//------------------------------// // The Path to Progress (Chapter 9) // Story: Subject Delta - Rapturous for Equestria // by TheMightyT //------------------------------// Subject Delta – Rapturous For Equestria *TheMightyT*   Chapter 9: The Path to Progress   “What if you would find a path in the middle of nowhere, its trail leading you both left and right; carrying with it endless possibilities for your near future? What would you choose? Would you see fit to sit and wait, scared for what future your choice could bring? Or would you settle on either path, roaming through the void with the hope that you found the one that leads to progress?” ***         With every passing second the sun calmly climbed higher in the sky, unlike the rampantly rising anxiousness in one of the guards outside Ponyville Hospital; who, with every pace back and forth, seemed to grow more and more unsure of what action to take. The rest of Luna’s Guard kept doing their duty, guarding the outside of the Hospital; although some of them cast quick glances to their captain, as they passed the tense mare, who had been lost in thought ever since their Princess stayed behind in the Everfree Forest. Little did they know that Shadow Stalker was mentally torn between choices, as the fear that something had happened to the Princess of the Night became greater with every passing second.         Shadow Stalker felt slightly nauseous, while she was thinking about what course of action she would take. It had been little less than an hour ago that she left her Princess alone in the dangerous forest, but there still was no sign of the Mare of the Moon. The most logical choice would be to wake Princess Celestia, so she could search for her Sister; but Shadow quickly had forgotten that idea after she had gone inside the hospital to check up on the state of the Princess of the Sun. The nurse behind the reception desk had told her that the Princess seemed to be healing steadily, but faster than they had anticipated; as, of course, Ponyville Hospital never had the honor of treating an Alicorn before, just like most hospitals in Equestria. It wasn’t surprising to Shadow that the nurses and doctors were astounded by the astronomical rate of recovery of Princess Celestia, but she was taken aback a bit when the nurse told her that it would be best for the Princess to rest a full day before she went back to Canterlot; it seemed that even the Princess of the Sun had to pay the price of using such a difficult and energy consuming magic. The real problem was the overprotective Royal Guard of Princess Celestia, who wouldn’t even let Shadow close now that the Princess had to rest; not even when she carried important news about the whereabouts of Princess Luna, and even more so about her absence. Not many ponies knew this, but there had always been an unspoken feud between the two Royal Guards and their captains; although nopony really remembers where it originated from, it secretly was one of the many traditions that still lived between the Royal Guards and their many divisions and ranks. Of course it was known to most that there was a clear separation between the Royal Guard of the Sun and the Royal Guard of the Moon, although that didn’t end with the disunion of their armor; something that most ponies believed to be the only difference between the Guards.  Not only their appearance, but their traditions had been different for a long time; something that most of the guards believed to have started when Princess Luna had changed for the worse, followed by the thousand years long incarceration of the Princess of the Night in the moon. Even now there still was that noticeable hostility between the two guards, something that only had gotten worse through the small numbers of Princess Luna Guard; as it had forced Princess Celestia to only use her own Guards to patrol Canterlot Castle, a duty that had the lowest reputation under the two Guards. Also the fact that only the best of the best serving in Celestia’s Guard had the chance to be chosen for Luna’s didn’t help to relieve the tension between the two groups. It was something that the two captains of the guards sometime made use of, as it had caused a day after day hostility that kept them all on edge; but without the danger of a real war or adversary to have them worry about. It was something that most recruits, to their loss, didn’t know about. And it was something that senior guards, to their amusement, made use of from time to time. Amidst the guards it was known as the tradition of initiation, where the new recruits blindly had to perform in different ‘games’; ranging from a friendly wrestling match to the infamous ‘onion contest’. Although, the Royal Guard of the Moon had some more... interesting traditions, some where even the Princess herself partook in from time to time. There was of course some union between the different Guards, the search for new recruits being one of the only things that required both the captains to work in harmony. Some thought that joining either of the Royal Guards was as simple as filling in a paper or a form, knocking on the front gates of Canterlot Castle while yelling that they wanted to join the Guard. But you didn’t choose to be in the Guard, you get chosen. Every year during the week before Summer Sun Celebration both the captains pay a visit to the