06 - Broken Wheel
Ch. 06 - Broken Wheel
One Minute Earlier
“Are you okay, Twilight?”
Fluttershy watched her alicorn princess friend struggle with her horn. The appendage blinked, fizzled, blinked, and popped out. Twilight grimaced, panting and straining under the weight. “Just...a little more...” Twilight said, taking another furtive glance on the fight.
Her friends were down below, risking their hides. She had to come through for them when the time came...she just wished she had the energy.
“...it's no good...” she said, letting the horn fizzle out after another failed attempt. “I've been casting spells all day. Those magic missiles, the targeted teleport over a mile of distance, even that bubble I put the kids in. I don't have enough right now to do the spell we need right now.”
“So what you're saying,” said Rainbow Dash, leaning uncomfortably over the side of the roof, “is that we need plan B?” Dash looked to Twilight with a serious expression. She fluttered her wings, wincing.
“Plan B? What Plan B?” Twilight said, before clarity came in. “No, Dash, no! You can't mean to-”
“I do,” Rainbow Dash said, hopping up on the raised edge. “I'll do it myself. I can give you the effect you need, you know it. You're an egghead, Twilight. Tell me the science isn't sound.”
For what Dash intended, the science was surprisingly sound. That fact would impress the scholar princess more if it wasn't so horribly suicidal given the circumstances. “It doesn't matter if it could work, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, moving to grab her friend. When the pegasus hopped back and staggered in pain, Twilight motioned to the makeshift bandage. “You can't go out with that injury! It's barely slowed bleeding as it is!”
“And if I don't go, our friends keep holding out for help that'll never come!” Dash yelled, getting back on solid hoofing. “I don't care if I die if it means saving them!”
“But Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy interjected, nervously looking for a place she could lay hooves on her fellow pegasus without eliciting further discomfort. Not finding any satisfactory spot, she kept talking, “You're too weak to do it. Too weak alone.” Fluttershy frowned deeply, tears threatening to manifest.
“Alone...” Twilight mumbled, letting the word hang for a moment between the three.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I won't ask for you to help. Just let me go and, come whatever may, do what you need to do after. Got it?” Grit teeth were needed when she stretched her back; a tear of pain rolled down her cheek. She looked down, seeing Pinkie Pie just blinded the monster with cupcakes. As Applejack bucked it away, Rainbow crouched. “It's now or never, girls. If I don't come back, it's been cool.” She smiled weakly.
“Is...that all you got?” the monster called from below.
“Not yet!” Rainbow called in return, launching off.
Twilight and Fluttershy looked on, seeing their friend fly off into the storm to come.
Then Fluttershy jumped up. “Rainbow Dash, I'm coming with!” Twilight watched in surprise as Fluttershy, the most timid of her friends, took off to battle.
“Well, I guess there's nothing for it,” Twilight said, frowning. Her eyes focused hard. She too flew off.
As they took their place above the battlefield, Rainbow Dash looked behind, seeing her winged friends following. She decided to spend her smile of joy by turning a cocky grin upon their target. “We're...just...getting started!”
At first, the three winged ponies lazily circled. Then, slowly, they began to pick up speed, mostly on the Rainbow Dash's part. Their behavior, especially in light of one being injured, perplexed the human greatly.
Then she saw light materials around her whipped about by steadily increasing winds.
“Ugh...no way...” Painwheel said, messaging her battered chest. The weight of her rage was waning, replaced with the growing realization that their fight lasted far longer than it should. She contemplated activating the Buar, riding the winds and taking the fight up to them...and then smacked her head.
In retrospect, not the smartest move. She hissed, headache made worse. Shit.
No, those were creatures of the air. The only reason she came close to beating the Rainbow Dash in flight was because of surprise. That advantage was no longer available. They were in their element, and Painwheel was too weak to engage them there.
Change of tactics. She raised her fist, preparing to fire another stinger. She strained, trying to increase the pressure. “Khugh...” she grunted, squeezing as hard as she could. But nothing came out.
I'm out of stingers, she thought. Her red eyes grew wide under her lenses. Moreover, she had to struggle to open her hand again. She'd cramped it fiercely. “Ack! Shit!” Shaking the hand did little to alleviate the soreness. She bent over, supporting herself on a bent knee. Then it hit her: she was at her physical limit.
