Thaumaturgicsby I am MemorialChaptersThe New FillyWe're All PonyFriends and MoreThe New FillyKat ruminated over what she was going to do for breakfast. So many options, so many options... Settling on a nearby doughnut shop, the filly entered and grabbed a couple of the treats in her magic before disappearing out the store. She then began making her way through the town, ignoring the odd looks while throwing plenty of dirty looks at those who would stare. So she was different? So she had herself covered in magi-marks? Her magi-marks meant a lot to her, a way to never forget her mistakes or her triumphs. If they didn't like them, then fuck 'em! Tracing one distinct line on her side, the filly followed it down to where it covered her cutie mark. Her cutie mark itself was simple. Nothing one would find special. Quite simply, her cutie mark was a blood drop surrounded by magic. Best she could reason was that magic was just in her blood, as she'd had it since she could remember. Under her midnight blue and crimson red magi-marks was a pale 'old parchment' hued coat. Thin trace outlines of older magi-marks as well as darkened eye-liner brought out her moonlight gold eyes, and her black mane was shaved at the sides into a wide set mohawk-esque style that she had pulled back into a short spiky ponytail. Her ears both had multiple piercings, as well as a piercing in her left eyebrow. Finally her tail was braided in a tribal like pattern. As she enjoyed the doughnuts, she reached out and touched the mind of her closest acquittance, Jack. Jack came loping out of an alley and quickly perched on her shoulders. "What's up Jack? Chewed up any mice or rats in my alley?" The cat purred and darted forward, biting a piece of doughnut before Kat could do anything. The filly didn't care too much though. Jack was her wing-cat, a black sphynx that seemed to understand her better than anypony else. They weren't 'friends', or at least Kat didn't think so, but they had a mutual understanding of each other since leaving Manehatten. Jack maintained his perch until Kat shook him off outside her new school. The cat protested loudly. "I know, fucking hate establishment like this....still, I have to appear normal or they'll find me, or at least appear normal until I have the bits to leave again." Kat grumbled to the cat. Jack just darted off in search of a bird and left Kat to walk into the school with no clear distinction on when she'd show back up. <^> Twilight was on her way out from Sugarcube Corner, leaving Rainbow to try to console Pinkie. From the best they'd understood from the pink mare's broken explanation, somepony came in for something, and when Pinkie tried to say hi they threw her against a wall and screamed at her. Now Pinkie was locked away upstairs, her hairs straight and lifeless, leaving Twilight to try and figure out who would hurt her friend. <^> Trotting sullenly up to the door, Kat gave it a fierce kick that caused it to slam open. As she looked inside, she noticed the teacher she'd 'talked to' staring at her in shock, as well as many of the students looking at her. Kat quickly glanced about to see who seemed the safest to sit next to. The first two ponies she saw were a pair of young stallions, one gangly and acne ridden, the other rather portly. After that was a colt sitting towards the front with a bandanna on that didn't look like too much of a threat. Following her sweep, Kat noted three more ponies, all fillies, of which only one, a white mare with a cotton candy mane, was actually paying attention to her. The other two, a yellow furred earth pony and orange coated filly, had their back to her. Then the final pair... "Oh....my....Celestia....what the hay is wrong with your body?! Ugh, that is so disgusting, you're all covered in those marks!" snarked the silver furred filly. Her pink friend was quick to join in. "I agree, my daddy says only two bit whores get marks like those." Kat just narrowed her eyes and teleported, much to everypony's amazement, into the desk furthest from both the door and everypony else. For her it just meant she didn't have to walk past the stuck up sluts that she already wanted to hit....really, really hard. Appearing next to her chosen desk, she kicked the chair into a corner and seated herself, eyeing the other colts and fillies staring at her. Cheerilee quickly called the students to attention and took five minutes to finish her lesson before sending them off for lunch. Kate took the longest to get to the door, and Cheerilee hesitantly drew her attention. "Um...K...Kat, I just wanted to say....you were late today..." "And..." growled Kat, "I made it perfectly clear. I'm not here for an education or to be nice and follow the rules. I'm here because going to school seems like a good way to hide. I will pass and I will be counted present everyday. I hope I'm understood fully, because I won't be putting up with your shit, and if you give me away, I will kill you." Twin bursts of magic had sparked across Kat's fur when she'd said 'will', and it was enough to have Cheerilee nodding quickly. "Good to see you understand. I don't hate you by the way, but I can't have you getting in my way." <^> The gryphon stood firm as he went over the map before him. He had jet black feathers covering all but the right side of his face, which was a patch of burned skin. His shrewd red eyes scanned over the map repeatedly, moving from marking to marking as he attempted to piece together a proper trail. "I'm going to find you Subject Seven, and vhen I do, I'm going to beat the insolence out of your hide before I drag you back to vhere you belong." Just then a second gryphon came in with a stallion. "Sir, this stallion says he has information!" The stallion stammered a few time before stating that a pony matching Subject Seven's heading out from Manehatten by train. Grinning evilly, the jet black gryphon faced the stallion. "I take it you vish to receive your revard?" When the stallion nodded, the gryphon grabbed him by the neck and drove a knife through the pony's eye and into his skull. "No vitnesses, now find me Subject Seven!" <^> Kat laid idly up the tree she'd decided to take a nap in. Sadly sleep didn't come easy for her, it hadn't in a long time. Grunting in frustration built up from exhaustion she turned over and slugged the tree. As she stared down from her perch, slowly slipping into sleep, she noticed a red ball... ...floated in the bag above her. It had a tube that led to her leg, and it hurt, but the bigger ponies wouldn't let her up or make it stop. They said it was their greatest accomplishment so far, and that she just had to make sure she didn't mess it up. Her leg hurt so bad where the tube went in, and she jerked a leg free to pull it out... Jerking back awake, Kat rubbed at a small scar on her foreleg. Giving a slight shudder Kat rolled over to face away from the foals with the beach ball and began closing her eyes. The last thing she saw was a small colt standing over another... ...as she watched blood pool out underneath the prone foals form. She felt her lunch come up, and she quickly spewed it across the ground. "Still you show weakness Subject Seven? You will fight until you are no longer weak! Send in another!" Shooting to a sitting position, Kat rubbed a hoof across her eyes and saw it came away damp. Angry at this, the mare's temperature shot up until steam rose from where her tears should have fallen. Leaping from the tree, Kat delivered a massive roundhouse to its base, shattering bark everywhere. "Whoa little filly. You should totally cool your jets." Spinning about, Kat found her faced with what appeared to be a mare, but upon closer inspection was a rather feminine stallion. "Seriously, no reason to get angry, I'm sure whatever that tree did, it didn't mean to." Rolling her eyes, and praying that the stallion was making a joke, Kat spat back her answer. "Tree didn't do anything...I'm just mad and it was here for me to kick." The stallion, pink with yellow tips to his ears and hoove-tips with a flowing seafoam mane, just shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to let it out, I get it dude. Hey, you ever need to like, talk about your problems or something, you should definitely come give me a holler, 'kay dude?" "...and how did it make you feel?" "Awful!" *Crack* "NO! HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?!" "Good, it made me feel good!" "WHAT MADE YOU FEEL GOOD?!" "Please...no..." *Crack* "Killing the foals! Killing the foals made me feel good! Please! No more, please!" "Dude, you okay? You totally, like, zoned out and stuff. You look tired dude, probably need to go hit up the sack, you know?" droned the stallion, "So catch ya on the flipside, and remember, you can totally talk to me dude, name's Surfboard." Rolling her eyes, but taking the stallion's name to heart, Kat started off towards her alleyway to bed down for the night. <^> Dinky struggled against the silver furred hoof that held her face in the mud while Diamond Tiara went through her bag. She probably shouldn't have, because all her struggling earned her was a nasty kick to the belly, causing tears to well up and start sliding down her cheeks. "Oh look, the retard's daughter is crying." laughed Diamond as she found her prize, Dinky's treasured art pad. Truthfully, Diamong thought that the art made by Dinky was amazing, but then again it was Dinky, so who cared? "Ahhh, how cute, you drew a picture of your retard mom and your orphan sister, how lame." Dinky was forced to watched as Diamond Tiara threw her pad down in the mud and stomped on it a few times. The filly was so distraught she managed to get loose from Silver Spoon and dart towards her art pad only to have Diamond Tiara slap her harshly across the face. "You won't tell anypony about this, do you understand?! Because if you do th-" Diamond's words were cut off as she was thrown into a nearby fence, cracking a few boards loudly as her body connected. Dinky stared in awe as Silver Spoon made to rush at her friends attacker only to be lifted up and slammed into the mud as well. The both of Dinky's tormentors were lifted up into the air by magic. It was then that Dinky could see her saviour, a strange looking pony covered in odd markings. That wasn't what got her attention the most though. No, what drew her attention was the undeniable look of unfiltered hate and malice that poured from the new pony's eyes as she lashed out, breaking the noses of both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "You won't tell anypony about me, do you both understand?!" Diamond and Silver both just whimpered pathetically before the newcomer dropped them into the mud. Then she turned to Dinky. <^> Sparkler had just gotten home and sat down from her day working with her boss Pop Float when a knock came from the door. Since her mum, Derpy, was making lunch she got up and trotted through the house to the front door. "Who is it?" "It's me sis..." came back the muffled reply. Sparkler immediately knew the tone in her sisters voice and threw the door open to find her sister sporting a nasty bruise on her cheek and covered in mud. "Dinky! Was this Diamond Tiara?! I swear when I get my hooves on her..." Sparkler growled before moving to usher her younger sister in. It was then she noticed a second pony, a filly about her age, standing a bit back from the door. "Dinky, who's this?" Dinky's eyes suddenly brightened up. "Oh, this is Kat! She came by and made Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon go away, and when I said I could take my art pad to Twilight and have her fix it, she said she was free tomorrow and would do it for me!" Sparkler just nodded as she took in the very 'bad news' looking filly