Biopsyoid

Things had gone very unevenly for Flow.

On one hoof, the pony she had met at the farm had been nicer than she had dared to hope for. But there was also the fact that they were one pony down, and soon enough it would occur to them where to look for the pony to blame.

It hadn’t been Flow who had killed poor Clay, but they would never believe her. The coincidence was too obvious. She could use her touch to escape, but where would she go? If all ponies were as nice as this, she could find some others to help her, but she had seen from the cliff that there was no other place around for miles. She would need to somehow get directions without alerting their suspicions.

She really should leave as soon as possible, but she felt indebted to Blinky. It was the same horrible, rotting shame she had felt from the voices in the lab, only this time it was from inside of her alone. She knew nopony was forcing it on her. She only had until dinner to make up her mind. She was unpractised at using her touch on other ponies, but she was confident even if they fought her, she could stop them all long enough to get away.

There was also the problem that these were the best moments of her life and she didn’t want them to end. The ‘juice’ they had given her was fantastic. It had made her excited and tingly inside, and she felt stronger when she had finished it. It was at that simple thought reality sparked.

—She would finally have a life. –It could work. –No more darkness or living as a tool. –It would be real. –The outside was vast; vaster than her mind, and she was free to roam it however she pleased and meet ponies that were free and good and nice to her and learn what she wanted without being forced to!

“Only not here.”

A freezing cold; Flow’s breath halted. Wolf had returned.

“It is a lethargy that takes you. One of warmth. Comfort. The womb you have always known. You seek to reproduce it here.”

Flow replied over the bond. The conversation was invisible to the two mares busying themselves with diner preparations.

“I know what I’m doing! I’m fixing your mess! I can touch them, and get the information from their minds. Then I can leave and be free, and you can stay in the darkness!”

“If there is no obstacle, how is it you are not yet the victor of your freedom.” It was said as a statement.

“I’m making the most of this. I still have time.”

“You entangle yourself in her web and pray you can free yourself when the spider comes.”

“I don’t have to listen to you. I’m in charge.”

Wolf did not reply and Flow declared herself the victor, even though she was wrong and she knew it. She had already listened to Wolf, however, and the words were starting to fill her. She knew it was dangerous to stay, but she did it anyway. She was now more aware of it than before. And if that was what Wolf wanted, then she had won.

Flow tried to enjoy the moment for a while, but was too frightened of shattering it to make any move that the others might see. It didn’t last for long anyway, as the door was soon opened by a firm and controlling hoof.

Blinky abandoned her task and trotted subserviently to the stallion as he entered the home. “Papa, welcome home. Would you like anything to drink?”

“No, Blinky, that will be fine.” He sounded appeased by her actions, and walked up to give his daughter a neck hug.

He walked to the kitchen looking at Flow briefly on the way, but did not say anything about her. He greeted his wife with a less reserved hug than he had given Blinky.

“Did you have a good day, Sue?” He asked with a degree of care that alluded to the fact he had more important interests than just the answer. He scanned her like a doctor, looking up and down her body to check for injuries. “Blinky helped you with everything you asked, didn’t she?”

“Blinky’s been a fine girl. She’s been helping me in the kitchen you know? She’s such a quick learner.”

“Blinky is a big girl now, you remember? She’s all grown up and helps us out with the money.”

Sue froze up for a few seconds, looking confused and a bit scared, but then replied, “Oh. Yes, I remember. It’s been a long time. She’s a very clever daughter now.”

“Yes she is. You make sure not to stress yourself too much. I’ll be in the next room.” He gave the mare another hug, then walked over to Blinky.

“So, Blinky, where did this little filly come from?” He gave no gesture to clarify his actions, as it was obvious who he was referring to even without looking to her.

“She came up to the door all alone, Papa. She told me she got separated from her parents and she’s not from around here.”

Blinky had just lied about her. The only logical reason for it was that Clyde would not be happy with the truth. Clyde turned to her and spoke. “Is this true, little filly?” He was focusing on her firmly, as he spoke. His mutton chops were rowdy and uncombed, and it gave him a wild sort of look that was actually quite intimidating. His eyes worried Flow.

“Y—Yes… sir.” He continued to scrutinise her for a few seconds before his expression softened.

“Well, ok then. I believe you. Our home’s open to you. I’ll be sure when I find your parents to give them a lesson on taking good care of foals.” He walked up to Flow and stroked her mane with a hoof. “And don’t worry. We always have time to help a stranger in need.” He was still quite stiff when comforting, though he was sincere.

When he was satisfied the filly trusted him, he moved to sit down at the dining table and took off his hat. “Inky’s not been home all of the afternoon, I take it?” he talked from the corner of his mouth while trying to light an old pipe.

Blinky had gone off to the other side of the room to get some sheets of paper in her mouth. She finished walking to the table and set them down before attempting to reply. “No, Papa. She’s still in town buying the new tools.”

