Creature: beginnings

by Lovecraftia

Guardian of Harmony.

Author's Note:

The chapter name and events are inspired by a helpful little comment someone made...

Enjoy!

And, after more than a year of submission, the next chapter comes out. I can’t promise when I’ll be able to post new chapters, or if any at all, but see this as my Christmas and New Years gift all at once. Welcome to the next decade my good friends, and with hope this won’t be the last time you see me.

Nemesis has had enough.

There is nothing more diabolical, nothing more monstrous than this.

Before Nemesis was a cupcake. He had been invited to a "Hope Fluttershy Gets Found/Welcome To Ponyville Dead Silence," party and after talking with a few guests and learning that the other Elements all live in the same fucking place. he decidedwas forced to try one of the sweets after the one they call Pinkie Pie decided that he was not "Enjoying the party enough."

Dead Silence was not one for parties.

Nemesis had used Dead's skill in illusion to seem happy about it, but Pinkie Pie saw right through his facade like it was not even there.

'How the hell did I get into this mess?'

---

Nemesis stood up from his spot, the tree behind him giving a nice bit of shade and the hill sloping gently downwards towards the town and the Everfree. he turned, and began walking back towards the cottage when a gasp behind him made Nemesis turn and almost slice a Pink pony in half. she immediately went off on a tangent.

"Oh my gosh your new in town aren't you what am I saying of course you are what's your name where are you from do you like cake of course you do everyone does!" The pony said, and Nemesis blinked. She gasped again before jumping high in the air a shooting off so fast she left a dust pony behind.

'What.' She came back at almost the same speed and smiled before talking at thirty miles per hour again.

"Whoops I never introduced myself my name Is Pinkie Pie but can just call me Pinkie sorry about that It wasnicemeetingyoubye!!" She shot off like a rocket once more. 'I don't have the brainpower to try and decipher that, all I heard was Pinkie. Guess that's her name then.'

Nemesis sighed and followed her into town, stopping every now and then to look at the ground for clues as to where the Element of Kindness went, he knew where Dead was supposed to put her in the middle of the night, but afterwards where she went was a complete mystery. He needed to know, Nemesis in good conscience couldn’t leave her for dead. Even Dead was treated nicely, and he proceeded to take her to the meeting place somewhat against his will. He turned around to head out of Ponyville when he noticed something odd.

'Where is everypony?'

He spun around once and saw nopony, nothing even hinting they were ever there. 'Why do I get the feeling that Pinkie turned them all into cupcakes?' He shook his head and continued to walk around, peeking inside a cylindrical building that looked oddly like an amusement park ride, and when he saw nothing he sighed and went on towards the next building. seeing nopony. 'My goodness, Its like they all just disappeared.' He turned and saw a building made comepletely of... candy? What the fuck? Nemesis sighed and stepped forwards and stopped at the door, hearing something inside. He pressed an ear against it and could hear multiple ponies murmuring amongst themselves. Why were they here? What are they planning? Is this an ambush? Did they find out that Dead kidnapped Fluttershy and now they’re out for blood?

Nemesis decided against all of these when he heard a young voice asking when he’d come in, only to be shushed immediately afterwards. He took a breath in, something still new to Nemesis, and let it slowly out before stepping inside.

As soon as he opened the door, about thirty different voices all shouted, “SURPRISE!!” at him, causing Nemesis to nearly jump right back out. He steeled his nerves and fully entered the building. Pinkie Pie was immediately in his face.

“Were you surprised huh huh well maybe not but of course you were there was no waaay you’d know this was coming.” She took a deep breath in and smiled. “Hi, my names Pinkie Pie, whats yours?”

He smiled. “My name is Dead Silence, nice to meet you miss Pie.” Nemesis held his hoof out in greeting and Pinkie eagerly shook it.

“Oh good! You don’t have to call me miss though, thats for my mom. I’m super duper excited to see what your going to say about staying here! Are you going to stay? Are you visiting??” She gasped, “OH MY GOSH That means I’m going to have to make a goodbye Dead Silence cake! I gotta get started!” She turned to rush off but Nemesis grabbed her.

“Calm down, I’m doing something here and I’m going to have to stay for a few days.” Pinkie’s grin only grew when she heard that, causing Nemesis the re-think his wording. “Soo... what exactly is this party about?”

Pinkie smiled. “Its your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party silly!” She hopped off after that statement. And Nemesis sighed, He’d need to go somewhere that ponies aren’t, the longer he waits to find Fluttershy, the further away the chances of her living get.

