Chapter 2: The Secret Lab of Doofenshmirtz

 

A few minutes or so later, everyone arrived to the castle as Pinkie came to a stop near some horse servants. After unstrapping herself, the pink pony goes over to a door with a huge knocker and pounds the door on it three times.

While the horse servants help with the luggage, Twilight and Applejack were helping Ben and Fluttershy down as the doctor notices the knocker, causing her to remark, "That thing's huge!"

"Oh...thank you, Twilight." Ben said, blushing as he thinks Twilight is talking about his..."little pony".

"Oh, that's all right."

Once the gang got off the carriage, the rest heads over to the door as Fluttershy saw a sign nearby labeled "Keep Out. Trespassers Will Be Mutilated." This made the Pegasus gulps a bit in worry.

Suddenly the door opens as a mare came out. She is a white messy mane unicorn with a messy white tail, she has a gray coat and is wearing a cloak of some kind. The mare's cutie mark appears to be a witch symbol in some sort of ghost. Her name is Latrine.

"Hello, I am Latrine." Latrine said introducing herself.

Suddenly the horse servants neighs with fear as thunder roars. Pinkie calls out, "Hey, calm down, fellows, calm down."

As Pinkie goes over to help with the servants, Twilight clears her throats as she spoke, "Hey there. How are you? I am Dr. Twilight Sparkle, these are my assistants/friends Applejack and Fluttershy, as well as Ben Mare."

"Howdy." Applejack said, giving an uneasy wave to Latrine.

"Everyone, may I present Latrine." Twilight explains.

The horse servants neigh with fear once more, much to the notice of everyone. Fluttershy worried spoke, "Oh dear. What's gotten into them? It's like they are scared for some reason."

"Oh, best not to worry. I got your rooms prepared, Miss Sparkle. So come on." Latrine said as she motions to the others while preparing to go inside. "Follow me."

"Right, hey, Pinkie!" Twilight calls over to Pinkie who calmed the horse servants down somewhat.

"Yeah?" Pinkie calls out to Twilight happily.

"When you're done, can you bring the bags in? I got a feeling the servants are freaked out for some reason."

"Okie dokie lokie!"

"Okay, lead on, Latrine." Applejack said to Latrine, this causes the horse servants to neigh with fear once more, causing Latrine to frowns as she goes into the place. The cowpony thinks, 'Those horses must have a thing against toilets.'

As everyone goes into the castle, Pinkie was the last to come in with the bags. She stops at the door and looks back for a moment, having a thought.

"Latrine!" Pinkie calls out quickly. The horses neigh once more as the pink pony smiles happily and goes inside, closing the door on her way in.

Once inside, the new visitors look amazed at the grand hall. Twilight has indeed inherit quite a place. Latrine uses her magic to pick up a three headed candle nearby.

"Follow me, please." Latrine advises to the group. The others looks concerned as they follow the unicorn up the stairs. She stops for a moment before turning around. "Better stay close to the candles, these stairs can be treacherous."

"Err, Miss? Your candles aren't lit." Fluttershy said meekly as the group continues going upstairs, following Latrine.

"Don't bother, 'de less Ah speak 'ta her, 'de better." Applejack remarks with a frown. She got this...ugly feeling about Latrine that the cowpony doesn't like.

A while later, Applejack and Fluttershy were given their own rooms. As Ben and Pinkie head to their own, Latrine takes Twilight to a bedroom where she is sleeping at. As the doctor unpacked, the mare notices a picture of a crazy unicorn hanging nearby. That is definitely her grandfather, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz all right.

"This will be your bedroom during your stay. It was once your grandpa's room." Latrine said, introducing the room where Twilight will be staying at.

"I see." Twilight said as she trots over to some bookshelves nearby. The mare grins as she said, "Oh wow, seems to be quite a few books. I love books!"

"Glad you like it. This was Heinz's...." Latrine stops for a moment as she caught herself quickly. "...I mean the baron's medical library, yes."

"I see. So if you don't mind me asking: where is my grandfather's private library?"

"Eh? Whatever do you mean?"

"Well, these books are very general and all." Twilight said, using her magic to take a book out and looks through it. The unicorn was told that she inherited Doofenshmirtz's public AND her private library. "Any doctor, or bookworm, like me, might have them around. Anyway, I was told that grandpa left the private library to me."

