Building a Future [Closed] (Dated)

[Mercy Heart]

Oct 5, Year 4

Mercy places her items on the work bench and the pegasus follows. It was just in time, the sun was almost completely set. She begins organizing the materials and tools. Her assistant retrieves her an number of books and papers.

"Alright, this is it. I think we have everything we need to start. This is very ambitious, and I would understand if you didn't want to go through with it." Mercy looks to the pegasus. He stands there speechless. "Ok, then lets get started."

All through the night the two ponies worked. With her magic and his strength, they make great progress. Mercy did not notice the hours fly by, nor did she tire at all. She was so close now. A child's dream almost coming to fruition, the excitement kept her going. She could feel her father, standing over her, watching with a smile. He would be so proud, she would make him proud. In this dark, dystopian future, where nopony is safe or secure, she would give them all something, a reason to continue on, hope.

As the sun rose, exhaustion finally hit her. The pegasus had already passed out, sleeping in a pile of machinery parts. Just as she was about to call it done, a wave of sorrow, despair, and pain washed over her. It was from those ponies waking to a new day in misery and suffering. She would not stop, not until it was done. She will fix them all. Tired of feeling the ugly world, this will be a step for making it beautiful again.

She continues working.

What once housed debris from a lost time now holds Mercy's heart. A large tank sits in one corner of the warehouse with a large pipe leading to three smaller tanks, each with a large pump next to them. Below each tank is a pipe leading out of the warehouse. Out of one of them, the same large pipe leads out the warehouse.

The purifier was taking shape, but there is still much to do.

[String Chord]

A familiar pony trots into the warehouse, his hood down, he looks around, silent, cautious, uncomfortable, "Hello...?" he holds a sack of bits under his wing, his ears perked up, waiting for an answer.

[Mercy Heart]

Mercy feels a presence in the room. She pokes her head up from on top of one of the smaller tanks. She sees it is the toothache pony. She finishes soldering a valve into position and heads down. She is covered in dirt and grease, with a rag over her soldier that one could only assume was white. Her eyes are slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep. She approaches the pony, stepping over the sleeping pegasus.

"Is there something I can help you with," her voice is soft and quite, as if that is the only volume she can muster.

[String Chord]

String looks at her, putting a sad frown over his face, feeling defeated, seeing the only mare that is able to help anypony at all in such a shape, tired, exhausted, drained. "I came, to pay... for yesterday... i didn't have bits, and I forgot to tell you i just needed to collect them, so here they are... a little late." He smiles warmly, hoping she will take what he'd earned to pay for her, he holds his wing out, his wing, showing the sack, it hangs off, stuck between two feathers.

[Mercy Heart]

Mercy smiles softly, "Oh, there's no need. My services are free. If you wish to donate, it's appreciated, however, I don't require it. If you need them you can keep them." Her eyes half open, she could tell that her condition was worrying the poor pony. "I'm fine, just a long night. I'm almost done, just need to," as she turns to point at the tank, her eyes close and she begins to fall over slightly.

[String Chord]

String freezes, never really wanting to get into any close contact with a person, but this was a mare... and she was falling... asleep, while she was standing up, rejecting his payment, his eyes widened, a short freeze, his blood starting to rush at even greater speeds, he quickly dashes over to her side, letting the coin sack clatter onto the ground, bits spilling out, the sound strong and irritating enough to be able to wake her up, he is on her critical side, if she falls she'll fall onto him.

[Mercy Heart]

Mercy does not react to the coins dropping and falls onto him. she is dead weight, but weighs very little.

The coins did wake up the pegasus who slept in the pile of parts. He opened his eyes quickly and looked around, surprised by the noise. He had slept through Mercy's machinery noise, but this was unexpected. Then he see it, a pony holding a motionless Mercy. For the first time he gains an expression, and that expression is anger.

In one swift moment, he rushes over to the unlucky pony, strips Mercy off of him, flinging her on his back, and attempts to pin the pony to the floor.

[String Chord]

String gets pinned down, hitting the floor hard, a painful, thud can be heard from under his head, his eyes clenching, his ears flattening, he groans putting both of his hooves on his head, now throbbing in pain.

His hindlegs squirm trying to get away from the scene, he peeks through the lids of his good eye, his glasses fallen off, he frowns at the pegasus that's bigger than him "H-How rude! W-Why did you just do that?" he rubs the back of his head.

[Mercy Heart]

The pegasus does not move, making sure the other pony does the same. He has never seen this pony before, and does not know why Mercy is passed out. He stares sternly at the pony

Mercy slowly opens her eyes. Oddly it was the pain that woke her up. "Wha? What's going on?" She begins to shift on the pegasus' back. The pegasus turns to Mercy, letting the pony up. He sets mercy down on her rump and begins looking her over. "What are you doing?" Mercy questions as she looks around.

Once sure there was no damage on her, the pegasus glares at the pony and turns to face him. He completely blocks out any view of Mercy.

Mercy realizes what is going on. "Stand down," her voice now stern, "everything is fine. I was passing out from exhaustion and he prevented me from falling."

The pegasus steps to the side as Mercy steps over to the pony on the floor. "I am terribly sorry. He is a little protective of me." She offers him a hoof up.

[String Chord]

He smiles weakly, despite the pain, taking her hoof and standing up "It's okay... Was just a misunderstanding" he turns to the larger pegasus, looking at him sadly "I am sorry for interacting with mercy directly and physically, it will never happen again, I promise." he smiles, his ears still flat.

He then looks at the coin sack and starts picking the bits and the sack up, he holds the coins in front of Mercy, looking into her eyes 'So... donation then." His smile now forced, the ache in the back of his head now more intense.

[Mercy Heart]

She watches him pick the coins up and hold them to her. She is not fooled. She reaches out a hoof and touches his head. With a soft glow of her horn she rids the pain of his ache, and washes him in peace. She can feel parts of his past, the torment, the pain, the suffering. The glow of her horn intensifies as the magic flows from her to him. She reaches beyond that, to the creative part, his kindness. She pulls on it, bringing it to the front of his mind, and hers.

The feeling could only be described as bliss.

She puts her hoof back on the ground and looks up at him smiling. "Thank you," she levitates the bag of coins and turns to put them on the counter

[String Chord]

String 's expression fades, replaced with a frown "W-Why...?" he looks at her confused "W-Why do you help me when... I don't ask for it, why do you bring yourself more pain, you're tired, and on top of that you take a headache..." he looks down sadly.

"You make me feel awful.... because there is nothing I can do for you in return... just... write songs and poems... worthless stuff..."

[Mercy Heart]

Mercy sets the coins down and turns. "But you did give me something. Your creativity is amazing, and you kindness warms my heart." She walks up to the pegasus and hands him a broom. She gives him a stern look and he sighs, complying with her wish. He trots off.

She turns her attention back to the pony. "I do not only receive the bad. When I connect with a pony, I get it all. And trust me, the good parts are well worth the bad." She proceeds up the old metal stairs to the upper office. Stopping half way, she faces the pony, "your creativity is a gift, it is not worthless." With a smile she continues to her bed.

"And thank you for the coins." With that she disappears into her room.

[String Chord]

String stands there, finding logic, he sighs and nods "Okay.... no problem I guess..." he trots out of the shop, kinda confused, the part with the good striking a point in their little debate, he trots of defeated, but feeling relieved, knowing it's not only bad that she feels.

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