Equestrian Army, where they begin their search for future recruits. But only those that excel in the fields of stamina, strength, magical prowess have a chance to get chosen; as they were the only ones that maybe could withstand and complete the taxing training that it took to be called a Guard of one of the Princesses. Although the Royal Guard considered the Equestrian Army to be little more than a mock army, that pretended to fight small, imaginative battles with the Griffons once every decade; it still was deemed to be the first and necessary step on the ladder to success. And when the training is finally done, when the once feeble recruits have become faster, stronger and more agile; when they have learned to operate in groups and act alone, to follow every command of their superiors; then and only then they learn the last thing they need to know and follow by heart: That they are the last barrier between the Princesses and whatever is out there. ‘Make harsh decisions when the time arises for them’, the one rule that the Royal Guard of the Sun and the Royal Guard of the Moon had agreed on, the rule that every stallion and mare followed by heart...            Shadow Stalker sighed and turned around to look for her second-in-command, Night Reiver; a strong Earth pony stallion, silent but one of the fastest guards that Luna’s Royal Guard had to offer. Capable of outrunning Shadow even in flight, she knew he was the pony she could count on. Reiver looked back at her, understanding the look she was casting him; giving the other guards the order to spread out, so they could have the chance to talk in private.         “Reiver,’ Shadow began with a tinge of doubt in her voice, “I’m going back to the Everfree Forest.” Reiver nodded in response.   “If I do not return in one hour, wake up Princess Celestia. Tell her that our Princess of the Night has still not returned and that I’m went back to find her.” Shadow continued, hoping that she was making the right choice.   “May the night sky carry your wings.” Reiver answered, his voice quiet but determined; his right hoof raised in a salute.   “And may her moon show us the way...” Shadow answered, returning the salute.   She turned around and began to gallop, opening her wings and pushing herself up in the morning sky; making way to the Everfree Forest. She flew close to the ground, trying to be stealthy; so she wouldn’t alert the slowly awakening citizens of Ponyville that something was wrong. Coming closer to the forest, the inky shadows gesturing for her to come closer, she began to pick up speed. With one large pump of her wings she glided above the canopy of the forest, her first target the clearing in the forest where she had left the Princess alone; hoping that she still was there and if not, that she could find traces of where the Princess had gone to.   And she prayed the night sky and it’s glorious stars that her Princess was safe. *** With heavy steps Subject Delta advanced, stomping through the thick underbrush of the lush forest; his lumbering pacing scaring away any creatures that were near him. In his arms still laid that dark blue mare, her head resting on his arm; as she was taking this opportunity to rest. Without her help he would probably still be wandering through the forest, hoping that he would find the way. Maybe now he would finally reach the edge of this forest, and with a bit of luck, track Twilight down.   Everywhere he could look he saw trees, all fighting for a place in the canopy above; their leaves blocking out any rays of light that could possibly reach the forest floor below. The forest floor itself was mostly dry after the rain from before, fallen leaves littered everywhere, some crunching under his feet. Vines were growing on most trees, the green infestation seemed to be clinging to every available surface. He could see some flowers hiding in the shadows, mushrooms growing on the roots of trees; those making up the biggest part of the obstacles in his way. In the distance he could hear the growling of some kind of lion... A faint fog was rising from the forest floor in some places, sometimes so thick he couldn’t see a tree before it was almost too late to avoid it. Everything considered, this place seemed to be very peaceful… as long as there weren’t any gigantic snakes slithering out of the shadows.         Out of the corners of his helmet Delta could see some movement in the shadows to his left, although he didn’t hear any sounds of activity. Delta turned, facing, what seemed to him, a shadowy figure that seemingly was one with the darkness cast by the canopy overhead. But how longer he looked into the forest, how more he began to doubt he really had seen anything at all; the jet black darkness not giving away to his piercing eyes and lights. He began to consider to move forward, search for any tracks or prints on the forest floor; but before he could investigate further he felt a slight movement in his arms. The mare in his arms wriggled a bit, pulling him out of his thoughts. She muttered something and began to snore noticeably… If he wasn’t attracting enough attention already with his heavy steps, he surely was now. He casted one last glance to where he had seen the shadow earlier, trying to find any clue to what it could’ve been. Turning away, he began moving back to the path that laid beyond these trees; although that was what the mare had said to him. He was starting to think she had lied, as it felt like he was carrying her for hours now. But sure enough, the trees were beginning to give each other more space; allowing the underbrush to grow more freely in the spots were light was able to break through.   