//------------------------------// // A Moment of Violence // Story: Chemical Ex // by Majin Syeekoh //------------------------------// The whirring of the gears in the elevator punctuated the awkward silence between the four ponies as they descended into the depths of Canterlot. Celestia finally broke the silence. “So, I’ve noticed there’s heavy chaos shielding around the facility,” Celestia said. Luna nodded. “Indeed. Are you expecting an attack from Discord?” Red Umbra tittered. “No, nothing like that. The chaos shielding helps prevent uncontrolled reactions, not to mention save a bundle on maintenance costs.” Celestia put on a warm grin. “So, Red Umbra, tell us about yourself.” Red Umbra blushed. “Oh, you don’t really want to hear about that.” Celestia shook her head, still smiling. “Nonsense. I like to hear all of my subjects’ stories.” Red Umbra let out a long sigh. “Alright, if you insist. But my story isn’t anything special,” she said. “I was born and raised on the streets of Canterlot, earning bits as a newsfilly in order to survive, studying whatever books I could find in dumpsters. I spent some of my earnings when I was old enough to earn a General Education Degree and applied for a needs-based scholarship to Canterlot Community. Upon completion, I transferred to Canterlot University where I majored in Business. From there, I earned a fellowship at the University of Cantermount.” Celestia nodded. “Quite impressive.” Red Umbra nodded. “Thank you. After that, I applied for a loan to start Transpicuous Pharmaceuticals, and the rest, as they say, is history.” Luna stared at Red Umbra. “Yes, very impressive indeed...considering you expired three minutes after you were born.” Red Umbra’s eyes widened. “Um...well...there’s a very good explanation for that.” Luna’s eyes slitted. “I’m listening.” Red Umbra looked around. “Well...I was pronounced dead so that I could be switched out and replaced by who was believed to be the next messiah. I was killed in a way that looked natural, but a freak bolt of lightning revived me while I was waiting in the disposal unit that was to be picked up by waste collections. A hobo picked me up, and I’ve lived on the streets ever since.” Celestia and Luna both stared at Red Umbra, both unsure of what to say. Luna’s cheeks bulged as she collapsed to the floor in laughter. “You…” Luna worked out between chuckles, “...you can’t actually expect us to buy that!?” she said, only stopping when she looked up to see Celestia staring at her with an appalled look on her face. “Luna,” Celestia said, “how DARE you belittle one of our subjects in such a disrespectful manner!” Celestia then turned to look at Red Umbra. “I’m sorry about my sister, she just came back from the moon two years ago. She’s not the most socially adept.” Red Umbra nodded. “I understand completely. I don’t really expect many ponies to buy what I’m selling...but I’m glad you understand proper decorum, your serene highness.” Celestia snickered. “Call me Celestia.” Red Umbra smiled. “All right, Celestia.” The elevator came to a stop. Red Umbra flicked the door open and led the two Princesses out, Obsidian Shield trailing. The Princesses stared in awe at what they saw. Unicorns, by the hundreds, bottling controlled chemical reactions in their magic and placing them in containers, where they were shipped down to the next unicorn in a massive assembly line, where the next chemical reaction took place. At the end of the line were more unicorns pressing thousands of pills together with filler materials and putting them in bottles, where they were then sealed in cardboard boxes. Red Umbra turned her head back to the Princesses. “You like?” Both Princesses nodded in agreement. “It’s...quite impressive,” Celestia said, “I have just one question…” “Yes?” Red Umbra asked. “How do you get them to move so quickly?” Red Umbra turned her head back forward and chuckled. “Oh, that’s simple. I have them all taking Desoxyn.” Luna raised an eyebrow. “...is that safe?” “What do you mean?” Red Umbra asked as she led the group down the line. “Aren’t you worried about them getting addicted?” Red Umbra laughed. “Addicted? As long as they’re doing their jobs, I couldn’t really give a damn. Why,” Red Umbra continued, “they could be smoking opium in the bathrooms for all I care. As long as they do their work on time.” Celestia and Luna’s eyes popped open in shock at that statement. “Red Umbra,” Celestia said, “that’s...a very liberal stance to take on the matter.” Red Umbra snickered. “As long as they’re happy, I’m happy.” Luna nodded. “...understood.” They continued to follow Red Umbra, watching the assembly line do its work. “Have you ever seen that?” “Seen what?” “...them smoke opium in the bathroom.” Red Umbra turned her head back. “Have you ever caught one of your Thestral Guard doing that?” Luna’s face flushed. “Point taken.” “And don’t your Royal Guard take Desoxyn?” Celestia nodded. “That is only to improve efficiency in their maneuvers.” Red Umbra turned her head forward. “And this is only to improve efficiency in my bottom line, as is yours.” Celestia shook her head. “My bottom line is for the good of Equestria. Your bottom line is for the good of your bank account.” Red Umbra snorted. “Excuse me for putting food on the table. Not all of us were born into Royalty, your serene highness.” Celestia flinched. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” “No offense taken, Celestia.” The group then approached a door with an arch over it. “For the next part of our tour, you’ll have to pass through this anti-magic field, as we’re working on some very important biochemistry in here and I’m not sure how your alicorn magic will interfere with our experiments.” Celestia and Luna both raised an eyebrow. “But don’t you have chaos shielding around this entire facility?” Luna asked. Red Umbra smiled. “It never hurts to be careful.” Celestia and Luna stared at each other, then back at Red Umbra. “Will Obsidian Shield be able to bypass the anti-magic field?” Celestia asked. “He’ll be our only line of defense without our alicorn magic.” Red Umbra nodded. “As you wish.” Luna was the first to pass through. She winced as she felt her magic being blocked off from her. Celestia was next. She passed through and gave no indication of any discomfort. Red Umbra grinned. “Well, then, time to begin the next leg of our tour,” she said as she opened the door with a wing and led the group inside. Inside were pegasi wearing safety goggles and working over tables, tools grasped in their wingtips. “In here is our biochem lab,” Red Umbra said as she led the group through, “where we’re currently developing vaccinations for various diseases.” “Like what?” Luna asked. Red Umbra shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s way below my paygrade until they actually come up with something promising.” “And have they?” Celestia asked. “Not yet,” Red Umbra said. The two alicorns nodded in unison as they passed through the biochem lab into a white room with no windows. They all entered the room, Obsidian Shield sealing the door behind them. Celestia and Luna’s heads turned back in shock. “What are you doing, Obsidian Shield?” Celestia asked. A wicked smile curved on Red Umbra’s face. “This is the part of the tour where I perform my greatest experiment.” “Which is what, exactly?” Luna asked. “How much ketamine is required to incapacitate an alicorn.” Celestia and Luna’s eyes both constricted. Luna bent low and pawed at the floor. “Is that a threat?” Luna asked. Celestia tittered as she turned her head to Luna. “No, it must have been a joke.” She then turned to face Red Umbra. “It’s a joke, right? You and Obsidian Shield must have planned this out ahead of time.” Red Umbra giggled malevolently. “Oh, I find this most amusing, to be sure,” she said as she trotted slowly towards the two Princesses, “and Obsidian Shield and I certainly planned this out in advance.” She then raised herself up onto her hind hooves and whispered into Celestia’s ear, “but I assure you that this is no joke.” Red Umbra then dropped her forehooves down to the ground, trotted away, and looked behind her. “And to think this is twice that I’ve bested you.” Luna turned to face Celestia. “Who bested you before?” Celestia dropped her head low and pawed at the floor. “Queen Chrysalis.” Luna was about to say something but was cut off as Celestia took off like a rocket and pinned Red Umbra to the wall by her stomach. Red Umbra hacked out a gob of white blood while laughing maniacally. Celestia looked down at Red Umbra, her eyes slitted in rage. “Did you forget about my earth pony strength, foul monster?” Red Umbra paid no heed as she kept laughing. “What do you find so humorous?” Red Umbra looked at Celestia, still giggling. “I’ve got you right where I want you.” Red Umbra then bent her head forward and strained as a long, red, jagged horn jutted out and pierced Celestia’s barrel. Celestia’s eyes shot open as she tried to speak, but no words came out. Red Umbra chuckled as they both fell to the floor, Red Umbra on her hooves and Celestia hanging off of Red Umbra’s new horn. “Funny thing about an alicorn’s horn,” she said as she slowly slid Celestia’s gasping body off of her horn, “it’s the only known substance that can penetrate an alicorn. And,” she continued as she placed Celestia’s body on the floor, Celestia still trying in vain to catch her breath, “the substance it’s made out of is also called alicorn.” Red Umbra then chuckled as she turned to Luna, who was standing in complete shock at the scene that had transpired before her. “Kind of ironic, don’t you think? An alicorn being taken down by alicorn?” Red Umbra then looked up and tapped her chin. “Or is it? I can never tell, nowadays…” Luna dropped