before her. "Head inside and get a bath before dinner Dinky, I think I want to talk to this filly." As Sparkler turned to face the strange pony again, she found the filly trying to leave. "Hey, come back here!" Tossing a wearied look over her shoulder, Kat shrugged. "Why, so you can tell me to keep away from your younger sister? So you can make sure I keep my troubles away from your family?" Sparkler was taken aback by the frustration in the filly's voice, but realized that she was right, she was going to say that... Why the filly knew she was going to saw that bespoke that such things had happened before. And the thought of having a filly her age turned out on just looks.... "No, I wanted to know if, as thanks for helping my sister, maybe if you wanted to come in for dinner?" Kat's eyes lit up for a moment, but she shook her head. "I'm fine, not hung-*Grraghh*" The magi-marked filly froze as her stomach betrayed her and Sparkler tried not to laugh. "Come on in, I'm Sparkler." smiled Sparkler as she held the door open. "Kat..." <^> Celestia sat idly with her sister enjoying lunch when her top informant entered the room. The green pegasi stallion came to a halt before the sisters and gave a nod of his blue maned head. "I have tracked the one you have wished for me to find. She is in Ponyville as we speak." Celestia nodded affirmation. "Gather my sister's night guard elite and await my arrival in the courtyard. Sister, come, we must speak." <^> Dinner was just wrapping up a Kat found herself both very full and very uncomfortable. She had both had an amazing meal, but was also lavished with praise and thanks from Dinky and Sparkler's mother, Derpy. As the table was cleared Kat excused herself and left the house. She found herself walking past the spot where she had dropped the two fillies from before. Their imprints still showed in the mud, and there were darker, redder spots that denoted where their noses had bled. As she looked at the ground the words from Dinky and Sparkler's mother rang through her ears. "Self defense and helping others is nice, but undue misery hurts everypony." As she looked down at the blood stained ground, she thought back to another time she had struck down somepony that she had thought deserving of what she gave them. "Bastard! You gave them the drugs that hurt me!" Kat screamed as the building around them burned. "I'm sorry, but I had no choice! They made me!" "LIAR!"- A shudder went down Kat's spine as she remembered the first pony to take her in. He was a soft spoken stallion, nice, but very fearful and shy stallion by the name of Lily Butter. "I understand what it is like." Lily sighed, "To be alone, some stallions came by eight years ago and took my father. I never found out what happened to him. He said he was going to protect me though...he never came back..." Kat took the offered picture from Lily Butter and nearly dropped it. There stood the stallion that had made the drugs and medicines...the stallion she'd murdered in her escape... Spitting angrily Kat stormed off to her alley and went to sleep <^> Sparkler watched as the magi-marked filly disappeared into the alleyway, just as she figured she would. Giving a somewhat sorrowful smile Sparkler decided to wake up extra early and plan a 'incidental' meet up tomorrow and take her out for breakfast. After all, Derpy had done something similar for her before adopting her. 'And she's kinda cute, in a roguish rebel way.' Turning and heading home, Sparkler started making plans for the next day. We're All Pony*Splash* *Crack* "Wake up you lazy shit, time for combat training!" Kat shivered under the biting cold water soaking her fur and the stinging in her cheek. "Why do we always fight, why not make friends?" The stallion just lashed out with his whip a second time, striking the six year old filly. "You don't have friends, nopony wants to be your friend!" Jerking awake and feeling her coat to be soaked through and through it took Kat all of two seconds to realise it was raining. Casting a shielding spell followed by a drying spell and finalized with a spell to resist water Kat stood up and headed towards the open street. Checking left and right, Kat cleared that nopony was in view before entering the street. She walked a good ten hooves before she heard a familiar voice call out. "Oh, morning Kat! How are things?" Jumping at first, Kat teleported ten hooves forward, but facing behind her. Surprisingly it was only Sparkler, so she teleported with in five hooves of the filly. "You probably shouldn't sneak up on me....it can have mixed results." Nodding sagely Sparkler motioned for Kat to walk next to her and started down the street. "I was just on my way to breakfast when I saw you. You want to come along?" Somewhat unsure of the proposal Kat stayed silent. "Come on, they have some amazing pancakes, oh, and the waffles are to die for!" Sparkler grinned. "Lily, why did you offer me a place to stay and food when you didn't know me?" Kat asked. Lily just shrugged. "Life sucks most of the time...I guess I wanted to make sure somepony didn't have to be as down as I am all the time." "So I should just...what? Accept it when ponies are nice to me?" Nodding slowly Lily set out lunch. "I guess," Kat conceded, "But...." Sparkler just shook her head, knowing what Kat was going to say. "Don't worry, I've got enough bits to cover you, besides, that's what friends do." <^> Twilight was frustrated to say the least. Ponyville wasn't a big town, but she was no closer to finding the filly that upset Pinkie. Mumbling angrily it was only by pure chance that she bumped into another pair of ponies grumbling angrily. Filthy Rich and Silver Sickle. "Ah, Ms. Sparkle, you seem as put off as we are." Twilight eyes them and saw that they were indeed put off. "Mr. Rich, what's wrong?" Twilight was quick to receive an earful on how both their daughters had been accosted and had their noses broken for no reason by a magi-marked filly. The alicorn's eyes narrowed angrily at the thought of somepony in their town hurting ponies for fun. "Don't worry, when I find them they'll wish they never entered this town!" <^> Sparkler watched in mild amusement as Kat tore voraciously into her meal. She was glad she'd opted for the buffet and couldn't help but think that she must have looked and acted similar when Derpy had brought her here for lunch all those years ago. The waitress came by to check on them just then. "My my, hungry? Would you come like me to bring some more pancakes around?" Kat just gave her a glare and a nod before she recommenced her eating. "You can be nice," offered Sparkler, "You know, to other ponies. It's not like it will hurt or something." Kat shuddered and started choking on her food, coughing loudly for a moment until the blockage was clear. Her visage grew both very haunted and very angry at the same time as tears built up in her eyes. As one began to slide down her cheek she heard Sparkler trying to get her attention. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you're about to cry." Huffing and tearing back into her meal, trying her best to keep her waterworks in check, Kat mumbled her response back through her mouthful of food. "M'ffine, sff'noffing." Even as she tried to shrug it off her tears betrayed her, her body knowing nopony from the complex was around and making it harder for Kat to resist crying. She suddenly flinched as she felt a hoof connect with her, but immediately realised it was a soft touch, not a strike. It was Sparkler trying to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay..." Kat tried to shrug Sparkler off but only succeeded in causing the filly's hoof to slide a few inches across her back. It was enough to have Sparkler gasp and her eyes to show a mixture of pity, horror, and morbid fascination as she ran her hoof along Kat's neck and shoulders feeling every raised bump of scar tissue from numerous whippings. "Oh Kat, I'm so sorry." Shaking her head, Kat found she couldn't shake off her confusion. "Why? Why do you care? Why are you sorry? Why is it okay for you to be nice but not me? I don't understand...." It struck like lightning that Kat must not have ever had a chance to understand friendship, or anything of the sort. Pulling back from Kat, Sparkler caught the filly's eyes with her own. "Then stick around me for the day, okay? I'm going to make sure you understand that everypony should have somepony that cares. Finish up though, because I'm going to be late for work." Nodding and drying her tears quickly Kat took two more large bites of pancake before hopping out of her seat and following after Sparkler. <^> Der'arzt grinned in a predatory fashion as his scouts returned to him with the location of the filly. With the knowledge of his prize in claw he called in two of his best gryphons. "Find ze unicorn filly, and bring her to me! I vill not tolerate failure!" <^> Stoic as she normally was, the breakfast ordeal being an anomaly, even Kat couldn't help but think of how awesome Sparkler's job was. She worked in a soda pop and ice cream parlour called the Pop Shoppe. Upon entering Kat couldn't help but think back to the older times when they decorated places like this. It was all stainless steel with black and white tiles topped with an old style jukebox in the corner. "Pretty awesome, huh?", Sparkler smiled, "My boss, Pop Float, runs it. Always wanted some place like this." Kat nodded and took a random seat. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting, but what she did know is her eyes never once left Sparkler. <^> Twilight scowled angrily. On the plus side, she and the town guards following her had a valid lead. Derpy had confirmed that Sparkler had taken an interest in her. Still, it meant they had to find Sparkler, and hope Sparkler could lead them to the filly. Even better was the fact that Filthy and Sickle both had formed a small posse, perfectly within legal limits, to find the filly as well. Rounding up her guards, Twilight went over her rules, namely no overly violent tactics, and had them start combing the town. <^> Celestia stood grimly at the head of the train while looking over the elite unicorn guard as the train came to a halt. Magically amplifying her voice, the Solar Diarch gave her instructions. "I want this search carried out as quickly and cleanly as possible. As little interruption to the town as possible. If you find the filly before I, contact me immediately, do not engage. She has been known to have killed just over thirty gryphons and is regarded as a highly dangerous terrorist. I repeat, we can not risk inciting her in the town." With that the train came to a halt and the guard started exiting off into the town. <^> One minute she was idly staring at Sparkler's flank, the next she was standing upside down on the ceiling staring down at the stallion that had startled her. "Er....hi...." "Hey there little filly, finally takin' my advice and chillin' out?" came a soft surfer boy voice that Kat immediately recognized as Surfboard. "Oh, what are you doing here?" Surfboard just laughed and motioned for her to come off the ceiling. "Sparkler, bring your new friend a drink over, totally my treat, infact, you get your self a treat too, m'kay dude?" Sparkler nodded and brought over a float for Kat before turning and walking back. When Sparkler wasn't looking Kat's eyes never left her. "You've totally got the hots for her, don't you!" Flushing quickly and getting angry Kat ducked her head. "I don't....it's just a...thing. Okay, it...and...damnit, I'm fine, okay." "Whatever little filly, I'm just try'na say that if you want things, sometime you gotta take it, you know what I mean little filly?" Surfboard grinned. Kat was about to reply when a red coated orange maned stallion came up from behind Surfboard and nuzzled him in loving way. "Trying to give this filly relationship advice Surf? Maybe you should leave that to the stallions that know what they're doing, eh? I'm Pop Float by the way." Surf just nodded before wrapping a foreleg around Pop and drew him into a deep kiss before turning to Kat. "Totally do something like that, only on the cheek little filly. Trust me, it works every time." Kat nodded and was about to thank Pop for the advice, albeit with a very large blush, when everything hit the fan. <^> "I don't care who my daughter described, the only unicorn filly I know of with any magical talent is Sparkler. We kick the door open, we detain that filly and we punish her accordingly!" roared Filthy Rich. With a hefty kick the stallion knocked the door of the hinges and the volunteers poured in. <^> "This her alley Blackfeather?" "Yeah, we just wait here for a unicorn filly to show up." <^> As soon as the door flew open Kat was up and over the back of the booth well out of sight. Surfboard and Pop Float immediately moved in between the door and the cash register, incidentally between the stallions coming in and Sparkler as well. "Move out of the way you two, we're here for Sparkler!" Filthy Rich roared. Pop Float cast one glance between Filthy and a very confused Sparkler to know he didn't plan on moving an inch. "Why, what has Sparkler done? Aside from take care of her sister and maintain my shop she's done nothing." 