Jecolt/Hyde

by EthanClark

Streak of Madness

The patter of raindrops echoed outside Jecolt’s darkened home, the sounds of ponies and carriages stirring him to consciousness. He released a weary groan before forcing himself up from the carpeted floor, straightening his jacket and pony tail in his mane.

A strange feeling washed over him as he stood. There was a lightness in his chest and a strength in his legs he had not possessed in years.

“How curious, yet exciting.” He walked over the messy carpet in front of his desk.

He flipped open the journal to a fresh page and summoned his quill. After checking his pocket watch, he pressed the quill to the page.

April 5th, 8:02 am

This is a strange, new, sweet sensation. I am younger, happier in body and soul. I feel twice as alive as I ever have. I know not what transpired last night, but I feel a persistent happiness within me. Perhaps the formula worked? Have I become a being of pure good?

The thought brings relief to my heart. With such a result, I will be able to prove to the Committee that my formula is a success!

Jecolt smiled as he placed the quill back in the inkwell. Without a second thought he turned the page back to review his notes from last night, eager to see what tantalizing reports he left for himself.

“W-what is this?”

His eyes widened upon meeting the page, following the jagged lines carved into the fine parchment as they formed a single, distorted word. A word that seemed to echo in the back of his mind.

ALIVE

“’Alive?’” Jecolt was at a loss, until recitation of the word brought new sights to his mind. He slammed his hooves against his head when a torrent of horrible images and sounds filled his brain with dread.

Jecolt stumbled back, pain spreading to his eyes as he closed them tight. The frightening images caused Jecolt to clench his teeth as they played out before him.

His fur stood on end as a soft, deep voice spoke in his mind.

Hello, daddy.

Jecolt lurched, falling to the floor with a gasp. He scanned the room from his prone position, but there was nopony else but him. His breathing became heavier.

“H-Hello?” he managed to say against the stillness of the air. There was a pause.

Hello.

Jecolt screamed at this horrific confirmation. He rushed to his hooves and scrambled for his equipment. The tools were shoved carelessly into a saddlebag before Jecolt bolted out the door.

Raindrops pelted against his face as Jecolt rushed towards the castle. His pace slowed as he came to a busy street, stopping next to a bakery at the curb. Jecolt trotted in place, anxiously waiting for the carriages to clear.

Jecolt.

Jecolt’s head turned in all directions.

Jecolt.

His sight rested on his reflection in the bakery window. He walked closer until he saw his full visage against the reflective glass. Suddenly, the image morphed into a tall, dark unicorn.

Boo!

A shrill scream escaped Jecolt. He turned to the street, now empty, and continued his hurried pace to the castle. Everywhere he looked, he could see the same face he saw in the window. It watched his every move. Finally, he crossed the drawbridge and darted along the inner courtyard, a heavy knot in his stomach. Once Jecolt cleared the entrance to the lobby he made a final, panicked survey of his surroundings. The faces were gone.

Up in his laboratory, Jecolt flipped through notes and alchemical books, frantically searching for an answer to his conundrum. Yet of all the knowledge his shelves held within them, not a single tome yielded comfort.

“This isn’t possible,” he said, pacing back and forth. “The formula was supposed to guide a pony to goodness, but this...”

Jecolt bit his hoof, pacing along the short distance between his desk and the window. His journal lifted from the saddlebag in the corner of the room and flipped to the dreaded entry. Jecolt read the word over and over again.

“Gah!” Jecolt threw the journal with all of his might, watching it bounce off the bookcase and collapse on the floor. He sat at his desk and put his head on the cool, wooden surface. The bubbling of liquids in their beakers brought a certain calmness to his senses as Jecolt released a lengthy sigh. He summoned his journal to him and continued his entry.

I have made a grave error. Whatever evil I have unleashed in my work has infected my very soul. I can feel it, writhing around within my mind. Within these swirling chemicals before me lies a darkness that nopony should ever see.

I must begin anew.

He shifted his gaze to the liquid tools of his trade. The trembling came back, slowly at first, then stronger as the consequences of his actions caught up with his mind. With a shaky hoof he closed the journal, assured that his dream could be the very end of him.

