open Omnipotence: MoonLock's Heartache.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric was just stunned and before he could respond he lurched forward and lost more of his lunch. He tried to slow his breathing and distance himself from the room

 

"Look... I'm just lost... so very lost, oh voice in my head. I'd love to help ya out, but whatever the hell is wrong with this place.. just your going to need more then one pony to fix it... if you could call it fixing." he rubbed his head

"I need answers damn it, or someplace safe to lay low, this place is obviously not the place for it, are you trying to get me killed?... Answer me voice, this cryptic crap is getting old. You want my help you need to give me some straight answers."  

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric was just stunned and before he could respond he lurched forward and lost more of his lunch. He tried to slow his breathing and distance himself from the room

 

"Look... I'm just lost... so very lost, oh voice in my head. I'd love to help ya out, but whatever the hell is wrong with this place.. just your going to need more then one pony to fix it... if you could call it fixing." he rubbed his head

 

"I need answers damn it, or someplace safe to lay low, this place is obviously not the place for it, are you trying to get me killed?... Answer me voice, this cryptic crap is getting old. You want my help you need to give me some straight answers."

The scraping began again as he left. The voice answered, "I see. Well, let me put it straight. One, I can't tell what in there is the parasite, only whether it lives there. The parasite is still alive, which means that wasn't it. I'm sorry. Two, do you know how many ponies I have scouring Antethica looking for these things. There's too many parasites, and too little ponies not tainted by the mist. And three, the only place that's safe is with the most corrupted of all." The scraping followed Rhetoric adamantly.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

Rhetoric growled more peeved and angry at this point, not knowing anything as aggravating and this consent fear of whatever was following him was driving him crazy "Alright fine... lets hope this thing following me is the parasite eh?... frick it sounds so huge... I may piss myself..." he sort of finished on a whimper. Diving into a decayed lab he searched frantically for something to give him a leg up on this vile abomination he had to kill to appease the cryptic voice, a trap would have been idea, but there wasn't excatly a whole lot of materials around to do that... 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

Rhetoric growled more peeved and angry at this point, not knowing anything as aggravating and this consent fear of whatever was following him was driving him crazy "Alright fine... lets hope this thing following me is the parasite eh?... frick it sounds so huge... I may piss myself..." he sort of finished on a whimper. Diving into a decayed lab he searched frantically for something to give him a leg up on this vile abomination he had to kill to appease the cryptic voice, a trap would have been idea, but there wasn't excatly a whole lot of materials around to do that...

The voice answered, "You can do this... you have to." Searching around you dived into what seemed like a room meant for disection, and inside was a mounted bone saw, a blood vaccum, several hypodermic needles, and hand clamps. Plenty of wires and tubes, but not a lot of hand tools. Also, one glass of water, underneath which lied a note, by a dead pony in a seat, head over on the table, for legs cut open, and a scalpel. The scraping stopped outside the door and began tapping. Edited March 4, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers, 

 

Not sure if he had a whole lot of time, he quietly went for the note, reading it, hoping it would give him some sort of clue to how the hell to survive this thing he was about to let into the room 

if there was still time, and unless the note gave obvious instructions not too Rhetoric situated as much of the wires across the bottom of the door as possible in hopes that this thing was walking or shambling or something on the floor, hoping to cause it to trip, and in the most brutal of fashions, stab it until it stopped moving 

 

Give me the days when my biggest worry was if Love was actually magical or not... 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Not sure if he had a whole lot of time, he quietly went for the note, reading it, hoping it would give him some sort of clue to how the hell to survive this thing he was about to let into the room

 

if there was still time, and unless the note gave obvious instructions not too Rhetoric situated as much of the wires across the bottom of the door as possible in hopes that this thing was walking or shambling or something on the floor, hoping to cause it to trip, and in the most brutal of fashions, stab it until it stopped moving

 

Give me the days when my biggest worry was if Love was actually magical or not...

The note was a letter, in clear and steady handwriting, "Don't you miss the happier days, when the moon never stared at you with paranoia, but rather gave you a warm smile.

If you can both read and sympathize with this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what the world has become and that you must live in it. I'm sorry for what you've lost. And im sorry I was too weak to help you through it.

That and I love you and every pony lost to this madness. I await a peaceful afterlife with you. This world is hell, so death can only bring better tidings, at least for me.

Love, one of many."

