Fragments of Another Storyby AngelgraceChaptersDocument 1Document 2Document 3Document 1Your name is Cobalt Hills, and humans are idiots. When Mike and Tyler had seen a girl approaching the warehouse, you assumed she had just gotten lost. Most people who found themselves there did so in the back of a truck. You’re pretty sure that’s how you got here, too, but the part of your memory between a few days before the change and your escape was a complete blank. Damn that guy. You had watched from the underbrush as they went to grab her; the way she was holding the umbrella suggested that the warehouse was her destination. So, when they brought her over, you had tried to explain to her why going there was a very bad idea. Instead of listening to reason, she had run off, and the guys had given chase. “Come on…” you said, pacing as you waited. It would be terrible if that poor girl got turned into a mindless creature like the others. Why had she come here under her own power? What was that freak in the warehouse up to? The bushes rustled, and you slinked back, ready to hide again. To your relief, it was just the guys. On the other hoof-hand!-on the other hand, they didn’t have the girl. Sparkles. “She looked right at us, then went inside. Who does that?” Michael said, shaking his head. “Someone who follows the instructions of an email, without researching it further.” You remarked, annoyed. “He didn’t have to kidnap her because she’s extremely stupid already. I think we should go back to our old plan.” “Perhaps not.” Tyler said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. That was a bad look for him. “You said you wanted to study the transformation, right?” he looked at Mike. Mike looked back, confused. “I did. But we can’t get in there, and even if we could, I don’t have the equipment or the know-how to figure out how he’s doing it.” “I can get you a fully-equipped hospital room, but we have to get that girl out of there.” Tyler said, looking at the warehouse again. “Stop, stop, stop.” You say, holding up a hoof. “Master-damn it, I mean he, has cameras everywhere. It was a fluke that we escaped. You want to go back in, find her, even though she’s likely already starting her transformation, and get out, without being detected?” there was no way. No way in hell that they could escape from Master. You barely made it, and that’s because he took in more victims than normal that round. “If we time it right, why not? He goes out once a month or so; if he leaves her behind…” Tyler started, but stopped when he saw you shaking your head. “No way. Master doesn’t leave a subject alone, ever. Even when they’re knocked out, he only leaves when he has to.” You’d seen it countless times, Master had enough food to last a year, and he restocked it between transformation sessions. When he delivered ponies to…wherever during yours, he brought you along. Sure, he kept you in the back, so you had no idea where they were going, but he never left you alone. “We’ll think of something. We have to.” Tyler said, sighing. “Shall we get back, then?” You nod, even though this part is the worst thing about these recon missions. Tyler pulls a large animal carrier from the shrubbery, and you walk in. If you were more of a pony, you’d find this comforting; luckily, it’s more of an annoyance to you. He picks you up, and the three of you walk through the woods for a time, headed for Micheals truck. “Hey, Cobalt. We’ll save her, you know that, right?” “Mmm?” Tyler goes on. “We’re going to get her out of there, like you got us out. We’ll find out how he’s doing this to people, and put a stop to this. And we’re going to get your memories back, too.” “Don’t do it for me. I’m already all but gone. Do it for the people who can still be saved.” You pretty much resigned yourself to living as a pony. You had a mind strong enough to resist the instincts of your new body, and you planned to use it, somehow, to stop Master. When the time came, though, you were going in alone. You weren’t going to risk these guys falling to Master as well. Tyler stopped suddenly. “Mike. Come look at this.” You strain to see past the grate as Masters truck pulls out. “What, what about it? He’s likely just delivering some new ponies.” I commented, annoyed at the interruption. “There’s more than that. We may be able to execute our plan after all…” What Tyler explained to the two of you was incredible, but it just might open the window for a rescue mission. You were getting Astarielle out, while there was still a human girl to get out. Document 2Your name is Cobalt Hills, and you really feel sorry for this girl. Astarielle