her head low and snorted. “Enough of your verbal jests, Chrysalis! This is the end of the line for you! Obsidian Shield, arrest that...thing, for attempted regicide!” Luna stared down Red Umbra, Red Umbra staring back with a cruel grin, but she was not restrained. Luna glared back at Obsidian Shield, who stayed still. “Arrest her for regicide!” Red Umbra chuckled as she trotted menacingly towards Luna, who stayed her ground. “I’m afraid you’re outnumbered, Princess of the Night. You see, he’s being paid quite handsomely on my payroll,” Red Umbra said as she came face to face with Luna. “And besides, you got the charges wrong.” Luna barked out a laugh. “Fine, then. What should I charge you with?” Red Umbra put a hoof on Luna’s face, Luna remaining still. “Attempted Deicide.” Luna laughed in Red Umbra’s face. “And what makes you think us divinity?” Red Umbra chortled. “Oh, nothing. It’ll just look better on my résumé.” Luna’s eyes slitted. “Patting yourself on the back, eh? Well, you may have tricked my sister, but you will find I am not so easy to fool!” Luna then disappeared from sight. Obsidian Shield looked around confusedly. “Where did she go?” Red Umbra’s eyes traced around the room. “She’s still in here.” “But how?” “She’s just moving very quickly,” Red Umbra said. “She’s building up speed.” Obsidian Shield raised an eyebrow. “For what?” Red Umbra faced Obsidian Shield. “Could you be a dear and stand in front of the door?” Obsidian Shield nodded and stood in front of the door, for he knew who was writing the paycheque at the end of the day. Red Umbra went back to tracing her eyes across the room. An hour had passed, and Obsidian Shield was slumped against the door, Red Umbra still tracing her eyes around the room. Red Umbra sighed. “Damnit, it’s not working.” Red Umbra then chuckled. “So it appears you ARE the smarter one…” Obsidian Shield looked up. “What were you waiting for?” “I was waiting for her to slam into you so that I’d have a window of opportunity with which to grasp her in my magic.” Obsidian Shield’s eyes widened. “Wait, you were going to—” “But it looks like I’ll have to create that reaction myself,” she said as she grasped Obsidian Shield in her magic. “Alley-oop!” she shouted as she threw Obsidian Shield into the air. Luna reappeared as she slammed full-force into him, sailing through the air until she was stopped short by Red Umbra’s green glow. Red Umbra grinned. “That’s better,” she said as she trotted towards Luna’s suspended form, “you know, that kind of short stop would have liquified a regular pony’s organs...but you’re not a normal pony, are you?” “Shut your mouth,” Luna said. Red Umbra dragged Luna so that she was face-to-face with her. “In fact, you’re so extraordinary, I bet you’ve turned down all your suitors—” “—watch your mouth.” Red Umbra’s eyes widened as a smile curved across her face. “What’s that? Did I hit a nerve?” Red Umbra turned away from Luna and tapped her chin. “Hmmm…maybe a love lost, either through death or a terrible break-up,” she mused. Red Umbra’s eyes flashed as she spun towards Luna and said, “or maybe you’re too afraid of love to have even ever experienced it!” Luna gulped and looked away. Red Umbra chortled. “Yes, that’s it. You’ve probably got a special somepony in your head that you don’t have the guts to approach! Who is it?” Luna kept mum. Red Umbra raised an eyebrow. “Why keep silent on the subject? It’s not like anypony will know…” Luna closed her eyes. Red Umbra glared at Luna, then slammed her against the ceiling. “Tell me!” Red Umbra slammed her against the floor. “Tell me!” She then slammed her against all four walls. “Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! TELL ME!” Red Umbra pulled Luna’s face to her own. “TELL ME NOW!” Luna stole a glance towards Celestia’s limp form that was passed out, presumably from the shock. Red Umbra glanced in the direction Luna was glancing, then looked back into Luna’s eyes. Red Umbra’s eyes then widened unnaturally large as it hit her. “You’re...in love...with your SISTER!?” Red Umbra sputtered out a guffaw as she fell onto her back, laughing all the while. “Oh my God!” she manage to work out between her laughter, “you sick FREAK!” Red Umbra rolled around on the floor, still laughing. Luna’s cheeks turned a shade of ruby. Red Umbra finally lifted herself off of the ground and wiped a tear from her eye. “Well, I can’t say I saw that one coming...you really are full of surprises, aren’t you?” Luna glared at Red Umbra. Red Umbra then daintily trotted over to Celestia’s unconscious body and gazed at her. A green flash then overtook her. It faded away to reveal a form that was as tall as Celestia, covered with dark grey chitin with a flowing teal mane and tail spotted with holes, as her hocks were as well. On her back was a panel that faded from teal to lime green and insectine wings that also had