"Mercer is not a 'HE’; it is an 'IT.'"

-General Randall

It was a cold, especially dark night, caused by the destruction of some of the lanterns that lit the walkways in Ponyville by some unknown juveniles. Now the streets were cast in shadows until the Mayor got around to having them fixed. The town was mostly empty, the only activity going on being by the last few stragglers closing down shops and making their way back home.

One of these stragglers was a plum colored pony with a mulberry shaded mane and tail. She shut the door to her small store after working late, locking it and jiggling the handle to make sure it wasn’t loose. When she was satisfied, she turned and began heading down the street, a small smile on her face. She hummed as she walked, a nameless tune she had long since forgotten the words to, but could still remember as clearly as when her mother used to sing it to her as a filly.

She continued to hum on her way home, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her every move. The owner of said eyes was perched on a nearby rooftop, quietly making their way across the thatching, never letting the pony leave their line of sight. The figure slipped slightly when they made a small jump to another rooftop, the sound reaching the mare and alerting her. She scanned her surroundings, fear evident on her face. She began walking again, but this time a little faster, the tune all but forgotten.

The plum colored pony periodically checked behind her as she hurried along, as if expecting a shadowy beast to be following her. She turned a corner and saw that a single lantern was on at the end of the street, the spotlight it created highlighting a dark figure that stood in the middle of it. The mare gasped, backing up at the sight of it. The figure was larger than a mare, presumably making him a stallion, his body and head oddly shaped which led her to believe whoever it was was wearing some sort of cloak or hood. She quivered as the figure took a step forward, then another, slowly making his way towards her. She backed up, too scared to turn her back and attempt to flea in fear that he would give chase.

Before she knew it, the corners of two buildings came up from either side of her, the realization that she had backed herself into a corner hitting her hard. She looked back to the stranger, who had covered the majority of the distance between them in the second she took to look at the alley behind her. He was now closer than she would have preferred, and she was too scared to take the chance of rushing past him. The only thing she could do was back herself further into the alley.

She gasped when she felt her flank bump up against a brick wall. She had reached a dead end, and now the figure was standing at the entrance to the alleyway, wearing what she could only imagine was a sinister smirk on his face. He looked to either side of himself slowly; suddenly being joined by two more figures, both similar to him in shape and size. The three slowly made their way to the quivering mare, the moonlight above them revealing beaked faces and feathery bodies. The figures were actually Gryphons, their broader shoulders and bushy mane covered heads giving them the silhouettes of a heavily clothed stallion.

“Don’t be scared little pony, we only want your tail.” The one in the middle spoke, the black feathers in his mane accentuating his glowing eyes. The pony gulped audibly.

One of the other Gryphons, one with tan feathers and a dark grey body, punched him in the shoulder. “Scratch, we told you not to say that! It sounds disgusting!” He turned back to the mare. “Mind my idiotic friend. We’re not going to hurt you, we just want to cut off your tail for proof that we-”

The last one, a Gryphon with a white mane and tan body, smacked the back of his claw against the side of the second one’s head. “Render, shut up! We’re not here to tell her our life’s story!” He gave the pony a glare. “None of the rules said we had to talk to these ponies.” He said “ponies” like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “Let’s just get this over with already. I’m sick of the smell in this stupid little town. Just hold her down and cut it off so I can get the hell out of here!”

“You’re such a buzz kill Stems,” The middle one sighed, shaking his head. “But he is right. We’ve been here long enough. It’s about that time we just cut her tail off and head back to the Gryphon Kingdom.” He focused his attention on the frightened mare once more, the pony now holding her head down and sobbing. “No hard feelings, this isn’t personal. Now why don’t you make this easier on us and don’t squirm too much, eh? We don’t want any trouble from you.” The three moved closer to her, standing shoulder to shoulder to block her escape. She cried harder, her sobs growing louder until it sounded like she was laughing.

Confusion lit up their faces when they realized she actually was laughing. She picked up her head, laughing ever harder while she took a couple of steps towards her would-be attackers. “No trouble? What exactly does that entail?” She put on an innocent smile. “Should I scream for help? Or just kick and scratch until I ultimately succumb to your superior strength?” She spoke with a sarcastic air. “No, I’ve got a better idea. How about this for trouble.” She smirked evilly, suddenly speaking in a deeper, more masculine voice.