was laying in the bed, hooked up to two IVs, her chest rising and falling peacefully. She was almost cute like this, if she wasn’t in so much danger. Her once brown hair was now green with the slightest bit of a brown tint, and though no one else had noticed, you could see the hairs of her tail growing in. Of course, the most notable thing was the thickening coat of white fur. You just couldn’t stay mad at her for running into the warehouse like that; she was being punished for her curiosity enough. “Are you sure this is going to work? She still seems to be changing…” you asked Micheal, who came over to look at her. “Yes, but at a reduced rate. Until I understand how he’s transforming people into ponies, I can’t stop the transformation or undo it.” He sighed, headed for the door. You followed him as he entered his lab, sliding into his chair and looking into the microscope. As far as you could tell, he was studying Astarielles blood, looking for any changes. Unsure of what to do with yourself, you meander over to a chart on the wall, listing times and numbers. “What is this?” you ask, looking back at Micheal and pointing. He turns in his chair to look at it, shaking his head. “Measurements. She’s shrinking as well; again, I’ve slowed the effects, but all the more reason to hurry up with our studies.” He turned back to the microscope, shaking his head. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem to be in her bloodstream; or if it is, I can’t see it.” The next half hour or so passed in silence as Micheal worked and you watched him, hoping the three of you got to the girl in time. “Grubs here.” Tyler said, opening the lab door and sitting down in another chair. He put a salad on the floor for you, and tossed a bag to Micheal, who ignored it. “He’s absorbed in his work.” You explain, starting on your own dinner. Sometimes you really missed fast food meat. Not often, but enough. “He really thinks he can help that girl.” “If she had been a little smarter, she wouldn’t be in this mess.” Tyler remarked, taking a big bite out of his hamburger. You winced a bit as some sauce dripped down his chin; perhaps an all vegetable diet wasn’t so bad after all. “We did warn her not to go.” “Can you blame her, though?” you reply, looking up. “She got an email from someone she trusted, telling her he wanted to share something with her. I’m surprised Master doesn’t do it more often.” Once again, you failed to catch yourself before calling that man Master. You may as well give up, it was something to call him, even if it made you shudder. “I wonder what made her so special, though; why not just kidnap her?” Tyler shrugged between bites. “Who knows how his mind works. This is the guy who doesn’t see a problem with kidnapping people and changing their very bodies, or even their minds.” “That’s the thing. He’s never been shy about the kidnapping part; he doesn’t try to convince them because his brainwashing ensures they’ll go along with it. But he went out of his way to make sure this girl came to him. If we can understand that, we might have a chance of saving her.” The two of you look over at the wall, thinking about the girl on the other side of it. “You think we got to her in time?” you wonder aloud. Tyler shakes his head, putting the hamburger back in the back. “Honestly, as far as she’s progressed, I don’t know. Of course, it brings up another issue.” Seeing your curious stare, he goes on. “All those people he’s changed, you, and her.” He nods at the wall. “What do we do once we stop him, if Micheal can’t reverse the transformation?” That had been bugging you as well. Living in Tylers place, hiding from the public eye, worked for one pony, maybe two if Astarielle did fully transform. But he had brought over two dozen people to his little warehouse. What had happened to them all, and could they look after themselves if need be? “I don’t know, Tyler. I just don’t-“ A crash from the other room got the attention of all three of you. You were the first one to the door, and the other two were fast on your heels, but all of you stopped dead when you saw who was in the other room. Master was standing over the bed, holding Astarielle in his arms, the IV drips dangling uselessly. “I believe this is mine.” He said smoothly, smiling at the three of you. “Put her down!” You demanded, taking another step forward. He fixed you with a look that stopped you again. “You’re welcome to come home with me, if you’re so worried about her, Cobalt Hills. You can do much better than this.” He still had that way of talking. His words slipped into your mind, making you want to skip along