//------------------------------// // The Good Doctor // Story: Conquest: Prologues // by pretty-pegasus-wings //------------------------------// Another night like any other, the same routine. Despite being different, they are always same. Disappointing. It has been five minutes since regaining consciousness and she is still screeching. “There is no point in screaming, none would be able to help you even if they could hear your cries. On second thought, please continue. A few extra bodies would be lovely.” The distressed mare let out a few gasps. “Why are you doing this, why?!” She pulled at her restraints, arching her back as she strained only to slam it back onto the table. “Does it matter so much?” He continued stirring the slightly purple mixture in the beaker warmed by a small flame, its contents bubbling and slowly turning to a sickly blue. “I thought you loved me!” “Tch! How could I?” His lips sneered at the thought. “Your voice is beyond grating and regardless of your efforts, that stench of alcohol and desperation is thickly ingrained in your coat. It’s no wonder he left you.” Tears ran faster against her cheeks. “Go ahead, make your last moments as irritating as possible; a fitting end I suppose.” “You… you monster….” He turned the flame off and carefully moved the beaker to the side. “Is that all?” His dark gaze looked back to her. “Please, as if no being of my association has not heard that word. If you are going to insult me, put some effort into it.” When looking at her face, he didn’t expect to see the fierce hatred in her scowl. Of course, it was to be expected, but to be so prominent alongside the fear. A devilish grin grew across his face as he adjusted the shimmering, sapphire broach against his chest. Finally, something interesting. The dark coated pony pulled his attention from his cluttered work table and sauntered over to the distressed mare. At the sight of his elongated fangs, the sinister gleam in his golden eyes, the mare twisted and squirmed. “I knew there was a reason I choose you.” He placed his front hooves upon the table and leaned his head close to her neck. “When I saw you across the bar, the fire in your eyes when I whispered delightful, sinful ideas.” She yanked her head as far away as she could from his lips. Gently, he caressed her neck, running his hoof along the back of her head soon holding it still. “Mmmm, I can still smell your lust even now. The dark, dangerous types turn you on?” Her heart pounded rapidly, breath sharp, perfect. “I suppose I should thank you for bringing me such pleasure.” In a sudden motion, he forced his hoof against her head, a painful thud echoed in the dark, stone lab. “You said I was a monster? Oh, my dear, my delicate flower….” He scraped his teeth along the edge of her ear. “When I am through, you will beg for a monster to come and take you.” She let off a few more soft, yet sharp, cries. “Celestia... help me….” The bat winged pony laughed. He removed his hoof from her head and went back to his work. “I will be sure to take this slow, there is no point in rushing our fun.” Excitedly, he grabbed a syringe filled with some mysterious, dark green substance, and flicked the needle’s tip before he returned to the mare. The needle hovered over her right flank in preparation for the injection. In the moment its sharp tip would have pieced her skin, the sound of hoofsteps echoed through the room. He stopped and moved his gaze to the dark stairwell across the room. It was brief, the hope which shone in the desperate mare’s eyes, and fleeted not long after. “Sir, a message has arrived.” Peering from the darkness stood a bat pony, letter in his light grey hoof. The purple coated pony let off a long sigh. “How important is this?” “According to the messenger, urgent.” “A customer, partner?” “Queen.” He looked to him shocked and raised an eyebrow. “Which?” “The changeling’s, sir. Queen Chrysalis.” “Her?! What in Equestria’s name is she contacting me for?! Honestly, I am surprised she knows me at all.” The dark pony couldn’t suppress his laughter as he spoke, the idea of that insect wanting to do business with him was too rich. “According to Lady Ilvaria, a meeting.” At those words, he took pause. Now this was curious. “And I presume she is here?” “Would you like me to send her in?” Ilvaria, why would that failure of a ruler ask her? How did she come to think of us specifically? A seemingly unusual set of choices. “You may as well....” He lazily hoof motioned at the well dressed bat pony. “Right away, sir.” The grey bat pony returned to the room above and soon enough, the spider like pony rushed in, eyes filled with worry. “Oh, Philter!” Ilvaria leaned against the stone archway, cheek firmly pressed into the stone as she stood there, confused beyond comprehension. “I was sent this letter by some queen of these changelings, whatever those are, and she wants to meet with me! What am I supposed to say?! Is it a trap, why does she want me, how does she know me, why a meeting, and Steward is taking too long to get my ice cream!” Once he was sure she got everything out of her system, Philter calmly flew over to her, stroking her back comfortingly. “Shhh. There is no need to worry, it is only an invitation.” “To a potential dinner where I’m the main course!” “Come with