Shining was gripping his own stomach in empathetic pain and looking quite green when Twilight and Venom finished their story.
“So, need this?” Twilight joked, levitating up a trash can.
He chuckled, then covered his mouth and visibly swallowed. Then he said, “N-no, I'm alright. But... dear Celestia, I can't imagine what sort of pain you were in.”
“It was pretty agonizing,” Twilight replied. She leaned a bit into Venom, who had formed an arm to rest around her several minutes ago. “I'm sure I was seconds away from dying. If Venom hadn't gotten back to me, I wouldn't be here.”
“Yeah. Thank you, Venom.” Shining held out a hoof. “Thank you for taking care of my little sis.”
Venom grasped his hoof. “Of course. She's not dying on my watch.”
“You're just saying that because you need me to live,” Twilight teased.
“You and I both know that's not true.” Venom was quiet for a moment, then bumped his head into hers. “Alright, that's one reason to keep you alive. But also I like you and I'd miss you if you were gone!”
“Heh, you're such a softie.”
Venom scowled at her. “I'm the softie? You want to talk soft, let's talk about how tender your skin is and how soft and tasty your liver's looking right now.”
“Go for it, it regenerates anyway.”
Venom couldn't help but snicker and Shining smiled, shaking his head. “You two really are good for each other. Anyway, I'm glad you're both okay, and that you gave Riot what he deserved. If you hadn't killed him, I'd be killing him myself right now.”
“Wow. And you were worried about me being a murderer?” Twilight said.
“Heh, yeah, guess that is a bit hypocritical of me,” Shining admitted. He rubbed his neck. “But I'll admit I can go a little crazy when it comes to protecting my family. Obviously taking a life would be a last resort, but with what he did to you... oh yeah. If I had seen that I would have fucked him up.”
Twilight gave a scandalized gasp and Venom exclaimed, “Watch your fucking language, Captain!”
Twilight grabbed a random notebook from the desk and flipped it open. “Hold on, I'm writing to Mom right now. Dear Mom, Shining Armor finally dropped an F bomb!”
“Twily, no!”
Venom roared with laughter. “I love this family!”
They stayed there in the lab while waiting for Twilight’s friends, Twilight mostly just resting while Venom chatted with Shining. They were discussing various military tactics, comparing how their respective societies handled war, when the door opened and Twilight's friends hurried in.
“Twilight!” Spike flew forward faster than any of the others, tackling her in a hug. She toppled from her chair, and was soon jumped on by Rainbow. Then all the rest followed suit, all holding her close and nuzzling against her.
“Princess Celestia told us everything!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Are you okay?” Fluttershy fretted.
“That Riot guy is definitely dead, right?” Starlight asked.
Twilight pushed herself up, gently pushing them back. “Yes, definitely dead. And I’m okay.”
Celestia entered the room next. “Twilight and Venom both did an amazing job fighting back against Riot. Working together, the four of us were finally able to defeat him and ensure Equestria’s protection.”
“Four?” a confused chorus replied.
Scorn’s head emerged. “Hi.”
“You have one of them too?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes. She helped me defeat Riot, as well as helped me tell everyone else here that we’d like to be friends.” She gestured to the other symbiotes.
“A shame it’s temporary, this is a very nice body,” Scorn sighed, curling around Celestia’s neck a few times. “So big and strong. And with wings!”
“You know...” Celestia said slowly, giving the other a smile. “Symbiotes often struggle finding a perfectly matching host, don't you?”
“Oh yes, rejection is very common.”
“But you've already matched with me. So if you'd like, you can stay.”
Scorn stared for a few seconds, then gave a wide, toothy grin. “I can?” Celestia nodded, and Scorn hugged her neck tightly. “Thank you, Princess!”
“You're quite welcome. I think we can be very good friends.”
“I do as well.”
Twilight nodded. “Well, alright. Let's take care of the others, then. Who’d like to help our new friends out?”
Most of her friends exchanged unsure glances, but Pinkie bounced forward. “Ooh, me, me, I’ll take one!”
