//------------------------------//
// Irreparable loss 
// Story: The powerpuff fillies 
// by Guillermo 
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The sun was rising in the sky, reaching its highest point and announcing to everypony that noon had arrived. A white unicorn watched the sky from the large window in his office located in one of the headquarters of Bio-Magic, one of the most important biotech companies in all of Equestria, in Manehattan. There worked Atomic Utonium, now better known as Professor Utonium, and 38 years old. If Star Swirl was considered the greatest wizard of his time and an eminence in all magical fields ever and to be, he was his counterpart among scientists and in modern life.

A knock on his door took him out of his view of the city, and when he turned around, he saw a young earth pony who had started working there four years ago and whom he had great confidence in, enough to make him the chief supervisor of the facilities when he took a break or had to focus on other jobs. His fur was a silver hue and a bluish-blackish mane, with his cutie mark being a magnifying glass, in the center of which was a bacterium. His name was Silver Glass, and despite being only 28 years old, he was a brilliant scientist, and Atomic took him very seriously.

"Good afternoon, Professor Utonium." 

"Likewise, Silver, what brings you here?" He said as he smiled and sat on his desk.

"He wanted me to inform you when we hear from the Chemical X mine." 

Chemical X, the most recent discovery of the ponity, more specifically, Bio-Magic Laboratories, located in the Frozen North only about six months ago, while doing a study on the magic crystals that grew in its surroundings and, that according to the legends, they were the last vestige of an Empire lost in time. After getting permission from Princess Celestia, they immediately went to take samples, and the results, despite not having been refined before, were very, very promising. It seemed to have similar but superior capabilities to Chemical W, a substance discovered in the Badlands, halfway to the equestrian frontier.

Chemical W had the ability to substantially improve the ponies' abilities, endurance, strength, regeneration, speed ... The bad thing is that it generated an increase in aggressive impulses, the more violent the test subject was, the stronger they would be. outbursts. However, many of the investors disagreed, after all, those tests were done in magic simulations, with a fidelity of 98% and only a 2% chance of being wrong. His vision was to get rich with this substance in medical and military fields, although of course, they had two huge problems.

First of all, Equestria and most kingdoms of the world did not resort to war very often, advantages of having an immortal being with millennia of experience in diplomacy, and secondly, the chief scientist in charge of this project, the Professor Utonium, he flatly refused to test living beings. And Princess Celestia had agreed with it, allowed the study of Chemical W, but if they dared to try to test the effects on ponies or animals, legal penalties would apply ranging from fines amounting to millions of bits to a jail time, and since they spoke of the princess, they doubted there were lawyers capable of saving them from it.

For this reason, the project had to be suspended, not only because of this new law, but also because of the lack of means to achieve more. After depleting the mines closest to the equestrian frontier, they were left with about 700 liters, and when they prepared to move further, Celestia banned it. The reason for this was not well understood, but there were rumors that there was a hive of changelings nearby, beings from myths and legends, something ridiculous for any self-respecting scientist. Therefore, all hopes were turned on the recently discovered Chemical X, of which they had already synthesized and stored 100 liters, and hoped to get more. They hoped that the studies would find a formula to use on ponies and improve their physiognomy, at least as far as health was concerned, since Chemical W had resulted in a failure to try to isolate only their healing abilities, so they prayed to achieve it with the new discovery.

"Right," Atomic said with a slight smile, focusing more on the window to the left of his seat.

Silver looked at his superior worried about him, he was normally someone cheerful, with optimism and who always listened carefully to everything he said, but now, he seemed ... distracted.

"Well ... We have managed to get another 200 liters ... but the mine has been exhausted." 

"How?" Atomic said, now giving his full attention to the earth pony in front of him. "It was supposed to have 400 or 500 liters inside."

"That is the case, Professor Utonium, although the cavern is as large as indicated by the magic scanners, the amount of Chemical X was less than expected." 