The trio of Gryphon’s watched in stunned horror as the cute pony in front of them became wrapped up in dark tendrils, her slim body expanding and growing into a much more monstrous shape. Before they knew it, they were looking up at the snarling face of a Manticore, its large eyes glowing blood red. The three didn’t even have a chance to scream before the beast descended on them, its teeth and claws ripping flesh from bone, splattering crimson on the cobblestone and the walls to either side of the alley.

The only one left alive when it was all over, the black feathered one that went by Scratch, whimpered pitifully as he dragged his body out of the alley, his legs mutilated and rendered completely useless from being chewed on. He flapped his one remaining wing weakly, as if that would somehow propel him further. From the darkness behind him came a hooded pony wearing a black leather jacket, on which not a single drop of blood lay. He walked deliberately slowly around the wounded Gryphon, enjoying the sound of his cries and chuckling at his pleas for mercy.

“Mercy? You want ‘mercy’?” He laughed, changing his voice to a higher pitch when he spoke next. “You weren’t intending to give ‘Berry Punch’ any mercy.” He laughed again, reverting back to his normal speaking voice. “Mercy for the merciless; now that’s ironic.”

Scratch began crying, thick tears rolling off his cheeks and onto the ground. “W-we…w-weren’t…g-going…to h-hurt her…” He sucked in a breath, wincing at the pain it caused him. “We j-just…wanted…her t-tail.” He sobbed pathetically. “P-please…just l-let me g-go…”

Mercer pretended to think it over. “…No. No I don’t think so.” He gave him a wide smile, flashing his teeth, his eyes glinting in the low light. “I wouldn’t want you leaving here and telling others what you’ve seen.” His front legs shifted their shape, long, sharp claws protruding from his hooves. He leaned down close, placing his mouth right next to the Gryphon’s ear. “Just so you know before I kill you…” He took a dramatic pause. “…I’m top predator around here.” He swung his claws, aiming for the Gryphon’s heart. As the life left the pitiful youth, Mercer snaked his tendrils around his body and consumed him, grabbing his head as the agony of absorbed memories overtook him.

“You know where we are right?”

“Yes sir!”

“Why are you here?”

“To join you in upholding tradition, sir!”

“And what tradition is that?”

“Upholding Gryphon pride and the honor of the entire kingdom!”

A large, heavy set Gryphon stepped forward and smacked him with a claw. “No, you idiot! That’s the military!” He shook his head and walked to the next Gryphon in line, eyeing him up and down like he was a tasty snack. “Our traditions are to cause mischief and general mayhem! Like my brother did before me, and all our brothers before him!” He walked over to where two other Gryphons stood at attention, the badges they wore on their chests proudly gleaming with the insignia of the group. “If you hatchlings really want to be in this exclusive club, you’ll have to pass the same initiation rites as every other member before you.”

“Initiation rites?”

“What do we have to do?”

The large Gryphon smirked. “Go to Equestria, find a town called ‘Ponyville’, and start screwing up everything you can find. I’m talking shattered windows, broken street lamps, graffiti, the works. Make their lives as miserable as you can, and then, as proof of your misdeeds, bring back the tail of one those sissy little ponies for a trophy!” The Gryphons behind him laughed, as if they knew something the pledges didn’t.

“A tail? Really? That sounds stupid.”

The one who spoke found himself face to face with the leader. “If you don’t want to do it, then I guess you don’t want to be in our club. If that’s the case, there’s the door.” He pointed a claw at the heavy door on the other side of the room they were in. The smaller Gryphon looked at the exit, back at the leader, and finally to the other three pledges. With a defeated sigh, he turned and headed to the door, hanging his head shamefully. The leader watched him go for a moment, bringing his attention back to the remaining three. “If any of you want to join him, go right ahead. Otherwise, go to Ponyville, and don’t come back unless you have a fucking pony tail to show me!”

As the memory faded, the newly absorbed biomass was already settling inside his body. Mercer looked down to where the Gryphon he had just killed had been lying. “So that’s why you were here? Just some stupid prank?” He shook his head shamefully. “Bad day for you to join a fraternity then, eh?” He asked, mimicking the way the Gryphon had spoken to him before.

