> Bioshock: Rifts > by SCP Pinkamena > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Welcome To Columbia! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Woman: Tell me 'Stephine'... are you afraid of god? Twilight: I have no god from where I come from... but if I did... yes, I am very afraid... Rain. Hard rain hitting her face and her body. She opened her eyes and struggled to lean forward into the sitting position. "Oh, she's awake... earlier than the others..." "Hmm, that it seems... should we knock her out again?" Twilight's heart lurched in her chest. "No. She's awake and it doesn't matter if we knock her out or not. Besides, we've arrived already..." The two voices talking were male and female. Both with a Trottingham accent. Like Pipsqueak... She finally sat up and looked around to find herself in a small row boat what seemed to be in the middle of the ocean. She looked up to see a lighthouse that looked like it didn't work for years. The light flickered once or twice, then shut off completely. "She doesn't seem to be moving..." "Poke her with a stick, see if she gets moving..." She failed to notice that the little boat had stopped on the shore of the lighthouse, and she climbed onto the deck on the side. "Where am I supposed to..." she said looking up at the light house and when she looked back, the boat and its occupants were gone. "...go." "Well... you could go up-" "-Or you could go down." She jumped back as the two voices that had been the male and female came from behind her, the yellow rain jackets they wore when they were in the boat were now gone. Instead they wore formal attire, similar to that of the upstate ponies in Canterlot. Speaking of Canterlot... "Where am I?" She said genuinely confused. The man and woman looked at her with a bored expression. "Well, you're here." "Or you could be there." The woman said pointing down towards the ocean. "Or there." The man said pointing up towards the raincloud shrouded sky. "The choice is yours of course, we were wondering where you might be heading?" The woman asked. "Oh dear, I don't think she knows why she's here at all..." The man said with faux surprise. "You did give her the box right?" He asked her. "Well, yes, but not here..." She said he walked towards Twilight with a small box she had pulled from behind her back. It had Twilight's name engraved on the lid of the box and as she opened it showed a picture of her friends and a small card with a key, a scroll, and a sword. "What's this for..." She asked them. "For if you want to go up..." The man said gesturing towards the lighthouse. The woman from behind her back, pulled out a rusted wrench and a bottle of red liquid. "For if you want to go down." She said pointing at the sea again. "Once again, the choice is yours, but I would hurry. We're expecting a hurricane soon and we mustn't be late." The woman stated, looking out towards the ocean. Twilight was... hesitant. She looked at the card and then looked at the wrench and vile. She took the vile and looked it over, shaking it, and watched its reaction. She put the card in her pocket and handed the vile towards the woman. The woman looked surprised at first, then simply shook her head. "Odd, the other one went down." "Yes, but this time it's different. She has made a wonderful choice in my opinion." "You love hearing yourself talk don't you?" "Only when you're disappointed..." The man finished and in a flash of lightning, they were gone. Twilight sighed. "Some help you guys are." She said she walked up to the lighthouse, wondering where "Up" meant. She walked on towards the door on the other side of the dock, and noticed the note on the door. DeWitt- Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! The note was also covered in a red liquid and when she looked closer at, it became more clear as to what it was. Blood. Staring wide eyed at the note, she slowly opened the door. Inside the room were many things, but one thing she noticed was the poster in front of her. Of thy sins I wash from thee Underneath the poster was, what she assumed, used to be a bowl. The metal bowl, that once held water, was now battered and dented and inside laid a strange device that looked as though it was meant to be put on. She took the hook-like device and slide her arm inside slowly, expecting it to clamp onto her. Twilight let out a breath of relief as the device sat on her arm and did nothing more. She looked at the small trigger where her index finger was and pulled it. The hook whirred to life and it spun, causing Twilight to rip it from her arm. When it stopped spinning it simply fell silent aside from the few clicks it made. She saw that it had a small sling loop, and took a small piece of rope from the floor and strapped it to herself. "Okay... strange device that spins... looks as if it was made to be part of something bigger..." She noted as the hooks spun again, but with more control. They looked as if they were supposed to attach to something and judging by the way it looked it was a... transport device. Short distance of course, but still... Continuing up in the lighthouse, she came across a small radio next to a large map of an unknown country (to her) and noticed the red yarn going back and forth. Coordinates? No... They were something... but what? Shaking her head, she walked up the next flight of stairs and found a horrible sight. A man had been shot dead, a cloth bag covering his head and a bullet hole in his forehead. On his neck was a bloody reminder: DON'T DISAPPOINT US Twilight felt her legs turn to jelly as she ran up the last few steps. She found herself on top of the world. Looking at the city in the distance, she walked along side the rail and just stared... It was beautiful. She turned and looked at the burned out light and, for the first time, realized that their were bells. One with a scroll, one with a key, and one with a sword. Looking at the card she had, she copied what it said. Scroll ring once. *ding* Key, twice. *ding, ding* Sword, twice. *ding... ding* She waited and at first nothing happened... until... BRRRRR "Holy! What in the world was that!" BRRRRRR, BRRRRRR BRRRRR... BRRRRRR A fog horn? Understandable at a lighthouse... but it sound it like it was everywhere. The light flickered and repeated the sound of the bells and fog horn. The fog horn sounded again, but at a faster tempo. Several clicks and whirrs were heard behind her as turned around in time to see the light go up, like a corkscrew, the bells shifted down and the wall they were on opened, like a door. Out in the middle of the 'room', unfolded a red velvet chair. She chuckled a little. "Nothing says 'Suspicious' like a fancy chair..." She walked up to it and, regrettably, sat down. The metal shackles on the chair sprung up restraining her arms to the chair. "Brace yourself now, pilgrim. The bindings are their as a safe guard." The automated voice said as pieces of... something started to cacoon her. "Yep, I knew it!" She screamed as the walls closed in on her. The chair went down, and made her drop anything that wasn't attached to her person,. Luckily, the device she found at the bottom of the lighthouse didn't fall, for it was strapped onto her with the small piece of rope. "Ascension. Ascension in the count of five... count of four... three... two... one... Ascension, ascension." The voice said as Twilight and the pod she was in soared to the clouds. "Okay Twi, don't think about it... just don't think about how high you really are..." "Five-thousand feet..." "You suck..." "Ten-thousand feet... Fifteen-thousand feet..." At this point, Twilight was sure she was never going back down. Land. She wanted-- no-- she needed land under her feet. She saw a flash of lightning on her way up and just as soon as she thought she would be struck... "Hallelujah." She stared... it's the only she could do... A city... A city in the sky... > Vigorous Proportions! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "No way..." Twilight said looking in pure awe. A floating city... made of bricks and wood. Impossible. The rational thought process in Twilights' brain said that in order to make building like this float, you would need a lot of magic and the unicorns would need to be on some magic steroid or something! But the more she looked... the more her rational thought shut down. It was beautiful. The capsule she was in landed on a platform and was taken down into the building below, where the internal machinations of a clock were at work. As she was going down, words on aches started to appear. Why should he send his savior unto us, He? Who's he? If we will not raise a finger for our own salvation? Salvation? While trying to make heads or tails of this, she started to hear harmonious singing from below her. As she reached the what seemed to be the bottom, a large stained glass window came into view, showing an elderly man, with several other followers, pointing towards the floating city. As the pod came to an alarming halt, the first slide with the window came down and the chair unshackled her. She rubbed her sore wrists and sat up and listened to where the beautiful music was coming from. The ground was entirely covered with water and candles. Twilight looked around and saw a larger archway on her left, and began walking towards it still looking for the music. As she rounded the corner, she found herself looking at a statue of a man, his beard flying out in many directions and his arms stretched out, as if wanting to give someone a loving, caring hug that told them it would be okay. The water sloshed underneath her, her dress getting wet and her shoes and feet soaked to the bone. Once again, she turned a corner, only to be met by a flight of stone stairs and man standing next to them. "E-excuse me? Sir?" She said grabbing his attention. "Where am I?" "Heaven. Or least this is as close as we'll get." He said in a deep baritone voice. She nodded to him and slowly walked down the stairs to find herself in water once again. "I baptize you, in the name of our prophet, in the name of our founders, and in the name of our lord!" A man with a deep voice called out. The man did start talking again, but his voice was drowned out by man who was coughing loudly. "I don't know brothers and sisters, but this one doesn't look clean to me..." The man said again. Their was a splash of water and the sound of someone flailing around before everything stopped. "That'll get rid of the False Shepperd easily..." He said as she walked down the watered path towards him. "Oh my, another from the Sodom bellow? My, we're getting popular!" The man joked. She watched as he held out his hand, and as reluctant to grab as she was, she looked at the end of the tunnel just in time to see the body of a man fall out of it. She gulped and slowly reached out for his hand, which launched from its idle position and help her at angle. He repeated the same thing he had said before, and dunked her head under the water. Her vision was blurred and going dark before he lifted Twilight from the water. Everyone around her cheered, and the priest stepped from her path and let her have passage into the city. As she stepped into the watered road, she heard a small clink under her foot. Twilight looked down to see a small bottle that had a cork in it to keep the contents of what was inside from falling out. The bottle was, by itself, intimidating, but something compelled her to open the bottle and take a swig of whatever was inside. And she did just that. Ignoring the warning bells in her head, she pulled the cork of the green bottle and took a drink. She threw the bottle down, a sudden pain coursing through her body. Her hands looked as though they were small tornadoes and she could feel the wind coming off of them. In a flash, just as fast as it started, it ended. Her vision bounced, and her head ached, she couldn't take the pain any longer before she fell unconscious in the river-road, letting it take her away. ___________________ "Come on Twilight! We don't even know what this is!" "That's not the point Rainbow, the point is we have to find out WHAT it is." Twilight looked around the small tear in her living room, catching only small glimpses of creatures unlike any other before. They were bipedal and, aside from he could guess were females, most had short cropped manes. The males, once again a guess, wore fancy suits and ties while the females wore equally fancy dresses and hats. One of them seemed to walk towards them, but as soon as the creature made contact, the tear closed and appeared on the other side of the room. The difference from this tear was a girl a little more in her twenties, was staring at Twilight and her five other friends. The girl closed her eyes, rubbed them, and opened them again before the tear faded and closed. ____________________ Twilight's eyes shot open as she cleared her lungs of any remaining water. She shook her head and sat up, wondering where she was. A small clink was heard behind as she watched the empty ram bottle float towards her. She picked it up and turned it around. Charge! Ram your enemies with a tornado blow! Hold to charge for an even more devastating tornado blow! Product of Jeramia Fink "Vigor" Company © Vigor? Is that what this is? She was still stuck on the hold and release part. "Ram your enemies eh?" She asked herself. Looking up to meet three statues hold a key, scroll, and sword, she walked out of the water and into a garden. These "Vigors" had already gotten in Twilight's head, and every reason beyond "Bottled Magic" seemed too far-fetched. She had absently minded walked into the door at the front of the building. She rubbed the sore spot on her head and opened it. She was robbed of all her breath by a somewhat powerful blow. She gasped for air and fell down to the ground, only to be pulled up and to come face to face with... "Applejack?" > Shock And Awe! (Or Watch Out For That Flying Man) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Applejack froze in the spot, a look of surprise on her face. The look went from surprised to angry in a matter of seconds, and she hoisted her up and pinned her against a wall. "Okay... who are you and how do you know my real name?" She asked with a serious tone. Saying Twilight was scared was an understatement. She was shaking in her boots. Never once, under any circumstances, has one of her friends physically hurt her. Tears were beginning to show in the rims of her eyes. "I know your Applejack, because you and Rainbow Dash were in the Running of The Leaves in Whitetail Woods. Remember? I told you I--" "--kept your pace..." Applejack finished and set her down gently with an ashamed looked on her face. Twilight ran over to her and gave her a quick hug, which Applejack returned. "I'm sorry Twilight, I'm so sorry." Applejack said without her southern drawl. Whatever questions Twilight had about her accent being gone were quickly dismissed. They broke the hug and Applejack waved her hand for Twilight to follow her. The pair walked until they were suddenly stopped by a messenger boy. "Miss Bucker?" Applejack and Twilight looked down at the boy who had a small telegram card. "Telegram for ya Miss!" He gave the card to her, saluted, and ran off to deliver more messages. Turning the card over, she read the words on the back. Miss Bucker, STOP. Please escort your guest to the Raffle. STOP. Make sure that you don't bring any attention to yourself. STOP. Your escort is walking away. STOP. - Lutece She looked at the card, confused for what the last sentence said, that is until she realized that Twilight was no where in sight. With a sigh, she went running off in search for her friend, but stopped mid run. She caught the look of a swooning man and smiled. "Excuse me sir? Could you help a lady out of this dress..." ____________________________________ Twilight was, more or less, amazed by the fact a city of brick and wood and probably other materials that Equestria didn't have, was floating in the air. She looked off the edge of the stone railing and just started... that was she could feel like she could do. Paralyzed with awe and... something that was more than awe. Just as she was reaching for a cloud, she felt a hand on her shoulder that made her spin around and hit something. "Awww.... ouch, honey you have a real arm ya'know that?" Applejack