me a moment.” He led Ilvaria over to the restrained mare’s side, leaving her there as he flew back to his work table and grabbed the prepared syringe. “I want you to take this.” “Okay….” She took the syringe in her magic. “Now jab it as hard as you can into her flank, right there. Focus all your anxiety and frustration into the motion.” Ilvaria planned the course of her needle. “There?” “Perfect.” She drew it back and thrust it straight into her flank. The mare shrieked with pain as the needle was rammed into her. Philter quickly plunged the liquid inside of her while the needle was still inside. “Better?” “A little….” “How about we have a nice, calm talk? You can enjoy your ice cream, we can work this situation out together.” Ilvaria smiled lovingly at him. “I would love to, my darling hunter.” * * * “You got one, too?!” Ilvaria stared at him, eyes wide. Philter gave a short nod, head rested upon his hooves in a thinking pose as he sat behind his desk. “I presume it will be the same as yours, but I will check when Steward returns.” She paced about his office. “I can understand why she would send one to you… but why me? All I have is my colony, there’s nothing too special about me.” “There is much worth to you, my dear arachnid.” “You know what I mean.” She glared at him. He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “To your credit, you have an army, a means of reproduction outside of natural breeding, your spider like forms and all that comes with it.” “I’m sure she could have found anyone with those qualities.” She crossed her hooves disapprovingly. “Yet she chose you and myself. Why? It can be assumed she is aware of my business at the least, though if she knew anything, she would have seen this as the waste of time it is.” Ilvaria looked to him curiously. “And why would that be?” “I would never willingly work with someone like her, and she is a failure.” Philter leaned forward against the desk. “Obviously, she is planning something beyond her and there is only one goal she would have, Equestria. Time and time again she has tried, miserably failing with each attempt. And now she believes that bringing together some force will change this.” “How do you know? She didn’t mention anything of the sort.” “There is no need. Based on the stories I hear now and again, she has yet to have any other focus since her first failure, searching all across for some pitiful solution. And why else bring together forces such as us and, presumably, others of our persuasion? Have us over for a friendly tea party?” Steward entered the room, a giant bucket of ice cream carried onto of his right wing. “Your ice cream, Lady Ilvaria.” “Finally!” She scooped it from his back and dug in. “Thank you, Steward.” Philter held out his hoof. “The letter.” The bushy faced bat pony gave the letter to him. Gently, Philter tore it open the letter and looked it over. “Nothing too off from what you described.” “So, what should we do?” He leaned back again, tilting his head upward as he tapped his hooves together. To go and see or stay back? It will most likely be a waste of time, these always are. He’s seen it time and time again, those who come to him for items to take on powerful leaders only to fail for one reason or another. Even so, this could be interesting assuming who else she brings in will be worth meeting. Philter rested his hooves against his orange and dark orange striped vest. “Why not go and see? There is no harm in hearing her out.” Ilvaria looked back to him in disbelief. “After calling her a failure?” “I foresee potential failure, yes, but how fun would it be to see what she has planned? It is not as if we have to agree to anything and if there is something to gain, all the better. For all we know, I could be wrong. And imagine who we could meet, I could make a few new ‘friends’, perhaps a meal for you.” The spider queen licked her lips. “You have a strong point my dear. Any ideas of whom she may ask?” He went back to his thinking pose. “If she knows you and myself, it is safe to assume she is digging deep into the depth of Equestria’s darker side. How deep will she dare go is the question.” His eyes closed a moment, mind running through every option worth looking into from her position. “I could see her looking to those with magic or abilities that surpass or could subdue the alicorns while also being easy to reach. By that point, you may as well look beyond here, many threats to Equestria are not native born. Yet here we are. Thankfully, we have time to prepare. For now, we should read what we can about changelings, see if there is anything we can use.” “Perhaps I can size up my prey, see how to enjoy any potential meals.” “Do not excite yourself too much, it is not as if I have shelves dedicated to them.” As he went to stand, a shrill cry came from behind him. He leered back with a wide grin, eyes fixed on the bookshelf behind which a secret passageway could be seen. “It seems my patient is ready for step two.” The purple coated drider leaned her body to his height. “What are you working on this time?” “Testing a remedy, currently a work in progress. For her sake, this better be the one.” “Or else?” She raised a curious, yet malicious brow, a sense of sensual excitement crept through her smile. “Her body will scream for death.”