holes in them. Her head had a four-pointed crown-like structure on top of it, the tips adorned with seafoam green spheres. She looked behind her to reveal eyes with green irises as her mouth curved into a vicious, fang-decorated grin. Luna glared in horror at the foul beast before her. “W-what are you!?” Chrysalis curtsied. “Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.” Chrysalis then leaned over Celestia’s unconscious form and sniffed her. “And your sister smells delightful.” She then licked Celestia’s neck. “Tastes delightful as well.” “GET OFF OF HER, FOUL BEAST!” Chrysalis chuckled. “And what position are you in to make such demands?” she said as she rose from Celestia’s body and turned to face Luna. “Or are you just...jealous?” Luna shot a glare at Chrysalis that would have melted a volcano. Chrysalis smiled malevolently. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re just jealous that I got to smell her glorious scent—” “—SHUT UP—” “—and got to taste her sweet, supple flesh—” “—QUIET—” “—before you did, aren’t you?” Chrysalis then turned back to Celestia, fixing her gaze on the hole in her barrel. She leaned in and reached her hoof inside, Luna staring in horror as she heard the squirming of organs as Chrysalis stuck out her tongue, rummaging inside before she smiled in excitement. “Oh, look at that! I just touched her heart in a way that you never will!” Chrysalis laughed devilishly as she removed her foreleg from Celestia’s barrel, looking back to see tears forming in Luna’s eyes. Luna trembled. “What kind of demon are you?” Chrysalis giggled as she stood up. “The wealthy kind. The best kind.” Tears were now pouring down Luna’s face. “You-you MISCREANT! You COWARD! You VILLAIN!” Chrysalis put a hoof to her barrel and blushed a shade of cream. “Oh, how you flatter me so.” Chrysalis then trotted towards Luna and put a hoof to her cheek. “Tell me, Luna. How would you like to experience love?” Luna stared at Chrysalis with tears in her eyes. “If I could spit on you, I would. I don’t want any of your stolen love.” Chrysalis snickered. “I’ll just give you a taste and see if you change your tune…” Chrysalis’s horn shined brighter as Luna’s pupils dilated and her cheeks flushed. “So...how does it feel? The blood rushing through your veins? Your heart going all a-flutter? The knot in your stomach? The...sweat forming on your skin?” Chrysalis then turned Luna’s head to face her own. “Do you want...more?” Luna shut her eyes. “...more.” Chrysalis turned her ear to face Luna’s mouth. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of your heart pumping.” Luna’s eyelids shot open, revealing dilated pupils and bloodshot corneas; tears were flowing freely out of them. “MORE! I WANT MORE!” she shouted in Chrysalis’s face as bits of saliva escaped from her mouth and spattered on the Changeling Queen’s muzzle. Chrysalis chuckled as she backed away. “Alright, but it’s your funeral…” she said as her horn glowed more brightly. Luna’s eyes seized and rolled back into her head as her eyelids fluttered spasmodically. “You see, I attended a party last night,” Chrysalis explained, “and I appeared to have absorbed a veritable glut of love that I had nowhere to offload.” Chrysalis let Luna’s head out of the magic grasp, whereupon it flailed violently. “But then I remembered I had an appointment with two alicorns, and the pieces just clicked together.” Chrysalis’s horn glowed more vibrantly, causing Luna’s head to flail more violently in response. “So how does it feel, Princess Luna? All the love you never got before you transformed into Nightmare Moon being force fed into you all at once!?” Chrysalis shouted, “How does the love of ten thousand ponies feel coursing through your veins!? your muscles!? touching your very being!?” Chrysalis roared as she threw her head back and cackled maniacally at the end of her tirade. When she was done frying Luna with stolen love, she released her hold on Luna. Luna dropped to the floor, unconscious from the assault Chrysalis had just subjected her to. Chrysalis smirked at the unconscious form of Luna on the ground. “The taste of the feel seals the deal. Unfiltered love can have a shocking effect on ponies,” she said with a giggle. She inhaled, then exhaled as a green flash overtook her, subsiding to reveal Red Umbra sans horn. She turned to see Obsidian Shield crumpled against the far wall, unconscious. She sighed, trotted over to him and turn him onto his back. “Obsidian Shield?” No answer. “Obsidian?” Still no answer. She rolled her eyes and smacked him across the face. “SOMBRA!” Obsidian Shield twitched and shot up. “Wha?” Red Umbra groaned. “You passed out.” Obsidian Shield rolled his eyes as he stood up. “Let’s see how conscious you remain after being thrown into the path of an alicorn approaching three percent of the speed of light.” Red Umbra snickered. “I think it was