The thumping continued until Rhetoric lied still, waiting for his trap. Then, the ceiling suddenly exploded in outside the door, a silhouette forming in the settling dust and fallen concrete. It was immediately apparent that this thing, while once may have been a stallion, was no longer so. It's forelegs had grown uncomfortably long, holding up a muscular torso and a metal head shaped like a pointed, beak like helmet with birdlike appearance, which split down the whole of the helm like head to reveal a multi sectioned mouth with rows of jointed crawling teeth and tenticle like tounges coming from the center. It was quite hard to even register. It's back half was a thick tail of sharpened rotating gears that were covered with dust and dry gore. The end of the tail was merely a circular opening, only large enough to fit a ponies head inside. It was a twisted mass of rusting and bloody metal, red flesh and both greasy black feathers and fur. It stared at you through its empty eye holes and tilted it's head before speaking in a strangely calm and slightly distorted voice, "Oh, well aren't you just one big dissapointment. It looks like Bright eyes got to you. I can't eat rotten flesh, and I can't kill the dead." The creature turned away, ready to depart.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric paused... the creature before him was nightmarish of course, but everything so far had been one consent nightmare... It was if he had been pushed down a rabbit hole, where in everything wanted to kill him. 

 

With the possible exception of this creature of course, it seemed to think he was dead... and perhaps Rhetoric was, oddly that thought brought some comfort to him, if he was dead then nothing could really hurt him at this point, and if he wasn't then hey he was still alive. 

 

But the creature was still there, and considering that this was probably the parasite in question then something had to be done. And oddly enough Rhetoric chose the non violent route... He cleared his throat and spoke to it

 

"If you can not either kill nor eat me, perhaps you will converse with me? You seem to be some sort of congintive creature, and as being dead that I am... well I could use a voice to hear besides my own." Rhetoric himself sounded oddly friendly and polite, after all if it was a mad world, then he might have to be half mad himself 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He paused, his gears scraping the rubble beneath him and twisted his head slowly around, a black mist coming from the holes in its head as it exhaled, it stared at him for the longest time before stating, "I know you were exposed, I'll can smell her on you, but it doesn't degrade the mind that quickly." The creature turned around all the way, continuing while moving forward slowly, "So you were either mad before you were exposed, or you are a gem in a coalmine. Either wa-" That's when his forelegs got caught in your trap and his torso and helmet fell to the ground, his helmet head loudly clanging on the floor.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers, 

 

The thought of killing this creature had temporally left Rhetoric's mind as he rushed to help it up "Terribly sorry, I had set that up at a time when we we're diametrical apposed or at least that was my my fear fed to me." 

 

"but that was rather rude of me, I mean sure you heavily implied that you were going to kill and or eat me, but from what my frail mind can discern, that's not entirely your fault, at least no more the fault of a mosquito who sucks blood of its host." he chuckled rather comfortable with this whole notion of being slightly mad, he could figure out later if it was an act or not. "But even mosquito's are wise not to fed upon the weak, yes?" 

 

If he hadn't put on this possible ruse (maybe he had cracked already, it was anyone's guess), his sanity would be telling him to either run  or kill the thing... But then again maybe not... Even when the world had been safe Rhetoric had been slow to violence, so if anything this was just a revertion to his old self. After all if something could talk, chances are Rhetoric would talk aback 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

The thought of killing this creature had temporally left Rhetoric's mind as he rushed to help it up "Terribly sorry, I had set that up at a time when we we're diametrical apposed or at least that was my my fear fed to me."

 

"but that was rather rude of me, I mean sure you heavily implied that you were going to kill and or eat me, but from what my frail mind can discern, that's not entirely your fault, at least no more the fault of a mosquito who sucks blood of its host." he chuckled rather comfortable with this whole notion of being slightly mad, he could figure out later if it was an act or not. "But even mosquito's are wise not to fed upon the weak, yes?"

 

If he hadn't put on this possible ruse (maybe he had cracked already, it was anyone's guess), his sanity would be telling him to either run or kill the thing... But then again maybe not... Even when the world had been safe Rhetoric had been slow to violence, so if anything this was just a revertion to his old self. After all if something could talk, chances are Rhetoric would talk aback

The monster stared at the insolent pony in disbelief as he spoke. He spoke well however, and even if he didn't understand most of the individual words, he understood the general meaning behind this chatterboxes ramblings. As the pony helped him up, however, he felt himself quite conflicted. He didn't like feeling conflicted. He began to cackle insidiously as he got up. So he would discuss it with the stallion diplomatically. He propped himself on one hoof, and slammed his other hoof forward, aiming to pin the stallion to the ground.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers, 

 

As broken his mind seemed or was Rhetoric's instincts still at the very least were reacting to instant threats. Falling out of the way onto his haunches he sighed "Come now... lets be reasonable, seeing how I am useless to you as both a food source and a thing to destroy, surely as an odd companion of sorts." he quickly got up as he spoke 