“This is a deadly game that I dare not play any longer.” Jecolt raised his head to view the chemicals in front of him. “My ambitions have extended past my reach.”

Pfft. Says you.

Jecolt’s eyes widened as they scanned the room. He shook his head and pulled out a piece of parchment.

“No, no. Pay it no mind.” He filled the page with the names of ingredients. He rolled it up and placed it within his jacket pocket before walking to the door.

Jecolt gasped when he reached the door. His energy had left him as he felt the same tingling sensation from last night crawl up his spine. Jecolt strained to resist the urge building within him, suppressing the pain.

Ooh, I do love a good fight. Just like that unicorn last night…

“Enough,” Jecolt snapped. “Soon I will bury this madness.”

Jecolt hurriedly trotted through the pristine hallways of the castle, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. Between his own grimaces of pain and the glances of his colleagues, Jecolt’s illusion of disguise diminished.

He did his best to maintain his posture as he rounded the corner to the alchemical storage room. The custodian had her eyes glued to a copy of Cosmoponyton as he approached. Jecolt strained a smile at the orange mare, who failed to respond.

“Ahem.” Jecolt fake-coughed. The mare jumped a little before tossing her magazine to the floor. She turned to face her visitor.

“Y-Yes, yes. How may I help you?”

“I require these ingredients immediately. It is urgent.” Jecolt produced the parchment and handed it to the custodian. She focused her spectacles as her eyes scanned the paper.

“For a Doctor Jecolt?” she asked.

“That is correct.”

“Oh, um...” She slowly returned the scroll to Jecolt. “I’m sorry, but I’m under orders from the Committee to not provide you with ingredients until after the month is out. Something about your, um, proposal.”

“What? Who wou—” Jecolt cringed, the sensation returning to his head. The custodian gave an inquisitive look before Jecolt was able to recover. He drew a heavy breath through his nose. “Who gave such an order?”

The custodian began rummaging through magazines and stray papers on her desk before presenting a scroll to Jecolt, who unraveled it feverishly. He skimmed the rather official looking document before his eyes rested on the last name he wanted to see.

“Blue Moon.”

Jecolt tossed the parchment aside and stormed out into the hallway. His anger far outweighed the pain that was slowly spreading through his body. He marched down the empty hallway and past the stained glass windows leading to the Committee’s chambers.

With a newfound strength, Jecolt flung the heavy doors open to reveal and empty room. From behind him Jecolt could hear the voice he hated most of all.

“Quite the entrance, Jecolt,” Blue Moon said sarcastically. “But the Committee won’t meet for another two hours. Perhaps I can—“

“You insufferable dolt!” Jecolt closed the distance between him and his white-maned adversary.

“What is the meaning of this hostility? Surely it isn’t backlash from the Committee’s ruling.” Blue Moon’s smile widened, a pretentious look upon his face.

“You know what this is about. You’ve cut me off from the alchemical storage.”

Blue Moon feigned a gasp of shock, putting his hoof to his mouth.

“What? Did I? Well I suppose it’s only appropriate given your insane ravings in yesterday’s meeting.”

Oh, this is getting good.

Jecolt ignored the inner voice and straightened his back, standing at his full height. He stared Blue Moon dead in the eyes.

“My presentation was nothing short of a true scientific pursuit. What right have you to cut me off from my work?”

“Oh, give it a rest, Jecolt,” Blue Moon said, his smile fading. “You’re a sham, a failure. The punchline to a very old and boring joke. How long will it take for you to realise that?”

Jecolt’s face flushed. He could feel the pain growing stronger, but continued the verbal joust with his nemesis regardless. He poked the Blue Moon’s chest with a strong jab of his hoof.

“A joke? Well if I am the punchline, then you are the awkward sensation one gets when you realize you’re the only one laughing.”

“How dare you touch me, sir!” Blue Moon swept Jecolt’s hoof from his chest. His glare intensified before another voice overcame the two arguing ponies.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Jecolt and Blue Moon turned to see Princess Celestia standing before them, wings outstretched and as regal as ever Jecolt has seen her. The two dropped to their knees, with a quick shot of pain hindering Jecolt’s ability to stand. He could feel himself losing control.

