Jane smiled as she reached the main building of the secluded ranch where Daria was doing her research on horse pathology. She had worried about Daria for some time now, ever since she was booted from her internship and medical school at the same time. In her depression, she had taken to watching increasingly large amounts of children's television programming - especially the new My Little Pony show. However, nine months ago, she had snapped out of her funk and used her previous experience in medicine and her current interest in...ponies...to fast-track her way into a veterinarian internship. She had done so well, the university had given her a small ranch to oversee by herself, where she could treat horses on her own (and an advisor was only a phone call and a half hour away if she ran into something she couldn't handle).

Daria was waiting for Jane as she got out of the car, and the two briefly hugged. "Jane, I'm glad you could make it," Daria said, her voice more animated than Jane could ever remember. "I've been doing some fantastic work with the horses here, and I want you to be a part of it."

Jane's eyebrows rose up. "A part of it? Me? Daria, the most I know about horses is that Catherine the Great was killed by one. I don't think I'll be much help to you."

Daria chuckled at Jane's statement. "Oh, don't worry, Jane, you'll see."

They walked to the stables and chatted about the minutiae that had filled their lives since the last time they had talked. When they entered the stables, Daria would stop at each stall and tell Jane a little about the horse within.

At one stall, Jane stopped and gasped. "Is that a...a..."

"A unicorn?" Daria finished, looking to the animal which lay on the ground, its breathing labored. She shook her head, a somber look on her face. "This poor creature was exposed to a chemical in utero which causes horrific bone deformations...as a side effect, it does cause a single horn-like protrusion that causes it to resemble the mythical unicorn, but it will never be able to stand or walk on its own. I've attempted numerous surgeries to see if I can restore any of its functions, but..." Daria sighed. "I think I may have to put it down."

The rest of the walk through the stables was a quiet affair, with Daria giving terse descriptions of the rest of the horses they passed by. After leaving the stable, Daria seemed to cheer up a bit, and Jane decided to cheer up to. She turned to Jane and said, "Okay, now I want to show you what I've been working on most." She actually grabbed Jane's hand and pulled her along, like a little kid eager for their parent to see something they were especially proud of.

In the main building, there was an area for operating on horses, and Jane saw that there were actually two horses within, separated by wheeled dividers. The first was laying on the ground and was still, apart from its breathing. The second was standing and conscious, though its eyes looked glazed-over and what appeared to be numerous surgical scars covered its head and neck.

Daria led Jane to unconscious horse first. "Jane, you're going to help me with the surgery I'm going to perform on this horse."

Jane's eyes practically bugged out of her head. "Uh, Daria? I don't know if you think I just forgot to mention it, but I haven't gotten a degree in veterinary medicine, horse surgery, or anything like that since we last saw each other. What about that guy who's supposed to advise you on stuff like this?"

Daria smiled, and Jane started to feel uneasy. "Oh, I don't need his help with this. Besides, he died."

"Oh. Damn. I'm sorry -"

Daria continued on as if Jane hadn't spoken. "And I don't need you to help with the 'cutting open' part anyway. Here, let me explain." She led Jane to the second horse. "This is the result of the second time I've tried the surgery, and she came out wonderfully. She's alive, all her organs are functioning (as long as I give her her meds every day), she even has total control of her limbs."

Jane began to feel scared. Just a little bit, since Daria was her oldest and most trusted friend, but...a little bit. "Daria, I still don't get what you're talking about."

Daria smiled and turned to the horse. "Quinn, why don't you tell Jane?"

Jane was about to ask why she named the horse after her sister when it turned to her and...

"...kill...meeeee..." the horror rasped out.

Jane saw that Daria had painted or tattooed a bright yellow smiley face on its rump. "Oh my God," Jane gurgled out.

"Do you see why I need you now, Jane? My advisor died halfway through the procedure the first time, and I need to have done it at least two times to make sure I've got the surgery down pat. Then I can tell the whole world that My Little Ponies are real!"

Jane tried hard to listen to what the insane stranger was telling her, but instead she decided a much better idea would be to get the hell out of Dodge and call in absolutely every fucking body, from the army all the way down.

She almost made it out of the room when her shoulder exploded in pain, causing her to stumble and trip, laying halfway out the doorway. Daria walked up casually as Jane laid there, setting the dart gun down out of Jane's reach and removing the expended dart from Jane's shoulder. As she began to drift out of consciousness, the last thing to enter her brain was Daria's voice.

"Jane, I was wondering if you've given any thought as to what you want your cutie mark to be."