beside him and obey his every word. Why couldn’t he be some kind of hunchback villain? His eyes moved upward. “I wouldn’t recommend that.” Master said conversationally; Tyler dropped a scalpel he was holding. “Shame if I suddenly dropped Angel Grace, her bones have already become lightweight, I doubt she’d be able to stand for awhile afterwards.” He moved smoothly towards the door. “If you’re coming, Cobalt.” Once again, you had to restrain yourself from mindlessly following Master. You looked down quickly, growling. “Why are you doing this?” Micheal asked, stepping aside and shaking his head. “You have to have taken some kind of medical schooling! This is in violation of everything doctors stand for!” “Primum non nocere.” Master recited, headed for the door. “You know where to find me. I believe you two are worthy of a greater calling.” He glanced briefly at Tyler. “Others, not so much. Farewell for now.” The door closed behind him as the three of you looked on helplessly. Tyler rushed out after him. Micheal sat down in a chair, shaking. You trot to his side, confused. “What is it? What does Primum non nocere mean?” “First, do no harm.” Micheal replied uneasily, looking at the door again. “It’s normally applied in emergency medicine, but in medical research, it means ‘Make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.’” He put his head in his hands, silent until Tyler returned. The two of you looked up hopefully, but he merely shook his head. “It’s no good. The sedative will wear off soon, and she’ll resume changing. She’s already reaching advanced stages…” he walked off, heading toward the lab. “Where’s he going in such a rush?” Tyler asked, panting. Had he been running after Masters truck? You watch him leave, your spirits still low from the loss you suffered. “Hopefully to put an end to this madness.” Document 3It’s been days since you lost Astarielle. Your first rescue mission, a complete failure. Micheal has barely been out of his lab since, and you have no idea where Tyler is half the time. And you? You often envied the humans; the slightest taste of alcohol made you violently ill, so you can’t drown your anger and sorrow in a bottle. At least they had an escape, even if Micheal chose not to take it. He was obsessed with some project, but you didn’t see the point. Master had won. If you couldn’t save one damn girl, what was the point of- “Cobalt Hills. Come in here a moment.” You trotted into the lab, looking over at the hospital bed that still rested there. Shaking your head, you looked up at Micheal; he was holding a silver bracelet in his gloved hand. “I solved it.” “Solved what?” you ask, curious despite yourself. “How he’s doing it. It’s incredible, years ahead of our time. He’s created a virus.” “What?!” You leap unto the table, looking at Micheals equipment and back at him. A virus? This was worse than you thought. “You mean he can spread this through the air?!” “He could, but he’s chosen not to.” He turns back to his computer; a model of the virus is on the screen. “It’s inert; it has to be activated by the DNA of a living being, and then it can only alter that one being. It’s incredible.” He shook his head, clearly impressed against his will. “You said he’s chosen not to. What do you mean by that?” you ask, calming down a bit now that you weren’t looking at a fullscale epidemic. Micheal looks at you, thoughtful. “He turned off the parts of virus that allow it to pass from one person to the next. Like I said, he can chose which people it affects. This…this could change everything we know about modern medicine. We could tailor vaccines to individuals! And more!” “And create strains of diseases that only affect certain races…not to mention, you know. Ponies. So is there an antiviral agent?” you asked evenly. Micheal shakes his head. “No. I can’t simply undo the effects of the virus. If I understood the work a little better, I might be able to recreate it to mutate you back, but…” “I understand.” You could see why Micheal wouldn’t want to mess with this mad scientist stuff; that’s why you liked him so much. Tyler was bold, and he got stuff done, but he skirted what could be considered moral. Micheal was a Doctor…no, a healer, even. You’ve never met a more altruistic person, and you’re a pony. Speaking of Tyler…you two could hear the truck starting up in the driveway. Micheal looked down at you for a moment, and then rushed to the door with you on his heels. Tyler was behind the wheel, and leaned his head out the window when he saw you two. “Come on! We’re busting into that warehouse, right now!” He’s lost his mind. That’s the only