This Magic Essence presents new problems for the professional. As your skills improve, so do your standards. There was a time I was happy enough to design a simple gown, photograph a model for Prance, put plain beauty on the covers of a magazine. But that was then, when we took what we got, but with magic... the flesh becomes clay, beauty becomes obtainable. What excuse do we have not to sculpt, and sculpt, and sculpt, until the job is done? ~ Photo Finish

Bluejacket stepped out into the entrance area of the Medical Pavilion. Bodies of what used to be pony nurses and doctors lay strewn across the tiles. The area was bathed in a red light from the magical lights.

His radio crackled to life once more, "You can access the emergency access to Aston Landing through that doorway next to you," said Fluttershy's voice, "Though you'll find that the whole area is sealed with a magic barrier. Luckily, Photo Finish should still have her override key. How you get it isn't my problem, so would you kindly go and retrieve the key?"

Bluejacket proceeded forward, entering the main Medical Pavilion. Right at the entrance, there was already a grim site. Photographs of pony models were pasted all over the wall, with various parts of their faces crudely scratched out with ink. A mannequin was a set out, with a bright yellow pony hide draped over it that dripped blood onto the ground. Not a good sign.

Further in, the rest of the main area of the pavilion was in no better shape. Trash was strewn about, scorch marks from spells were sporadically peppered on the walls, and frantic mumblings of unseen creatures echoed from the shadows.

"Photo Finish is probably still in the makeup lab," stated Fluttershy over the radio, "Thats where she 'touches up' her models. But firstly, you'll need something, a bit of magical essence. So would you kindly go to the crematorium and retrieve a flame spell?"

Bluejacket did so, turning left and approaching the crematorium. A large sign hung over the entrance, proudly proclaiming, "The Dragon's Flame: Proper Funerary Services Straight from the Dragon Lands!" A single enfused hippogriff banged a claw on the sealed door.

"Let me in!" she shouted, "Get out here and face me!"

Bluejacket readied himself for combat, but jumped back when the door suddenly exploded, splintering the sealed entrance and sending the charred body of the hippogriff flying back into the wall. Standing in the doorway was a nirik, her flaming body glowing bright blue, her mane glistening unnaturally with a rainbow of colors.

The enfused nirik snapped her head to Bluejacket as she snarled with rage and shot out a plume of flame at the pony. Bluejacket jumped out the way, rolling behind a pillar as the flame blackened the ground around him. He rubbed his hooves and shot out a retaliatory blast of electricity. The nirik dodged the electricity as it flew past her head, stamping a hoof on the ground and launching a fireball out of her horn.

The fireball exploded against the pillar, causing rubble to spray down onto Bluejacket's head. He glanced back again and shot out another bolt of electricity. This one hit the nirik squarely in the chest, stunning her for a second. Bluejacket took the opportunity to rush the fiery creature with his wrench, but she recovered faster. Realizing what he was trying to do, the nirik roared with fury, her mane turning a deep shade of crimson. Before he could react, Bluejacket was flung back by an explosion, sending him colliding into a wall.

The pony slowly stood up and coughed as the smoke cleared. He winced, clutching the burns on his body. Looking up, Bluejacket saw that the nirik was gone, or more so, dead. In the middle of the blackened crater stood the nirik, a charred statue; the angry equine had self-immolated. Bluejacket walked past the statue, the thing crumbling into a pile of ash as he brushed a hoof against it, and into the crematorium.

As this was part of the Medical Pavilion, the crematorium still had a paltry number of medical supplies, though the entire front area had been burnt to oblivion by the nirik. Bluejacket hastily slapped bandages on his wounds and went further into the business. Upstairs was what he was looking for, a Lil' Sparks Depository. The vending machine was in its own corner, and still had a singular bottle of bright orange essence.

Popping off the cork, Bluejacket downed the essence. The tingling sensation down his throat was much like before, however the feeling was different. It became hot, very hot. He looked down at his hooves, watching as an orange glow curled up his limbs. He yelled in panic as his hooves blackened and cracked as flames trickled out from beneath his skin. And just as a sudden as it started, it ended. His hooves were intact, but Bluejacket felt different, more powerful.

Just to his luck, a voice ringed out as Bluejacket finished the potion.

"Attention all inhabitants of Seaquestria," announced the voice of Skystar, magically projecting from the walls, "A reward of a thousand pounds of magical essence is being offered as a reward for a certain... intruder. Bring his head to me, and you shall have all the magic you want."

Bluejacket didn't need to ask to know who she was talking about for as soon as the announcement finished, the yells of enfused rang out from down the stairs. Bluejacket readied himself, before noticing a conspicuous amount of oil on the ground. Oil that was flammable.