more like one percent.” Obsidian Shield grunted. “Whatever. It was still a foul thing to do.” Red Umbra shook her head. “You forget that I created your body out of clay and therefore know the exact amount of joules the unit can sustain. You weren’t in any danger.” Obsidian Shield facehooved. “How many times will you remind me that I’m inhabiting a golem?” Red Umbra turned away. “As many times as it takes to remind you who wears the pants around here.” Obsidian Shield raised an eyebrow. “But neither of us wear pants.” Red Umbra sighed. “It’s just an expression.” Obsidian Shield peered at Red Umbra. “In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing a pony wearing pants before…” Red Umbra spun to face Obsidian Shield, breathing heavily. “IT’S JUST AN EXPRESSION!” Obsidian Shield recoiled slightly. “Tou-chy…” Red Umbra chortled and sighed. “Sorry. I do tend to get worked up after glorious battle.” Obsidian Shield nodded and grinned. “I understand completely. Why, back in my day—aren’t you going to kill them?” he asked as he saw Red Umbra trotting towards the door. “Have you ever tried to kill an alicorn before?” she asked as she approached the door. Obsidian Shield mused on that for a second, then trotted towards the door. “Good point. So what do we do with them?” Red Umbra shook her head. “Just leave them here. With the amount of damage I’ve done to them, it should take them a couple weeks to regenerate into consciousness.” “So,” Obsidian Shield asked as he opened the door to the room, “phase two complete?” Red Umbra grinned as she exited the room. “Yes, and six months ahead of schedule, too, thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her rave,” she said as Obsidian Shield exited the room and sealed the door shut behind them, leaving the comatose alicorns to lie there. ---- Twilight Sparkle was sitting in her laboratory examining something under a microscope with Vinyl sitting alongside her. Twilight smiled as she pulled her head away from the microscope. “Here, Vinyl, check it out!” Vinyl shrugged as she lifted her sunglasses off with her magic and peered into the microscope. “What you see here is pure methamphetamine extracted from a Desoxyn pill.” “Huh. Cool,” Vinyl said, “this’d look sweet for my next album cover. By the way,” Vinyl asked as she played with the zoom knob with her magic, “how did you get your hooves on Desoxyn, anyway?” Twilight kept her grin going strong. “It was the strangest thing! I remember Fluttershy telling me that they were prescribing it for weight loss, so I went to Doctor Stable and told him that I was thinking of losing a few pounds. He ended up writing a prescription on the spot.” Vinyl grinned. “So the doctor thinks you’re fat.” Twilight’s grin quickly morphed into a grimace. She opened her mouth to speak, but was shut up by a wave of Vinyl’s hoof. “I’m just yanking your chain. He probably prescribed it to you because you’re an alicorn princess.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “But...that would suggest that the Doctor is somehow corrupt…” Vinyl giggled. “If it helps, just think of it as a benefit of being royalty.” Vinyl and Twilight stood there, Twilight in awkward silence and Vinyl excitedly staring into the microscope.After a few minutes, Vinyl lifted her head from the microscope and slipped her glasses back on. “Hey, Twi, I think I’ve found something weird. Check it out.” Twilight nodded, stood in front of the microscope, and lowered her head to it. She peered inside, raising her eyebrow at what she saw. “This can’t be right…” she said. Loud knocking jarred her from her trance as she shot up. “Rainbow Dash! What is it!?” “Twi, you gotta come outside!” Twilight facehooved. “I’m kind of in the middle of something…” “But you gotta see this! It’s totes important—” “—totes is not a word, Rainbow Dash.” “Whatever, it’s super important!” Twilight looked at Vinyl, who shrugged. Twilight groaned. “I’ll be up in a second!” she shouted as she grasped a nearby cup of coffee, took a sip, and trotted upstairs, Vinyl in tow. She reached to top of the stairs and opened to door to an irritated Rainbow Dash tapping her hoof impatiently. “Took you long enough!” Twilight calmly sipped on her coffee. “What is it?” Rainbow Dash glared at Twilight. “Just look outside.” Twilight sighed and trotted to the front door, Vinyl trailing. She opened the door and dropped her coffee cup on the ground when she saw what was going on, Vinyl staring at the sky in awe. The sky was half-day, half-night, the sun and moon both in plain sight. “Cooool!” Vinyl said, “it looks like a metal album cover!” Twilight, however, could not hear her over the sound of her own innards boiling in rage. A thought formed in her brain and interacted with her vocal cords, which then interacted with her lungs and mouth. “DIIIIIIIIIIIISCOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRD!”