Blight’s Interlude

I huff impatiently as yet another flower blossoms and decays away to rot in just mere moments, "Stupid gardening spells..."

"Done killing my flowers yet?" a cold voice says behind me.

I cringe, 12 years in the orphanage, and the Headmaster's voice still sends an unsettling chill down my spine.

"Yes sir.”

“Quit mucking about with your pathetic attempts at magic and get to your chores.”

“Yes sir...” I mumble, trudging inside with the rest of the orphans.

I trot over to my friend Ray Beam and grab a sponge, helping him clean the floors.

“Sup mate.” he says quietly.

“Nothin’, just failing miserably at my magic again.”

He snorts, “Don’t let the Headmasta getcha down sis, practice makes perfect.”

I huff, “Stupid things keep dying...”

“Maybe because you’re worthless.” a cruel voice says snidely.

I glance behind me at Silver Tongue and her posse of mindless followers, wincing.

“Sod off Rust Mouth.” Beams says, standing up and adjusting his glasses.

She smirks, “Go back to your gutter peasant.”

“Just leave us alone...” I mutter, trying to focus on scrubbing the floors. She laughs and shoves me, sending me face first into the bucket of dirty water.

“Look girls!” she cackles as I pull myself up, “The water is almost as mucky as her puke colored mane!”

Something snaps, I whip around and focus my magic on her, she giggles, then starts crying out when her skin starts rotting and falling loose in decayed clumps. The other children start screaming, but I don’t relent, I push down on her, glaring as she writhes in agony, only stopping when Beams yells my name.

I look around, dumbstruck, frightened, staring blankly into Beams horrified face. I reach a hoof out to him, he cringes. I look at the substance dripping from my hoof, a filthy gray, oddly reminiscent of Silver Tongue’s coat. I glance down, crying out in terror at the puddle of rot that was once a pony, scrambling away into a corner, trying my best to ignore the petrified stares of my peers as I sob.

***

I huff as the flower in my barred windowsill rots to nothing, knocking the pot to the floor with my hoof. There’s a bang on my cell door, I sigh and lean my head forward as the guards storm in and place the magic inhibitor on my horn, yelping when they yank me up and drag me to an interrogation cell.

“What’s this about?!” I call after them as they leave.

“Visitor.” one of the guards grunts as he slams the door behind him.

I grumble and slouch in the uncomfortable metal chair, tapping my hoof on the floor impatiently.

My eyes widen as a familiar buck steps in, adjusting his large glasses, I cry out and leap over the table, hugging him tightly, “Beams!”

He chuckles and pats me on the back, then motions for me to sit down. I nod eagerly and trot back around the table, he smirks and lays his briefcase down, “Long time no see Bloom.”

I wince at the name, “Haven’t been called that in awhile.”

“Oh? What else would they call you?”

I snort, leaning back again, “Been Blight for the last thirteen years now.”

He blinks, “Why in the world would they call you that?”

I smirk a bit, glancing away as I fold my forelegs over my chest, “Everything I touch has a tendency to, y’know, rot.”

“You seem proud of it.”

I shrug, “Bit frustrating when food spoils everytime I try to use magic on it but I’ve learned to cope.”

He nods and opens up his case, laying out files, picking up one in particular to read, “Says here your abilities have extended to the dissolution of non-organic materials as well. Been giving the guards a hard time?”

I shrug again, “Gets boring in my cell, sometimes I like to melt away the walls or the bars and explore.”

He smirks, “I can imagine.”

“So, why are you here?”

“I’m on a special research assignment for the Ministry of Arcane Sciences, we’re seeing how different types of unique magics affect the crystals found in the Empire. I’m very intrigued to see the results your talents would produce.”

I cock an eyebrow, “And my incentive for signing on to said project?”

“Well for one you’d get out of this place.”

I look over his almost whimsical smile and nod, “I’m in.”

***

Life outside the prison just feels... wrong. Too much open space, and yet I felt oddly claustrophobic amidst the crowds of ponies bustling through the Lichfield streets. The armed guards accompanying us to the research facility were oddly comforting given my history of incarceration.

“I apologize for the armed escort,” Beams says, “but my superiors insisted.”

“It’s fine.” I mutter, glancing around me at the large cathedrals.

We b-line through the crowd to a building sitting out of place in the square, very modern and sleek compared to the near ancient structures surrounding it. The interior is vast, with several secure elevators leading to different research wings, we step into one labeled “Refraction Testing Labs” and descend into the bowls.

***

I gape at the massive crystal and the thousands of smaller ones surrounding it.

"You like?" Beams comments absently as he fills out paperwork.

"Uhhh, yeah! This is freakin' awesome!"

"Glad to hear it, you'll be working closely with these crystals soon enough."

"What will I be doing exactly?"

"We're going to see how your unique ability to decay non-organic matter will affect them. Hopefully it'll help us develop them into something along the lines of weapon capable instruments."

I cock an eyebrow, "Weapon capable?"

He nods, "Dark crystals make for very potent magical weaponry, but the side effects of their creation are... unsettling. We've theorized unstable crystals will prove much less dangerous but equally effective."

"Interesting... So, when do I start?"

"A few weeks, give you some time to adjust, relax a bit. Speaking of which, I'm going to dinner at a new restaurant tonight, care to join me?"