He stomped a hoof on the ground making an orange light pulsed on the ground and spiral up his leg. He held up his glowing orange hoof, concentrated, and ignited a small flame at its end. The enfused rounded the corner, screaming and charging at Bluejacket, but he was prepared. He leapt back and shot the flame from his hoof at the oil.

Immediately the oil spill ignited, the flames roaring to life and spreading across the floor. The enfused ponies had barely a moment to panic as they were quickly covered in the fire. Bluejacket made leave, galloping out of the crematorium, ignoring as the bloodcurdling cries of his assailants faded to whimpers accompanied by the repugnant smell of burning fur.

As Bluejacket made his way to the makeup center, his radio crackled to life, "I see Skystar has it out for you," Fluttershy said with an air of amusement, "Thing is, she can do whatever she wants down here. From her throne, the Queen has domain over all magic in Seaquestria. The enfused, the mechanicals, the Sparks, they all dance to her little tune."

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion echoed down the glass hall. Bluejacket's head raised to attention, and he ran down the hall. The lobby of the makeup center was large and dark, with two balconies and a doorway that led deeper in. Unfortunately, the doorway was blocked by a pile of rubble. More importantly however, were the two enfused unicorns that were engaged in a feud.

"Here's a gift friend!" yelled the mare on the balcony as she telekinetically tossed hoofmade explosives about the room. The second unicorn only laughed maniacally as he returned with a magical blast. However, his laugh was cut short as an explosive landed between his hooves.

Bluejacket ducked as an explosion sent unicorn limbs flying across the room and looked up. The orange unicorn narrowed her eyes as she turned her attention to him. Quickly and aggressively, the unicorn tossed her makeshift grenades. Bluejacket swerved left and right, dodging the small-scale explosions. The enfused unicorn didn't like this, screaming in anger as her horn flickered with magic and launched five explosives. Bluejacket paused and breathed out, adjusting his rear for the right angle.

As two of the grenades flew right at him, he bucked both his legs, knocking both of the explosives back through the air. One flew right at the pile of rubble, exploding upon contact, collapsing the wreckage. The unicorn glanced down in shock, not noticing the second explosive arcing through the air. The balcony exploded, the enfused unicorn with it.

As the explosions stopped and the noise faded to silence, Bluejacket left the lobby and to the heart of Photo Finish's lair. The dirty halls of the makeup center had more of Photo Finish's hoofwork. More pony hides, scratched over portraits, and blurry closeups of ponies graced the walls. The shelves of the center were still full of bottles of various makeup products, many of which glowed bright pink in the dim, green light of the hall.

Eventually he reached the heart of the facility, a viewing area for what used to be a place where models would practice. Through the dirty glass, Bluejacket could see that Photo Finish had converted it to her workstation. The earth pony still had on her trademark large, dark pink sunglasses though they were cracked in places, revealing the crazed eyes of the pony underneath. Her dress was dirty with bloodstains spattered all over. Her hooves were cracked with glowing green lines that illuminated the piles of the photos Photo Finish had laid out before her.

The former photographer was deep in work, muttering to herself as she examined the nonsensical photographs on the table.

"No no no!" Photo Finish shouted as she swept her hoof across the table, tossing aside her photographs, "Ach! Sweet sweet princess of beauty! Why vont you give me beauty! I vant to capture it, but zey always turns out wrong!"

Above her head lights magically flashed on, revealing ponies, strewn across the ceiling, their hooves outstretched. Blood dripped from the sacks that had been tied over their heads, and their coats had been skinned off at several places.

Photo pointed to the unicorn, "Zis one! She is too fat!"

She pointed to the pegasus, "Zis one! Her wings, zey are too long!"

She pointed to the earth pony, "And zis one! She is too symmetrisch!"

Suddenly, Photo paused. She hunched over, her head twisting behind her, looking right through the glass at Bluejacket. "What's this, my princess? An intruder?" her voice raised in volume as she whipped around with anger, "He's ugly! Ugly ugly UGLY!”

With a roar of anger, Photo Finish tossed the table aside and stomped her hoof on the ground. Green light pulsed from her legs into the ground traveling to the window before erupting in large growths of coral that shattered the glass. Bluejacket jumped aside to dodge the flying glass and rolled out into the practice area.

Photo Finish howled, sending out more bursts of flora magic. The aquatic plants sprouted to life around the room, climbing up the walls, ensnaring mannequins, and curling at Bluejacket. He fought back, kicking at a glowing anemone that had burst from the tiled floor. Seaweed attacked from behind ensnaring his rear hooves. Bluejacket shot out electric bursts from his hooves, but it was too much. Soon enough, the pony found that he was ensnared by Photo Finish's hostile plants.

She walked up, laughing maniacally, "Now you shall be beautiful!"

