Dark Pony Brotherhood

A Sister?

The Ponyville clinic was a poorly funded endeavor, barely given enough funds for medical equipment, and the tent in which it resides. Though they have been lucky in that the only things they have had to deal with were the average cold and flu and the occasional injuries due to accidents, more serious or mysterious cases were sent to Canterlot, which had great hospitals, the orange haired pediatrician was also the best in his field. But the understaffing and supply issue wasn’t so apparent until the “baked bads” incident only a year ago. If not for the volunteers they may have even lost a pony or two due to the food poisoning.

But this all seemed to be over sighted by the doctor for the clinic, much to the dismay of Nurse Redheart. Redheart was more than a qualified physician and she wanted nothing more than to be a doctor in her own right, but she needed training from a doctor in a hospital or clinic, and since she spent much of her youth in Ponyville, she decided to join the clinic there to do what help she could. It aggravated her that the doctor that was supposed to be teaching her cared little for the wellbeing of the Ponyville residence.

When her three years of training were up, and she asked him to sign her out so she could get her full medical license, he plainly refused and stated that ‘Mare’s shouldn’t be doctors.’ This had shocked her, and disgusted her. She went on and on to try and prove him wrong, but he would always say it was some kind of luck, and in one tough case, he stole the credit for her work.

Redheart was raised all her life not to hate anypony, but this ‘doctor’ had pushed her beliefs beyond their breaking point.

She kept quiet about her hatred for him for so long. But not today.

Today she had went into his privet room in the local boarding house, which they both resided in, to look for him, but found that he had a large sum of bits in bags hidden under his bed. She knew what it was from. About a month ago the townponies of Ponyville had pulled together enough bits in donations to pay for a complete clinic. One that was properly sterile for proper practice of medicine, one which could hold more doctors and nurses to take care of the ponies of the town properly in case anything serious happens.

But only a few days after the donations were given to the doctor, he declared them missing, stating that they were likely stolen.

‘They were stolen alright,’ thought an angry Redheart as she stormed to clinic tent to confront the doctor. She entered to find his back to her, he was writing down something on the clipboard. She was about to speak up.

But then stopped.

‘What’s the point? He’ll just deny it, and will probably claim I stole it and planted it there. The bastard would pin something like that on me,’ she suppressed a growl, and felt like she was trapped. She hated him. She hated him with all her being. It was him that kept her from being a doctor. It was him who would rob the good ponies of Ponyville of proper healthcare to line his own pockets. And she couldn’t do anything about it. She felt her hatred and anger build up, along with the feeling of helplessness.

She hated that most. Not being able to do anything that would likely matter in the long run. She stared at his back. He either didn’t know she was there yet, or didn’t acknowledge her. She then noticed something shinning on the metal tray next to her. She looked down.

It was a scalpel.

They hadn’t needed to use them much, but they were always cared for and sharp as can be.

She picked it up, and held it in her teeth, and crept closer and closer to the object of all that made her angry, and helpless.

The inside of the clinic tent, was redder than it had ever been before.

…….

Lucien smiled and was lost in thought as he strolled down the street. His mind was still on the prospect of having found a listener so soon. He had already begun thinking of how he could bring her into the embrace of the Dark Brotherhood. He would have to put it on hold for the time being. He still had much to do before he could make the Brotherhood fully active in this world.

It was while he was having these thoughts, and while trotting by the clinic that he felt a strange tug. He had felt it before in his past life. He had begun to recognize it as Sithis giving his a nudge in the direction he was meant to go. He looked curiously to where he felt the mental tug. The clinic tent. There was a dark and familiar energy within. His eyes widened at the possibilities and he moved inside slowly.

……..

Nurse Redheart held the dripping scalpel in her teeth, staring at the mess in front of her. She had snuck up right behind him, forced the scalpel into his back, and cut his lung. She forced him to the ground before he could make a scream for help. She stared into his frightened eyes that seemed to plead for mercy. The only mercy she would give him, was a quick end. She slashed his throat, his arteries sprayed blood onto the floor and walls of the clinic tent, and on her as well. She looked much more fitting for her name now.

She just stared at the corpse of the doctor. The pony she hated. She didn’t hate him anymore, she was happy he was gone, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt anypony anymore with his greed and prejudice. This corpse wasn’t going to hurt anyone, it couldn’t. She just then began to notice, that she had taken a life. She did what doctors were supposed to never do.