explanation for this. Tyler has completely lost his marbles. “Yeah, and when we do that, he’ll totally make us all into pet ponies” you call out. Micheal scoops you up suddenly, putting you in the backseat. “Look, we have to do something. And now that I have this new information, it just might be time to face this guy.” Micheal whispers. You sigh, then nod, and he closes the door, getting in front. The ride to the warehouse is sane enough, but all of a sudden, Tyler yanks the wheel to the right, headed right for the wall of the warehouse. “Get out!” he cries. Micheal shoots him a look. “Can’t we just-“ In response, Tyler punches the gas for a few seconds; that wall is getting awful close. Micheal throws the door open, jumping out and rolling away from the car; you leap over the seat and follow him. Tyler guns the truck, then jumps out himself; the truck slams into the side of the warehouse, making a pretty good sized bang. Smoke rolled out from the truck as the engine died, and you cough, trying to get the smoke out of your lungs. Once the smoke cleared, you look up, and the first thing you see is Master. Trying to ignore the odd jump in your heart, you look around through the sizable hole the truck made. There’s this other guy, about twice as old as Master and wearing a suit…crazy. Behind Master, you spot a white pegasus with a long green mane. “Astarielle?” you ask, stepping closer. She shakes her head, hiding behind Master shyly. Was she wearing a collar? You’ve never seen Master do that before. The man in the suit turns around to face the three of you. “Two of them, huh?” he says, his tone cold. “You haven’t been selling on the side, have you?” Master stepped forward suddenly, shaking his head. “N-no!” You’ve never heard him so…scared. What was going on here? “Cobalt Hills is a classic example of what I was telling you about. The mental conditioning didn’t take! And Angel Grace…” he looked over his shoulder at the pegasus. Woah. You have never, ever seen that look on his face before. Master always seemed to you like the guy who played everyone else, had it all together, and thought he was the top of the food chain. But the way he looked at that pony made you realize Master wasn’t afraid for himself. He cared about this Angel Grace; he loved her. Something had happened since your escape. “Angel Grace is…my prototype. The first successful transformation. I wanted to run a few more tests to be sure; she hasn’t been awake very long.” He looked at the suited man. “You promised me I could keep the prototype. She’s going to be the foundation for the rest of the transformations. Give me two weeks, and you can keep my cut of the first…ten sales!” Master was doing a very good job of hiding it, but there was a pleading expression on his face. “How about this, Doctor.” He leaned his head to the side a bit, whispering. After a moment, he went on. “I’ll take this Cobalt Hills, and see if we can’t tame him. If you don’t have another pet pony ready for me in two weeks, I’ll take miss Angel Grace, as well.” Footsteps sounded behind you, and you, Tyler, and Micheal turned to see three burly men step into view. Your eyes widened as you realized why they were here. Tyler and Micheal moved to protect you, but Master surprised you again. “No!” he pulled a syringe from his pocket, charging down the suited man. One of the bodyguards intercepted him, and the two struggled for a bit, Master trying to stick the needle in the guys arm. The tables were turned, through, and the man wrestled the needle away, the tip plunging into Masters arm. “Argh!” he cried out, stumbling back and holding his arm. The man grinned, and turned around… To see Tyler holding the suited guy, his two friends glaring at him. “See, here’s how this is going to go down. You four are going to leave us alone, got it? Get back in your little Suburban and I’ll let moneybags go.” He tightened his grip around the suits neck. Micheal stepped closer to Tyler protectively, and the three goons backed off, headed back the way they came. Tyler followed them, still holding his hostage, and Micheal rushed to Masters side, pulling the empty syringe out. The pegasus hopped up on Masters lap, licking his arm. “Are you alright, Master?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern. Master nodded, managing a kind smile as he stroked her mane. “Of course I am, Angel Grace…you’re safe.” He winced, looking at Micheal. “I knew you were an okay guy…” Micheal shook his head, holding up the syringe. “What was in this?” “A gift I’d been saving for him.” Master replied, grinning wryly. “He wanted a more viral strain…I was going to let him experience it firsthand.”
