Revelations - Matters of Madness and Other Poisons

Splice did a small dance in place and giggled like a school-filly.  “I can’t believe that actually worked!”

Before him lay the motionless body of Shining Armor, save for the occasional rise and fall of his chest.  Splice knew he’d never stand a chance in a one-on-one battle with the Captain of the Royal Guard, but fortunately his knowledge of pony anatomy allowed him to cast the perfect Paralysis spell on the surprised pony.

The doctor observed every inch of the Shining’s body, taking into account each rippling muscle and minute curvature.  Once he was certain he had a clear mental map of Shining Armor’s build, Viktor closed his eyes and allowed his horn to flare up.  The immense quantity of energy required to correctly cast this spell greatly tested Viktor’s resolve, and soon his knees quivered and threatened to buckle.  The seconds laboriously wore on, eventually melting into a multitude of minutes, but still the doctor held strong.  His will was sorely tested as he pieced together each step of the spell, and he drifted in and out of consciousness quite a few times.  But eventually, thankfully, Viktor was able to breathe a sigh of relief as the magic of the spell seeped out his horn.

It began at his hooves.  Shadows, black as night and wispy like clouds, began to wind their way up the doctor’s legs.  They twisted and writhed – pulsating with the darkness which they embodied – up his legs, around his torso, up his neck, and over his head.  Just as the shadows made their way towards his face, Splice took one last deep breath, and was soon enveloped in a cocoon.  The gaseous ooze continued to swirl around his body.  Dark purples and pinks flashed from within the full-body suit of darkness.  Through the veil Viktor’s purple eyes could be seen, wide open and twinkling with madness.  He shut them for a minute, relinquishing the last bit of evidence that a living entity existed within the shade.  And then all at once, the movement stopped.  Viktor’s eyes shot open, his irises now a bright sky blue rather than a deep violet, and the shadows violently shot outward.  As they dissipated, Viktor’s altered appearance was revealed to the outside world.  His snout had shortened slightly, and his chest now flared out into a much more pronounced form.  The doctor’s slender figure gave way to a more stocky appearance, and his fur had taken on a light alabaster color.  Viktor Splice grinned wryly: the illusion was complete.

Walking towards a nearby puddle, Viktor gazed down into his reflection and was greeted with the visage of Shining Armor.  “Well hellooo beautiful!” the doctor winked at himself.  It was then that he realized his voice still retained its deeper tone.  He mulled this over for some time.  Viktor had only heard Shining’s voice for the first time a few minutes ago, and he was unsure if he could replicate it.  He tested out a few tones, finally settling on one that sounded slightly raspier and higher pitched than his own.  A Voice-Changing spell would be much easier, but I need every ounce of strength available for what’s to come.

Splice pulled Shining’s armor off, placing it upon his own shoulders, and hid his hat and glasses within the chest plate.  Once assured his disguise was complete, Viktor trekked back through the narrow alley and towards Canterlot Laboratories.

Without his glasses, Viktor could barely make out the form of the pony standing guard to the lab’s entrance.  He knew at least a dozen other guards were scattered across the rooftops and immediate vicinity, but the exact number was indiscernible.  Releasing a deep breath to steady his nerves, Splice changed his demeanor to one of stoic indifference and walked towards the lab.

The mare standing guard to Canterlot Laboratories allowed her shoulders to slump and she released a very unfeminine grunt.  Shining Armor had left the labs nearly an hour ago, and Guardian Angel still regretted missing the opportunity to openly flirt with the Captain of the Royal Guard.  She missed his gleaming white coat, the swagger in every step he took, and the smell radiating from him when he had passed by her.  I do hear he’s still single… If only if only, she sighed.  Angel’s eyes gazed upward, expecting to see the same wall of buildings that had trapped her within this plaza since her shift started.  But instead of the endless sea of dull-gray Angel was used to looking at, the mare’s eyes were met with the stunning presence of Shining Armor.  Guardian’s eyes widened as the stallion climbed the steps toward the lab, and if it wasn’t for the intense training regimen she had gone through to obtain this job, her wings would have certainly extended to their full length right about now.