 

"It is rather obvious to me, that we are suppose to hate each other, but if you have the intelligence I think you have I can honestly tell you I'm worth you more alive then dead. Besides what else would you have to do if you did kill me? If nothing else see me as a some helpless prey for you too toy with" 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

As broken his mind seemed or was Rhetoric's instincts still at the very least were reacting to instant threats. Falling out of the way onto his haunches he sighed "Come now... lets be reasonable, seeing how I am useless to you as both a food source and a thing to destroy, surely as an odd companion of sorts." he quickly got up as he spoke

 

"It is rather obvious to me, that we are suppose to hate each other, but if you have the intelligence I think you have I can honestly tell you I'm worth you more alive then dead. Besides what else would you have to do if you did kill me? If nothing else see me as a some helpless prey for you too toy with"

The monster approached and gave a roar of a laugh, ominously cornering the stallion, "They all beg. Well this has changed things quite a bit, I feel a bit unsure." He stopped and raised one hoof peacefully, "On one hoof, you intended to kill me and even if you won't now-" He lowered his hoof and said with less mirth, "A line has been crossed. One that permanently changes things." He tilted his head away from Rhetoric and added more whimsically, "On the other hoof it sounds like you would like to pledge allegiance to me." He continued his approach until he loomed over the stallion, "But I find myself hard pressed to find a use for you."

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric returned with his own laughter, the creature had entered in nogitions, and even though rhetoric held very few cards it was it gift and he was almost excited  to be using it again "Now be fair, I do not know your purpose, so how can I even begin to help you? besides I wasn't pledging my allegiance to you more offering a mutual beneficial relationship."

"I apologize for trying to kill you, but you were going to do the same to me, I honestly feel we can not blame the other for this. As I tried to explain I think we've been set up to be enemies but I've always fought the system." he noticed that he had aggressively been cornered 

 

"...Whatever the case, the ball is in your court as it were. It would seem you have the physical advantage and if you so desire you could get rid of me, or you try something different and converse with me a while longer. Hard to say what I'll do in either way" he spoke truthfuly 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric returned with his own laughter, the creature had entered in nogitions, and even though rhetoric held very few cards it was it gift and he was almost excited to be using it again "Now be fair, I do not know your purpose, so how can I even begin to help you? besides I wasn't pledging my allegiance to you more offering a mutual beneficial relationship."

 

"I apologize for trying to kill you, but you were going to do the same to me, I honestly feel we can not blame the other for this. As I tried to explain I think we've been set up to be enemies but I've always fought the system." he noticed that he had aggressively been cornered

 

"...Whatever the case, the ball is in your court as it were. It would seem you have the physical advantage and if you so desire you could get rid of me, or you try something different and converse with me a while longer. Hard to say what I'll do in either way" he spoke truthfuly

He stared at this equine, silently as he spoke. More and more, and while what he said mostly made sense, the age of sense was over. After the word system plundered out of the stallions mouth, the monster furiously threw it's tale up into the air and slammed it onto the ground with such force that nor only did the floor split, but the reinforced windows of the lab shattered, which he punctuated wit a furious, "Shut up!" He leaned towards the stallion, nose to... pointy nose like projection, and growled at the stallion, "You are worth nothing! There is no solace to the pain that you can give me. You may not be my prey, but you killed my only predator" He reared back, unaware he was leaving an opening, and roaring, "And you are trespassing!" It was very clear he intended to impale Rhetoric with his head peice.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

With a sigh and a gasp of fear, Rhetoric realized that he had never let go of the knife he had used to... kill the... whatever it was earlier..  Not having much of a choice unless he wanted to die, he shoved the knife into the monster's exposed area and hoping it caught him off guard enough to allow Rhetoric to push it over and seize the opportunity to end its miserable life once and for all 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

With a sigh and a gasp of fear, Rhetoric realized that he had never let go of the knife he had used to... kill the... whatever it was earlier.. Not having much of a choice unless he wanted to die, he shoved the knife into the monster's exposed area and hoping it caught him off guard enough to allow Rhetoric to push it over and seize the opportunity to end its miserable life once and for all

It wasn't as much of a struggle as one might have thought, the knife, upon entering barely tore through flesh, but rather cut through skin and was immediately yanked from the grasp of Rhetoric under metal scraping on metal.

