The Pandoran

The Pandoran

Chapter 3: Splatter? I Hardly Know Her!

The town of Ponyville was, under most circumstances, a quiet and peaceful place. Ponies wandered the streets without any concerns or worries and tended to their businesses without much hustle or bustle. The town library in particular was known for generally being quiet and well tended, and its occupants, Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Owloysius being genuinely kind and friendly folk, under most circumstances.

The current situation was far from acceptable though, and as a result Twilight was going completely berserk, her magic tearing books from shelves and tossing them about the room as she tried to understand this new creature. She had started by consulting Lyra who gladly told Twilight everything she knew about humans, which did nothing to explain the beast’s violent behavior. She hadn’t slept that night, and with the sun high in the sky her mane was frizzy and she had developed a demented looking twitch, a common sign of stress for her.

The creature had attacked her; granted, she had let loose the first blow, but it had pinned her to the ground, and she was certain that if Fluttershy hadn’t used the stare on it, Spike would have become an orphan. Twilight pulled another book off the shelves, this one written by some crackpot who lived in a wine cask named Inkbottle Blues, and violently flipped through the pages. She stopped suddenly and dropped the book the ground in front of her. On the corner of the page was a crude sketch of a somewhat lanky creature that stood on two legs, wearing pants, boots and a strange mask. She looked at the text below, taking in every word.

Psycho

Though they were human at one point in their lives, psychos lose their humanity, as well as their minds, through a currently unknown process that causes them to mutate greatly. All experience extreme physical and mental changes, some even growing to immense sizes or shrinking to what are known as “Midgets”, but several constants are a sadistic and violent nature, an uncontrollable instinct to laugh wildly, and extreme cravings for meat.

Psychos should be avoided at all costs, and if they must be engaged, do so with extreme caution and from a great distance. Their bodies can absorb great amounts of physical trauma, and are willing to fight to their own death, occasionally showing distinctly suicidal tendencies such as charging an enemy while clutching an active explosive.

Twilight stared at the book, her twitch getting worse as she absorbed the information presented in the book. It sounded so crazy! The book had been written by some crackpot over a hundred years ago, and yet it matched the creature perfectly. She levitated some paper and a pen over, and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia:

I’m afraid there is little time to explain the situation, but I have encountered a strange and violent creature. I’m fairly certain it has been detained for now, but I would greatly appreciate if you could send somepony to assist in dealing with the creature, in addition to a few royal guards. Attached are the information I have relating to the creature, as well as a book I found which seems to be related, entitled-

She double checked the cover of the book. Scrawled across the front in blood red letters were the words THE PANDORAN BEASTIARY; A REFERENCE GUIDE FOR THE BORDERLANDS. She quickly copied it into the letter.

I would greatly appreciate if we could quickly resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Your prized student Twilight Sparkle

She sealed the letter, and dropped it into an envelope along with the notes she had taken about the creature and the book. “Spike! Spiiiike!” she called out. Slowly but surely the small dragon emerged, yawning and stretching as he descended the stairs. “Spike, I need you to send this letter to Princess Celestia at once! I can’t emphasize how urgent the situation is. I’ll be going out today, so tidy up the library a bit. If the princess replies, come find me, okay?” She tossed the package to Spike, who mumbled something, presumably some form of protest that Twilight missed as she ran out the door.

First things first, she needed to check on Fluttershy and make sure she was okay. If anything happened to her then it was very possible the situation would have escalated enough to warrant a full military operation, something she dreaded every time a catastrophe occurred. Assuming Fluttershy was safe she needed to gather the rest of the elements and alert the mayor. The town had its own guards, but most of them weren’t trained in combat, and she was fairly certain this danger would be more than a match for them.

If Twilight had been in her right mind, she would have noticed that it was quiet, even by the normal standards of the small town, or that all the windows were shut. She didn’t notice as she skidded as she turned a corner in Ponyville’s calm streets, stopping as she spotted a familiar pink pony skipping down the street with a yellow Pegasus and white rabbit in tow. Behind them however, was something far more sinister.

The human was standing with the sun at his back, and a strange and evil looking mask on his face. One of the lenses was cracked, and it was covered in dried blood. The man himself was covered in ragged scars and bandages, and his pants were caked with grime and guts. Twilight brought her gaze down and screamed. He was clutching a sinister looking axe with a circular saw for a head, the edge chipped and dirty, with only one apparent purpose; to chop through living creatures with ease.

She turned around, galloping at full speed. She heard the creature’s manic laughter behind her, and a quick glance backwards revealed it was following her, running at her with that sinister weapon. Pinkie and Fluttershy stood shocked for a moment before they took off after the creature and Twilight, Pinkie shouting for them to slow down and Fluttershy politely asking them to stop. Neither seemed willing to comply.

