//------------------------------// // The Strings of a Bond // Story: The Modern Ponetheus // by Hex Mark //------------------------------// The mind of the Conglomerate did not want to bear the fear and confusion its appearance brought it, thus vivid images began to play in its head. Images of a time long lost... Through closed eyes, the conglomerate was able to watch the picture show. It was in a rather beautiful place. All sorts of mirrors, stationary marble colored ponies, and garments. It did not recognize the place, but it felt more comfortable. It felt safer, warmer. It could see its hooves, and a slight glow around a small silver stick with a loose black line. Its heart twisted a little at the sight...or at least, what it thought it was doing. The black thread was used to join together two black sheets, to blend them so perfectly that the Conglomerate envied the image. At least the cloth looked right. But what was this? The series of black sheets took on a shape, and through its shut dual-colored eyes, the Conglomerate watched as a it draped the marble pony, covering up the blank slate with what seemed like magic. Opening its eyes, the Conglomerate took one reluctant look back at the now moon-lit reflection...if it could get some of those sheets...if it could hide the patchwork. Maybe the other ponies would not mind it? Trying to stand, the patchwork pony forgot one of its legs had been detached, and it fell flat on its face once more. The pony tried to prop itself up, sitting upright. Holding its detatched limb, it stared at the hunk of flesh, bone and...what's this? Bringing the limb closer to its eyes, the Conglomerate saw what looked like little grey lines. They were rigid...but looked like they could move a little bit. The Conglomerate had an idea, but it didn't have a silver stick! Where could it get one of those? The path it went down before was not safe. The wood throwers might still be there, it did not want to deal with them again. It brought the grey lines to its shoulder, pressing it against them slightly. It felt its own skin give way, it was softer than the strings. Looking back at the watery reflection, the conglomerate prodded its horn. "May...be..." it told itself, taking a breath and...thought really hard. It thought about seeing if it could use the glow to pull on the strings. All the thinking did was give it a headache, and it didn't feel any sign of magic coming out. -Click...click...clack- The pony's eyes opened as it saw a pony, or what it thought was another mare, standing nearby. Its citrine eyes stared at the patchwork pony, who blinked and stared at it in return. It was different than the wood-chucking ponies it saw. It had a shine to its body. It looked solid, with two lines going down its face from the bottom if its eyes. Unlike the contortions of the previous ones, the Conglomerate could not see any such signs in this new one. It stepped closer with a slight rattle, more clicking to its joints. The patchwork pony was...worried. Why would this pony want to come closer when others wanted to get away? It would have tried to move, tried to make the gap between them larger, but it learned one too many times it could not move properly. The clicking pony stopped a few inches away, kneeling down to look into its dual-colored eyes. There were some small, curved...things coming out of slits in its hooves. The Conglomerate watched as the strange pony pulled the severed leg free from its grasp, and instinctively let out a whine, trying to take it back. The clicking pony stared for a moment before it held the attached stump, pressing it against the place where it used to be. To the Conglomerate's amazement, the clicking pony used the curved bits on its hooves to pull at the grey strings. The strings seemed to be able to come out quite a bit, as if from a spool, and the citrine-eyed mare began to work. The patchwork pony watched as the strings were being used to rejoin the leg to its body, and with one final tug, the job was done. The strange mare stood back up, waiting for something. Hesitating, the Conglomerate began to stand up, and eventually began to put pressure on the newly mended leg. It felt stronger...and it was easier to move it. It blinked, looking at its legs, looking around it as if trying to find something stuck, before looking to the nice mare. It dug through its drowsy mind...a mind that had not been working for so long. All to find the right words. "Thank...you." the Conglomerate smiled, but noticed the mare get closer. Swiftly, it adjusted the strings already keeping it together, and the patchwork pony found it much easier to move all of its legs. It was amazed, and not even 'thank you' would suffice in the conglomerate's mind. But its eyes said it all, and even the clicking pony could see it. A heavy thud barely caused the Conglomerate to flinch, but a snapping sound caused it to step back. The clicking mare had fallen onto its side, and although it could not speak, it wanted to scream. Its leg had been smashed inwards by what looked like a red block to the patchwork pony. "Damn it!" a voice exclaimed. "How did you miss, you idiot!?" "I don't know!" All the while, the patchwork pony tried to fix the mangled leg of the mare. It didn't know what to do, but it had to try. There were pointy shards rather than grey lines, it couldn't imitate the mare! Another thud caught its attention as it looked at a second red block that had missed...a burning sensation began to well up in its chest. "Wai...t" it told the clicking pony, who stared at the two bickering ponies. They were earth ponies who simply relied on trial and error with their brick throwing, and there were several more with them. The Conglomerate picked up the first brick, the one that mangled its friend's leg, and looked between the two ponies and the group behind them. The brick sounded heavy, but the patchwork pony didn't even feel the weight. "What's that thing doing?" one of the two; a dark blue mare, asked her partner, who shrugged. "That thing? It's probably going to eat it or something, sure as hell doesn't even know what a brick is!" the green colt decided to throw a third brick at them, and although it struck the creature in the chest, it did not flinch. Its eyes began to reflect the burning feeling in its heart. "Whatever! We need to drive that thing out of here!" "Do away with the monster!" A...monster...I'm I monster? it wondered, but shook its head. That wasn't important to it now, these ponies had broken the clicking pony's leg! The burning in its chest grew more intense, it felt just like what happened at Mother's home. For a brief moment, it wanted to get even...it wanted to see what they thought of having things thrown at them! "Go...Away!" The Conglomerate roared at the two, and it wound up for the pitch. Only the brick never left its hoof, instead, its foreleg was caught in the grasp of the clicking pony's left hoof. Glancing over at the silent mare, the patchwork pony stayed silent before finally relenting, dropping the brick. But it wouldn't stop these ponies from going after them. One...two...three...ten...the Conglomerate's head hurt from trying to count them all. With the lake behind them, and the mob of ponies blocking them off...where else could they go? Kneeling down, the patchwork pony scooped up the clicking mare and her leg, only to have a rock thrown into the side of its face. It did not flinch from the impact, only glaring at the mob of ponies....there was a forest a ways behind them, maybe they mob won't follow them there. That...does it...These ponies...need to go! it thought, it's newly granted mobility assisting the patchwork pony as it approached the ones attacking them. They did not move, remaining as a wall, and one even trying to punch the patchwork pony, only to recoil itself as the impact seemed to hurt the green colt. "Move...it..." it hooked its right foreleg on the side of the green colt's neck, suddenly flinging it behind them. The colt yelped in a panic as it flew several yards, falling into the center of the lake. It...feels... it thought, trying to find the word.. Lashing back at the green colt, causing it to freak out, somehow satisfied the creature. Cathartic... Several ponies in the mob stared in disbelief, though they soon found themselves being shoved one by one until the mob began to panic, running off and shrieking as the monstrosity didn't show any signs of wanting to slow down. All but the dark blue mare, who stared up at the Conglomerate, whimpering with tears in her eyes. Her fear had paralyzed her as the creature stared back. Its eyes shrank a little, recognizing the mare as one of the brick throwers. The clicking mare gripped onto the patchwork pony, as if trying to signal it. It found it harder and harder to resist the temptation. It closed its eyes, taking a breath, before simply walking past the mare, before picking up the pace with with the clicking pony on its back. The forest...all of those trees...it would hide them. It would hide these monsters from the ponies. (tbc)