'Run Kat.' Stepping forward angrily Rich spat out his accusations. "You broke my daughters nose and stole her allowance bits you bitch!" 'Run Kat.' Sparkler stepped back, shocked. "I haven't even seen Diamond Tiara in ages, the last I heard was from my sister they....." Sparkler froze, realizing rather quickly who must have hurt Diamond Tiara. 'Run Kat' "No excuse off the top of your head?" Silver Sickle spat as he had a couple of the posse members, other stallions he'd paid off, push past Pop Float and Surfboard as he dove for Sparkler. He hit a red glowing wall. "Drop the shield Sparkler!" Sickle yelled as he stood back up. "It isn't me!" "It's not her!" "It's me!" Three voice rang out simultaneously. Twilight Sparkle walked through the front door, flanked by a number of town guards. "I know you're here, and I want you out of my town! You've done nothing but hurt ponies and I'm tired of it!" In response Kat's magi-marked body stalked from behind the booth behind her red shield. "I know I'm here too. Sparkler didn't touch Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon though. No, that was me." Suddenly Silver Sickle and Filthy Rich threw themselves at the barrier in fury. Kat just tried not to laugh at their feeble attempts. "Pulled your daughters off Dinky and taught them a lesson in how they should treat others." At this Twilight slammed a hoof down, drawing everyponies attention. "And Pinkie Pie? You slammed her into a wall." "She...startled me." "She's right!" Sparkler cried, "I startled her this morning and she teleported forward away from me. She was worried I was a threat!" Instead of listening Twilight stepped forward and exerted pressure on the barrier. "Sparkler, I need you to get down, I'm coming to get you!" Kat narrowed her eyes and focused on Sparkler, Surfboard and Pop Float and her alley. "It won't be safe in a moment, I'll come by and let you know when it's safe." With a pop and a flash of light the three ponies Kat had been focusing on disappeared, followed by Kat's wall. "My....friends.....are safe, but I have to make sure it stays that way. You want me captured, and I was a prisoner once, but it will not happen again! It will never happen again!" With that cry a shockwave arced out fromKat, knocking everypony save Twilight off their hooves. "And you won't make me go back to a hole, I won't let you." <^> Celestia was standing amongst the clouds, scanning the city. It was such a quaint little place, Ponyville, and a favourite spot of her own. Going back a few thousand years she would have loved to live in a place like this. It was quiet and serene, the birds chirping, the townsponies screaming, and the flying shrapnel. It all caused her to narrow her eyes and turn to see two small forms duking it out, one sending blasts of lavender, the other crimson. Narrowing her eyes and outstretching her wings Celestia took off towards the miniature battle ground. <^> Biting back both the urge to laugh and the urge to be sick, Kat couldn't help but be reminded of the battles she'd been forced to participate in, if battle could have even been the correct term. It had been rare for any of the other numbers, the other foals, to have actually presented any sort of challenge, and it was very much the same still as she exchanged blows with the alicorn Twilight. Every beam, blast, or lash from Twilight was but a feather against the shields that Kat put up, and every strike against Twilight's shields were much alike the act of a baseball being struck by a bat. And again, it would have been laughable if it wasn't so sickening. Twilight was but a foal...One of so, so many foals that she'd killed before... "Give up Twilight, you can not hope to defeat me. I was trained for this, I was built for this." Kat declared. Twilight just fired off another three beams at Kat's shields. "What, to defeat me? Because I ascended to the form of an alicorn?!" Reaching out a gripping Twilight, Kat jerked her forward strongly and held her immobile before her. "No, not to defeat you. To kill you, and your Princesses. I was beaten, broken and bloodied, pitted in death matches against other foals to see who was strongest. I was, I always was, and the experiments kept going. I kept being beaten broken and bloodied. And now? Now I'm better than those that would have turned me loose on you..." Kat watched as true fear, the fear that you were about to die, filled Twilight's eyes. "I'm better than them, because I'm going to let you go." Twilight felt relief wash over her as Kat's crimson aura began to loosen its grasp. "I don't understand..." Kat just belted out a cruel laugh. "Fuck if I know either...I guess I just want something better, I just didn't realise it until today. If I let you go, will you attack me, or let me go on my way?" "I'll...I'll let you go." Kat nodded thanks and lowered Twilight to the ground and moved to hug her. "Thanks, than-" *BOOM* <^> Celestia fired off a blast of magic while simultaneously putting a shield up around Twilight to protect and teleport her. As the smoke and dust settled Celestia slammed into the ground before the young unicorn. "You assaulted my friend and protege, bad move on your part. Give up and come in quietly and your stay in the dungeons will be much more pleasurable." Celestia laid out. Kat slowly picked herself up from the ground and found herself bleeding from a short but somewhat deep cut on her cheek. Touching a hoof the the wound Kat pulled her hoof away to find it stained with her own blood. "You....bitch!" Celestia had all of two seconds to blink before a hellish red aura slammed into her a threw her through the wall of the nearest building. It didn't take to much time for Celestia to pull herself from the wreckage, glaring death at Kat. "This is how you want to play things?" "I don't play..." growled Kat murderously as she immediately locked her magic around Celestia and threw her into a nother building. Just as Celestia disappeared from sight Surfboard came hobbling around the corner supporting Pop Float who had a number of viscous looking gouges in his side. "Pop!" "Whoa, Pop's okay little filly, but some nasty lookin' gryphon dudes totally swiped up Sparkler. Pop tried to stop them, but, yeah." Kat's eyes hardened, if she'd looked murderous before, she now looked downright genocidal. Turning to try to track down Sparkler, Kat got just over three hooves when Celestia appeared before her. "You will not escape justice!" Hellfire shone in the Kat's eyes. <^> Sparkler tumbled out of the large burlap sack with a thud. Taking a moment the unicorn rubbed her head before trying to stand up, and action that was interrupted when a large claw gripped her roughly and lifted her eye level with a nasty looking gryphon. His eyes both shone dangerously but what got her attention was the burned spot. "Nasty, isn't it? Your...friend, Subject Seven, did zis to me, and now you get to play bait to get her back." the gryphon growled. Sparkler narrowed her eyes, she wasn't stupid, there was a catch. "And then? You just let me go, I doubt it. I felt what you did to her back." The gryphon just laughed evilly. "Of course I von't let you go. You see, Subject Seven must learn her place, so vhen she gets back she vill be presented a choice. To kill you quickly and join us, or to refuse and vatch as we burn you alive. Oh, and you can call me Der'arzt, and I run zis fine establishment. Enjoy your stay in mein home!" Author's Note Any pony sprechen Deustch? I don't, but enjoy the evil gryphon. Friends and MoreHere's your dark tag, warning you now. Celestia whimpered pitiably as she lay at the hooves of Kat, the filly power house who's powers outmatched her own. The Princess knew without a doubt the extent of her injuries and was quick to realise that her death might be at hoof. Over half of her ribs were broken, her wings as well. Both hind legs were dislocated, and her left foreleg was broken. There was a number of fractures throughout her spine, and she knew what was inside must be a mess. Coughing blood Celestia managed to wheeze out her next words. "Finish me then monster, just leave me little ponies be." Raising a hoof for the final strike, Kat only gave pause when a flash of dark blue appeared before her. "Please! No!" Kat just glared at the Lunar Diarch. "Move fool, this is to be finished now!" Luna just stood her ground, shaking terribly. She knew that if the filly could do this to her sister she stood no chance, but even then, she couldn't lose her...not again. "Please...I don't know if you understand, but I just got my sister back, please, don't take her from me." Kat watched as tears ran down the alicorns face and dripped steadily off her chin. "Haven't you ever cared enough for somepony to want their safety? Please, just stop this..." Eyes hardened in determination Kat pushed past Luna and let magic arc out her horn into Celestia's body. "NO!" <^> Sparkler waved the small scalpel, already tinged red with gryphon blood, threateningly at any who would try to reach into the small space she'd backed herself into. She tried her best not to cry out in pain as her new welts, courtesy of a whip, rubbed against the sides of her safe little cubby. She prayed. <^> She was gone! Luna stared in shocked at where her beaten and broken sister had laid, and she was gone! Luna could barely hold back her tears as she rushed forward. Kat just watched emotionless as Luna darted forward. The filly watched as the younger alicorn hugged the elder, now fully healed with no damages caused by her skill in combat. Even still, it pulled at her heart that she had aided the sisters in staying together. "You...you healed me? stuttered a very shocked Celestia. Kat just shrugged. "You are no Der'arzt, and I owe you no true malice. But in return for your life, I require something of equal value." Celestia's gaze immediately hardened, she feared a Djinn's promise had just been cast, and everypony knew a Djinn's promise carried hefty penalties were you not careful. "Depends on what you require..." "Don't be coy," snapped Kat, "We both know that I could simply crush you and your sister, so I'll put things simply, I need a spell for wings. An old enemy took something that I want back, but time is important." "Just a