Twilight turned a corner and skidded to a stop. It was a dead end. She circled around, hoping she get out before she was cornered, and felt her heart fall into her feet as the creature turned the corner, one lens of his mask glowing an evil reddish orange. She stepped back slowly and cautiously and the creature approached, laughing evilly. Her hind hooves clicked against the wall behind her, and Twilight started to shiver uncontrollably. She couldn’t understand what was going on, or why Fluttershy and Pinkie hadn’t stopped the monster that now loomed over her.

Tears came to Twilight’s eyes; she slammed them shut as the creature reached out for her. This was it, the end of her life. The creature tore off his mask and leaned in uncomfortably close, laughing wildly.

“Names Evets, you crazy purple meat puppet! Guess what? Boss says I don’t get to hurt you! Happy fucking birthday!” Twilight opened her eyes as Evets tossed his head back and began to howl with insane laughter.

“Hey, you scared her! That’s not funny! You really need to learn to be nicer!” Pinkie and Fluttershy had finally caught up to the two. Twilight looked over to them, warm tears streaking down her face.

“Pinkie? Fluttershy? Help me, please?” She was still trembling as Evets flipped his evil tool and cackled. Fluttershy slowly trotted over and gave the unicorn a comforting hug, before stepping back with an embarrassed look on her face.

“I’m so sorry Twilight, I mean, well, I told him he wasn’t allowed to hurt anypony, but I guess I should have made him wait at home. It’s okay though, I mean, you shouldn’t worry. I’m fine, and he hasn’t been hurting anypony.” She gave a slightly weak smile, and Twilight noticed a strange dullness in Fluttershy’s eyes, as if somepony (or some human) had drained some of the life out of her.

“Fluttershy, are you alright?” Twilight said.

“Oh, uh, it’s nothing. He’s caused a bit of trouble this morning, and I had to use the stare again. It really takes it out of me to use it on him.” Fluttershy glanced back to Evets, who had inexplicably started to balance his axe on his chin, eyes wide as he maintained the precarious balence.

“Lemmie guess; he hurt himself?”

“Oh no, I told him he shouldn’t do anything like that. No, I had to stop him from trying to eat one of the chickens.” Fluttershy lowered her head as she spoke, and Twilight felt the blood leaving her face. It was becoming increasingly obvious that this creature was a danger to everyone in Ponyville, possibly Equestria. There was a bit of solstace in the fact that Fluttershy and Pinkie had been able to reason with it, but it was still a frightening entity.

A loud yelp and more manical laughter made Fluttershy and Twilight turn around. The axe had fallen off of Evets’ chin and in a sad twist of physics had landed in his foot. He laughed manically as he ripped it out and licked the blood off. Fluttershy let out an exhausted groan before trotting over to bandage the human, leaving Twilight to shake and shudder at the sight of this creature that ignored and possibly even revelled in pain. To a peaceful pony who knew almost nothing of violence and hatred, Evets seemed to be the most dangerous monster she had ever heard of.

******

The updraft from the Everfree hit the griffon’s wings as she climbed higher in the sky, eyes locked on the ground below, looking for some kind of meal. She was hungry as hell, and unfortunetly for her the last of her packed food had been eaten a while back. So now she hunted, eyes scanning the woods. Movement caused her reflexes to kick in, and she dove towards the ground, talons ready. As she approached her prey became clear; a small family of raccoons wandering about.

They came closer, closer, and then the kill seemed certain. Except that she missed. Her talons raked empty dirt as the family ran, scuttering under cover far away from the angry predator. The griffon roared and screamed, angry at herself, the raccoons, the trees, and everything else in the world. She was hungry and angry, a leathal combination in a griffon.

She tromped through the forest for a while, intent on eating whatever crossed her path, no matter what it was. She was a predator, mean and vicious, and no matter what crossed her path, she was confident she could handle it. There was nothing in these damn woods that stood a chance against her. She knew that. At least she thought she did. As she came across a simple dirt path, she smelled blood in the air. Blood and dead meat, a combination she recognized as something leaving leftovers.

Just down the path sat two carcasses, a fox and an elk, both mutilated. Fly buzzed around and scattered as the griffon approached and crouched over the two. The elk‘s torso had been ripped open and it guts had been pulled out and eaten. She looked carefully, taking in every detail of the corpse before turning to the second. The fox was small, and aside from a bisected skull was in one piece. She prodded and turned the animal. It seemed like it had been in good health, certainly like it would have been a good meal, but it had just been killed and left there.

