An Experiment's Return

The waters around the docks were calm and quiet, resting with few waves along the glassy surface. This peace was soon disturbed as a pink-maned head rose from underneath, Gnash releasing a breath before taking a deep new one in to continue to swim towards the city she wasn't far away from. After a few more minutes of her swift movements, she stopped once welcomed by the familiar concrete retaining wall.

"I hope another of those stupid griffons comes by again today..." She said quietly to herself before moving herself along the surface of the water. "Not many seem to come by here, though..."

Upon coming up to a dock low enough for her to grab onto with her forehooves, she pulled herself up and onto the wooden platform. The mare ignored the wetness of her hair and fur, simply moving herself onto the hard concrete of the city. "I'm not going to be able to make this city like I remember just sitting around here all day..." She said under her breath while moving deeper into the damaged buildings around her. "Need to find them myself..."

Ivan was on duty as a fresh batch of supply's was being unloaded from the boat. Him and his underlings were making sure nothing happened to the supply's. He didn't like working near the boats. Water wasn't really his thing. He was bored it was the same thing all night watching a few sailors unloading, it was pretty uneventful. He told a few of his men to stand guard while the rest patrolled the area. He took one of the rookies with him as he went for his own patrol. Ivan didn't spend anytime making small talk he just needed a walk to get away from the water. He walked along with his younger smaller comrade. Ivan saw that he was scared. "Go guard the shipments then if you are too afraid of a patrol." Ivan said sternly and the smaller griffon left without a word. He personally liked his little strolls as he walked along some of the ruins of the dock. It saddened him to see how much they destroyed the city,  just to leave it half in ruin. He walked along he didn't really notice anything out of place.

Gnash softly kicked a small piece of fallen concrete out of her way while stalking her way through the streets. Slipping into an alleyway nearby, the mare continued her searching for anything that caught her eye. Not like the old days... The city was never quiet, not even in the early hours.

Not too long after her words were thought, the pink and black mare stopped in her tracks as a large grin formed across her muzzle. "Here we are..." She said quietly to herself while making her way to the end of the shaded alley.

Gnash curled a hoof around a rock next to hear, tracking the griffon with her eyes. After a moment, she threw the stone in his direction in hopes of harming the guard, or at the very least gaining his attention.

Ivan was walking along until something hit him on his wing, he looked down to see it was a stone. He made a audible 'humph' He looked at where the stone came from. He walked closer to where he thought the rock was thrown from. Dark alley he didn't exactly trust it. "It's ok. I won't hurt you, I'm friendly, show yourself no harm will come to you I promise." He walked a little bit closer but He still couldn't see anything from where he was. He took his blade out from the sheath and tossed it aside. "See it's ok. I won't hurt you come on out." He was somewhat afraid. He didn't dare creep any closer then he was.

Gnash's grin grew ever wider as she lowered herself. Preparing herself for her attack, she paused just before what would have been an initial strike upon seeing the weapon come into view. A long breath left her nostrils as the sight of the blade being tossed aside greeted her afterwords, four simple words slowly leaving her mouth. "You may not be..."

Without another word of warning, Gnash threw herself forward and out of the shadows and snapped her strong jaws towards her target. "Silly, silly griffon... How you were able to do what you did, I'll never know... But you'll pay for it."

Ivan wanted to Dodge but this creature got the jump on him. He felt the creatures jaw dig into his shoulder. His shriek filled the air. He tried to grab the black and pink creature and pull it off of him. But he could feel more pain surging. But he wasn't about to get devoured by this thing. He forcefully ripped this thing off of him. He shrieked again in pain. He could barely move his arm. He jumped back as he tried to get away from this beast. He found his blade nearby and he held it up with his good arm. "What are you. You are no equestrian." He knew he couldn't continue this fight long his comrades probably heard his scream. He would have some reinforcements shortly. He checked his wound it was pretty bad. He panted "Well I guess this is what happens when you try to be nice." He laughed. He prepared for another attack.

Gnash backed a bit away from the griffon, slowly running her tongue along her slightly reddened teeth to remove the blood she enjoyed the taste of. "I am...just changed because of you stupid seed eaters." She growled angrily, keeping her distance from her foe while eying his blade. "I'll make sure your kind is run from this nation, even if I have to rip all of you apart myself!"