said cradling her cheek which was already beginning to turn red. "Although... I guess that's karma on my part..." She said with a weak chuckle and let out a pain groaned. She grabbed Twilight and shook her a little bit. Twilight was stock still; her eyes wide and full of alarm. Her mouth hung open and Applejack could swear she saw drool coming from it. She couldn't help but smirk. "Twi... Princess Celestia's behind you..." She whispered in her ear and Twilight whipped around, muttering something about she was sorry to the princess. She was only greeted by open air, and the sound of laughter. Even she had to admit, that was a good prank but now wasn't the time. "Okay Applejack-" "Jacklin now, honey." Applejack corrected her. Twilight stopped and stared at her friend. Had she just... lied? Twilight shook her head. "W-what?" "My name's Jacklin now. I have no accent and my old name is as good as a breakfast cereal." She said rubbing off some dust on her new suit that she didn't steal. Twilight rubbed her eyes and nodded in understanding. She opened her mouth to say more, when suddenly a man came falling from the sky, landing in a bloody mess of broken bones and pieces of grey matter. Twilight screamed as she leaped back getting as far away from the corpse as possible. Applejack, or "Jacklin", on the other hand, looked at the on of the mans hands and what confirmed her suspicion was there on his hand. A brand of a smile. "...Seems like Pinkie's got rid of another spy." Applejack said grimly. She shook her head and let go of his hand, and she looked up to Twilight. She stood up, looking at her and took her hand, walking towards a fairly tall building. Inside the building was like the mall at Canterlot, multiple shops. Most of the signs were faded and worn, but one sign caught her eye. Diane Pinkamena's Smile Emporium "All you need to do is Smile! Smile! Smile!" Pinkie was here? Applejack, still guiding Twilight by the hand, pushed the door open and walked inside. There were sweets and toys and board games there for the little children and their parents to have and play together. But one part of the building was cut off, and a sign off to the side said "Out of Order". Applejack ignored it and walked right in and Twilight herself was happy that she was holding her hand.. Workers ran around, turning nob after nob, lever after lever. What looked to be bottled lightning was poured into one end of the machine and it spurred to life, whirrs and whistles were the sounds it gave off, before a small purple pink bottle came up on the other side and an electrical liquid poured into it being closed by a fist holding a lightning bolt. "Come on everyone! Don't let a frown get in your way! A smile a day keeps Pinkie away!" A familiar, perky voice said throughout the factory and the workers began working even harder. Who ever Pinkie had turned into, it must scare them out of their wits. Out of the steam and smoke of the back wall, walked out two extremely big men who had all but their heads and heart replaced with metal. In between them came out the mistress and embodiment of laughter herself, carrying some weird staff, was Pinkie Pie. "Come on! Please do a better job? We have a sale for 'Bucking Bronco' coming up and I have yet to see a single drop of it. I understand getting concentrated gravity is hard, but really?" She said, walking in tandem with the Handymen. Pinkie looked... different, not just the fact she was human, but the fact of her physical appearance. Her hair was straight, her eyes looked sunk in, like she hadn't slept, and that cruel smile she held on her face. She walked by inspecting every worker and what job they were doing. One man, a young man with brown hair and glasses, shook nervously and in the process, dropped a small jar containing a water looking liquid. Pinkie stopped. The workers stopped. Everything around them stopped. The man stood there, shaking out of his boots and in no time whatsoever, Pinkie was right in his face, a small smile showing on hers. She took in a breath. "What's your name?" "Tom... Tomas Dellion, Miss Diane..." He said, his voice quivering and quaking. Pinkie smiled and wrapped him around in a hug. She stroked his hair and shushed him as he felt like on the verge of tears. A heavy, bassy tune along with the workers' tools going to work started filling the workshop, and the man was practically on his knees, begging for his life. "You have... twenty seconds to run. You should feel honored considering I gave our Vox spy a ten second head start." She said still stroking his hair. He got up and ran as fast as he could, out of the door screaming for his life. Pinkie's hand went blue and a bolt of electricity went flying out, hitting her staff. Twilight finally realized what the little decorative piece on the staff was. A small skull, that now had blue eyes and an open mouth. She stared at the man, who had to be at least fifty yards away, and fired out a huge bolt of lighting that hit man. He writhed and twitched violently and finally fell, his body smoking and his clothes charred right off his back. She smiled at her handy work. "Remember! Once a Diane Worker, always a Diane worker." She said coldly as her and the Handymen walked back to the farthest wall. > Can't Spell Slaughter Without Laughter! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight was horrified. No, take that back, beyond horrified. She looked at Applejack to hope she was seeing and hearing things, but Applejack, or "Jacklin's" face held firm as she still held onto Twilight's hand and led her to the back wall. Through the smoke and steam they came to a wooden door that had an engraved plate with Pinkie's full name. Diane Pinkamena: Worker Head and Overseer Twilight gulped hard at the small sign on the door, like it was holding the name of her judge, jury, and executioner. She saw Applejack about to knock on the door, but stopped her from doing it. "Why not, sugar cube?" She said her accent slipping through. Twilight put a finger to her lips and pressed her ear to the door. "Lady Pinkamena, I--" "Just Pinkie, silly!" "Uh... Pinkie, I think that some workers are... reluctant to work for you." "Oh, and why's that? I feed them, give them money for the cloths on their backs. Hell, I even give them PAID. VACATION. Fink, on the other hand, has his workers like slaves on the cotton mill." Pinkie said an irradiated tone in her voice. "Fink... him and his workers... I know he works for "Prophet" Comstock, but he's a nusence I plan to get rid of... just not yet... not yet..." She said softly. Twilight pulled her ear from the door and gave thought about what she had said. Fink... could this Fink character be a rival, or somewhat of a... special person to her? "I plan to take Fink and shove him into a bottle, like the those Vigors he sells!" Pinkie exclaimed from inside the room. Scratch out special person, he is defiantly a rival. She nodded to Applejack, who nodded back and knock on the door. There was a silence before the door opened to the face of the sleep deprived-looking woman. She smiled, and waved them both into the room. The door closed with a soft click, and Pinkie walked back to her desk where the two Handymen stood, like her own personal guards. The cane, now having a closer look, was red in color with a sliver skull decorating the top. The first two minutes were completely silent, only the clicking and breath of the Handymen cracked the silence. Finally Pinkie spoke. "Well Jacklin, what do you have for me? A new worker?" She said looking at Twilight with manic glee. Applejack shook her head. "No, this from the pod a few hours ago." She said pointing at her. Pinkie looked up with wide eyes and her smile faded quickly. "Leave us." She told the Handymen. "But--" "Leave!" She screeched as the two giant men looked at each other and walk out of the room. Pinkie looked at Twilight an got up from her chair, slowly circling her way to her. "Who are you?" She asked with a venomous hiss. Twilight gulped, she had never seen Pinkie like this. "T-Twilight Sparkle, ma'am." She said as formerly as possible. Pinkie looked her, as though she were insulted... then smiled