In a dark and dank dungeon room was a adolescent Pegasus Pony strapped to a table by chains. She was a filthy thing, her cloud white coat stained and clumped to a brownish yellow with dirt and only gods knew what else. Her soft pink and yellow mane was frayed and tangled, stained like her coat. Her freckled face tear streaked and eyes glazed over to the point that one could be forgiven for thinking the mare a corpse if not for her slow, shallow breaths and lethargic heartbeat. The feathers of one of her wings was clipped. A pad less metal collar with glowing runes on its surface clasped around her neck. Her body stabbed with a assortment of needles in her legs, wings, neck and barrel, each linked by a tube to glass jars of varies bloods and potions.
A loud squeal of rusted hinges and bright florescent light heralded the return of one of her captures. The clip clop of hooves echoing in the mares ears. The blurry silhouette of a brown Unicorn came in to her view.
"Good morning PS-fifty six! nice to see you're recovering well,"- The Unicorn brushed the mare's pelvis, above one of her teats with their hoof, where a scar lay under the fur. A twitch was the only reaction from the mare. Her glazed over stare and blank expression not moving, -"Anyways. I've get another experiment!"
The Unicorn pulled out a jar with a squirming thing in it.
"Now. From animal testing, these little buggers seem to enhance cognitive ability!" the Unicorn said cheerily, as she opened the jar.
Something in the mare stirred, like a pin hole in the haze of her mind. The Unicorn levitated the creature and brought it to the mare's face. that hole growing bigger.
"Of course if this works like we think it does, we'll have to increase your dosage of will drain potion," the creature crawled to one of the mare's lilac eyes.
The mare gave out a whimper, as the creature slithered into the tear-duct of her right eye, lacking the energy for anything else.
"We'll see how you and your new friend get along"- the Unicorn picked up a cotton swab, and wiped the blood off the mare's eye before leaning in and giving a deep, prolonged kiss.
"Good test subject" The Unicorn withdrew after a minute and trotted to the corner of the room with a smile.
The mare listened to the clop of hooves, as the creature bit, chewed and ate through the inside of her head. The room fading to black.
The mare awoke with a jolt and the shaking rumble of stone. Her whole body feeling pins and needles. She shifted her head as the world came into focus, like lenses of a spyglass. the room she occupies once pitch dark, now so clear as if lit by sun light and empty. With startled and ragged breaths she pulled and tugged at her restraints, nearly tumbling when they broke with a metallic snap.
The Mare lifted a cuffed hoof to her face. Shock reverberating through her mind. How? Even without the bloods, drugs and potions, she was bound in steel chains. Yet despite the expected atrophy, her legs flexed and bulged like that of a Courier's.
now's not the time, Sunny. Save Night Glow, get outta here, then deal with crazy, Sunny thought as she hopped off the table, needles sliding out with a sting.
It was strange, at least one of her captors would be in the room. especially during one of their 'experiments'.
Sunny trotted to the door, her head on a swivel, her hoof falls light as to dampen their noise. Her chest and barrel felt like it was on fire, her blood boiling. What did those Ponies do to her? Did Night Glow suffer the same?
The door was ajar.
She froze. Something was seriously wrong here. They always kept the door locked, of that Sunny was certain. She cautiously nudged the door open with her muzzle, the familiar squeak ringing out in the silence.
The door lead out, into a stone hallway, florescent light lamps out and dark. Sunny trotted on to the hallway, peeking in the side rooms for her sister. The heat rising with every empty room or body that was not Night Glow.
No.
No.
No.
What in the hells is that? She paused. A mass of writhing flesh that looked if a mass grave was fused into one being. Mouths opening and closing in silent speech. spectral Clockwork moving and twisting in angles both possible and not.
Something about it sang to her.
With a shaking her head and a rumble of stone she teared her gaze away from the creature, and its strange, morbid beauty.
Further and further Sunny trotted. Non of the rooms holding Night Glow.
A indescribable colour came out of a turn from the hall, "Hey, why do we gotta cull, Phil's pets?"
"Because one of them broke containment and she doesn't want more of them causing chaos," Sunny crept into a side room, as another bassey rumble sounded, foreign instincts telling to hide from the new color. A Pegasus and a Unicorn trotted past, a lit lantern around the Pegasus' neck casting that new color.