I glance back at him, blushing slightly at his gentle smile, "Sure."

"Excellent, we'll have to pick you up a nice dress after work."

***

The first time in years I've felt like a lady, my mane done up expertly, a fabulous new dress and more beautiful jewellery than I've ever seen. The restaurant makes me feel a bit awkward though, ridiculously fancy high class joint, and I'm stuck eating with my hooves instead of utensils.

"How's your salad?" Beams asks.

"Good..." I mutter, glancing around at the stares of the other unicorns as I lean down to munch at it.

"Pay them no mind, they're just wondering how a nerdy looking fellow like myself picked up such a beautiful date."

I cough, blushing as I look up at him, smirking when he winks, "Well aren't you just the charmer."

He shrugs, I giggle and take a sip of my champaign.

***

First kiss, and an intimate one, and wether it was alcohol or genuine attraction, he coaxed me out of my dress and into his bed quite easily. He kisses my shoulder tenderly and runs his muzzle up my neck, making me shudder slightly, I peck him on the lips and roll him onto his back, laying on his chest and kissing him again.

I feel something nudge between my thighs and shudder again as I ease back onto it, locking into a passionate kiss when he gently pushes his way in. He moves in and out of me slowly, I bite my lip and press my face into his chest, moaning quietly when he ups the pace.

I cum painfully fast, blushing with embarrassment, he smiles and kisses me again, "First time?"

I nod and hug around his neck, pressing my muzzle to his, "Again."

***

I wake up with him pressed to my back and smile to myself, nestling closer to the warmth of his body. He snorts, laying his head on my neck, "Good morning."

I roll over and peck him on the lips, "Good morning to you too."

He smiles tiredly and rolls lazily out of bed, "I'll go put the coffee on."

"'Kay." I mutter, giggling quietly as I watch him leave.

***

"Should I be wearing protective gear or something?" I ask as I shift nervously in front of the pony sized crystal.

"It's not necessary," Beams says through the intercom, "would you like some?"

"No..." I mutter, "I'm fine."

"Alright, whenever you're ready."

I nod and focus my magic on the crystal, gulping nervously when it shifts from clear blue to a foggy grey.

"Keep going," Beams urges, "we're getting some powerful magic readings."

I nod again and press down on it, the grey inside shifts to a black swirling cloud, the surface of the crystal changing to a sickly green hue. Even more, it cracks, I stop, looking back at the one-way mirror, "I think I broke-"

I'm cut off by my own shriek of agony as a tearing pain rips through me. Shards are embedded in my side, and I shriek even louder when my skin folds over and engulfs them.

***

"Will she be alright?" a nurse asks outside my quarantine cell.

"I'm not sure," Beams replies, in a cold, businesslike tone, "it doesn't matter, she's expendable. Find another subject, pyrokinetic maybe? We'll start fresh next month."

I curl into a ball on my cot as his words sink in, doing my best to contain my sobs of sorrow.

"Why does it cry?" a soft voice asks inside my head.

"This one knows not, but this one senses deep pain in it."

"I thought he loved me," I whisper, "but I'm just a tool to him... worthless..."

"Worthless? No, it is strong."

"Yes, very strong."

"It should demonstrate strength."

"Yes, but how?"

"Kill him."

"Yes kill him."

"Kill all of them."

"Yes, all."

A thousand voices echo their agreements through my mind, urging me up out of my bed. I melt away the door with ease, something that was a bit of a challenge before.

"So powerful it is."

"Yes, very."

"Show them."

The nursing staff rushes me, I lash out in rage, turning them to steaming puddles of mulch. Security pours out of every doorway, met with the same fate as I tear through the thick reinforced walls of the facility. I spot my target, cowering under his desk, he cries out in terror as I decay it away and backs himself into a wall.

I approach languidly, smiling sickly. I stroke his cheek, it sizzles at my touch and rots.

"Why?" he shudders.

"I'm expendable." I whisper, engulfing him with my magic. I do it slow, relishing every moment of his agony as he withers away to nothing.

***

I sigh as one of my pawns flicks through the pages of my tattered book and melt her decaying form away, huffing as the book falls inti the puddle of black ick she leaves behind.

The invasion is going well enough, the Fiends finally making a dent with their new abilities.

"War is upon your territory." a crystal whispers.

"Well of course, that's the point of the invasion."

"No fool," it hisses, "War!"

My eyes widen and I sprint to the topside monitor room, smirking when I see the swirling magical aura surrounding an enraged unicorn as she tears through a small army of my minions, "Well, it appears our plans have been accelerated considerably..."

"Don't take it lightly small one, it's last incarnation could cleave entire mountains in half."

"She can hardly hold a candle to Sleipnir, Old Ones, she doesn't even seem fully awakened."

"It matters little, War is still a formidable opponent."

"We'll see then," I whisper as I watch her annihilate more and more pawns, "won't we?"

Well here we are again, it's always such a pleasure, remember how we laughed and laughed? Except I suck at writing =/
But yeah, here it be, disgustingly short back story on a certain somepony who may or may not (will be) appearing in Chapter 13. This actually helped me get a bit of my flow back, even though it's shitty, so I'm typin' away on the new chapter now. Don't know when it'll be finished, not going to make any assumptions as to a date of completion, but it's getting there. Just hope I don't disappoint you guys.