Document 1Your name is Cobalt Hills, and humans are idiots. When Mike and Tyler had seen a girl approaching the warehouse, you assumed she had just gotten lost. Most people who found themselves there did so in the back of a truck. You’re pretty sure that’s how you got here, too, but the part of your memory between a few days before the change and your escape was a complete blank. Damn that guy. You had watched from the underbrush as they went to grab her; the way she was holding the umbrella suggested that the warehouse was her destination. So, when they brought her over, you had tried to explain to her why going there was a very bad idea. Instead of listening to reason, she had run off, and the guys had given chase. “Come on…” you said, pacing as you waited. It would be terrible if that poor girl got turned into a mindless creature like the others. Why had she come here under her own power? What was that freak in the warehouse up to? The bushes rustled, and you slinked back, ready to hide again. To your relief, it was just the guys. On the other hoof-hand!-on the other hand, they didn’t have the girl. Sparkles. “She looked right at us, then went inside. Who does that?” Michael said, shaking his head. “Someone who follows the instructions of an email, without researching it further.” You remarked, annoyed. “He didn’t have to kidnap her because she’s extremely stupid already. I think we should go back to our old plan.” “Perhaps not.” Tyler said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. That was a bad look for him. “You said you wanted to study the transformation, right?” he looked at Mike. Mike looked back, confused. “I did. But we can’t get in there, and even if we could, I don’t have the equipment or the know-how to figure out how he’s doing it.” “I can get you a fully-equipped hospital room, but we have to get that girl out of there.” Tyler said, looking at the warehouse again. “Stop, stop, stop.” You say, holding up a hoof. “Master-damn it, I mean he, has cameras everywhere. It was a fluke that we escaped. You want to go back in, find her, even though she’s likely already starting her transformation, and get out, without being detected?” there was no way. No way in hell that they could escape from Master. You barely made it, and that’s because he took in more victims than normal that round. “If we time it right, why not? He goes out once a month or so; if he leaves her behind…” Tyler started, but stopped when he saw you shaking your head. “No way. Master doesn’t leave a subject alone, ever. Even when they’re knocked out, he only leaves when he has to.” You’d seen it countless times, Master had enough food to last a year, and he restocked it between transformation sessions. When he delivered ponies to…wherever during yours, he brought you along. Sure, he kept you in the back, so you had no idea where they were going, but he never left you alone. “We’ll think of something. We have to.” Tyler said, sighing. “Shall we get back, then?” You nod, even though this part is the worst thing about these recon missions. Tyler pulls a large animal carrier from the shrubbery, and you walk in. If you were more of a pony, you’d find this comforting; luckily, it’s more of an annoyance to you. He picks you up, and the three of you walk through the woods for a time, headed for Micheals truck. “Hey, Cobalt. We’ll save her, you know that, right?” “Mmm?” Tyler goes on. “We’re going to get her out of there, like you got us out. We’ll find out how he’s doing this to people, and put a stop to this. And we’re going to get your memories back, too.” “Don’t do it for me. I’m already all but gone. Do it for the people who can still be saved.” You pretty much resigned yourself to living as a pony. You had a mind strong enough to resist the instincts of your new body, and you planned to use it, somehow, to stop Master. When the time came, though, you were going in alone. You weren’t going to risk these guys falling to Master as well. Tyler stopped suddenly. “Mike. Come look at this.” You strain to see past the grate as Masters truck pulls out. “What, what about it? He’s likely just delivering some new ponies.” I commented, annoyed at the interruption. “There’s more than that. We may be able to execute our plan after all…” What Tyler explained to the two of you was incredible, but it just might open the window for a rescue mission. You were getting Astarielle out, while there was still a human girl to get out.
