//------------------------------// // Mane-iac on the loose Part 3 // Story: Coming to terms // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// I watched from the shadows of the factory as the Mane-iac was incapacitated by her own mane, Twilight, Spike, and their friends dressed as the Power Ponies watching as she laughed madly to herself. 'Poor girl...she didn't deserve it...' I thought sadly, watching the ponies celebrate their victory. Sure she was mad, but...I don't think I even have an answer to this one...I think both parties were at fault, the Elements for not understanding, and Mane-iac for taking her insanity just a bit too far...it sounds horrible, I know, but it's injustice is what it is! I...I just need some time to think, okay? X X X X X X X I walked the halls of the mane-care factory, the factory's employees had been sent home until a new CEO could be assigned to run the plant. 'Heroes and villians...nice concept when you think about it...but who's right?' I wondered 'Is it really that important that each side neutralize each other? We all have our reasons for doing the things we do...what were their motives?' I rubbed my eyes as I looked up through the hole in the roof, my prescence had already done this much...what if something worse happened? I shook my head as I realized I was walking on the same catwalk Miss Silk had slipped on, I stared down into the vat of green liquid, wondering if I could jump to end it right there. 'Probably not' I thought 'I'd probably just regenerate...' Oh, the burden of being a Time Lord... I sat down, letting my legs hang over the edge of the platform as I rested my arms on the railing. I lost myself in my thoughts as I sighed, finding my brain to be turning down a rather dark path. It all kept leading back to the Mane-iac, what she'd said just a few short hours before had been a bit of a reality check, I wondered why she was chosen, instead of another pony. It was mind-boggling, how had she known? If there's something else here, I'm obviously missing it... 'Why can't this be easy? Why is this so convoluted?' I heard the faint clop of hooves echoing throughout the factory, it progressively grew louder as I tried to lose myself in thought. "Wh-who are you?" a female voice asked nervously. I turned and saw a light blue mare with an electric pink mane and tail wearing a business suit. "Somepony, somewhere, sometime" I replied, staring back over the edge of the catwalk. She cocked an eyebrow and (to my surprise) sat down next to me. "So...who are you?" I asked. "My name is Prench Braid" she responded. It was my turn to cock an eyebrow. "But most ponies know me as Silk Strand's sister" she sighed. "Oh..." 'Wow, they're almost totally different, personality wise...' "So...I guess you heard about what happened?" I asked. "Y-yeah" she sniffled. "Were you two very close?" I asked, genuinely curious. "We were when we were younger...but, we gradually drifted apart, I guess..." "I see...so what do you do?" "I own a small salon up the block" she said. "Oh..." "Yeah..." "So what are you doing here?" "I- I- was called in for an interview, they need a new CEO for the company" 'Makes sense, they're family...' "Do you think you'll take it?" "I don't know...they'll have to accept me first" "Yeah..." "So, who are you? Where do you fit into all of this?" "We all fit in somewhere" I replied cryptically "We just need to find out where" 'What in the world is happening to my speech patterns?' She shot me a quizzical look as I failed to retain a straight face. "Okay...you want the truth? I was there when Silk had her accident..." Her jaw dropped, failing to wipe the look of shock from her face. "But- but- how did...it can't be...it was your fault?" "I'm sorry! Okay? I didn't know it would happen! I'm sorry..." "How did it happen?" she asked slowly. "I was crossing over into this world when the excess energy surrounding the Tardis fried the tower...the rest is history..." "First: You came from another world? Second: What's a Tardis?" "You don't need to worry about either" I said, realizing I was beginning to repeat myself. I shook my head and looked back to the mare. "How was she?" "Sure you want to know?" She nodded. "I think she's happier than she's been in a long time...she said she was tired of this city, I guess this gives her the opporitunity..." "What happens now?" she asked. "I don't know..." She sighed and looked over the railing. "Would the same thing happen to me if I jumped?" she asked. "What?" "What would that do to me?" she asked, gesturing down to the vat. "I-I- don't know, why?" "I just think...maybe if I did..." "Don't do it, please. I beg you" I said, taking her hooves "Please don't...I can take you to see your sister...but promise