Shining Armor trotted up the stairs with slow measured steps, which allowed Angel the perfect amount of time to drink in his image.  Oh the way his fur glistens in the moonlight, the rippling muscles that extend throughout his legs with every step, and those eyes… She found herself staring deep into Armor’s eyes, unaware that the distance between the two of them was rapidly decreasing.  He just looks so… fierce.  I could easily get lost in that wonderful blue color.  And indeed she did, for Shining was now face-to-face with the love-struck pony and bore a look of confusion as she leaned towards him.  Just as she began humming lightly, Guardian suddenly snapped to consciousness.  With one reflexive motion she thrust her head and shoulders back to attention as her front hoof snapped upward in a form of salute.

“Shining Armor, sir!  To what do I owe the pleasure of your hasty return?  I-I mean…!”  Oh god I actually said pleasure!  Shining Armor did his best to hide his confusion, but Angel could see right through him.  She felt beads of sweat along her back as he spoke.

“I actually require another audience with Dr. Polymer, if that’s okay with you.”

As he spoke, Angel could immediately tell something was wrong.  “Are you okay Sir?  Your voice sounds… hoarse.”  She almost snickered at her own pun.

Armor didn’t share the same level of enthusiasm, and actually appeared put off by her remark.  “I apologize if I sound a bit worse for the wear.  Princess Celestia has had me running around endlessly since her sister’s return.  That, and she’s ordered me to debrief with Polymer twice in one night.”  He sighed.  “As if the first tour wasn’t enough…”

Guardian smiled.  “Yes, Dr. Polymer is quite the handful.  I’m sorry you had to suffer through one of his science lectures.”  She reached a hoof toward his shoulder, but decided against it halfway there.  This left her hoof hanging awkwardly in the air between the two of them.  Shining Armor raised an eyebrow as Angel mentally punched herself again and again.

“Er, yes…” Shining replied as Guardian lowered her hoof.  “So may I speak with Polymer?  Princess’ orders and all.”

This brought Guardian back to alertness.  “Y-Yes of course!  Go right ahead sir, sorry to keep you waiting.”  She opened the door with a flourish and stood erect as Shining walked past her.  As the white unicorn entered the lab, Angel stole one last glance at his flank.  Oh sweet Celestia… she muttered.

Well THAT was interesting.  The mare Viktor just managed to slip by was about as subtle as a screaming dragon, and he could’ve cut the sexual tension in the air with a butter knife.  But now that he was safely within the laboratory, Viktor pulled his glasses out from Shining Armor’s chest plate and observed his surroundings.

He stood in a long white hallway, the end of which branched off into two directions.  Splice glanced to the left, and his gaze was greeted with another long hallway that eventually veered right.  To his right lay another hallway that eventually veered left.  Choosing a direction at random, Viktor headed right.  The sound of his hooves clacking on the floor reverberated throughout the silent area, and locked doors pockmarked the otherwise empty walls.  The entire facility seemed to emanate a foreboding aura that resonated deeply within Viktor, reminding him of a distant memory long forgotten.  He reached into the recesses of his mind, trying to recall exactly why the endless white rooms and heavy metal doors scared him on a primal level, but his subconscious held strong.  For some reason he didn’t want to remember.  Whatever it was would need to wait, for after rounding the corner at the end of the hall, Viktor was once again greeted with a fork in the road.

It’s like this whole place is designed like a labyrinth.  It certainly has changed since I’ve been here.  He was just about ready to use magic to blast his way into the heart of scientific research when he noticed something down the hall to his left.  Instead of leading to another fork in the road, this hallway opened up into a bigger room.  Curious, Viktor stepped forward.

