Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Intensen-i-on

The flower was certainly beautiful. Its wide purple petals looked soft as silk, shiny and reflective like they were coated in chrome. The tall stems that surged from the centre ended in bright red puffs of pollen that resembled smaller versions of a cheerleader's pompons, and the green roots and leaves at the base were like snakes, their movements harmonious and elegant.

It was also dangerously close to breaking through the reinforced glass container housing it. That was probably worth focusing on sooner than everything else.

"Rose? We kind of need your help here!" Starlight nervously said as she stepped around the creaking glass cylinder, eyeing the plant with ever-increasing worry.

"I know!" the earth pony replied. "I'm trying to think of what to do!"

"Maybe cutting off its light sources?" Thunderlane asked, moving to push against the surface of the tube while Starlight did the same with her magic.

"Not a good idea," Rose answered, biting her lower lip and stepping in place as she tried to think of a way out of their situation. "If we do that, it'll just get angry and push harder to come out. Same if we cut the air out."

An uncomfortably loud sound came from the glass, as yet another crack appeared on its surface. "You know I'll have to blast this thing if we can't stop it, right?" Starlight asked.

Thunderlane leaned to the side to look at her. "Can't you just hold it?"

The glass creaked again. "Not forever."

"Rose?" The pegasus turned back towards her.

"I'm trying to think!" the earth pony replied. Rubbing a hoof to her temple, she began to turn around in circles. "Think, think, think, th- A-ha! Thunderlane?"

"Yes Ma'am?"

Rose pointed towards a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Fetch me the blue vial on the third shelf, and the green satchel of orange powder that's at the bottom. And an empty beaker, too. Starlight?" She turned towards the unicorn. "You think you can hold it in there for a minute longer?"

The unicorn looked back and gave a nod. "I can try."

"Okay." Rose sat down, and took hold of the items Thunderlane had meanwhile brought to her. "Now, I don't want to alarm you," she began, while emptying half the vial into the beaker, "but there's a very slight chance that this thing might blow up in my face if I'm not careful." She began to open the satchel.

"How bad, exactly?" Thunderlane asked.

"You know room thirty-seven?"

The pegasus stopped to think for a moment, while Rose carefully added some powder to the mixture. "Does the place even have a room thirty-seven?"

"Not anymore," Starlight chirped in through grit teeth.

Thunderlane swallowed and looked back at Rose, but she was already back on her hooves, the beaker in her mouth now full of purple liquid. "Starlight?" she called, the sound a bit distorted.

"Yes?" There was sweat evident on the unicorn's forehead.

"Let go."

Starlight did, and immediately converted her spell into a shield. A wise choice, given the shower of glass shards that immediately exploded into every direction near the container.

The flower's tendrils only had a short time to slither outside of their prison though, as just a second later the beaker Rose had held landed over its petals and broke, drenching them in purple liquid. After a second longer, the plant took on a grey tinge, and the flower closed up as if it was nighttime, its vines retreating and going limp.

"Well," Rose said between pants, "that could have gone worse."

Author's Note:

Proofreading by IncongruousAndHarmonious

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

I have to wonder if they're just studying this plant or if they hope to actually get something useful out of it. I'm all for advancing one's understanding of the world, but "can consume the lab" is one heck of a risk factor. Still, good on Roseluck for thinking on her hooves.

[Venerable Ro]

Heavens, she's gotten a lot steadier hasn't she?