It hadn't been the Skullgirl who pushed her so far. Or rather, it was the Skullgirl and everyone else, and now these ponies. Painwheel had nothing left. She brought her cramped hand to the face hidden beneath her mask. It suddenly occurred to her that, without that leather, she might have been knocked out when that piece of metal got bucked in her face. It was only by luck she had endured under this kind of punishment.
And for what? What had this entire battle gained her? What had her fight with the ponies wrought? No, better question: what had any of her fights after throwing off Brain Drain's control gotten her?
Should have just ditched the entire mess, she thought, feeling the wind grow into a tornado that flowed around her. Should have just run away. Fuck the nurse. Fuck the Skullgirl. Should have let any of those others fight them. It wasn't my business or my problem anymore. I was free then. I could have gone home. No, I could have called home, told them what happened. Then Mom and Dad...then they'd have known. They'd have come get me themselves. I could have been at home by now! My pain would still be there, but at least I'd have Mom and Dad!
A piece of wood flew around and smacked Painwheel in the shoulder. “Uh!”
All around her, the winds were growing worse. They were so bad that Painwheel began to feel them pull at her. She fell to the ground, trying to find a hand hold. When the pavement proved fruitless in that respect, Painwheel pushed at her parasites. Painful spikes shot from her wrists and feet, embedding in the ground.
No, she thought, it doesn't matter anymore. If nothing else, I'm not going to submit. Try to blow me away? I'll ride it out, you bitches!
That plan gave her satisfaction right up to when she tried to inhale, and got nothing.
She had exhaled, and nothing came back in. Painwheel retracted a hand spike from the ground, allowing her to reach to her neck. Her eyes went wide. She gagged, choked. Looking around, she realized what was wrong.
They're...they're sucking all the air from this spot!
Painwheel panicked. “...” She tried yelling, but nothing came forth. She beat the ground with her free hand, frantically trying to find a way out. Easiest thing would be to look go of the ground, try to run. But then she'd be blown away, at the mercy of the harsh winds. And even if she didn't, she wasn't running through that angry wall of wind without getting hurt, probably killed. Couldn't stay, couldn't leave.
Her heart pounded. Not good when all that accomplished was burning through her air faster.
Spots formed before her eyes. She couldn't hear the wind anymore over the blood churning through her ears. Sweat seeped from every pore, drenching her. Muscles loosened; they couldn't be supported anymore. She tried to gasp, to catch any breath of air. Just one wisp. Nothing came.
I'm...I'm going to die here? Is this...really...how I...?
Then the wind died down. The roaring stopped. Painwheel forced herself to look up, and saw the tornado imprisoning her fall apart.
And then she tasted air. Painwheel gasped deliriously. Hope at last! Air!
It just wasn't enough. She couldn't get a lung full.
Was that it!? No! It can't be! Painwheel unhooked herself from the ground fully, trying weakly to waft air to her mouth. Why wasn't more air getting in? She barely got anything, and she needed air bad. Then she touched her mask, and sickening realization kicked in. It was her mask. It was too tight, too restricting.
For the first real time in her life, and strangely for the first time since having the mask attached, Painwheel felt claustrophobic.
Get it off! Get it off! Brain Drain you bastard, why didn't you put nose holes!? Why did you need to put this mask on in the first place!?
She tried to open her mouth more, but her jaws felt weak. They couldn't work against the straps. Yet more panic set in. The winds were dead, their suction dispelled. Painwheel had all the air she could ever crave right there, and a thin veneer of cow hide kept it from her.
GET. IT. OFF.
Painwheel placed her strong hand at the edge, digging in under the seams. Those seams pulled on her face; they stung. Painwheel didn't care. She planted her feet solidly on the ground. She needed traction.
With all her might, Painwheel pulled. Her arms were oxygen-starved, full of lactic acid. Pain greater than even the parasites rocked her muscles. She endured it. She tugged once, and the mask stayed. She tugged again, and she felt one of the cords tear out. She endured it, setting her jaw solidly clamped shut. Her vision still swam.
One. Last. Tug.
With sickening pops, the cords connecting the leather to her face came wrenching free. Finally, the entire thing came away, leaving it gripped in her cramping fist. That made two, but it didn't matter.
Painwheel gasped loudly, feeling the coolness of the outside. Her face sported an X-shaped scar pattern, with perpendicular cuts crossing over it in regular patterns. And it hurt like hell,despite how much the sudden release was on her confined skin. But none of that mattered.
