The Zombie Chronicles: Road to Sanctuary

Kyle sat inside an empty classroom, writing away at a formerly blank sheet of notebook paper. He was assigned to write a paragraph or two about the cultural aspect of music. As he wrote, he began to hear chatter just outside the room.

“I’m telling you, this place isn’t a long-term option. We’re just here to stay off the streets for a few weeks. Nothing more.”

Another voice spoke, this one scratchy and a bit rough.

“Yeah, I can’t stand the smell of this place. Something’s off about it... I don’t like it.”

Then a third voice, higher pitched than the others.

“Are you sure? I don’t smell anything weird, but... ooh, I think they have tacos, tonight!” She cheered.

“Probably from some soup kitchen, Sonata, nothing worth getting excited about.” The second voice said.

Kyle tried to block them out, but sighed and set the paper down, standing up and making his way to the open door.

“Don’t get me started on the food here, Aria, because if I have to hear one more thing from either of you about it, I’m going to--”

Kyle peeked out the door, surprising the three girls just outside it to the right of him.

“I’m sorry, are you three gonna be staying here? ‘Cause if so, I could move.”

They all struggled to find a response to the strange kid who showed himself, but the ringleader, the girl with poofy orange hair, was the one who answered.

“No. We were just leaving.” She said, not-so-subtly gesturing to her sisters to move.

Aria was quick to follow, but the other girl with a blue ponytail remained for a second.

“Hey, aren’t you the owner’s kid?”

Kyle smiled and scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah. I think he found you all last week, right?”

She smiled and nodded, but the other two didn’t share her joy.

“Figures you’re Henry’s kid... you both come out of nowhere.” Aria commented.

Kyle chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess you do. Well, I should get back to what I’m doing, but it was nice meeting you... um...” He struggled for a moment remembering their names.

“I’m Sonata, the grumpy one there is Aria, and that’s Adagio in the back.” Sonata said.

The two sisters gave her a glare, but nothing more than that.

“What’re you working on in there?” Sonata asked.

“Sonata, he was just leaving.” Adagio told her.

“No, it’s fine! Actually, I could use a bit of help if none of you would mind...”

Sonata nodded and followed Kyle inside while Adagio and Aria begrudgingly followed.

Kyle sat back at the desk, holding the sheet of paper.

“We’re doing a music studies class, and I need to write a paragraph about how music is culturally relevant, and... it’s giving me trouble.” He sighed.

The three girls each turned towards Kyle and their eyes light up.

“Well, you found the perfect group to help you out... not to boast, but we run a little band, ourselves...” Adagio said.

Kyle looked up with widened eyes.

“Really? No way! What’s your genre?”

“We alternate every now and then. I like to keep us relevant to as many audiences as possible.” She added.

“Oh, cool. I’m a fan of a bit of everything if that makes sense.” He said.

Aria hummed and Sonata smiled at finding someone interested in their music. Adagio, however, saw opportunity.

“So, the question is ‘how is music culturally relevant’? Any ideas on that, so far?”

Kyle thought and sighed.

“I mean, I get that it’s historical, that it helped human progress, but I can’t find the right words for it, you know?”

Adagio studied his response and nodded.

“Kyle, music is much more than human progress. It’s human nature, too. In music, you get a person’s feelings, their thoughts, their views on the world around them. Their desires, too, more lately.”

Kyle chuckled.

“So, Kyle, music has heavily impacted human culture. It’s allowed them to express themselves and their emotions in a way that can touch countless other people around the world, throughout history. Think, what was the oldest song you’ve heard that still touches you emotionally?”

It didn’t take Kyle long to find the answer.

“Well, I think that would have to go to Only You?”

Adagio clicked her tongue.

“The Platters fan, eh? Can’t say I blame you. What touches you about it?”

“Well, I like that it’s this one guy pouring his heart out about the person he loves, you know? That really hits me.”

Aria snickered while Adagio nodded.

“I see. Well, think about how many people felt the same feeling back over 60 years ago. And some songs go even further back. I’m a pretty big fan of classical music, myself. Beethoven, Bach, all of them. But want to know my favorite? The one with the largest impact on modern culture as far as I can tell?”

Kyle set the paper down and nodded.

