Chapters Within the depths of pain
As I slowly awoke, a very uncomfortable feeling in my fingers, toes, arms, and legs greeted me. My mentioned appendages were asleep, and I knew once they began waking, a torturous pins-and-needles sensation was going to greet me. Keeping my eyes closed, I attempted to wiggle each extremity, yet unable to tell whether or not they were moving. After a few minutes, I gasped as pain flooded my body, telling me I was doing something right. I had to grit my teeth hard to ride through the pain, but I managed easier than expected. I was unusually tough like that. Once I regained all feeling, I tried to move, yet I was immobile. My eyes snapped open, and darkness was my companion. I couldn't see a damned thing. I turned my head to the left, then to the right, trying to see my shoulder in front of my face, but it was a futile effort.
Once my sluggish brain fully awoke, too slowly for my comfort, I realized that I was suspended in midair by chains. By the sounds they made and their locations, I assumed there were four of them restraining me. But something felt off about it. Something told me to clench my hands, and I did. But when I did, my irises fully dilated due to the sudden fact that at the end of each chain was a thick metal ring, which was secured completely THROUGH my palms. I clenched my hands again to ensure I didn't imagine the feeling, but the cold, hard ring was there, in the middle of my palm. I surmised that it was the same way for my feet. One thing I didn't want to do was try to rip my way out. Firstly, that would hurt like a bitch. Second, since I was suspended, I didn't know what lay below me. Third, how the hell was I supposed to escape, being rendered blind by the absolute darkness. So all I could do was wait.
As the hours passed, I did quite a bit of planning and thinking. I remembered my name somehow. What was it again? Ah yes, it was Jagged Edge. Personally, I enjoyed my name. I remembered my cutie mark and special talent as well. I was a knife sharpener. But not just a simple knife sharpener, oh no. I could take some of the most rusted and dull blades ever seen in Equestria and make them look better than new, and sharper than a razor's edge. I had nice equipment in order to perform my job very efficiently. I need some of the best tools in the local area, seeing how I tend to the Royal Guard's weapons personally. I make sure to keep all of their weapons and some armor in superb condition, and I get paid quite handsomely, by the princess herself, I might add. But even her royal presence will not even make me flinch whenever I am devoted to my work. But I will never forget general respect toward her. Admittedly, I have had to finish whatever current project I was working on before I could address Her Majesty correctly, but formalities were never forgotten once I was completed with my demanding task.
Thankfully, she has always treated me with respect and nothing less. I never ask her for the respect I receive, but she insists, since I do her and the Guard a tremendous favor. Speaking of the Guard, all of the troops, from recruit to captain, all bow and show me the same respect they show their princess. To be truthful, I always blush slightly at their praise and flattery, but it inspires me to do all that I can, and give it my all, I do.
During my trip down memory lane, one word in particular keeps whispering to me, 'Sister'. I try to recall anything about a sister that I may have, but nothing comes clear to mind. I don't remember a name, nor a face, but I get the feeling if I'd see her, everything would come rushing back in an instant. Now I've gone and gotten myself curious about who she may be. It was there that I made a vow. I knew my situation was not encouraging. I had a sinking feeling that some horrendous tragedy might befall me within captivity. But one thing I swore, no matter what, no matter how bad it may get, I will survive. I will fight until my last breath. Because I will escape. And I will find my sister. My eyes hardened due to my internal pep talk and my fierce determination.
Despite my confidence, my whole body trembled slightly once a heavy wooden door slowly opened, and a mysterious figure slowly began walking toward me after closing the door. Their bare feet gently patted on the floor, and it was my only indication that they were approaching. I began to sweat.
Within the depths of pain
I had no idea who my captor was, let alone what they wanted to do with me. Steeling my nerves, the mysterious figure approached me. I guess she was staring at me, but I couldn't tell due to the lack of lighting. "Let's get some light in here, shall we?" she said softly. She walked over to a wall and flipped a switch, causing numerous fluorescent lights to emit a great deal of light, as well as a soft hum. I closed my eyes instinctively due to the harsh light assaulting my optic nerves. Once I could see comfortably, her face came into focus. My eyes widened in surprise and all she did was smile at me cutely.
"Fluttershy, what's going on here?" I asked her. She took a few steps away from me, but stayed in the light. Her typical long pink mane was hiding one of her eyes. Her slim figure was attractive and her D cupped breasts were always attracting the wrong attention to her. Her partially tanned skin was obvious on her arms and feet. She wore a light blue t-shirt with a knee-height pink skirt. To anypony else, she would've looked quite sexy. But I wasn't worried about that. I was more interested in getting out of here and getting answers.
