Revelations - Matters of Madness and Other Poisons

Jean had to drag himself to school the next day, fighting his fatigue from staying up late the previous night to hunt phoenixes.  When he awoke, he found Viktor slumped over a lab table, notes sprawled about his head and the magical containment unit whirring softly nearby.  A constant stream of drool oozed out of the unicorn’s mouth.

Sarah lay at the bottom of the steps, her breath coming out in quiet drawn-out measures.  She only growled once or twice, but it was enough to usher Jean out the door without a second look.

The dirt path leading toward Ponyville was half covered with root systems and leaf litter, and Jean Splice nearly lost himself among the trees more than once.  He could hear the school bells ringing long before the town came into view.

Oh great, I’m going to be late on my first day!  An apple held in his mouth disappeared with an audible gulp, and Jean began swiftly sprinting into town.

The schoolhouse rested at the edge of town atop a large knoll.  Its presence appeared both strangely intimidating and inviting – a large wooden obelisk that kept silent watch over Ponyville and its young ones.  It was an interesting paradox that Jean promised to consider at a later time.  Preferably when he wasn’t struggling to make it to class.

Once he finally reached the school grounds, Jean was crestfallen to find it was empty.

And now I have to walk in late on my very first day…  Thanks a lot Viktor.

He walked up to the classroom door and stood there nervously.  Inside, Cheerilee could be heard chattering in her usual manner, and occasionally a young voice responded with a mumbling “here”.  At least they were still doing roll-call.  Jean took a deep breath, steeled himself for the inevitable embarrassment, and pushed the door open slowly.

All at once the young colt felt over twenty pairs of eyes fall squarely on him.

Cheerilee tilted her head in confusion that the entire class had suddenly looked elsewhere.  She followed their gaze to the door and blinked in surprise upon finding Jean standing there awkwardly.  Her face lit up.

“Oh good morning Jean!  I’m so glad you decided to come after all.  I would have had to have another chat with your father if you didn’t.”

“Yeah haha,” Jean chuckled nervously, “to be honest I’m kind of shocked I came today too.”

“Well that’s no matter, you’re here now.  Why don’t you come to the front of the class and introduce yourself?”  As she said this Cheerilee trotted behind her desk and sat in her chair.  She patted the front of her desk with a forehoof, beckoning Jean to step forward into the limelight.

He could feel the judgment piercing into his skin from all those watching him.  It forced him to look at the ground and shuffle his hooves uneasily while he spoke.

“Um, I’m Jean Splice…” his voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Would you please speak up dear?  I’m afraid your classmates can’t hear you.”

A few snickers from the back of the class caught Jean’s attention, and he tentatively looked up to see a bright pink filly mocking his shyness.  She wore a tiara upon her head that reflected her highly pompous personality, and she watched him with a look of sadistic amusement as he wilted under the eyes of the students.

This was not going well.

Somebody in the back of the classroom cleared their throat loudly, trying to catch Jean’s attention, and his ears perked up when he recognized who it was.  Sitting just to the side of the rude pink pony was none other than the Cutie Mark Crusaders.  All three of them beamed at Jean once he noticed them, and Sweetie Belle made a rolling motion with her hooves, encouraging Jean to speak up.  His spirit lifted instantly and he found the courage necessary to speak up.  Thank goodness he had friends here.

“My name is Jean Splice,” he spoke with confidence, “my father and I just moved into Ponyville recently, so I'm still relatively new to everything here.  I look forward to making friends with every one of you.”  He finished with a slight bow and winked at the CMC, all of whom nodded their approval.

“Thank you Jean.  Does anybody have any questions for our new student?  Remember, we want him to feel welcome in town, so—”

She was cut off by a snort from the pink filly.

“Where exactly do you live Jean?  I don’t think I’ve seen any houses for sale in Ponyville recently.”

“Oh, well that’s because I don’t actually live in Ponyville.  My family and I live in the Everfree Forest.”

The whole classroom gasped in unison, throwing Jean off guard.  Amidst the chattering that had erupted the pink pony spoke up once more.

“The Everfree Forest??  Only monsters live there!  Why are you even in school if you live there?”

“Well now that’s not very nice.  I don—”

“Do you have to eat wild plants?”  Another student asked.  Jean was interrupted again before he could respond.

“Do you live with a pack of Timberwolves?”

“Are you here to feed on us??”