"One containment breach, and she burns down the whole project? Seems extreme," Sunny skulked behind them with silent strides. The heat in her chest and barrel was blinding. They won't lay a feather on Night Glow!
"You didn't see its cell, Black and purple checker boards in the walls, stuff stuttering in mid fall and..." the two slowed to a stop. the lanterns color shrinking to a meter against a second indescribable colour. The heat raised up Sunny's throat with a growl, screaming for release.
The two turned around slowly, fear in their eyes upon sight of a Pegasus, her ribs, spine and skull dark shapes in bright orange inner illumination.
A large cone of fire erupted between her teeth.
The two's screams of agony filled the hallway, fur burning, skin peeling in strips, blood clouting and bursting in puffs of steam. Sunny dry heaved at the smell.
The Pegasus frantically conjured a cloud, melting hooves striking it weakly.
Its rain was not enough. One of her eyes bursting with a squlching pop.
Fire...she just breathed fire!? How? She was a Pegasus, not a kirn, she should be vomiting blood right now! Sunny stared at the still smoldering corpses in pure wide eyed shock. The burning inferno now a dull ember.
She. Breathed. Fire.
"You gonna be alright?" a new voice asked with concern. Sunny snapped to the wall of second color, fire and smolders casting the first. A Pony shaped figure of more opaque second colored clockwork stood at the fresh hold. Sunny moved into a wide stance, glaring at the figure. a awkward silence brewing.
"R-Right," the figure stepped into the first color. Sunny gasped, forcing down bile at the taste of burnt flesh. a translucent grey Unicorn mare with a messy onyx mane and ruby eyes that looked over Sunny in worry. This new mare's body refracting the first color on to the walls.
"You're a Crystal Pony," Sunny said numbly, her stance relaxing. A Crystal Pony? Just where was here if the most reclusive of Pony tribes was a part of whatever this was.
"And a hello to you too Fleshy," the Crystal Pony said with a amused snort, as she trotted past Sunny. Body refractions ceasing when out of the fire's light.
"Wait! Did you see a black Unicorn filly with a violate mane?" Sunny asked, a tremble of desperation in her voice. Torn and moving jerkily on where to go.
"Nothing recognizable the way I came. I'm Sombra, by the way," Sombra said, trying and failing to keep a smoldering anger out. Her horn glowed red, as Sunny's collar crunched outward, runes sputtering in puffs of white light. Trotting down the hall that Sunny's two victims came from.
Dark-vision, fire breathing and now Crystal Ponies. What is happening!
Sunny fallowed Sombra. She had no idea how big this place was and another pair of hooves will help if they were found.
She also freed her of another binding, Sunny owed Sombra some company at least.
"My name is Sunny Dew," Sunny said with some nervousness.
'What is wrong with Me!?' Sunny looked away from the trotting corpse of a cream colored Earth Pony. Open, red, weeping wounds in its flesh, spine and jaw bones exposed. Similar slow clockwork to that mass grave embedded into the zombie's flesh, that same song sung.
"Hey, Sunny?" Sombra said softly. Her form that opaque Darkness from before.
"Yeah?" Sunny dragged her gaze further away from the undead. Trotting up to Sombra.
"I think I found your filly," Sombra stepped back as Sunny galloped to a door. Voices drifting past It.
"Will you hurry up! I do not want to be here any longer then needed," a Earth Pony said. Pacing back and forth.
"Computer is in lock down. only a researcher has clearance," another Earth Pony said. cringing from a boxy device.
In the center of the room was a table like Sunny's. A purple clockwork sphere of force and...
Night Glow!
Sunny felt fury rising. How dare they even think of hurting her sister! how-
A smooth, cold hoof set its self on her back.
"Hey. Keep your head, fleshy. We won't be any good to her dead or captured,"- Sombra said. gesturing to the Ponies.-"You take the one at the computer. I'll take the pacer."
Sunny gave a stiff, reluctant nod, shoving the fury in a box for later.
They moved like wraiths. Sunny's hoof falls quit in the noise of their two targets. The writhing shadow of Sombra nearly being spotted when pacer looked around in the dim light, a dust loosening rumble tearing her gaze away, then stilling.
Sunny skulked to the Computer Pony. glancing to Sombra.
They were in position.
With a flap of her good wing and pivot of her hooves she cocked her hind legs, and delivered a buck to computer's head. she yelled out in pain. A bloody gash weeping as the Pony fell to the Ground.