The doctor found himself looking down into one of the largest rooms he’d ever laid his eyes on.  This must have been the very heart of the facility, for the opposing wall sat nearly a football field’s length away, and it was as wide as it was long.  The room dug deep into the ground, and rather than standing on the main floor of the lab, Splice found himself on a raised metal walkway that skirted the perimeter of the entire room.  Every essential piece of equipment needed for his research lay a level below him, dotting the floor of the entire room.  There were rows of lab desks piled with flasks, chemicals, burners, centrifuges, incubators and almost anything else Viktor could think of.  Nearly everything in the room equaled the size of a large stand in the Canterlot marketplace, and the sheer abundance of whirring glowing machinery meant the lab would appear more like a hedge maze to someone who stood within its recesses.  Some of the machinery reached up to the floor Splice stood on, acting as mechanical monoliths rising from this pit of wonder.  Gazing around, Viktor noted the walkway he was on had four doors that led directly onto it: the one he had just exited from and one more on each of the lab’s three other walls.  At the far right corner of the room, the walkway met a set of stairs that led into the depths of the facility.  Above him, the numerous light fixtures built into the ceiling filled the lab with a bright white glow.  Splice almost squeed with delight.

Viktor took note of numerous ponies clothed with white lab coats dotting the lab’s ground floor.  Every one of them was too busy making observations with their equipment to take notice of “Shining Armor’s” reentry.

First thing’s first: I need to find some schematics for this building.  There may be more to this lab than just this one room.  Plus, I need a way to clear this place quickly and discreetly.  He trotted around the walkway to the wall on his left and made his way toward the next door.  A sign above this door read “Personal Offices”.  Nothing would be found there but half-finished documents and family pictures.  Splice continued forward.  The next door read “Volatile Chemicals – GAS MASKS REQUIRED”.  Instantly intrigued, Viktor tried opening the door but was met with an access code requirement. “FFFFFFFFFFF–  Fear not my sweet, I shall return!” Viktor serenaded the door.  Continuing onward, Viktor rounded the corner with the stairs and made it to the fourth and final door.  “Command Center” was printed neatly upon its surface.  Bingo.  Unfortunately, this door too required an access code.  Splice frowned, but inspiration soon struck the malicious doctor.  He trotted back into the hall from whence he entered the lab and towards the entrance of the building.  Opening the door, he stuck his head out into the nighttime air and found himself face-to-face with Guardian Angel.  She grinned.

“Just couldn’t keep yourself away from me, could you?”

‘Shining Armor’ forced a nod.  “How one could keep himself from a mare as – intriguing – as you is a mystery.  But right now isn’t about that.  I need your help.”

“Oh?  And what do you need from me?”  Angel shot Armor a half-lidded and very seductive gaze.

Shining grinned, revealing his razor sharp teeth.  “I need you to not scream.”  At that, the blue in Shining’s eyes changed into a deep purple, and a dark violet aura shot from his horn and surrounded Guardian’s face.  The mare opened her mouth, which was promptly robbed of any sound.  Her dilated pupils began to spin in small circles, and her irises gave way to hypnotic swirls that filled eyes.  She staggered for a few moments, then stood rigid and stared straight ahead.

“I am at your disposal, Master,” she droned.

Viktor, who now looked like Viktor due to the fact that maintaining two spells simultaneously proved to be tremendously difficult, grinned wickedly.  “Go inside and open the doors reading ‘Command Center’ and ‘Volatile Chemicals’.  Don’t get caught.  I’ll meet you in the Command Center after I… round up a few of your fellow guards.”

Guardian nodded.  “As you wish, Sir.”

Viktor Splice quickly clacked away at the computer, bringing up plans for the facility’s layout and inventory.  A dozen guards stood scattered throughout the room, either watching the entrances or standing over the handful of scientists who now lay unconscious on the floor.  The doctor now wore his signature hat and glasses, and Shining’s armor had been chucked into one corner of the room.  Angel stood behind Viktor, focusing her swirling eyes on the unicorn as he barked out orders.