widely; her eyes sparkling with a malicious gleam. "If you were really the Twilight I know, then what happened when I wanted to be everywhere at once?" She asked. Twilight knew the answer... but for whatever reason was hesitant. "I... I know the answer... but first I want to ask a question." She said, and in response, Pinkie nodded her head. "What happened to the Pinkie that always partied around Ponyville?" If looks could kill, Twilight would been all but a stain. Pinkie's look gave it all away. She knew it was Twilight, but that question she asked... it made her knuckles white. "The Pinkie you know is dead..." She said coldly. Twilight did not let her stare scare her at all, and instead stood up. It was then she realized that she was a full five inches taller than Pinkie. They both stared at each other until Twilight blinked. "Ha! I won!" Pinkie said her smile back on her face. Twilight was giggling a little seeing Pinkie back to her old self. "It's good to see you again Twilight!" She said hugging her form, her face straight in Twilight's bosom. With a small to almost unnoticeable blush, she hugged Pinkie back. "Let me go! I want to speak with her!" A rough voice said from outside the door. The door suddenly flew open and the man launched himself inside. "You!" He said pointing at Pinkie, "You did this! You killed my brother!" He yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. He suddenly reached into his coat and pulled out a pistol. Applejack and Twilight both shot their hands up, but Pinkie stood in her spot and smiled. "What a nice noise maker you have." She said putting her hand up to stop the Handymen from grabbing him. He turned and shook his gun at the men, and turned back to her waving the gun in her face, the barrel at least an inch from her face. Without him noticing, she gave the Handymen to go back to how they were. Twilight, from her position, saw Pinkie's skin on her right hand lift, and a small shock wave like aura coming from it. She clenched her fist and the aura grew stronger, until it suddenly whipped out causing him to float in the air. "Wh-what? Put me down!" He yelled, shooting of his gun in random directions. Pinkie smiled as her hand suddenly burst into flames, and she clutched the skull of her cane causing it to open its jaw and its eye sockets turning a fiery red. She held the cane in front of herself and pointed it at the man. "In the name of her Majesty... burn in hell..." Pinkie proclaimed and fire of the hottest degree shot out of the mouth of the skull and cooked the man until he was nothing but ashes. The gun, that was now floating without a master, suddenly fell onto Twilight's lap. "Keep it sugar, you'll never know when you'll need it." Applejack said picking herself up from the chair. Twilight stared at the pistol and holstered it inside a pocket inside her dress. Pinkie grabbed a broom and dust pan and began sweeping up the ashes and pour them outside a window, let them scatter. Twilight had a feeling and it was not a good one. She knew that this floating city... was going to become a living hell for her. > Beast of Columbia! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie watched as the ashes scattered in the wind, wondering what happened to herself as well her friends... where ever they were. She sighed heavily, it was something she rarely did, but when she did... it meant she didn't know what to do anymore. Her cane, clutched in her left hand, was made to be a Vigor Amplifier specifically for her genetic code. The real kicker? The person who made it for her made it so she can't walk three feet from it without her DNA ripping apart at the seems. She stared at the cane for a few seconds before a green mist came dancing around her fingers. She shot it at the cane, a faint image of a woman danced up and down it before it disappeared. "Nothing... again..." She said softly. Pinkie, for as long as she was here, has constantly tried to use Possession on the cane, but all it ever does is either absorb it or repel it. She shook her head, one of the Handymen very carefully placed a finger on her shoulder. "Lady Pinkamena? Are you alright?" He said an echoing metallic voice. She smiled and placed a hand on the giant finger, shaking her head. The Handyman didn't look convinced. He slowly took his hand around her and picked her placing her on his shoulder. She giggled a little, a blush on her face. "You're special to me... Don't look sad..." The Handyman said, wiping away a tear that had escaped her eye. Pinkie held on to the giant finger, like it was the only thing dear to her. She leaned down and gave a small kiss on the top of his head. His heart raced and because it was only protected by a small, but thick, piece of glass, it was audible to anyone in the room. Thankfully it was only Pinkie and him; Applejack and Twilight said something about going to a raffle. "And you're special to me too." She said, giggling at the fact his heart was racing faster. He coughed in to the giant porciline hand attempting to hide his blush. Rubbing the top of his head, she suddenly jumped down to the floor, getting a better look at his face. He looked so sad... so lonely. Placing her hand on the glass protecting his heart, she asked a simple question. "Do you like being like this?" The question was so innocent, but yet... it was so painful to be asked that question. He looked down at her and shook his head slowly. She wiped away a tear from his face that he had failed to notice, and that look she gave him... it made his heart melt. He sniffed hard, and then throughout the entire store, everyone stopped to hear an unstoppable giant cry. _______________________ Twilight was taking it... fairly well. At least she only slapped a couple of people on accident... a few on purpose. So many disgusting people! How could they treat a woman with such... unglorification! They wouldn't be here without a woman! Both figuratively and literally. She huffed at the man she recently slapped, and looked him straight in the eye. "You will not use my body for such... disgusting things! Of all the people here, you should feel ashamed of yourself!" She made her mark by giving a, slightly softer, slap across the other cheek and walked back to Applejack. She cleared her throat. "Now, now... I know the men are scum, but you don't have to beat them to holy hell..." She said, accent switching from sophisticated Manehatten to old-style Apple. Twilight was still wondering how she did that, but not as much as the fact that random men were hitting on her... in the middle of the street no less! She was a princess Celestia damn it! She huffed again showing she wasn't in the mood for talking. She blew through her nostrils, a comical steam puff shooting out them. Applejack laughed a little at the sight of it but was suddenly stopped by the sound of a booming voice. "...And now my fellow Colombians, it's time for the 1912 Raffle! Please, bring me the bowl!" The voice boomed over the crowd. Applejack wasted no time and grabbed Twilight's hand and ran towards the raffle. "Okay... so it was a little off." "A little?! You call that a little off?" Those voices... Applejack suddenly stopped moving, causing Twilight to trip over feet and fall face first into the ground. "You okay sugar?" "Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine..." "And the winner, of the 1912 Raffle is... Number 77! Come up and claim you prize!" The man with a large top hat exclaimed, and pointed at the man who had drawn the lucky number. The curtains rose up, and a set came folding out, a jungle with monkeys in it, and from the back two people, a black woman and a German man, came into view, tied up. They begged at the man who had the ball. "Claim your prize, first throw! Or are you taking your coffee black these days?" He joked. Twilight saw the man put up his arm about to throw the ball and it flew out of his hand, colliding with the announcer. "Fuck this Raffle and your prize!" Despite the vulgar language that came from his mouth, Twilight was happy to see those two souls unhurt. But the man on the other hand... "False Shepperd! It's the False Shepperd!" A man exclaimed, and the announcer