With a sigh, he began to look around the “Sugarcube Corner.”

---

He glared at the cupcake with every fiber of his being. Such a monsterous thing like cupcakes should not be allowed to exist. These things taste like absolute SHIT!

But alas, the Pink Menace will not allow him to leave without devouring the evil that sits before him. How do Ponies even enjoy this nasty food?

Nemesis let out a sigh of defeat and grabbed the cupcake. If its the only way out, he’ll do it. And ate the cupcake.

He nearly melted at the sheer disgust that eminated from the purposely powerful pastry. And he got himself together and purged every piece of taste from his mind and body afterwards. When he saved Fluttershy, He’d go and summon an army to slay the master of these monstrous malicous so called ‘Masterpieces.’

Nemesis smiled when he saw Pinkie, a real smile as he thought of the many many ways to destroy the disgusting things glaring at him from the counter. Pinkie jumped for joy when she saw his actual smile.

“See! I knew you’d enjoy it once you tried it! Now you can go do what you were gonna do, because it sounded important! Good luck Deady!” Nemesis nodded, it was luck he’d need.

...

Wait.

Deady?

---

He closed the door behind himself and took to the street, making good time to where Fluttershy was to be taken. And upon entering the old building he was greeted with a large group of spiders, all of which were sitting on the floor. Nemesis couldn’t quite understand what they were saying, maybe because he was so much larger than they were. He simply increased his hearing and listened in...

“You know, I never did see that one spider you were talking about. The one who ate a ‘Roach whole?” The larger of the seven stated. The others nodded to a smaller spider, who looked obviously nervous.

“Y-yea... I don’t know where he went. He was with the Purple Pony... and then not with her. I think the Big Purple took him away because he ate the ‘Roach, ya know? They’re afraid of stuff like that.” The others all nodded in agreement, believing every word. The larger one, however, didn’t like this.

“Oh? Then were’s your proof? You got evidence? Where’s the rest of the ‘Roach that he didn’t eat hmm? Is it possible that your lying?” The larger spider said, clearly threatening the smaller one. The smaller shook his head quickly.

“N-no! Why would I lie about this?”

The bigger one smiled and pressed onwards. “Maybe because you wanted to get in our good books? Or maybe scare us with your ‘Super Spider?’ Well, looks like you failed, because I don’t see your friend anywhere and you yourself look terrified.” He said, now centimeters away from the smaller spider’s face. Nemesis frowned and shifted, taking the form of the spider he consumed all while shrinking down to their size. He strode up behind the smaller spider and cleared his throat. The smaller spider jumped and gasped when he saw me, while the larger one paled.

“Oh yes! Thank Ara! You arrived! I was afraid they were going to hurt me.” Nemesis simple nodded and turned to the larger spider, who was noticeably smaller than Nemesis himself.

“S-sorry! I didn’t realize you actually existed. We thought he was lying a—“

“Why?” Nemesis interrupted. The larger spider clearly wasn’t expecting him to talk, and started shaking slightly.

“B-because he’s small and weak a—“

“What do you have against the weak?” Nemesis pressed, looking dead at the spider. Said spider shook his head rapidly.

“Nothing! Nothing at all! I’ll be going now and not look back okay? Donthurtmeplease.” He said, speaking rapidly at the end and scittering off, the group following him. Nemesis turned to the smaller spider and almost immediately recognized him.

“Didn’t I see you at that place with the Purple Pony?” He asked, and the spider nodded.

“Yea! I didn’t know you could talk. You learn fast. Anyway, how did you get here and how did you know I was in trouble?”

Nemesis smiled as bet he could. “Lets say I had a hunch.”

“Oh! Well thank Ara for that Hunch then huh? I was sure I was dead meat.” The smaller spider seemed giddy, and Nemesis simply shrugged.

“Don’t worry about them now, okay?” He nodded and Nemesis smiled. “Right then, you got a name?”

The smaller spider nodded. “My name is Nias!”

Nemesis nodded, an interesting name. “Well Nias, I need to be going, but I will come back later okay?” Nias simply nodded and backed off, and Nemesis turned and shot through a doorway before shifting back into his Pony Form. “Now to find Fluttershy.” He moved forwards, avoiding any boards that looked unstable, or rotten. His gaze carefully scanning over every detail. A termite here, a broken piece of bark that was rotting there, a dust bunny there, a hoof print, a— wait hoof print? He moved closed and looked it up and down, smaller than his own hoof, but larger than anyone he knew. Nemesis looked around the area, and noticed faint, but there, hoof prints leading down a stairwell under another stairwell... stairception.