Document 2Your name is Cobalt Hills, and you really feel sorry for this girl. Astarielle was laying in the bed, hooked up to two IVs, her chest rising and falling peacefully. She was almost cute like this, if she wasn’t in so much danger. Her once brown hair was now green with the slightest bit of a brown tint, and though no one else had noticed, you could see the hairs of her tail growing in. Of course, the most notable thing was the thickening coat of white fur. You just couldn’t stay mad at her for running into the warehouse like that; she was being punished for her curiosity enough. “Are you sure this is going to work? She still seems to be changing…” you asked Micheal, who came over to look at her. “Yes, but at a reduced rate. Until I understand how he’s transforming people into ponies, I can’t stop the transformation or undo it.” He sighed, headed for the door. You followed him as he entered his lab, sliding into his chair and looking into the microscope. As far as you could tell, he was studying Astarielles blood, looking for any changes. Unsure of what to do with yourself, you meander over to a chart on the wall, listing times and numbers. “What is this?” you ask, looking back at Micheal and pointing. He turns in his chair to look at it, shaking his head. “Measurements. She’s shrinking as well; again, I’ve slowed the effects, but all the more reason to hurry up with our studies.” He turned back to the microscope, shaking his head. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem to be in her bloodstream; or if it is, I can’t see it.” The next half hour or so passed in silence as Micheal worked and you watched him, hoping the three of you got to the girl in time. “Grubs here.” Tyler said, opening the lab door and sitting down in another chair. He put a salad on the floor for you, and tossed a bag to Micheal, who ignored it. “He’s absorbed in his work.” You explain, starting on your own dinner. Sometimes you really missed fast food meat. Not often, but enough. “He really thinks he can help that girl.” “If she had been a little smarter, she wouldn’t be in this mess.” Tyler remarked, taking a big bite out of his hamburger. You winced a bit as some sauce dripped down his chin; perhaps an all vegetable diet wasn’t so bad after all. “We did warn her not to go.” “Can you blame her, though?” you reply, looking up. “She got an email from someone she trusted, telling her he wanted to share something with her. I’m surprised Master doesn’t do it more often.” Once again, you failed to catch yourself before calling that man Master. You may as well give up, it was something to call him, even if it made you shudder. “I wonder what made her so special, though; why not just kidnap her?” Tyler shrugged between bites. “Who knows how his mind works. This is the guy who doesn’t see a problem with kidnapping people and changing their very bodies, or even their minds.” “That’s the thing. He’s never been shy about the kidnapping part; he doesn’t try to convince them because his brainwashing ensures they’ll go along with it. But he went out of his way to make sure this girl came to him. If we can understand that, we might have a chance of saving her.” The two of you look over at the wall, thinking about the girl on the other side of it. “You think we got to her in time?” you wonder aloud. Tyler shakes his head, putting the hamburger back in the back. “Honestly, as far as she’s progressed, I don’t know. Of course, it brings up another issue.” Seeing your curious stare, he goes on. “All those people he’s changed, you, and her.” He nods at the wall. “What do we do once we stop him, if Micheal can’t reverse the transformation?” That had been bugging you as well. Living in Tylers place, hiding from the public eye, worked for one pony, maybe two if Astarielle did fully transform. But he had brought over two dozen people to his little warehouse. What had happened to them all, and could they look after themselves if need be? “I don’t know, Tyler. I just don’t-“ A crash from the other room got the attention of all three of you. You were the first one to the door, and the other two were fast on your heels, but all of you stopped dead when you saw who was in the other room. Master was standing over the bed, holding Astarielle in his arms, the IV drips dangling uselessly. “I believe this is mine.” He said smoothly, smiling at the three of you. “Put her down!” You demanded, taking another step forward. He fixed you with a look that stopped you again. “You’re welcome to come home with me, if you’re so worried about her, Cobalt Hills. You can do much better than this.” He still had that way of talking. His words slipped into your mind, making you want to skip along beside him and obey his every