came from his spot and looked at him with cold eyes. "Where'd you get that brand boy? Don't you know that makes you the snake-in-the-grass False Shepperd? And we wont let someone like you into our flock! Show him what we've got fellas!" One of the two policemen holding him drew out the same device that Twilight had, and it whirred to life at a dangerously high speed and drew closer to his face. Thinking quickly, Twilight ran over to the man to help, but instead she tripped over dress, pushing the right policeman into the hooks spinning blades and he fell down on top of Twilight, blood pouring onto her dress, and the back of her neck. The man took the device out of the policeman's head and charged at the other ones coming down the stairs. Twilight was paralyzed; still feeling the blood making a red necklace around her neck. Applejack was the one who snapped her out of the state, and she picked Twilight and ran back down the street to Pinkie's Smile Emporium. She knocked frantically on the door, hoping she was in. When the door didn't open, she practically beat the door down, knocking harder. The door cracked open and a blue eye peered through. "Yes?" "I need in! Now, something happened at the Raffle!" Applejack yelled and the eye widened. A solid five minutes later, the door opened again showing the two former ponies in. > Where There's Smoke... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What?" Pinkie said, shocked beyond all reason. The Handyman that had been with her had been put outside the door, for obvious reasons. "Wait, so let me get this straight: You got to the Raffle, Fink was there... and the person who picked the winning number was really this 'False Shepperd' guy?" Applejack couldn't nod fast enough to get her point through. Pinkie looked through her options, and after a few minutes she grew a smile that could crack a mountain. "We'll send in the Fireman!" She said, causing her fist to burst into flames. "He'll probably go after the False Shepperd when I tell him to get Fink, but who cares?" She said with a shrug. Twilight came back from her blood shower high and stood in front of Pinkie with a hard gaze. "No." Pinkie, who had a smile on her face, suddenly frowned. "And why not? The False Shepperd has a hefty weight on his head, and I intend to bring Fink MFG down around his ankles by the time I buy it off of him. He wont have money left on him by the time his 'Fink Workers' beat him to the ground for the money, and, if he's still kicking..." She finished her sentence by turning her neck hard and fast enough that a sickening crack echoed through the room. "I'll do it myself..." Twilight knew something was wrong with Pinkie before she ended up here. But now? Pinkie was a psychopath waiting to be freed from a cage. A cage she had a key to, and it was already in the lock. She gulped and said her next words carefully. "If you kill the False Shepperd... I'll have no choice but to return the favor to you, Pinkie." She said with a cold tone and even colder eyes. She grabbed Pinkie and held her device towards Pinkie. The Handymen, who had overheard the conversation, had come into the room and were about to charge... Twilight revved the device towards Pinkie, and they backed off a small bit. The way She held her was like Pinkie was shield, holding her in front of herself. Applejack, like the Handymen, had backed off some. "Easy now sugar... don't do anything you might regret..." She said in a hushed whisper. Twilight still remained firm, and revved it again, almost shoving it into Applejack. "I'm sorry Applejack... but this is the only way to make sure Pinkie doesn't do something that might hurt us in the end." She said, openly saying her real name in front of the Handymen. Her eyes widened and her hand began to open up... "Pinkie! Get down!" Applejack yelled and a torrent of water threw Twilight into the nearby wall. She had to admit, it hurt, but she was hardly phased. Looking at her device again, she realized something that she hadn't seen until just now. On the side of each hook was the word "Sky-Hook". ....Huh. Sensing Twilight had calmed down, Applejack approached her slowly and cautiously. She knew Twilight wasn't a fighter but that didn't mean she knew her way around a fight. She slowly bent down and grabbed the sky-hook from Twilight, slipping it of her hand. BANG! Everything was silent, Applejack reached up to her face and smeared the blood leaking from her cheek. She looked back at Twilight and saw that the gun she had given her was pointed straight at her. Right now, she was outmatched. She gulped and put her hands on her the back of her head, and knelt down on the ground as Twilight stood up, the gun barrel poking Applejack's head. "I didn't want it to end this way... I really didn't. But you two left me no choice. Pinkie, you will NOT call the Fireman, or whatever he's called, and Applejack..." She breathed in... and then out. "I never wanted to hurt you, or do this, but like I said: I'll do anything for my friends..." The Handymen still stood, waiting for their Mistress to make the call, but she only stood stock still. Applejack, on the other hand, was started to shake. Thinking about her family, Big Mac, Applebloom, Granny Smith... Her breathes went from calm to shaky thinking about Applebloom. Tears falling from her eyes as one of the toughest ponies --or in this case people-- started to breakdown in front of everyone. "P-please Twi... Th-think about mah famly...?" "I did..." BANG! ... ... ... Applejack opened her eyes. A mechanic whirr herd inside the room as she looked to see that something fell from the room. It stuttered and finally died as a spark threw itself out. "A bug..." "More specifically?" Pinkie said grabbing it and turned it over. "A Fink Bug..." She said with venom in her voice as she threw the already dead bug to the ground and began to crush it under her foot. "Her Majesty damn him... I will see to it personally that I have him thrown in a pit full of dirty hypos..." She muttered darkly as she turned to the Handymen and launched a Possession in her cane and fired it towards them. "This conversation, you'll forget every word of it." She commanded as they nodded dumbly and the green glow over them faded. She walked back to her desk and click on a button. "Attention all Diane Workers!" She announced on the speaker. "All employees are to be... given off time. That's right everybody! Take your gals to a show or something, because you are all going on vacation!" Outside the door, a deafening roar of approval was heard and machines throughout the entire factory shut down until they stopped completely. "Miss Diane? What are you doing? Giving all the workers off like that?" The Handyman asked her. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his heart again. "...Philmore, how would you like to come on an adventure with us?" Pinkie asked him with a sweet smile. Twilight, who was apologizing like crazy to Applejack, had overheard the small conversation between Pinkie and this Philmore character. An adventure? Like the old times? She smiled and looked at the wound on Applejack's face and dabbed it with the tissue she had found on Pinkie's desk. A crash was heard and everyone turned to the window where a familiar prismatic friend had broke and was sliding face first towards Twilight. She picked up her head (for some reason void of scratches) and looked at her from her prone position. "Yo," she said saluting to them. > Undertowing the Problem! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Ten Minutes Earlier* She was bored. She was waiting patiently. She wanted to get Fink. She wanted not to be there. She threw the ball and hit her friend in the back of the head. "Okay... So I was a little off." "A little?! You call that a little off?" "What else would I call it Rare?" The prismatic haired woman said to her. Rarity scoffed and turned to her. "I told you Dash, my name is Ruby. We don't want to cause a panic considering that Fink hired us and has no clue we're here for Pinkie." Rarity, or Ruby Refinre in this case, said to Rainbow Dash, which had taken the name Dash Prismatica. Dash sighed and looked at the ball she was given. 