As Twilight closes the book, Latrine frowns as she comments, "So far, this is the lonely library I know of, Dr. Doofenstone."

"Sparkle, Sparkle." Twilight and Latrine said at the same time, the former was correcting the weirdo unicorn while the latter said it at the same time, knowing she would do that.

Twilight decides to change the subject, speaking in curiosity about a certain name. "It's an unusual name, Latrine." The doctor hears the horse servants neighing in some part of the castle. How did they do that? "How did your family come by it?"

"We changed it a long time ago, dearie." Latrine explains to Twilight with a shrug.

"You mean...you actually changed your name...to Latrine?"

"Yeah. It used to be...Outhouse."

Twilight pauses to think about it; that does sound right. The doctor chuckles while nodding, "Interesting. Good change, too. Anyway, good night."

Latrine nods as she prepares to leave. The unicorn stops as she turns, asking, "Say, would you like a brandy before retiring?"

"No, no thanks."

"Some warm milk...perhaps?"

"No, thanks very much. No thanks." Twilight said with a sigh, turning down the offer for that drink as well.

Latrine was preparing to leave once more, but turns back as she ask, "Ovaltine?"

"I don't want anything to drink right now...right now, I'm a little tired."

"All right. Then I will say good night."

"Good night." Twilight said, sighing in irritation. She hopes that Latrine leaves so that the doctor can get some sleep. The unicorn is freaking her out enough for one night!

"Good night then." Latrine remarks with a frown. Tried to hospitable and this is what she gets.

Latrine takes the unlit candlestick and prepares to leave. But before she does, the unicorn stops at a picture of Doofenshmirtz. Latrine glances to see Twilight still unpacking, not paying any attention to her. Good, maybe she can do this in peace.

As Twilight was finishing up with the unpacking, she looks up to the mirror, and is startled to see Latrine in the reflection, whispering to the Doofenshmirtz, "Good night, darling." The mare kisses the picture, freaking her out. What was that all about? As Latrine heads out the door, she turns back, speaking, "Good night, Miss Sparkle."

"Right, good night, Latrine." Twilight said with a nod.

The two hears the horse servants neighing outside a bit. Latrine sighs in annoyance before she left. Twilight goes back to unpacking her stuff, this has been a weird night thus far!

 

-------------------

 

In her room, Pinkie was watching an episode of "My Little Heroines" on her TV, which has the Talent Mark Crusaders finally getting their talent marks.

"Could it be?" Jim gasps to the others in amazement as he looks at his palm.

"After four-and-a-half years of trying?" Tim ask hopefully and excitedly.

"It IS. It's our talent marks!" Dani exclaims happily. After four and a half years of trying, the TMC finally got their talent marks.

"How oddly appropriate that we would get them helping out the girl that helped bring us together in the first place." Minia comments, chuckling that it take helping a certain bully for this day to happen.

"And we all have the same talent mark!" Pistol exclaims, noticing how she and her friends seem to have the same talent mark.

"No. Similar, yes. Even VERY similar. But NOT identical. See? Each shield is marked differently."

Sure enough, all five of them have the same five-colored shield on their right palms, but each shield is marked differently:

Jim's shield is embedded with a red toolbox with a pink heart infringed in the middle.

Tim's shield is embedded with a white potion bottle with a silver heart infringed in the middle.

Dani's shield is embedded with a bright green ghost with a smaller golden shield infringed on the chest area.

Minia's shield is embedded with a golden star with a silver musical note infringed in the middle.

Pistol's shield is embedded with a dark purple lightning bolt with four orange wheels directly under the bolt.

"Yeah. You're right, Minia. They ARE individually marked." Jim said, admitting that Minia is right about the individual marked thing.

"In addition to our actual special talents, I think our marks indicate how well we work as a team AND how much we like helping others. A good combination of all three, I would say." Tim said, giving a proud look of how working together was able to allow the kids to get their talent marks at last.

"Buttercup and the others are going to be so proud of us!" Pistol exclaims, knowing that Buttercup and the others will be proud of the kids.

"Well, I think these marks were worth waiting for. What do YOU think?" Dani ask her friends with a smile.

"I love this show. Reminds me of my world." Pinkie said with a giggle of delight while watching further.