Delta stopped in one of those spots, looking to the sky; hoping to deduct from the stance of the sun how late it was. He was amazed by how beautiful the forest looked in the sunlight, the otherwise dark colors now becoming more lively; showing the amaranthine beauty that the forest seemed to have been hiding from him before. Although, now he was looking up through that opening in the canopy a strange feeling came over him… A bright, shining light piercing through the darkness-like cloak that had covered him, breaking through the shadows in the deepest recesses of his mind where he, unsuccessfully, had tried to hide in... a feeble attempt to escape... ***         Thirst. Hunger. He felt like his stomach was trying to digest itself, his cracked lips and dry throat only slightly diverting him from the pain he felt all over his body. His eyes were still closed, although the piercing light had managed to break through his slumber. He heard voices, but he couldn’t focus enough to understand what they were saying. He wanted to try to move his body, to relieve himself of some of the pain; but he seemed unable to do so, like he no longer was the master over his own body... He wanted to fall back to sleep, to escape from reality... to dream that he was free. Finally he had lost the hope that, maybe, this was all a dream... That he hadn’t took that job, that he had listened to... This, how unbelievable it seemed like, wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare. If he was still able to, he would’ve laughed at the situation he was in; taking this job of proving them all that this “Lighthouse” was just a story... a tale told between fishermen when they came in the pub after a long day’s worth of work. How wrong he had been... His head became clearer, allowing him to pay some attention to his surroundings. No longer he hung suspended from the ceiling, now his back rested on a cold, possibly steel table. An operation table perhaps... Various plastic tubes ran over his arms and chest, pumping fluids in and out him through sharp needles. His throat still hurt like someone had pierced it with a thousand needles, but that wasn’t what really scared him. The fact that he couldn’t move his body, even though he was concentrating as hard as he could, scared him more than anything. It made him feel like he was... trapped in a body that wasn’t his, although he still felt the pain. Like before he heard voices. He could hear two males talking and as he began to concentrate on it, he began to understand more and more of what they were saying. “... and with the new tonics spliced into the suit directly it would be able to withstand more stress than usual.” The man that talked seemed to be overly confident of himself, speaking with an air over him like he owned everything. “And I tell you that it would be a bad idea! Imagine, someone figures out the formula and before we know it a new breed of splicers takes over, with a skin impenetrable by small arms fire.” The familiar accent of the Asian doctor Suchong filled the room. He seemed to be upset with something. “We have to do everything it takes to ensure the safety of...,” the other man began. “No! There’s no time to...” Suchong became more difficult to understand, as the two moved out of the room.         It was once again quiet, only the dripping of water on the tiles below disrupting the apparently peaceful room.         His thoughts became cloudy again, making it difficult to stay awake. Slowly he began to sink back into the featureless void, where the rest of his nightmares stayed...         ...The sound of the morning breeze, soaring above the restless sea... The salty taste that lingered around his cracked lips... The absolute freedom he enjoyed, like a never-ending dream... A sudden fog rising from beyond the sea... Nowhere to hide, nowhere safe... From the piercing, yellow light from that cursed Lighthouse... And what waits below the endless sea? Nothing that you could imagine, not even in your wildest dreams...                  A sudden shock pulled him from his nightmares, but only to be awaken in an even bigger nightmare.         He could hear the voice of Andrew Ryan, a voice that was hard to forget.         “Is he awake now, Suchong?”         “Yes, sir. But I thought-”         “You do not need to think Suchong, just do what I tell you...” Ryan came closer.         “Mister Ryan, I believe that it’s best to let Suchong work in peace, so he can begin the operation.” The third voice that belonged to Augustus Sinclair seemed to have an undertone of... doubt.         “No, Augustus, Mister Topside needs to hear this.” Ryan now stood next to the operation table.         “Can he open his eyes?” Ryan seemed to ask to no one in particular.         In response a fluid began to travel in the various tubes surrounding him, mixing with his blood. Another shock caused his eyelids to open, although he was trying to keep them closed.         “Mister Ryan, we are in the middle of the preparations of the operation and-”         “I think Mister Topside has nowhere to go urgently, Suchong.”         