Bluejacket grunted, thrusting out one of his front hooves. A small fireball shot out, colliding with the seaweed wrapped around his leg. Photo Finish screamed with horror as the plants around her erupted into flames, their magically created forms crumpling in an instant.

Photo Finish angrily grunted, but Bluejacket attacked before she could use more magic. He hit the former photographer across the head with his wrench, causing her to collapse to the ground with a sickening crack. Bluejacket rustled through the enfused photographer's body, pulling out the access key before leaving the room.

As he left, his radio buzzed as Fluttershy's voice rang out, "Are you alright? It was about time somepony took care of her. She was sick, in the mind I mean. Make sure you get the key off Photo Finish and head back to Emergency Access. I'm working my way to the back side of Aston Landing myself. We'll get there soon enough."

The hallway back to the Medical Pavilion was blocked. Photo Finish's out of control flora magic had promptly wrecked the makeup center. The walls were covered in plant growth, the makeup had been knocked off the shelves, and the hallway had completely collapsed.

So instead, Bluejacket had to take an alternate route through the center's waiting lounge. The lounge had many windows, multiple balconies, and a Lil' Sparks Depository. As Bluejacket entered, he jumped in alarm as one of the windows exploded. Through the glass flew the burning body of a mechanical while collided with the wall and fell limply to the floor.

"That's mechanical's dead," commented Fluttershy over the radio, "That means there's a Little Spark around here, unaccompanied. Find that thing and you can get all the dragon fire you want."

Into the lounge ran the Little Spark, the baby dragon crying with alarm as it scampered into the center of the room. The Spark was followed by an enfused hippogriff, who spread his wings and swiftly caught up to the dragonling. The purple hippogriff cackled as he lifted up the babbling baby in his claws.

Suddenly, a loud sound rang out through the room as an arrow pierced through the hippogriff's claw. He shouted in alarm, clutching his bleeding limb, and twisted his head to see the attacker. Another sound, and another arrow shot out, piercing his skull.

Bluejacket stepped forward as the hippogriff fell to the ground, dropping the Spark. "Don't ya get any closer to that dragon or you'll be the varmit who's shot next!" shouted the pony up on the balcony.

The older orange mare held up a cross bow, pointing it right at Bluejacket. She was overall dirty, a dirty shawl, a dirty hat, and a dirty blond mane. She wore an expression of tiredness and anger at the same time.

"Easy now Applejack," Fluttershy announced over the radio to the mare on the balcony, "He's just looking for a bit of dragon fire."

"I'm not about to let him hurt any of them little ones," Applejack muttered, "One would think a pegasus like you would believe that, Fluttershy." She finished the sentence abrasively, Fluttershy's name dripping with contempt.

"Don't worry," Fluttershy's voice said, ignoring Applejack, "That's no baby, not anymore." Bluejacket stepped closer to the Spark, the dragonling crying with fear as it tried to crawl away.

"Stop!" Applejack yelled, "Have y'all no heart?" She paused, before pulling a small bottle that glowed cyan. Applejack tossed it over the balcony, where Bluejacket caught it. "There, take that," stated Applejack, "That should help y'all... save those little Spark fellers. I've already lost too many ponies I care about in this city; Photo Finish, Stygian, Trixie..." she paused, "Fluttershy, but as long as I can help somecreature down here, I'm gonna keep trying. I just hope you will too."

With that, Applejack left, leaving Bluejacket alone with the dragon. After a minute of contemplation, he leapt forward, grabbing hold of the baby. The dragonling struggled in his hooves as Bluejacket made his decision. His hooves began to glow as he directed at the dragonling's head.

Suddenly, with a flash of light, the glow in the Spark's eye's vanished, making the dragon fall to the ground with an oof. Wearily, the dragonling stood up and toddled away. Bluejacket smiled, having chosen to save the baby. The baby smiled too, waving back at Bluejacket before crawling into one of the designated Spark chutes.

Having made his decision, Bluejacket left the lounge, left the Medical Pavilion, and made his back to the entrance.

Over the radio, Fluttershy sighed, "Applejack's playing you for a sap. Those things may look like baby dragons but looks don't make it so. You're going to need all the magic you can get to survive down here, and trying to save the lost isn't going to help. Anyways, are you almost back to emergency access? Come through as soon as you get there. You've got Skystar's attention now. You won't hear her coming, but she'll be there before you know it."

In the emergency access, Bluejacket pulled out the access key and inserted it. With a rumble, the door slowly slid open. Once inside, the door sealed itself shut with a hiss. The room rumbled as it began to move.

"I don't know how you managed it, but you did," said Fluttershy over the radio, "Come through to Aston Landing now. I'm looking forward to shaking your hoof."