 

-----------------

 

It was late at night as Twilight was in bed, trying her bed to get some sleep. However, she is struggling and sweating while trying to do so. It's like...some sort of voice is trying to get through to her.

"No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I am not a Doofenshmirtz, I am a Sparkle! Don't give me that! I refuse to believe in fate, don't make me say it!" Twilight mutters in her sleep. The picture of Doofenshmirtz still hangs on the wall...as if it's haunting her. "All right, fine! You win, I will do it, I will say it, I will say it; I will say it...DESTINY, DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME! DESTINY, DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME! Destiny...Destiny...no escaping."

Suddenly Twilight yelps as she felt someone shaking her. The mare woke up to see Ben nearby, speaking, "Twilight, wake up!"

"What? What is it?"

"Sorry to wake you up. You were having a nightmare and I was worried."

"It's oka..." Twilight stops and sat up as she hears something: some strange music playing somewhere. "Wait, what is that strange music?"

"Not sure. But it seems to be coming from behind the bookcase." Ben said in concern as he motions to the bookcase where the strange music is coming from.

"Behind the bookcase..." Twilight said thoughtfully. "Ben, can you hand me the robe?"

Ben nods as he took a robe hanging nearby and gave it to Twilight who got out from before. As the mare put the robe on, the two ponies came over to the bookcase as the music begins to get a bit louder.

"You're right. It's coming from this wall." Twilight said with a smile as she looks around for something. "Okay, where is it? Where is it?"

"Err, what?" Ben ask, confused as to what Twilight's doing.

"A switch, there's always a device that opens a secret passage to somewhere. Now if I could just find the triggering mechanism..." Twilight stops as she saw a certain book, making her grin. "Hello."

Twilight takes the book and pulls it out. The two backs away expecting the bookcase to open...but nothing happened! Weird.

"Oh, wrong book." Twilight said awkwardly while putting the book back. The mare hears the music and goes over to the other bookcases. "Hmmm, seems louder over there." The unicorn points to a candle nearby. "Can you get me that candle?"

Ben nods and took the candle. Suddenly, without warning, the bookcase spins around, causing Twilight to yell as she was taken with it, ending on the other side of the wall. Ben gasps in surprise, looks like he found the triggering mechanism!

"Put...the candle...back." Twilight's voice calls out from behind the bookcase. Ben put the candle back, causing the bookcase to spin again. The doctor didn't have time to escape before the bookcase spins around again, causing Twilight to be trapped once more. "Right, okay, I think I got it now. Take out the candle and I will block the bookcase with my body."

"Fine, okay." Ben said with a nod, looking concerned. He is not okay with the idea, but what Twilight say will do.

Ben took the candle off its matter, causing the bookcase to spin once more. Twilight prepares to go to the other side to block the path...Ben cringes as instead the unicorn was flattened, getting stuck. That's gotta hurt.

Twilight groans with a little higher pitch voice, "Listen to me carefully. Do not put the candle. With all your might, shove against the other side of the bookcase. Do you get that?"

"Yeah, I think so." Ben said with a nod.

Ben put the candle onto a holder and rushes to the bookcase, shoving it. Twilight groans a bit as she is finally freed from the bookcase.

"Ah, good pony." Twilight said, looking exhausted. Wait, where's Ben?

"Put...the candle...back." Ben's voice is heard on the other side of the bookcase, much to Twilight's surprise. Looks like in his effort to free her, the assistant got stuck now!

Twilight decided on a new way to do this. She put the candle back into its original place. Then as the bookcase begins to turn, the mare quickly lift the candle again and put it back, making the book stop halfway.

As Ben recovers from what happened, Applejack and Fluttershy came in, with the former calling out, "Hey, what's wit' 'de noise in here?"

"We found something." Twilight said to her friends with a smile.

"Oh, what is it?" Fluttershy ask quietly and in concern.

"We found a secret passageway, look!" Ben explains to the girls as he motions to a secret passageway beyond the bookcase.

"Well, wherever that music is, it's coming from down there." Twilight said suspiciously. It's true, the pony can indeed hear the music coming from down the hall right now.

"So uh...are we going down there?" Fluttershy ask scared and worried, not liking the passageway at all.

"Might as well if we were 'ta find out who's making 'dat noise." Applejack said with a frown. The mare wants to find out who's making that music.

