//------------------------------// // Short 2: Release the Hamsters! // Story: Digital Dustin (redone) // by Prince Dustin Hogan //------------------------------// “Talking” “YELLING” ‘Thinking’ “Telepathic link” Songs Flashback "Transformation Index” Release the Hamsters! A creak was heard as the glass door opened to the building, which was still in the dark. With a quick flick of a switch by the door, the room lit up immediately. "Thanks for coming Rarity," Fluttershy said as she set her backpack down on the reception desk, as did Rarity, "The rescue center needs all the help it can get." "Oh, but of course darling!" Rarity said as she kneeled over to pet a puppy, "Helping cute little puppies and kitties will never go out of style!" she said as she nuzzled her face with the kitten's, making her purr. "Oh, and thank you too Dustin," Fluttershy said as Dustin walked in, "I'm really glad that you could be here." "No worries Flutters!" Dustin replied as he picked up a puppy and hugged it while it licked his cheek, "Besides, I’m just as much of an animal lover as you are." "Oh, that's right!" Fluttershy realized, walking over to the door to a small room encased by glass. "Once a year, a lucky volunteer gets to clean the hamster habitat!" she explained excitedly, opening the door to the room, "I signed up for it months ago to be sure I'd get it!" she added, opening the tube to the habitat, which was covered in grime and filth from top to bottom, "House cleaning!" she echoed through the tubes. “Aww! Hamsters!” Dustin said with a squee, while Rarity looked quite nervous. "Ooh…" she said nervously, "Uh, Fluttershy darling, aren't hamsters… Um… rodents?" she asked as the hamsters began moving towards the habitat's exit through the tubes. "They sure are!" Fluttershy replied as she opened the exit for them, "But they're cute and cuddly like bunnies!" she said as they all began to move out. "Okay every hamster, follow Dustin and Rarity into the next room," she explained, "She'll take good care of you while I give your home a nice scrub!" All the hamsters went outside of the habitat room with Rarity, who had a disgusted look on her face, along with being nervous as they surrounded her. "Boy, that sure looks like a load of work," Dustin noted as he looked back at the dirty complex the hamsters had been living in. “Are you sure you can do all o that by yourself?” “Don’t worry. I can manage.” Fluttershy said as she continued to clean the habitat. “Well, I’ gonna help out.” (Transformation Index) Name: Riptide Species: Aquarian Piscus Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, this aquatic creature will make you avoid water at all costs. With a strong bite, a Prehensile tail, fins on his arms that can tear through metal like a hot knife on butter, the ability to control water, and being able to survive both on land and underwater, this fishy ass kicker can easily ruin your trip to the beach. "Oh my!" Rarity exclaimed. “If you don’t mind me asking, how is this one going to help?” Fluttershy asked, but Dustin smiled. “You’ll see.” Dustin said before running off into a room, and after a minute, came back in with a bucket of water. He then held out an arm, manipulating the water into a tendril. “Egad.” Rarity said in amazement. “That’s right. Riptide can control water.” Dustin with a grin. “How do you know that?” Fluttershy asked. “Well, Allister said that each time I transform, the Digitrix uploads the basic instincts into my mind.” “But as a…uh…humanoid fish, won’t you need water to survive?” Rairty asked with a raised eyebrow. “Not really. You see, Riptide’s species, Aquarian Piscus, can survive both on land and underwater. They have both lungs and gills. When on land, my gills stop and my lungs kick in. But when submerged underwater, my lungs deactivate and my gills kick in.” Dustin elaborated; this intel further surprised the two. “But enough chatter, let’s get to work.” Dustin replied happily with a smile. Later Time passed as both Fluttershy and Dustin, still as Riptide, vigorously worked on cleaning the tubes. Fluttershy finished her area of cleaning, and looked up to see that Dustin had done the same upon the tubes that were out of her reach. He then manipulated the last bit off water back into the bucket before turning back to normal. “Alright. Now that is a job well done, wouldn’t ya say?” Dustin said as he and Fluttershy high-fived. Just then, both of them heard a loud banging noise from outside the room. They turned to see Rarity, banging on the glass window with a stressed look on her face. She then backed away as objects were being flung at her. "Rarity!