Pacer's head whipped around. seeing a Pegasus standing over her coworker, before a crystal struck her in the head as well, Making her stumble. Sombra gave a disapproving stare.
Sunny stared down Computer. raising her wing as Spectral gears and pins spun violently, threatening to fly apart as lightning danced across the feathers. With a flick of her wing a bolt struck the Earth Pony, she let out a strangled scream as she.
convulsed.
Sombra's horn glowed, casting the room in red. a bolt of sparkliy energy flew out and hit pacer in the side, a intense weariness filling her body.
"Why you little," pacer slurred out throwing a hoof at Sombra, a hoof that missed by a mile, as she over extended, her posture too high.
"Please spare us!" computer said cowering before Sunny, hooves over her head and tears in her eyes. Sunny growled. these Ponies were going to hurt Night Glow, they were complicit in their suffering and they were going to purge all who they foalnapped.
Why should she spare them?!
...Because Night Glow would be heartbroken.
With a swift motion, Sunny's foreleg struck Computer unconscious.
Sombra gave nod, approval shining in her eyes, "You should follow your comrades example. there is no dishonor in backing down."
The Earth Pony glared at the Crystal Pony with fear tinged hate, her gaze shifting to the lightning wreathed Pegasus then the door.
"Fine," pacer said bitterly. Her stance relaxing.
"Good. Now get out of here and if anyone asks, you never saw us, clear," Sombra said as a red glow enveloped the unconscious Pony and slowly drifted her to pacer's back. Pacer looked shocked, before Galloping away.
"Was that a good idea?" Sunny asked trotting over to the sphere that held a Black coated Unicorn filly with a violate mane and royal purple splotches on her hindquarters.
"Probably not, but its worth a try," Sombra trotted to the computer. a cable connecting it to the sphere.
"Why take the risk then?" Sunny kept a eye on the door, lightning dancing along her feathers.
"I have a friend in the Legion, She had horrible things done to her by fleshies in her foalhood, been holding a grudge ever since and is all to eager for payback," Sombra tapped at the Computer.
"That didn't answer my question," Sunny gave a pout, fore hooves crossed.
"All it did was make her enemies, both with fleshies and her fellow legionnaires. its up to Ponies like us to be better, to be fair and just," Sombra gave a satisfied chuckle, as the clockwork sphere sputtered and stalled, then died.
Sunny gave a huff at that. Fair and just? everyone she meet wielded power to their own ends, the Mayer, the guards, mother. Sunny's gaze shifted to the foal on the table.
Not everyone. Night Glow was breathing and Dad was good to them, Sunny slowly slid the filly onto her back.
'Fair and just. Can't you be that? For Night Glow, for Dad,'
With gentle hooves Sunny placed Night Glow on her back.
"Let's get out of here," Sunny trotted to the door, her eyes widening at it's edge.
The hall was replaced with a massive cavern lit by purple crystals. Chunks of rock and stone floating in midair, gravity ceasing to work.
Sunny's gut tugged, her hooves sliding forward. With growing dread and quickened breaths she fell. The world spun. Sound silenced. Gravity pushing and pulling in a windless maelstrom. Chuckling echoed all around them, a large serpentine figure was floating in the eye of this gravitic storm, limbs miss matched in a display that was more horrifying then the 'living' mass grave should have been to Sunny. Boulders the size of train cars orbited the figure in a mockery of natural planets.
Sunny wrapped her forelegs around Night Glow, the shifting gravity tugging her away. She saw Sombra in the same predicament, tumbling through the air, using a barrier spell and telekinesis to swat aside stones and boulders.
Right, stones and boulders.
...
Right! Stones and boulders!
The smack of stone against flesh echoed in Sombra's ears. She gave a annoyed huff, seeing the fleshy sisters start to fall sideways. With a increase of power in her horn and additional gears and pins, she threw a tether of red magic that attached to the pair of sisters, reeling them to her. The sisters painfully, slowly inched to Sombra, the gears of her spells straining to block the rock and stone while also pulling two bodies to her
A loud yawn and a snap of fingers echoed.
With not even a blink or flash of light, the Miss matched creature vanished. Stones and rocks falling in a singular direction again.
Sombra quickly grabbed the two fleshies into her forelegs, as that familiar paradoxical heavy weightlessness feeling took hold.
They fell.