She turned around and put her back facing me as she spoke shyly, "I've always helped take care of animals. Treating their wounds, helping them heal, getting better as a veterinarian. But there is one animal I haven't worked on in depth. And that," she turned toward me suddenly, her one visible eye was shrunk to the diameter of a pencil lead, "Is a live pony."
My eyes went impossibly wide, and it didn't take a genius to know what was going to happen to me. "When did you come up with this crazy idea?"
"I've been curious about it for a few months now. Yes, simple scrapes and bruised and the occasional broken bone are good practice, don't get me wrong, but I want to see what makes a pony tick." she responded.
"Why me though?"
"I know you're nice and helpful, so I figured you would help me gain experience. Besides, you get to see how some of your blades work."
"But why me? Why not somepony else?"
"Because you will fight. You will want to survive. You won't just give in to death."
"How do you know that so absolutely?"
"Because if you live long enough, I will let you go, and reunite you with your sister."
"Where is she?"
"Relax, I'm not holding her hostage. She's going about her normal blissful life out in Ponyville as we speak. You have my word that no harm will befall her from my hands."
I didn't know what to think. Sure, Fluttershy was usually never one to lie. She was the element of Kindness, after all. I did, to a certain extent, understand her motives and curiosity for her actions, but that didn't mean they were justified. She has made a horrible wrong.
"So what all do you plan to do to me?" I asked, fearing the answer.
"I'm going to dissect you. See what everything looks like on the inside. I'll start small, on the outside, then slowly work my way inside."
"What about anesthetics? Surely you won't torture me?"
"For the more in-depth examinations, I may numb you. But I can't guarantee anything. I apologize in advance for any discomfort you may experience, but if you cooperate, all will be well again."
I sighed and hung my head with my eyes closed softly. I knew I wasn't getting away. At this time, all I can do is use my raw willpower to keep me alive and my hope to keep me smiling.
Within the depths of pain
I could hear metallic clinking and by swiveling my ears, I determined the sound was coming from my left, a short distance away. I wondered how she could see anything at all within pitch darkness, but my wandering was brought to a halt as a soft click was heard and a dim light illuminated a small area in front of me. I was not showered with light, but it was enough for me to see the front of my body. As I suspected, metal rings secured my palms and feet. I grit my teeth and blushed slightly in embarrassment once I looked down and could see my genitals on full display. Fluttershy either didn't notice, or didn't care, because she never glanced down once. Then again, she would only occasionally look in my direction while obviously deciding what tools to use on me. I stretched my dark grey wings experimentally, extending them to their full 20-foot wingspan. They appeared to be undamaged. No discomfort whatsoever and my feathers were all in near-perfect condition. Once they passed my mental inspection, my eyes crossed as I looked up at my horn. It was roughly one foot in length, and spiraled, yet not horrendously pointed. Being an alicorn, I was much tougher than any one pony race, not trying to sound superior, it's just the way it is. I had a small feeling that may be one reason that she picked me; so I would have a better chance of survival. I know I could potentially survive unimaginably horrific physical damage, much more than would easily kill anypony who isn't an alicorn. Unfortunately, since I knew I could endure more, I would be put through more agony. The sudden realization made me gulp nervously.
Fluttershy walked up to me with her eyes closed, grasping a small pocket knife in both her small hands as she looked toward the ceiling with eyes closed. She stayed that way for a few seconds before she took a big breath, inhaling and exhaling through her nose one time before she slowly opened her eyes and looked at me.
My blood's temperature appeared to drop a good few degrees as I saw her eyes. Normally, they are giant pools of enchanting and soothing aqua, able to calm virtually and creature in distress. But now, her pupils were pinpricks and irises had shrunken noticeably, and the effect was horrifying. She grinned at me and let out a shallow, eerie giggle before stating, "Don't be afraid, your help will be of importance yourself, as well as myself. As I'm sure you know, as I learn more, this whole procedure will go that much quicker. But enough chatter. Down to business."
Her voice was just as sweet as usual, but there was a very unstable undertone beneath the motherly voice, a tone that anypony could detect, yet had the effect of subduing any mortal creature, paralyzing it with pure terror. The unnerving vocal carried confidence and unwavering knowledge, proving that she got a certain thrill when seeing the inner workings of animals. Seeing her beloved animals sometimes mutilated and die in front of her had scarred her timid demeanor, but she wanted to keep working with animals, and her mind found a way to cope; become sickeningly enthralled when working on injured animals. Because her mind chose to cope this way, she could keep working as a veterinarian without the more gruesome events disturbing her work, but she took a sick pleasure in the animal's suffering at times. This did not mean she prolonged their suffering, but basked in it before she did her best to aid them.
