"With power comes the abuse of power. And where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses. It's nothing new."
-Judd Rose
On the top floor of the Power Ponies' tower, Rarity was showing her new teammates the modifications she had made to their super suits.
"Nice job, Rarity," Zapp said, looking at the shiny new lightning bolt cufflinks on her hooves. "They match my bolt."
"And these cute little balloons are super adorable!" Fili-Second said, referring to her white balloon-shaped cufflinks outlined in purple.
"Mine looks," Mistress Mare-velous said, turning herself around, "exactly the same. Not that I wanted a makeover or anythin', but when ya asked to borrow my suit, I really thought ya were gonna…"
"Oh, but we did make some modifications," Twilight Sparkle said, stepping up to Rarity's side. "Press down on one of your cufflinks."
Shrugging, Mare-velous pressed down on the golden apple cufflink on her right hoof. To her surprise, it clicked. Suddenly, her mask whooshed off her face, followed by her mane slip. In a matter of seconds, her costume disappeared entirely. She looked down at her wrists and saw that the cufflinks had become chain anklets.
"What the…?"
"Press it again," Rarity said.
Gulping, Applejack did so and this time, she noticed that fabric was coming out from the golden apples and her costume reformed around her.
"Courtesy of Sparkle Labs," Twilight explained. "Makes your suit changes more efficient, as long as you wear those anklets. You also will have an easier time carrying your suits around, as they are tightly compacted within your cufflinks."
"Incredible," Applejack said in awe.
"Your suit has the same function, Zapp," Rarity said. "It's a collaborative piece."
Zapp pressed down on one of her lightning cufflinks, and sure enough, the suit went away, even smoothed out her mane as her new headdress whooshed over her head.
"Cool!" Rainbow said, taking her glasses out of her pocket. "It sure gets annoying having to change in phone booths." She ran her hoof through her mane. "And it'll save me a lot of time combing and putting gel in this thing."
Fili-Second excitedly pressed all of her balloons, but frowned when they didn't work.
"I hope you understand, Pinkie," Twilight said, "but we didn't see much point in giving your suit the same function, as it already takes you half a second to change anyway."
Fili-Second shrugged. "Fair enough."
"Gotta hand it to ya, Twilight," Mare-velous said. "This was a pretty nifty idea."
"Actually, it was Rarity who came up with it," Twilight said, putting her hoof around the unicorn in question. "I just provided the technology."
"Oh, pish posh," Rarity said with a blush. "It was nothing. Although, I do have one other surprise." She took Applejack's Stetson out from behind her back and stuck her hoof on the inside. "I also made a pocket in your hat where you can carry your rope."
"That's," Mare-velous said as she examined her hat, "actually practical."
"Well, not only do I believe that all ensembles should be fabulous, but they should have some level of practicality."
"Did you make any upgrades to your suit?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah!" Fili-Second said. "Like can your diamond bracelets vacuum-suck your suit in too?"
"Not quite," Rarity said, pointing to a single pink diamond hanging around her neck. "You see, Twilight gave me this necklace so…"
An alarm sounded and every pony turned to the blinking red light on the wall.
"Gasp!" Fili-Second exclaimed. "The General Badness Alarm!"
"Spike!" Twilight shouted, turning toward the dragon watching the monitors on the giant screen. "What is it this time?"
"Looks like some of the animals at the Maretropolis Zoo got loose," Spike said, enlarging one of the displays to show a cheetah and a gorilla leaving the zoo gates.
Twilight stepped toward the console. "Who are our escapees?"
"Give me a sec." Spike pressed a few keys and a list of animals appeared in another window. "We've got a cheetah, a gorilla, two kangaroos, and a puma."
"How did they get out?" Mare-velous asked.
The dragon rolled his eyes. "Some idiot zookeeper forgot to lock their cages."
"I call the kangaroos!" Fili-Second shouted.
"No, you get the cheetah," Twilight said. "You're the fastest and will be able to catch up to it."
"Okie dokie lokie!" Fili-Second said before zipping off.
"Zapp, you get the puma."
"Aw," Rainbow said as she took her glasses off. "But I wanted the gorilla!"
"I get the gorilla. Mare-velous, you and Radiance round up the kangaroos. Remember, our mission isn't to harm these animals, but to capture them and bring them safely back to the zoo."
While Twilight muttered her spell to get her wings, Spike swiveled his chair around to face her.
"Err, Twilight?" he said, twiddling his fingers. "Do you think I could…help you on this one?"