It seemed like whatever had done this had a bit of a sadistic side, and as the griffon looked around she began to see signs of a battle. Extra blood and kicked up dirt, hoof prints and the prints of whatever the predator had been. She stopped near several small puddles of blood that trailed off, along with a grove in the dirt. The pony, or rather the Pegasus, had one the fight, and for some reason had decided to drag the loser away.

The griffon groaned and shook her head. The scene was confusing, and almost none of it made sense. She looked at the path, the hoof prints and the path from the dragged body, and began to walk. She was willing to bet she could get some food from the nearby ponies. Even if they didn’t like her she’d be able to find food. Frankly, them not liking her might make it easier, assuming she didn’t run into Rainbow Dash. The griffon shuddered at the thought, recalling her last meeting with the hotheaded flyer before setting off down the path. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

She paused for a second in front of what looked like the scorched remains of a tree. For a moment she wondered what had caused the explosion responsible for the mess. A moment later she had started walking again, this time intent on getting her food and getting some answers, and if she couldn’t find either…

She shook the thought from her head. She’d find what she was looking for, one way or another. The road passed beneath her feet. Gilda was coming back to Ponyville, and all kinds of shit were coming with her.

******

The yellow Pegasus and her involuntary bodyguard walked down the road back to the cottage, Fluttershy exhausted and Evets surprisingly enough being completely silent. She glanced up to see his mask rested atop his head, revealing his face. She had to admit that among others of his kind he was probably very handsome. At that moment he lacked the deranged smiles and laughter, instead possessing a strange calmness. The light from Celestia’s setting sun gave him a strange otherworldly glow, and his green eyes sparkled in the twilight.

“You look really nice.” She whispered. Evets stopped and stared at her. For a moment she shivered, wondering if she had inadvertently offended him before spotting the confused look on his face. He tilted his head, silently watching her. “I mean, you’re just so calm and peaceful, and you just seem nicer…” Her voice petered off near the end, and she hid behind her long bangs.

Evets started to laugh, but this time it was a soft laugh, a giggle as opposed to his usual cackling. “Yeah, real nice,” he said, “I’m a sadist with a blood obsession. Real model citizen.” There was a sorrow in his eyes, and for a moment she saw a kind and gentle soul. For that single moment she saw a reflection of herself in the man. He covered his face with a hand, his giggling getting louder until it changed back into his normal laughter. He uncovered his face, tears streaming down the sides and one eye twitching to match his insane demeanor.

“Guess that’s the way it goes! Fuck it! I’m looong gone, bitches! I’m a mean motherfucker now!” He threw a tightly clenched fist in the air, and Fluttershy felt her chest tighten. It was so sad, everything that had happened to Evets, the beast he had been turned into. He had no control left, and the rare moments he did it seemed like he was left to wonder why everything had gone wrong in his life. All in all, his entire existence seemed so sad, and Fluttershy could only feel sorry for the poor thing.

The rest of the walk back went relatively quiet, save for Evets’ constant guffawing. When the two finally arrived, however, they found the door to the cottage wide open. From inside came the noises of startled and frightened animals. Without a second thought Fluttershy charged in, gasping in shock at the sight of the intruder.

Gilda had grown since her departure from Ponyville, and standing upright seemed about as tall as Evets. Her talons were wrapped around a squirrel that wriggled in a desperate attempt to escape, up until the very last moment when its head disappeared inside the griffon’s beak. She swallowed the rest of it as Fluttershy watched, her body shacking violently from fear and horror. “G-Gilda!” Fluttershy stammered as the griffon fell to all fours and walked over to the pegasus, an angry look on her face.

“Well, Well, Well, if it isn’t Fluttercry herself! Why don’t you just turn around and leave you dork.” Gilda sneered at her, and shoved the trembling pony for emphasis. “I’m busy. Why don’t you go play with that flip-flop Rainbow Crash.”

Fluttershy stood tall, at least slightly taller than the floor, eyes locked on Gilda. “Um, well, I can’t leave because this is my house and…”

“I’m sorry, did I ask for your opinion? Get out of here pipsqueak, your bothering me!” Gilda waved off the pegasus before turning her attention to a small cage housing a wolverine with a broken leg, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

“…No.”

Gilda’s eyes went wide for a moment and then narrowed in anger at Fluttershy. The yellow mare stood her ground, now standing at her full height. “I’m not leaving. This is my house, and I’m taking care of these animals. I will not stand by and let you hurt them!” Any sense of nervousness was gone from Fluttershy’s voice, “I want you to leave, and if you plan on coming back I expect you to learn how to behave yourself! Do you under-”

Gilda grabbed Fluttershy’s head tightly and drove it muzzle first into her waiting knee. Caught off guard, her world went dark around her as a familiar laugh came from the doorway.