“Is this really what two ponies of your status resort to when an argument arises? Bickering like fillies?” Celestia’s eyes focused on Jecolt as he stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, I have been locked out of the alchemical storeroom by his order,” Jecolt stated, pointing to Blue Moon. “It is vital that I have the ingredients I require, and soon.”

“Doctor, the Committee has given its ruling,” Celestia said. “You are not permitted to pursue your research any further.”

Jecolt gave a long, pronounced sigh. His attempts to maintain his composure were failing fast. He could almost feel the voice scratching at the inner walls of his skull.

“Yes, I know, but this is not about that. I am in dire need of an antidote in order to reverse my—“

“An antidote?” Blue Moon asked sharply. “You mean to say you took your formula? Against the Committee’s judgement? Why I never—“

“One more word out of you, knave, and I’ll use your intestines as leg-warmers.” Jecolt’s head spun towards his nemesis with narrow, glimmering eyes.

Blue Moon’s jaw dropped and was left agape. Jecolt returned to his senses and shook his head. Again, he turned to Celestia.

“Princess I beg of you, I need access to the storeroom. It’s the only way to save—gah!” Jecolt reeled in pain, collapsing on the floor. Celestia rushed to the fallen pony’s side and kneeled, placing a wing across Jecolt.

“Doctor, what did you do? I need to know if I’m to help you.” Her eyes scanned Jecolt’s shivering body meticulously. It wasn’t until she heard a loud crack that she recoiled from the unicorn on the floor. Jecolt’s body continued to convulse.

“Sweet Celestia, guards!” Blue Moon shouted down the hall. Within moments the sound of galloping hooves could be heard. “Princess, you must stand back. We will handle this.”

Jecolt was finally able to stand despite the pain. Celestia approached him cautiously, more cracks and snaps echoing through the hallway. She watched Jecolt’s fur began to shift to a dark grey. A sharp cry of pain escaped the doctor’s mouth as his horn extended. Before Celestia could come any closer, Blue Moon stepped between the two, his horn glowing.

“Step back, Princess,” he shouted, turning his head to Jecolt’s twisted form. “Jecolt, by order of the Royal Committee of Canterlot and the Equestrian Kingdom, I order you to stop your madness this instant!”

In a split second, Blue Moon was pinned against the towering doors beside him. He struggled to break free from Jecolt’s grasp, flailing his hooves against the solid limb that held him. He stared, trembling, into the glowing eye of Jecolt, who was trapped in mid-transformation. His assailant spoke in a deep, sinister tone.

“Oh, do shut up.”

Celestia stood in horror as Jecolt’s brought his hoof plummeting into Blue Moon’s face. His body went limp as a burst of blood cascaded across the gilded frame of the doors. Jecolt stumbled back and his victim’s corpse fell to the ground.

Jecolt looked down at the freshly dead corpse, blood oozing from it’s nearly unrecognizable face. His fur returned to its normal, tan color, signaling Hyde’s retreat into his mind.

“Doctor…” Celestia whispered.

A quiver came to Jecolt’s lip. He could feel his stomach twist at the sight of his gruesome act. Jecolt looked to the princess and back again at Blue Moon’s corpse. His legs began to tremble as he bore witness to his terrible crime.

Welcome to the club, daddy.

Soon, guards closed around Jecolt. The points of spears were only inches from his fur as he snapped back to reality.

“Stop! You are under arrest!”

Jecolt shot a desperate glance to Celestia. Her eyes remained fixed on the motionless body of Blue Moon. Jecolt then looked around at the straight-faced guardponies, intent on bringing him to justice.

“I’m sorry,” Jecolt said to nopony.

Multicolored shards flew into the crowd as the stained glass windows burst into pieces. Two ponies, wrapped completely in gauze and goggles, landed between the guards and Jecolt. The wrappings fell to reveal nothing beneath them but empty air. In an instant, the guards surrounding Jecolt jerked their faces and flew into the nearby walls, seemingly by themselves.