The Matter-Horn laughed as she used her magic to put on her costume. "You're already helping plenty, Spike." She rubbed the top of his head. "You're keeping a close eye on the monitors."
"No, I meant…" Sighing, he hung his head. "Never mind."
Rarity pressed on her diamond pendant and her suit sprang from it, now accessorized with a golden collar surrounding the pendant. Radiance then used her magic to summon her mask.
"Oh wait!" she said, powering her horn again. "Just one final touch!"
The next spell made her mane and tail whoosh back. When the light diminished, her mane was curled closer to her head and it, along with her tail, was adorned with pink diamonds.
Mare-velous narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
"Excuse me," Radiance said, gently running her hoof through her curls, "but if I wear the same hairdo all the time, ponies are sure to figure out my secret identity. Besides," she said, glancing in a full-length mirror, "the diamonds add a little more pizazz."
Ten minutes later, Mistress Mare-velous was bouncing on the back of a kangaroo, Demeter's Lasso serving as the reins around the animal's snout.
"I've…corralled…" she said between bounces, "many…a critter…in my…day…but this…takes…the cake!"
Radiance came up to her on the second kangaroo. She was sitting on a pink saddle, complete with thin pink reins.
"It wouldn't be so difficult if you were riding sidesaddle," she told Mare-velous.
Growling, Mare-velous hooked her back hooves around the kangaroo's neck and tugged on the rope. "Whoa there, Kanga!"
Squeaking, the kangaroo skidded to a halt. Radiance pulled on her reins with her bracelets and her kangaroo stopped as well. They were now parked outside of a supermarket, out of which Fluttershy was coming, carrying a bag of groceries in her foreleg. She gasped when she saw the kangaroos.
"Don't ask," Mare-velous said with a warning tone.
"Oh, they're adorable!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "If I had known you'd be riding kangaroos, I would've joined you when you asked."
A loud roar was heard, making Fluttershy spin around. Down the street, a large black gorilla was pushing cars aside.
"If you're still up for it," Mare-velous said, adjusting herself on the kangaroo, "now's your chance." She gave her rope a thrash. "Giddy-up, Kanga!"
But the rope didn't do what she had anticipated, and the kangaroo rose up in panic. Mare-velous let out a cry as her steed bounded forward at rapid speed.
"She doesn't like it when you pull so hard!" Fluttershy shouted.
"Come on, Roo," Radiance said, gently pulling on her reins. "Let's show her how it's done."
Roo bounced steadily towards the scene. Meanwhile, the Masked Matter-Horn was flapping around the gorilla, trying to hold it back with her ice beams. She put up a wall of ice around the animal, but he was so strong that it only took one punch to break through.
"Need…" Mare-velous said as she tried to regain control of Kanga, "any…help?"
"Mare-velous, use your rope to restrain this ape!" the Matter-Horn shouted.
The earth mare grasped tightly on her rope, still attached to the kangaroo's snout. "It's…a little…busy…right now!"
The alicorn turned to the unicorn. "Radiance!"
"I'm on it," Radiance said, pointing her bracelets at the gorilla.
A cage formed around the ape. He gripped the bars tightly and wailed. Unfortunately, once the cage was complete, Radiance's saddle and reins disappeared.
"Oh dear," she said.
Roo then suddenly jumped, knocking Radiance right off. This broke her concentration and made the cage vanish, freeing the gorilla.
"Shoot," the Matter-Horn muttered. "Let's switch targets! I'll get the kangaroo, and you get the gorilla."
As the alicorn flew off, Radiance rose from the ground, groaning as she massaged her backside.
"Oh, that brute!" She raised her glowing bracelets towards him. "I'll show him!"
"WAIT!"
Radiance stopped and turned to see Fluttershy running past her. She had placed her groceries down on the sidewalk and was now headed towards the gorilla.
"Flutter…shy…" Mare-velous called, still bouncing uncontrollably on Kanga. "It's…too…dangerous!"
Fluttershy ignored her, however, and continued to slowly approach the ape that was beating his chest and shouting.
"Shhh," she whispered, holding up her hoof. "Calm down. It's okay."
The gorilla paused and looked down at her curiously. Fluttershy carefully laid her hoof on his foot and gently petted it.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
Leaning forward, she nuzzled his leg with her snout. Then she looked up at him with her big, teal eyes. The gorilla's shoulders relaxed and he brought down his arm. Squinting, she saw that there was a piece of glass the size of a book impaled in it, though barely visible beneath all the hair.
"Oh, you poor thing," Fluttershy said. "Don't worry, I'm a vet. I know how to make this better."