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she opened the door, "What happened?!" She saw that all the hamsters had gone on a riot outside their home, running around, hitting each other, and messing with the other animals of the center during the house cleaning. "Ooh, ah!" Rarity said she tried to avoid any further conflict, "Well, Carl Pettington's coat just begged to be accessorized," she began to explain, holding up a hamster wearing a coat and tie, “Hold up! You’re saying you were dolling them up?” Dustin asked with a raised eyebrow. Rarity cast a glare at him, making Dustin look away in fear "Anyway, but Amelia Furhart refused to be left out," she continued, holding up another hamster wearing a blonde wig and dress, "and got Curtis Pawpower to chew right through Carl's little scarf," she continued as a larger hamster put on a red scarf, "and before I knew it, I had a habitat wide feud on my hands!" she summed up. "Also, I named them," she added bluntly. "What the hell are we gonna do?!" he asked as the rioting continued, with each and every hamster rioting. "Ladies and gentlehamsters, please!" Fluttershy called out, ceasing the feuding of the rodents as they all listened. "Now, I know you're all upset," Fluttershy said out of understanding, "but why don't we all head back into the habitat and talk it over?" she asked kindly as Rarity walked over with Carl and Amelia in her hands. Carl tried to help the reconciliation by giving Amelia a kiss, but she then tore off his coat, and suddenly, the feud started up once again. Both girls gasped at the sight. “Oh boy.” Dustin said with wide eyes. Dustin then went to dial up his Digitrix, but sadly it was on recharge mode. “Dustin, right now would be a good idea to transform!” Rarity said to Dustin. “I would if the damn thing would be done recharging!” Dustin said with a groan. The girls took quick action with Rarity going over to her backpack, and emptying it of her makeup contents. She then chased Curtis and some other hamsters, until she ended up snatching him in her bag. Fluttershy was also about to do the same as she emptied her bag of its contents, but then a tambourine from her bag bounced out, jingling as it rolled off the counter, and onto the floor. The hamsters seemed to be hypnotized by the melody of that the tambourine had played before it stopped. “Huh?” Dustin said before looking to the tambourine. “That thing must have put the hamsters in a trance.” Fluttershy then picked it up, shaking it around, and banging it against herself as all the hamsters were drawn to the melody. Rarity, and Dustin also enjoyed it as they danced around to the beat a little. She then threw the tambourine up in the air, catching it as it fell, as a sudden aura enveloped her, making her ears grow, creating wings on her back, and growing her ponytail down to her boots as she continued to play. All the hamsters then went back into the habitat room, allowing Fluttershy to close the door. "Huh," Rarity said, "I never would've guessed hamsters could be so touchy about fashion!" she said, getting confused looks from Dustin and Fluttershy. “Well, next time, never do that again.” Dustin said when suddenly, his Digitrix beeped. “New Transformation added to Playlist.” “Another one? That’s twice in one week.” Dustin said as he looked at the Digitrix’s screen, showing the image of a woman that resembled Fluttershy, dressed in yellow and green armor, and a pair of pink butterfly wings. “That’s the second time this happened.” Dustin said with a raised eyebrow. “First with Rainbow Dash and now with Fluttershy?” Rarity asked with confusion, but Dustin then seemed to have a theory. “I think I have a theory,” Dustin said, getting Fluttershy and Rarity’s attention. “I think that every time one of you guys Pony up, you guys emit something that effects the Digitrix, which then results in the transformations. But that’s just a theory.” Dustin said, and Fluttershy and Rarity seemed to find it plausible. “That is a good theory.” Rarity said as the three proceeded to walk out the room, Curtis, who was still in Rarity's backpack, peeked out, giving a few snaps of his fingers, while still unnoticed.