Sombra's horn was alight, swatting away debris that would have harmed her or her new companions. the world was still silent.
And fell.
Sombra winced, as a pebble struck her foreleg, cracking it slightly, it would have killed the fleshy foal in her grip.
And fell.
Sound started to return, first, as a low rumble, too low for a fleshy to hear and building up in range.
And fell.
A wide river grew closer into view, its waters moving lazily, the boulders making spots splash and writhe. Sombra shifted her body, as best as she could to make a needle, the river fast approaching. Sombra took a deep breath knowing that the landing was going to suck.
Pain shot through her hind legs, as she crashed into the water. Rocks and stones falling around them with thundering splashes and waves, all muffled under the water. Sombra took a moment to readjust her grip on the two fleshies.
How long can fleshies live without oxygen and nitrogen gas? Was it three or four minutes? Or was that hours?
Faced with uncertainty Sombra decided to low ball it, best not to accidentally kill the only companions she'll have for the foreseeable future. She swam to the surface, rocks, and stones crashing and falling around her on her accent, in their fall to the bottom of the river, a shaped shadow grew more pronounced on the surface. With a angered huff, water falling out of her nose and mouth, Sombra levitated her two fleshy companions' heads above the water. Grabbing a floating thing, the feeling of unpolished wood in her hoof's grip.
On the wooden raft, for there is not much else it could be was three Ponies, one was a leaf green adolescent Earth Pony who trotted to Sombra, taking her two companions. The Earth Pony hoisted the Filly by her tail, water spilling out of her mouth, once done the Earth Pony wrapped her forelegs around the Pegasus' lower abdomen and...
Sombra wasn't sure if she should be intrigued or worried, for the Earth Pony was doing a upwards constricting motion, that Sombra saw Sapphire do to fleshies that they had to interrogate. Sombra turned to the other two Ponies the raft.
the second was a light grey Bat Pony, struming some kind of stringed instrument while humming unspoken lyrics, her attention set squarely on the Earth Pony and Sombra's companions.
The third was less on the raft, as hanging to the side, her charcoal grey mane and stone grey coat soaked by the River, her silt pupiled amethyst eyes staring at Sombra with a bored, almost apathetic look.
Sombra gave a annoyed sigh, pulling herself up onto the raft, her red magic dragging the grey Pony to be on the raft as well.
"Thanks," the Grey Pony said in a monotone, keeping her head hovering over the water. Sombra took a moment to look at the mare's talent mark, a purple music note.
The green Earth Pony stared at Sombra with a frown and a scowl in suspicion.
"What are you doing here Crystal?" the Earth Pony seethed out, Sombra matched the look, as the flickers of greed started to be seen in the green mare.
There was a reason why Crystal Ponies were so reclusefe.
"Now now dear, Apple Brew. If a Crystal, our captors took then the peril of flight has grew," the Bat Pony spoke up with a giggle and a amused expression, strumming her instrument all the while. Apple Brew turned her scowl at the Bat Pony.
"Can't you at least try to take our situation seriously, Jester?" Apple brew asked with annoyance, another giggle was her answer.
"I'll take it seriously when there is something, to take seriously," the Bat Pony said with amusement, her smile growing with Apple Brew's scowl.
"Maybe we should introduce ourselves before trying to kill each other, I'm Octavia," Octavia said boredly, raising her hoof into the air before letting it flop to the ground.
"What a wonderful idea my music marked fellow! I"m Storm Song and You've already been introduced to Apple Brew," Storm Song said looking at sombra while playing her instrument.
"Sombra,"- Sombra gestured to the Pegasus and Unicorn - "Sunny and Night Glow."
Apple Brew glawored at them for a moment before taking a seat, as far away from the rest of the Ponies, which wasn't much.
"Oh! This is so exciting, the whispers in my ear, rattle in my bone, the buzzing in my wings, this is just the start of a grand adventure I can tell!" Storm Song said with a grin so wide that one could not help but worry that her cheeks would split open. Apple Brew started shouting obscenity's at Storm, with Sombra and Octavia tuning her out, as they watched the water slosh and churn, their raft drifting away from their place of torment.
His heart thundered in his ears, as he ran on the needle and root strewn ground, the monster screeching and roaring just behind. His talons and paws making clikity thunks on the forest floor.
He breathed in ragged breaths. Turning this way and that in the underbrush and tightly packed trees, trying to lose the monster that just barreled through it all.