"I understand ..." Atomic looked at his table for a few moments before looking up again. "Have you already started the search for new mines?" 

"Yes ... but expectations are very low. The North Healdo is gigantic, we found the current one by sheer luck, and we are not 100% sure that there are more. For all we know, this could be the only one in all of Equestria or ... worse ... all over the world." 

Atomic stared at the ceiling, thinking, if that was so, it would be a heavy blow to Bio-Magic Labs, although he was sure they could easily trace it. What worried him is that Chemical X could be the cure to hundreds of diseases without putting the mental health of patients at risk, because if it did, it would become an achievable luxury only for the rich, and he did not want that. With a heavy sigh, he looked at Silver and tried to give him a smile.

"Well, there is not much you can do. Let our teams in the Frozen North know to continue the search, but not to take unnecessary risks. Prepare the transfer of the collected liters to our facilities to be synthesized and stored together with the rest. I ... will take care of breaking the news to our investors ..."

Atomic looked back to the window, once more, distracted, worrying Silver. With a deep breath, he caught the attention of his superior before asking the mind-eating question.

" Professor Utonium ... Is something wrong? Lately you are ... more discouraged than usual, the whole team and I are worried about you." 

Atomic watched the young earth pony for a moment before sighing.

"Is it so obvious?" He said with a small laugh, and Silver's silence confirmed it. "I'm just ... worried. Some very good friends of mine have stopped writing to me some time ago, but it is not something you need to worry about." 

"Sir ... May I give my opinion?" 

"You know you can always tell me what you think, Silver," Atomic said with a smile.

"I ... if they are as important to you as you make it sound, and you are so concerned, you should take a break and go see how they are." 

"I can't, I have a meeting with investors and ..." 

"I'll take care of it, it wouldn't be the first time I've done it, and they trust me as much as they trust you," Silver said with obvious pride in his voice, to which Atomic sighed.

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes, professor, you need it." 

Atomic thought for a few minutes before sighing and smiling at Silver, he was right, he couldn't do his job when he was so worried about his friends. After clarifying everything with the earth pony and communicating that he would take a few days off, the advantages of being a workaholic, which accumulate, he left the building, he had a lot to prepare.





When he opened his door, he was greeted by a squeak, immediately seeing a small chimpanzee that barely reached his chest and wearing diapers quickly approaching him, climbing up his body and hugging himself tightly. Atomic smiled, raising his right paw to hug the ape.

"Hi Jojo, how are you with your foalsitter?" 

"Very good, Professor Utonium" said the voice of a unicorn stallion that approached smiling. "As always, Jojo has behaved wonderfully." 

"Wasn't there a problem?" Atomic said as Jojo climbed onto his back.

The unicorn shook its head and smiled at the scientist.

"Not at all, Jojo is an angel."

"Great, thanks once more." 

"You're welcome, will he need me to come tomorrow?" 

"Actually, no, I'll take a break from work and bring Jojo with me," Atomic said as he patted the chimp's head, who seemed pleased by it.

"Very good," said the unicorn as he nodded. "Enjoy your vacation, Professor Utonium."

"Equally." 

Atomic accompanied the stallion to the exit before going to the kitchen to eat something, and in passing, give some fruit to Jojo. His story was quite sad, he met him on a visit to a laboratory in Zebrica, where he served as a representative for Bio-Magic. Given that the general population there lacked common magic, simulation spells were difficult to come by, which led to tests being done on animals, and the parents of the little chimpanzee were part of those subjects, luckily for him, he did not know. They use him in experiments for being too young, five years old at the time.

When Professor Utonium found him in one of the cages they had for the animals, it was in a state of significant malnutrition, since, because Bio-Magic, in a collaboration agreement, gave them devices that did magic simulations without need to be a unicorn, they no longer knew what to do with them. Atomic could not leave him there, so he made the decision to take him with him, and there he was, eight years later, raising a 13-year-old chimpanzee, energetic and curious, responsible for having had to pay several damages in his house. But he cared little, that little ape had brought him more joys than misfortunes.