Venom had said Pinkie would probably get along with Hysteria. Twilight picked up Hysteria’s container. “Okay, try bonding with Pinkie. I’m uh, sure you can tell who she is.” She twisted the top off, and it hissed as the air pressure equalized, oxygen flooding into it. Hysteria wasted no time, reaching out to touch Pinkie’s face.
“Hi there, new friend!” Pinkie greeted. Hysteria pretty much flopped onto her, and their body stretched out along her back and up into her mane. “Haha, that tickles! Oh look, it’s like silly string!”
The others laughed. It did kinda look like she had been sprayed with silly string. Until Hysteria sunk all the way in, and Pinkie took a few curious steps.
“Oh yeah, she’s… or uh, they…” Pinkie paused, ears tilting as she listened to something only she could hear. Then she said, “Okay, she doesn’t mind being called she. She says she’s all settled but wants to relax for a bit and uh… get to know the place?”
“That’s normal,” Venom said. “It’s crucial to really learn your host’s body before you start going crazy with it.”
Rainbow picked up Slasher’s container. “I’m really feeling this guy, look how fast they’re moving around in here.”
“Good choice, that’s Slasher, the one I told Twilight would probably get along with you. Go on and let him out.”
Rainbow struggled with the lid for a moment, then figured out how to unlatch it and tossed it aside. “Alright, hi Slasher, I’m Rainbow Dash- gh!” She grunted when he sped out and hit her right in the throat, knocking her onto the floor. She coughed, feeling at her neck, but he had already disappeared into her skin. “Oh. Um, okay, that wasn’t so bad.”
Slasher was quick to emerge back from her body, revealing that he preferred a much more streamlined appearance than the other symbiotes Twilight has seen so far. He grew some arms and crossed them. “These creatures are a bit too colorful for my liking, but at least they’re nice.”
“You got a problem with colorful?” Rainbow asked, running a hoof through her rainbow mane.
Slasher just smirked at her. “No but it doesn’t seem very tough.”
“What? What does that have to do with anything? I’m super tough!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Oh yeah? Get back out of me and fight me, then we’ll see who’s tough!”
“Don’t fight with him, it’s what he wants!” Pinkie called.
“Slasher picks on everyone, don’t take it personally,” Hysteria said, finally showing herself.
“Ooh, you’re so bubbly!” Pinkie said happily. Her symbiote’s skin seemed to continuously form bubbles, though rather than popping once they rose, they would simply sink back down and be reabsorbed.
“Thanks! And I love your mane, it's so curly!”
“Thanks!”
“Applejack, were you still wanting to help one of them?” Twilight asked.
“I reckon so,” Applejack replied. She looked between the remaining vials. “Nice to meet y’all, I’m Applejack.”
None of them answered, and Twilight explained, “They can’t talk to us while in this form.”
“Oh. Can they hear us? Or see us?”
“Yes, they can see and hear us. They just can’t talk.”
“Huh. Never thought I’d meet aliens like this, but… well, I never thought I’d meet aliens at all, actually. Suppose I can’t expect them to be like ponies. Okay, um. What are their names?”
Twilight pointed out each of them. “Phage, Scream, Agony, Lasher.”
“Whew, they sure got some unsettlin' names, don’t they? Well, Phage doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Phage is short for bacteriophage, which is a type of virus that infects bacteria and uses them to replicate and often leaves them for dead,” Venom said brightly. When everyone stared at him, he added, “Fun fact.”
“Well, at any rate…” Applejack opened the vial. “Howdy Phage, I’d like to be friends if that’s alright with you.”
Phage stopped jumping around, instead just laying curled at the bottom of the container.
“Phage?” Applejack slid a hoof in, gently prodding them.
“They’re tired of getting tossed from pony to pony as each of their hosts dies,” Venom said. “I don’t blame them. But that won’t happen again, Phage. You get to stay with her! As long as you’re compatible, anyway.”
Phage finally reached out to wrap a tentacle around Applejack’s hoof and allowed her to lift them out. After a few seconds, they enthusiastically climbed up her leg and flowed through her coat.