spell for wings?" Celestia echoed. Angrily Kat teleported face to face with the alicorn. "No, a weekly virgin sacrifice. Give me the spell now!" Celestia hastily applied the spell lest she anger the filly more, and watched in mild revulsion as two bone protrusion tore from Kat's shoulders. Skin, muscle and sinew hung from the bones in ragged clumps, as if they had suffered great wounds and never healed. As soon as Kat got them, the filly hoofed something to Luna and tore off into the sky. "Tia, was it wise letting her go? You know that wing spell is a glimpse at a pony's soul, and that twas not a pretty sight." Luna worried. Celestia pondered for a moment before replying. "Her wings were reason for worry, but I did not see evil in those wings. No Luna, I fear I have erred greatly in how I have handled things. Those wings looked like they had been mauled grievously... What did she hoof over to you?" "Just a bit of mane." Celestia looked down at it for but a moment before sending the mane and instructions to Nighttime Cityscapes. <^> Derpy dropped everything and rushed Dinky through the town, ignoring the decimated areas until she reached Cheerilee's house. Throwing the door wide, Derpy landed in front of Cheerilee. "Hold onto Dinky, I will be back. My mother's little muffin sense is tingling, I must go my older daughter needs me!" With that Derpy was out the door and into the sky. <^> Twilight stretched painfully as she attempted to recover as fast as possible from Kat's magic. Sure, she had lost the fight, but she got what she needed. Holding up a small vial, the lavender alicorn floated it over a seive and activated her magic. It took her to honesty first. Twilight writhed in agony as the drugs raced through her body. Tied down as she was, there was nothing for her to do as a large oily black gryphon stood over her. "You promised it wouldn't hurt!" Twilight screamed in her agony. "I lied, Subject Seven, just like the world will always do, they will always lie. The truth is weakness, and telling the truth only hurts." Twilight shook her head, knowing it wasn't true. "Oh, you wish for the truth? Fine, then this is going to hurt more!" Twilight watched in horror as the gryphon twisted a knob that allowed a second drug to enter her bloodstream. Searing pain coursed through her very arteries as Twilight passed out. Eyes shooting open, Twilight looked around to realise she was covered in sweat and laying on the floor. Just as she tried to get up she was brought to kindness. "Subject Seven, you have defeated your opponent in the kindest way possible, how weak of you, kill the foal and you may get your sleep tonight." growled the same oily black gryphon from before. "Bu...But they didn't do anything wrong..." "Are you refusing me Subject Seven? I said kill the foal." Twilight turned to see a small foal, just bigger than she was, cowering in the corner. "I don't want to....its not nice!" Suddenly it felt as if every nerve was on fire as she dropped to the ground. She could do nothing as she watched four gryphons grab each leg of the other foal and rip him apart, his dying screams branded into her mind, never to be forgotten. "Yes, you could have killed him quickly Subject Seven, see what your kindness brings?" As Twilight opened her eyes she saw a splash of her former stomach contents before her. Tears were pouring down her face as she was next shown laughter. "I get the distinct idea that you don't enjoy your work Subject Seven. I do believe you hate me, and what we're doing here. I think you should laugh more." the oily black gryphon grinned maliciously. The mere look on his face made Twilight want to be ill. "So I'm going to have you execute our failed experiments, and you will laugh with each kill. If you don't laugh with each kill I will burn the next foal alive and you can watch. I then pray that you enjoy the kill after that. Thirty foals later, and the stench of burnt fur and skin in her nostrils, Twilight found herself able to somehow find it in her to laugh softly as she slit the throat of a small filly. The laugh louder as she crushed another's skull. She found herself imagining it was the black gryphon. Not even trying to stand this time, Twilight stayed prone in her own puke as generousity was brought to her mind. Twilight felt a magic suppressor over her horn and knew she was tied down. She had absolutely no lee way no matter how she tried to turn. Suddenly she felt claws wrap around her waist and something prod at her from behind. She began t struggle wildy, letting of frustrated screams as tears began to build. "Ah, so nice of Der'arzt to share you, real generous of him." came a voice from over Twilight's shoulder. Twilight felt ungodly pain erupt from her haunches, and then she shut down. Now wrapped in a ball and laying in a puddle of her own tears puke and urine Twilight prayed that loyalty would be something much better. Twilight crushed two gryphons and cut the throat of another as she tried to hold them off. Behind her was an earth pony also seemingly trying to help. He wasn't doing well. "Lily, you need to go, you can't fight!" she cried. The stallion slunk up next to her and tried to help, but successfully managed to get a painful gash along the side of his snout. Even then he didn't run. "I can't run, because I want you to escape. You need to run Kat." Twilight was horrified to watch as Lily threw himself in between her and an evil looking red hued gryphon, taking a greatsword through the stomach. "Run Kat, please, I don't want to die in vain..." As soon as each memory was finished Twilight picked herself up out of her mess and used a quick flash of magic to clean herself off. Once cleaned, Twilight set her mind and pushed the horrors she'd just witnessed in the body of the filly Kat to the back of her mind and headed out. She had an organization to erase of the face of the planet. <^> Sparkler hung limply from a pair of hoofcuffs strung up on a bar, leaving her five hooves up from the ground. Her very being hurt every time the the wind ran across her body, the cool air stinging the fresh lashes that had opened up the skin on her back. *Sss-THWIP* Shaking slightly, but no more than a tremor, Sparkler let out a slight whimper. She would have screamed from the pain, but her throat was dry and bloody from doing so when the treatment first started. In fact Sparkler probably would have given up hope and let herself die if it weren't for the sting of the whip reminding her periodically that she yet drew breath. *Sss-THWIP* Another tremor went through the filly's body but that was all. She faintly heard the draw back and found herself awaiting the next strike, but a voice interrupted the monotonous pattern of the whip slicing through the air, then her skin. "Enough! You were to teach her a lesson, not flail her to death! We need her to look as healthy as possible for Subject Seven's arrival!" Nodding, the gryphon that had been whipping Sparkler released the catch that held the hoofcuffs, dropping the poor filly back first into the gravel. For the first time in hours Sparkler released a noise louder than a whisper as a loud yet broken scream tore from her ruined throat as the gravel dug into the fresh wounds. Blood flecked her lips as her torn throat muscle attempted to compensate for the sudden vibrations. The gryphon was promptly executed by the new comer for his stupidity. "Fool, now I have to take this slab of meat to the infirmary just to ensure she stays alive until Seven's return!" Sparkler felt like her nerves had been set ablaze as the new gryphon threw her over his back, jarring the ruined musculature and skin in her back. She wanted to die. <^> Kat cut through the air as fast as she could, but even as she gained 'ground' as it were, her trail grew colder and colder. It bothered Kat to no end, and she was on the verge of going back and killing Celestia for slowing her down. She knew it wouldn't change anything though, it never did. Instead she pressed on, determined not to allow another pony that had tried to help her die because of her mistakes.Flying for another ten minutes, Kat's eyes hardened as she took notice of a smudge of a building facility in the distance. "You're mine!" <^> Sparkler attempted to squirm out from under the scalpel digging into her. She knew they were merely attempting to pull the gravel from her back, but she had just been growing numb to that pain when they started their work. She couldn't scream or yell, but was allowed to whimper past the air tube they'd forced down her throat so she wouldn't choke on her own bleeding oesophagus. Still, it hurt merely to have the cold air touch her, much less to have gravel carved from her back, and she still just wished death would take her, anything to stop the pain. So great was her agony that she hardly noticed the building shaking or the gryphon doctors rushing out the room. She didn't even realise that she was now being held upright by the same oily black gryphon from when she'd first arrived. She just hurt. <^> Twilight was just approaching the building when she took note of two things, first was the large crimson explosion on the outside of the building, surely Kat readying a rampage through the complex. That didn't bother her. What bothered her was the grey coated blonde maned mare she swore was Derpy. Even seeing that didn't deter her from her plans though, as she had a lock on the black gryphon, Der'arzt. <^> For the first time in her life Kat felt true joy as she ended the lives of those that opposed her. She revelled in the blood that splattered across her coat while the dying screams of her old tormentors were as music to her. She had long dreamt of the moment that she would obtain her revenge, and here it was. Not as a fantasy of a foal forced to execute her peers, nor a sleeping scene that would be fleeting after she re-awoke. No, this was all too real, and it was heavenly. <^> Der'arzt waited. It was not a hard task, as he was accustomed to waiting. So he stood still as stone, the pink furred filly in his claws breathing lightly through the tube thrust down her throat. It was a shame really, for the filly showed remarkable resilience under the punishments given and would have given Subject Seven a run for her money. His thoughts were halted as the door before him came open. "Oh, Subject Seven, you return to mein home and mein claws!" The door came fully open and Twilight stepped forth, eyes hardened as much as they could be against the sight of Sparkler so grievously wounded. "I'm not Kat, but I would have you punished for your crimes!" "Ah, ah, ah, I have ze filly here held at great distress!" Der'arzt cackled, holding a knife to Sparkler's breathing tube. "Zis is all that keeps ze filly alive..." "Roawr!" The gryphon dropped the knife quickly as Jack came springing out from a dark corner and latched her claws into Der'arzt's burned visage. The black gryphon relinquished Sparkler to the ground as he sought to tear the sphynx cat from his face. As soon as he got a proper grip Der'arzt wrenched jack from his face and threw her far across the room. Blood ran down his face as he saw that the lavender alicorn now had the filly laying behind her. "Looks like you're minus one bargaining chip, gryphon. What now?" Der'arzt just grinned as he shot forward and reached straight through the shield Twilight put up and gripped her by the throat, quickly slamming her into a wall. "I have had magic suppressing threads sewn into mein flesh! Vas a good investment against somepony like Subject Seven." After a moment of struggling Twilight's gaze settled on a form huddled over Sparkler's unmoving body. "So you're magic proof?" "Yes, very much so!" "That's nice," Twilight replied, "But are you Derpy proof?" "Vhat?" "Sucks to be you."