He looked back into the alley where what remained of the other two Gryphons were scattered about. He sighed, dreading the clean-up he was in for. He didn’t mean to go so overboard, he had just gotten caught up in the thrill of cold blooded murder. Celestia knows he hadn’t been getting his fill lately. He kicked himself. ‘Celestia knows’? Fuck, he was going native. The price you pay when you go undercover.

It had been four days now since he’d first arrived mysteriously, his plan to infect this world becoming more and more complicated. First it was the discovery that he had big problems in the form of all powerful Alicorn Princesses, then it was discovering six ponies with enough power to turn him to stone. Just as he had adjusted his plan to turn one of the six into his own ally, he found out that he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought. A nosy little zebra, by the name of Zecora, knew about him. More than she needed to. That had spooked him a little. If she was aware of who Mercer really was, God only knew who else was in the loop. It hadn’t deterred his ultimate goal any, but it did make him more cautious about his approach.

As Mercer cleaned the blood out of the alley, he thought about the only pony he actually had consumed as of yet. She was a bit of a workaholic, known to work late nights and be absent for most of the day. When he had first met her at that party Pinkie Pie had thrown him on his first day, he knew she was the best target to consume for a disguise so he could better hide from curious eyes. She was easy, a few spiked drinks and he had the perfect excuse to offer her his company home, very gentlemanly. What wasn’t gentlemanly was hoisting her up on a five foot blade, consuming her body and archiving her DNA so he could take her form whenever he wanted. Especially since it was only the first date.

He finished cleaning up the last of the blood on the walls, kicking a nearby bucket and dumping its contents on the red-stained cobblestone. It was still fresh, washing away with the water easily, turning it a light pink color. Satisfied, he changed his form back into the purple pony and began heading off into the direction of her home.

“Please darling, I beg of you!”

“I-I don’t know Rarity, I’m just so busy-”

“You’re always busy, you need a break. The spa would be perfect for you!”

“Rarity, I already told you-”

“Please, Berry, you work too hard! I’m surprised you haven’t keeled over from exhaustion!”

Mercer snorted at that. If she only knew.

The conversation he was currently having with the white unicorn fashonista had started when she rushed into Berry Punch’s shop, which Mercer had only opened to give off the impression that Berry Punch was still alive, claiming she had to take her sister Sweetie Belle to Canterlot to see their father, who had apparently gotten food poisoning after his last visit to her boutique. Evidently Sweetie Belle had insisted she had gotten better at cooking.

Anyway, today was her and Fluttershy’s weekly spa session, and she knew that Fluttershy wouldn’t go alone. Since she didn’t want to waste two perfectly good spa tickets, she was now begging Berry Punch to go in her place. Unfortunately for Mercer, he was now impersonating Berry Punch. It was a vicious circle, and he was desperately trying to figure a way out of it.

“I…uh…” He couldn’t think of an excuse good enough. Or at least an excuse that wouldn’t make Rarity suspicious, that is. “…Fine.” He gave in grudgingly, seeing no other way out besides murder, which he was still contemplating religiously.

“Oh, thank you! You won’t regret it, darling, I promise! It will be fun! Now, off you go, don’t want to keep Fluttershy waiting!”

Something was telling Mercer that Rarity was playing up most of that drama. It seemed like she was expecting Berry to cave. Plus, she didn’t look relieved when he agreed, more like just knowing.

He turned a corner, seeing the spa building up ahead. Standing in front of it was a yellow Pegasus with long pink hair. He sighed, preparing himself for the horrors of a spa day.

“O-oh, hello Berry. Have you seen Rarity anywhere?” Fluttershy asked nervously when he got up to her.

“Yeah, she had an emergency to take care of, so she couldn’t make it. She asked me to come instead.” He thought of something then. “…Although, if you’re not comfortable going with me, I would definitely understand. It is pretty odd doing something with someone you barely know-”

“Oh, no, that’s alright. If Rarity asked you, then she must know you’re nice. I trust her judgment.”

“Of course you do.” Mercer mumbled.

He followed her inside, immediately being assaulted by the smell of perfume and scented oils. He gagged slightly, thinking to himself that if he still had a stomach he would have vomited its contents all over the floor. They proceeded to the counter, where an Earth pony with a cerulean coat and rose colored hair sat, watching the two with a smile on her face.