A shiver went down Applejack’s spine. “Whoa, that’s weird.” She looked herself over. “Feels like they’re all stretched around me, but… I don’t see them.”
“You’ll probably be hearing them soon enough,” Twilight said.
Applejack looked unsure, then perked, staring into space. After several seconds, she said, “Yeah, I hear ‘em. They’re saying something about… okay slow down Phage, I can’t understand half of what you’re talking about. Okay.” She listened quietly, and commented, “They said I’m compatible.”
“That’s good. Also, you can talk to them in thought,” Twilight said. She got interested looks, and she explained, “When you’re bonded with one of the Klyntar, you can talk to them in thought and they can talk back. You’re sharing a body, after all. That includes the brain.”
“Oh, right.” Applejack walked back to join the others, and Fluttershy slowly walked over.
“I’ll um, take one if I can,” she said.
Twilight gave her an encouraging smile. “That’s the spirit. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you. Let me see…”
“Give her Scream!” Venom laughed.
Twilight watched as that bright yellow symbiote flung herself around in the vial, and shook her head. “Um, I don’t think so. How about Agony?”
“I mean, sure, but I just think Scream would be fun.”
“And I’m looking at your memories and Scream is way too wild. Agony seems more reasonable, I bet she’ll get along good with Fluttershy.” Twilight opened Agony’s vial and let her out. She crept over to Fluttershy, who stood perfectly still.
Agony spent a few moments patting at Fluttershy’s legs, paused for a bit, and then dove into her. Fluttershy let out a startled squeal, and looked herself over. “Okay, uh, this isn’t… so bad… I feel kinda dizzy though.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Twilight replied, wondering what that was about.
Mere seconds later, she had her answer. Agony jumped back out, landing on Twilight and pushing a tendril against Venom’s skin.
Venom was quiet for a bit, then laughed and said, “Agony can’t fully bond with Fluttershy. It has to do with Fluttershy’s blood type, her antibodies immediately attacked her and she couldn’t trick them into accepting her. Sorry, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, no big deal,” Fluttershy replied.
Agony remained on Twilight for a bit, not fully bonding but connecting just enough to be able to breathe. Twilight looked at the other two symbiotes and picked up Scream. “Okay, Scream… if I give you to Fluttershy, will you be nice?”
Scream stopped moving for a few moments, then seemed to nod.
“Be careful with her,” Venom warned Fluttershy. “She’s very unpredictable.”
“I think I’ll be okay.” Fluttershy waited while Twilight let Scream out.
Scream latched onto Fluttershy and pulled herself over to her, spreading out over her body and sinking inside. Fluttershy trembled, then said, “Whoa, she’s… hm.”
“Is everything okay?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, she’s just very energetic. And…” Fluttershy awkwardly rubbed a foreleg. “Aggressive.”
“She’s not making you uncomfortable, is she?”
“No, this is fine. I’m sure she’s real nice once you get to know her.”
In response, Scream emerged from her and covered half her body. Everywhere she covered Fluttershy’s mane, it changed into constantly waving tendrils. She shrieked, “Is that what you think? Just wait and see how nice I am!”
“Don’t be like that,” Scorn scolded.
“Yes, please relax, Scream,” Fluttershy said gently, touching the other half of her face. “I'd like to be friends with you and the others-”
“I don't need friends, I only agreed to all this to get out of that boring tube! And now that I have your body, I can do whatever I want! And what I want to do is feed!” Scream strained to make them walk, but Fluttershy jerked back against her control, taking her by surprise. “Quit fighting me, or I'll make you regret it.”
Venom growled and started to move forward, but Twilight stopped him. “Hold on. She can handle it.”
“I know you think highly of your friends,” Venom said. “But like me, Scream is a ruthless, highly trained-”
Fluttershy's visible eye narrowed and she lifted a hoof, digging it against the yellow flesh covering the other half of her face and peeling it back, forcing Scream to look directly at her. “Alright, now you listen here!” she shouted. “I don't care if you're an advanced alien with decades of experience in intergalactic warfare! You are going to calm down, and you are going to play nice! Or so help me I will tear you right back out of me and put you back into that tube until you learn to behave!”
