For Science

Fluttershy softly tapped on the door to the library, wondering what Twilight could want at such a late hour.

She had been at the edge of the Everfree forest helping her animal friends collect nuts for winter when the scroll had appeared. After seeing what it was, she had carefully climbed out of the bush she had hidden in and read it. The scroll was from Twilight, sent by Spike's dragon breath no doubt, and had said something about needing Fluttershy urgently and would she please come late that evening.

The door opened, shaking Fluttershy out of her remembering the message. "Oh good, Flutershy, you're here," said Twilight.

"Of course! Your message sounded urgent Twi-" Fluttershy stopped when she saw Twilight.

Twilight appeared not to have slept in weeks. Her mane and tail were tangled and unkempt, her eyes were darting wildly from side to side, and her ear was twitching uncontrollably.

"Twilight, are you alright?" Asked Fluttershy cautiously.

"Of course! Never better!" Twilight replied with a slightly crazed laugh "Please, come in!"

Fluttershy slowly entered the library and jumped when Twilight slammed the door behind her.

"This way, please, follow!" said Twilight, motioning for Flurttershy to follow her.

"Twilight, where's Spike?" asked Fluttershy as she followed Twilight down the stairs to the basement.

"Oh, Spike's in Manehatten this week," Twilight replied "He's helping Rarity present her new clothing line at fashion week"

"Then how did you send me that scroll earlier?" Asked Fluttershy curiously.

"I've been perfecting a spell that produces the same effect as dragon breath for sending scrolls," replied Twilight absently, but she clearly had something else on her mind.

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence that stretched on as the stairs led them deeper and deeper into the earth before they stopped in front of a door.

"Ah, here we are!" said Twilight with another manic laugh as she opened the door into darkness and motioned for Fluttershy to enter.

Fluttershy slowly entered the room and jumped as Twilight followed and slammed the door. The *click* of the lock echoed through the darkness.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked nervously into the darkness

Suddenly, concealed magic lanterns flared to life. Fluttershy squinted into the sudden brightness that illuminated Twilight's lab.

"Over here" said Twilight who was standing behind a row of beakers that held various multicolored concoctions.

Fluttershy followed Twilight over to a large machine that had many buttons and screens on it, with wires sticking out of it in a jumbled mess. Next to the machine was a metal chair with no back.

"Sit, please" said Twilight, gesturing to the chair next to the machine.

Fluttershy sat where she was directed and asked "Twilight, what did you want me to help with?"

"An experiment!" said Twilight gleefully as she pressed a button on the machine and two metal cuffs clamped down on Fluttershy's hooves, holding her in place.

"What kind of experiment?" asked Fluttershy nervously as Twilight began attaching wires to her head and wings.

"It all started a week after I became an alicorn." Twilight finished with the wires and began pressing buttons on the machine.

"Princess Celestia was telling me all my responsibilities as a new alicorn princess when she mentioned in passing that I'm immortal now.

"My first thought was of you girls! How could I be immortal if I had to watch you all grow old and die!"

"Oh Twilight, we don't mind" Fluttershy began.

"But then I thought, what if we were all alicorns! Then we would all be immortal and I wouldn't have to watch you die!" continued Twilight, ignoring Fluttershy.

"But Twilight, nopony but the princesses can create alicorns!"

"That's what you think!" shouted Twilight, turning on Fluttershy with a crazy look in her eyes "I've finally perfected a potion that can turn anypony into an alicorn!" she said, laughing crazily as she picked up an enormous needle filled with a glowing orange serum.

"Twilight" Fluttershy began nervously, subtly trying to pull her hooves out of the restraints.

"Don't worry" Twilight said, noting the look of fear in Fluttershy's eyes "You won't end up like the others"

Fluttershy looked where Twilight gestured and gasped in horror. Dozens of dead ponies lay in a pile, their bodies twisted and misshapen, with half formed wings and horns sticking out of their bodies in strange places.

She fought down the urge to vomit as she gazed upon the twisted corpses and suddenly felt a stab in her chest. She looked down and saw Twilight injecting the contents of the needle into her body.

Fluttershy could feel the serum coursing through her veins like fire. She screamed suddenly as her bones began to shift and change.

Twilight watched for over an hour taking careful notes as Fluttershy's body contorted. Finally Fluttershy's screams stopped as she stopped moving.

Twilight gazed in frustration at the twisted remains of her friend. A horn had appeared on Fluttershy's forehead, still dripping blood from where it had broken through her skin, but another half formed horn had appeared on her back. Her wings had grown much larger, and a third one had sprouted on her belly.

Twilight screamed and smashed the needle in frustration. How could this have happened? She was sure she had gotten the mixture right this time!

After a moment, she calmed down and put her friend's body with the others. Then she began peering at her notes, trying to find the problem.

She let out a maniacal laugh as she realized what the problem was and began mixing chemicals, muttering to herself and occasionally laughing.

Rainbow Dash knocked on the door to Twilight's library. Fluttershy had been missing for three days and Dash was hoping Twilight had a lead.

The door opened and Dash quickly asked "What is it Twilight? Why did you want to see me?"

"For science" said Twilight, letting Rainbow Dash in with a laugh.