“Angel, I need you to take another guard – preferably a unicorn – with you to the Chemical room.  Take out any scientists you find discreetly.  We don’t want to get caught during this heist.  Find enough gas masks for all of us and destroy the rest.  Got it?”

“Of course Master,” Angel saluted.  She grabbed the nearest unicorn guard and together they made their way out of the control room.

Viktor turned his gaze to the three unicorns and two Earth ponies standing to his right.  “You five are coming with me.  We’re going to bust into this lab’s adjoining warehouse.  According to the database, there’s an underground railway system in case of emergencies or military threats.  Its entrance is located in the warehouse.  I want you to help me take out any ponies we find there.  After that, you three,” he motioned towards the unicorns, “will follow me into the tunnels under this lab.  On my signal, we’ll focus our magic attacks on these three main support beams,” he pointed to a blueprint of the lab’s structure on the computer screen.  “That’ll blast open an entrance into the floor of the main research facility.  You two,” he gestured to the two Earth ponies, “will need to have high-jacked the train by then.  Meet us at the tunnel under this lab so we can load the equipment onto the cargo carts.”

At this, Angel and the other guard returned with a large assortment of gas masks.  Once they all had the masks securely fixed onto their muzzles, Splice continued.

“Angel, I need you to create a distraction.  According to this data the main pipe of the neurotoxin chamber is located in a causeway buried directly beneath the Chemical room.  Find it, and have your unicorn friend crush it.  That should increase the pressure in the chamber to unstable levels, giving me and the rest of the guards the time we need to carry out this plan.  Go now, I’ll telepathically contact you when we’re ready.”  Angel nodded, leaving the room with her fellow guard in tow.

“And as for you five,” Viktor looked toward remaining five pegasus guards standing throughout the room.  “You stay here and watch the computer,” he tapped a hoof on top of the desktop, which currently had five flash drives protruding from it.  There was so much research material hidden in the laboratory’s database that it took multiple USBs stolen from the unconscious scientists to carry it all.  “Once the download is complete, keep this room protected until you hear the neurotoxin chamber go off.  That’ll be your signal to clear out anypony remaining in the facility.  The other unicorns and I will blast a hole into the tunnels, at which point you’ll help us load every bit of equipment onto the train.  With any luck, we’ll have this heist complete before the real authorities arrive.”

Every guard present saluted the demented doctor.  Viktor, followed by five other ponies, made his way out of the control room and back to the laboratory’s entrance.  As he scurried along the metal walkway in the facility’s center, he caught a glimpse of multiple researchers dashing to and fro, thoroughly focused on their work.  Splice almost felt sorry for the unsuspecting saps – soon they’d be running in fear.

Luna’s moon shone brightly in the sky, a lonely witness to the unspeakable crimes to come. With no guards on duty, it was a simple hop, skip, and a jump for the group to break into the adjacent warehouse.  Inside, the place was teeming with activity.  Industrial-strength furnaces lit the room with an intense orange glow.  Large beams of metallic ore waiting to be smelted sat in piles throughout the room, and numerous forklifts drifted about, carrying pieces of machinery waiting to be constructed.  The workers – which appeared to consist of a few dozen Earth ponies – expressed no emotion whatsoever as they performed their duties in an automated fashion.  Viktor made a few hoof gestures, indicated which path each of the five guards would take in clearing the room.  Once clear on the objective, the six ponies broke formation and got to work.

Not a sound could be heard save for the soft growl of the furnaces and the occasional clink of metal on metal.  Even as Viktor incapacitated worker after worker, the spells he cast rendered them silent.  Across the room, Splice watched his Earth pony guards using a mixture of martial arts and gymnastics to silently attack their prey.  The doctor smiled and shook his head.  Celestia sure picks the strangest employees.