She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a first-aid kit. After rummaging through it, she took out a roll of gauze and snipped a swatch off with her teeth.
"It'll be alright," she said, gently wrapping the bandage around the glass. "I'm just going to put light pressure on it. Try not to move. It'll only make it worse."
Mare-velous, Radiance and other bystanders watched in amazement as Fluttershy managed to keep the beast calm until animal control arrived. Fluttershy explained the gorilla's injury to the officers and the treatment she had given him, and they assured her that he would be given proper medical attention back at the zoo.
"Darling, that was incredible!" Radiance told Fluttershy. "You were positively fearless!"
"Oh," Fluttershy said, blushing. "It…it was nothing. I was just doing what any veterinarian would do."
She winced at the sudden flashes that came from reporters' cameras. The paparazzi started asking questions.
"What is your name, Miss?"
"How did you know that gorilla was injured?"
"Who does your mane?"
Fluttershy squeaked as she tried to hide her face behind her mane.
"Clear the way!" Mare-velous shouted, pushing through the crowd. "Back off! Give the girl some space!" She walked up to Fluttershy. "Want me to take ya home, Miss?"
Mare-velous winked at her and Fluttershy replied, "That would be convenient. Oh! My groceries!"
"No problem."
The lasso floated into view. The bag of groceries was tied to the end. Mare-velous wrapped her hoof around Fluttershy and grabbed the rope with her other hoof so that they would levitate above the crowd.
The Matter-Horn returned with the runaway kangaroo. "I see the gorilla's been neutralized."
"Hmm?" Radiance said as she posed for the cameras.
The alicorn shook her head with a laugh. "I bumped into Zapp and Fili-Second. They said they took care of the other animals just in the nick of time."
Radiance stiffened. "Time! Quick, some pony! What time is it?!"
One reporter looked down at her watch and said, "It's 5:27…"
"Good gracious! I'm going to be late!"
She summoned her flying carpet and took off.
Mare-velous swung herself and Fluttershy onto their apartment balcony. They pushed open the door and walked in together. Mare-velous quickly shut the door before taking off her mask.
"That was a pretty brave thing ya did back there," Applejack said.
"It was nothing," Fluttershy said as she picked up her groceries.
"It was somethin', alright. Though ya certainly walked right up to that angry gorilla like he was nothin'."
"I was just doing my job as a vet."
Applejack watched as her roommate went into the kitchen and started putting the food away. "You were doin' the job of a hero, Fluttershy. Don't ya see? Ya have the heart and the gall for it!"
Without looking at her, Fluttershy opened the fridge and knelt down to put away the vegetables. "Just because I helped save the day today doesn't mean I'll be of any help another day."
"What are ya talkin' about? If we ever have a zoo escape like that again, or even a giant dinosaur or dragon or somethin', ya could be of great help! And in a regular crime like a bank robbery, ya could just get mad and…"
"No, Applejack!" Fluttershy shouted, slamming the refrigerator door. She spun around to face her roommate. "I have told you a thousand times that I am not joining the Power Ponies!"
"But Fluttershy…"
"You think I could live with myself if I did anything to hurt any pony again?!" As she stepped closer, she started to grow. "It wouldn't matter if I beat the bad guys!" Her eyes reddened. "I wouldn't be able to control myself!" Applejack backed away as Fluttershy's muscles tore through her lab coat. "I can't…be…a…MONSTER!"
"Alright, calm down!" Applejack said, holding up her hooves. "Breathe like Tree Hugger taught ya!"
But Fluttershy's only response was a roar in the face. Looking back into the living room, Applejack saw that Angel was sleeping on the couch. Grabbing him, Applejack held the rabbit up to Fluttershy.
"Look!" she said. "Look what I got here! It's your little bunny Angel! Oh my, isn't he cute and fluffy?"
Fluttershy's eyes softened and she took Angel in her hooves. She started petting him gently. A minute later, she was shrinking back into her old self.
"Phew!" Applejack said, wiping the sweat off her brow.
"Huh?" Fluttershy said, glancing around. "What happened?" She looked down at her torn coat and gasped. "Oh my! I did it again, didn't I?! Did I hurt any pony?!"
"No, no!" Applejack insisted, holding up her hooves. "You're fine. I'm fine. Angel's fine."
Fluttershy sighed in relief. "Now you see why I can't be a hero like you. When I get angry, when I transform," she said, walking slowly past her roommate, "I'm nothing but a monster."
Rarity was sitting in Dee Tangler's office at her shampoo factory. Dee was dressing behind a screen while four earth stallion assistants waited in attendance.
