Episode 4

10 Rapture
The Nightmare Chronicles
Chapter X
Broken Tears

Sapphire explained in short what had occurred within the chamber as she scavenged the dead for valuables. It made sense to stock up on what weapons and supplies they could in this new and deadly world. As Sapphire bent down to remove the harness for the deadly recurved blade in her mouth, she felt the faint radiated energy of a beating heart from within her victim. Sapphires mouth cruelly curved upward around her weapon, her hoof slowly pressing down upon the helpless unicorns throat. Sapphire felt its terror and fear as the creature slowly faded from consciousness. Finally the hunger eating away inside of her was satisfied.
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It had been seven hours since the sun had set, and Octavia, Ditzy and Sapphire had marched most of the way back to where the laters companions made camp. Almost immediately after wading into the thick undergrowth bordering the sand and cliffs, the shadowy stalkers from earlier began matching pace with the trio. Their pursuers stuck to the shadows, never approaching near enough to reveal anything of their appearance. Even when Sapphire split off from the others and tried out her new and improved stealth the creatures eluded even her outstanding eyesight. The eerie unease and prickling hairs on the nape of everyponies neck was a constant reminder they still had dangerously vague followers.
Every attempt to shake their pursuers met with exactly the same fate as the various attempts they made to uncover the identity of the things tracking them. These creatures were patiently waiting for something before they made contact, wether that contact was diplomacy or war remained to be seen. Against her better judgement Octavia allowed Sapphire to lead them to camp. Although she tried her best to hide it, it was obvious the latter Was close to the breaking point from the anxiety brought about by the tremendously stressful experiences of the past several days. Besides the violence, terror, and wild changes within herself: Sapphire knew she would eventually have to face the fact that she was slow turning into a satanic monstrosity. Part of her, however powerful, wise and gentle in manner, still fed on ruthlessly inflicting agony, trauma and death. This was a creeping addiction she despised, couldn't change and constantly lusted after. It was killing just as it kept her alive. The constant force of will that kelt her from hunting or outright killing in front of her friends was taking its steady and terrible toll.

11 Rapture
The Nightmare Chronicles
Chapter XIII
Force

As mysteriously as they had appeared the phantom wraiths dissipated into the rising dawn. Octavia no longer had that unsettling prickling along her mane and even Sapphire felt more in control of her wild vortex of desires.
Their arrival at camp was met with a few scattered introductions, and as everyone was beginning to pull things together all hell broke loose. (So to speak)
"Jesus Celestia! You-yo-you have an i-iPip!" Halfgore stammered in awe. "You have been Blest by this accursed place. If would be honored to fight by your side, Sapphire."
Halfgore's outburst pretty much brought everything to a halt. After the resultant squabbling died down, everyone turned to Sapphire. No pony wanted more blood on their hands, yet no pony would dare trust a murdering beast.
After a sorrowful glance at the gentle rise and fall of Dashies sleeping form, she stepped toward Halfgore. Every inch of her mind screamed blood, screamed for death, screamed for pain. Yet, something inside Sapphire respected the monster before her. Because of this she refused to let in to the darkness, instead she drew all her power together. In a burst of telepathic force Sapphire forced herself into Halfgores mind, raping it with the agonizing force that had been used on helpless fillies not to long before. Besides the sadistic revenge, Sapphire also made sure of his integrity and honesty. To her surprise, despite his baser habits, Halfgore had an iron solid sense of honor.
She withdrew, this was a dangerous place, one needed dangerous friends.