The New FillyKat ruminated over what she was going to do for breakfast. So many options, so many options... Settling on a nearby doughnut shop, the filly entered and grabbed a couple of the treats in her magic before disappearing out the store. She then began making her way through the town, ignoring the odd looks while throwing plenty of dirty looks at those who would stare. So she was different? So she had herself covered in magi-marks? Her magi-marks meant a lot to her, a way to never forget her mistakes or her triumphs. If they didn't like them, then fuck 'em! Tracing one distinct line on her side, the filly followed it down to where it covered her cutie mark. Her cutie mark itself was simple. Nothing one would find special. Quite simply, her cutie mark was a blood drop surrounded by magic. Best she could reason was that magic was just in her blood, as she'd had it since she could remember. Under her midnight blue and crimson red magi-marks was a pale 'old parchment' hued coat. Thin trace outlines of older magi-marks as well as darkened eye-liner brought out her moonlight gold eyes, and her black mane was shaved at the sides into a wide set mohawk-esque style that she had pulled back into a short spiky ponytail. Her ears both had multiple piercings, as well as a piercing in her left eyebrow. Finally her tail was braided in a tribal like pattern. As she enjoyed the doughnuts, she reached out and touched the mind of her closest acquittance, Jack. Jack came loping out of an alley and quickly perched on her shoulders. "What's up Jack? Chewed up any mice or rats in my alley?" The cat purred and darted forward, biting a piece of doughnut before Kat could do anything. The filly didn't care too much though. Jack was her wing-cat, a black sphynx that seemed to understand her better than anypony else. They weren't 'friends', or at least Kat didn't think so, but they had a mutual understanding of each other since leaving Manehatten. Jack maintained his perch until Kat shook him off outside her new school. The cat protested loudly. "I know, fucking hate establishment like this....still, I have to appear normal or they'll find me, or at least appear normal until I have the bits to leave again." Kat grumbled to the cat. Jack just darted off in search of a bird and left Kat to walk into the school with no clear distinction on when she'd show back up. <^> Twilight was on her way out from Sugarcube Corner, leaving Rainbow to try to console Pinkie. From the best they'd understood from the pink mare's broken explanation, somepony came in for something, and when Pinkie tried to say hi they threw her against a wall and screamed at her. Now Pinkie was locked away upstairs, her hairs straight and lifeless, leaving Twilight to try and figure out who would hurt her friend. <^> Trotting sullenly up to the door, Kat gave it a fierce kick that caused it to slam open. As she looked inside, she noticed the teacher she'd 'talked to' staring at her in shock, as well as many of the students looking at her. Kat quickly glanced about to see who seemed the safest to sit next to. The first two ponies she saw were a pair of young stallions, one gangly and acne ridden, the other rather portly. After that was a colt sitting towards the front with a bandanna on that didn't look like too much of a threat. Following her sweep, Kat noted three more ponies, all fillies, of which only one, a white mare with a cotton candy mane, was actually paying attention to her. The other two, a yellow furred earth pony and orange coated filly, had their back to her. Then the final pair... "Oh....my....Celestia....what the hay is wrong with your body?! Ugh, that is so disgusting, you're all covered in those marks!" snarked the silver furred filly. Her pink friend was quick to join in. "I agree, my daddy says only two bit whores get marks like those." Kat just narrowed her eyes and teleported, much to everypony's amazement, into the desk furthest from both the door and everypony else. For her it just meant she didn't have to walk past the stuck up sluts that she already wanted to hit....really, really hard. Appearing next to her chosen desk, she kicked the chair into a corner and seated herself, eyeing the other colts and fillies staring at her. Cheerilee quickly called the students to attention and took five minutes to finish her lesson before sending them off for lunch. Kate took the longest to get to the door, and Cheerilee hesitantly drew her attention. "Um...K...Kat, I just wanted to say....you were late today..." "And..." growled Kat, "I made it perfectly clear. I'm not here for an education or to be nice and follow the rules. I'm here because going to school seems like a good way to hide. I will pass and I will be counted present everyday. I hope I'm understood fully, because I won't be putting up with your shit, and if you give me away, I will kill you." Twin bursts of magic had sparked across Kat's fur when she'd said 'will', and it was enough to have Cheerilee nodding quickly. "Good to see you understand. I don't hate you by the way, but I can't have you getting in my way." <^> The gryphon stood firm as he went over the map before him. He had jet black feathers covering all but the right side of his face, which was a patch of burned skin. His shrewd red eyes scanned over the map repeatedly, moving from marking to marking as he attempted to piece together a proper trail. "I'm going to find you Subject Seven, and vhen I do, I'm going to beat the insolence out of your hide before I drag you back to vhere you belong." Just then a second gryphon came in with a stallion. "Sir, this stallion says he has information!" The stallion stammered a few time before stating that a pony matching Subject Seven's heading out from Manehatten by train. Grinning evilly, the jet black gryphon faced the stallion. "I take it you vish to receive your revard?" When the stallion nodded, the gryphon grabbed him by the neck and drove a knife through the pony's eye and into his skull. "No vitnesses, now find me Subject Seven!" <^> Kat laid idly up the tree she'd decided to take a nap in. Sadly sleep didn't come easy for her, it hadn't in a long time. Grunting in frustration built up from exhaustion she turned over and slugged the tree. As she stared down from her perch, slowly slipping into sleep, she noticed a red ball... ...floated in the bag above her. It had a tube that led to her leg, and it hurt, but the bigger ponies wouldn't let her up or make it stop. They said it was their greatest accomplishment so far, and that she just had to make sure she didn't mess it up. Her leg hurt so bad where the tube went in, and she jerked a leg free to pull it out... Jerking back awake, Kat rubbed at a small scar on her foreleg. Giving a slight shudder Kat rolled over to face away from the foals with the beach ball and began closing her eyes. The last thing she saw was a small colt standing over another... ...as she watched blood pool out underneath the prone foals form. She felt her lunch come up, and she quickly spewed it across the ground. "Still you show weakness Subject Seven? You will fight until you are no longer weak! Send in another!" Shooting to a sitting position, Kat rubbed a hoof across her eyes and saw it came away damp. Angry at this, the mare's temperature shot up until steam rose from where her tears should have fallen. Leaping from the tree, Kat delivered a massive roundhouse to its base, shattering bark everywhere. "Whoa little filly. You should totally cool your jets." Spinning about, Kat found her faced with what appeared to be a mare, but upon closer inspection was a rather feminine stallion. "Seriously, no reason to get angry, I'm sure whatever that tree did, it didn't mean to." Rolling her eyes, and praying that the stallion was making a joke, Kat spat back her answer. "Tree didn't do anything...I'm just mad and it was here for me to kick." The stallion, pink with yellow tips to his ears and hoove-tips with a flowing seafoam mane, just shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to let it out, I get it dude. Hey, you ever need to like, talk about your problems or something, you should definitely come give me a holler, 'kay dude?" "...and how did it make you feel?" "Awful!" *Crack* "NO! HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?!" "Good, it made me feel good!" "WHAT MADE YOU FEEL GOOD?!" "Please...no..." *Crack* "Killing the foals! Killing the foals made me feel good! Please! No more, please!" "Dude, you okay? You totally, like, zoned out and stuff. You look tired dude, probably need to go hit up the sack, you know?" droned the stallion, "So catch ya on the flipside, and remember, you can totally talk to me dude, name's Surfboard." Rolling her eyes, but taking the stallion's name to heart, Kat started off towards her alleyway to bed down for the night. <^> Dinky struggled against the silver furred hoof that held her face in the mud while Diamond Tiara went through her bag. She probably shouldn't have, because all her struggling earned her was a nasty kick to the belly, causing tears to well up and start sliding down her cheeks. "Oh look, the retard's daughter is crying." laughed Diamond as she found her prize, Dinky's treasured art pad. Truthfully, Diamong thought that the art made by Dinky was amazing, but then again it was Dinky, so who cared? "Ahhh, how cute, you drew a picture of your retard mom and your orphan sister, how lame." Dinky was forced to watched as Diamond Tiara threw her pad down in the mud and stomped on it a few times. The filly was so distraught she managed to get loose from Silver Spoon and dart towards her art pad only to have Diamond Tiara slap her harshly across the face. "You won't tell anypony about this, do you understand?! Because if you do th-" Diamond's words were cut off as she was thrown into a nearby fence, cracking a few boards loudly as her body connected. Dinky stared in awe as Silver Spoon made to rush at her friends attacker only to be lifted up and slammed into the mud as well. The both of Dinky's tormentors were lifted up into the air by magic. It was then that Dinky could see her saviour, a strange looking pony covered in odd markings. That wasn't what got her attention the most though. No, what drew her attention was the undeniable look of unfiltered hate and malice that poured from the new pony's eyes as she lashed out, breaking the noses of both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "You won't tell anypony about me, do you both understand?!" Diamond and Silver both just whimpered pathetically before the newcomer dropped them into the mud. Then she turned to Dinky. <^> Sparkler had just gotten home and sat down from her day working with her boss Pop Float when a knock came from the door. Since her mum, Derpy, was making lunch she got up and trotted through the house to the front door. "Who is it?" "It's me sis..." came back the muffled reply. Sparkler immediately knew the tone in her sisters voice and threw the door open to find her sister sporting a nasty bruise on her cheek and covered in mud. "Dinky! Was this Diamond Tiara?! I swear when I get my hooves on her..." Sparkler growled before moving to usher her younger sister in. It was then she noticed a second pony, a filly about her age, standing a bit back from the door. "Dinky, who's this?" Dinky's eyes suddenly brightened up. "Oh, this is Kat! She came by and made Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon go away, and when I said I could take my art pad to Twilight and have her fix it, she said she was free tomorrow and would do it for me!" Sparkler just nodded as she took in the very 'bad news' looking filly before her. "Head inside and get a bath