76 Raffles were always bad luck for her. She lost almost ever single one. The she DID win, she promised to never speak of... eugh. The thought of it made her cringe. Shaking her head she saw Fink walk out onto the stage and speak for the winning number. "And the lucky number is... Number 77!" Dash punched the wall next her so hard her hand bled. Her growl escaped her throat, and the ball she was holding flew out of the boundaries of Columbia into the open sky. "...Fuckin' Lady Luck, fuckin' humans... what could be possibly worse?" She asked. Some where in the Multiverse, a lady by the name of Fate smiled and snapped her fingers together. "False Shepperd! It's the False Shepperd!" A man next to them cried and two police men stepped up and grabbed him. They couldn't here what Fink said, but Rainbow and Rarity both knew what was about to happen. The Sky-Hook the policeman had started spinning dangerously close to the mans face, when suddenly the officer on his right flew into it, ripping it off his arm. The False Shepperd pulled it out of the Sky-Hook out of the policeman's head and charged a group of policemen. Rarity took a breath. "Go back to Pinkie's, tell her what happened. I'll stay here and track our False Shepperd those two said to stay away from." She said as Rainbow saluted and jumped onto the nearest Sky Rail. Rarity followed behind the False Shepperd at a distance, at least 6 meters away. He swung the sky hook and dug it into policemen, ripping them apart. She took a sharp in take of breath, as a body flew her way and dropped in front of her. Rarity was... for a lack of a better term, fine with the killing, what she couldn't stand though was the blood flying anywhere near her. Taking another breath, she followed the False Shepperd across the plaza. _________________ Rarity gave her a simple instruction. Go tell Pinkie what happened. So explain this: How do you get fifteen policemen after you? Rainbow Dash flew (metaphorically) on the Sky Rail, dodging bullets, policemen, and her worst enemy, gravity. "Of course, the one time I don't have my wings I'm stuck in a place that flies... What could possibly go wron-" She stopped herself suddenly having already a taste of what Lady Fate had already done to her in the form of policemen. She scoffed and sped up her Sky-Hook, still dodging bullets. Rainbow Dash saw the Pinkies Smile Emporium from where she was currently, and risked the option. "This is going to hurt... very badly..." She said jumping from the Sky Rail to the window. The window blew in as she crashed through it, her shield taking most of the blow. She slid on the floor, her shield once again taking most of the damage from the glass. She lifted up her head to see Pinkie and a Handyman, Applejack and... a newcomer. She lifted up her hand and saluted with two fingers. "Yo." The black haired girl stepped away from Applejack and looked down at her with a hint of recognition. "...Dash?" She said, and Rainbow perked right away. Only three people --er ponies-- called her that name: Applejack, Pinkie, and... "Twi? Twilight is that you?" She said with a squinted eyes and a small smile across her face. Twilight suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into a hug; Rainbow's head buried in Twilight's breasts. She quickly pulled out of her grasp, and shook her head. "Pinkie! The Raffle! There was--" "I know Dash, Jackie and Twilight were already there, and Twilight already got her first... unintentional kill." Pinkie said to her, and off in the corner Twilight was rocking back and forth in the fetal position. "I said I was sorry!" Rainbow was not what you would call a "Smart person/pony". What she wasn't though, was stupid. So, putting two and two and two together she finally came to the conclusion. "You killed that policeman didn't you? How long have you been here?" Twilight gulped before speaking. "Ummm... To answer your first question: Yes, your second... a little more than three hours." Dash punched the wall again, the only difference is that it went through the drywall. "Damn it! Not only does she just get here, but she kills someone before I do!" She complained and punched the wall again, except this time a dull thunk was heard. Twisting her hand to get a grip on whatever it was, she pulled out with her a sapphire bottle with an octopus symbol on the bottle. "Undertow? Pinkie why do you have a Vigor bottle in your wall?" "I didn't..." She said staring at the dark blue bottle. When did that get there? Unless... Pinkie perked up slightly and gave Dash a smile. "Give it to Twilight, she still needs all the Vigors." Rainbow didn't object. She handed her the bottle and, once again, she heard the liquid inside of it, beckoning her to take a drink. Twilight ripped the cap off the bottle and took a deep breath before taking a drink. The effect was almost immediate. Her hands darkened, water rippling over them. Deep, endless holes filled her hands, and they pulsated in rhythm with her heart. The corner of her eyes darkened, she felt as though she was going to pass out. A sudden flash of white pulled her back to reality and she shook her head to rid of the headache. She groaned in pain and gripped her head. "Awww.... Why does it has the after effect of headaches?" Twilight asked gripping her head again. She heard Pinkie giggle while Rainbow and Applejack snorted in amusement. Sighing, she stood up and picked the bottle off the ground and read the back. Undertow! Wash your enemies away with a torrent of water! Hold to reel enemies with a tendril of water! Product of Jeramia Fink "Vigor" Company © The bottle doesn't lie... though, getting rid of the side effect of "Headaches" might be something to work out. > The Murder Approaches! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raven and crows called across the fields of the church. A lone woman with pink hair and a yellow dress skulked around, trying not be seen by the men walking into the building. They all wore black cloaks and pointed masks to conceal who they were, and they held their hands folded in prayer. All of the men, being about ten or eleven, were led by a man dressed in the same garb but the only difference was that he had a coffin on his back where ravens and crows flew into. She swore that his hands took the characteristics of a bird before going back to normal. She heard the caw of raven above her, and looked to see not one, but at least six birds looking at her. "Um, hello little birdies. I... um, I was wondering were I was?" The ravens instead of giving her what she had asked for, let out a mighty screech signaling the zealots. Their was a puff of smoke and the coffin toting man looked down at her, perched on the statue like the birds themselves. His gaze through the holes in the mask were scaring her to the point of locking up. He took a deep breath, and spoke with a distorted voice. "And what brings you here Little Hummingbird?" ________________ Twilight had an ice pack to her head to rid her of the headache she was feeling. From what she gathered from Pinkie and the others, they were in really deep shit. Columbia is apparently extremely racist and they make sport out of it by having the raffle, claiming it would be as god wanted it. As they explained this to her, she wondered what Ponyville would be like if they were like Columbia... she shivered violently at the thought. "Okay... I've heard enough. I need to know one thing though: Where's Fluttershy?" The three girls looked at each other before looking back at Twilight. "Ya see sugarcube, we don't know where she is." Applejack said with a frown. ________________ Fluttershy had never been so scared in all her life... Okay that was a lie, her shadow, for whatever reason, was still scarier. But if she had a list she would have to put this at 1.5. The head zealot had escorted her inside at the condition she doesn't do anything. Of course, she accepted, and now they currently walk the halls of the church. Fluttershy gasped at the amounts of dead bodies and blood that riddled the halls, but true to her word, she did nothing. She saw several other zealots but they didn't not have crows or ravens; she guessed this