"Rarity, dear," Dee called from behind the screen, "this suit you've made me is absolutely fabulous!"
"I must say I was rather surprised when you asked for a jumpsuit," Rarity said. "Is this for a special occasion?"
"It's just because. Those suits you designed for the new Power Ponies have really sparked a fad. I just want to keep up with the latest fashions."
Dee stepped out, dressed in a purple jumpsuit with a gold collar and black boots accented with gold. She turned to admire herself in her mirrors, of which she had quite a few. Not only was there a trifold mirror in the corner, but there were mirrors all along the walls. The trifold itself had two smaller mirrors hanging on the side, high enough for Dee to get a close-up of her head.
"Fabulous," she said again, turning herself around. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Rarity. I knew I could count on you."
Rarity blushed. "It was no problem, Dee. I'd do anything for a…"
Dee screamed suddenly, making every pony jump. "Look!" She lifted a lock of her blue mane and held it up to one of the smaller mirrors. "Split end! SPLIT END!"
One of her assistants, who was dressed in a purple top, rushed to her side. He had a dark gray coat, a jagged pink and white mane style and a cutie mark of a hairdryer.
"Don't panic, Miss Tangler!" he said in a nervous voice. "We'll take care of it right a—"
"Silence, Blowdry!" Dee shouted, knocking him back with her hoof. "Haircare Emergency! Now! Shampoo!"
A white stallion with pink-striped hair, pink sunglasses, a red scarf, a blue- and gray-striped vest and a shampoo bottle cutie mark whizzed off and came back with a reclining chair and water basin.
"Just sit down, Miss Tangler!" he said, attempting to sound soothing through his uneasy smile. "Lean back and relax!"
Dee leaned back in the chair while Shampoo quickly put her mane in the water basin and started rinsing it. Rarity watched in bewilderment.
"Sorry for the dramatics, Rarity," Dee said as Shampoo squirted shampoo onto his hoof and rubbed it into her mane. "But this mane is worth millions, and I have to keep it in top condition."
"Oh, I understand," Rarity said. "We must all strive for perfection."
Dee smiled. "I knew you would." Then she shouted, "Comb! Scissors!"
Two other assistants rushed to either side of her and pushed the reclining chair up. One pulled out a comb and started running it through her wet mane. He was gray with yellow eyes and a purple mane and beard, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater. Yellow sunglasses sat on the top of his head, and on his flank was the cutie mark of a comb running through a lock of hair.
"I'm the head of the largest haircare product company in all of Maretropolis," Dee said as Comb parted her mane. "If my own mane is not well taken care of, what will my buyers think?"
"Do you just want the split end or should I trim it all?" Scissors asked, holding up a pair of scissors.
Scissors was a white stallion with light blue hair, the ends of his mane and tale dyed in purple. He also had a goatee, which had a small purple streak through its middle. He had on a brown top with a laced opening in the chest. His cutie mark was a pair of scissors cutting a lock of hair.
"Trim it!" Dee exclaimed. "No doubt there are other split ends hiding down there."
Nodding, Scissors proceeded to snip the ends of her mane.
"You know I used to be a model with this mane?" Dee asked Rarity.
"Yes, I have," Rarity said. "You were called the Pre-Poo Shampoo Girl."
"Yes," Dee said with a sigh. "Then I got too old for the modeling business and the company had to let me go."
"How old were you?"
"Twenty-five. But I had earned enough money to start my own company, and left Pre-Poo Shampoo in the dust!" Once Scissors was finished trimming, Dee yelled, "Blowdry!"
Blowdry wheeled up a hood dryer, quickly put curlers into Dee's mane and placed the dome over her head.
"Well, it look like you're busy," Rarity said, standing up. "If that'll be all, I'll just be on my way."
"Hold that thought, Rarity dear," Dee said, holding up her hoof. "I'm going to a charity ball next week and will be needing a new gown. Something simple, but elegant. But no sequins. Those get caught in my mane."
Rarity used her magic to levitate her sketchpad and write on it. "Simple, elegant, no sequins. Got it!"
"And one more thing!" She clapped her hooves together. "Scissors, the ticket!"
Scissors took a golden ticket out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Rarity. She took it and read that it was for the Maretropolis Charity Ball! Her jaw dropped.
"I had an extra ticket and thought you might like to go," Dee explained, sending the unicorn a smile. "As my plus one."
"I…I don't know what to say!" Rarity said, pressing the ticket to her chest. "Thank you, Dee!" She slung her satchel over her shoulder. "I'll have the gown ready for you in two days! No! Tomorrow!" As she ran out of the office, she shouted, "Thank you again!"