"Better take a look." Twilight said with a nod, preparing to head in.

"Uh, better let me come with you, doctor...I rather you need someone like me to keep you safe." Ben said, blushing a bit while Twilight blushes as well.

"All right, everyone, follow me." Twilight said as she prepares to take the candle.

"Err, doctor? The candle?"

"Oh, good thinking. Don't wanna go through that again."

"Why? What's wit' 'de candle?" Applejack ask, puzzled as she arches an eyebrow at that.

"Long story. Let's try the candle on the left." Twilight said as she the others goes to a candle on the left. "Everyone, stay back!"

Everyone stops and moves back, in case that the other candle does something odd. Twilight slowly lifts the candle...luckily, nothing happened. The mare shush the others as they slowly made their way into and through the secret passageway.

"I wonder who's playing that music." Fluttershy whispers quietly as the ponies slowly came down the stairway to wherever the room where the music is coming from.

Suddenly the ponies yelps as a rat passes by. Ben spoke up quickly, "Girls, calm down, no need to be frightened. Just a rat...a filthy slimy rat..."

"Well, that isn't nice!" Fluttershy scolds Ben for saying that about the rat who squeaks angrily in agreement before rushing off.

The group made their way to the bottom to some sort of door. Twilight slowly uses her magic to open the door...causing the handle to break off in the progress. With an annoyed sigh, she throws the broken handle down then pushes the door itself opened.

As the door opens all the way, the mares and stallion looks surprised as some sort of dark room with shelves...with one having a skull that is labeled "3 Years Dead".

"Good Herd!" Twilight exclaims in shock and disgust by this.

"Who leaves a skull like that hanging around?" Ben ask Twilight, stunned by this.

"Well, it is Twilight's family, who knows what he left behind?" Applejack remarks, shrugging a bit.

The ponies saw more skulls, one of them is labeled "2 Years Dead" then they saw a rooting head that is labeled "6 Months Dead". This came to the last one which is labeled "Freshly Dead"...then it came to life and begins to sing.

 

Pinkie: I-

 

Everyone yelps in alarm as the head, really Pinkie, continues to sing happily.

 

Ain't got no body
And nobody cares for me
Yakka tak ta yakka tak ta ha!

 

"Pinkie!" Twilight exclaims, surprised to see Pinkie here.

"Oh, hey there Sci-light!" Pinkie exclaims with a giggle to her friends. "Sorry about that, couldn't resist!"

"Oh, how did you get in here?" Fluttershy ask Pinkie in surprise as Pinkie bounces around the shelf.

"Through the dumbwaiter, of course!"

"Oh, right, 'dat explains it." Applejack remarks with a frown. So there're other ways to get in here besides the bookcase secret passageway?

"I heard the strangest music from the kitchen upstairs...so I followed it down. Just call it...a hunch." Pinkie explains, pointing to her right while giggling. "Badoom-chi!"

"So wait; that means someone else must be down here then." Ben said in surprise. If Pinkie wasn't the one playing...then somepony else must've!

"Seems that way..." Twilight said in suspicion as she spots another door nearby. "Because there's the only other door."

"An' our music playing pony must be in there right now." Applejack said in suspicion, knowing that whoever is playing that music is probably still in the room right now.

As Twilight prepares to go over to the door, Pinkie stops her in concern, saying, "Twilight, wait. Might be dangerous...uh, you go first. The mare backs away a it.

"You go ahead too, Twilight." Fluttershy said meekly as she backs away a bit.

The group heads over to the door with Pinkie and Fluttershy following the others. Soon they reach the door open it, entering some sort of dark room. It's dark in here.

"Aren't there any lights in 'dis here place?" Applejack ask as she looks around for any lights in the room.

"Two nasty looking switches over here." Pinkie said sternly as she points a hoof to two switches on a wall nearby. "But I rather not be the first."

Twilight scoffs a bit, what's so bad about the eyes? The mare flips the first switch...this causes sparks to fly all over, making everyone back away in alarm.

"Darn your eyes!" Twilight yells angrily to Pinkie.

"Too late. Hee hee hee!" Pinkie giggles as she points to her own eyes.

Twilight flips the other switch. This causes all the lights in the place to turn around, revealing the ponies to be in some sort of laboratory, with the usual machines and equipment.