Jecolt took his chance and ran from the confused scene. He frantically galloped down the pearlescent hallway and away from the ambush. He sped through the crowd of ponies forming in the hallway, draw by the sounds of conflict. Jecolt’s lungs burned more with every fatigued step.

The door to Jecolt’s laboratory was flung open. Upon locking it behind him a racking pain surged through Jecolt’s muscles. He fell to the floor as the sinister voice returned.

So? Enjoying the party?

“Party? This is murder!” Jecolt gasped for air. Both the running and his sudden torment was doing him no favors.

But it’s exhilarating, no? The power feels oh, so good.

Jecolt struggled to stand. With great effort he began placing vials and ingredients into his saddlebag.

“Enough! Soon you will die, and my memory will hide you,” Jecolt said. “I won’t let your madness continue.”

A loud thump came from the door, which cracked from the force behind it. Another collision sent cracks through the stone walls. Jecolt moved as fast as he could before collapsing once again from the pain.

Not just your memory, daddy. Remember you still have her to deal with.

A final, thundering crash brought down the door to Jecolt’s laboratory, the wall included. She slowly entered the room, wings extended and muscles tense.

“Princess, please! Give me time to—“

“Silence!”

Celestia’s overpowering Royal Voice flung Jecolt against his desk, shaking the chemicals that rested upon it. An overwhelming heat radiated from her horn. Jecolt’s attempts at pleading were interrupted by the pain in his abdomen, forcing him to curl around himself.

“You have betrayed the Court, and betrayed me! Your arrogance has taken the life of one of my subjects!” Celestia halted her advance inches from Jecolt’s contorted body.

“What say you in your defense?”

After a pause Celestia heard the sound of laughter rising from the pony-shaped lump at her hooves. The sound became distorted the larger it grew. In a flash, the sharp teeth of the now grey unicorn came up at Celestia. She dodged the attack with a flap of her powerful wings.

“What have you become, doctor?” she asked. Jecolt made no attempt to respond. “Jecolt, please, let me help you.”

“My dear, sweet Celestia.” The creature before her rose. “Can’t you see that there isn’t a ‘Jecolt’ left to save?”

The full visage of Hyde brought a chill to Celestia’s spine. She felt uneasy just looking at him. He looked like a pony, but she couldn’t pull herself away from his narrow, animalistic eyes.

“If you are some invading spirit then I shall have you exorcized at once.” Celestia pointed her horn to Hyde, who responded only with laughter.

“A spirit? Really? Don’t be so naïve, Celestia.” Hyde took a step forward. Celestia fired a bolt past his head, narrowly missing Hyde’s cheek.

“Not another step, murderer.”

Celestia shifted her aim to Hyde’s smiling face. He corrected his posture and glared at Celestia. She shivered again as Hyde’s eyes continued to shimmer.

“Did it ever occur to you that, perhaps, Jecolt succeeded?” Hyde said, passively.

“Jecolt’s research was founded in madness. It’s not possible.”

“And yet,” Hyde motioned his hoof across his body. “Here we are. A perfect separation of good and evil. Jecolt, and Hyde. You should’ve known he would continue, with or without your consent.”

“It’s not Jecolt’s deeds that are in question here, but yours.” Celestia stood tall. “I am here to bring you to justice.”

“So quick to ignore the subject, eh?” Hyde stroked his chin as Celestia approached him. “I wonder if you made the same mistake with Luna.”

Celestia stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she spoke in a low, deathly serious tone.

“You will not speak of what you don’t understand.”

“So you did?” Hyde broke out into a sinister laughter. “So how does it feel, Princess? Knowing that you have doomed another life thanks to your inaction? I bet it stings.”

“Enough, cur.” Celestia’s body became tense. She leaned forward and slowly spread her wings.

“Enough? Perhaps you’re right, but what’s done is done. Jecolt, like Luna, has fallen prey to your apathy. You call yourself the ruler of Equestria? I call you a sham. Had you taken action against your sister instead of letting her anger fester, you could’ve ended Nightmare Moon before she ever began. But you let her suffer; you left her alone.”

Silence filled the room. Celestia’s wings fell to her sides as she lowered her gaze to the floor. Hyde, however, stood triumphantly for curbing the wrath of his once-zealous pursuer.