“Ah, Fluttershy! Good to see you! Are you ready for your treatment?” She noticed Mercer standing next to her. “Who is your friend? Where is Rarity?” She looked around, as if the unicorn would suddenly jump out and yell “Here I am!”

Fluttershy looked at Mercer, silently asking him to explain Rarity’s absence. “Uh, Rarity couldn’t make it because she had to take care of an emergency.”

The pony gasped. “Emergency? Is she alright?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing wrong with her. I guess her father got sick from eating bad food, so she had to take her sister to go make sure he was okay.”

She wiped her forehead. “Oh, well that’s good. I was afraid we’d lost our highest paying customer!” She noticed the confused looks on their faces. “I-I mean, I was…I just…” She smiled awkwardly. “Why don’t we just get started?”

She hopped off her seat and led them through a doorway into the back, where all the “fun” Rarity had promised was supposed to take place. There was a large tub at the back of the room, and several massage chairs lined up against one of the walls. Fluttershy walked over to one and jumped up, lying down and getting comfortable. She gestured for Mercer to join her on the seat next to her.

“…Um, Berry, I hope I’m not being rude, and if so, I’m sorry, but what do you do again?” Fluttershy asked after he had lain down on the chair.

“Oh, I…uh…” Mercer filed through the memories he had absorbed from Berry Punch. “…I sell homemade jam? Uh, I mean, yeah, it’s a family recipe.”

She smiled. “Sounds nice. I wish I had something like that. The only thing I got from my family was a cheap necklace and a raggedy doll.” She didn’t sound resentful as she spoke, just thoughtful.

Mercer’s curiosity peaked. “Rough childhood?”

She looked down. “Not from my family, if that’s what you mean.” She bit her lip. “School on the other hand…”

Mercer knew exactly how she felt. He was never that good with people, he preferred being alone. That preference never kept other kids away, unfortunately. The spa pony returned, accompanied by another who looked exactly the same except for the fact they were oppositely colored. They went into their routine, taking out lotions and oils and asking the two ponies what they wanted. Fluttershy told them to do the usual, suggesting Mercer get it as well since he’d never been to the spa. They began the massage, rubbing and beating on their backs and shoulders. Fluttershy seemed content, while Mercer was just plain uncomfortable. He had to soften his biomass in order to imitate flesh and muscle, the resulting “squishiness” making him feel vulnerable.

After the massage came the facials, which Mercer had to decline three times. They gave them pedicures as well, not as uncomfortable for him but still unnecessary. Fluttershy didn’t try to start up their conversation again, instead opting to close her eyes and simply enjoy the treatment. Mercer wasn’t in the mood to talk anyway, he just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Of course, what he wanted and what he got were two different things. The facials and pedicures were just the beginning; next came seaweed wraps, a mane wash, and then a hoof soak. After what seemed like hours of poking and prodding, he had finally managed to survive to the last treatment on the list: a thirty minute soak in the hot tub. He watched Fluttershy test the water with a hoof, carefully walking in and sinking down until the water reached her chin. Mercer was less graceful; he all but jumped into the water, sending a wave splashing over Fluttershy and drenching her mane.

“Whoops.” He said after he realized his mistake. “My bad.”

Fluttershy pushed her hair out of her eyes, giggling quietly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind, really.”

Mercer considered testing that out, perhaps creating a shockwave underwater by pounding his hooves together to send water flying everywhere, but he decided against it. No need to answer any questions regarding how he could do something like that. He settled down in a spot near the other side of the tub, hoping Fluttershy would continue her streak of silence until it was time to leave.

“Um…Berry?” No such luck. He turned his attention to her. “D-do you know anything about…stallions?”

Mercer’s eyes widened. Oh fuck. This is exactly what he had been dreading: Girl talk. “Stallions? Uh…nope, sorry, don’t know anything!” He prayed if he played dumb she would change the subject.

“O-oh…okay…never mind then.” She bit her lip, her face scrunching up in thought. “Um…do you remember that party Pinkie Pie threw for that new pony earlier this week?” Mercer stiffened, nodding slowly. “Well…when you went home that night…he offered to take you, didn’t he?”

‘Where are you going with this Fluttershy?’ he wanted to ask. “Yeah…he did. Why do you ask?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“I-I was just wondering…what did you two do after he walked you home?” She put emphasis on “do”, her face turning bright red.

