From the Depths of Ledomare, Pain
He slumped against his restraints, wheezing in pain. All around him, hooves clattered against metal platforms, sending nightmarish reverberations throughout the heart of the large, large complex. Every now and then, he heard large thuds from unseen machinery, punctuated with the anguished shrieks of quadrupeds from all known species and trots of life.
A series of hooves shuffled closer to him.
He opened one blue eye... followed by another. He seethed at the creatures in front of him, ponies with glimmering horns protruding from their skulls.
They gazed at him through sterile goggles, their bodies clad in stained white coats.
"This one is a lot stronger than the others," muttered one stallion.
"Mmmm. Yes. He can't be just any impoverished wretch from the south."
"The exchanged happened close to the Xonan border."
"You think he hails from that putrid place?"
"There are lands beyond. You realize this, right?"
"I've read the reports. If you ask me, nothing's worth exploring with those tattooed abominations in the way."
"Well, there's a silver lining to all this. We might just get an edge over them."
"Heh..."
"What?"
"Just the way you say that." A dry smirk. "Almost as if I don't relish this."
He seethed at them. He struggled at his restraints, causing a steam cable to pop loose from the metal clamps attached to his cloven hooves.
A few ponies hobbled backwards, frightened.
"See wh-what I said?" One gulped. "Strong."
"What is going on over here?" spoke a cold, feminine voice, growing closer. "Why have the experiments in this wing of the facility ceased?"
"Oh! Well..." One pony turned and bowed. "In actuality, we were waiting for you, Madame Nightshade."
"Mmmm..." the mare stood before them, her stub of a horn breaking the sickly blue light wafting through the misty place. "Is that so?"
"We figured that you might find this subject of particular interest."
"Why?" She turned towards him, squinting distastefully. "Is this the... thing that those reptiles handed over to us just southeast of Searo?"
"Yes, Madame. Along with the primary candidate for the skystone package delivery."
"Ah... so this is the pilot of the skystone ship." She trotted closer, observing him as if he was behind a sheet of glass. "He certainly doesn't talk much."
"Don't you even SPIT on me!" he hollered, shaking against his bindings. "By the spear of Val Roa, I'll gut you all!"
Nightshade took a slow step back, brow furrowed. "Hmmm... spoke too soon."
"Madame. The subject..." One pony stood before her. "He possesses an innate natural connection to leylines."
"Is it stronger than unicorn magic?"
"Well... not precisely."
The other pony interjected. "The animal we found aboard his ship—uhh—the small rodent... believe it or not that little creature possessed an even greater potential for mana yield."
"Simon..." He hollered, writhing and snarling. "If you touch him... if you so much as touch him—"
"Is there any way to silence this thing?"
"Sorry, Madame. Unless we conducted the same experiments on him as the others—"
"Then by all means, do begin."
"But ma'am! His... h-his ship! He's the only creature we know to be fully compatible with it! Why, his leylines alone are so finely integrated that—"
"If those lizards gave him to us for so few bits in exchange, then he can't be of any value to anyone." Nightshade pointed. "And do not concern yourselves with the skystone vessel. That's stored away under the Industries' lock and key in Blue Nova. It's up to the Think Tank to come up with a way to integrate the artifact with it."
"The Think Tank?" One pony blinked. "Madame, you mean to say that you've started without us—?"
"Your jobs are here. For what I'm paying you and your beloveds, I do think you can manage carrying the screams with you to bed at night. My employees in Blue Nova? They don't need the distraction."
"Erm... y-yes. But of c-course, Madame."
"Where's Simon?!" he hollered, spitting in her general direction. "He's mine! You hear me?! So is the Noble Jury!"
She turned to glance at him. Her nostrils flared as she adjusted the collar to her blouse. "See what you can do about its tongue while you're at it..."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I have an appointment on my airship." She trotted off. "A holoconversation with Seclorum. For my brother's sake, I have to break radio silence."
"I wish you luck, Madame."
"You're only good to me here." And she was gone.
The ponies exchanged glances. They looked at him, then shrugged. "Well then... let's proceed."
With loud whirring noises, a series of mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. The apparatus twirled, shoving two sparkling prongs towards the top of his skull. He writhed and twitched, trying to turn his head away from the metal needles. Despite his struggles, they approached the base of his antlers. Not long after, one needle twirled, converting into a miniature buzz saw, while the second sparked with bright, glimmering mana.
"Hoo boy..." One pony at the controls muttered while adjusting his goggles. "I can already tell that this one is going to be really loud..."