As Twilight blows the candle's light out, the ponies look around as Fluttershy gasps, "Wow..."

"So this is where it all happened." Twilight said at the huge lab...which used to belong to Doofenshmirtz on the night when he was making his monster.

As the ponies look at the huge lab, they could imagine the voice of Doofenshmirtz speaking, "Just think, a dead brain, ready to live once more! There is no blood or decomposition! Just a few sutures! Assistant Pie, throw the main switch!"

"Yes, master." The voice of Granny Pie is heard as echoes of sparks is heard as well.

The ponies looks around the place in amazement, they can imagine what it's like to be here on that night years ago.

"What a filthy mess." Twilight said, frowning at the state of Doofenshmirtz's lab.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe some paint, a couple of flowers, and some throw pillows..." Pinkie begins to say randomly, but stops as her friends look at her oddly. "What?"

"If Rarity was here, she would've throw a sissy fit at 'dis mess." Applejack comments, knowing that Rarity won't like the mess of this place.

"Well, looks like our mysterious violinist has disa..." Twilight stops as she notices something at the other end of the room.

"Disa what?" Ben ask Twilight, wondering why the doctor stopped.

"...ppeared." Pinkie said, finishing up her friend was going to say.

"Shhh!" Twilight shushes sternly to Pinkie. The unicorn points a hoof to a door that she saw. "There's a light coming from that door. Follow me."

The others follow Twilight as they move through the lab before coming to the door. Twilight uses her magic to open the door to allow the group into some sort of area with a cage area. There's no one here.

"Hey, look!" Ben exclaims as he points to something on a table that the others saw: a violin.

"Well, that explains the music." Twilight said as she uses her magic to pick up the music.

Fluttershy touches the violin, speaking in concern, "It's still warm...someone was playing it."

"But who was playing it?" Applejack ask with a frown of suspicion. Who else could be inside the castle besides the mares and Ben? Unless...

"Not sure...but whoever it was barely finished putting out his or her cigar." Twilight said, putting down the violin as she saw a cigar that is barely put out nearby. The mare looks around the room while continuing, "Wow, strange going-ons so far..."

"So what is this place anyway?" Ben ask as he looks around as well.

"The music room?" Pinkie guesses happily as she plucks the strings on the violin.

"There's nothing here! Except for some books and papers."

"Wait, books and papers?" Twilight gasps in surprise upon hearing that. Could it be? The mare looks at the stuff and saw a familiar signature on them. "Yes, of course! This is it, my grandfather's private library! Yes, I can feel it! And look, look at this!"

Twilight uses her magic to pick up a book. On it, reads the words "How I Did It! By Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz". The unicorn smiles excitedly. This must describes how Doofenshmirtz was able to did the unthinkable: bring the dead back to life!

As thunder and lightning roars outside the castle, Twilight reads through the book while the others sat nearby waiting though getting bored while falling asleep. But they did notice the unicorn is grunting a bit as her reading is making her more excited...and more menacingly.

"'Until, from the mists of this darkness, a sudden light broke in upon me. A light so brilliant and wondrous, and yet so simple...change the poles from plus to minus, and from minus to plus.'." Twilight said in a menacingly tone of voice. As the others snooze, the doctor pants, smiling madly. "'I alone succeeded in discovering the secret in bestowing life. Nay, even more...I myself, became capable of bestowing animation...upon lifeless matter!'"

Twilight looks up slowly as she realizes something. Yes, yes, it could work!

"Ben, girls...IT...COULD...WORK!" Twilight exclaims madly as thunder roars throughout the castle.

Upstairs, Doofenshmirtz's picture appears to be smiling wickedly and madly as evil laughter is heard. It looks like despite her attempts and protests, Twilight is inheriting something else from her grandfather: the desire to bring back the dead!

 

Author's note
Well, Twilight is now going to do what Doofenshmirtz once did: bring back the dead! In the next chapter, the group begins the progress, stealing bodies (one was a Dragon killer and the other is his pony victim) and avoid being caught. And Pinkie and Fluttershy works on getting brains...but a mess up makes Pinkie gets another one...which maybe a bad idea. Read, review and suggest.

 

There's a reference to "Robin Hood: Men in Tights", another Mel Brooks film.

 

The clip is from the My Little Heroines series, of course.