//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Last Hope 
// by yoshiXII 
//------------------------------//

“If you move at all, I’ll stab you. You got that?”
Rarity remained passive on the chair. She wondered how she got there. All she remembered was that she was trotting along the alleys of Ponyville, trying to find materials for her next masterpiece. Then, dull pain followed by darkness. Now she was sitting on a chair in a dark room with at least seven ponies threatening her.
“See this, Rarity?” The same stallion held up a microscopic chip to her face. Rarity squinted, though she couldn’t recognize it at all. “This was implanted in you and your friends during the flu shot.
“The thing you might not have known is that it’s actually deadly. Once it goes into your bloodstream, it can make its way into your brain. There it remains in a stasis until a signal transmits. But once the transmission occurs, the chip signals all of the lysosomes in the cells to self-digest the cell simultaneously. You would be dead within seconds. Worst is, the chip will stay for your lifetime, so there’s always the threat of immediate death. Fortunately, the signal is very specific and only we know the frequency.”
“So you’re telling me that you implanted this in me,” Rarity spat bitterly. “But why?”
The stallion shifted his weight. “Let’s just say that this is blackmail. We need your help and there’s no way you would accept without some...motivation shall we say.”
“What’s the deal?” Rarity asked, not wanting to know the answer.
The stallion looked around the cottage at the other ponies gathered. “Is the room bugged?” he asked. The other ponies offered no answer and only shrugged.
The stallion whispered into Rarity’s ear. Rarity’s eyes widened and her expression was one of utmost horror. “You ponies are monsters! Why would you do this?”
He sighed. “Let’s just say that this would benefit us immensely since we do get quite the few clients. It’s either this or have you and your friends die. Which one will you choose?”
Rarity looked around nervously. “Can you give me a few days’ time to think about this? This is quite the proposition.”
The ponies around her started talking. Silently they came to an agreement. The stallion said, “Yes, but you will be observed. If you tell this to any other pony, we will have to transmit the signal. It can be spread throughout Ponyville, so there’s no escape.”
Rarity bit her lip. “Fine, have it your way.”
The stallion chuckled. “You know, we thought that you would choose this option over your friends dying. It’s almost like you’re betraying them.”
Rarity shot him a dirty look. “If you ponies had a heart, you might be able to understand my hesitation.”
He shrugged. “I understand. I used to have a life too. But right now, it’s your move. Our ponies are already depending on you.”
“This is absolutely wretched. I can’t believe ponies like you exist.”
“We’re the reason modern society exists, ma’am.”