He couldn’t see anything clear, as everything seemed to be blurred. He noticed the light above him though, the same that had woken him up before.         “I thought we were going to talk to Sofia-”         “Yes, we will, Augustus! Do not talk about that wretched woman,” Ryan sighed, “She too can wait.”         “Let me-”         “Suchong, I belief Misses Tenenbaum wanted to talk with you about the Little Sisters. She has a match for your... Subject Delta.”         With some muttering Suchong left the room, leaving a minute of silence between the two other men.         “Now, Mister Topside... How good to see you again,” A face began to form into the blur above, “But... you seemed to have undergone some... changes.”         He could see a small smile form on the mustached face above him.         “I have to give it to you, you’re a fighter. Even after seven days we didn’t manage to break you. But... that will change, Mister Topside, yes it will.”         He tried to move, do something. But he was unable to.         “It’s a shame you can’t talk... But I know you still can hear me. I will only say this once,” Ryan moved even closer, hatred visible in his eyes as he began to whisper, “This. Is. My. City. Mine, you understand me. The Parasite shall never break us. You may have found us, Mister Topside, but who ever was with you on that boat is dead. And so are you, but you don’t know it yet.” Ryan moved away and the sounds of his footsteps mixed with the sound of his cane, he always seemed to carry with him. “You may not be broken... Yet, I may add, but you still can serve Rapture. We need good men, strong men...,” Ryan chuckled sharply, “Willing men. You may not be that yet, but we have to set an example. The Parasite has nothing to search in Rapture and all who try will undergo the same treatment as you. You... are a good test subject and soon you’ll be an example of the prowess of Rapture.” Augustus Sinclair moved closer and took a small paper from Ryan, a message written on it with florid handwriting. “Give that to Suchong on the way out.” Ryan said, while making way to the exit. Reaching the door Ryan turned back, saying one last thing: “You will be a good addition to Rapture’s defense... Subject Delta.” And with that the eccentric founder of the Utopia under the sea left the room. Augustus moved closer and fiddled with some controls, causing the flow of fluids in the tubes to stop. He took the paper that Ryan had given him and read it to himself: “Suchong, Parasites don’t deserve anesthetics.”                  Shoving the paper in one of his pockets Augustus came closer and whispered: “I’m sorry, Johnny, but you have to understand... This ain’t personal.”         And with that Augustus too left the room.         Now he was left alone yet again and if he could he would’ve cried. When would this nightmare end? With the entrance of Suchong and the flowing of some fluids once again he was lost in his nightmares.         But this time, they would be real and filled with pain. ***           Still looking up to the sky, Subject Delta shook his head to try and come to his senses again. Once again he had seen something from his past and once again it carried more questions than answers. But was it real? Wasn’t it just a nightmare? When he began making way again, hoping that he would find answers to some of his questions with Twilight, there was one thing that he know that was true.         This were no dreams or nightmares. They were memories... And maybe there was a reason he couldn’t remember them before...         After trudging through some more underbrush he finally came to a trail of some sorts, the only place in the forest that resembled something to a path. To his left and right he couldn’t see anything on the path, although to his right the forest seemed to become darker again. After standing still for some time he chose the left road, hoping that it would guide him out of the forest.         While the canopy above began to make place for more and more for streaks of sunlight, a slight gasp caused him to look down at the mare in his arms. She seemed to be disoriented and for a moment she began panicking, but then she looked up; a small smile forming around her lips, when she recognized him. She looked around, still resting in his arms, and she began to open her mouth to say something.         Before a single sound could escape her lips, something behind them broke through the canopy, landing on the forest floor with a small thud. Delta turned around, facing whatever had landed behind them. It was another of those ponies, wearing a dark blue armor with a silver colored lining around it. Her wings were spread out, making her look bigger; like she was trying to intimidate him.         The pony spoke up, her voice trembling with repressed rage: “You have three seconds to let Princess Luna go, Golem...” *** “A never ending rage fuel those that lose their Little Sister. It isn’t possible to bind them to another, but maybe we can control them... use them for foot soldiers. The Alpha Series isn’t sufficient anymore... It’s time for change. Or maybe we just need a way to control them better...” -Gilbert Alexander, creator of the Alpha Series Big Daddies. *** Author's Notes: Here you go, a present to you all from me. I hope you'll enjoy it!