“Class!  That is enough!”  Cheerilee attempted to obtain order.  “Diamond Tiara,” she spoke to the tiara pony, “that is not a nice thing to say.  Apologize!”

Tiara looked fairly smug with herself.  “Why should I?  He’s from the Everfree.  He’s a wild creature.”

Cheerilee was just about to blow a gasket before Jean stopped her.

He looked back to Diamond Tiara to find that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were prepped to pounce on her if she dared speak once more.  Jean got their attention and shook his head.  Then he spoke to the class.

“I’m not some sort of savage.  I don’t live in the Everfree because I’m a monster or I eat flesh or anything like that.  I live in the Everfree because my father wanted to.  My father is… eccentric.  He’s a scientist, and he likes to do his work away from other ponies.”

A small murmur of excitement settled about the class.  Ponyville didn’t have many scientists other than Twilight Sparkle, and she didn’t do for a full time profession.  A young filly in the front raised her hoof shyly, and Jean nodded in her direction.

“Yes?”

“Does your daddy have a lab?”  she asked shyly.

Jean smiled.  “Yes he does actually.  He has a two-story lab filled to the brim with awesome equipment!”

Once he said this the class began throwing questions his way fervently.  What kind of scientist was he?  Did he make medicines?  Rocket ships?  Was he looking for a way to send ponies into space so that they could see the beauty of the cosmos for themselves?

Jean felt conflicted.  Though elated that the class now welcomed him, he had to lie through his teeth.  Surely you can’t just tell a group of kids that your father spends his time extracting toxins from plants and murdering Phoenixes to study the afterlife?  Instead Jean painted a picture of Viktor as the forefather of science, a pony who sought to aid others rather than harm.  One whose work would receive praise and song throughout history, and whose contribution to Equestrian life could be worthy of rewards beyond one’s comprehension.  Deep down Jean wished it to all be true.  But this was Viktor he was talking about.  Sentiment didn’t mean much to that stallion.

The rest of the day went swimmingly.  After Diamond Tiara had her mouth shut by popular opinion, Jean found a seat next to Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom and went about a normal school day.  Though he knew everything Cheerilee taught, he found the content enjoyable enough to sit through.  Cheerilee presented in a way that directly reflected her name, keeping her students interested and involved so that even the laziest didn’t have an excuse for not understanding.  Jean engaged, laughed, worked, and learned to see the world he already knew in different lights.

When the bell indicating the start of recess rang, Jean found himself dragged to the courtyard by the CMC.

“So how’s school so far Jean?”  Sweetie asked sweetly.

He put on a face of bemused indifference, shrugging his shoulders exaggeratedly as he bobbed his head about.  “What can I say?  It’s nothing I don’t already know.”

Scootaloo socked him lightly on the shoulder.  “Oh quit being such a nerd.”

He laughed.  “Nah it’s cool so far.  I think I’m in love with Ms. Cheerilee.”

Applebloom stuck her tongue out.  “Ew Jean that’s our teacher!”

“What?  No!  I meant like, I love her teaching style an—”

“Liar!”  Scootaloo interrupted.  “You love her!”

“No I do—”

“Jean loves Cheerilee!  Jean loves Cheerilee!”  The three of them danced around Jean and merrily chanted for the world to hear.  He pulled his hat down as far as it could go on his head and looked down embarrassedly.  Truth be told, Jean Splice was exceptionally happy to be with his friends once again.  The previous night had been rough on the young colt.  This sort of playful taunting was calming after what he’d been through.

Unfortunately, what’s-her-face decided she hadn’t chewed up the new guy enough and decided to break up their fun.  She strode up to them confidently, tiara upon her head and silver friend trailing behind, and one by one the CMC noticed her arrival.  They each stopped dancing and instead bore expressions of pure hatred upon their faces.

“Well well well,” Diamond Tiara spat, “what have we here?  Another blank flank loser to join the Stupid Mark Crusaders?”

“Ha, good one Tiara!”  her friend chirped.

Jean noticed Sweetie Belle backing up fearfully.  She was a sensitive filly as is, and apparently this Diamond Tiara hit every tender nerve possible.  Scootaloo stepped forward, placing herself betwixt her friends and the enemy.

“You take that back,” she drawled out deliberately.  Tiara just snorted and jerked her chin up high.

“Why should I?  Now your loser group of three is a group of four.  I have to be worried about the expansion of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“But he has his cutie mark,” Applebloom interjected.  “So he isn’t even a Cutie Mark Crusader.”