She could breath again. She doubled over, sucking precious air greedily.
So greedily she barely minded how the surge of breath sent her into fits of coughing. She clutched her chest, still gripping the mask. Cold sweat poured from her face, stinging the wounds that, thanks to the thick Skullgirl blood, barely oozed any bodily humor. She hacked and wheezed. Somewhere near, a cacophony of shocked and concerned voices rang out. But Painwheel didn't hear them. Didn't care.
She smiled, feeling that delicious gas filling her lungs. She could finally breathe.
Rising to her feet, she even noticed her vision was clearing. She thought she could see...
“Rarity! Do it now!”
Glowing sheets of cloth shot around Painwheel, wrapping themselves around her arms and knees and neck and even the Buar. The human remembered. And she grew angry.
“What!?” she gasped, which induced another fit of coughing. She looked around. All six mares surrounded her, with the white unicorn front and center. Just off to the side, the pink pony and the alicorn ministered to the multi-colored pegasus, pressing heavy scraps of cloth against a side that flowed with new blood.
Then more sheets of fabric coiled around Painwheel's limbs. “No...gasp...fuck...you!” she yelled. She charged the Buar, intent on cutting through all the bothersome bindings. It spun, she could hear it...then suddenly stopped. “What?” She turned her head, only to see the blades were positively buried in cloth. At that cloth stopped the motor. Those blades could cut through steel, yet pliable thread yielded, especially at the base of the blades where they were least able to cut.
“No! Stop it!” Painwheel shouted, tugging against the sheets. But there was no hand to pull against, only telekinetic force, subtly guiding the threads around her. They started to wrap and pull. Her resistance was feeble, her limbs weakened by time, effort, and shortness of breath. “Damnit stop!” Instead, the fabric wound around her, squeezing her more and more. “Let...me...go!”
Had to get free. Came this far, couldn't let herself be bound now.
A little more pain hardly mattered. Painwheel tried to release all her spikes, like she had before. Her muscles strained, the pressure building...and then stopped building. Her muscles gave out, and she had to relax them. “Can't...I can't...” she said, coughing lightly. Relaxing her muscles gave the threads a chance to constrict tighter around her shoulders, stomach, and knees. “No! Let me go! You bitch!”
“Oh really now,” Rarity said, cocking an eyebrow, “let's not reduce ourselves to name calling. I am Rarity! Miss Rarity to you! And I hardly think you're in any position to dictate orders, especially with what you've done today!”
“Fuck...you...” Painwheel wheezed, grimacing. At least without her mask, barring her teeth actually served to visibly unnerve the pony opposite her, if only a little. Didn't cause Miss Rarity to let up any. The layers of cloth grew thicker with each pass around. Even Painwheel's Buar Drive was wrapped down against her back, immovable.
Painwheel tried to push the spikes out again...and found she couldn't even muster the strength or the muscular leverage necessary to push them out. She looked down wildly, anger slowly giving way to fear. The Buar failed her. The parasites failed her. Even her own muscles failed her. It was all she could do to stop from toppling over.
She tried to wriggle out, grunting and coughing as she went, but she got nowhere. The last of the fabric wound around, the magic tying them up into little bows. Painwheel was bound in a makeshift straightjacket.
And then the rope fell over her head and tightened around her arms. “And now it's my turn again!” Applejack said, gripping the end of the lasso in her teeth and pulling it.
Under normal circumstances, Painwheel could probably give the Applejack a run for her money when it came to a tug of war. Or just cut through the rope. As it stood, Painwheel fell over pathetically with the pulling. “AAAGH!” she shouted. Then the dragging started, plumes of dirt and dust floating up where she traveled.
Painwheel's frenetic wriggling did her little good as she was hoisted up by the rope slung over the bar of a store sign. She was lifted just an inch above the ground. Even trying tippy toes, she couldn't reach. Struggling, coughing, and cursing, Painwheel swung like a pendulum.
“Now,” said Twilight Sparkle just outside Painwheel's field of vision, “you're up next.” Her voice paused, with Painwheel straining to hear. “I know you can do it.”
“...right,” came the soft voice of the yellow pegasus. Painwheel saw the Fluttershy waltz into view.
Painwheel stopped her struggling a moment to examine Fluttershy. The pony looked at first unsure. Nervous even. Then they met eyes. Fluttershy looked to the side. Whatever she saw – and Painwheel had a sinking feeling about what – it emboldened the mare, because she looked back again...with a hard, focused glare. She frowned deeply.