meant that they were lesser. The head zealot suddenly stopped, and turned to her. "Tell me Little Hummingbird," He said in a distorted, almost metallic voice, "why have you come here to the Fraternal Order of the Raven?" He asked. Fluttershy cocked her head, and looked around at all the crows and ravens that were gathering up around them. She gulped and shook nervously at the man. "I was... l-l-looking for my fr-friends..." She said, shaking like a leaf. He looked down at her, reaching in to his pocket. By this point Fluttershy closed her eyes, expecting something bad to happen. After a solid three seconds, she dared to look at the man who was now holding a bottle with blue liquid, topped off by a metal crow head. _________________ Twilight paced back and forth, thinking of all the possibilities that could happen to Fluttershy. This was bad. Not Nightmare Moon bad. Not Discord bad. Life threatening bad. "Think everyp- everyone, where could she be?" She asked as the four girls, still excluding Rarity, began to wonder. "Why ask where?" "When a more delicious question could be where would she be?" Everyone froze and turned to the man and woman sitting idly in chairs that had not been there before. They all stared in awkward silence before Pinkie broke the silence. "You're... Rosalind and Robert Lutece... The two people on the boat..." She said in awe. Twilight turned to Pinkie with a look of surprise. "You were on the boat too? But... when she said "The other one went down.", what do you mea-" "There's infinite variables and infinite constants, the only way to know all of them is to be in all of them." Rosalind said, idly scratching the back side of her ear. "We said that because YOU and your FRIENDS all went down, to an underwater city in the year 1959." Robert explained to her. "But it's 1912, in the middle of July! How could we be in nineteen fif-" She was saying before feeling a hand on her shoulder. Applejack walked forward, eying the twins with a malicious gleam. She stopped in front of Robert, raised her hand, and poked him in the chest. "Solid. Okay was just clearing things up, I thought you ghosts considering you're dead and all." She said rubbing the back of her head. "Yes. Death can be a burden, but if one knows their ways around it, they can manipulate it." Rosalind said standing up, and walking towards the window and opening it up for a raven to fly inside. "Hmm... it seems your friend Fluttershy, has made her presence known. The ravens never lie." She said watching it fly onto the desk and perch. A small scroll on its right leg was noticeable and when Pinkie went reach for it, the raven suddenly cawed and slammed it beak down. It flew to Rainbow and perched on her shoulder, undoing the knot on its leg and held the note in its mouth. She hesitantly reached for it, and as soon as she made contact with the note, the raven vanished in a puff of smoke and feathers. She unraveled the scroll and read the five words that struck terror in her heart: THE MURDER APPROACHES AT MIDNIGHT! What was worse? It was in Fluttershy's hand writing... > Follow The Leader! (Or Rarity And Bookers' Awkward Moment) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity followed the False Shepperd, watching his moves. He would hide when necessary, getting hit to the point of near death, running out of salts. Only a little while ago he had killed a Fireman sent by the "Prophet". and he had done a very good job at it too, using Possession to make him an ally and taking down his health little by little. (Wink, Wink) Afterwards, he picked up the "Devil's Kiss" Vigor. It was amusing seeing him freak out when his hands burst to flames, then be put out like it never happened. Out in the distance, she heard gun fire and the sounds of a woman screaming... no, taunting. "I swear... When we get back I'm going to give Rainbow a piece of my mind..." She sighed to herself. "Who's this 'Rainbow' girl?" A masculine voice said in front of her. Looking up she saw the False Shepperd looking down on her with the pistol he had shoved in her face. "Wa-ha-ha!" She screamed out and darted her hands up. Unfortunately, for both parties, one of her hands skimmed his teeth, and in the same motion, her hand socked his mouth. They both backed up, and held their respective parts that had been damaged, before trying again and this time he ended up hitting Rarity's forehead with the pistol, and she hitting the clef of his chin causing him to bit on his tongue. Once again, they grabbed respect parts of damage. They both stopped and stared at each other, slowly moving back to how they were with her hands in the air and his gun level with her face. "Okay... that didn't happen, and if anyone asks, we both got jumped. Deal?" He asked. "Sounds like a plan, darling." He sighed and put his pistol away, not wanting to waste the bullets on this potential bad luck magnet standing in front of him. She was wearing a tight (in this case) white dress with a symbol of three diamonds in the center hole where it just small amount of cleavage. Her hair was dark enough to be brown in the dark, but with fires roaring around them, he could see that her hair took a more purple color. Her eyes were a soft baby blue, almost the color of the ocean if one looked close enough. Rarity did the same the same thing as him: Observe his person. He wore a suit with a vest over it. (Probably to hold all his guns) His face was hard and serious, and he had stubble coming in. She glanced at the back of his hand and sure enough, there was the tell tale mark: AD He noticed this and quickly hid his hand. "So... you gonna freak out, try to kill me, anything?" He asked while slowly reaching for his pistol. Rarity, of course, noticed his action but did nothing to stop him. He neared closer and closer... BANG! BANG! "He's over here!!" "Shit, just when I thought you guys quit..." He said pulling out his pistol and shooting the policemen. Rarity hid behind him to avoid being in the cross fire. She looked up and saw that more policemen were coming from behind. There was a small crackle, it grew louder and louder until her hand was engulfed by lightning. Crystals grew from her hands and, like a coin, flipped them out of her hands and onto the ground, she followed this action by spraying water from Undertow underneath and besides the electric crystals. "You know," Rarity called from her side. "I don't know your name. Can you tell what it is." She asked. "DeWitt. Booker DeWitt." He said still firing at the policemen. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get to Monument Island would you?" He asked, kind of hopeful that she said yes. "Sadly no, but I know someone who does!" She said over the gunshots. One bullet grazed her cheek, and flinched at the sting. "She's over at the Smile Emporium, she's good with maps and she's a hell of a lot faster than the cops..." She said, almost sighing out most of what she said. "You have a Sky-Hook correct?" She asked, in response, he held up the Sky-Hook and spun its hooks. "Yeah... Why?" "When you see silver rails with green lights above them, run and jump. Trust me, it might sound stupid, but we're in a floating city." She said, still holding off the police from behind. She wasn't expecting him to grab her waist and picke her up and over his shoulder. "Wha! Put me down this instant Mr. DeWitt!" She screamed. Her pleas though, went unheard as he ran towards a Sky-Rail and jumped. He and Rarity both screamed before connecting with the rail. "Whew!" He sighed looking over at a very angry Rarity. "Hehe... Nothing ventured nothing gained, right?" "...Fine I'll let you off the hook for now, but up until we're safe I'm going to give such a pinch!" He sighed and nodded. "Alright... so where's this Smile Emporium?" "Down there, on the left." She pointed out. Booker was just about to jump when a puff of smoke appeared and the screeching of crows and ravens was heard behind them. Rarity gave a scream, then it stopped just a suddenly as it began. He looked back at the puff of smoke, then toward the Emporium. "Sorry lady... but I got my own problems." He said before jumping down in the middle of town square. ______________ Cold. Dark. That's all Fluttershy felt right now. They forced her into drink it. They forced her into sending the note. Now, she was forced to kidnap her friend and do something absolutely horrible to them. "Please! I just want to go home!" A black man said as he struggled against the chains on the table. She sighed heavily and put on a white mask that was in the shape of a beak. She turned to the man and opened her arms, as if to hug him. "I know you do... I want to help you, I really do... But if I don't do this they'll kill us both." She explained. " I'm not doing this to save myself, goodness no. I'm doing it to free you from the torment you've been living through." With that, she herself gave a mighty screech and crows and ravens burst forth from the darkness ripping the man to sunders. When the crows and ravens disappeared, the man was still breathing, but barely. Her arms, still up, wrapped around the man and gave him a comforting hug. "Shhhh... It's fine, just let it go and everything with be fine." "Hush now, quiet now it's time lay your sleepy head... Hush now, quiet now it's time to go to bed..." He gave one last gurgle, and then he fell limp against the table. All the while Fluttershy, ripped the mask off her face to reveal the tears that she shed for him as she took away his last moments... "Why care for him?" The Head Zealot asked her. At the sound of his voice, she screeched and attacked him with the crows and ravens. He only chuckled as the birds flew into his coffin. She turned and held a scowl on her face. "I care because everyone, good or bad, male or female, young or old, they all deserve a chance of redemption... even those who we know are unredeemable..." She said, the last part especially for him. Once again he laughed and walked out to lead the sermon. Fluttershy all the while looked at the man again before undoing his chains and grabbing a shovel. > A Look Into The Future: Tear One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the middle of a desolate street, a red tear opened up. While nothing could be seen through the tear, voices were heard... "I can take you back to where you came, you'll all be ponies again if that's what you really were before." "Thanks pardner." "Thanks alot! Can't wait to stretch my wings!" "Oh, I wonder how Angel Bunny's doing without me?" "I hope Sweetie didn't do anything while I was gone." "Spike better have not do anything while I was gone... bad enough I found a clop magazine under his bed..." While the five voice began to drift off, two remained. "Well, this is your only chance to leave." "...I'm not going... As much as I am important to Equestria, I love it here more..." In the tear, a faint image could be seen, a woman putting a hand to her stomach. "And I have someone to take care of..." The tear wavered, before closing up, and Booker landed just where the tear had closed. He panted heavily before sighing. "This job keeps getting worse and worse..." > The Bird, Or The Cage? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy was a wreck. She had been told to kill people at random, just for being themselves. And what was worse, this wasn't some random person. They had names written down for the next kill. It was against everything she stood for... but if she didn't comply to their wishes... She shivered and slowed to a crawl, eventually stopping in the middle of the hall. As a Zealot, she was given three items: A uniform, a club, and a vigor. But she was a special kind of Zealot, one that outranked the Head Zealot, but not enough to actually do anything. She was a Mocking Bird Zealot. She loved birds, bluejays, robins, cardinals, but now the very things she loved turned a horrible nightmare. As a Mocking Bird Zealot, she wore a slightly different outfit than the rest. Her robes were white instead of the traditional black and blue, and instead of a mask that covered her whole head, (See KKK) she wore an old mask in the shape of a beak, that was used by doctors in the German parts of Shantytown. Her pink hair was still visible from the back, and if one looked closely, they could see every time she spoke her chin bob up and down. They told her she was an angel sent by God. She felt like a monster that was forced into slavery. Her fist tightened and she did something even she couldn't believe. She punched the concrete wall and her skin tore open. An 'Engel' that was what the German said to her before he died. __________ "I'm sorry, but... I have to do it or else they'll kill us both..." She said to her latest victim. She opened her mouth to give the commanding screech, but the German man spoke, effectively stopping her. "I do not mind the slightest Frau, but my I ask your name before you do it?" The man said with a smile. She looked at him with sad eyes behind the mask, and slowly shook her head. "Why's that?" He said with a frown. "Because it against my policy to give my name to my victim." She replied, tears coming from her face as she wanted to say the truth. His frown turned into a look of confusion, then he settled for a smile and closed his eyes. He chuckled a bit. "There's a reason I don't mind you doing this in the slightest," he said causing her eyes to go wide behind the mask. "if you are an Engel, then God knows I don't want to be one!" He said laughing as crows suddenly appeared and tore his skin from his flesh. Fluttershy backed up. That wasn't her... but her face slowly contorted from confusion and shock to a scowl that showed hatred and malice. She could not see his face, but she knew behind that mask, he was smiling. __________ After a few hours of poking around, she found that the word 'Engel' was the word Angel in English/Equestrian. She was an angel to him, and he didn't want to be one. To them she was an angel, but in their own sick way. She, once again, tore her mask off and threw it to the wall, where it clattered to the ground. She felt herself hiccup, and finally she broke down crying. "Now, now... Chin up..." A dark voice said behind her. Her sobs stopped instantly, and grabbing the club on her side, swung at the Head Zealot. He grabbed it mid swing, and pulled so close to him, she could smell his horrid breath. "You should be happy you're helping us purge these non-worthy maggots from the world they live in. Why, I know something that would make you happy! How about we do a child tonight?" He said with a small chuckle. He was met with Fluttershy's teeth biting his face through the mask. "AH! You little bitch! I'll make sure you pay for that!" He said drawing his sword. 'Shy, grabbing her club again, taking a laughable and mockable stance. He swung his sword towards her, but even as sharp as it was, it lodged itself into Fluttershy's club. Both sides pulled away and took stance again. This time, Fluttershy attacked, but not before spinning and using her hair as distraction that left him open for a split second. She took her chance and swung as she finished her spin... *CLANG*.....*Clu-clu-clunk* Fluttershy was now on the ground on her knees, looking at the man and his sword pointing at her face. "...That was a smart move, using your hair like that. But you made one, almost fatal, mistake." He said tugging on his mask. "I have this on my head... Now little bitch, time for a hair cut." He said and grabbed the back of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair, petting like an animal, before taking a big tuft of it and cut it of with his blade. He round her again, and showed her the long pink hair in his hand. "Y'know... I was gonna reward by doing something... pleasurable, but I don't think you deserve it... yet..." He said as he laughed and walked away. In one last defiant fit, Fluttershy grabbed her fallen club and through it straight at the back of his head. *Clunk* He stopped, turned and rounded to her and slapped her in the face. "You listen here you stupid bitch!" He spat. "You're lucky I don't want to kill right now! So...why don't we get started right now?" He asked, with a horrible leer underneath his mask. Using his sword, he put a clean cut vertically in her robe, exposing her breasts. "This will be fun..." he said, as Fluttershy screamed...