to harm me...though your attempts are quite admirable. You would make a fine guardsmare with the proper training...you certainly have bravery for it." I again smile. I have no real reason to harm this pegasus, nor would I if I did. She is protecting her home after all. I would have done the same.
"Buck this, I'm getting Twilight." She says shortly before flying as fast as she can towards a tree, and entering it. Shortly after that I see green sparkly smoke rise up out of the house, and rush off in the direction of....a castle...on a mountain...how did I not notice that before. I shook my head, and looked back in the direction of the tree. A few seconds later, a purple alicorn ran out alongside Rainbow Dash.
'Ah...a princess....not the one I'm looking for however. I guess that was a message spell...why make it look like smoke though' I thought to myself....the new Alicorn watched me...I assume sizing me up...then she spoke.
"I DO NOT KNOW WHO...OR WHAT YOU ARE, BUT I'VE CONTACTED THE PRINCESSES. Y-YOU BETTER RUN WHILE YOU CAN!" She yelled. My my...she lacks confidence. A few years should fix that.
"Splendid, now all I have to do is wait." I said, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Do you happen to know when they will be here?"
"What? Wait, why aren't you running?" Rainbow Dash asked
"I have been looking forward to reuniting with them...after all, they imprisoned me. Only fitting I break out to check in on them. So when will they be here?" I ask, smirking a bit
"About...fifteen minutes maybe? thirty if she's i- Wait, why am I telling you this? WHAT SPELL DID YO-"
"Do you think it wise to yell at a possible threat?" I ask, clearly confusing the princess and her...heroine
"Wha-"
"Ah...you are one of those heroines. A thousand years ago, I would have taught you a painful lesson....but I am not the peron I once was." I said "Now, is there anywhere I can stay, besides Tartarus."
"How does the Canterlot dungeon sound Strychnine?" A fammilar voice asked
"Ahhh, Sunbutt...just the mare I've been looking for." I stand..and turn to her. "I am here to discuss terms of surrender"
" Equestria will never surrender to you!" She says, her horn sparking to life
"Oh no, my dear Celestia...daugther of Faust, and Dawnbringer...I do not mean the surrender of Equestria" I smile slightly, sitting back down "I mean mine"
Blood of the Scorpion (Rewrite)
Chapter 2: Talking with Royalty
Author's Note
Yep...gonna have to go back over this chapter once or twice, but so far I think it's going well.
Chapter 2: Talking with Royalty
Ponyville Pov: Strychnine
The Solar Sister stood there, astonished...that astonishment quickly melted into something akin to anger "What do you mean? This had better not be a trick."
I chuckle "I am not Chrysalis...tricks are not my business. Do you truly wish to know?"
"I do, Strychnine." Her horn grew bright for a time, and a large golden circle appeared on the ground around me. "What you stand in is a called a truth ring. Do you know what it does?"
I smile. "No. But I can draw conclusions based on the name. Tell me Sunbutt, do you remember when you broke into my Fortress all those years ago?"
She nodded "I do. You barely put up any fight"
"Allow me to explain why, but with a quote from a....dear friend of mine" I chuckle. " ' A farmer comes home one day to find that everything that gives meaning to his life is gone. Crops are burned, animals slaughtered, bodies and broken pieces of his life strewn about. Everything that he loved taken from him...his children. One can only imagine the pit of despair, the hours of Job-like lamentations, the burden of existence. He makes a promise to himself in those dark hours. A life's work erupts from his knotted mind. Years go by. His suffering becomes complicated. One day he stops, the farmer who is no longer a farmer, sees the wreckage he's left in his wake. It is now he who burns, he who slaughters, and he knows in his heart he must pay.' "
The three ponies before me stood in shocked silence....almost made me chuckle. After a few moments of silence, the new Alicorn spoke
"What happened?" She asked in a near whisper
"I will need you to be specific...quite alot has happend." I chuckle
"To you" She corrected
"Well you see...long before I was an Emperor...a Tyrant...I was a soldier. I was just another cog in the machine. It was me and my two friends...Drax, and Monarch. We served together for three years. Three long years, our hive was at war with the Draconaqui. After those three years...I was to go home. I was to go home to my loving wife...and my beautiful baby girl...but when I came home, I found my house in flames. Many soldiers did. Queen Scarlet had declared us as 'War Criminals' for following her orders...and had ordered our families exterminated. We confronted her...and when she admitted guilt, I was blinded by my rage. I did things that day I would rather leave unsaid...and afterwards my mind was clouded by rage, and grief. When I finally...woke, I guess you could say...I was shocked. When I looked back through the haze, I learned I too had slaughtered families...tortured the youth." I chuckle humorlessly at the pity I saw flash through their eyes "I dare say...had you and your sister not fought your way to me, I very well would have ended my own life."