Clyde put on his reading glasses and looked over the first sheet. He hunched forwards, and spoke in a low voice to Blinky.

“So, this is the totals?” He pointed at a spot on the paper.

“Yes.”

“And that’s what we owe?”

“Mmm’hm”

“How did you get this taken off?”

“We did renovations on the house. It counts as a loss.”

He looked over everything for a few seconds to make sure it was correct (even though he would not likely have spotted a mistake if there was one) and then smiled.

“That’s my filly.” He ruffled her mane, just a little. Now appearing content, he leaned back in the chair and blew a ring of smoke into the air.

He enjoyed an idle smoke before meals to calm him after a long day’s work. He would usually sit in silence to complete his meditation, but today he was happier than usual. With the money Blinky had reclaimed from those parasitic tax ponies (who showed up once a year to take a cut of his earnings, but not once could he recall them having done a thing for him) he would finally be able to replace the old barn – which was now almost more repairs and replacement parts than what remained of the original structure – and could not safely be left up much longer.

It helped that this year’s harvest had been the best in many. While the dry conditions would be trouble for most stallions in similar lines of work – but not exactly the same – he would see a nice increase in the size of the rocks harvested without the rain eroding at them while they were out on the fields. There was truly no feeling more satisfying than claiming the entitlement of the sweat of ones brow.

“A fine year it’s been for the farm, my filly. Yes, I’d say we’ll be the envy of the town.”

“Do you think you’ll win anything at the county fair?” Blinky was sitting beside him at the table now.

“Oh, I’d say we could bring home the lot. Bertha’s a fine stone at twelve hundred pounds; biggest I’ve seen in these parts for a score and twain. The cobble we got growing out back’s nothing too humble herself. Why I’d say—”

“Umm.” Flow interrupted cautiously. Clyde looked at her disapprovingly, but left her to speak. “What is—”

“You know little filly, you really should give yourself a proper introduction if you’re going to ask questions. I’d leave you be if you were just to sit there, but that’s quite badly mannered.”

“Oh, Um… I’m Flow.

“Just Flow, eh? Not a name you’d hear around these parts. Well, go on.”

“I just wanted to know… What’s the town here like?”

“Ah, Vannersburgh. Good, clean folk that live out here. All a hard working bunch. We’ve been making do here twenty score without much bother from the outside world. You’re a pegasus, so you probably know how they’re always bustling around about whatever goes on from day to day. They don’t have time to slow down, and I tell you, we don’t have much time for their way of living.” He spoke his well-rehearsed speech. He didn’t have to use it often, but there weren’t many words he did, so it was often near the front of his mind.

“It’s a shame, really, for the lot of you. You can never keep four hooves of the ground. Out here, a pony works and takes care of his own. We got other farms around here too. There’s Hard Roots, who owns a turnip farm to the south, and Cob Pipe to the east, who owns a lot of land with corn on it. Most popular business out here though is rocks. It’s what the place was made to farm.

“Town itself is pretty quiet. Not much need to go into town most of the time. A few folk set up shop there, and we got a few in trades like carpentry and the likes. Nothing like an inn, or anything; wouldn’t stay in business with the number of visitors we get. You be sure to give life on the ground a try some time, you hear?”

The filly nodded with respect. He noticed she was more willing to accept what he said as fact than most. Outside children tended to be a rotten bunch. Even the children of some of his own family and dearest friends had showed themselves as hyperactive gnats.

A voice rang from the kitchen. “Honey… Honey…”

Clyde withdrew the pipe from his mouth and gave his full attention. He stood up and moved towards his wife. “Yes dear? What is it?”

“It’s the clock there.” She pointed to it. “It’s six o’clock and the girls are still out in the fields. Why aren’t they back for dinner?”

“Inky’s gone out to the store, remember? I’m sure she’s just a bit late.”

“Clay should be back at least,” Blinky interjected. “Her field’s not too far from the house.”

“It’s true. We should check on her – that she’s not off playing.

“You didn’t see her did you? Grey filly with a bushy orange mane?”

“No sir.” Flow shook her head.

“Hrmn,” he grunted. He was looking forward to a relaxing evening, but now he would have to go out again. “I’ll go find her. That filly has to learn to finish a job on time.”

Blinky handed him his hat, and he set it on his head with a practiced dignity. He walked to the door, but turned around before he opened it.

“Are you sure you didn’t see anything? I was on the west side of the farm all day, and I hadn’t seen you pass. Which side did you come from?”

A whisper slid into Flow’s mind: “You see the fangs too.”

Flow pointed in the direction that happened to be east. “From… over there.” She had no decent lie to give.

“That should be where she is. Clear viewing for miles around it too.”

That was it. She was at the end of her time.

She would have to escape now.

It would be tricky to subdue all three of them but she was trapped. It hit her how right Wolf had been. Her mind was refusing to put together a plan, and even though she had thought about it earlier, the details were crumbling.