She walked up to my left forearm and placed the blade against the skin. "First, let's get a skin sample. This will also gauge your pain tolerance." She slowly pushed the blade into my arm and the pain barely registered in my brain. She took her time to cut out a small 1x1 inch square slab of skin from my arm, then filleted the first layer of skin from the underlying muscle. Once the blade made contact with my muscle, and began to skin me, it burned very uncomfortably and I couldn't hold in a hiss of pain as she slowly removed the skin.
Once she had the sample she wanted, she put it in a small, airtight solid container labeled 'SKIN'. I hadn't noticed the containers, all lined up on a shelf, each with their own labels. As I read them, my eyes got wider after each one I read: Skin, Blood, Feather, Muscle, Tendon, Nerve, Bone, Brain, Eye, Heart, Spleen, Gallbladder, Liver, Lung, Stomach, Kidney, Large Intestine, Small Intestine. Every major organ in the body. And she planned on getting a sample of each one.
I should have known more than dissection would be performed on me, but the magnitude of what I would be put through by the end of this was not something I could fathom at the time...
Within the depths of pain
One thing I took solace in, was the thought that she was simply going to take small samples of each desired thing she wanted from me. I was very wrong. My partially hopeful thinking was suddenly shattered as she spoke just a few words to me. "I enjoy your willingness to help me with this. It truly means a lot to me. But one thing I've learned over time; keep a spare amount of everything I need."
She then wheeled a small cart near my left arm and I looked on it. I saw rubbing alcohol, gauze wrap, and a small tin can. I asked her what was in the can and all she said was something to stop the bleeding. I wondered for a second why she would need to stop any bleeding. The small sample she took wasn't bleeding at all. She stared at my arm for about a minute, obviously in thought. Then a giant, unnatural grin threatened to cleave her skull in half as she showed me some strange pliers. She rotated them slowly, waiting for me to recognize them. I knew I had seen some like them before, but where? After a few seconds of pondering, it suddenly hit me and I began to sweat. Profusely.
Those weren't simple pliers, no. I remembered them from fishing with father. Those were skinning pliers. Suddenly, her words made sense. "I see you've finally figured it out," she giggled. She grabbed the knife she used earlier and made a single, shallow cut, all the way around my upper arm, with remarkable precision. I closed my eyes, trying to prepare myself for the unavoidable pain about to come my way. She gently wiggled the pliers back and forth under my skin, until she got a good hold of it. I took a deep breath, but it was in vain. She suddenly yanked the pliers in the direction of my hand, using both her hands and all the strength she could muster.
I hollered to the high heavens above as the skin was mercilessly torn from the muscle, from my upper arm, all the way to nearly my thumb. I had never in my life felt something hurt so much before. With nothing but sheer grit, I held firm and waited for the tide of pain to subside. Once it was at a tolerable level, I looked over at my arm and my stomach knotted up. A nearly two-foot strip of skin dangled uselessly from the base of my thumb. I could see the muscles leading to my thumb from up my arm. The whole effect was horribly disturbing, to say the least. I started shaking, but with a few calming breaths, I felt a little better. Unfortunately, she didn't intend to let me relax too much, as she started getting ready to tear another strip off of me.
"S-shouldn't you give me more t-time to relax at least?" I shakily asked when I noticed she was getting ready to yank again. She said nothing, just waiting to see if I'd say anything else. After she assumed I was done, she yanked again, the second strip coming off and hanging there, just like the first.
My teeth felt as though they were going to be pushed back in my skull as I grit my teeth through the pain. My whole body shook from the stress. I didn't look at my arm this time, just trying to relax as much as possible. Unfortunately, she didn't want me to have such a luxury, as she pulled yet another strip off my arm, and one right after that, and yet another, not giving me time to breathe between gasps and screams.
"Gotta make sure infection doesn't set in," she stated, then wet some of the gauze with antiseptic alcohol and gently began to dab at each exposed inch of my arm, which resulted in grunts of stinging pain from me. "Now, to stop the bleeding," she continued. I took one deep breath and forced my neck to move so I could see my arm. I wished I hadn't done that. I saw all the muscle between my upper arm all the way down to the palm of my hand. Six bloody strips of flesh hung from my shaking hand, and blood dripped from various places all over my arm where the skin tore blood vessels. Just out of the corner of my vision, she pulled a red-hot nail out of the tin can I saw. She was going to cauterize the wounds. It would burn like a bitch, but it would stop the bleeding indeed. She, with a mother's touch, gently applied the tip of the nail to each source of blood, burning them shut. All I did was clench my eyes shut a small amount due to the burning pain of the nail upon my exposed muscles and vessels.