I paused for a moment...to recollect my feelings "Now then, Celestia, Solar Princess of Equestria...do you accept my surrender?"
She did not reply. After a few minutes of her standing there, I thought I had put her into a state of shock...little did I know, I was soon to be the one shocked. "...no. I instead propose an alliance"
I laughed at that "And what do you hope to ally with? After all I have no Empire anymore, all I have is myself."
Her grin caught me off guard...her reply shooke me to my core. "No...Emperor. A few of your loyalists managed to escape me and my sister's forces. We don't know where they fled, but I have reason to believe they have made a hive somewhere within the western everfree" she smiles "Now then...about that alliance?"
I smirk "Celly, you know as well as I do that I need to talk with an advisor before any decisions are made. You go get yours, and I'll go see if I have one." I say...we both shared a laugh
Princess Celestia has grown soft...then again who hasn't. And now I'm off to find this hive, hopefully they'll have an advisor...if not, then I'm sure I can find someone that will work as a temporary advisor. After all how hard could it be?
Note to self...I should stop tempting fate with that line
Western Everfree Pov: Strychnine
Well...it took a few hours...but I found what looks to be the enterence to their hive...they even have a guard. I decided to land infront of him...just to see what he would do
He yelped, and had a spear to my throat within seconds "W-Who are you, and how did you find this place?"
"Emperor Strychnine, you moron. What other seven foot, two horned changeling with a scorpion tail do you know?" I retort
"Forgive me my liege, you landed in front of my bad eye..." he says
"Ahh, well is this better?" I ask, stepping into view of his other eye
"Yes sir. We have been waiting for you, our captain would like to have a word with you...if she isn't preoccupied." He says, before motioning me to follow him. He leads me to attempt near the center of the encampment. He then motioned me to stay put, and stepped inside. Then I noticed something I didn't whilst walking. There were Diamond Dogs in the hive...so therefore the captain had made a treaty with a Diamond Dog tribe. Or had beat their alpha into submission.
"The Captain will see you now sir." He said, poking his head out
"Well then, best not keep her waiting." I say, walking past him and into the tent
"Emperor Pointy tail, it is a pleasure to see you again." A familiar looking gryphon says
I stood there, shocked...only one gryphon has ever said that to me and lived to tell the tale "Silver? Is that you?" I ask
"Yep, good ta see ya alive." Silver responds
"But...how? I saw a pillar go down on yo-"
"That, is a story fer another day..." She asked, placing two bottles onto what looked to be a war map
"......Drinking contest?" I ask, hesitantly
"Yes, why? Don't tell me that little stone prison of yours made ya a lightweight!" She grins
I chuckle, taking one of the bottles in my magic "Buck no, I can still outdrink you!"
Blood of the Scorpion (Rewrite)
Chapter 3: Foes of Old, and Friends Anew
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Blood of the Scorpion (Rewrite)
Styrchinine: Tyrant of Pre-Equestria
Excerpt from Minotaurian History of the World Vol. 2 Equestria: Chapter 1, pg 343
His tail was not just for show, and was once said to able to kill a Hydra. Its venom would cause whatever was stung to convulse and scream in agony for 2 to 6 hours before death. There are even reports of Strychnine purposefully injecting low, nonlethal amounts of it to torture rebels for information, however this claim could be false, due to the lack of information reguarding the 'Rebellion' in his castles library.
Books, and reports found in his castle are written in old draconic, so translations are a bit sketchy at best. However from translated texts, we found he was indeed looking for something...but what he was looking for was never clearly stated. There are many theories on what Strychnine was looking for. Some say he wanted to harness the power of the Everfree Forest, others say he was trying to find the Elements befor the Princesses. He clearly failed to find what he was looking for...or perhaps he did.
When the two sisters entered his throne room to trap him with the elements, he did nothing...absolutely nothing to stop them. There are many sources that say that he had lost somebody close to him. It is also rumored that one of the two sisters used dark magic to keep him from fighting...but there is to little information to prove it true
There are still many things we do not know about Strychnine, such as how he came to power, and what species of changeling he really is, why he became a tyrant. There are still many mysteries that surround him, one day we hope to uncover the history of this tyrant...as the history left forgotten often proves to be the most dangerous.
This page goes on to describe the similarities of Strychnine and Sombra, and the possibility of those two being allies. But that is a story for another day.