12 Rapture
The Nightmare Chronicles
Chapter XII
Echoes

Pain. Wave after wave of excruciating pain, pounding so terribly thoughts were torn appart before they could form. With tremendous crippling blasts of power the nauseating waves of unbearable suffering poured ever deeper. Drowning scream after scream, her world was filled with infinite suffering.
I jerked into consciousness, the world around me blurry and filtered. Sadistic pain jabbed into every nerve with the screams of thousand innocent souls slowly eaten alive. I couldnt move, couldnt think the intense, crushing pain ripped every thread of my existance into shreds of mindless demons. Demons, ghosts, whatever, I was nothing more than individual shards of pain whispering in the darkness.
We were falling apart, I was tearing. Our very soul. My Souls scattering. Then, I-We-They-you made a sacrifice.
The pain began to ebb away, all the memories of a million years were ruthlessly ripped from the tattered remnants of my identity . No it wasn't the memories that were being torn, it was my identity, my essence, my guardian in the dark: dying. In one excruciating flash everything was dead. I was gone.
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An eternity passed, time slowed to a crawl as one single memory painstakingly surfaced. "live." one weak, battered but determined voice whispered. Everything, my whole existence, was erased by- I couldn't remember. But I knew, knowledge: tiny pin pricks of flickering light in a lifeless void of loss. My identity was gone, forever. I was alone, I wasn't by myself, I was without myself.
As the last vestiges of searing agony withered away, I was left without even pain for company. Terror, like none that would ever exist pulverized my into the tiniest pinpricks of existence.
Why? Why! What was there but fear? I cowered inside myself, such a small, puny and weak self, I was defenseless. Without my guardian self and my outside spirit to shield my from the pain, even the slightest discomfort was unbearable. So small and weak. A helpless, defenseless foal dying, her soul devoured by a dark cruel and infinately old malicous force.
In that moment of realization everything changed, every shred of broken, forgotten memories which were no more that faint echoes of my previous self were washed away for good. I was gone. No, I'd just brushed against the lifeless form of an innocent helpless filly and glided away from her ended life remorselessly. All that remained was a small lifeless ball of fur and feathers. But before I left for infinity and an end of my searing misery I looked back at her, she was, to my all seeing eye, only the tiniest glimmer of serenity. Serenity, a vertue I had stolen from so many. I wasn't worthy of her, even seeing a creature that deserved life, beca-because I-I was the remnents of a murderer, a foalfondler, keen cunning backstabing monster's soul. The memories flashed before me. I knew what I had done, I knew I deserved my eternal torturous suffering. Then the memories were gone, I forgotten. But the crushing weight of guilt remained. A thousand years of ruthless sadism, a monster. I deserved every torture every pain, everything! I wanted to suffer for it, that was what the afterlife was for, atonment.
But, I could never pay for all the destruction I waged against my dying world. There was not even the slightest chance I would ever balance the universe, but I saw a possible reckless glimmer of hope. It was against all the rules, I would suffer the most grievous and unbearable existence the bowls of hell could conger up but, FUCK. THE. RULES. More memories popped up, I fucked pretty much everything during my life, I'd fucked the rules. (sometimes more literally than others) I was going to fuck something one last time, bur this time I was going to spread serenity, not destruction and hate. Before I could think of myself and what would happen to me I shot a bolt of the only thing within me that wasn't tainted, abused and decrepit. Sharp, clear, paralyzing... Pure fear. I smiled as the tiny creature began to glow with the frail, faint but steady flame of life.
The only gift I'd given, it was pathetic, maybe even cruel, but I'd given it selflessly and fully knowing the consequences. I'd given hope, and thus I had hope, I wasn't forgiven, never could be. But at least now there was one action in my miserable existence I wouldn't have to punish myself for all of eternity with. The universe didn't see things eye to eye. Which was fine, Icould endure eternal torment now.
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an infinite myriad of soulless screams were pressing all around me, my memory of that foal, rhey wanted to steal it. IT WAS MINE! It could protect me forever, I would never give it to them. The screams grew louder, louder! LOUDER!!
I couldn't block them out! Fight. Pain. Fight. Scream. Fi-
Nothing.
Pain, screaming relentless pain, infinite screaming pain. Being melted in a vat of toxic boiling acid, pealing me apart one sinewy fiber at a time for al eternity would have been a weak and pathetic analogy for the soul scourging scorching my soul. I watched as the foal continued to slumber, soft glow of the flame slowly fading nothingness. I wasn't enough.
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My scream silenced the myriad of voices.
"Take me! Destroy me! Sacrifice me! Torture me! Anything!!!!! I would gladly give myself, everything I am, could ever be, anything. Just, just save that foal, she deserves the Immortality I had. I should have never lived past infancy! Please, Im begging you, please anything. LET. HER. LIVE. take me out of her, put another soul. I don't care! Do anything to me. But give the one that deserves it life..."
Then I faded away a black empty pit of despair.
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Elsewhere, a desperate plea did not fall upon deaf ears. A single silent whisper echoed throughout the night.