Viktor crept up behind his final victim – a light blue stallion lifting girders using a forklift.  Just before knocking him out, Viktor noticed something different about this particular worker: he was smiling.  Not only that, but his head bobbed up and down in time to some unheard beat.  Upon closer inspection, Viktor noticed white wires protruding from his ears and meeting inside of his vest pocket.  Curious, Splice quickly knocked the pony unconscious and retrieved the device.

The unicorn gazed inquisitively at the object in his hooves.  According to the database he’d just hacked into, personal music players were still in the developing stages in the Canterlot Laboratories.  They still weren’t available for public usage.  I guess working for the lab gives one special privileges.  He stuck the headphones into his ears and pressed play.  A mixture of drum samples and electronic frequencies met his eardrums in a most alluring fashion, and as he switched from song to song the doctor became very fond of this new style of music.  Curious, he glanced at the screen.  Hmm, so this is what music is like today huh?  Yeahh I could get used to this…  He continued to flip through the virtual channels until he found something he liked.  Head bobbing along to the music, Viktor rendezvoused with the others in the center of the warehouse.

Six ponies stood around the hatch leading to the warehouse tunnels.  One grinned with a devilish glint in his eye while the others stared straight ahead with swirling irises.  Viktor popped open the hatch, leading the five guards down into the depths of the underground railroad.  The tunnel appeared as though it hadn’t been used in centuries.  Pitch-black save for the occasional magic-lantern and smelling strongly of mold, the entire “subway system” felt more like a cavern intended for mineral extraction.  Wooden beams lined the walls, twisted and rotted from years of disuse, and a perpetual dripping sound could be heard emanating from somewhere in the cave.  The tunnel stretched endlessly in two directions and branched off into even more routes further on, created intentionally so the train would have multiple escape routes.  A thick fog appeared to linger at a fixed point in the distance, clouding up the depths of the tunnel anywhere he looked.  Splice gazed a ways down the corridor to his left and took note of the three main support beams mentioned in the blueprints.  To his right sat the core of his escape plan.

Each cart of the train consisted of nothing more than a large bed of metal attached to four wheels.  At thirty feet long and ten feet wide, the individual cart would hold at max three to four items of scientific importance, and the largest machines would need to harbor their own cart.  Fortunately, this train was designed for drastic situations requiring mass transport, and its full length extended deep into the foggy distance.  Viktor could count up to twenty carts before losing sight of the entire convoy, but he still couldn’t make out the train engine.  He looked toward the two Earth ponies.

“Go.  Find the engine, get it running, and back this baby up.  I want the lead cart directly under that lab when we start unloading.”  The guards nodded simultaneously and trotted off into the tunnel.  Viktor turned back to the other guards, all of whom stood ready for action beneath the three main support beams.  Splice walked beside them and smiled.  Let’s get this party started.

Dr. Polymer sat in his office when the first explosion went off.  The entire laboratory seemed to shake at its very foundation, and an automated voice sounded over the intercom system: “Attention all personnel, please evacuate the facility immediately.  Gas pressure levels in Chamber 2-C have reached unstable levels and consequently erupted.  Lethal amounts of neurotoxins are currently leaking throughout the facility.  Warning level Code 3-3-9: Evacuate the premises immediately.”  Polymer bolted upright and ran through the halls towards the facility’s research center.  The clacking of his hooves echoed throughout the empty halls, but once he approached the door to the lab’s center, cries of agony and fear reached his ears.  He thrust his body against the door and beheld a most distressing sight.  Ponies dressed in white lab coats ran to and fro, scrambling up the one staircase in the facility and towards the exit.  Guardian Angel and a unicorn guard trotted out of the Chemical room, followed closely by a sickly mustard-brown gas leaking from the open door.  Those caught in the poison ran in silence, knowing better than to breathe in the toxic chemicals, but those who made it free of the gas used the opportunity to scream at the tops of their lungs.  Five pegasi bearing gas masks and plates of armor fluttered about the room, carrying ponies towards the exit and beckoning them outside.  The room was utter chaos.