Dee grinned as she said, "Shampoo, what does our schedule look like tomorrow? Where can we pencil Rarity in?"
Shampoo took his electronic planner out from inside his scarf and started scrolling through.
"Let's see," he said. "At noon we've got your lunch with Miss Glimmer…"
Dee rolled her eyes. "Can't we skip that?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Tangler. You need to get the rights to that vanishing formula so we can make that stain-remover for pony coats."
"Fine. What about one o'clock?"
"That's your meeting with Twilight Sparkle."
"Of course!" Dee slapped herself in the forehead. "How could I forget? The merger! That reminds me. Comb, how is the hair-growth formula coming along?"
"It's still in the experimental stage," Comb said.
"It must be ready before Sparkle arrives. She wants to be able to use the formula in her experiments at Sparkle Labs. We're talking about a five-million-bit deal! And if we don't get this merger…" She clapped her hooves. "Blowdry! The charts!"
Blowdry bolted off and returned with a graph on an easel. "Given the numerous loans we've had to take out this past year," he said, pointing to the jagged red line, "and the seventeen percent decrease in sales, and Miss Tangler's own haircare expenses…"
"Get to the point!" she barked.
"Yes, well," Blowdry said, clearing his throat, "without the merger from Sparkle Labs, we will be unable to recover our losses this year and…" He pointed to the arrow at the bottom, far below the zero line. "Well…"
"So you see, gentlecolts," Dee said, "we need this deal." The dome lifted from her head and her long blue mane fell over her shoulders. Shampoo held up a hoof mirror for her to admire herself in. "Otherwise everything I've worked for will go down in smoke."
At Power Ponies' headquarters, Twilight was handing out small earpieces to her fellow heroes.
"These listening devices will make it easier for us to communicate," she explained. "Just put it in your ear and press gently down on it to talk."
"Yay!" Pinkie said, pushing her device into her earhole. "I love sticking things in my ear!"
"Applejack, did you talk to Fluttershy by any chance?" Rarity asked as she set up her own listening device. "She was absolutely heroic today!"
"Yeah, I saw on the news," Rainbow said. "She sure she doesn't wanna be a hero?"
Applejack sighed. "She's still hung up about what happened all those months ago. She's afraid of hurtin' any pony else and thinks ponies will see her more as a monster than a hero."
"That's a shame," Rarity said. "I had such a lovely ensemble set aside for her too. You know, in case she changed her mind." She looked at the clock on the wall. "Speaking of ensembles, I need to work on Dee Tangler's gown for the Maretropolis Charity Ball."
Twilight frowned. "You've been working for Dee Tangler a lot lately."
Rarity turned to her. "There's nothing wrong with that, is it?"
"Oh, no. It's just…I've known her for years and…she's not really renowned for being a…easy employer."
"Whatever do you mean?"
Spike spun his chair away from the monitors to address her. "Haven't you heard? Last year her workers went on strike because she wasn't paying them a lot. Instead of giving into their demands, she just fired them."
"So?" Rarity said with a shrug. "Business ponies fire their workers all the time. Twilight, don't tell me you've never fired any pony."
"Yes," Twilight said, closing her eyes in attempt to calm herself. "But always with good reason. I always treat my employees with respect. If they have grievances, I listen to them. For instance, I don't have them work Hearth's Warming without even paying them overtime."
Rarity shook her head. "You're exaggerating. Dee is a very generous mare and has been so kind to me. Didn't I mention she's the one who bought me the bracelets?"
"Yeah, and it's amazing she hasn't made the connection tween you and Radiance," Applejack said, rolling her eyes.
"AJ's got a point," Rainbow said. "It's bad enough you told all of Maretropolis that it was you who made our costumes."
"Dee thinks I lost the bracelets," Rarity said. "So naturally she assumes that Radiance found them. Not to worry." She rolled up the sleeves of her coat, revealing her bracelets. "I keep them safely tucked away." She concealed them again. "But it's not just the bracelets. She also gave me her extra ticket to the Charity Ball."
Spike grinned brightly. "You're…you're going to the Charity Ball too?" He crossed his legs awkwardly. "T-That means we'll…we'll see you there so…you and I could…"
Rolling her eyes, Twilight said, "Look, what you do outside of our work is none of my business, Rarity. I just think you should be careful when dealing with Tangler. She is not a mare to be taken lightly."
"Oh, honestly!" Rarity said, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she walked out. "And they say I'm the drama queen!"
