A Fallen Angel

They had been riding around for hours.

"Are we-"

Double stuck his hoof in his mouth. "No, we aren't, and if you start asking that question, I will lose it on you." He pulled his hoof back.

"What are we looking for?"

"Can't tell you. Direct orders."

Criss sighed. He wished he was there already.

Luna, on the other hand, was there.

She walked up to what looked like a big rock, and pressed her horn into the hole. A moment later, there was a small click, and she was teleported inside the monstrous facility. She hadn't thought of it before, but having it underground had been a great idea. Nopony would have thought to look underground for such a large facility. Who would want to build an entire factory underground? Her old workers had definitely disliked the idea. But thousands of years of next to no use had caused it to sink into the dirt.

She chose to build it right beside Canterlot. In the little valley. So it would appear to the sun goddess that ants had defeated her.

Nightmare Moon did so have a sense of humor.

Of course, it being under Ponyville hadn't helped for visiting it. The last time she'd been able to was last Nightmare Night. She had learned, and put an entrance for the factory inside of the Everfree Forest.

Her new plan was to have a house right on top of the factory for her apprentice to live in, and for the "Parents" to have kept an eye on. She already knew who the father would be. She just needed a "good" mother. One who could teach Criss how to fight.

If Rainbow Dash's mother hadn't been such a goody-goody, and been loyal to Celestia, she would use her as Criss's mother.

Ugh. Criss. Such a lacking name. She'd need to change that too. "Criss-Cross" was cute, but she didn't want a "cute" apprentice. Nightmare Moon wanted a warrior.

Upon entering the facility, she was greated by a firm hoofshake by the oddest pony there. He didn't look weird, but a life-time of warfare had granted him the strength to walk on his hind legs, allowing his front two to be used for wielding weapons. He had an olive green coat that matched his uniform, and had a blood red mane that had been cut to a mohawk.

"Hello, Luna."

"Hello General. It's 'Your Majesty'." Nightmare Moon hated the name "Luna". It sounded too nice.

"Absolutely, your Majesty." The General said, bowing low.

"Shall we go to your office?" Nightmare Moon said, pointing to a room with blacked out windows.

"Alright."

As they entered the blacked out room, and shut the door, Nightmare Moon turned to the general.

"It's good to see you, Paen."

"You too, your Majesty."

"I'm not going to screw around." She knew he'd hate it if she did. He admired her straight-forwardness. "The one that could slip past Celestia's and Double Time's gaze is a weakling. I need you to straighten him up. If it came down to it, you could add a bit of my DNA... Whatever it takes."

"Weakling as in actually weak? Or as in strong morals?"

"Both."

Paen winced. He would find a way to please Nightmare Moon. He always did. As per usual: "That won't be necessary. I'll break his personallity. He'll have the personallity of a Killer. Or atleast be easier going with murder. But now," He said as he pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "We haven't seen each other since last Nightmare-night. Would you like a drink?"

"Yes please." She said, and Paen poured two glasses. She swirled her drink with her hoof, a question flitting about in her mind. "How did you survive over a thousand years?"

"The cryo-chambers you had us work on. I had some fine motor-damage, but it's nothing I can't deal with. Part of the reason I avoid walking on my front hooves nowadays." Paen had always been incredibly resourceful.

An idea came to her. "Paen, do you know of anypony who'd make a 'good' mother for my apprentice?"

"Hmm..." At first she thought he hadn't understood the sarcasm. Then he said "My wife would have made an excellent 'mother'. She even wanted a child, but she died. You would have no idea how to bring her back."

Nightmare Moon caught on quickly. "Ah, no. No idea at all. I couldn't bring her back or anything. It's not like I'm that powerful." They both broke off laughing at that. "In all seriousness, I think your wife would be perfect. She still loyal?"

"As far as I know, she died loyal."

"Good. I shall do it before I leave. Now the subject that worries me most. His age."

Leaning forward, Paen rested his head on his hooves."Oh, yes?"

Nightmare Moon nodded. "He is too old to go through have any training, and too young to go to any military school. This leads me to two conclusions. One, we must reset him to a younger age, which will make him take longer, or two, we have to alter his memories."

"We should keep him at his age." Paen said, his voice filled with certainty.

"Really?" Nightmare Moon wasn't as sure.

Paen nodded. "He'll be prepared faster. Plus, teenager's are easier to manipulate. All that contempt."

"I suppose, but-" Paen cut her off mid-sentance. "Remember last time I told you something and you didn't listen? It cost the rebellion."

Nightmare Moon knew there was truth to this. "Alright, we shall do this your way. How do you propose not to age?"

"Easy, you could control the death of ponies; you're the Mistress of Night. You can stop me and my wife from aging. Hell, you could probably hold off my entire clan's aging, but I wouldn't ask that of you. Until he's about fifteen.  Then we can age."

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Thirty-five"

"Mhmm... And your wife?"

"Thirty-three."

"Okay... Alright, it shall be done." Nightmare Moon put on her best Luna voice. Which, because she was Luna, was spot on. "We shall maketh sure you doth have all the appropriate supplies."

Paen roared laughing at that. He enjoyed the suffering of other ponies. Even if it was just Nightmare Moon making fun of her do-good counterpart, he still thought it hilarious.

Plus, there was no gaurantee that if he didn't laugh, he'd live through this visit.

Paen glanced at the security display screen to see a much hated pony of his walking right up to the front doors of the factory. "He's here." He spat through gritted teeth.