"Well, Jojo, what do you think if we travel out of the city?" He said as he placed the chimpanzee on the table and saw him give some screeches in response. "Yes, I am also excited, although worried ... last? They never go long without writing to me." 

And it was true, his three childhood friends never lost contact with him, and neither did he. They wrote to each other often, and saw each other at least once a month or, when his work didn't allow it, every two months. But now ... they hadn't written to him for a month, first it was Bright Mac, a month and two weeks before, and when he wrote to Cloud and Hondo asking about them, he stopped receiving the letters from him. Something was up, and he was willing to find out.
______________________________________

"Here it is, Mr. Utonium, we have kept it clean in her absence, and I have taken the liberty of filling her pantry with food."

"Thank you very much," Atomic said with a smile.

There he was, with his saddlebags carrying the little luggage he thought he needed, levitating in his magic a huge box, containing something quite important, and Jojo perched on his back and clutching his mane, observing the house. in amazement. He had received strange looks at the chimpanzee from the ponies he encountered, but he cared little. At last he was there, across from what had been his home for most of his foalhood in Ponyville, and left to her by his parents before they died. Although that memory hurt him, the happiest memories dominated that place, so he had no problem. After saying goodbye to the real estate pony, a pegasus, and opening the door with his key, he entered, being inundated with a great deal of nostalgia for the past.

Upon entering, one found a cozy living room with several sofas, enough to have many ponies without problems, and a coffee table in front of them, to the right there was a door that led to the bathroom, a free frame from which you reached the kitchen and the small table where you could eat and a staircase that went up to the second floor and to the bedrooms. To the left of him was a wall lined with pictures and a door that was the entrance to the basement. Atomic smiled when he saw her, remembering how he had made the house's basement his private laboratory. Leaving the saddlebags on the couch and urging Jojo to explore his new surroundings, he headed there, the large box levitating behind him.

Opening the door, one found a small room, and to his left, a staircase that led down to the basement. When they arrived, right in front of the stairs, there was a wall in which there was another door that led to a fairly large closet, and that was their goal. He opened the box and took out what it contained, a rather large potion bottle containing 20 liters of Chemical X. Atomic, despite being on his days off, was not good at not having anything to work with, so So he decided to take a small amount to study it, although he knew that his team in Manehattan would do it too, with more material and better resources, but that did not matter to him.

After leaving the chemical safely, he turned around, seeing on the back wall a desk that he had used as his work table, smiling at the memory, now, so many years later, he would do it again. He climbed back up, making sure to close tight, and watched Jojo leap between the furniture with the agility only chimpanzees possessed. The sight of him turned to the clock, "ten minutes to go," he thought, heading to the couch and pulling a small book out of his saddlebags, ready to read to pass the time. Almost twelve minutes later, someone knocked on the door, so Atomic got up and went to open it, finding a young unicorn mare, about 17 years old, with mint green fur, mane of a soft turquoise hue, with a white stripe, and orange eyes and that he was smiling enormously.

"Hello, nice to meet you!" 

"Anyway," Atomic replied kindly. "You must be the foalsitter."

"Aha," the girl said with a nod. "Lyra Heartstrings at her service, ready to take care of her little one."

Atomic gave a smile and pulled away from her a little to let her pass, closing behind her.

"I'm glad you were able to come, I have heard very well about you." 

"Really?" Lyra asked curiously, to which Atomic nodded.

"That's right, when I told the real estate pony that I was looking for a babysitter for Jojo, he immediately told me about you. You have a great reputation around here, and from what I know, a lot of parents lament that you don't work outside of summer break."

Lyra smiled sheepishly and blushed, staring at the ground as she rubbed her left paw with her right.

" Well, I am glad to hear that, I also enjoy this job a lot and I have great affection for all the foals that I have taken care of, and I am sure that yours will be the same, you can trust me" she said the latter with a smile and determination In his gaze.