Her growls grew louder as her eyes narrowed and her tail flicked about behind her as her anger grew. "Have any last words before I have my breakfast?"

Ivan laughed. "Last words hmm? Do I taste good?" He asked. Normally had he not already been injured he would have taken the attack to her. But he knew his reinforcements should be arriving soon. It was better to wait this one out as best as he could. Lucky for him his wings didn't seem to be injured it did sting to move his wing mainly because his shoulder was raw. He knew she was fast but if he could just pin her down maybe he would see the end of this. "Lets go you filthy Mutant!"

Sea lowered herself down slightly, bearing her teeth towards her foe. "Mutant? I wasn't this way before you griffons got your filthy claws on me!" She growled angrily, swiftly throwing herself forward to once again snap at the griffon while keeping an eye out for the sword. If she were to hit, her attack would come down upon to the injured shoulder.

Now that She didn't get the jump on him her attacks were much easier to dodge. He didn't like how close she was most ponies were not as fast as this one. Then again most didn't have sharp teeth that will tear through skin either. He didn't even have enough time to counter attack his injury did slow him down a bit as well. "You Equestrians are so weak! You can barely hit a large lumbering griffon." He laughed he just had to bide his time soon his underlings would arrive. In the distance you could hear the shrieks of nearby griffons. "This maybe your last chance to run." He said confidently.

Gnash looked to the side upon hearing the approaching voices, turning back towards the griffon whose blood she tasted. "I'll finish you off later...see you soon." She replied, taking a few steps back before turning around to gallop back down the alleyway she had come out of. A faint laughter echoed from the darkness as she disappeared once more to find a place to hide in the streets of the city.

Ivan chuckled. "slinking back into the shadows...bloody mutant." He said to himself. His troop finally arrived. He scolded them on their slow arrival. He sent most of them to finish their job another he sent back to headquarters to report the Mutant. Ivan was escorted by two of his privates to a hospital to check out his wound. He didn't like that his kindness almost got him killed tonight, he knew he had to be more cautious. Note don't trust dark alleyways early in the morning. At least he had a short break from work then again he was stuck in a hospital healing up but it wasn't all bad. He should have blocked the escape now because of him this thing could kill more griffons he did feel bad that he didn't act the way that he should have. But as far as his statement said is that he was ambushed and the creature took off shortly after that... Which was mostly true. But at least now the manehatten guard was looking for a black and pink odd looking pony. Odd was putting it nicely.

Hijinks yawned. She was currently scrounging through an alleyway, filled with various boxes and trash cans filled with unidentifiable junk. "Now if I could just find a carrotdog, that would be great.." She muttered to herself. Her ears perked up at the sound of activity. Hijinks decided it was time to mo- "Oh! a bit!" Her thoughts interrupted, she crouched down low and picked up a bit that was hiding under a... thing. She stood there for a bit to admire the shininess.

Gnash glanced back behind herself to make sure she had gotten a lead on the griffons she had left behind. Dashing out of one alleyway and into another, she continued doing her best to find somewhere to hide. "Stupid...feathered...monster..." She growled to herself, looking back once more time.

Looking ahead, the black mare's eyes grew wide at the sight of another pony rummaging through trash and garbage. Gnash locked up her legs, slowly stopping herself just before she ran into her, lowering her head to pant softly from the running she was no longer purely built for.

Hijinks looked up from her bit. A giant pony had just ran up to her and was currently standing there. On closer inspection, the giant pony also had razor sharp teeth, multi-coloured eyes and a wierd tail. This would most likely give other foals nightmares. So Hijinks did the most logical thing. "Ooohhh... Can I pet you?" She asked politely, looking up at the black-pink pony thing with her puppy dog eye routine.

Gnash looked towards the filly with a confused expression on her face once she caught her breath. "Uhm...why would you want to?" She asked bluntly, calming down quickly while in the presence of another pony. "Well... I suppose you can if you want to... I'm just happy to finally see another pony for a change..."