But she didn’t care about that. She felt a smile on her face. There was something beautiful about death. Purifying even. She had feared it so much till now. But seeing the motionless pony before her.

Breathless.

Thoughtless.

And Sinless pony.

There was an answer for ponies like him. Their actions and sins meant nothing to her once they were dead. It just felt so clean despite being covered in blood.

It was then she noticed a presence in the tent besides herself and the dead doctor. She turned, and saw the dark form she knew as Lucien Lachance. She half expected the first pony to see this scene to be frightened, or try to restrain her. She hadn’t expected him.

Or his pleased grin.

“A bit messy, but so well done, is this your first murder?” he asked her.

She was taken aback. She was brought back from the trance that the kill had put her in. She regained her senses, and registered what he said. “O-of course it is,” she said.

“You’re a natural killer, strange you pick a career to care for lives, but there is little wrong with prolonging a poor souls agony,” he said, walking towards her.

“So, how did it feel?” he asked her.

“E-excuse me?” she was shocked that he asked her this in such a calm manner. This was now how a pony should act at seeing this scene. She knew that. It was difficult for her to think.

“The first kill, I find everyone feels differently about their first time, especially depending on the situation.”

She stared at him, before her gaze hardened, and she thought deeply.

How did she feel?

Good?

Yes that was it. It was good. No, it was better. It was like when she was given morphine for a broken leg in her teenage years. Everything just became wonderful for what seemed like a few seconds mixed with eternity.

Her gaze softened as she looked to the dark pony before her, and she smiled as well, “it was wonderful,” she told him, seeing his grin widen at her answer.

“In that case, I would extend an invitation, to join a rather unique family,” he offered her.

“Family?” she asked him.

“The Dark Brotherhood, we’re servants of Sithis, the Dread Father, agents of death itself,” he explained.

Her eyes brightened, “I can do this to more ponies?” she asked, looking down to the dead pony in the tent. The prospect of it was exciting.

“Yes, but the family is not yet complete, so we can’t just kill anypony we wish,” he told her, coming close to her. “Do you wish to be part of our loving family? And serve our Dread Father?” he asked her, staring into her eyes.

She nodded, “yes, yes I do, I want to kill in the name of Sithis,” she said.

Lucien smiled to her, and embraced her as he had done with a large red stallion not so long ago. “Then welcome to our family, dearest sister of the Night,” he said to her.

He broke the embrace and looked to the dead pony on the floor. “We will need to clean this up, and it is best if you play doctor for the time being,” he instructed her, and then looked her in the eye. “It wouldn’t do any of us any good if your new taste in art was discovered by those who would not appreciate it,” he told her.

She nodded, and helped pick up the body. They wrapped it up in gauze and put it in the medical freezer, that barely had enough room for the body, but they couldn’t move it until tonight. Taking a gauze covered corpse through town in the middle of the day would just raise too many questions.

They then went to work cleaning the tent and Redheart herself of any blood that was around. They used the bleach that the clinic kept on hand to clean blood in the event of somepony bleeding out.

Nurse Redheart mused at how this was the first time it was ever used.

After they finished cleaning, Lucien smiled to her, “I’ll come tonight, to help dispose of the body, I’ll bring our brother so you can meet him as well, I’ll also explain everything you need to know,” he promised her.

She nodded, her heart beating fiercely in her chest with anticipation. “I’ll keep working the clinic, to make sure nopony suspects anything,” she said. Her thoughts went to the doctor. “He had stolen money that was to be used for building a new clinic,” she said. “Funny, now it seems so trivial,” she said.

Lucien smiled to her, “Like I said, there is no shame is caring for ponies that haven’t been marked for Death, it will just prolong their life, so that one day we may kill them ourselves,” he told her.

In this she felt more proud, it was like she could indulge in her new fascination with death, but stay true to her dream of being a doctor. The thought of being in control of life and death as she was, was intoxicating. The dark pony in front of her seemed like a dark angel of death as well.

He gave her another smile, and turned to leave, and exited the now clean clinic, as if nothing had happened.

Inside Nurse Redheart was left with her thoughts. And a smile was on her face as she noticed a small spot of blood that they had missed on her hoof.