Frankenstein

by The dead Pixel Brony

Arrival

It was late afternoon in Ponyville. Celestia's sun was a few hours away from the horizon, casting a golden glow over the town. A cold wind was blowing autumn leaves across the town. The few ponies who were out shivered in response and hurried along their way through town. In the town square, vendors were still shouting out their products in hopes of getting a few more customers before sundown.

Applejack is one such vendor; however, instead of shouting her goods, she was packing up for the day. As she was loading the last of her unsold apples in her cart, she felt somepony tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Twilight.

"Well, howdy Twi!" greeted Applejack, before noticing Spike asleep on Twilight's back with a bulging stomach. "Is he okay?" she asked with a concerned expression.

"Oh, he's fine, just ate too much. I was hoping to catch you before you left for your farm, I underestimated how many apples I would need for my experiments."

"Experiments?" asked Applejack as she lifted another basket into her cart.

"Yeah! I'm trying to teleport objects from a distance, and apples fit my predicted dimensions that should work for my small scale experiments," Twilight stated with a proud look that quickly changed to a bashful smile. "Except... I haven't had much success."

"What do ya mean?" asked Applejack while lifting the last basket onto the cart and whipping the accumulated sweat from her brow.

"Well... So far all I've accomplished is a showy way to make applesauce," answered Twilight sheepishly. "That's kind of why Spike is indisposed at the moment. He's been eating the impromptu results."

Spike gave a low moan and a twitch in response.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to sell 'ya some more apples," chuckled Applejack. "How many do 'ya need?"

"I think... I could get in about thirty more tries before bed."

"Thirty apples comin' right up," nodded Applejack.

She turned back to her cart and started to pick apples out of the baskets and put them into a bag. She stopped. It was then that she noticed how quiet it had become. All that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the shuffling of hooves, and an ominous creaking. Slowly, she turned back around to Twilight. The unicorn had her head turned towards the middle of the town square. Applejack followed her gaze and an immediate feeling of foreboding filled her being.

In the center of the square was a large wagon. The wagon looked to have seen better days, if the cracks and creaking were any indication. It had enough things piled on it to fill a house. A tarp, bound by rope, covered the wagon and it's contents. The occupants of the square, who held open stares and questioning expressions, all focused on the wagon. But mostly, their attention was drawn to who pulled it. A diamond dog and a griffon were both harnessed to the front of the wagon.

The diamond dog had a cloak wrapped around it's body; only its face, feet, and hands were visible. Its face drew disgusted looks from the ponies; from what was visible beyond the cloak, the snout and face looked to be disfigured and scarred. It also appeared to walk with a limp in its left leg, but it still managed to pull the wagon along effortlessly.

The griffon was bigger than anypony in Ponyville had ever seen, and was much bigger than the dog at his side. He held himself with pride and kept a determined stare at the path before him. He was thin, but healthily so. He wore a simple white dress shirt and a brown vest over it, but it appeared to be torn, and worn out in many places. His plumage, or at least what was visible from under his shirt and vest, was white. He pulled the cart along easily enough, but signs of his fatigue were clearly visible. He ignored the stares he and his companion were getting, and trudged along.

The wagon creaked slowly out of the square, down the road, and out of town towards the Everfree Forest. Once the cart and its owners were out of sight, the square erupted with hushed whispering. The vendors, noticing how long they had been there and how far down the sun was, packed up their wares for the day. Soon after, the ponies started to leave the square and head for their homes in what seemed to be a small rush.

After a little while, all that remained in the square was Twilight, Applejack, Spike, and the apple cart. For a time, the two continued staring fearfully down the path the pair had taken. Suddenly, Applejack let out a tired sigh.

"Twilight...?" asked Applejack.

"Yes, Applejack," Twilight responded in a knowing way without looking. "I felt it too. Something’s going to happen, and those two are going to be right in the center of it."

"I was afraid of that... Can you ask the Princess ta do anythin'? Can't she lock 'em up or somthin', ya know, to keep whatever gonna happen from happenin'?"

"I wish I could," Twilight said while turning to look at her friend, "but we can't lock up everypony we have a bad feeling about. I will send her a letter about this, asking her what to do. But past that..." Twilight shook her head, and turned to look back down the road.

Applejack gave a long, tired sigh. She took one last look down the road, then turned back towards her cart. She saw the bag of apples still sitting on the edge of the cart. With a chuckle, she turned back towards Twilight.

"Ya still want your apples?"

"Hmm?" Twilight looked back at her friend, and saw the bag of apples Applejack was referring to. "Oh! Yes, of course. Sorry, got distracted there."

"It's alright," Applejack chuckled while Twilight floated out the proper amount of bits.

The two finished their exchange, said their goodbyes, and headed off towards their homes. The two had smiles plastered on their faces for most of their way home, but eventually, their thoughts turned back towards what had happened and what they had felt. Over the years, their link to the Elements of Harmony had taught them to recognize danger when it was about to happen. Although it had been many years since their last conflict, the feeling of danger was as clear as ever.

The castle of the Royal Pony sisters sat in the Everfree Forest, alone and in ruins. It had been many years since it had had any visitors. The last time it did was back when Nightmare Moon had returned. The spirit of the castle had rejoiced when one of its mistresses returned. It had high hopes of being restored, of being of use again. Nightmare had promised to restore the castle to its former glory and beyond. It had watched as the Elements appeared, as the purple one had fought bravely against Nightmare. It watched as the new Elements took form, the same Elements that had been forged here. It watched as Nightmare Moon was defeated by the new Elements, and Luna was freed.

It had hoped that she would remember her promise.

When Celestia appeared, joy filled the spirit. It tried to talk with her, as Nightmare did, but Celestia ignored the spirit. The spirit felt betrayed, even hurt. If it could cry, it most surely would have. It tried to talk with Luna, to remind her of her promise. But Celestia blocked the spirit from talking with Luna. The spirit, desperate, tried talking with the Elements. The Elements did talk, but they were cruel.

You are to be forgotten.

The spirit lost all hope of being of use to the Sisters after that. It also gave up all loyalty to the Sisters that day as well. The Elements and Sisters left soon after. When they were fully gone from the castle, it sent out a cry. A cry for something worthy of making the castle their home. The cry went over all the lands, searching. After that, the castle sat in silence. Waiting, hoping, for something to claim it as a home. Day after day. Month after month. Year after year. It waited. None came. Not even the animals of the forest would make their homes in the castle.

So the castle sat for a very long time. It was about to give up; let the forest take over, when the castle felt its front doors being opened. The spirit watched as a large white griffon and a diamond dog made their way into the castle.

"What do you think, master? Will this place serve your purposes?"

The spirit felt joy fill itself at the prospect of being useful once again, and accepted them desperately. The griffon smiled as he looked around the castle. He turned to the dog.

"I believe we have found our new home, Igor." Responded the griffon in a tired voice.

"Yes, master."