"Stop... pl-please!" He shook and squirmed. The saw blurred closer, closer, accompanied by sparks and fiery jolts of energy. He could already smell the dust from his antlers being carved into. "Nnnnnngh! Don't! I beg of you! Unnnngh! God! No... don't... M-Midnite! MIDNITE—!"
Floydien sat up straight, drenched in sweat.
"BASTION!" He heaved and heaved, red eyes twitching. With a seething breath, the elk squeaked through clenched teeth. He tilted his head down. "Nancy..." He winced. "Nancy..." Wrought with confusion, he shook his head, bringing a cloven hoof to the top of his skull. He froze in place.
His antlers were gone.
Blinking, Floydien looked straight down. He was lying in the center of an enormous bed. Opposite of where he sat, a pair of multi-paned windows separated the bedroom from an ornate balcony. Velvety drapes hung, splitting the bright morning light as it wafted across the floor, the intricate carpet, and the lush tapestries of the place.
Floydien tilted his head up, looking at the finely-detailed carvings and frescoes in the ceiling. Across the way, a gigantic dresser loomed with several clothes befitting a noblepony, but far too large to fit any of his Jurist friends. His nostrils flared as he turned and glanced at a distant wall. He saw the canvas illustration of a graying buck, a fair-faced cow, and two timid elklings standing in front of them in silken attire.
Floydien blinked at everything.
"... ... ...this is some sissy spit."
Something pale loomed in the corner of his sight. He turned to look. His red eyes turned redder.
A familiar pair of branching antlers rested in the middle of the carpet.
Immediately, he sprung from the bed.
WH-WHAM! He fell dead on his chest.
"Unngh!" He seethed, clawing at the thick rug with cloven hooves. "Nnnngh... st-stab Floydien with... a ch-chainsaw! Rrrgh!" Clamboring, he finally got up on wobbly legs. After a deep breath, he briskly approached the antlers—
Zaaaaaaap! Two beams of blue electricity struck the floor in front of him.
He lurched to a stop, wincing. His eyes immediately darted to the side.
Duchess Arcanista sat on a plush stool in the corner, bearing a soft and patient smile. Two fixed points on her fair skull glowed with magical energy. A richly-woven dress flared around her haunches. "Good morning, brother."
"... ... ..."
She took a deep breath. "If you want your antlers back, you're going to have to talk."
"... ... ..."
Flaring nostrils. "Very well." She leaned forward, forelimbs crossed. "Then at least let me talk."
"... ... ..." He glared at her, then at the antlers, then at her again. A deep-throated growl. "Very well, frilly boomer. Let's spit."
She smiled delicately. "The sweetest thing I've heard in years..."
Stats
Page generated in 0.049 seconds
Total duration
730 users online
554,990 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Guess that answers the question of whether "Meat" is canon or not
I had almost forgotten how much I hated Nightshade.
Finally some insight into why Floydien behaves as he does. Nightshade is becoming even less likeable, I almost didn't think it possible. Oh yeah, and Hooray for spit spit between Arcanista and her long lost brother!
It's great to finally get all these answers about Floydien's past. He's always been (arguably) the biggest question mark in the group. Not that there aren't still plenty of missing pieces (like how and where he got the Noble Jury, for example).
Also, this new layout's really gonna take some getting used to.
So Floydien did talk normally at some point.
Anyone else not get a notification of this story updating? Anyone? Is it just me? (This shit's getting really old...)
So Floydien once spoke normally and now doesn't? That's...really sad...
Poor guy. All happy and elk-y and everything until someone spaghettified his brain.
Ugh...Nightshade...never thought we'd be seeing her again. Of course she's behind yet another tragic happenstance.
5113340
Hmmm...I'm gonna need to read this.
Shiny new layout! WOO!
Also, new chapter! DOUBLE WOO!
But... why did you cut it off so soon? MOAR.
...am I the only one who didn't see this story's new chapter after the new FIMfiction updates? I had to unfavorite this and then favorite this again just so i get new updates again. :/
aw well~
5113396
and here i thought i was the only one. :/
5113411
YAY! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!!
5113340
Tony Iommi feat. Skin - Meat
5113396 I got a bunch of updates from up to a year ago, but new updates don't seem to be showing up at all.
Val Roan deity?
600+ chapters and this is the first time we get narration from the Floyd's own perspective. As a fan, this is just the most beautiful thing
5113340 It isn't and it has never been. But thus far, it hasn't been revoked either! This scene here would have taken place long before the first one of Meat, anything goes still!
5113604 The goblins have the same, remarkably.
Now my memory has proven to be far from perfect but I am absolutely positive that his eyes used to turn back to brown when he took of his antlers - also back to brown, not blue.