Something about that look sent a shiver down Painwheel's spine.
“How...dare you?” Fluttershy asked, stepping forward.
“What?” Painwheel said.
“How dare you!?” Fluttershy shouted, getting closer. “How dare you hurt my friends?”
Painwheel was taken aback. Where had this sudden courage, this hitherto unknown fury come from? Was this the same pony as before? The human scowled. “Fuck you! You don't know me!”
A raised eyebrow. “What was that?”
Hesitation. More curses formed in the pit of her stomach, but Painwheel couldn't voice them. She could only stare into those...those intense pony eyes.
“Well?”
Painwheel flinched. “I...I...”
“Don't you talk back to me, young lady,” Fluttershy said, stepping closer. “You've been a very, very bad girl. Just because you're lost and alone doesn't give you the right to snap at everypony you meet. Just because you're angry doesn't mean you can attack them. Just because you're losing doesn't mean you have to be sore about it and fight until everything around you is destroyed.”
Oh no, she did not just, Painwheel thought, growing furious. “Go to hell!”
“Now I won't be having anymore language from you,” Fluttershy stated, coming as close as she walk, standing right up against the human. “You're in enough trouble already.” Painwheel wilted.
What was wrong with her? Painwheel wanted, if no other reason than stubborn, incensed spite, to resist this pony. There were no more violent recourse to be had, no means of physical resistance. She couldn't move. But she could still resist, and she'd do it until the end. She didn't have her strength, but she still had her will.
“Now apologize,” Fluttershy ordered.
“No!” Painwheel said, practically spitting in the pagasus' face.
“Say you're sorry.”
“No!”
“You will say you're sorry,” said Fluttershy, leaning in to look Painwheel right in the eyes.
“I. Will. NOT!” Painwheel was doing it. Even if it was only a refusal of apology, she could still resist. She could still obtain a semblance of a victory. She could still win.
And there was nothing the simpering, presumptuous bitch could do or say otherwise.
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. “You will. Do it now. Say. You're. Sorry.” She slammed her face right into Painwheel's.
It became a staring contest. Weakest, meekest pony in the land versus the killing machine.
Painwheel blinked.
She looked deep into those big eyes, and just...couldn't... “I...” Painwheel's deranged scowl dissolved, replaced by abject fear. “...I...”
“SAY IT!”
“I'M SORRY!” Painwheel squealed, averting her eyes. She braced herself, turning her head as far as she could. Anything to get away from that look. That horrible gaze.
“Look at me when you say it!” Fluttershy ordered.
Painwheel turned back, then despaired. The gaze was still there, and it was demanding. “I'm sorry!” she cried. “I'm sorry okay! I said it!”
“And what are you sorry for?”
“I'm sorry for stealing food! I'm sorry for yelling at ponies! I'm sorry for stopping the runaway cart driven by those kids!”
“Wait what?” Applejack said, somewhere nearby.
“Shoosh!” Fluttershy said. She turned back to Painwheel. “What else are you sorry for?”
“I'm sorry for getting mad at those kids. I'm sorry for trying to kill you and your friends!” Tears started forming in the corners of Painwheel's eyes. “I'm sorry for hurting your friend! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything!”
“So you know being so angry is wrong?”
“Yes!”
“So why?”
It was Fluttershy's turn to blink. “What?”
“It hurts!” Painwheel cried, tears falling down her scarred cheeks. “It hurts all the time! It never stops! It hurts and I can't stop it and everything in my life was ruined!” She started sobbing.
“Um...” Fluttershy wasn't feeling all so up for intensity anymore. Her dominating ego act softened, shifting back into normal, sympathetic mode. “That's alright, I forgive you. Just don't...”
“And no matter what I try, I...I can't make it stop hurting...it's always on...” Painwheel wept openly, mucus pouring from her nose, mixing with tears and sweat. “Please...I don't know...what...what to d-do...and...and I'm...so tired...” She sniffed, an act which set off a furious bout of coughing.
Fluttershy looked around to her friends. Until a minute ago they were, even if they didn't want to admit it, ready to lynch the violent, unreasonable creature that wandered into town and started wrecking things. And then it started crying. Many of their group shifted uneasily on their hooves.
“Please...please,” Carol sobbed. “Please...I'm...so t-tired...it just hurts...I'm so sorry...” She didn't even know what was going on anymore.