He moved into the small cubbyhole it was, and the smell of dank wood and mildew struck him hard. He coughed for a good second before waving away the dust that hung on the air and moving farther down. A few broken steps and what looks like dried blood on the railing. If they hurt Fluttershy he’d kill them all.

Nemesis examined his surroundings again, the basement was dark, and solid dirt packed down was beneath his hooves. A support pillar stood silently in the middle of the room, and other than an abandoned desk to the side, he saw nothing... that is, until he noticed that one of the walls was brick. Why would they make an entrance that supposed to be secret so obvious? Moving up to the wall, he pulled his hoof up and back and was about to knock the wall down when he spotted a brick laying a little further out than the rest, and he pushed it in, opening a secret pathway. ’Easy.’

He moved down the suddenly less horrible smelling stairwell and into what was clearly a very long way down... time to start walking, then.

---

Thirty minutes into the trip, and Nemesis was beginning to regret deciding to take the long way. ‘Why. Why did they make this so long? This is dull... then again, with a captive it might be less dull.’ His thoughts were morbid, but oddly accurate. And as Nemesis continued to walk, he barely noticed a hidden entrance into the wall to his right, and he stopped and examined it. It was a steel door, and a closer examination triggered slight memories, brief glances of the purpose of the door... it was an exit, into a large cave system that lead directly to the base of a mountain after a good three hour trek. Of course, Nemesis checked the door for recent use, and when he found none, he moved onwards.

‘This is going to be a long walk.’

---

‘This is going to be a long walk.’

Dead let his gaze wonder around the area, specifically a long hallway leading up to the center room of the Citadel. Apparently, His victory over delicate had spread far, and he had noticed the respect he gained from Hitponys and Assassins alike, both having not known him until he had locked Delicate in a position she couldn’t escape. However, when he was called up by the Overseer itself, to say he was terrified was an understatement. Nobody ever went to the Overseer’s office and came back out the same pony. Something always went down in that room that Dead just got shivers thinking about. As he stopped before the stark grey metal door, his only thought was ‘Please, Ornu have mercy on my soul.’ Ornu was the ancient God of Service and secrecy, and the most respected and widely accepted God of the Guild. Even if it wasn’t much to look at, the shrines of Ornu were expected to be seen in everyone’s room. Dead, however, was snapped from his musings when the door opened and he was greeted with a cold, dark room. Stepping in, Dead was scared pale, to the point where he expected Death... however, it never came, as a deep voice rumbled from within the darkness.

“Dead Silence... Pegasus Pony and newly appointed Junior Hitpony...” The voice was deep and gravely, but emanated from a single blue point directly ahead of Dead. “When I heard of your achievements... it was nothing new to me... however, I have only called you here for one reason.” Dead gulped, he was never going to be the same after this, he was going to be strapped to a table and have his skull torn apart as they stuck spells an—

“Congratulations. You are the first ever pony to have been promoted to Hitpony within a week of being recruited by the Guild of Taciturnitas... You hold much promise for us... Now, your have been overstaying your welcome...” Dead took this as the signal to turn around and leave, and that he did. When the door closed behind him, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and smiled slightly... Was he already notorious?

---

Nemesis shook his head, his brief glance into the Web of Intrigue over. He smiled when the end of the hall approached, as he had been walking for upwards of an hour, and didn’t want to have to wait any longer or gaze into the memories of who he had taken form of. As he approached a door, an eye peeked from within a small hole, and a moment later a face popped up. Nemesis didn’t recognize it, and simply watched as the face looked him over.

“Well?” The unknown pony asked, and the sound of a lock opening greeted Nemesis’ ears as the door opened. “Get in here!”

Nemesis was swiftly grabbed and shoved inside the room, and the door was locked a moment later. The pony turned and glared at Nemesis.

“Are you crazy? The Guild is looking for you Dead! If you show your face around Guild territory you’ll be skinned alive!” This lead Nemesis to more confusion... He needed to check the Web later.

“Sorry! I just needed to check this place out before heading off.” Nemesis said, and the other pony plopped down onto their rump. Now that Nemesis finally got a good look at the Pony, he finally noticed the cuts and bruises dominating his body, and the dirty brown coat and silver mane that lay cut atop the pony’s head.

“Dead... Do you realize how badly you fucked up by taking one of the elements?” The pony asked, and only now did Nemesis realize who it was.

“Wait... Straight?”