Mercer facepalmed. Christ, what is with these ponies! Can’t a guy walk a drunk mare home so he can stab her through the chest and consume her body without everyone thinking he’s a sexual predator?

“No, nothing like that happened! He just walked me home and said goodnight! That’s all!” He growled exasperatedly.

She still had a blush on her cheeks, but now she looked relieved. “W-well that’s good. I-I was only asking because I was worried he had…taken advantage of you.” Well, in a way that was true, but she didn’t need to know that. “I guess I shouldn’t have thought he would do something like that.” She smiled, more to herself then to him. “I knew he wasn’t that kind of pony from the first time I met him…” She shut her eyes, continuing to smile.

Mercer watched her, confused beyond belief at the weird behavior she exhibited.

“Thank God that’s finally over.” Mercer said through clenched teeth, a fake smile on his face as he waved goodbye to the retreating form of the yellow Pegasus. Once she was out of sight, he allowed himself to relax. He walked behind an empty stand and reverted back to his own form, making sure his hood was pulled over far enough to hide his face before walking back out and heading down the street.

He headed to the place he had gone to every day since his first day: town hall. It was the perfect place to unleash Blacklight. It was right in the middle of Ponyville, and it always had plenty of ponies around. It was like the Penn station of this world. Spreading the virus from here would ensure maximum devastation. He smirked to himself, thinking about what the town would like with Hydras and Brawler pustules.

Before long the roof of the town hall could be seen over the rooftops. Mercer stood at the edge of the clearing surrounding the tall building, looking up at it longingly, wishing he could just hang a few ponies from the top.

As he looked he felt that paranoia he was all too familiar with sneak up his back, already knowing where it was coming from. Or should he say “who” it was coming from. Over the last few days he had come across her several times, and every time she was silently watching him from a distance. Without turning his head, he watched the corner of his vision to where the feeling was originating and saw the zebra standing by a vegetable stand, steadily watching him.

Zecora had already been the cause of him postponing infecting Rainbow Dash, although in hindsight that might have been a blessing in disguise. He knew nothing about the mare, only that she represented the Element of Loyalty. Since he had never officially accepted Pinkie Pie’s friendship, she still hounded him trying to win him over. Because of that, she had been dragging him into hanging out with her and her friends. Thanks to the unwanted attention, he now knew more about the Pegasus then he did before. Mostly that she isn’t just loyal to anyone that happens to come along and infect her with a deadly virus, but more to her friends.

When he’d learned that, he found his options were running low. He figured switching his targets was his next best move, but none of the others would work. Applejack was his first backup, being the Element of Honesty, but when he learned more of her personality, he realized she was as honest as she was stubborn. A potential Heller if he ever saw one. Pinkie sounded like a logical choice, but she was too unpredictable; he would never be able to keep tabs on her. Rarity wouldn’t work either, she would most likely just complain about the virus being too dirty. Twilight was smart, too smart to convince into betraying her friends, and he’d personally seen that magic of hers change a chipmunk into a pinecone, so that didn’t score her many points. He had briefly considered Fluttershy, but being the Element of Kindness, as well as shy, timid, and awkward to be around, he ruled her out almost immediately. He was now left to figure out a way to either trick Rainbow Dash into helping him or leave her with no other option. It was going to be harder work ahead of him then he thought.

Zecora still stared at him, causing his annoyance to grow to the point he had to hold himself back from just launching Whipfist at her to wipe that look off her face. When he first met her, she had called him monstrous. He shifted his biomass in a wave of tendrils across his body, showing her just how much of a monster he truly was. She didn’t seem surprised, her eyes narrowing as she began backing up, disappearing into the crowd that surrounded her. With her around it ran the risk of being revealed too soon. He knew what he had to do if he was to be successful, he would need to get rid of her. That was his next move.

He turned to leave, a smile on his face that would make a shark envious. Kill Zecora. Somehow it just seemed right, planning a murder of someone simply to get them out of the way. Like an objective in a video game. Too bad there are no do overs in life; he had a feeling it was going to be something he’d want to do again and again.

Author's Note

I'm not proud of this chapter. Something just doesn't work for me, but I can't tell what it is exactly. I'd rewrite it so it flows better but I'm just to lazy. Eh, I'll let future Poly take care of that. He usually gets things done.
-Poly