Everyone stared at them. Scream actually seemed to blink, her hair-like tendrils falling limp for a moment. Then she glared at the other. “You wouldn't dare.”
“Try me.” Fluttershy pressed her muzzle up against Scream's face, locking her eyes on her, and the others gasped as they recognized the famous Stare. No one spoke as the two stared each other down, and finally Scream broke eye contact and sank back into Fluttershy's hide.
“Fine, whatever. I guess you're tougher than I thought you were,” she muttered before disappearing from view.
Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, and the others came forward to pat her back.
“That was awesome,” Rainbow said.
“That's one way to earn a Klyntar's respect,” Venom commented. He gave Twilight a small push to the shoulder. “I would have expected that sort of thing out of you, rather than sweet little Fluttershy.”
Twilight chuckled. “Well, it's the sweet ones you have to watch out for. Fluttershy may be the Element of Kindness, but she's no pushover.”
Scream reemerged, but this time it was only her head at the end of a shifting mass of flesh. “Yes, she just showed me her training with Iron Will. I think we can get along.”
Fluttershy beamed and lifted a hoof, and with a sigh, Scream formed a hoof of her own and bumped it.
“That just leaves Agony and Lasher,” Twilight said. “Rarity, Starlight? Are you two sure you don't want to help them out, at least for a little bit?”
Starlight nervously rubbed her foreleg. “I'm sorry, I want the best for them, but the thought of having something bonded to me, it just... gives me the creeps.”
“Well, your body is your own, I won't make you.” Twilight looked at Rarity. “How about you? I know how much you like talking to yourself while you're working, well, perhaps you'd like someone who talks back?”
Rarity giggled. “As pleasant as that sounds, I don't think having an alien companion is quite what I need. What if they don't like fashion? I don't want them to be bored.”
Agony touched Venom again. He listened to her for a few moments, then said, “Good news, Agony has an interest. We don't tend to wear clothes on our planet but she considers herself a creative type.”
“Oh?” Rarity perked at that, approaching Twilight. “Are you sure, darling?” she said to Agony. “I do spend a lot of time working on dresses and such.”
After a few moments, Venom spoke for Agony. “She says it sounds way better than sitting around in a vial.”
“Well, in that case, let's give this a shot.” Rarity carefully lifted a foreleg. “So do I just...” Agony jumped over onto her, making her shriek in surprise, and Agony paused. Once she relaxed, Rarity said, “It's alright, you just startled me. Go ahead.”
Agony finished bonding, and Rarity gave herself a little shake as the other got settled. Agony soon reappeared, humming. “There we are, a much better match than Fluttershy was.”
“This feels very odd,” Rarity commented, looking herself over. “It feels like there are little bugs on my coat, but... I don't see anything.”
“You'll get used to it,” Twilight assured her. She looked at the final vial. “So, Lasher. Are you ready? Because I've saved the best for last.” She smiled at Spike. “What do you say, want to help him out?”
He stared, then grinned and clapped his hands together. “Oh! Yeah, Lasher, I'm totally up for bonding with you! You know, if you want.”
The green symbiote lifted up a pseudopod, giving it a curt nod. Twilight let him out and carried him to Spike, who held out his paws to take him. Lasher seemed to take his time, circling a few times before sinking completely under Spike's scales.
“That is so weird,” Spike said. “But… wow, I feel really strong all of a sudden.” His stomach growled and he chuckled, “And hungry.”
“Symbiotes like to eat,” Twilight laughed.
“Lasher, how are you?” Venom asked. “Is he a match?”
There wasn’t a response at first, but then he lifted his head out. “Yes, he’s a match. And he's very different from a pony.”
“I'm glad to hear that,” Twilight said. She looked around at everyone, focusing mostly on their symbiotes. “I'm so sorry for what Blazing Aura and his company did to all of you. I hope you all recover from his tests, and that you're able to live happy lives here in Equestria.”