Just as Polymer was about to call out to one of the guards, a second explosion rocked the facility to its core.  Chunks of cement and dust flew up from the center of the floor, and out of the resulting hole rose four unicorns.  Three of them Polymer recognized as guards to the facility, but the fourth… Viktor Splice ran up the stairs and into the control room before Polymer really got a good look at him.

Splice skidded to a stop in front of the lab’s central computer, removing the five USBs and shoving them under his beret.  Pulling out his stolen personal music player and propping open the intercom system control panel, Viktor began fiddling with a plethora of wires.  After a few minutes, a piercingly loud screech of feedback rang throughout the facility, momentarily catching everypony’s attention.  Splice smiled and made his way out of the control room as music blasted over the intercom.

Polymer watched in horror.  Eruptions blasted apart the walls of the facility, causing toxins to pour in from every corner of the room and fires to spread throughout.  The guards once ordered to protect those in the labs were now helping a demented unicorn rob the center of Equestrian health and defense research.  Unicorn magic ripped large machinery from the floors, pegasi snatched up every tool of scientific importance, and bit by bit the very essence of the facility disappeared down the proverbial rabbit hole.  The unknown unicorn chose not to participate in the actual robbery.  Instead, this unicorn appeared to be dancing in the center of the room, and over the sounds of screams and explosions he could be heard singing along with the music:

“Why am I always slept on, dreamt on, napped upon?

When honestly I’m probably something of a prodigy.

I discord harmony there is no apology

Wanna shine like a Wonderbolt strike like a thunderbolt.”

Polymer bolted around the bend, hoping to reach the staircase and confront the deranged unicorn.  But a strike of purple energy broke the walkway in front of Polymer, causing him to plummet to the lab’s main floor.  Viktor laughed.

“How can you manage eruptions so savage?

Blasts so massive, kilotons of damage

Try to stop the madness I didn’t really plan this

And now you wanna know who the hell this man is?”

Viktor strut up to Polymer’s quivering mass.  He removed his gas mask without any regards to the gases slowly filling the room, and Polymer was met with the eyes of a madman.  Viktor smiled, revealing impossibly sharp teeth.

“That here’s what I am:

I am an Atomizer… Atomizer…”

Purple magic surrounded Polymer, lifting his limp body to face Viktor.  As soon as they made eye contact, Polymer attempted to plead with the mad pony

“Please stop this!  You aren’t well!  I can help you.”

Viktor halted.  Polymer reminded him of someone, and hearing him utter that phrase – You aren’t well – caused something to resurface in his mind.  The song continued.

“Fires will be blazing

Shocking

Tasing

No Respiration…”

Now Viktor saw it.  He was trapped in a white room with a heavy metal door, completely restrained by a straight jacket and a horn-protector.  A stallion dressed in a white lab coat loomed above him, accompanied by a grim-faced nurse bearing a clipboard and face mask.  The stallion looked very much like Polymer, and as he smiled down at Viktor he said, “You aren’t well.  I can help you.”  At that, the stallion pulled out a large rusted blade and an equally filthy syringe.  Splice screamed.

Polymer found himself flying across the room.  He slammed into the wall, cracking its surface and his back.  Before he could fall to the floor Viktor magically grasped him again and flung him to the other side of the room.  Polymer coughed up blood.  Looking up, he saw Viktor, lost in his own mixture of hatred, aggression, fear, and insanity.  Just before Viktor could deliever the final blow Guardian Angel piped up.

“Sir!  We’re loaded and ready to go!”

“I am an Atomizer… Atomizer… I am an Atomizer… Atomizer. I am an Atomizer… Atomizer.”