“Oh?”  Tiara leaned around Scootaloo to get a look at Jean’s cutie mark.  “Princess Celestia?  That’s a…” she looked to her friend and smirked mockingly, “unique mark?”  They both chortled vehemently.

“Why don’t you leave him alone Tiara?”  Scootaloo shook with anger as she spoke.  “It’s only his first day here.”

“Well he’s getting with the wrong crowd.  Hey, kid,” Tiara called to Jean.  “Why don’t you hang out with us?  We’ll show you what it’s like to actually have friends.”

“You can’t take our friend from us!”  Sweetie Belle’s voice cracked.  Diamond Tiara and her friend just laughed at her.

“He’s much better off with us.  Come on boy, we’ll show you the ropes of being a somebody.”

Jean watched in a state of stupor as his friends and these bullies shot snarky comments back and forth at one another.  It scared him.  It angered him.  It confused him.  He looked into Diamond Tiara’s face and only saw hatred.  He saw Viktor.  His “dad”, the epitome of all that was wrong with the world, was right.  The world wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops, and Jean needed to do something now to protect those he cared about.

He thought for a moment, and then got an idea.  It was something Viktor told him back when Jean was first created, when Viktor believed he and Jean would destroy the world together as creator and created.  During the tour of the lab Viktor dispensed years of advice gained from personal experience – that which he hadn’t already downloaded into Jean’s mind – to the young colt.  Amongst this information was one piece that seemed to stick out above the others:  The mind is a powerful thing.  If you can break it, you have control over your enemies…

Jean knew what he had to do.

He stepped forward, silencing Scootaloo with a stern gaze, and stood muzzle to muzzle with Tiara.  She leaned back cautiously, taken aback by this sudden turn of events.  Then, without warning, Jean leaped up onto his two hind legs and began swaying up and down in a frantic display of interpretive dance.  His eyes crossed and he muttered incoherent phrases as he waved his forearms dramatically.  He walked forward on hind legs, swaying left and right as he approached Tiara.  Needless to say, it confused the crap out of her.

“What are you—?  What are you doing?!”  She screeched.  But Jean continued his psychedelic dancing.  He increased in speed and pitch until Tiara and her friend were scrambling backwards frantically.  They fell over each other in a pile of pony as Jean danced.  They jumped to their hooves and scurried away, screaming for their lives as they did so.

Jean sat back on his haunches and let out a sigh of relief.  He had successfully deterred the aggressors.

A small pushing force against his side brought Jean to alertness.  He looked to see Applebloom staring at him looking utterly dumbfounded.

“Just what in the hay was that Jean?”

Sweetie Belle sat down on his other side.  “Yeah, you danced Tiara away!  I’ve never thought of doing that before!”

“Haha that?  Well that was something my dad taught me.  Confusing one’s enemies is always a much easier tactic than outright confrontation.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other, shocked, before busting out into a fit of laughter.  Jean joined them in their mirthfulness, and the four friends spent the rest of the afternoon playing together in merriment.

Jean sat with Scootaloo – the two of them had been paired up for the day’s assignment – and was just finishing up the last bit of writing while she tried her best not to doze off.  The bells rang, signaling the end of the day, and most of the students were leaping out of their seats before Cheerilee got a chance to speak.

“I want everybody to place their assignments on my desk before you go.  Be safe, I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

Once outside, Jean sat under a tree with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle as they waited for their sisters to pick them up.  Scootaloo tossed her helmet upon her head and sped off with a wave of her hoof as soon as class got out.  She was dead tired.

The three of them were talking about nothing in particular when Applejack and Rarity came strolling up to grab their little sisters.  No more than a month ago the older mares wouldn’t have minded if the little fillies ran off to do their thing after school, but since the mass-heist of Sweet Apple Acres the whole town had become more than a bit paranoid about such a thing.

They strode up to the young fillies with a measured gait, their voices becoming louder as they approached.

“Well Rarity I gotta hand it to you.  You certainly do pull yer own when it comes to dress-making.”

“Oh Applejack I already told you, it’s nothing!  It’ll be an absolute delight to make your dresses for the gala.”

“Yeah I know you say that, but five dresses for five picky mares?”  She clicked her tongue.  “That’s a load-and-a-half of work that is.”

“Trust me my dear, everything is under control.  I admit it’s difficult to balance my work and social life however, especially now that I must pick up Sweetie from school.”