5113340 Well except the Simon part. That one's gone. But as to be excepted, His holy will has replaced it with an image infinitely more pure!
Further support that nightshade was a bitch.
The sissiest of spits.
5113604
Yeah, I've noticed that too. Remember, the goblins also said "God".
5113343
Yeah, isn't it so nice to reminisce about all the good times we had with her?
It would be lovely if Arcanista was able to restore Floydien's memory, speach, etc. Though that will probably take quite a while.
I hate being mostly right about this sort of thing. Poor Floydien... And Simon...
5113933 I mean, it would be nice if Floydien got his normal speaking back, but it just wouldn't feel the same, y'know?
Well, that's depressing.
Flloydien is trapped in the labyrinth of the never ending nightmare? I forgot if Flloydien and Simon were partnered up when they recovered the Nancy Jane, or if it was one, then the other.
Do we need anashtetic? Nah, hes just a dumb animal. But hes screaming and swearing at us. Is he a unicorn? Nope. Then as I said, just a dumb animal Herr Doktor.
5113943
Seeing as his condition is a result of cold-blooded torture, I don't think the loss of his 'charming' speech impediment will be felt so dearly.
5113604
We're in Nephite country now
5113690 Correct. Odrsjot ch. 79
Awww man.
Well said, Floyd. On that topic, his name may be Floyd, but we're all still gonna call him Floydien, right? Good.
Nightshade: still a bitch several books after her death.
Unrelatedly, I was chatting with my roommate about Searonese culture and we came to the conclusion that the Searonese national anthem is just the live screams of some poor sap being butchered on-site for a certain period of time. No music, just screaming. It's like the Sound of Silence, only bloodier.
5114848 I don't think it was ever said that Nightshade actually died.
5114867 It was HEAVILY implied IIRC. She was trapped in the machine world, she was standing on a ledge, and after a pass of a pendulum, she wasn't there anymore. She presumably jumped to her death, because there's nowhere else she could have gone.
5114848
I imagined someone shouting "PLAY BALL!!" at the end of something like that, then I busted out in laughter in public.
5114867 5114883
If Nightshade suddenly reappeared again, my first thought would be "...How?", quickly followed by "GODDAMNIT, NO".
But seriously, ignoring the fact that she supposedly jumped to a splattery death, there's also an entire expanse and a number of other obstacles between where she was last seen and where the Jury is now. I'd be extremely interested in how she got past all that.
5115164 In medaled competitions (like the Searonese Olympics or whatever), the gold medalist probably gets the honor of doing the slaughtering.
5113340 Don't chapter link.
Ughhh Nightshade...Seems she did as much damage as Shell, only in different ways.
5114883
Remember a certain bastard named Shell? Rule 1 of the series: If a kill ain't confirmed, its not a kill.
Also, as suspected, the speech pattern is a result of Nightshade. Suddenly, its a whole lot less amusing...
So. Floydien backstory. It might be the unpopular opinion, but I miss the old Ledomare days. It's nice whenever we have a reference to times that old. Nightshade was actually my favorite villain out of everyone so far.
I see many of you have failed too grasp the full horrors of what occurred at Deep Ridge...
We are talking about experiments conducted on sentient creatures at least as agonizing and ruthless as experimentation conducted on involuntary human subjects in Germany and Japan during world war 2.
5113379 Yup. I was a real bitch.
Damn. Was everpony not from Ledomare treated like a sub-sentient species?!
this should get interesting
5164310 pretty much.
I'm going to have to go back because I thought the name Noble Jury came about with Rainbow Dash in the story.
5480858 nope. The ship has Noble Jury on the side; Floydien calls it Nancy Jane because he's crazy
Finally they talk. And Nightshade remains strongly vile.
-Spirit
That back story is worse than I thought it would have been. Floydien used to speak so well, too.
5872619 You're right, He really was a proper noble, well spoken, Full of pride, Strong... Whatever they did to him and Simon Was worse than just any normal experiments. They BROKE him.
Well now. If I held ANY remorse whatsoever for Nightshade and her sadness over her brother... I don't anymore. She truly was evil. She didn't care about anything but her damn goal. Even Shell - until he snapped entirely - didn't harm foals. Nightshade hurt anything she could so she could just get back one pony. Whatta bitch.
Floydien once spit the tastiest spit. Nightshade took it from him.
Whoa, he used to have blue eyes? Dang...what did they do to him?
6071037
More like tortured and violated him in almost every sense of the word ... Just when I thought I couldn't hate Nightshade anymore than I do already. This chapter comes up.
I feel even better about what happened to Nightshade now.
Can we bring Nightshade back so that we can give her a more painful death?