//------------------------------// // Final Chapter: A Better World // Story: Project HIVE // by PurpleFire18 //------------------------------// The door opened easily to Dr. White Rose's card, and Spark Fire was quick to go inside. The last room was much smaller, it only had a computer, some crates and what looked like a small escape pod. Spark Fire walked up to the computer and saw that it was connected to a machine with two keyholes. He took White Rose's key and it fit into one of them, but the other still needed its own key to activate the computer. He looked around and heard a noise coming from the crates, then walked towards them carefully, noticing that one of them was shaking. He carefully opened it and looked inside, seeing a little hybrid shaking in fear while looking at him with eyes full of tears. "No! Go away!" said the hybrid with the voice of a young filly. Spark Fire took a look at White Rose's family picture, and quickly realized this hybrid filly was in fact the little filly in the picture. "Leave me! I'm a monster, and I will eat you if you come closer!" The filly was not threatening him, she was actually afraid, but not of him. Spark Fire simply lifted her up and placed her outside the crate with magic. The filly quickly hid behind the smaller crates. "Please, girl, I just want to help you!" Spark Fire slowly walked around the crates. "No, you don't want to help me, you think I am a monster, like the doctor said!" The girl began to cry, not noticing how Spark Fire was getting closer to her. "He said I am a monster like my mom!" "Listen to me," said Spark Fire. "You are not a monster, neither was your mom. The doctor was the real monster." Spark Fire gently placed his hoof on the young filly's head. The girl looked up at him. "But look at me! Holes in my legs, these wings, this hair, these teeth!" She pointed to her tiny fangs. "When I look at me -" The girl looked at her reflection on the computer screen "- I see nothing but a monster!" She began to cry again. Spark Fire looked at her and attempted to wipe off her tears with his hoof. "That is not what I see." The girl looked at him, confused. "I see a young girl who was the victim of a mad scientist who cared for no one but himself and caused the deaths of many ponies for his own goals." "But...my mom looked like...like a monster, and I was scared of her, so much that I locked myself up here to never see her again, but then the doctor said that I would be just like her!" "That doesn't make you a monster, and it certainly doesn't make your mother a monster either. She was a smart beautiful mare who turned into something else and died, all because of the doctor's madness." Spark Fire took the family picture and showed it to her. "The doctor was the one who wanted her to believe she was a monster, and he did the same to you. But neither of you were ever monsters." The girl looked at the picture and held it with her hooves. After a moment she began to cry, holding it close to her chest. "Your mom left something important to do. To save you and everypony from what the doctor did to all of you." Spark Fire pointed at the computer. "We need a key..." The girl stopped crying and looked at him, once again shaking in fear. "But...no...what if you are trying to get away and leave me behind?!" "I would never do that. I made a promise to your mother before she died ,and I intend to keep it. Trust me." Spark Fire walked towards the computer and stopped in front of the machine. He turned to look at the girl and put his hoof in front of him. "Come on...we can still get out of here." The girl took another key from under a smaller crate, looking at it while still doubting Spark Fire's motives. She slowly walked towards him, holding the key with her mouth. Before getting to him she stopped, her doubts slowly getting the best of her. "No...no." She was about to cry again. Spark Fire could have simply forced her to give him the key, considering how time was running out. Instead, he sat down, still with his hoof in front of him and smiled at her. "Don't be afraid..." The tone in Spark Fire's voice, his smile and his attitude were enough for the girl to understand. She gave him the key and Spark Fire lifted it with his magic to finally activate the machine. The computer's screen showed the message "Apoptosis Program initiated. Please evacuate Hive Complex immediately." and the escape pod opened. Spark Fire quickly got inside then signaled the girl to get in. She obeyed and quickly jumped inside, the escape pod closing afterwards. After a few moments the ceiling above the escape pod opened and the escape pod was launched upwards. Minutes later the escape pod came out of the ground near the farm, crash landing shortly afterwards. It opened slowly, and Spark Fire was the first one to get out. Though a bit hurt from the earlier battle and the landing, he was glad to finally be outside again. He soon heard the cries of hundreds of changelings coming from the barn, loud at first but quickly silenced. The changelings in the Hive had died. He looked at the escape pod to see the girl, mostly unharmed, about to get out of the escape pod. "You know, little girl...I don't think I know your name yet." The girl looked at him. "My name...is Clover." She tried to get out but the sudden realization of how different the world was than what she knew almost made her fall. He offered her his hoof to help her out of the escape pod and she held it with hers, both smiling at each other. *** Spark Fire returned home after work a little later than usual. He had visited the graves of the guards and scientists that died in the Hive, for it was the first anniversary of the events that had happened there. He remembered how difficult it was to explain to the princesses what happened, what the project really was and the fate of everypony involved. He also remembered how he had to convince the princesses that Clover was not like the other hybrids and to allow him to adopt her. "Are you sure you wish to raise her, Spark Fire?" "Yes, your Highness. I made a promise to her mother, and if you would allow me, I want to make sure Clover is always safe." "But will you keep her a secret from a world that is not ready for her?" "The world may not be ready for her, Princess, but that is not her problem. Someday the world will have to accept her if we want it to be better." "Sister, let this guard keep the child. It is the least we can do for him and the ponies who perished because of Dr. Test." "Very well, Luna. Spark Fire, Clover is now your responsibility, understood?" "Yes, your Majesty!" Spark Fire smiled at the memories as he opened his house's door. He was greeted by Clover with a cheerful hug mere moments after he walked in. He happily hugged her back. "So how was school?" he asked. "I have more friends now, and look at this!" Clover turned around to show him something that made Spark Fire feel proud of her: a cutie mark had appeared on her flank. "Clover..." Spark Fire could barely hold back his tears of joy. "Do you think my mom would be proud?" she asked, looking at her family picture on the wall. "Yes." Spark Fire hugged Clover and they both looked at the picture. "I'm sure she is..." The Royal Guard and the hybrid filly sat there, not moving, both of them unwilling to end that happy moment too soon.