As she said this the one called “Rarity” leaned down and nuzzled her sister lovingly.

“And here she is now!  How was school Sweetie?”

“Fun as usual,” the young filly piped up cheerfully.

Applejack pulled her younger sister close with one arm and tussled her mane with the other.

“And how bout you ya little rascal?  Learn somethin’ useful?”

“Applejack, cut it out!”  Applebloom giggled as she pawed at her sister playfully.

Jean felt a bit humbled to be witnessing what he considered to be personal moments between family members.  Applejack noticed his gaze and smiled warmly.

“Well hey there partner, and who might you be?”

Jean attempted to introduce himself once again but was cut off by the energetic fillies he called friends.  They passionately retold the tale of the day they first met, spastically jumping from pies to flowers to crashing into hat stands.  They left out not a detail, even going so far as to praise the young colt for saving them from their constant bully.  That last detail left Applejack and Rarity grinning from ear to ear, and Jean found himself locked in a playful headlock from the eldest Apple sister.

All in all, things were going great until the subject of his recent arrival into Ponyville came up.  It happened so casually and so suddenly that Jean barely had any time at all to react before the older mares were glaring vehemently at him

“Your family just moved in last month eh?”  Applejack inquired suspiciously.

“You know Applejack, that’s just about the time that you-know-what occurred.”  Rarity added slowly.

Applejack nodded in the affirmative.  “Right you are Rarity.  Say Jean, where does your family live?  I don’t recall any plots of land going up for sale in town recently.”

He knew where this conversation was going long before it got there.  Attempting to lie would only infuriate them more, but he still had to try and muddle the truth as much as he could.

“Oh, you know, just at the edge of town.”

“Where on the edge of town?  Our friend Fluttershy lives at the edge of town.  Our farm is located at the edge of town.  Ain’t nobody seen anypony come to town in the last month.”

“Umm… the Everfree Forest?”

That did it.  Applejack released her hold on Applebloom and stepped between Jean and her sister.  Rarity used her magic to pull Sweetie Belle into a safer position behind herself.  Intensity filled their every word as they glowered at him threateningly.

“Nothing against you Jean, but we don’t take too kindly to strangers from the Everfree Forest.”

“That’s correct my dear.  Tell us, what does your family do for a living?”

Jean couldn’t take anymore.  Things would only get worse if these mares were allowed to continue their line of interrogation.  Instead, he held a hoof to his ear and changed his disposition to one of surprise.

“Wait, what’s that?  I-I think I hear my dad calling me!  Yeah, I definitely hear him calling me.  He gets reaaal mad if I make him walk all the way into town, so I’d better get a move on.”

His nervous grin was only met with judgmental stares.

“Right then… Uh, Applebloom, Sweetie, guess I’ll see you guys later.  Peace!”

And with that, Jean bolted away from the schoolyard and towards the safety of the dangerous forest.

Applebloom looked up towards her sister.  “Applejack, what in the hay was that about!”

“Applebloom you watch your tongue.”

Sweetie Belle poked her head from behind Rarity and joined in.  “Why were guys being so rude to our friend!”

“Sweetie this is something you’re far too young to understand.”

Rarity turned to AJ.  “We’re going after him right?”

“Just as soon as we tell Twilight and the others.  I hear she got a response from her brother that may just be what we need.”

“Agreed.  Let’s make haste then.”

Later That Evening

Viktor walked along an endless abyss.  Darkness enveloped all – blackness stretched beyond to the horizon and back.  Distinguishing up from down and left from right ought to have been an impossibility, but amazingly enough Viktor felt rightly oriented.  Though he couldn’t see it he felt the ground beneath his hooves and the wind tugging slightly at his mane.  It was as though his eyes were closed and all he needed to do was work up the courage to open them and see the world for what it was.  But his eyes were open, and as he looked down all he could see was his body standing amidst the endless abyss.  Splice continued to walk, looking for… something.  He couldn’t say what, but he knew he was looking for something.

The darkness enveloped him, hugged him, loved him.  It beckoned him to stay forever, to lie down, to sleep.  But Viktor kept walking.  There was something, anything, that he knew he ought to be looking for.  Hours passed.  Or maybe it was mere seconds?  Time stood still, ran backward, did leaps and flips over his head, but still Viktor pressed onward.  His hooves drove him forward into the nothingness in search of the hidden something.