“Hit me.”

“Gustav Holst. In 1918, he premiered a suite he called The Planets. The one that I think of most is Mars, Bringer of War. That suite influenced quite a lot of modern film scores—Star Wars, Gladiator, even all of heavy metal... That’s more Aria’s genre than it is mine.”

Aria did a pair of hand-horns as a response.

“So, you see, music actually has a lot of influence on culture. It’s simply a matter of how it affects you.”

Adagio gave one last smile before standing up and leaving the room, Aria and Sonata following suit.

Kyle formed a smile and held his pencil, starting to write away on the piece of paper...

Inside Utonium’s lab, the professor closely analyzed the small pendant under a microscope, with Dexter watching on a projector and writing down his own observations.

The professor watched as electric pulses surged through the small Geode, like a neural network of mystical, unidentifiable energy.

“These things must be hundreds of years old... where did they say they were found?” Dexter asked.

“Princess’ reports said Camp Everfree just outside of Canterlot City... perhaps we could send a scouting party? Who knows what other magic could be in that forest...?” Utonium began to imagine the possibilities...

Their research was cut off by a knock on their door, and as Utonium turned to answer, Dexter observed that the electric pulse in the gems began to be drawn to the person behind the door...

Utonium marched upstairs and cautiously peeked through the peephole, seeing Kyle and Princess...

“Oh, shit...” He whispered, putting on a strong face and opening the door.

Before Utonium could greet the two, Princess walked right inside, prompting him to step out of the way.

“Professor Utonium... how the hell are you?!” Princess asked, holding out her arms in a friendly gesture.

Despite this, Utonium felt anything but safe. The professor sighed and took a deep breath.

“I’m fine... why is Kyle with you?”

Princess cracks a wide smile, but nowhere near a friendly one...

“You see, Utonium, I know that our little... arrangement has been going well, but... I can’t help but wonder just what you two are up to down there... I’m losing sleep over it, just look at the wrinkles I’m getting!” She gestured to the sides of her eyes.

Kyle and Utonium shared a knowing look that the wrinkles on her face weren’t because of the sleep deprivation...

“So, I’ve decided to put Kyle here with you two! He won’t be in your way, but he’s my eyes and ears for your little projects.”

Dexter and Utonium shared a confused look, and Kyle nodded to confirm the assignment.

“Well, I’m afraid I have business to attend to, but it was good seeing you two! Oh, and I expect your report by the end of the week, Kyle... Bye, now!” She giggled, walking out the door and closing it behind her.

The three-remaining people in the room stood silent for only a moment.

“So... should we discuss this in the lab?” Utonium asked.

“Why? Can’t we discuss it up here?” Kyle asked, winking at the professor.

Understanding his signal, he nodded.

“Sure... Dexter, would you get us some drinks?” Utonium asked, gesturing to him to grab a notepad.

Dexter side-glanced the two, slowly nodding.

“Of course...” He said, walking into the kitchen and leaving Kyle and Utonium alone.

The two took a seat on the couch. Kyle peeked out the window to see that Princess was nowhere to be seen.

“So, how about you walk me through your current projects? I know you have my friends’ necklaces, how’s that been going?”

Utonium sighed and shook his head.

“It’s... been an uphill battle. The mystical properties have been impossible to decipher and so far, there’s been no detection of energy signatures from them.”

Kyle nodded, and Dexter returned with a tray holding three glasses as well as a notepad and pen. Utonium grabbed the notepad while Kyle took two glasses and set them on the ottoman between them.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll crack them sooner or later... metaphorically speaking.” Kyle laughed.

Utonium laughed along, writing into the notepad. After a moment, he turned it to Kyle.

What does she want?

Kyle nodded and took the pad, writing at the bottom of it.

“That’s what we’re hoping for.” Utonium said to make up for the silence as Kyle wrote.

Once Kyle was done, he turned the paper around to the professor.

She wants to kill you all.

Utonium’s face dropped as Dexter peeked inside and almost dropped his glass as he scurried to the two.

“I am simply loving the small talk, but we have work to do... perhaps we can talk more down there?” Dexter asked.

Kyle paused for a second and nodded.

“Sure. Let’s...”