When the elevator doors closed on her, Spike turned to Twilight and asked, "Don't you have a meeting with Tangler tomorrow about the hair-growth stuff?"
"Yes," Twilight said with a groan.
"You, um…don't have to go if you don't…"
"No. Sparkle Labs needs that formula. If Tangler has truly found a formula to grow hair at a rapid rate, imagine how that formula could be modified to grow something else. We could grow plants in a matter of seconds!"
Applejack's eyes widened. "That…that could help end world hunger."
"Exactly! That's the other difference between me and Tangler." She sighed. "Where she sees profit, I see the potential for change."
That evening, at Tangler's Shampoo Factory, Dee Tangler and her assistant Shampoo were on the catwalk, looking down at a large tank of bubbling green liquid.
"Why are the workers wearing radiation suits?" Dee asked, leaning onto the glass railing.
"Well," Shampoo said, gulping as he tapped his planner with his stylus. "It appears that…well, the chemicals we used have created a sort of…reaction that has led to…unpleasant results."
Dee raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
He bit his lip. "While the tests have proved positive in terms of hair-growth…"
"So the formula works?"
"Yes, but…after prolonged exposure to the formula, the test subjects started experiencing some…side effects."
She leaned toward him with a dangerous glare. "What sort of side effects?"
"Let's see." He scrolled down his screen. "Nausea…"
Dee huffed. "Nothing a little orange juice can't cure."
"Itchy scalp…"
"All the more reason for them to buy Tangler's Itch Relief."
"Blurred vision, dementia…"
"Wait, what?!"
Dee shrieked as the rail jerked forward suddenly. She backed away and saw that the glass section had moved forward a crack.
"Ugh! How many times have I told you to get some pony to check this catwalk out! This whole building's falling apart! Now," she said, turning to her assistant, "what was that last one you said?"
Shampoo swallowed a lump in his throat. "D-Dementia." He looked back at his screen. "Three out of the ten test subjects were admitted to the mental hospital within three days after testing the formula, and the other seven said they experienced…well, what they termed 'wooziness.' At least two of them couldn't walk properly. Miss Tangler, some of these ingredients…they're too dangerous when mixed together. We aren't ready to release this to the public. Maybe we should postpone the meeting with Twilight Sparkle."
Dee looked down at the bubbling vat of green goo. Her workers seemed hesitant to go anywhere near it.
"But the formula was still able to make the manes of those test subjects grow?" she asked.
"Y-Yes," Shampoo said, glancing at his planner. "In only 2.5 seconds."
Dee was silent for a long while. "We're keeping our meeting with Sparkle."
Shampoo's eyes widened. "But Miss Tangler…"
"We can't afford to postpone this project any longer! And tell the workers not to wear those ridiculous suits tomorrow! Sparkle will get suspicious!"
"But…the workers…they need protection…"
"They can wear their protocol hairnets, gloves and goggles as always. But no suits!"
As she started walking way, Shampoo chased after her. "But Miss Tangler! To release a product this dangerous…one that could cause ponies to go insane…"
"You said so yourself," Dee said, not facing him or stopping. "Dementia's a three in ten chance. It's not like they'll die from it."
"But…"
She spun around angrily. "Do you want to be out of a job?!"
He stepped back and stared up at her in horror. Then he sighed and shook his head.
"Then let's keep this between us," she said, smiling as she leaned down to him, "shall we?"
The next day, Dee Tangler was putting on an innocent smile as she led Twilight Sparkle onto the catwalk of the shampoo factory. Spike was trailing behind them with his notepad and pencil in claw. The workers were no longer in their radiation suits, but were keeping a safe distance away from the vat of green glop.
"And this is where the magic happens," Dee said, spreading her forelegs out. "Here's where we make all our products and bottle them before shipping them out to the world!"
"I see," Twilight said, examining the glass railings. "And where is the hair-growth formula?"
"Right there," Dee said, pointing to the green goo below.
Twilight peered over the edge, while Spike pressed his face against the glass. "Uh…is shampoo supposed to bubble like that?"
Twilight couldn't help but notice the black cables running directly beneath the railings. "I'm not sure it's a good idea having these electrical cords so close to boiling pots of liquid."
Dee chuckled as she gently pulled Twilight away from the rail. "I can assure you, this place has been inspected thoroughly and has been given a clean bill of health."
Spike jumped back as the glass he was looking through slid forward. "When was that? Fifty years ago?"
Forcing a laugh, Dee playfully rubbed the top of Spike's head. "Adorable little lizard, isn't he?"