Eventually, a faint light shimmered in the distance.  It was small, like somebody had turned on a stage light in an empty theatre.  A splash of blue seemed to bob up and down, up and down, a rhythmic motion that spoke volumes to Splice.  He began to sprint, sure that this is what he was here searching for.  As he approached the mass took shape and became more clearly defined.  A splash of blue, no, now a small blue filly, jumping up and down in a rhythmic pattern.  She pushed off from the ground slower than was physically possible, and seemed to come down almost regretfully.  The weight of gravity had no effect on her, and the passage of time didn’t as well.  A jump rope swung about her as she jumped – what was turning the rope Viktor couldn’t say, for he was immediately drawn in to this young filly’s face.  She stared at him with bright, dull gray eyes that peered into him and through him.  They appeared indifferent, disinterested, and curious all the same.  Her mouth remained clamped shut as she bounded up and down, and as Viktor watched he suddenly became aware of a strong force pulling him back.

Somebody had opened up the vacuum of the abyss a good distance behind him, and as the space depressurized Viktor was yanked back the way he had come.  The little filly was thoroughly unaffected by the shift in pressure and continued to jump, staring at Splice without looking at him.  His forehooves reached forward even as he flew backward.  Tears streamed from his eyes and he screamed forth as she faded into the distance.

“I’m sorry!  Please forgive me, my little Drillbit!”

Viktor woke with a start.

He shook his head clear and rubbed a hoof over his eyes.  “Goddamnit, I really need to stop eating before I sleep.  It’s fucking up my dreams…”

Various technical tools and charts lay scattered about the desk before him.  To his right sat the magical containment unit, still whirring with life as it held back the magic of the Phoenix within.  Viktor tapped its casing twice just to be sure.

Thin rays of light shone through the barred windows of his lab, shrouding everything in the surreal orange glow of the setting sun.

“Jeez I slept all day didn’t I…?”  Viktor spun around, once, twice, scanning the room for any signs of life.  He scratched his head in confusion.  “Where is everybody?”

He strode downstairs quickly and nearly tripped over the sleeping mare at the bottom of the steps.

“Oh.  Hey Sarah.  Sleep alright?”

A low rumbling emanated from before Viktor, causing him to jolt back in surprise.  Sarah flipped around, keeping her eyes shut tight, to reveal rows upon rows of jagged, oozing, black fangs.  They quivered slightly, then morphed back into the shape of her soft muzzle once she stopped yawning.  She raised her hindquarters into the air and arched her back like a cat.  Shadowy claws shot from her forehooves for a split second as she stretched and then retracted as quickly as they’d come.

Viktor was as horrified as he was intrigued.

A soft feeling at the tip of his muzzle snapped him from his reverie.  Sarah was looking at him slyly, and her outstretched wing graced the tip of his maw.

“Morning Doctor.”  She purred.

He grinned deviously.  “Well morning Sarah.  You seem quite chipper today.”

“Mmm it feels soo good to not have to sleep out in the forest for once.  Bramble really gets deep into one’s fur.”

“I can only imagine.  Now then, how about some breakfast?”

She followed him as he trotted down into the cellar.

“What’s on the menu Doctor?”

“Oh just some fresh apples.  That’s really all we have around here.”

Her grunt of dissatisfaction did not go unnoticed.

“Not to you liking?”  He asked her.

“Oh well, not entirely.  I can survive off produce as ponies do, but only for a short time.  My species really thrives—”

“On the lives of others.  Yes I’m well aware.”  Viktor put a hoof to his chin in thought.  As he did so, he noticed Sarah’s eyes for the first time since they awoke.  They appeared to be a much duller shade of pink then when they first met.

“Hey Sarah, your eyes…”

“Dull yes?”  She chuckled softly.  “It’s a sign that I need to feed.  When the shimmer of a succubus’ eye is bright, the succubus is full of vitality.  If it dulls, I need to go hunting ASAP.”

“Well then,” Viktor grinned, “How about we go hunting?”

“You?  Hunt?  Viktor, I’m an experienced assassin.  You’d only get in my way.”

“You give me too little credit!  Didn’t you say the same thing about my knowledge in Shadow Magic?”

Sarah was at a loss for words.  “That is true…”

“Come on, I can hunt!  I’m an experienced adventurer-slash-pugilist!”  Viktor jumped to his hind legs and held his forehooves before him defensively.  He threw a few weak jabs in Sarah’s general direction, eliciting a giggle from the tall mare.

“Alright alright, you’ve made your point.  Let’s see what you can do then.”