While blood poured out slowly, the monster flinched in suprise and was heavy, but Rhetoric was able to push him out of his way. The monster quickly recovered his balance and whipped his tail, roaring and retaliating for merely a quarter of a second before a muffled snapping sound occurred which produced copious amounts of blood and some metal shards from gushing out of his wound. At that moment he tensed up and froze, shuddering before losing his balace, stumbling to the side and falling powerfully against the wall. He lied there, breathing unsteady and filled with fluid, but his tail stopped moving, and he seemed so much more peaceful at that moment.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Colenso Rivers

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Breathing heavily Rhetoric took a few steps back and looked at the creature with pity "you treat me like an animal...I'll act like an animal..." he collected himself as quickly as he could

 

"...no one should die alone... and if you so desire I'll hear your last words..."  he said solemnly 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Breathing heavily Rhetoric took a few steps back and looked at the creature with pity "you treat me like an animal...I'll act like an animal..." he collected himself as quickly as he could

 

"...no one should die alone... and if you so desire I'll hear your last words..." he said solemnly

The beast, said peacefully, in a normal voice, calm, sad and sweet, "Even after I attacked, you gave me the gift of your compassion, the friendship you wanted... this, I never knew this was an option for me..." He winced and laughed before waving him off and adding gently, "Thank you, but you can't dwell here, you'll only become me."

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric sighed "... Goodbye..." he didn't even know if the creature had a name but he took its warning to heart and with a final wave left the room without looking back

 

Once outside the room and a few feet away he cleared his voice once more 'Alright voice in my head... did I kill the freaking parasite yet?..."  

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric sighed "... Goodbye..." he didn't even know if the creature had a name but he took its warning to heart and with a final wave left the room without looking back

 

Once outside the room and a few feet away he cleared his voice once more 'Alright voice in my head... did I kill the freaking parasite yet?..."

From behind Rhetoric, a voice chimed weakly, "I was Ink Drawn. Don't remember me, remember Ink Drawn."

 

The voice on the other hand, became less friendly, "It's fading. I'm glad I could get you to kill the parasite even though you are no better than it was any longer." The voice suddenly grew more spiteful, mean, "You have taken in the mist, you are forever lost. Don't expect any more guidance from me, cause you are dead to us. Goodbye, I hope you rot." He spat the last part venomously. It became immediately apparent that he had severed contact, the silence was too solid.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Rhetoric growled "Thats a warm thank you!..." he felt betrayed and surprisingly the most hurt he had felt his whole time here

 

Now he was truly lost and without direction, he had half a mind to go back a try to help the dying Ink Drawn, even if it meant becoming something like him, apparently Rhetoric was already on that path anyways... 

 

A cure... that's what he needed to do, find a cure, before he was lost to this supposed mist... Unfortunately he was still clueless and the only creature that could possibly help him was dying and he still didn't know if he'd be friendly or not... 

 

Not having many other options rhetoric returned to the door of the room where he had left Ink. Hoping for the best 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Ink was convulsing every couple of seconds, but obviously wasn't doing very well, not even noticing that he had returned. It sputtered and shook, on its last leg. It might have been able to help, but it was obviously unable to continue living. Rhetoric had to act fast.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Grimacing Rhetoric rushed to Ink's side.

"Ink, listen to me, don't ask questions, just tell me how the hell I can help you" Rhetoric inspected his wound and frowned, cursing that he didn't have any magical ability or any sort of medical knowledge. Knowing enough that stopping the bleeding would help he grabbed some old scraps of cloth and bound his wound a best he could 

 

"Come on, your body can't be that frail..."

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Grimacing Rhetoric rushed to Ink's side.

 

"Ink, listen to me, don't ask questions, just tell me how the hell I can help you" Rhetoric inspected his wound and frowned, cursing that he didn't have any magical ability or any sort of medical knowledge. Knowing enough that stopping the bleeding would help he grabbed some old scraps of cloth and bound his wound a best he could

 

"Come on, your body can't be that frail..."

The monster mustered all it could under its continuously worsening condition, a clear fluid leaving it's eyeholes, shaking violently. It stuttered, "Th-th-The m-m-m-moon would," shallow, pointless breath, "Li-" hacking for a moment, "like you." A second after saying that, he began to convulsed and shake violently, sputtering thoughtless nonsense, all lasting about fifteen seconds before slowing down and falling limp.

[The Down Trotten 299]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

With not much to go on and probably not much time, Rhetoric heaved the limp and odd body of Ink onto his back and carried him back out of the maze.

"Come on Ink stay with me... we're almost outside... we're almost there.." he kept repeating for both him and himself. Finally he smelled the stale air of the outdoors 

 

"Look the moon! Ink, come on, there it is!"