word. Why couldn’t he be some kind of hunchback villain? His eyes moved upward. “I wouldn’t recommend that.” Master said conversationally; Tyler dropped a scalpel he was holding. “Shame if I suddenly dropped Angel Grace, her bones have already become lightweight, I doubt she’d be able to stand for awhile afterwards.” He moved smoothly towards the door. “If you’re coming, Cobalt.” Once again, you had to restrain yourself from mindlessly following Master. You looked down quickly, growling. “Why are you doing this?” Micheal asked, stepping aside and shaking his head. “You have to have taken some kind of medical schooling! This is in violation of everything doctors stand for!” “Primum non nocere.” Master recited, headed for the door. “You know where to find me. I believe you two are worthy of a greater calling.” He glanced briefly at Tyler. “Others, not so much. Farewell for now.” The door closed behind him as the three of you looked on helplessly. Tyler rushed out after him. Micheal sat down in a chair, shaking. You trot to his side, confused. “What is it? What does Primum non nocere mean?” “First, do no harm.” Micheal replied uneasily, looking at the door again. “It’s normally applied in emergency medicine, but in medical research, it means ‘Make sure the benefits outweigh the costs.’” He put his head in his hands, silent until Tyler returned. The two of you looked up hopefully, but he merely shook his head. “It’s no good. The sedative will wear off soon, and she’ll resume changing. She’s already reaching advanced stages…” he walked off, heading toward the lab. “Where’s he going in such a rush?” Tyler asked, panting. Had he been running after Masters truck? You watch him leave, your spirits still low from the loss you suffered. “Hopefully to put an end to this madness.”
Document 3It’s been days since you lost Astarielle. Your first rescue mission, a complete failure. Micheal has barely been out of his lab since, and you have no idea where Tyler is half the time. And you? You often envied the humans; the slightest taste of alcohol made you violently ill, so you can’t drown your anger and sorrow in a bottle. At least they had an escape, even if Micheal chose not to take it. He was obsessed with some project, but you didn’t see the point. Master had won. If you couldn’t save one damn girl, what was the point of- “Cobalt Hills. Come in here a moment.” You trotted into the lab, looking over at the hospital bed that still rested there. Shaking your head, you looked up at Micheal; he was holding a silver bracelet in his gloved hand. “I solved it.” “Solved what?” you ask, curious despite yourself. “How he’s doing it. It’s incredible, years ahead of our time. He’s created a virus.” “What?!” You leap unto the table, looking at Micheals equipment and back at him. A virus? This was worse than you thought. “You mean he can spread this through the air?!” “He could, but he’s chosen not to.” He turns back to his computer; a model of the virus is on the screen. “It’s inert; it has to be activated by the DNA of a living being, and then it can only alter that one being. It’s incredible.” He shook his head, clearly impressed against his will. “You said he’s chosen not to. What do you mean by that?” you ask, calming down a bit now that you weren’t looking at a fullscale epidemic. Micheal looks at you, thoughtful. “He turned off the parts of virus that allow it to pass from one person to the next. Like I said, he can chose which people it affects. This…this could change everything we know about modern medicine. We could tailor vaccines to individuals! And more!” “And create strains of diseases that only affect certain races…not to mention, you know. Ponies. So is there an antiviral agent?” you asked evenly. Micheal shakes his head. “No. I can’t simply undo the effects of the virus. If I understood the work a little better, I might be able to recreate it to mutate you back, but…” “I understand.” You could see why Micheal wouldn’t want to mess with this mad scientist stuff; that’s why you liked him so much. Tyler was bold, and he got stuff done, but he skirted what could be considered moral. Micheal was a Doctor…no, a healer, even. You’ve never met a more altruistic person, and you’re a pony. Speaking of Tyler…you two could hear the truck starting up in the driveway. Micheal looked down at you for a moment, and then rushed to the door with you on his heels. Tyler was behind the wheel, and leaned his head out the window when he saw you two. “Come on! We’re busting into that warehouse, right now!” He’s lost his mind. That’s the only explanation for this. Tyler has completely