He sat back and hoof-pumped.  “Yes!  Let’s go hunting!  Raceyoutothedoorgo!”

Sarah blanked as Splice shot past her.  It took her a second to realize what he’d just said, but by then he was already halfway up the stairs.

“Hey no fair!”  She took flight after him.

Just before Viktor reached the door, Sarah tackled him.  The two of them rolled and crashed into the door in a jumble of body parts, laughing merrily all the way.

The door flung outward as they hit it, and standing there looking sorely confused was Jean Splice.

“Viktor!  What are you doing??”  He exclaimed.

Viktor quickly jumped to his hooves and dusted himself off.  “Well that’s none of your damn business now is it?  What are you doing here, why aren’t you at school?”

Jean blinked.  “School is over for the day.”

“Is it?  Well now that’s just a damn shame.  Move outta the way, Sarah and I have hunting to get to.”

Viktor tried to sidestep around Jean, but the young colt jumped into his way and stood with his forearms outstretched.

“Viktor there’s something you need to hear.  We’ve been found out.”

Splice looked at his clone like he’d just said the moon was made of cheese.  “What the hell are you talking about, we’ve been found out?”

Off in the distance a chorus of murmurs could suddenly be heard rising in volume, and an orange glow rose in the early nighttime air beyond the tree-line.  It was a mob no doubt.

He pushed his forehoof into the back of Jean’s head and shoved the young colt’s face into the floor.

“Damn it Drog, you led them here?!  You should’ve just let them eat you alive!”

Sarah came to stand beside Viktor as he shoved Jean’s face further into the dirt.  She spoke quickly.  “Viktor what do we do?  If they’re residents of the town, they’re probably here for me.  They probably know what I am!”

“Now hold on, the chances of that are very unlikely.  Like you said, Shadow Beings are nothing but legend now, and a duly noted legend at that.  In my time here I haven’t read anything about your species.  Just keep calm and follow my lead…”

Sarah eyed the edge of the woods and glanced at Viktor worriedly.  She noticed his lips curled into a slight snarl and bumped him on the side.

“Viktor!  Your teeth!”

“What?  Oh, you’re right!”  Viktor’s horn lit up frantically, and his horn shone with the macabre violet glow of Shadow Magic.  Darkness enveloped his mouth and dissipated almost immediately, leaving behind the appearance of clean-cut pearly whites rather than sharp and crooked daggers.

Meanwhile, the murmur in the trees had risen to a deep grumbling, and soon the nearby leaves shuffled.  A number of ponies emerged from the trees, each carrying one of a variety of cliché mob items.  Pitchforks, torches, brooms, Viktor even noted a pony carrying a billiards cue.  And none of them looked very happy.

Standing at the forefront of the line were six colorful mares: pink, cyan, white, yellow, purple, and orange.  The last two stood out most predominantly, leading the group into the forest and standing before him with a measure of defiance.  The orange mare bore a Stetson cap and glared at Viktor with malicious intent while her purple counterpart stood beside her calmly.  The purple mare was a unicorn, and before her floated a small tome whose title Viktor couldn’t see.

Ponyville’s entire population now stood at Viktor’s front porch.

The charcoal unicorn in question scanned the crowd before him quite thoroughly and chose his next words very carefully.

“The fuck y’all lookin’ at?”

If any of the town’s residents were taken aback by his statement, none of them showed it.  Instead, the orange mare took another step forward and began to speak.

“Now mister, I don’t rightly know who you and yer kin are, nor do I know why you chose the Everfree as your home.  But strange things have happened in Ponyville recently, things that would appear to align perfectly with about the time you decided to show up.  Tell me, who are you?  And what are you doing here?”

Viktor chewed his cheek in contemplation as the purple mare stepped forward to attempt to calm her orange friend.

“Please Applejack, allow me.  Mister…” she addressed Splice openly, expecting him to fill in the blank.

“Uhh…”  Viktor stalled.  His eyes darted left and right.  He needed to pick something nonthreatening.  Something… completely not him.  A term he’d never use in a million years to describe his current state of mind.  Viktor blurted the first thing that came to mind.  “Happy.  My name is Happy.”  Wow.  He scoffed internally.

They stared at him curiously, prompting him to continue.  “Uhhh… Happy… Meadow Dreams.  Yeah, Mister Happy Meadow Dreams.”  He smiled awkwardly as he imagined punching himself in the face.

