Revelations - Matters of Madness and Other Poisons

Night had fallen over Ponyville, the kind of night that blankets every living organism in an aura of contentment.  Fireflies flickered in and out of existence in the motionless air, mimicking the many sleep-deprived citizens who wanted nothing more than a nice long rest after experiencing such hardship.  Nightmare Moon’s return after one thousand years of confinement had spread panic and misery across Equestria, but hope had been restored due to six young mares discovering the magic of friendship.  Now the world was at peace as even they lay down to rest.  The cool nighttime air blowing through the Everfree Forest proved soothing enough to calm even its most violent creatures, but “calming” was the last word Viktor Splice would use to describe this night.  To him, this night was the accumulation of many years of difficult work and continual sacrifice.  His future here and the future of Equestria itself depended on one thing: Viktor’s ability to locate a tract of land suitable for development.

As the middle-aged unicorn stumbled through the forest, carrying nothing more than the beret on his head, the dark-rimmed glasses on his face, and the scroll he had stolen from the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing of the Canterlot Archives, he couldn’t help but let a sense of giddiness wash throughout his body.  It felt wonderful to be walking again.  The years spent in isolation hadn’t been noticeable to his conscious mind, but it did do a number on his already aching muscles.  Allowing his legs to move into a trot, Viktor gained instant gratification from the feeling of blood pumping throughout his veins.  Sweat began to dampen his charcoal colored coat, and the various twigs and branches of the forest became matted in the alternating dark-blue and silver of his tail.  Nevertheless, Viktor kept his eyes focused on the non-existent trail ahead, the deep violet hue of his irises reflecting his steely conviction.  Normally his paranoia would have gotten the better of him by now and his eyes would be shifting left and right to make sure nobody could recognize his cutie mark.  But, seeing as how anybody who once knew of him was long dead, Viktor Splice could flaunt the mark of his trade without a care in the world.  And that image of a cholesterol molecule look good in the moonlight.  Only after several minutes of running did his paranoia get the better of him.  Viktor knew the sight of an unknown pony wandering the forest would startle any onlookers the next day, and his dark-blue hooves beat faster through the forest in hopes of finding recluse before sunrise.

Once I find a suitable area to construct my lab upon, Viktor thought to himself, I’m going to need equipment.  Metallurgy should be easy enough: I’m certain the mines near Canterlot haven’t been sucked dry just yet… His face scrunched up in consideration.  How long had he been in that cave?  It felt like mere seconds, but he knew it could have been weeks or even years.  That also meant there was a possibility his advancements in the scientific field were long outdated, despite being far ahead of their time.  This would require research at a later date.  What he needed right now was shelter.  Research aside, I really need something to eat and somewhere to stay.

Viktor’s hooves skidded to a stop and he took in his surroundings.  Though still deep within the confines of the forest, a large cliff rose into the air on his right.  Mountains were known to be scattered throughout the Everfree, and many of them contained dragons or other equally frightening beasts.  However, the charcoal pony was certain any creature that had the misfortune to come across him would more than likely turn tail and run away.  As his eyes skated across the surface of the mountainside next to him, Viktor became acutely aware of a small knoll just up ahead.  Stepping closer, he realized this was exactly what he had been searching for:  deep within the forest, hidden by the cliff on one side and surrounded by trees on all others, the raised clearing seemed too perfect a foundation for his lab to be a natural formation.  Splice clambered up the side of the cliff a bit to get a good view beyond the trees that stood sentinel to this oasis.  In the distance – though not too distant – lay the small town of Ponyville.  Though Viktor had no way of knowing the village’s name, he knew its presence meant civilization could be found.  And civilization meant one thing: supplies.

Viktor leapt off the cliff and tossed the parchment he had been carrying in his mouth besides the clearing.  He stood back, closed his eyes, and allowed his breathing to steady into a slow rhythm as a dark purple glow began forming over his horn.  Reaching out with his mind, the unicorn felt the features of the surrounding landscape and studied them with a level of precision that only a scientific mind such as his own could.  He observed every crack and crevice in the nearby stone wall, he listened to the pulses of life emanating from deep within the ground and all around him in the forest, and he understood the very layout of the land beneath his hooves so as to make his next move flawless.  Taking one final breath, the scientist allowed a tidal wave of energy to burst forth from his horn, and almost immediately the landscape nearby began to shift.  Large chunks of stone peeled themselves off the cliff-side and levitated towards the clearing.  Simultaneously, the hill itself began to shift and grumble as walls of stone rose from the ground, surrounded by a dark purple glow.  The mass of earth and stone readjusted and assembled itself on a molecular level as the former doctor shaped the matter to his will.  After what seemed like hours, Splice allowed the magic to dissipate and looked up, panting from his exertions.  Standing atop the hill and looming above its creator was the shape of a beautiful laboratory.  The stone that made the building had been polished through the use of magic, and the rectangular structure of the entire building seemed to glimmer in the moonlight.  The building stood two stories tall, and its roof poked just above the tree line that surrounded it.  This allowed for optimal supervision of the forest that lied ahead as well as the town beyond while still remaining inconspicuous.  As for the ground and the cliff, all evidence that large chunks of matter had just been chipped away moments before were gone – Viktor had taken extra care to remove all blemishes from his new home.  Stepping back, Splice admired his own work and allowed himself a moment to catch his breath.

Now all I require are ‘home furnishings’, he thought with a devilish grin.  Finding the various mechanisms, chemicals, vials, and medical equipment necessary to complete his lab would be difficult, especially because Splice no longer knew what was expected of an adequate lab.  For all I know, my entire repertoire of research may be nothing more than grade school common knowledge by now.  There must be someplace where I can read up on what has taken place in Equestrian history since I’ve been gone.  As he pondered this, Splice gathered up his scroll and walked into his new home.  The first floor constituted what would be most of the doctor’s living space.  There was room for a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and some form of entertainment.  Nodding to himself, Viktor trotted upstairs.  The second floor, though currently barren, would soon resemble his lab back at Canterlot.  He could already locate where he would stash his organic-materials containment unit and his neurotoxin research chamber.  The section of the room farthest from him could accommodate a long table of Petri dishes and a windowsill for research concerning biological and chemical processes; a table in the center of the room could be surrounded with mechanical devices for his electrical and physical research.  Looking around at the core of his future existence, Viktor released a sigh of contentment.  Soon he would be able to continue his work and drive himself towards a new goal – vengeance on the pony that had destroyed everything he ever cared for.  Shuffling up the last flight of stairs, Viktor walked through a rectangular archway (a door would be needed there soon, as well as in the front of the house) and found himself standing on the roof.  He had designed the building to be flat on all six sides, and while the roof was no exception, he had created neck-high walls surrounding its edge.  This would help prevent accidents involving plummeting to his death as well as extra protection from potential intruders.

Looking out over the forest, Splice could easily see Ponyville settled into the night.  Not a light was on in the town, which Viktor took as a sign that its residents were currently asleep.  This seemed as good a time as any to go “scavenging” for supplies, so Viktor trotted downstairs and dropped his scroll in a corner of the first floor.  Using his magic to make temporary stone doors, he sealed off the entire building and began the trek towards Ponyville, savoring the cold grasp of night.