“You don't need to apologize, you had nothing to do with all this,” Scorn replied.
“I'm just glad to be done with those ridiculous tests!” Hysteria agreed.
“You all will feed us correctly though, right?” Slasher asked. “I'm sure you noticed with Venom but we can't survive with herbivorous diets. We need... well, I don't know what it's called in your language, but it's a chemical produced primarily by the brains of-”
“Phenylethylamine,” Twilight said. “Yes, our brains produce it. You theoretically can get it by eating the brains of living ponies-” She was interrupted by several disgusted gasps, and continued, “But I don't advocate for that!”
Venom snorted. “Uh-huh.”
“Ssh. Don't um, don't go around eating heads. The chemical is produced naturally in your own heads as long as you're experiencing friendship and love, and you can also get it from chocolate and beans, lentils, foods like that. It's also in meats such as seafood, if you can stomach that. Just get with me later and I can get you a list of non-brain sources, alright?”
The others nodded in agreement.
Rainbow lifted a hoof. “Question.”
“Yes, Rainbow?”
“Could one of us, entirely hypothetically, get it from brains if we want?” she asked. The others stared at her, and she said, “Hey, it's not like I want to kill anypony, I just. Er, Slasher wanted to know.”
“Don't pin this on me, own your curiosity,” Slasher said.
Twilight looked at Shining, who answered, “If any of you are discovered killing ponies to feed your symbiotes, the law will handle you accordingly.”
“Don't get caught, got it,” Rainbow replied.
Shining slapped a hoof to his face in exasperation and Twilight sighed, giving a helpless shrug. “I can't control you. You all can decide for yourselves how you're going to keep your new friends safe and healthy. I would rather you provide for them with food. But I'm also not going to shadow you all to make sure you don't become vigilantes. You're all such good people. Don't be tempted into doing something you'll regret.”
They nodded in understanding. Twilight hoped they didn't go down the same path she did. She was still torn on whether or not she was going to give up being a vigilante, but she didn't want the others getting wrapped up in it too. If the symbiotes were going to be made known to Equestria, they had to be seen as peaceful, or they would never be accepted. Her rampage with Venom could be passed off as a one-time monster attack. Any more attacks like that and ponies would probably start making some connections.
“Now that that's settled, we need to come forward with what we've found out,” Celestia said. “We'll need to reach out to the families of the many victims of this company. The living patients must be found and released. The Life Aura Center may need a complete overhaul, as this could shatter trust in the company. It's a shame, it did so much good... but that's no reason to let it go on like it has. And we'll need to arrange for Blazing Aura's trial.”
“If he's even fit for trial,” Twilight said. “He didn't seem to be in good shape when we got Riot separated from him.”
“We'll have him evaluated to see if he can handle it,” Celestia replied. She turned for the door. “I know it's been a long day, but we should get this taken care of as quickly as possible. Could you accompany me back to Canterlot, Twilight?”
“Of course,” Twilight replied.
“Wait, before we go,” Venom spoke up. “Our ship is being kept here. Are we going to retrieve it?”
“Are repairs possible?” Celestia asked.
Venom paused, and looked at the others, asking them their opinions. They all answered with varying degrees of confidence, and Venom said, “Possible, yes. With the technology on this planet, it may be difficult. The ship itself contains many supplies that could help but there's no guarantee it will be enough. But if we do repair the ship, we can contact our planet to tell them the situation, and potentially reach out as friends. If you would like to ally our races.”
Celestia considered it, then said, “We can discuss it in time. For now, we need to deal with the Life Aura Center and inform the public of what has occurred.”
“Understood.”
“We'll check on the ship for you,” Phage said, gesturing to the others.
“We'll catch up with y'all later,” Applejack said, and she went with a few of her friends further into the lab.
Twilight followed Celestia out, accompanied by Shining, Spike, and Starlight.
“I'm not looking forward to having to report on all this,” Shining commented.
“Me neither,” Celestia sighed.