"Regarding my colt..." 

Atomic broke off at the sound of something breaking from the kitchen. Both unicorns looked at each other before heading there, seeing the little chimpanzee on the table, observing the vase, which had previously been placed in the center, shattered on the floor, with the water and flowers scattered throughout it. Jojo looked up when she noticed that someone had entered, to which she soon jumped to the top of the fridge and gave an innocent look at his owner, who sighed and gave a small smile to a very surprised Lyra.

"Lyra, this is Jojo, you are going to take care of him while I go out to run some errands. Jojo" the chimpanzee observed his owner, who gave him a severe look before pointing to the vase, "do you think this is how you should greet your new foalsitter?" 

The chimpanzee followed Atomic's helmet towards Lyra, deciding to get down from the fridge and approach the young mare, climbing on her back so fast that she didn't have time to stop him, something that Professor Utonium found quite funny.

"He likes you," he said as he approached the disaster, laughing in amusement as he saw Jojo exploring Lyra's mane. "He's pretty quiet most of the time, but he likes to play. If he grabs something, shows it to you and runs off, it's for you to try to catch him, just ... don't use magic, the only thing you'll get is he freaks out and throws whatever he's wearing, which usually leads to something broken."

Atomic threw everything in the trash and turned to see a very nervous Lyra that had Jojo settling on her back.

" Do you think you can take care of him?"

"I ..." Lyra looked over her shoulder at the chimpanzee, who also observed her and placed one of her hands on her head, her eyes full of curiosity, making the mare smile weakly. "I think so ..." 

"Great, I'll be back later then," her gaze focused on Jojo, who looked at his owner with a smile.

After stroking the chimpanzee's head, he left his foalhood home and walked through town to a specific destination. He had already visited it several times over the years, and considering that it was the closest to his current place of residence, he thought it would be better to start there. He arrived in a short time at a modest house, about two stories high. He approached the door and knocked hard enough to be heard but not enough to sound desperate or rude. The one who opened it was a pegasus with bluish fur, a purple mane and eyes of a shade softer than her mane, her cutie mark was a wing surrounded by four stars, and her name was Wing Star, the wife of Cloud Sky. The mare watched Atomic for a few seconds before her eyes widened in surprise.

"Atomic? Are you?" 

"The same," said the aforementioned with a smile, one that soon faded and showed concern. "How are you and Cloud doing? You have not written me anything in a while nor have you replied to my letters." 

"Well ..." Wing Star looked away and gave a little sigh. "Just ... no one wanted to talk about it ... we were waiting to get over it a bit before telling you anything."

Before Atomic could ask what she meant, Wing entered the house, allowing her stallion to follow. In the small parlor of the parlor, he saw two other mares drinking two cups of coffee, Pear Butter, Bright Mac's wife, whom, after her father disowned her for marrying an Apple, she changed her name to Buttercup , and that he had grown a lot since they were little, achieving his cutie mark, a jar containing pear jam, which he could paste by apple without difficulty, and a unicorn with pink fur, mane of two different shades of blue, blue eyes and three cookies like cutie mark, Cookie Crumbles, the mare who agreed to marry Hondo Flanks. They both looked at him with small smiles, apparently happy to see him again.

"Atomic, it's nice to see you again," Buttercup said with a smile, one that Atomic responded with a gesture of concern.

"I wish I could say the same, but ... you have me worried. What has happened? You don't usually stop writing to me all of a sudden." 

That response set off a chain reaction, Cookie Crumbles looked away, her eyes damping slightly, and Buttercup looked down, her tears beginning to flow freely and causing Atomic to regret it.

"I ... I'm sorry ..."

"No, don't apologize," said Buttercup, looking up and showing a weak smile, which added to her watery eyes gave her an appearance of enormous weakness. "You were just worried, you even came here still with the important job you have, but ... I don't think ... I don't think I can tell you what happened ..." 

