As days go by...

Music

As you stared into your attackers eyes, in your peripherals you could see two shaking balls of blue and yellow under a tree. And now it...was...ON. You could feel your chest tighten and heart speed up, then after a slight warmth flowed through your eyes accompanying a red haze you charged the manticore head on, sliding underneath it just before catching a swipe to the face. As you popped up behind the beast you quickly notice it's stinger swinging futily at you, dodging each of the would-be blows seems as easy as breathing while you watch the aggressors failure time and time again. Step by step, ducking and weaving ever so gracefully.

Once you spot the first sign of fatigue in the attacks, you tighten the grip of your sword and embed it right into the middle of the manticores tail. One quick flick and you could lop it off, and that was what you thought youd've done. Instead opting to drive your blade up to the base of it and swing back down to finish off, while you take a step back to admire your handy work. Now screeching in agony before you, is the only manticore to ever have it's tail completely split down the middle.

The sight of it was so...satisfying, toying with your prey and dealing so much pain. Finally having control and allowing the rage and hatred you had bottled up over so many years to flow out in such fluid motion. An irrepresible toothy grin peels across your face as you wait for the manticore to stop it's hysteric attempts to repair the damage you had just done, oblivious to your plan...and power. Eventually the beast recovers enough composure to face you again, once more looking into your eyes. As you stare back with your grin and see it falter for a second, as well as the absolute terror in its glazed eyes. It was crying.

Whether from the pain or terror you this beast was going through it felt indescribably satisfying to see, and yet you still felt your body screaming for more...>Pathetic waste of flesh! Finish this, NOW!<. In a fit rage and desperation it threw a flurry of strikes at you, alternating between claws and flicking it's mutilated stinger at you, splashing blood and venom over you. Stepping back with each avoided attack, you observe the injured shoulder closely and spot a hitch every time it swings.

That's it, now's the time to end it. In a split second as it's claw rises for another blind swing, you step forward and twist into a palm strike to the inside of it's shoulder feeling a shiver of pleasure at the solid pop echoing from it. As your victim rears up you catch a glance at the bone jutting out of the gash inflicted earlier before it falls into one last ditch attempt to hit you.

Bringing down it's claw, only to meet your incoming sword. Effortlessly holding up the full weight of the helpless creature, it looked down on you and you could see a perfect reflection of yourself in it's eyes. Which was quite scary. The first thing you noticed was the fangs framed in your maniacal grin, but worse was your eyes. You're eyes a deep red encircled by pitch black instead of the white that they should be, as badass as it looked it could only involve something or someone unsafe to your mental health. Once you've observed yourself for a second you twist the blade to face the front of the manticores paw and, in a flash, tear it through and spin around to slash through it's head before it drops. The instant your blade makes the final blow the cries of pain stop and the thump of the large corpse hitting the forest floor cues several pairs of yellow eyes to disappear into the dark sea of ferns and bushes.

A few seconds of savoring your victory was soon replaced with disgust and concern. "Fluttershy, Rainbow." You drop the sword and run over to a pair of pegasi wearing awestruck expressions, "Are you two okay?" realizing your presence and worry they both snap out of their trance.

"U-um y-yes, we're fine." Fluttershy lowers herself and steps back an inch, understandable considering

what you just did.

Rainbow leaps up and latches her hooves around you "I'm just glad you're alright." Returning the hug as you relax in her hooves, relieved of the tightness gripping your chest and heart rate returning to normal while she softly nuzzles you.

Then, pulling away and gazing into her innocent rosy eyes yours cool down and the red tint is washed away in a moment. "C'mon, let's get outta here." You stand slowly, taking the tip of Rainbows wing in your hand and leading her and Fluttershy away from the clearing. Leaving you behind to take in the aftermath.

"So," the voice that had been arguing with you earlier now returning "Pretty good dontchya think?" it now spoke in a...'dark' gravely tone that seemed to have a constant subtle growl.

"Good? In what possible fucking way is this 'good'?" you turned to face the voice and met the sight you feared moments ago, along with an unamused look on his face.

"Oh come on don't give me that whiny bullshit. You know damn well you enjoyed that...because I sure did."

"NO! I'm not-"

"Awww, you really think you'd changed don't you. Ahaha oh that is fucking priceless...c'mon we spent the first 18 years of your life together buddy. I'm the reason you didn't-"

"Wrong...Rainbow is. You know damn well that I'll never forget that no matter what so stop trying to fuck with me." you turn away from the monstrosity of your past and slowly stroll away from the clearing, intent on abandoning more than the mangled corpse decorating it.

Once you wade into the undergrowth your other side calls out to you "You can't just turn your back on me! It's not that simple Riley!" You think to shout back but instead mumble to yourself in steely determination.

"I already buried you once, I can do it again."

***

After Riley had faded out of the memory his evil began to review his plan, and smiled "You never had a choice Riley. Now...where's your 'guest'?"