lost his marbles. “Yeah, and when we do that, he’ll totally make us all into pet ponies” you call out. Micheal scoops you up suddenly, putting you in the backseat. “Look, we have to do something. And now that I have this new information, it just might be time to face this guy.” Micheal whispers. You sigh, then nod, and he closes the door, getting in front. The ride to the warehouse is sane enough, but all of a sudden, Tyler yanks the wheel to the right, headed right for the wall of the warehouse. “Get out!” he cries. Micheal shoots him a look. “Can’t we just-“ In response, Tyler punches the gas for a few seconds; that wall is getting awful close. Micheal throws the door open, jumping out and rolling away from the car; you leap over the seat and follow him. Tyler guns the truck, then jumps out himself; the truck slams into the side of the warehouse, making a pretty good sized bang. Smoke rolled out from the truck as the engine died, and you cough, trying to get the smoke out of your lungs. Once the smoke cleared, you look up, and the first thing you see is Master. Trying to ignore the odd jump in your heart, you look around through the sizable hole the truck made. There’s this other guy, about twice as old as Master and wearing a suit…crazy. Behind Master, you spot a white pegasus with a long green mane. “Astarielle?” you ask, stepping closer. She shakes her head, hiding behind Master shyly. Was she wearing a collar? You’ve never seen Master do that before. The man in the suit turns around to face the three of you. “Two of them, huh?” he says, his tone cold. “You haven’t been selling on the side, have you?” Master stepped forward suddenly, shaking his head. “N-no!” You’ve never heard him so…scared. What was going on here? “Cobalt Hills is a classic example of what I was telling you about. The mental conditioning didn’t take! And Angel Grace…” he looked over his shoulder at the pegasus. Woah. You have never, ever seen that look on his face before. Master always seemed to you like the guy who played everyone else, had it all together, and thought he was the top of the food chain. But the way he looked at that pony made you realize Master wasn’t afraid for himself. He cared about this Angel Grace; he loved her. Something had happened since your escape. “Angel Grace is…my prototype. The first successful transformation. I wanted to run a few more tests to be sure; she hasn’t been awake very long.” He looked at the suited man. “You promised me I could keep the prototype. She’s going to be the foundation for the rest of the transformations. Give me two weeks, and you can keep my cut of the first…ten sales!” Master was doing a very good job of hiding it, but there was a pleading expression on his face. “How about this, Doctor.” He leaned his head to the side a bit, whispering. After a moment, he went on. “I’ll take this Cobalt Hills, and see if we can’t tame him. If you don’t have another pet pony ready for me in two weeks, I’ll take miss Angel Grace, as well.” Footsteps sounded behind you, and you, Tyler, and Micheal turned to see three burly men step into view. Your eyes widened as you realized why they were here. Tyler and Micheal moved to protect you, but Master surprised you again. “No!” he pulled a syringe from his pocket, charging down the suited man. One of the bodyguards intercepted him, and the two struggled for a bit, Master trying to stick the needle in the guys arm. The tables were turned, through, and the man wrestled the needle away, the tip plunging into Masters arm. “Argh!” he cried out, stumbling back and holding his arm. The man grinned, and turned around… To see Tyler holding the suited guy, his two friends glaring at him. “See, here’s how this is going to go down. You four are going to leave us alone, got it? Get back in your little Suburban and I’ll let moneybags go.” He tightened his grip around the suits neck. Micheal stepped closer to Tyler protectively, and the three goons backed off, headed back the way they came. Tyler followed them, still holding his hostage, and Micheal rushed to Masters side, pulling the empty syringe out. The pegasus hopped up on Masters lap, licking his arm. “Are you alright, Master?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern. Master nodded, managing a kind smile as he stroked her mane. “Of course I am, Angel Grace…you’re safe.” He winced, looking at Micheal. “I knew you were an okay guy…” Micheal shook his head, holding up the syringe. “What was in this?” “A gift I’d been saving for him.” Master replied, grinning wryly. “He wanted a more viral strain…I was going to let him experience it firsthand.”