Utonium and Kyle stood up and followed Dexter down the hall and towards the entrance to the lab. During their walk, the three stayed silent, no-one daring to accidentally say or do something that could alert Princess’ super-hearing.

They waited until they were done descending the staircase and entering the lab itself before speaking.

“Kyle... what exactly did that note mean?” Dexter asked him.

Kyle took a breath, trying to recall everything to memory.

“There’s a secret bunker under City Hall... some kind of subway station. It’s filled with supplies from the city’s disaster relief effort—there's enough to feed the entire city for at least a year, seeds and tools to help it last longer... she’s keeping it for anyone she thinks is worth saving.”

Utonium stumbled back a tad, and Dexter let out a suppressed gasp. The two took a moment to take in what they had just heard.

“But... why?” Utonium asked in horror.

“Because she thinks that anyone who’s Enhanced has the best shot at surviving. She thinks everyone else is just dead-weight.”

Dexter set down his glass and gestured to Utonium.

“Is it... possible that the side effects are worse than we thought? I cannot believe that she would have these thoughts overnight.”

Kyle turned to Dexter in confusion.

“Wait... side effects? What side effects?”

Utonium sighed and rubbed his temples.

“The variation of Chemical X she uses? It’s incomplete. It bonds with the host’s DNA and gives them powers, but it drains the body to do it. It’s been recorded to lower their inhibitions, as well—which may explain her behavior as of late. But it’s also heavily addictive-- after a while, they can’t go a day without a dose... and then, they overdose. At this point, Princess has only a few weeks left before the pressure is too much for her body.”

Kyle’s heart sank only a little. She was a monster, sure, but did she deserve to die for something out of her control?

“So, she’s just doomed to die? Because of something you gave her?”

Dexter stepped in.

“She practically ripped it from our hands! Her father made him think he was making a temporary dosage for the government... but it was for his little girl.”

“Oh, you mean her dad who put her in your daughters’ little cartoon?”

Utonium’s eyes widened.

“You know about that...?”

“Yeah, I know all of it. I find it hard to believe that someone who made his daughter a villain-Honey Boo-Boo would care about giving her any powers--”

“He didn’t make her a villain in the show, Kyle... I did.”

Kyle stopped his rant and looked the professor down in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Utonium sighed and shook his head.

“She probably thinks he made me do it... I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. But Richard Morbucks wanted nothing to do with it. When Jennifer was young, she and the girls were classmates. Friends... when their powers started to show and they started helping people, I thought I could do some good for them... set them up for life. But I needed money... money that the Morbucks family had. We got to talking, and I gave my series idea to him. He said he’d go with the project only if his daughter was involved.”

Kyle nodded along, following the story.

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why she’s upset at her dad and not at you...”

“I’m getting to that. During production, Mr. Morbucks was... a pain in the ass, to put it lightly. He was a prick on-set and a nightmare behind the scenes. You wouldn’t believe the horror stories I have of that time... The big thing with him was that he wanted his daughter to have a core role in the show, and he wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. I could’ve worked something out... but I was so fed up with him that I...”

“...you made her a villain.” Kyle finished his sentence in shock.

Looking down in shame, Utonium nodded.

“It wasn’t like I was using her likeness... It was animated, a cartoon. Different voice, different style... I thought that it wouldn’t matter-- that people wouldn’t think of her any differently. I just wanted to get back at him.” Utonium said, clenching his fists.

Kyle sat frozen, unsure how to feel.

“The show came and went, my daughters found their way in the world, and eventually had their powers removed... but her? She wasn’t able to move on, as I’m sure you know, by now.”

Kyle nodded.

“Yeah... I know about that part.”

“Now, combine that unresolved trauma on top of a vile, addictive drug that gives super-powers...” Dexter chipped in.

“She needs to be stopped, Kyle... by whatever means necessary. I hoped we could simply wait her out until we could find an opening and give her the antidote, but that’s not an option, anymore... the longer we wait, the worse her mental state becomes.”

Kyle sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“So, what do we do? We can’t just let these people die...”

Dexter turned to Utonium.

“What about your daughters? How do we get them out?”

“I’ve been thinking about that... Buttercup says that Brick and his brothers might join us should we leave. Kyle, do you have any means of escape?”