"Ahem," Twilight said, clearing her throat. "Dee, if we could be given a demonstration of this formula?"
Dee exchanged a nervous glance with Shampoo, but kept up her grin. "But of course! Comb!" She clapped her hooves. "Go get us a bottle of the hair-growth formula, will you? Oh, and some pony to test it."
Down below, the workers scattered in different directions. This did not escape Twilight's notice. Comb shortly returned with a bottle of the green goop, dragging a struggling worker behind him. It took a hard push from Comb to get him to stay still.
"Comb," Dee said, "if you would do the honors." She turned to Twilight. "Feel free to set a timer."
Comb ripped off the worker's hairnet and opened the bottle.
"Uh…" the worker said, stammering. "T-Thank you, M-Miss Tangler, but I, uh…like my hair the length it is and I…no, NO!"
The formula was poured onto his mane.
"Rub it in," Comb whispered harshly.
Gulping, the worker did as he was told and rubbed the goo into his mane. Suddenly, his mane sprung into a luxurious head of hair, which now flowed down to his shoulders.
"Whoa!" Spike said.
"2.5 seconds," Twilight said, looking at her watch. "That's…incredible."
The worker started scratching his scalp, but quickly stopped when Dee sent him a glare. He put his hoof behind his back and whistled innocently.
"I must say," Twilight said, "I thought you were simply bragging, Dee, but you really came through on this. Sparkle Labs can certainly benefit from this chemical breakthrough."
Dee sighed in relief. "That is so very good to hear, Twilight."
"Now, I'm just going to need the list of ingredients to this formula."
Dee's face fell. "Um…I would prefer it if…I didn't divulge that information to you until after we signed the agreement."
"I understand, Dee, but before we get to paperwork, I'd like to know what I'm signing up for. Are there any rare or expensive or…potentially dangerous ingredients I should know about?"
Dee bit her lip. "Well…I don't remember off the top of my head…"
"That's alright." She turned to her dragon. "Spike, the chemical analyzer."
"Right!" Spike said, tucking away his notepad and taking out a small handheld device.
He swiped the bottle from Comb and held it under his device. Dee gasped in panic.
"No, wait, stop!"
The chemical analyzer's screen turned red and Spike dropped the pencil he had been holding. "Uh…Twilight?"
Biting the edge of her hoof, Dee watched as Twilight read the results on the scanner. She did not look pleased.
"Well, uh…Dee," she said, turning to the other businessmare. "It seems that…well, some of the chemical compounds you've put in here…while harmless alone, when combined together its results are…well, radioactive." Her face turned serious. "Did you know about this?"
Dee forced a smile. "I…I can assure you that if I had any idea that my formula was harmful, I wouldn't have let my workers anywhere near it!"
"Then why'd ya have us ditch the radiation suits?" the now long-haired worker asked.
Dee darted her eyes at him. "Why, you…you're fired!"
He screamed. "I'm on fire?!" He looked all around his body and started padding down on it desperately. "Get it off me! I'm burning! Help me!"
"Restrain him!" Dee shouted.
Comb and Scissors each grabbed a foreleg of the rambling stallion.
"You think he'll end up like the others?" Scissors whispered to Comb.
"Shut up!" Dee hissed through her teeth.
"Others?" Spike said.
"No! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" She grinned so hard it looked like her cheeks would burst. "Look, this is just a minor setback!" Her eye twitched. "You're a scientist, Sparkle! You understand! Accidents happen!"
"Except you knew this 'accident' would happen," Twilight said. "And…you were going to sell this to me. More importantly, you were going to send this out to the public…"
"Just give us time! We can fix it! You…you can help fix it! You've got other scientists who can…"
The unicorn set her hoof down. "It's not just the formula, Dee. You were well aware that this formula wasn't safe. And yet, you've endangered your workers, and you were willing to endanger all of Maretropolis! Not only can I not accept your deal, but…I might have to call the authorities."
Dee froze. "N-No…you can't! They'll…they'll shut me down! I'll be ruined!"
"You should've thought of that sooner." Twilight turned her back on her. "Come on, Spike."
She and her dragon walked towards the exit. Dee chased after them.
"No, please!" she called. "This company is all I have! I can't let it go down in…"
She yelped as she stepped onto the pencil Spike had dropped. It caused her to stumble to the side of the catwalk. She gripped the rail for balance, but the sudden weight was the straw that broke the camel's back. The railing gave way and the section of glass fell back into the vat of the hair-growth formula.