Fluttershy looked to their leader. “Um...”
Twilight sighed. “I've got it.” Fluttershy vacated the spot, letting Twilight take over. Luckily, she had just enough strength for the final spell.
Carol peeked her puffy eyes open. The alicorn – Twilight Sparkle – was there. Her horn glowed bright purple. “Sleep,” she said, bringing the horn to Carol's forehead.
And then Carol slept.
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I'ed be p***ed off 24/7 to if I was in that much pain.
4020145 who wouldn't be, I feel so sorry for Painwheel
4020243
Ya. the ending to this chapter will put tears in any ones eyes. even more so with the music he linked to.
4020595 yep, the only thing I can say is Brain Drain and Valentine are A**holes
4020676
Thy should take notes from Dr.Stein from 'Soul Eater'.
Amazing story so far, I can openly admit that the ending to this chapter had me crying
. Can't wait for the next chapter, keep up the great work!
4020696 Yep, at lest Dr.Stein would of made her look less like a "monster", and more like a girl with a big spinning blade of death on her attached to her back
4020742
Yes, but not just that, Dr.Stein would put himself through the testing ringer as well(and probably the nurse too).
4020773 hehehe, I can just see Stein getting ready to dissected Valentine, while she strapped to a table
4020799
In her sleep.
4020805 No, while she is awake, so she can feel the pain that Carl has live with every, single, day.
(That may sound sadistic, but let's face it, Valentine deserves it, and so does Brain Drain)
Ahhhhh good ole dr. stein
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4022685 I think Dr. Stein will have to make a cameo one of these days. He's apparently the new mascot or some shit. I'll think of something.
Its ok Painwheel sleep
I used to have hypersensitive nightmares so I know a fraction of the pain. Great chapter as always..
Will the pones find out what she was doing and realise the violence was on their heads?
CURS YOU CLIFFHANGERRRRRRRRRR! But seriously this is really getting good, can't wait for more
Aww why didn't you kill them
4020595 no tears<searching cry.exe>
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<Execute search emotion.exe>
<program not found>
...That 'redemption' scene, (stated with much hate and sarcasm), was contrived. Don't go pulling this bullshit. It's not interesting, it's cliché, it's boring. If you've seen the 'bad guy', for lack of a better term, redeemed more times than you can count, any way out of the norm is better. It didn't even feel right. Who gets redeemed like that? It's complete bullshit.
Sans: Chapter 6.
if it were stein doing the "Modifications", She would probably just have the blades and a large collection of thin stitches.
Annnnnnd there we go. Time for me to thumbs down this story and never look at it again.
Technically the ponies attacked her first, since Painwheel didn't do aything to harm the ponies. Only ponies who screamed MONSTER! because she stole food, and attacked her because a simple misunderstanding.
But it's alright. The Stare is always correct
4702413
Same here.
So... the main 6 fought a corpse girl and all they (rainbow) got was a scratch or cut from a surprise attack? Sorry but gotta call bull on that one.
Not saying that they should have gotten unnecessarily hurt but it kinda stinks of anti damage plot armor alot of mlp crossovers seem to have where they're free to do damage but nothing ever happens to them in return. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt since i'm still early in though. Besides that the flow is going good and it seems interesting so far but it's like that one annoying rock in your shoe while walking, little thing but too annoying to ignore.
I'm going to have to say no to this. Friendship and teamwork doesn't trump experience with barely any injuries, especially against someone like Pain Wheel. If she has the power to defeat the Skullgirls then fighting a group of mares with barely any combat experience (and I mean actual fighting experience) shouldn't be a problem. Plus, with Fluttershy? If she can throw of Brain Drain's and the Skull heart's (which has the power to grant any wish and corrupt the user) influence then the Stare should have very little to no effect on her. Unless of course you're making the Stare have more power than a magical item that grants wishes, but that would be stupid.
And I'm done. Sick and tired of you people letting them lose all the frigging time. Shove this piece right back up your cornhole from whence it came.
6436206 ty
And the Stare wins again. Even though Painwheel has resisted much worse, by much worse. Because they're Ponies. And whenever they fight, they must never suffer more than superficial damage and simultaneously make the fighting expert look like a bumbling moron. Great.
Damn
Did she keep her mask and does she ever put it on anymore especially when she knows she’s going to fight? Does she still use it?