Cashew had spent the night hiding under his hooves as the muffled screams of his special friend plagued his ears. He remembered watching Mummuh’s knife peeling off Almond’s fluff, hearing the crack as it snapped off her legs; her leathery hooves barely making a sound on the blood soaked floor. Mummuh had hung the pelt on the wall to dry, turning back to the frightened fluffy with a fresh blade; carving the muscle off of the bones and into the bucket at the end of the table.
The guts of the once beautiful mare were sorted into different containers and put in a large freezer, leaving only her skeleton hanging from the hooks. When she managed to raise her head she only let out a soft cry, calling for Cashew’s help, though none came… Mummuh would return soon, and would use the skeleton as a blueprint for Almond’s new form.
“W-wai mummuh huwt Awmond?” Cashew whimpered in the silence of the basement.
“She’s not of the realm you once knew, Cashew,” Mortifico explained, “she’s one from down below, where the bad fluffies go.”
“M-mummuh ebil?” Cashew’s voice shook with fear.
“I wouldn’t say evil, as her motives are not out of malice; at least, not towards you two.” The Jellen stretched, his spine spiking upwards as he did so, “I live with her rent free, I get to eat any ferals that wander onto her property and in return she gives me a warm place to live.”
“Den… wai Cas’yu an’ Awmond hewe?” The young Stallion licked at his hoof, felt like dirt got stuck.
“From what I was told, you two are going to help her with a little issue her family has encountered. Unfortunately the mortal forms you have are no match for the beasts that roam our lands; so she has to, well… modify that.”
“Cas’yu see…”
Alexis came back into the room with a box of mechanical parts the fashioned herself, a few years building children’s entertainment bots and a degree in engineering assisted in that. Once the box was sat down, she began to reinforce the skeletal structure infront of her. Almond’s once peaceful daze was stripped from her as the drill ripped through her mind, causing her to skree in panic; despite the fact that she was more or less only the computer panel above her body.
“Chill, Almond. You can’t feel a thing I’m doing to you anymore,” Alexis reached up to the panel, running her fingers over a velvet pad. “You’ll be stronger after this. Faster, and more dangerous.”
It took hours to screw each panel into place, connecting the legs at the correct points to bend properly. Transferring the mare’s consciousness into her new body as well as matching her original coat to the supply of fluff Alexis kept around. She polished the eyes and connected the cables, sharpening the hooves to allow for slicing flesh; carefully welding each razor sharp tooth into place before securing the muzzle for protection. Even Almond’s horn could pierce through the hardest of metals.
Cashew didn’t recognize his special friend, at least… not at first. It took him a bit before her scent granted him some sort of closure, letting him know she was okay. Until he realized he was next. That’s when he panicked; trying everything he could to get out of Alexis’ arms, only to fail and fall limp–now at the mercy of the hooks.
Chapter 1: Animatronics Chapter 1 [bloodwoodsrisen]