Viktor glared at Polymer once more.  “This isn’t over.”  At that, he sprinted off towards Angel and the hole.  They jumped down together and landed amidst a plethora of machines on the last cart of the train.  Viktor telepathically called out to the driver, and then they were off.  As the train gained speed, Splice and the other four unicorns blasted the roof of the cave, causing the ceiling to collapse and block off the cave behind them.  With a multitude of twists and turns ahead and no way to be followed, Splice and his cronies made a clean getaway.

Polymer on the other hand lay defeated on the floor of the lab.  A mixture of neurotoxin and flames made its way towards the incapacitated Earth pony.  But just as he was ready to accept his fate, he felt himself being lifted off the ground by a light yellow aura.  He looked to his side.  There stood Dr. Crystal Lattice, her horn glowing and her face bearing a look of pain and concentration.  She placed Polymer on her back and sprinted from the burning building.  Up the stairs out the door through the hall and into the night, both of them holding their breaths all the while.  Once they made it outside Crystal collapsed, and they both blacked out as the facility exploded.

Some Time Later

Twelve guards stood downcast and shackled before the Royal Sisters.  Princess Celestia towered above them menacingly, her stern gaze boring into each of them.  Her voice boomed throughout the hall, loud enough for every palace guard nearby to hear.

“Now I want you all to explain to me what happened.  Despite the horrendous crimes you have committed this night, you deserve a fair hearing before simply being punished.”

A blue pegasus timidly spoke up.  “Like we said, we don’t remember anything that happened.”  A nearby palace guard scoffed.  “Do you really expect the Princess to believe your lies?  You’d better just tell us what happened before we—”  “That’s enough Lieutenant,” Celestia interrupted.  The guard visibly blanched and backed away.  Celestia addressed the shackled ponies.

“Tell me everything you do remember.”  Individually each guard told a similar story: they were busy patrolling the area and doing their rounds, when suddenly their limbs went cold and they collapsed unconscious.  Once they woke up, they found themselves lying at the foot of the gates to Canterlot surrounded by armed palace guards.  Celestia listened to each of their stories intently.  She turned to Guardian Angel.  “And you?”

Angel shuffled uncomfortably.  “I saw who attacked me…”  All heads in the room turned to look at her, but she remained silent.  After a few moments, Luna was the first to speak up.

“AS YOUR PRINCESS WE DEMAND YOU REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE CULPRIT TO US SO THAT HE OR SHE MAY BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!”  Guardian nearly fainted.

“Sister!” Celestia scolded.  Luna smiled sheepishly.  “Please let me handle this.”  Celestia turned back to Guardian, this time using a comforting gaze and a softer tone of voice.  “Angel please, we must know who did this.  The hospitals have been filled with those suffering from neurotoxin poisoning and 3rd-degree burns, and already some have not made it.  We need to know who is responsible.”

Guardian shifted.  “Well… The one who attacked me… was… Shining Armor…”  Everybody in the room gasped.  Shining, who stood in the back of the room covered in bandages, spoke up angrily.  “That’s a lie!  I was attacked too!  And the creature that got me looked more like a creepy mud monster than anything else!”

Angel sputtered.  “No wait let me finish!  It was you, but it wasn’t you… When I was attacked, the Shining Armor I saw transformed into some strange pony I’d never seen before.”

Celesita raised an eyebrow.  “And what did this pony look like?” She asked.

Angel shrugged.  “I don’t know.  All I remember were dark purple eyes and razor sharp teeth.”

Celestia stiffened and Luna’s eyes opened wide.  Everybody in the room was very taken aback – the Royal Sisters were always very collected, so seeing them react so violently was unheard of.  Shining Armor rushed to their sides.  “Princesses!  Are you okay?”

Celestia shook herself and regained her composure.  “Yes we’re fine.  And you say this pony had razor sharp teeth?”  Angel nodded.  “Very well.  Guards!  Release these ponies and drop all charges against them.  They were not in their right minds when they took part in this heist, and I do not believe they will be a threat.”  The palace guards nodded and led the twelve ponies from the room.  Once the room was empty of everybody except the sisters and Shining Armor, Celestia spoke up.  “Bring him in now Shining, and then leave us.”  He nodded and left the room.