"Good. Stay here." Luna rose and left the office to prep for her science experiment.

Double Time didn't like the look of this place.

He had followed Luna's orders directly, and found himself looking at two gigantic steel doors.

"Whoa... Cool!" Criss exclaimed, standing at Double's knee height.

"Yeah... That's one word for it." Double wasn't going to hide his trepidition. He was worried that it was right underneath Ponyville, and the Elements of Harmony. Atleast they'll be able to respond quickly if Nightmare Moon comes back and decides to attack from here. He reasoned. He was about to wonder how to open the doors when they opened by themselves

"Hello!" said a small pony, walking through the new gap in the doors. "You must be Double Time. Umm..." The pony walked up close to Double Time and said "She wants you to say goodbye to Criss, so..."

"Oh." Double had to admit, he wasn't looking forward to this.

He turned to Criss, who was trying to look inside. "Hey, Kid."

Criss turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"This is where you and me split."

"Oh." Criss looked at his hooves. "So I guess I'm going to forget everything, now?"

"Yeah." Double couldn't look straight at Criss, either. "Sorry it didn't work out all fairy-tale like, kid."

Double winced as he saw a tear fall and hit the ground. "No, I already made up my mind to do this by myself." Criss looked up at Double, and, although he was crying, he still smiled. "I'm not gonna get a chance to say this again, so thanks. For helping me. I think it's better this way. And you and Luna and Celestia shouldn't blame yourselves for my life. You guys tried to make it better." Criss gazed at the floor. "I'd say I'll see you around, but even if I do, I won't recognise you."

Double sniffed. And scowled. He hadn't planned to do any crying. "Hey, kid." Criss looked up, and for what may be the last time, Double gazed into Criss's giant purple orbs. "See you around."

Criss choked and ran forward, clutching his friend in his last hug.

Paen damn near vomitted.

This bitch is gunna need a lot of work.

Paen sighed. Atleast he'd have his wife.

But, wow. He knew their short meetings had been all heartfelt and emotional, but he didn't think the Corporal was that weak.

Guess he was wrong.

Huh, Me, wrong? He poured himself another glass of whiskey. That's a first.

"Paen." He heard Nightmare Moon call him through the speaker on his desk. Amazing what ponies had done with magic in the past thousand years. Putting it into boxes must've been hard.

He pushed the big red button. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"Come out to the front; The child is coming in."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Well, time to analyze the new "recruit".

He felt ill already. He wished Nightmare Moon had chosen somepony else. But he realised very few had passed Celestia's requirements. A pony who'd been beaten would love taking their anger out on other ponies.  As long as the "Corporal" and the "Princess" hadn't softened him up to much. Or he'd have to toughen him up again.

The hard way.

As he was walking around his desk, he realised that when he was Criss's age, he'd already killed three times, to prove himself to the clan.

The other fourteen times were just for pleasure.

He briefly considered if any of the clan that had disbanded were still in Canterlot. Probably not. They probably all fled when things went to hell.

Cowards.

Although he hadn't been the founder of the clan, because cruelty was worshipped in the Killer clan, he'd been revered as a god.

Yeah, he had got teased when ponies found his name was Paen Killer. Only to find that he really hated being teased.

What to name the kid, though... It didn't matter if he hated or loved the colt. He'd do whatever it took. For the sake of Nightmare Moon, and another chance at the Lunar Revolution.

Some may say he was stuck in the past. They usually got their tongue's cut out. Paen Killer was not about to let it die. Not when they had been so close to defeating Celestia.

He still held the name in his head. The one that had betrayed the entire Lunar Rebellion.

Blueblood.

He'd have that ponies head by the end of the war. Win or lose, he'd get Blueblood. He'd hang his head on the wall.

He already had a plaque hanging over his mantle, with small script that read "The Traitor".

Paen left his office, approaching the small child who was quickly looking around, attempting to take in everything at once.

He's inquisitive. That could be a problem... Unless I can get it under control.

"Sit still, soldier. At attention!" Paen barked, reverting to his old ways.

Criss damn near jumped 3 hooves. Nevertheless, he tried his best to stand up as straight as he could.

He must have done it wrong, because this new pony just sighed and shook his head.

Paen was disgusted. Too scared, too eager to please. He blamed it on Celestia and that emotional Corporal.

"What's your name, soldier?" Paen wasn't going to ease up. He'd get the fear out of him. He'd replace it with the pleasure of killing.

"C-C-C..." Criss trembled off, too nervous to continue.

"'C-C-C'. What's the problem, you thick or something? Spit it out!"

"Criss!" Criss was on the verge of tears. But hadn't he been asking for this only a few hours ago?

"That's 'Criss, Sir!', Mother-fucker!"

Criss tried his hardest to surpress his anger. He'd only been called that by his father. But he promised his mother he wouldn't hurt anypony except those who deserved it.

Then the olive green pony smacked Criss across the face. Hard.

"SAY IT!" Paen shouted in his ear.

"Criss, Sir!" Criss whimpered.

"How old are you, fuck-tard?!"

"Eleven, Sir!"

Criss could here somepony snickering behind him. That made him lose it.

He wasn't going to be a show. Not anymore.

Criss spun and leapt at the young foal who'd brought him in.

He poured all eight years of hate, anger, and pain into every single punch he laid into that poor beast.

He poured out the anger over losing his friends.

He poured out the anger of losing his mother.

And Damn, did it feel good.

Paen just sat back and smiled.

Looks like there's some hope for this pony after all.