me you won't think about this again..." "It was just a suggestion..." "No, it wasn't...it sounded like you were seriously contemplating jumping" "I'm sorry, okay? This...it's just been alot to take in...." "I know, but mutating yourself won't solve anything" She nodded shakily as I stood up. "Can you really take me to see my sister?" she asked quietly. "Yes...would you like to see her now?" "I think I would" I beckoned for her to follow me as I walked down the stairs to the floor of the factory, where the Tardis sat, waiting. "Why is there a pony box on the factory floor?" she questioned. "Science" I responded. I opened the door and Prench followed me in, her expression was fish-like as she stared at the console. "Incredible..." she said breathlessly. "That's what I think everytime I walk in here" I said, dashing about the console. "How did- we were just-" "Eeyup" The Tardis stopped, and I went to the doors. I opened them, and stepped into a padded room, a single occupant wrapped in a straight jacket, sitting in the corner. "Ah, Zero" the Mane-iac grinned "you've returned" "Yes, I have" "And I see you've brought my dear sister as well" "Yes" I replied again. Her head snapped up, and those manic eyes stared at me. "Would you give us a minute?" she asked. "Sure...I'll just be....right in here" I said, stepping into the Tardis. I shut the door and walked to the console, I had just sat down when the same girl from before appeared on the scanner. "Well?" she asked. "Well what?" I replied. She rolled her eyes. "The Loonatic?" "She's the Mane-iac" I corrected. "The Mane-iac" she sighed. "So what do you mean by that?" "Oh come on, I saw you blushing when she hugged you" "How did you know about that?" I asked "You were downstairs" "Sensors honey, get with the program" "Right...well...are they finished?" I asked. "No- why do you seem so intent on avoiding me?" "I don't avoid you" "Yes you do, you're doing it right now" "What's your problem?" "What's yours?" "Well...it's just weird, okay?" "Weird" "Yes, I mean, you're a living, breathing organism, right?" "More or less" she responded indifferently. "It's kind of odd that I'm running around inside of you...doesn't it feel...I don't know... tingly?" "Tingly?" "You know what I mean" "I guess it feels a little out of place" she relented "but nothing that causes me distress" "Oh...so how do you keep a body? All of that energy from your matrix can't be contained in flesh and blood, at least for not very long" "I can hold a mortal form for a few hours, a day if I'm lucky, if my body whithers outside, I automatically get sent back into the matrix" "A fail-safe..." I realized. "You caught on fast, I'm impressed" I rolled my eyes as sat back in my chair, looking around the Tardis. 'Simply incredible...' Whoops, must have drifted off there...seems to be happening a lot to me now, doesn't it? "Huh? What were you saying?" I asked. "I asked if you had a name for me yet" "Haven't you picked one out for yourself already?" "I've had no use for one, but social convention requires I have one...so?" "Wait a minute...what do you know about social convention?" "What's the year again? I keep getting my Victorian values confused with my ballroom ettiquette" "Well, try and come up with yourself, I'm not good nor comfortable giving names" "Ugh...fine, if you insist..." Silence once more dominated the console room as the girl on the scanner stared at me. "Well see ya" she said suddenly. The screen fizzled to static and returned to the conversation between the Mane-iac and Prench, both of them were huddled against each other, I assumed this was supposed to be some resemblance of a hug, given that the Mane-iac was restricted by her straight jacket, and mane still wrapped around her body. "I guess I'll see you around then?" Prench asked hopefully. "I would enjoy that" the Mane-iac responded, pulling away. "Goodbye, Silk" "Goodbye, Prench" Prench turned and walked back to the Tardis, she sniffled as she closed the door, her eyes concentrated on the floor. "You alright?" I asked. "I'm fine...it's just that...we haven't seen each other in so long..." I nodded and stood up. "So?" I asked. "I think I'd like to go home now..." "Alright...if you're sure...." "I am" I set the controls for the mane-care factory, and we soon stopped. I opened the door and made a 'you-first' gesture, she smiled a little and left the Tardis. I watched her leave, and another pang of guilt struck me, if I hadn't come here in the first place...none of this would've happened...but I guess some good came out of it. I mean, Prench and Silk were on speaking terms again, right? So...in some convoluted way...yeah, I guess I could've done better on this...but it didn't all turn out that bad, did it?