A clopity thunk started to mix with the rest of the soundscape to his left, a odd creature with fur like starless night, longer dark purple fur growing from its: head, neck and tail or where a tail would be on a Griffin, legs that ended at boney stubs and a single spiraled horn was atop its head, glowing a bright turquoise that illuminated the forest. They run together, the creature seeming to know better where to go.
The creature started to move faster, running ahead of him and out of sight, he didn't get a chance to despair. A melodious voice rang out, in a clearing was the creature, waving one of its front leg in a direction like his father and the hunters taught them, its glowing deep orange eyes acting like a beacon in the dark.
He ran to the Creature, the monster right on his heels.
The sound of spears splitting flesh rang out behind him. he looked behind him, hunters with spears and talons fighting the monster. The monster reared up and tried to bite down on one of the hunters, who crouched then thrusted his spear into the monster's throat.
The monster gave out a gargled screech, as it fell to the ground.
He slowly walked to his clansmen nervously, would he be in trouble for wondering out of camp. His spiraling feelings halted when his father walked up to him with worry clear on his beak and eyes.
"Come! safe," Father said, draping a wing over him. He looked around, hoping to thank the creature but not seeing it. They walked for a bit, his eyes closed.
When he opened them again they were on a cliff over looking the ocean, a cliff near the clan's camp. He leaned into his Father's side, watching the sunrise and listening to the waves crashing against the rock face in content.
Movement caught his eye, it was that creature again! its orange eyes staring at him from behind a tree, see through wings that shimmered like water reflecting sun light. Its eyes widened, moving behind the tree and out of sight.
A shift from his Father dislodged anymore thought on the odd creature from his mind. He closed his eyes again, listening to the crash of waves, his Fathers breathing and heartbeat.
Life was good.
The pop crack of the hut's fire woke him up. Fur pelts made the walls with wooden frames to hold them up, a hole in the roof to let smoke out. Standing in the room was his Father, a look of of worried agitation shifting to relief at seeing his son awake and...
Shaman Rock Claw, with a massive smile on his beak. He approached the chick, handing him a leather pouch and a beautifully carved wooden staff.
"You no hunter, you shaman now, visited by great spirit you were," Shaman Rock Claw said with obvious pride in his eyes and voice. The chick looked at his new teacher in surprise.
Not many great spirits walked on four legs, let alone great spirits that did not demand something in return for their "help".
The chick stared into the fire, staff in talon, wondering how such a change will affect the clan's future.
"The Celestia has made a public apology about raising the sun two hours later then scheduled and has said that the farmers affected will be compensated. The Luna has also went to the public about unexpected earthquakes and said not to fear, that It won't affect Stormreach beyond some rumbling and shook windows, in related news S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs have reported that the stretch of tunnels known, as "the tomb" has been destroyed and that gravity anomalys have increased in appearances in addition to Ponies fleeing before and shortly after the event, I know us city folk don't use the tunnels outside the working rail lines but I think this is more then some earthquakes. And now some music.'
The radio crackled and buzzed. A pretty voice drifting through the dingy, dimly lit bar, Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth Ponies even some Bat Ponies and the rare Plant Pony were seated at various tables in the bar. In one of the corner tables a Unicorn hummed, contemplating the news.
"Well that's worrying," one of the Unicorn's fellow graduates said, her eyes wide.
"It's likely nothing," the Unicorn said with disinterest. A Earth Pony in the adjacent table howled with laughter.
"You clearly never been outside the walls, City Filly. The tomb is- or was the most dangerous tunnels in all of Equestria," the Earth Pony said between chuckles.
"If it's so dangerous then why were there Ponies fleeing the place," another of the graduates asked with a accusatory hum.
"My guess is some folks galloping away from some war or other," a Bat Pony added, taking notice of the conversation.
"It's more likely just some overly ambitious S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs, nopony important," the Unicorn said dismissively with a wave of her hoof.
The first graduate gave a disbelieving snort.
"Whatever you say Star Swirl."
Author's Note
To those that care, it's being a while. To those just arriving welcome, I hope you enjoyed the read.
This and another project are currently my main focus, so wild flowers and blackberrys is on hiatus until further notice.
If I could make this a animated series.
Main theme: I will be there by by Miracle of sound ( the song with the lyric " I will be there to share your pain")