"All finished!" she exclaimed happily. Her eyes were gently closed and a small adorable smile is what was on her face.
"Thanks..." I told her. I was grateful for the fact that she took great measures to ensure I wouldn't get infected or anything, but the fact that I was thanking her at all is what disturbed me. Granted, I didn't want to just be carelessly tortured, but I didn't want to be thanking her for it either. I didn't know what to do. So I did the next best thing. I waited for her to make the next move.
Within the depths of pain
Chapter 6: Structural defect
Once she was finished tending to my bleeding wounds, she told me that we would continue shortly. I didn't answer her in any way. I simply stared at my arm. She left the strips of skin dangling from near my wrist. I could see the small black dots where she used the hot nails to stop the bleeding. I wondered if I could still use the arm, and so I attempted to wiggle my fingers. To my surprise, it worked. But my fingers were not the only things I saw move. I shivered slightly as I watched my bare muscles and tendons constrict and relax, allowing my fingers to move. Truth be told, I was somewhat curious as to how it all worked. I flexed my fingers, rotating my arm slightly, intrigued how many muscles were used to do such a simple task such as wiggling and clenching my appendages. For some strange reason, I smiled at this new knowledge. I felt as though I wanted to see how other things worked inside of my body.
After what I assumed was a few hours, she returned, but not empty-handed. In her left hand was what seemed to be a tall glass of plain water, and in her right hand was a bowl of something I couldn't see quite yet. "You need to keep your strength up, mister." she nearly scolded me, yet sounding motherly. She placed the bowl on the same cart she had the pliers on before smiling at me and raising the glass to my lips. Naturally, I guess she wanted me to drink, so I parted my lips, allowing the cold liquid to soothe my partially dry throat. After a few sips, she removed the glass, then replaced the glass with the bowl. She gently blew on the contents, stirring all the while. A few seconds later, she scooped up a moderate amount of what appeared to be rice and gravy. I grimaced at the thought of being fed like a baby. She knew what I was thinking, and stated simply, "Come on now, you have to eat. You don't want to starve, but you can't feed yourself. So come on... open up for me." That cute little voice of hers was so damned adorable. I closed my eyes, feeling embarrassment for being unable to do something as simple as feeding myself, and opened my mouth for her. She slowly pushed the spoon in my mouth, then tilted it upwards slightly, causing all of the food to spill on to my tongue. Once the flavor hit me, I couldn't help but swallow fast, loving the flavor. Fluttershy smiled softly at me, happy at my cooperation. She continued feeding me, bite by bite, until all of it was gone and I felt nearly full. She placed the bowl down, then grabbed the glass of water. Again, I drank, until the glass was empty.
"Now what do you say?" she asked me, apparently expecting a certain phrase. I knew what she wanted me to say. She expected me to thank her. Now, I don't blame her for expecting as such, but... to thank the one who has you forcibly restrained, then skinned part of you alive, with plans to do much worse to you... is it right? Manners would tell you to say thanks regardless, but isn't it just wrong to thank someone who will do Celestia-knows-what to you in the near future?
I swallowed my pride. "Ummm... t-thanks..." I mumbled, the words leaving a near palatable bitter taste in my mouth. She giggled, apparently satisfied with my answer. "You'll need your strength for what's to come." she said, which made me fear the worse. I glanced at the sample jars and saw the one that was directly to the right of the one that my skin was in. Of course, I was worried, but a strange fascination with the inner workings of my own body made me almost anxious to see what else I might learn as this sick experimentation of hers continued. I could feel a dull throbbing pain in my skull, my eyes grew heavy, and I groaned before falling asleep with a full stomach, Fluttershy watching me all the while.
Within the depths of pain
Absolute nothingness surround me as pure terror crawls through my very core. That's the best way I can describe this feeling as I sleep heavily. I'm lucky I can recall even the most basic emotions while I was unconscious. It feels like I'm deep underwater, not sinking, neither floating, and the pressure is all within my skull, as though I was at the bottom of the ocean. There was technically no logical reason for fear to be present, yet it was abundant nonetheless. Questioning it was pointless. So I did the next best thing. I waiting for the waking world to claim my body. I don't know how long I was asleep for. Maybe mere minutes, perhaps years, perhaps I'll never know. Eventually, I slowly began to feel my mind being slowly pulled back into the waking world. If only I would've known of the upcoming set of events, I would've gladly begged to stay asleep, or even better, willingly walked into Death's embrace.