before dinner Dinky, I think I want to talk to this filly." As Sparkler turned to face the strange pony again, she found the filly trying to leave. "Hey, come back here!" Tossing a wearied look over her shoulder, Kat shrugged. "Why, so you can tell me to keep away from your younger sister? So you can make sure I keep my troubles away from your family?" Sparkler was taken aback by the frustration in the filly's voice, but realized that she was right, she was going to say that... Why the filly knew she was going to saw that bespoke that such things had happened before. And the thought of having a filly her age turned out on just looks.... "No, I wanted to know if, as thanks for helping my sister, maybe if you wanted to come in for dinner?" Kat's eyes lit up for a moment, but she shook her head. "I'm fine, not hung-*Grraghh*" The magi-marked filly froze as her stomach betrayed her and Sparkler tried not to laugh. "Come on in, I'm Sparkler." smiled Sparkler as she held the door open. "Kat..." <^> Celestia sat idly with her sister enjoying lunch when her top informant entered the room. The green pegasi stallion came to a halt before the sisters and gave a nod of his blue maned head. "I have tracked the one you have wished for me to find. She is in Ponyville as we speak." Celestia nodded affirmation. "Gather my sister's night guard elite and await my arrival in the courtyard. Sister, come, we must speak." <^> Dinner was just wrapping up a Kat found herself both very full and very uncomfortable. She had both had an amazing meal, but was also lavished with praise and thanks from Dinky and Sparkler's mother, Derpy. As the table was cleared Kat excused herself and left the house. She found herself walking past the spot where she had dropped the two fillies from before. Their imprints still showed in the mud, and there were darker, redder spots that denoted where their noses had bled. As she looked at the ground the words from Dinky and Sparkler's mother rang through her ears. "Self defense and helping others is nice, but undue misery hurts everypony." As she looked down at the blood stained ground, she thought back to another time she had struck down somepony that she had thought deserving of what she gave them. "Bastard! You gave them the drugs that hurt me!" Kat screamed as the building around them burned. "I'm sorry, but I had no choice! They made me!" "LIAR!"- A shudder went down Kat's spine as she remembered the first pony to take her in. He was a soft spoken stallion, nice, but very fearful and shy stallion by the name of Lily Butter. "I understand what it is like." Lily sighed, "To be alone, some stallions came by eight years ago and took my father. I never found out what happened to him. He said he was going to protect me though...he never came back..." Kat took the offered picture from Lily Butter and nearly dropped it. There stood the stallion that had made the drugs and medicines...the stallion she'd murdered in her escape... Spitting angrily Kat stormed off to her alley and went to sleep <^> Sparkler watched as the magi-marked filly disappeared into the alleyway, just as she figured she would. Giving a somewhat sorrowful smile Sparkler decided to wake up extra early and plan a 'incidental' meet up tomorrow and take her out for breakfast. After all, Derpy had done something similar for her before adopting her. 'And she's kinda cute, in a roguish rebel way.' Turning and heading home, Sparkler started making plans for the next day.
We're All Pony*Splash* *Crack* "Wake up you lazy shit, time for combat training!" Kat shivered under the biting cold water soaking her fur and the stinging in her cheek. "Why do we always fight, why not make friends?" The stallion just lashed out with his whip a second time, striking the six year old filly. "You don't have friends, nopony wants to be your friend!" Jerking awake and feeling her coat to be soaked through and through it took Kat all of two seconds to realise it was raining. Casting a shielding spell followed by a drying spell and finalized with a spell to resist water Kat stood up and headed towards the open street. Checking left and right, Kat cleared that nopony was in view before entering the street. She walked a good ten hooves before she heard a familiar voice call out. "Oh, morning Kat! How are things?" Jumping at first, Kat teleported ten hooves forward, but facing behind her. Surprisingly it was only Sparkler, so she teleported with in five hooves of the filly. "You probably shouldn't sneak up on me....it can have mixed results." Nodding sagely Sparkler motioned for Kat to walk next to her and started down the street. "I was just on my way to breakfast when I saw you. You want to come along?" Somewhat unsure of the proposal Kat stayed silent. "Come on, they have some amazing pancakes, oh, and the waffles are to die for!" Sparkler grinned. "Lily, why did you offer me a place to stay and food when you didn't know me?" Kat asked. Lily just shrugged. "Life sucks most of the time...I guess I wanted to make sure somepony didn't have to be as down as I am all the time." "So I should just...what? Accept it when ponies are nice to me?" Nodding slowly Lily set out lunch. "I guess," Kat conceded, "But...." Sparkler just shook her head, knowing what Kat was going to say. "Don't worry, I've got enough bits to cover you, besides, that's what friends do." <^> Twilight was frustrated to say the least. Ponyville wasn't a big town, but she was no closer to finding the filly that upset Pinkie. Mumbling angrily it was only by pure chance that she bumped into another pair of ponies grumbling angrily. Filthy Rich and Silver Sickle. "Ah, Ms. Sparkle, you seem as put off as we are." Twilight eyes them and saw that they were indeed put off. "Mr. Rich, what's wrong?" Twilight was quick to receive an earful on how both their daughters had been accosted and had their noses broken for no reason by a magi-marked filly. The alicorn's eyes narrowed angrily at the thought of somepony in their town hurting ponies for fun. "Don't worry, when I find them they'll wish they never entered this town!" <^> Sparkler watched in mild amusement as Kat tore voraciously into her meal. She was glad she'd opted for the buffet and couldn't help but think that she must have looked and acted similar when Derpy had brought her here for lunch all those years ago. The waitress came by to check on them just then. "My my, hungry? Would you come like me to bring some more pancakes around?" Kat just gave her a glare and a nod before she recommenced her eating. "You can be nice," offered Sparkler, "You know, to other ponies. It's not like it will hurt or something." Kat shuddered and started choking on her food, coughing loudly for a moment until the blockage was clear. Her visage grew both very haunted and very angry at the same time as tears built up in her eyes. As one began to slide down her cheek she heard Sparkler trying to get her attention. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you're about to cry." Huffing and tearing back into her meal, trying her best to keep her waterworks in check, Kat mumbled her response back through her mouthful of food. "M'ffine, sff'noffing." Even as she tried to shrug it off her tears betrayed her, her body knowing nopony from the complex was around and making it harder for Kat to resist crying. She suddenly flinched as she felt a hoof connect with her, but immediately realised it was a soft touch, not a strike. It was Sparkler trying to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay..." Kat tried to shrug Sparkler off but only succeeded in causing the filly's hoof to slide a few inches across her back. It was enough to have Sparkler gasp and her eyes to show a mixture of pity, horror, and morbid fascination as she ran her hoof along Kat's neck and shoulders feeling every raised bump of scar tissue from numerous whippings. "Oh Kat, I'm so sorry." Shaking her head, Kat found she couldn't shake off her confusion. "Why? Why do you care? Why are you sorry? Why is it okay for you to be nice but not me? I don't understand...." It struck like lightning that Kat must not have ever had a chance to understand friendship, or anything of the sort. Pulling back from Kat, Sparkler caught the filly's eyes with her own. "Then stick around me for the day, okay? I'm going to make sure you understand that everypony should have somepony that cares. Finish up though, because I'm going to be late for work." Nodding and drying her tears quickly Kat took two more large bites of pancake before hopping out of her seat and following after Sparkler. <^> Der'arzt grinned in a predatory fashion as his scouts returned to him with the location of the filly. With the knowledge of his prize in claw he called in two of his best gryphons. "Find ze unicorn filly, and bring her to me! I vill not tolerate failure!" <^> Stoic as she normally was, the breakfast ordeal being an anomaly, even Kat couldn't help but think of how awesome Sparkler's job was. She worked in a soda pop and ice cream parlour called the Pop Shoppe. Upon entering Kat couldn't help but think back to the older times when they decorated places like this. It was all stainless steel with black and white tiles topped with an old style jukebox in the corner. "Pretty awesome, huh?", Sparkler smiled, "My boss, Pop Float, runs it. Always wanted some place like this." Kat nodded and took a random seat. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting, but what she did know is her eyes never once left Sparkler. <^> Twilight scowled angrily. On the plus side, she and the town guards following her had a valid lead. Derpy had confirmed that Sparkler had taken an interest in her. Still, it meant they had to find Sparkler, and hope Sparkler could lead them to the filly. Even better was the fact that Filthy and Sickle both had formed a small posse, perfectly within legal limits, to find the filly as well. Rounding up her guards, Twilight went over her rules, namely no overly violent tactics, and had them start combing the town. <^> Celestia stood grimly at the head of the train while looking over the elite unicorn guard as the train came to a halt. Magically amplifying her voice, the Solar Diarch gave her instructions. "I want this search carried out as quickly and cleanly as possible. As little interruption to the town as possible. If you find the filly before I, contact me immediately, do not engage. She has been known to have killed just over thirty gryphons and is regarded as a highly dangerous terrorist. I repeat, we can not risk inciting her in the town." With that the train came to a halt and the guard started exiting off into the town. <^> One minute she was idly staring at Sparkler's flank, the next she was standing upside down on the ceiling staring down at the stallion that had startled her. "Er....hi...." "Hey there little filly, finally takin' my advice and chillin' out?" came a soft surfer boy voice that Kat immediately recognized as Surfboard. "Oh, what are you doing here?" Surfboard just laughed and motioned for her to come off the ceiling. "Sparkler, bring your new friend a drink over, totally my treat, infact, you get your self a treat too, m'kay dude?" Sparkler nodded and brought over a float for Kat before turning and walking back. When Sparkler wasn't looking Kat's eyes never left her. "You've totally got the hots for her, don't you!" Flushing quickly and getting angry Kat ducked her head. "I don't....it's just a...thing. Okay, it...and...damnit, I'm fine, okay." "Whatever little filly, I'm just try'na say that if you want things, sometime you gotta take it, you know what I mean little filly?" Surfboard grinned. Kat was about to reply when a red coated orange maned stallion came up from behind Surfboard and nuzzled him in loving way. "Trying to give this filly relationship advice Surf? Maybe you should leave that to the stallions that know what they're doing, eh? I'm Pop Float by the way." Surf just nodded before wrapping a foreleg around Pop and drew him into a deep kiss before turning to Kat. "Totally do something like that, only on the cheek little filly. Trust me, it works every time." Kat nodded and was about to thank Pop for the advice, albeit with a very large blush, when everything hit the fan. <^> "I don't care who my daughter described, the only unicorn filly I know of with any magical talent is Sparkler. We kick the door open, we detain that filly and we punish her accordingly!" roared Filthy Rich. With a hefty kick the stallion knocked the door of the hinges and the volunteers poured in. <^> "This her alley Blackfeather?" "Yeah, we just wait here for a unicorn filly to show up." <^> As soon as the door flew open Kat was up and over the back of the booth well out of sight. Surfboard and Pop Float immediately moved in between the door and the cash register, incidentally between the stallions coming in and Sparkler as well. "Move out of the way you two, we're here for Sparkler!" Filthy Rich roared. Pop Float cast one glance between Filthy and a very confused Sparkler to know he didn't plan on moving an inch. "Why, what has Sparkler done? Aside from take care of her sister and maintain my shop she's done nothing." 