“Good girl,” Hyde mocked. “Now run along and think about what you’ve done.”

Her eyes lifted from the ground to Hyde. In a flash, a torrential spout of magical fire burst forth from her horn. Hyde, even with his lightning fast reflexes, had barely enough time to dodge the funnel of flame as it engulfed the desk behind him.

Suddenly, the beakers on the desk exploded, filling the room with a thick, green smog. The blast opened a hole in the wall that lead to the outside. Celestia began to cough as the cloud of burnt ingredients filled the air, leaving Hyde enough time to escape through the hole. He sprinted as fast as he could and leapt through the opening, not knowing how far the drop was.

The rain came down upon the falling unicorn as he crashed onto a stone bridge between two of the castle’s towers. The landing left a small crater, prompting a grunt from Hyde. After the pain subsided, he managed to stand.

“Ugh. Never again.”

On his left he heard the sound of flapping wings, but when he looked he saw nothing. A flurry of blows met Hyde’s abdomen and forced him to stumble back . He swiped his hoof out in front of him, searching frantically for the source of the assault.

The sound of flapping returned, this time becoming louder and louder as another strike landed on his side, sending him sliding across the bridge. After recovering, Hyde began wildly swinging at the air around him, searching for his attackers.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a most peculiar sight. Hyde focused his vision and saw a small, almost unidentifiable gap in the rain, the droplets landing on an surface just above the bridge. They made the outline of what could only be described as a pony.

“I see you,” Hyde said in a sing-song voice.

The flapping returned. Hyde ducked down as a gust of wind dashed over his head. He heard a pony galloping straight for him. He spun on his front hooves and delivered a buck into the direction of the noise. His legs made contact, sending the invisible form sliding down the bridge before the flying assailant returned.

He knocked Hyde back, but not before being caught in Hyde’s vice-like jaw. He sunk his teeth deeper into what he could identify as a wing before unleashing the full might of his hoof against the pegasus’ face. He heard a snap and a cry of pain. The blow sent the pegasus back, regrouping with the other invisible pony.

With the two of them together, Hyde saw something strange. As he squinted he could see small ripples in the air. His ears twitched as the sound of rain began to deafen and only a rhythmic thumping could be heard. Hyde gave a soft snicker; he could see their heartbeats.

With a bestial roar, Hyde charged the invisible duo. The two fought in tandem, landing consecutive blows against Hyde’s unusually solid torso. Their attack, however, seemed capable of only irritating him. With a powerful swipe, he felt his front leg connect with one of the ponies, sending them flying over the edge and down to the ground below.

“No!” The masculine shout came from the invisible form of Hyde’s final opponent.

The pony grunted when Hyde’s head connected with his own, knocking him to the ground. Hyde could see the ripples in the air quicken. Hyde snorted the air.

“Do you smell that?” Hyde landed a crippling blow into the pony’s ribs, blood ejecting onto his face.

“That’s the smell of fear.”

Hyde stomped down upon the pony, compressing his chest against the stone bridge. The rhythmic ripples faded as the corpse beneath him regained visibility. Hyde stumbled back, his tongue lapping at the warm blood on his muzzle. He shuddered at its bitter taste.

“Jecolt wanted to save the world from the animals that lived in it.”

The door of one of the towers began to buckle, shouting and clanging of armor echoing from behind it.

“And you think that I’m that animal? You think you can cage me? You will never cage me, Jecolt!”

Hyde stood at his full height, raising his hoof against the downpour of rain. The door began to splinter as the royal guards bashed against it.

“I am alive, Jecolt. Alive and ready to live. To plunder. To conquer. To show the world that I am the animal you cannot cage. The rabid beast you cannot put down!”

The door collapsed under the pressure of the guards as they charged for Hyde. The roll of thunder could be heard in the background.

“Now and forever. I. Am. Alive!”

Dozens of guards tackled the raving unicorn, trapping him under their weight. He struggled against the crushing force as a terrifying laughter rose up from the bridge. The twisted sound reached the ears of Princess Celestia, who stood at the edge of the broken hole in Jecolt’s laboratory.

She was thankful for the rain. It hid her tears well.

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