She would go on instinct. She had put animals to sleep before, and she could do the same here. The thoughts of the ponies in the lab were harder to interpret than the animals, but she should at least get a decent map of the area.

She wouldn’t be able to spend long in town. They would come and give her away soon. She would need to move far away as soon as she could figure out a good place to go. The world was a big place, and she could hide forever.

Just before Flow could do anything, a scream from outside interrupted her interrogation. It was softened by the walls, but it was loud enough to draw everypony’s attention.

Clyde turned back to the door, quickly opening it, and galloped outside. Another grey pony, similar to Blinky, was screaming and crying, running up to the house. Her mane was dishevelled and she had blood on her in several places; most notably on the bottom of her hooves, as it was leaving a faint trail where she ran, but also in spots on her coat by the neck.

He ran up to the mare to console her, by grabbing her firmly and speaking to her in short, soothing sentences.

“Shhhh. Inky, it’s ok. Calm down. It’s ok.”

She stopped screaming and continued to sob into the stallion’s coat. She began to explain before he had to ask.

“I—There was a pony—a red pony—he looked sick.” She stuttered and swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then let out a gasp. “I went to help him—He—he tried to bite me. He was crazy and I kicked him, but all this blood came out and his skin burst. He fell in the well.”

She trailed off there into sobbing. Clyde stroked her mane up and down. “Inky, here’s what I need you to do. You go inside with your mother and sit down. I’ll go to the well. I’ll be careful. Just try to breathe.”

He let go of the mare and she ran inside. Flow had followed outside a few seconds earlier and was trying to figure out what was going on. She couldn’t afford not to know exactly what had bought her time.

“Blinky, follow me. Be careful.”

The well was around the edge of the house. Flow had seen it from further away, but this close, the house blocked the view. They walked to the corner, with Flow keeping her distance behind them.

Blinky gave warning, “Flow, this could be dangerous. Stay far back.” She seemed very unkeen to continue herself, but she kept moving just a few paces behind Clyde.

A pony that matched Inky’s description was lying half over the top of the well, suspended on the steel safety grid with a leg lying over the side. He appeared to be conscious as he was coughing every few seconds, and his chest and leg would flinch. Clyde walked up, staying a few pony lengths away.

“Sir?” He spoke firmly, like addressing a trespasser, but not completely without concern. “Are you hurt badly?” He was more interested in learning if the pony would speak than hearing an explanation.

“Sir?” he repeated, moving in closer after a hesitation. Flow was looking from close to the corner of the house. The pony gargled a little. His skin appeared to be fairly loose, and was splitting and rubbing off around the hooves and less so at the leg joints. There was also the distinctive mark of Inky’s kick, which had left more damage than what should be possible.

Just before he was within reach, the pony sprang up onto his hooves and lunged at him with his hooves. The pony made no sound, or cry when it struck – just the wheezing sound of an animal with damaged vocal chords, and a light trail of blood dripped from his mouth. Clyde was prepared, and would not be taken advantage of. He stopped the pony by kicking him, square in the chest. The blow stunned him, but only briefly. After he fell to the ground, Clyde forced him onto his back and choked him by sticking a hoof into his throat, hard, and deflecting his flailing limbs.

After pushing for a while, the pony did not relent as expected. “Blinky!” he called out. “Run to the barn and fetch a length of rope.” He kept struggling with the pony, though Clyde was clearly stronger and had little trouble keeping him pinned.

Blinky made it back quickly and helped tie up the sickly creature while Clyde held it down. It seemed to give up on struggling very quickly after it was secured, opting to just lie still.

Blinky made the first comment after a bout of confused silence. Her brain was kicking in to solve the problem, despite its disturbing nature. “This pony must be very sick. Could he have come from an insane asylum? There aren’t any around here. If he did, he must have been moving for a long time. He could have gotten sick from eating something poisonous on the way here.”

Clyde continued not to speak for a few seconds, also appearing to ignore Blinky’s comment. “I have to find Clay.”

He looked up at Blinky as he continued. “I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I won’t take any chances on it. Whatever is causing this, I have to keep Clay safe.

“Blinky, you take the others into town. See what help you can get there. This is an unnatural occurrence. When I held down on the things throat, it did not stop. It wasn’t breathing. I’ll come with you as soon as I find Clay.”

Another whisper to Flow: “He’ll die.”

“Don’t go alone! It’s too dangerous!”

“Don’t talk at me filly!” He would have none of it. “It’s my family. I won’t risk any more lives on this, but I have to find my daughter.”

He looked over to Blinky again. “Blinky, you’re the only one who I trust to stay calm. You have to take care of the others. I promise I’ll be back. Take the axe from the barn and head to town.”

Flow could not do anything more. Her best bet now was to follow Blinky and hope for the best.

They went their separate ways – Clyde walking sternly to the east, and Blinky heading inside to comfort and inform her family. The road ahead would be dangerous.