Hijinks lifted her hoof up, towards the leg of the pony. Her fur was slippery and oily, and stroking it made her giggle. "Wow, your fur is weird, but also cool. I haven't seen ponies like you before. Are you a buffalo? I heard they exist, but I haven't seen one before." She asked, continuing to pet the weird pony.

Gnash glanced towards the smaller hoof upon her before turning her attention back towards her face. "Uhm, no, I'm not a buffalo. They're pretty big when compared to us." She replied simply. Deciding being in the alley was safer than in the streets, she slowly set her flank down onto the ground to rest. "I'm an earth pony...or at least I used to be. I don't think a filly would understand."

Hijinks nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, I understand. I used to be a pegasus." She laughed and sat down opposite to the weird pony, and looked at her. "If you're not a Earth pony anymore, what are you then?" She asked, staring at the weird pony's alien features.

Gnash shrugged her shoulders softly, a solemn expression slowly overtaking her face. "The griffons called me a shark pony or something like that... I guess it makes sense, seeing as I'm only really good at swimming anymore." She replied softly, closing her eyes as memories of her old life started to file back into the front of her mind. "They did make me into this monster...they should know what to call me..."

Hijinks raised an eyebrow. "But, the griffons don't control you. You can name yourself whatever you want, right?" She reached forward with her hoof and booped the pony on the nose. "And I would hardly call you a monster. So why not call yourself..." She looked at the weird pony, the mane attracted her attention. "Why not call yourself a pinkie? That's a funny name." She giggled.

Gnash looked towards the young pony, unable to have get a soft smile on her face from her innocence. "Well, my name is Sea Gnash...or, that's what I at least call myself now." She responded softly, bringing a hoof up to gently pat the mane of the filly with her. "But, anyway, what's a little filly like you doing out here all by herself? It's dangerous around this area."

"My name is Mimi!" She responded as the Sea Gnash pony patted her on the head. "And I'm here looking for stuff." She showed her the bit she picked up earlier. "Ponies drop things all the time." 

She looked back up at Sea Gnash. "But where is it safe? Who would want to stay cooped up in a boring house all day, while being spoon fed everything you need, but nothing you want?" Hiijinks knew the answer to that one. Nopony.

Gnash looked to the filly with a surprised expression on her face from the profound words that had been spoken to her. "That's...very true..." She replied the best she could while shaking off her surprise. "Anyway...I still don't think a filly such as yourself should be wandering around alone."

Dawn Star was making her way back to the down town area by cutting through the industrial district which by her judgment of the destroyed building told her that the war was unkind to this place ..the war ..was started as a honorable thing to do at first but was ended up being Horrorable nightmare...for all of us ..some more than others she thought.She then remembered the stories that she heard about including a failed attempt on the griffons by taking prisoners and turning them into monsters ..although these were just stories thank the princesses that it didn't happen ..if they were here she thought to herself as she kept moving.

"Such as myself?" Hijinks pretended to be offended. "Why, you just met me! Are all fillies the same?" She rose up to her hind legs and moved a hoof to her forehead, making a dramatic pose. "I think my hopes and dreams have been crushed!" She cried. 

However, while she was acting, she lost her balance. "Waaah!" She yelped as she fell backwards into a trashcan, making it fall over with a loud clang. "Ouchies.."

Gnash jumped and rose to to hooves after the filly took her fall. "Whoa there. Are you alright?" She asked while moving in a bit closer to the smaller pony. "You should be more careful, even if those horrid griffons aren't around. They might catch you and turn you into some monster, too."

While Dawn walked and was lost in deep thought she was startled by load crashing sound. She looked around to see no ponies in the area she was in and if there was no ponies .."could there be griffons?" she said quietly to herself looking over to the location she heard the crash from and decided to investigate.

Hijinks sat up, looking none worse for wear. "Haha! I don't think I'd make a good monster" She laughed, "I'd never be able to sneak up on ponies. Too much growling." To demonstrate her point, she got back up and shuffled around like a zombpony. "Grrr... rawr..." She groaned. Instantly, she changed to a frightened posture. "Oh no!" She cried dramatically, in much higher tone. "Is that a monster coming to eat us? We should get out of here!" She fell backwards on her back, laughing.