'Run Kat.' Stepping forward angrily Rich spat out his accusations. "You broke my daughters nose and stole her allowance bits you bitch!" 'Run Kat.' Sparkler stepped back, shocked. "I haven't even seen Diamond Tiara in ages, the last I heard was from my sister they....." Sparkler froze, realizing rather quickly who must have hurt Diamond Tiara. 'Run Kat' "No excuse off the top of your head?" Silver Sickle spat as he had a couple of the posse members, other stallions he'd paid off, push past Pop Float and Surfboard as he dove for Sparkler. He hit a red glowing wall. "Drop the shield Sparkler!" Sickle yelled as he stood back up. "It isn't me!" "It's not her!" "It's me!" Three voice rang out simultaneously. Twilight Sparkle walked through the front door, flanked by a number of town guards. "I know you're here, and I want you out of my town! You've done nothing but hurt ponies and I'm tired of it!" In response Kat's magi-marked body stalked from behind the booth behind her red shield. "I know I'm here too. Sparkler didn't touch Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon though. No, that was me." Suddenly Silver Sickle and Filthy Rich threw themselves at the barrier in fury. Kat just tried not to laugh at their feeble attempts. "Pulled your daughters off Dinky and taught them a lesson in how they should treat others." At this Twilight slammed a hoof down, drawing everyponies attention. "And Pinkie Pie? You slammed her into a wall." "She...startled me." "She's right!" Sparkler cried, "I startled her this morning and she teleported forward away from me. She was worried I was a threat!" Instead of listening Twilight stepped forward and exerted pressure on the barrier. "Sparkler, I need you to get down, I'm coming to get you!" Kat narrowed her eyes and focused on Sparkler, Surfboard and Pop Float and her alley. "It won't be safe in a moment, I'll come by and let you know when it's safe." With a pop and a flash of light the three ponies Kat had been focusing on disappeared, followed by Kat's wall. "My....friends.....are safe, but I have to make sure it stays that way. You want me captured, and I was a prisoner once, but it will not happen again! It will never happen again!" With that cry a shockwave arced out fromKat, knocking everypony save Twilight off their hooves. "And you won't make me go back to a hole, I won't let you." <^> Celestia was standing amongst the clouds, scanning the city. It was such a quaint little place, Ponyville, and a favourite spot of her own. Going back a few thousand years she would have loved to live in a place like this. It was quiet and serene, the birds chirping, the townsponies screaming, and the flying shrapnel. It all caused her to narrow her eyes and turn to see two small forms duking it out, one sending blasts of lavender, the other crimson. Narrowing her eyes and outstretching her wings Celestia took off towards the miniature battle ground. <^> Biting back both the urge to laugh and the urge to be sick, Kat couldn't help but be reminded of the battles she'd been forced to participate in, if battle could have even been the correct term. It had been rare for any of the other numbers, the other foals, to have actually presented any sort of challenge, and it was very much the same still as she exchanged blows with the alicorn Twilight. Every beam, blast, or lash from Twilight was but a feather against the shields that Kat put up, and every strike against Twilight's shields were much alike the act of a baseball being struck by a bat. And again, it would have been laughable if it wasn't so sickening. Twilight was but a foal...One of so, so many foals that she'd killed before... "Give up Twilight, you can not hope to defeat me. I was trained for this, I was built for this." Kat declared. Twilight just fired off another three beams at Kat's shields. "What, to defeat me? Because I ascended to the form of an alicorn?!" Reaching out a gripping Twilight, Kat jerked her forward strongly and held her immobile before her. "No, not to defeat you. To kill you, and your Princesses. I was beaten, broken and bloodied, pitted in death matches against other foals to see who was strongest. I was, I always was, and the experiments kept going. I kept being beaten broken and bloodied. And now? Now I'm better than those that would have turned me loose on you..." Kat watched as true fear, the fear that you were about to die, filled Twilight's eyes. "I'm better than them, because I'm going to let you go." Twilight felt relief wash over her as Kat's crimson aura began to loosen its grasp. "I don't understand..." Kat just belted out a cruel laugh. "Fuck if I know either...I guess I just want something better, I just didn't realise it until today. If I let you go, will you attack me, or let me go on my way?" "I'll...I'll let you go." Kat nodded thanks and lowered Twilight to the ground and moved to hug her. "Thanks, than-" *BOOM* <^> Celestia fired off a blast of magic while simultaneously putting a shield up around Twilight to protect and teleport her. As the smoke and dust settled Celestia slammed into the ground before the young unicorn. "You assaulted my friend and protege, bad move on your part. Give up and come in quietly and your stay in the dungeons will be much more pleasurable." Celestia laid out. Kat slowly picked herself up from the ground and found herself bleeding from a short but somewhat deep cut on her cheek. Touching a hoof the the wound Kat pulled her hoof away to find it stained with her own blood. "You....bitch!" Celestia had all of two seconds to blink before a hellish red aura slammed into her a threw her through the wall of the nearest building. It didn't take to much time for Celestia to pull herself from the wreckage, glaring death at Kat. "This is how you want to play things?" "I don't play..." growled Kat murderously as she immediately locked her magic around Celestia and threw her into a nother building. Just as Celestia disappeared from sight Surfboard came hobbling around the corner supporting Pop Float who had a number of viscous looking gouges in his side. "Pop!" "Whoa, Pop's okay little filly, but some nasty lookin' gryphon dudes totally swiped up Sparkler. Pop tried to stop them, but, yeah." Kat's eyes hardened, if she'd looked murderous before, she now looked downright genocidal. Turning to try to track down Sparkler, Kat got just over three hooves when Celestia appeared before her. "You will not escape justice!" Hellfire shone in the Kat's eyes. <^> Sparkler tumbled out of the large burlap sack with a thud. Taking a moment the unicorn rubbed her head before trying to stand up, and action that was interrupted when a large claw gripped her roughly and lifted her eye level with a nasty looking gryphon. His eyes both shone dangerously but what got her attention was the burned spot. "Nasty, isn't it? Your...friend, Subject Seven, did zis to me, and now you get to play bait to get her back." the gryphon growled. Sparkler narrowed her eyes, she wasn't stupid, there was a catch. "And then? You just let me go, I doubt it. I felt what you did to her back." The gryphon just laughed evilly. "Of course I von't let you go. You see, Subject Seven must learn her place, so vhen she gets back she vill be presented a choice. To kill you quickly and join us, or to refuse and vatch as we burn you alive. Oh, and you can call me Der'arzt, and I run zis fine establishment. Enjoy your stay in mein home!" Author's Note Any pony sprechen Deustch? I don't, but enjoy the evil gryphon.
Friends and MoreHere's your dark tag, warning you now. Celestia whimpered pitiably as she lay at the hooves of Kat, the filly power house who's powers outmatched her own. The Princess knew without a doubt the extent of her injuries and was quick to realise that her death might be at hoof. Over half of her ribs were broken, her wings as well. Both hind legs were dislocated, and her left foreleg was broken. There was a number of fractures throughout her spine, and she knew what was inside must be a mess. Coughing blood Celestia managed to wheeze out her next words. "Finish me then monster, just leave me little ponies be." Raising a hoof for the final strike, Kat only gave pause when a flash of dark blue appeared before her. "Please! No!" Kat just glared at the Lunar Diarch. "Move fool, this is to be finished now!" Luna just stood her ground, shaking terribly. She knew that if the filly could do this to her sister she stood no chance, but even then, she couldn't lose her...not again. "Please...I don't know if you understand, but I just got my sister back, please, don't take her from me." Kat watched as tears ran down the alicorns face and dripped steadily off her chin. "Haven't you ever cared enough for somepony to want their safety? Please, just stop this..." Eyes hardened in determination Kat pushed past Luna and let magic arc out her horn into Celestia's body. "NO!" <^> Sparkler waved the small scalpel, already tinged red with gryphon blood, threateningly at any who would try to reach into the small space she'd backed herself into. She tried her best not to cry out in pain as her new welts, courtesy of a whip, rubbed against the sides of her safe little cubby. She prayed. <^> She was gone! Luna stared in shocked at where her beaten and broken sister had laid, and she was gone! Luna could barely hold back her tears as she rushed forward. Kat just watched emotionless as Luna darted forward. The filly watched as the younger alicorn hugged the elder, now fully healed with no damages caused by her skill in combat. Even still, it pulled at her heart that she had aided the sisters in staying together. "You...you healed me? stuttered a very shocked Celestia. Kat just shrugged. "You are no Der'arzt, and I owe you no true malice. But in return for your life, I require something of equal value." Celestia's gaze immediately hardened, she feared a Djinn's promise had just been cast, and everypony knew a Djinn's promise carried hefty penalties were you not careful. "Depends on what you require..." "Don't be coy," snapped Kat, "We both know that I could simply crush you and your sister, so I'll put things simply, I need a spell for wings. An old enemy took something that I want back, but time is important." "Just a spell for wings?" Celestia echoed. Angrily