Twilight and Spike spun around upon hearing Dee's screams. Her assistants rushed to the gap in the rail and looked over in panic. They sighed in relief when they saw that their employer had grabbed hold of the electrical cable.
"Thank Celestia!" Scissors said, reaching out his hoof. "Grab on, Boss!"
Grunting, Dee reached for him, but the minute her hoof left the cable, it snapped. A sudden electrical shock caused her to lose her grip and she screamed as her fall continued. Down, down she went, the green goop bubbling beneath her, the end of the sparking cable falling with her.
Twilight and Spike ran up to the rail.
"Dee!" Twilight shouted, preparing her horn.
But her reaction was too slow. Dee's wails were cut off as she hit the goo with a plop!
"Some pony get a rope or stick or something!" Twilight yelled. "Get her out of there!"
Then the live wire made contact with the chemicals. Every pony jumped back as the goop erupted into a geyser, spraying up towards the ceiling. The workers on the ground floor screamed as they raced out of the room. On the catwalk, the assistants and Spike covered their eyes, but Twilight watched as electric sparks enveloped the green geyser before them.
The goop came back down, splashing in all directions as it returned to the pot. Twilight and the others peered over the edge. The goo was now completely still, save the sparks flying up from it.
And Dee Tangler was nowhere to be seen.
"Sweet Celestia almighty," Twilight muttered.
Spike then noticed something near his foot. He picked it up and gazed at it in horror.
"T-Twilight," he said, holding the object up to his face. "M-My…my pencil."
Understanding what had happened, she put her hooves around him. "Oh Spike."
Twilight and Spike now sat on a bench outside the shampoo factory while the radiation squad examined the place. The two of them had already been through the decontamination shower and had been given warm towels. Spike was still staring at the pencil in his claw while Twilight still held him.
Rarity came down the street, levitating a black garment bag beside her. She looked in alarm at the yellow tape surrounding the building and the radiation squad scanning the walls. Rarity ran up to Twilight and Spike.
"Whatever in the world is going on here?" she asked. "Where's Dee?"
"I…" Spike said, his lip quivering. "I killed her."
Rarity blinked. "W-What?"
"You didn't kill her, Spike," Twilight said, pulling him closer. "It was an accident."
"What accident? Twilight, what's happened?"
Twilight looked up at her. "Tangler…she…she fell off the catwalk and…into a boiling pot of her hair-growth formula and…there was a loose cable that fell in and…" She hung her head. "I'm sorry, Rarity."
Rarity put her hoof to her mouth. "Good heavens." She turned to the building. "Oh. Poor Dee." Tears started to fall from her eyes as she looked at the floating garment bag. "Oh, and she was so looking forward to seeing this dress. She would've loved it."
"She stepped on my pencil, Twilight," Spike said, still not taking his eyes off the pencil. "She's dead because of me. I…I'm a murderer."
"No, no," Twilight said, kissing the top of his head. "Don't think like that. It wasn't your fault."
One of the officers in the radiation suits approached the trio. "We've cleaned out the area as best we can, but I'm afraid we can't do anything about that green goop until the electricity dies down."
"Did you find Dee's…?" Twilight asked, unable to finish her sentence.
The officer shook her head. "Like we said, that thing's sparkling like a fireworks' show. We couldn't poke anything in there without getting shocked. You should get along home. You're lucky you only got the mild part of the blast." She looked back at the ponies being loaded into ambulances. "Those poor folks. That businessmare should've taken better care of them."
"What's she talking about?" Rarity asked her friends.
Sighing, Twilight stood up. "I'll tell you on the way home."
That night, the shampoo factory was completely abandoned. All that remained was the pot of green goop, sparks still dancing around it. All was quiet, save for the crackling electricity.
Suddenly, a group of bubbles popped to the surface. Then something jumped out of the goop. It was long and green, slithering like a snake. It lunged forward, snapping like a whip, grasping the edge of the pot. Another snake-like being burst out, this one slightly lighter. It too grabbed the edge of the pot. More snakes emerged and gripped the edge, pulling hard.
A dark blue head rose out of the chemicals, attached to the snake-like cords that were its hair. Dark blue hooves splashed out onto the edge. The living, electrically charged strands of hair continued pulling, bringing the rest of the mare's body to the surface.
Her eyes popped open. Its irises were as green as the goop, and its pupils as red as blood. Her lips curled up, revealing white, luminescent teeth. As the electricity sparked around her head, she started chuckling throatily. Her teeth then opened an inch, producing a dark laugh. Finally, she threw her head back into a maniacal cackle that echoed throughout the shampoo factory.