Kyle scoffed, stepping toward the professor.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I’m not leaving anyone here—the least we can do here is try to find a way to stop her before anyone else gets hurt.”

Utonium backed away only a tad, and Dexter’s gaze was fixated into the observation room...

“Kyle, I understand your position, but this isn’t someone we can simply vote out of office. She has the power and the influence to stay in charge for however long she sees fit. Unless we can find a way to depower her without immediately being executed, the best shot we have at surviving is getting as far away from here as we can...”

“No, I’m not taking that for an answer—there has to be something we can do, she’s just one person—we can find a way to turn her troops against her.”

“Um... professor?” Dexter tried to intervene, his eyes still staring within the observation room.

“In a moment, Dexter. I understand you wish to protect people, but there’s nothing we can do for the majority of the people here... they can’t--”

“Can’t what? They can’t protect themselves? They aren’t worth saving? Do you know who else said that to me?” Kyle instigated, stepping closer to the professor.

“Professor--?”

“Now, hold on just a minute—I'm not suggesting anything like that... I’m saying that our concerns need to be with ourselves, and our families. No-one else is worth saving.”

“That’s bullshit! The only way we survive this thing is by pulling together, all of us! Why can’t any of you people get that?!”

“Professor!”

“What?!” Kyle and Utonium stopped their argument and turned towards Dexter.

Once they turned and faced him, they were also fixated on the distinct glowing aura resonating from the Geode they had under the microscope...

“I’m... gonna assume it doesn’t always do that?” Kyle asked.

Utonium didn’t answer as he immediately entered the room, leaning down and looking into the microscope. He observed the countless bright electronic synapses flowing in a certain direction, seemingly magnetized towards something...

Kyle moved over past Dexter to get a better look. As he did, Utonium watched the atoms shift and follow Kyle’s movements...

“Kyle, can you enter the room, please?”

Confused, Kyle entered the room and as he did, the energy inside the Geode shifted and followed him, drawn to him like a magnet.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“Come over here... to my left side.” Utonium said, observing the energy focusing on the right side, towards the door.

Kyle shrugged and moved to Utonium’s left side, stepping closer to the Geode. Once Kyle was over the Geode, the glowing amplified, and a visible aura began to resonate from within, seemingly being drawn towards the boy...

“Uh... what the hell is this?” He asked, waving a hand through the fog-like aura following his movements.

Utonium watched the scene in shock, immediately looking back into the microscope...

“Incredible... it looks like the magic stored within is being drawn to you, but it isn’t taking away from it. It’s simply sharing the magic... tell me, do you feel any different?”

Kyle thought for a moment and shook his head.

“No, not really. Now, how do we put this stuff back in?” He asked, waving away the aura with no luck in dissipating it.

“There’s no need to. Like I said, it isn’t draining it, it’s amplifying it. I believe this may be part of your enhancement...”

Kyle tried swatting the magic away again and sighed.

“Why hasn’t this happened before? I’ve been around the girls for weeks at a time and this hasn’t happened before.”

“Perhaps it has, but in lower quantities. Maybe because they were using them, there wasn’t enough magic to be shared like this.”

Kyle thought for a moment, trying to make sense of what Utonium was suggesting, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it began to make...

“Wait... my, ‘enhancements’, started to show... after I was at Canterlot. After I was exposed to that magic... but how would I have siphoned it without knowing? Why is all of this only happening now?”

Utonium paid him no mind, fixated on figuring out how to make Kyle begin siphoning the magic in the air.

“Perhaps it’s vocal? Some kind of spell or enchantment?”

Kyle struggled to come up with any sort of spell, but then he had a realization. The last time anything magic-esque happened around him was at the station with the Caribou’s brainwashed prisoners...

“Hold on... I have an idea, but this is gonna be a bit weird.” He sighed, stretching a bit before taking a deep breath.

“~Na, na, na-na-na, oh...~” He started to sing.

Utonium glanced at him confusedly, but as Kyle began to vocalize, he saw the magic around them begin to be pulled and sucked into Kyle’s chest, where a dim red light began to glimmer...

“K-keep singing!” Utonium shouted.