A few moments later an Earth pony limped into the room.  His legs were wrapped in bandages and one of them dragged uselessly behind him.  Fresh scars and burns marked his face, and on his back he wore a large metal brace.  Dr. Polymer stopped in front of Celestia and attempted to bow, which only caused sharp pains to run up his spine.

“Please Polymer remain standing, you’re only going to hurt yourself.  Now I understand that you actually saw the culprit face to face, is this correct?”  Polymer nodded.  “Who was it?”

The doctor cleared his throat.  “I do not know the name of the thief, but I assure you that I know who he is.  He is a lost soul.  Lost in his own dementia and insanity.  That thing can no longer be called a pony.  He’s a monster, and I know that he will stop at nothing until I am dead.”  Polymer knees clacked together as he stood there shaking with fear.

“And as for his appearance?”  Luna prompted.

Polymer closed his eyes.  “Dark charcoal fur, blue and silver stripped hair, purple eyes, thick glasses, a hat…”  His face scrunched in consideration.

“And sharp teeth?”  Celestia asked.  Polymer nodded.  “And sharp teeth.  Like a shark.”

Luna shared a look with her sister before addressing Polymer once again.  “And did you see his cutie mark?”

Polymer strained to remember.  “Yes I did… I believe it was some sort of hydrocarbon molecule… a steroid perhaps?  Ah yes!  His cutie mark was a picture of cholesterol.”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other once more, both wearing expressions of fear and agony.  Polymer had never seen the princesses like this before, and it made him quite uncomfortable.  Celestia opened the hall doors with her magic and gestured into the next room.  “Thank you for your help Polymer.  You may rejoin the others now.”  And at that, he left.

Once the doors were closed the goddess of the sun released a pent-up sigh.  She walked towards an open window, her steps heavy from the weight of the burden now on her mind.  Below her lay Canterlot, the wonderfully extravagant city known for its high level of sophistication and civilization, now a place of chaos and disarray as ponies scrambled throughout the streets.  Despite the fact that it was deep into the middle of the night and the sunrise was only a few hours away, the entire city was busy with activity.  Lights shone in every house, palace guards flew about trying to maintain order, and the line leading into the hospital stretched far.  Smoke could be seen rising from somewhere off to the side of the castle, and Celestia knew that was where the center of health and military research once stood.  Now there was nothing, nothing at all, to provide protection for the future.  Celestia hung her head as her tears fell to the floor.  She felt something brush against her side, but didn’t bother to look up.  Luna’s voice met her ears.

“Please do not cry sister.  This was not your fault.”  Celestia looked up at her sister, who smiled comfortingly.  Celestia sniffed.

“Luna, what do we do?  He’s back.  After one thousand years he’s back!  How?  Why??  What—” Luna put a hoof to her mouth.

“Sister, I was not here when Splice became this beast you speak of.  All I know is what you’ve told me since my return.  But if this is indeed the same Viktor Splice I once knew, then all we can do now is prepare for what is to come.”  Celestia nodded slowly.  Her sister was right – hell Luna was always right.  If Viktor really was back, Celestia knew he’d be coming for her.  Viktor Splice would not rest until the Princess of the Sun was dead, and she had to get ready for the day he came for her.  Luna spoke up again.

“Are you going to tell Twilight Sparkle and the others?”

Celestia shook her head.  “There’s no point in making them worry.  In fact, it’s best we prevent news of this from ever leaving Canterlot.  If Viktor doesn’t want to be found, then he won’t be found, and there’s no point in spreading panic throughout Equestria.  We’ll just have to wait to see what he does next.  Hopefully next time we’re ready.”

Luna smiled.  “We will be sister.  We will be.”  Together they looked out over Canterlot and attempted to enjoy the gentle breeze.

Somewhere in the Everfree, Viktor’s plans were being set in motion.