Atomic felt his concern grow even more, and the worst thing is that he did not know what had happened to them. He dared not ask further, the sight of the devastated mares persuaded him of it. Wing Star's voice behind her made her turn around, seeing how she avoided making eye contact with him, probably because she was in the same state as Buttercup and Cookie, which only made her see how serious it must have been. Whatever happened, because the Pegasus mare was not known to cry in front of others.

"Cloud and the others could tell you what happened ... They have been doing a little better ... but don't be surprised if they can't tell you anything either." 

"V... very good ... Since it's Friday, I suppose they are at the bowling alley..." 

"They haven't been bowling since ... since ... since the incident," Cookie whispered, staying silent as he took a single sip of her drink.

"They are in their favorite bar, you should already know what it is." 

Atomic myth horrified Buttercup, that his friends were in a bar drinking at that time of day, worried him enormously. He prayed they hadn't succumbed to it, alcohol could turn good ponies into monsters.

" If you are afraid that they have become drunk, don't worry, they have each other to control themselves" said Wing, giving a small smile. "And if not, they have us for it." 

Atomic nodded and started to leave, saying goodbye to the mares first. He walked for a little over twenty minutes until at last he saw the bar where he had shared several drinks with his friends at festivities and celebrations. Breathing deeply, he entered, looking around the place and seeing his friends at one of the back tables, the three of them with glasses in front of them but not paying much attention to them, talking to each other weakly, so he decided to approach slowly. The first to notice him was Bright Mac, who grinned and gestured for him to come even closer.

"Atomic! Come on, we haven't seen each other for a long time." 

Atomic walked over, smiling at his three foalhood friends. They hadn't changed much, except for Hondo Flanks, who had achieved a huge mustache. Cloud now possessed a cutie mark consisting of a winged wheel, while the Bright Mac was a green apple with a star in its center. He sat in the only free chair and looked at his friends, immediately noticing the dark circles, which he had already noticed in his wifes.

"What brings a super important scientist to a small town like Ponyville?" Cloud asked with a smile, one that Atomic didn't reciprocate.

"Well, the fact that you haven't written to me in almost a month. I have gone to see your wives, and from what I have seen, something horrible has happened, may I know what happened?" 

The three friends of his were in absolute silence, looking away. Atomic sighed, already resigned to not knowing what had happened for a long time, at least until Hondo decided to speak.

"Do you remember Candy Belle?"

"Your little daughter?" Atomic said doubtfully, he didn't like where that was going. "How many does she and she have? One year?" 

Hondo's silence only worried Atomic even more, who had a very bad feeling.

"At the beginning of the year, Ponyville suffered an epidemic of a rare disease. Now, with the help of the Canterlot hospital, it has been brought under control. For adults it was not serious, but for young foals... especially those that had not even reached two years..."

He was silent, there was no need to say what happened. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Cloud wore a grim expression.

" Candy was not the only one, Moon Sky ... she followed her shortly after..."

Moon Sky, the first and only daughter of Cloud and Wing Star, and surely the last, since after having her, the couple was told that they could not have more foals, the last he heard from her was four months ago, when he was six months old. Atomic felt a pressure on her chest, and as he watched Bright Mac, it increased. He knew that Buttercup had been pregnant with a third child, and last month she was supposed to have given birth, but the situation had prevented him from asking, and now he was afraid to. The earth pony noticed her gaze and gave her a weak smile.

"In case you ask, no, Tree Apple did not get that disease" for some reason, that did not reassure Atomic. "She ... she ... did not survive the delivery ..." 

That was the point where Bright Mac started crying, he couldn't take it anymore, for many nights he had spent crying, he still had tears. Atomic felt horrible, he wanted to help, but he felt that no words of encouragement could help. Still, he stayed with his friends, and promised that he would stay there in case they needed him for anything, after all, they were friends.