As Kyle continued the Crystal Prep jingle, the Equestrian magic pulled into his body at a quickening rate. He began to feel the magic flowing through his body, feeling an adrenaline rush he had little to compare to. Like a hunger inside him he never felt before was finally being satiated. He continued to sing and as he did, his singing voice began to change, as well. Going from a somewhat scratchy, inexperienced singing voice to a silky-smooth voice that caught even Kyle off-guard. The voice that exited his mouth sounded almost like a completely different person, like a world-renowned pop star...

Once he was done, the aura within the room had been absorbed, and a bright red glow remained on Kyle’s chest...

“Doc... what the hell was that?” He asked in disbelief.

Utonium stammered for a moment, unable to fully answer.

“I have no earthly idea.” He shrugged.

They both shared a befuddled laugh as Utonium stopped and made eye contact with Kyle. Kyle couldn’t see, but for a moment, the professor’s eyes flashed a bright shade of green...

“Kyle... were your eyes always that color?” Utonium observed, his trance fading for just a moment.

Growing even more baffled, Kyle exited the observation room and found a bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he saw that the former blue in his eyes had now been replaced by deep purple. The same color as...

“What the hell is going on?” He asked himself.

Kyle looked down at the red glow on his chest, undoing his shirt to try and identify it. Looking at his bare chest, he saw the silhouette of a pentagon, almost like a necklace right below his neck. He felt at it, trying to see what it was, but he felt nothing from the light. It slowly faded over time as Kyle’s eyes became blue again, and the rush of energy he felt faded away.

It didn’t take him long to recognize the color of his eyes. He backed away for a moment once he realized what color they shifted into...

“What...?” He whispered, turning and exiting the bathroom.

He spotted Dexter and Utonium, the latter rubbing his temples.

“What happened? I suddenly feel light-headed...” He said.

Kyle struggled to comprehend what had just occurred, turning to Dex for answers.

“What did I just do?” He asked.

Dexter tried to find an answer but shrugged.

“In all my years of scientific research and experiments, I can finally say that I am dumbfounded. My suggestion is to take your questions to someone with a little more expertise with the magic in the Geodes... From what I could tell, however, you seemed to have been siphoning energy the whole time. This would explain your sudden Enhanced status as well as the regeneration you reported...”

Kyle thought back to as far as he could go for any giveaways of his power, but nothing came to mind. He remembered never being interested in singing, save for gatherings. But even then, nothing like what happened with the Geode occurred. That thought brought him back to the station with Shining. He realized that right after he sang, the Caribou’s prisoners had been freed... did he do that?

He did that.

“Oh, my God. I... I need to talk with Sunset, she knows more about this than me.” Kyle said, already arranging the meeting in his mind.

“That sounds like a plan. But for now, let’s get back to work. And you, stay back and observe.” Dexter instructed.

Kyle nodded and took a seat, preparing to tell the girls the truth.

How was he going to tell them the truth? That he had been siphoning their magic subconsciously, that he was something more than human...

That he was a Dazzling. He then thought, what was a Dazzling? He knew it was their band name, but what did it mean? What did it make him?

He frowned at the thought and decided to do his job, watching the two doctors experimenting on the gem still held in the observation room...

Hours passed, and his work was only interrupted by a knock on the door upstairs.

"Professor Utonium? It's Brick, I need Kyle."

Kyle glanced to the door and Utonium gestured to him to see Brick. Making his way upstairs, he opened the door and faced Brick.

"Hey, what's up?"

"We need you at the barracks. It's urgent... It's about the Caribou mission." He said, winking at Kyle and letting him know that was a lie.

Kyle understood and nodded.

"Alright, just let me get the rest of my notes for Princess. I'll just be a minute." He said, closing the door and walking back downstairs.

Once he was down, he looked to see the scientists at work. Walking past them, he searched the lab as fast as he could, locating an unlocked safe containing the four other Geodes...

"Kyle, is there something Princess needs?" Utonium asked.

Acting fast, he reached in and grabbed Pinkie's necklace, pocketing it.

"Uh, no, just finishing these notes up!" He shouted, making his way back out the room and rushing back upstairs.

The necklace jingled a tad in his pocket, but not enough to draw attention. He opened the door and followed Brick out of the house and towards the barracks.