Everybody in the clearing stared at Viktor blankly.  Sarah did her best to stifle a chuckle while Jean sat there, mouth agape.

“Seriously?”  The young colt uttered.

Viktor back-hoofed Jean and smiled wider.  The others raised their eyebrows at this but said nothing.

Clearing her throat, the purple unicorn continued.  “Yes, well, Mister Dreams, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and this here,” she beckoned to her orange partner, “is Applejack.  We apologize for arriving on your property so abruptly, but your appearance is indeed a most interesting coincidence.  Tell us, what exactly are you doing out here, living in the middle of a forest?”

Viktor blinked once or twice, thinking about an answer.  If he didn’t play this just right, he could kiss his plans goodbye.  A moment or two passed before a wicked smile curled his lips.  He looked behind him to Sarah, as though to say follow my lead.

Turning back to the crowd, he stepped forward and grinned widely.

“My fellow ponies, I assure you, I am only living here in the name of research.”  A small bit of chattering followed this statement, which Splice used as time to turn his side to the crowd.  “If you’ll look here, you’ll notice my cutie mark.  For the uneducated among you, this,” he tapped his side with a hoof, “is a steroid molecule.  And not just any steroid molecule.”

“It’s cholesterol.”  Twilight finished.  “The base for most steroids.”

Viktor smiled.  “Exactly!  And based on this, can any of you guess what my special talent might be?”

Silence gripped the crowd for a few seconds.

A small voice sounded from the back somewhere.  “Science?”

“Exactly!  Science!  I am a colt who loves to question the world around him, as you all are doing right now.  As such, it should come as no surprise that I would choose to live in the Everfree.  I’ve no doubt you all find it to be a curious place yes?”

A few ponies nodded among the crowd, and the overall number of weapons lifted into the air lowered slightly.  Viktor continued.

“Well, all my life I’ve found this place to be particularly interesting.  I mean, a land where weather controls itself?  Where animals run free of their own accord?  Such a thing is unheard of in all of Equestria!  Doesn’t it upset you even in the slightest to know that there are potentially very dark unknowns lurking in a forest so very near to your homes?”

Sounds of approval rose from the crowd.

“To a mind such as my own, this is the find of the century!  If I can research the Everfree, if I can find that inner core that makes it tick, well there’s no telling what we could do with the knowledge!”

By now Viktor had swayed the crowd in his favor.  No pitchforks remained lifted into the air, and the tension from moments before had all but disappeared.  But Applejack wasn’t convinced, she was still shaking with anger.

“Now that don’t mean jack-spit to me!”  She shouted.  Her friends attempted to stop her from making any rash decisions, but she pushed them aside and thrust a hoof in Splice’s direction.

“Just be straight with me!  Did you or did you not steal from mah farm??”

Splice watched this mare as she huffed and raged, and he felt a smirk tug at the edge of his lips.  He had her right where he wanted her.

“Steal from your farm?  Heavens no.  Why would I need to steal when I have my own private funding for this research?  No no I haven’t even entered the nearby town as of yet.  However, not too long ago I did notice a certain individual trekking about these woods with a cartful of apples, if that helps any.”

Twilight ripped her attention from Applejack and turned to Splice in shock.  “What?   You saw the culprit?”

“Well, I suppose I did.”

“Well where is he?  Er, her?  Er.”

“He,” Viktor corrected.  “And don’t worry, he’s still trekking about these woods.  If those apples were stolen, I figure he’s waiting for the heat to die down.”

“Mr. Dreams, could you take us to him?”

“Well certainly, let me just grab my coat, yes?”

Viktor flipped around and shoved Jean and Sarah into the house.  He shut the door behind them and began to whisper covertly.

“Alright listen up, I have a plan, but it’s going to take a bit of Shadow Magic.  What do you say Sarah?”

She nodded.  “Tell me what you need me to do.”

A few seconds later the door to his lab opened once again.  Viktor cantered out with Jean at his side.

“Wouldn’t you know it, couldn’t find the damn thing!  Oh well, it’s not that cold anyhow.  My research assistant seems to be feeling a bit under the weather, so I hope you won’t mind if she stays behind to rest up a little.”

“Not at all,” Twilight responded.

“Very well.  Now then, shall we be off?”

And with that, Viktor led the group off into the depths of the Everfree Forest.

Meanwhile, Sarah exited out the rooftop door and flew quickly overhead.  She had to be in position before Viktor arrived.