******

He had smelt it a few steps from the door. Fresh blood spilt by a wild animal. His boss had entered but hadn’t come out. He opened the door to see her on the ground, unconscious but alive. Standing over her was some weird thing, Eagle and lion all in one. An obvious predator, an obvious killer, and Evets’ next target. The buzz axe revved up as he stepped in, the laughter coming as a predecessor to the bloodshed. The rabbit kept him fed for protecting the Pegasus, and this was a clear and present threat to her.

It turned to him, wearing an expression he recognized as a mix of surprise and annoyance. “What do you want? You want some of this?” His laughter began to intensify as Angel hopped over to the boss. He looked to Evets, the message in his eyes clear as the sky. No mercy, not for this one. Kill her however you want. Evets pulled his mask down snug over his face and took another step towards the meat.

“I WANT TO EAT MEAT! YOUR MEAT!” he charged out swinging, barely missing the enemy. Here it was; bloodlust in full glory, the need to eat, to rend, to survive. Instinct of a wild animal in a body made for killing. To hell with his sanity! It had no place right now. All there was place for was the fight. He wouldn’t let the chance to have hot meat pass him by.

******

Gilda eyed her new opponent carefully, sizing him up. His attack had been obvious, a simple overhead swing that she had easily dodged. She couldn’t see his eyes, which would make his moves harder to read, but her pride and confidence screamed that it wouldn’t stand a chance, even with the small advantage it held. She pulled herself up and began to lash out with a flurry of claw swipes and pecks with her beak. The creature didn’t bother to dodge, instead taking the attacks and throwing out some of his own.

Within seconds it was bleeding from numerous cuts on his chest and arms, but didn’t seem to have lost any steam. Gilda on the other hand had taken a few scratches to the chest, as well as one missing talon on her right claw and felt herself slowing down a bit. She couldn’t understand how it was taking all the damage she inflicted without showing any signs of pain. It took another swing at her, this one cutting into her chest and leaving a long bloody gash that made her roar in pain.

She leapt back, putting distance between her and the enemy. The memory of the bodies in the woods came to her memory, and a quick glance at the wounds on her body confirmed that this was the creature involved. She jumped out of the way of another charge as she looked the attacker over once more. He was lean but made of nothing but muscle, and his hatchet was obviously a huge threat. He didn’t appear to have any other weapons, but the memory of a scorched tree kept Gilda wary.

He charged at her again, and this time she leapt over him and landed just inches from his back. She spun and dug her talons into his legs, right behind the knees. The creature hit the floor hard, one of the floorboards cracking beneath his knee, and he spun with another swing of his weapon, missing by an inch. Gilda gave a sinister smile at her helpless foe as she clawed his outstretched arm. The axe embedded itself in the ground, free from its owner’s hand, and Gilda walked leisurely around her opponent.

“You know, you put up a pretty awesome fight. Before I kill you, you mind telling me why you didn’t use whatever firepower you had?” She leaned in close, a foot from the creature’s face, her yellow eyes meeting the orange glow from its mask. Despite everything that had happened, the creature was still laughing. “C’mon, I saw the tree. How’d you do that?”

The creature just kept laughing, and Gilda stood up, raising her talons for a final blow. She saw that as she brought them down, the beast leapt forward, crashing into her and knocking her to the floor. He jammed his hand into her face, and pain ripped through her head as she went blind. She screamed as she felt the bastard’s fingers come out of her bleeding eye sockets. He moved, and she pulled herself up. She was completely blind, and the smell of blood caked up her nose.

All she had to go by way sound, and all she could hear was that horrid laughter. The creature was roaring with laughter now, and she lashed out with everything she could use in a panicked hope to survive. “Silly bird! I don’t have firepower, BUT I WILL WHEN I WEAR YOUR SKULL ON MY HEAD! I’LL HAVE A SHITLOAD OF FIREPOWER THEN!” He laughed loudly and Gilda felt the blade pass through her legs, cutting them off right at the ankle. She hit the ground and began to flap her wings to fly away until they two were removed. Blood began to pool around her, and she screamed desperately as she tried to crawl away.

Her talons dug into soft dirt, a sheer sign of getting outside the cottage. For a moment she dared to hope that there was an escape from this monster. Her hopes ended at her talons, which found themselves detached the very next moment. She screamed in a final desperate cry for help as something blunt shattered her neck. Blood pooled in her mouth before leaking out of her beak, and the already dark world turned quiet as the evil laughter of her murderer echoed through the cool twilight air.