Kat teleported face to face with the alicorn. "No, a weekly virgin sacrifice. Give me the spell now!" Celestia hastily applied the spell lest she anger the filly more, and watched in mild revulsion as two bone protrusion tore from Kat's shoulders. Skin, muscle and sinew hung from the bones in ragged clumps, as if they had suffered great wounds and never healed. As soon as Kat got them, the filly hoofed something to Luna and tore off into the sky. "Tia, was it wise letting her go? You know that wing spell is a glimpse at a pony's soul, and that twas not a pretty sight." Luna worried. Celestia pondered for a moment before replying. "Her wings were reason for worry, but I did not see evil in those wings. No Luna, I fear I have erred greatly in how I have handled things. Those wings looked like they had been mauled grievously... What did she hoof over to you?" "Just a bit of mane." Celestia looked down at it for but a moment before sending the mane and instructions to Nighttime Cityscapes. <^> Derpy dropped everything and rushed Dinky through the town, ignoring the decimated areas until she reached Cheerilee's house. Throwing the door wide, Derpy landed in front of Cheerilee. "Hold onto Dinky, I will be back. My mother's little muffin sense is tingling, I must go my older daughter needs me!" With that Derpy was out the door and into the sky. <^> Twilight stretched painfully as she attempted to recover as fast as possible from Kat's magic. Sure, she had lost the fight, but she got what she needed. Holding up a small vial, the lavender alicorn floated it over a seive and activated her magic. It took her to honesty first. Twilight writhed in agony as the drugs raced through her body. Tied down as she was, there was nothing for her to do as a large oily black gryphon stood over her. "You promised it wouldn't hurt!" Twilight screamed in her agony. "I lied, Subject Seven, just like the world will always do, they will always lie. The truth is weakness, and telling the truth only hurts." Twilight shook her head, knowing it wasn't true. "Oh, you wish for the truth? Fine, then this is going to hurt more!" Twilight watched in horror as the gryphon twisted a knob that allowed a second drug to enter her bloodstream. Searing pain coursed through her very arteries as Twilight passed out. Eyes shooting open, Twilight looked around to realise she was covered in sweat and laying on the floor. Just as she tried to get up she was brought to kindness. "Subject Seven, you have defeated your opponent in the kindest way possible, how weak of you, kill the foal and you may get your sleep tonight." growled the same oily black gryphon from before. "Bu...But they didn't do anything wrong..." "Are you refusing me Subject Seven? I said kill the foal." Twilight turned to see a small foal, just bigger than she was, cowering in the corner. "I don't want to....its not nice!" Suddenly it felt as if every nerve was on fire as she dropped to the ground. She could do nothing as she watched four gryphons grab each leg of the other foal and rip him apart, his dying screams branded into her mind, never to be forgotten. "Yes, you could have killed him quickly Subject Seven, see what your kindness brings?" As Twilight opened her eyes she saw a splash of her former stomach contents before her. Tears were pouring down her face as she was next shown laughter. "I get the distinct idea that you don't enjoy your work Subject Seven. I do believe you hate me, and what we're doing here. I think you should laugh more." the oily black gryphon grinned maliciously. The mere look on his face made Twilight want to be ill. "So I'm going to have you execute our failed experiments, and you will laugh with each kill. If you don't laugh with each kill I will burn the next foal alive and you can watch. I then pray that you enjoy the kill after that. Thirty foals later, and the stench of burnt fur and skin in her nostrils, Twilight found herself able to somehow find it in her to laugh softly as she slit the throat of a small filly. The laugh louder as she crushed another's skull. She found herself imagining it was the black gryphon. Not even trying to stand this time, Twilight stayed prone in her own puke as generousity was brought to her mind. Twilight felt a magic suppressor over her horn and knew she was tied down. She had absolutely no lee way no matter how she tried to turn. Suddenly she felt claws wrap around her waist and something prod at her from behind. She began t struggle wildy, letting of frustrated screams as tears began to build. "Ah, so nice of Der'arzt to share you, real generous of him." came a voice from over Twilight's shoulder. Twilight felt ungodly pain erupt from her haunches, and then she shut down. Now wrapped in a ball and laying in a puddle of her own tears puke and urine Twilight prayed that loyalty would be something much better. Twilight crushed two gryphons and cut the throat of another as she tried to hold them off. Behind her was an earth pony also seemingly trying to help. He wasn't doing well. "Lily, you need to go, you can't fight!" she cried. The stallion slunk up next to her and tried to help, but successfully managed to get a painful gash along the side of his snout. Even then he didn't run. "I can't run, because I want you to escape. You need to run Kat." Twilight was horrified to watch as Lily threw himself in between her and an evil looking red hued gryphon, taking a greatsword through the stomach. "Run Kat, please, I don't want to die in vain..." As soon as each memory was finished Twilight picked herself up out of her mess and used a quick flash of magic to clean herself off. Once cleaned, Twilight set her mind and pushed the horrors she'd just witnessed in the body of the filly Kat to the back of her mind and headed out. She had an organization to erase of the face of the planet. <^> Sparkler hung limply from a pair of hoofcuffs strung up on a bar, leaving her five hooves up from the ground. Her very being hurt every time the the wind ran across her body, the cool air stinging the fresh lashes that had opened up the skin on her back. *Sss-THWIP* Shaking slightly, but no more than a tremor, Sparkler let out a slight whimper. She would have screamed from the pain, but her throat was dry and bloody from doing so when the treatment first started. In fact Sparkler probably would have given up hope and let herself die if it weren't for the sting of the whip reminding her periodically that she yet drew breath. *Sss-THWIP* Another tremor went through the filly's body but that was all. She faintly heard the draw back and found herself awaiting the next strike, but a voice interrupted the monotonous pattern of the whip slicing through the air, then her skin. "Enough! You were to teach her a lesson, not flail her to death! We need her to look as healthy as possible for Subject Seven's arrival!" Nodding, the gryphon that had been whipping Sparkler released the catch that held the hoofcuffs, dropping the poor filly back first into the gravel. For the first time in hours Sparkler released a noise louder than a whisper as a loud yet broken scream tore from her ruined throat as the gravel dug into the fresh wounds. Blood flecked her lips as her torn throat muscle attempted to compensate for the sudden vibrations. The gryphon was promptly executed by the new comer for his stupidity. "Fool, now I have to take this slab of meat to the infirmary just to ensure she stays alive until Seven's return!" Sparkler felt like her nerves had been set ablaze as the new gryphon threw her over his back, jarring the ruined musculature and skin in her back. She wanted to die. <^> Kat cut through the air as fast as she could, but even as she gained 'ground' as it were, her trail grew colder and colder. It bothered Kat to no end, and she was on the verge of going back and killing Celestia for slowing her down. She knew it wouldn't change anything though, it never did. Instead she pressed on, determined not to allow another pony that had tried to help her die because of her mistakes.Flying for another ten minutes, Kat's eyes hardened as she took notice of a smudge of a building facility in the distance. "You're mine!" <^> Sparkler attempted to squirm out from under the scalpel digging into her. She knew they were merely attempting to pull the gravel from her back, but she had just been growing numb to that pain when they started their work. She couldn't scream or yell, but was allowed to whimper past the air tube they'd forced down her throat so she wouldn't choke on her own bleeding oesophagus. Still, it hurt merely to have the cold air touch her, much less to have gravel carved from her back, and she still just wished death would take her, anything to stop the pain. So great was her agony that she hardly noticed the building shaking or the gryphon doctors rushing out the room. She didn't even realise that she was now being held upright by the same oily black gryphon from when she'd first arrived. She just hurt. <^> Twilight was just approaching the building when she took note of two things, first was the large crimson explosion on the outside of the building, surely Kat readying a rampage through the complex. That didn't bother her. What bothered her was the grey coated blonde maned mare she swore was Derpy. Even seeing that didn't deter her from her plans though, as she had a lock on the black gryphon, Der'arzt. <^> For the first time in her life Kat felt true joy as she ended the lives of those that opposed her. She revelled in the blood that splattered across her coat while the dying screams of her old tormentors were as music to her. She had long dreamt of the moment that she would obtain her revenge, and here it was. Not as a fantasy of a foal forced to execute her peers, nor a sleeping scene that would be fleeting after she re-awoke. No, this was all too real, and it was heavenly. <^> Der'arzt waited. It was not a hard task, as he was accustomed to waiting. So he stood still as stone, the pink furred filly in his claws breathing lightly through the tube thrust down her throat. It was a shame really, for the filly showed remarkable resilience under the punishments given and would have given Subject Seven a run for her money. His thoughts were halted as the door before him came open. "Oh, Subject Seven, you return to mein home and mein claws!" The door came fully open and Twilight stepped forth, eyes hardened as much as they could be against the sight of Sparkler so grievously wounded. "I'm not Kat, but I would have you punished for your crimes!" "Ah, ah, ah, I have ze filly here held at great distress!" Der'arzt cackled, holding a knife to Sparkler's breathing tube. "Zis is all that keeps ze filly alive..." "Roawr!" The gryphon dropped the knife quickly as Jack came springing out from a dark corner and latched her claws into Der'arzt's burned visage. The black gryphon relinquished Sparkler to the ground as he sought to tear the sphynx cat from his face. As soon as he got a proper grip Der'arzt wrenched jack from his face and threw her far across the room. Blood ran down his face as he saw that the lavender alicorn now had the filly laying behind her. "Looks like you're minus one bargaining chip, gryphon. What now?" Der'arzt just grinned as he shot forward and reached straight through the shield Twilight put up and gripped her by the throat, quickly slamming her into a wall. "I have had magic suppressing threads sewn into mein flesh! Vas a good investment against somepony like Subject Seven." After a moment of struggling Twilight's gaze settled on a form huddled over Sparkler's unmoving body. "So you're magic proof?" "Yes, very much so!" "That's nice," Twilight replied, "But are you Derpy proof?" "Vhat?" "Sucks to be you."
