Doctor Stable had forced all three mares to eat something, and take another nap while he dealt with the finer details. The biggest one being getting the pets to the hospital. Doctor Stable had started by going to the friendship castle to retrieve Spike, Angel, and Owlicious. He walked carefully through the quiet halls of the castle, his steps echoing eerily the large corridors.
“NOOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Doctor Stable stopped, his ears perking forward. He turned his head to follow the noise. Inching towards it cautiously, he kept his ears tuned to the source of the cry.
“I WON’T!”
The doctor couldn’t deny that one. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the door from which it had come from. Stables frowned as he noted on the doorknob had a little sign that read ‘Spike’s Room.’ He had wondered where that dragon had gone, feeling a wave of pity towards the creature, he opened the door.
Spike lay restrained in a magic bubble, wrapped up in blankets struggling with every ounce of strength he had. “I won’t! You can’t make me! I won’t kill my friends! TWILIGHT!” He cried once more.
Doctor Stable found himself at a loss for what to do. It was evident that Spike was somewhere between what the ponies were going through, and what the animals were. He looked the dragon over, Spike’s ribs were obviously showing, and his eyes were bloodshot. There was just no way Spike could keep on without losing what little sanity he had left- if he had any at all.
Spike’s eyes finally turned to him. The little dragon’s mouth opened slightly, and his little pink tongue lolled out. The eyes were pleading.
Doctor Stable stepped forward and laid a hoof on the small dragon. “Spike?”
“You... aren’t glowing!” Spike said in a half-crazed way.
“How are you?” He pressed.
“MAKE IT STOP!” The moment of coherency was gone, the dragon’s back arched as he shrieked in pain.
Doctor Stable just stood there looking down at the little purple and green drake. His heart broke for the little guy. Opening his saddlebag, he removed a vial and filled a syringe. With a fluid motion, he stabbed Spike in the arm and pushed the contents home.
Spike shrieked, his eyes flying open and to the needle in his arm. Then the next moment his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell limp.
Stables smiled fatherly at the now drugged dragon as he lifted him in his blankets and carried him down to a waiting stretcher. The nurse, a sturdy stallion who was only beginning to show signs of the infection, helped Stable situate Spike and strap him down. “If he begins to come to, knock him out with the drug again.” Stables instructed before he went back in to find Angel Bunny and Owlicious.
The sun was well up in the sky when Stables had finished his task. The doctor struggled intensely in the collar as his assistant walked alongside. Stables frowned as the stallion teetored. “Lifesigns, are you alright?” Doctor Stables asked slowing his pace.
The nurse nodded. “Yeah, just... give me a moment.”
Doctor Stables frowned, considering ordering the stallion into the already full cart of drugged pets. Stables glanced around him. The streets were practically empty. Haunted, was a better way of saying it. If he hadn’t known better, he could have sworn he was back in the Desert helping to evacuate the last survivors of that one ghost town... he furrowed his brow as he struggled to remember the name of that village.
When he got back, Stables decided, he’d take a break. His body felt horrid. His eyes itched, his ears burned, his coat felt raw, and he didn't want to go into his shaky legs, blurred vision and bad memory he’d suddenly come down with in the past half hour.
“Honest Doc, I’m fine.” Lifesigns said again standing shakily on his four hooves, let’s get these guys back...”
Doctor Stables frowned. “I agree, but let’s slow down. I am not used to this type of work.”
“You could use your magic doc,” the nurse suggested.
Doctor Stables shook his head. “Son, just because I’m not showing advanced signs of the infection, doesn’t mean I’m not infected. We have to be careful and think through these things, we won’t make it if we don’t.”
The nurse nodded weakly.
The two traveled on together neither one saying a word.
“MY PRECIOUS!” A mare shrieked as she dashed out of a house and jumped on a stone. “I’ll kill you! Don’t touch my precious!”
Both stallions froze, the nurse frowning as he struggled to keep his balance. Doctor Stables sighed as he set himself loose from the harness. “Madam... please...”
He was startled when the mare suddenly lept forward, her teeth sinking into his neck. The doctor screamed in pain. “Madam!”
All at once, he felt it suddenly hard to breathe, sucking in air with little success. His eyes shifted up to the mare’s horn where a faint blue glow encompassed it; a similar one showing around his chest. The mare was trying to squeeze the life out of him.
As he struggled, Stables felt the mare’s teeth sink deeper into his neck, blood beginning to trickle out the bite. Another small cry of pain, stifled by his lack of oxygen escaped his throat as he tried desperately to push the mare off of him, using his magic in an attempt to throw her off him.
“DOCTOR!” He heard his assistant call out.
“Lifesigns, stay back! I’ve got this.” With a final shove of force, he managed to create a small barrier and shove the mare to the ground a few feet away, grimacing as she took away a chunk of skin from where she had bitten him. In an attempt to wipe away some blood, he only smeared it over his coat before shaking his head and turning his attention over to the mare, who was already back on her hooves and running towards him, her horn beginning to flicker to life once more.
Stables was quick to blast the mare with a sleep spell, waiting for her to fall unconscious before dropping his shield spell and dragging the mare over to the cart.
“Doctor! Are you alright?” Lifesigns asked as he looked Stables over.
“Son, I’m-”
“You are bleeding!” The nurse cried in fear. “Oh, Celestia! You just got bit by a rabid pony!”
A pang of fear went through the good doctor, but with an effort of control, he fought the feeling down. “Lifesigns, I’m fine. Now, we have to get moving.”
Lifesigns frowned, glancing between the bite, the mare, and the overall signs of exhaustion that Stables was showing. “I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to nurse, we have ponies to save, come on!” Stables insisted, disregarding the stallion.
The way back was torture, but they managed to make it. Exhaustion and crazed ponies had made the trip back a nightmare, but finally, they dragged their worn, and beaten bodies into the crowded hospital courtyard.
“DOCTOR!” Nurse Redheart yelled as he pulled up alongside the doors. “You don’t look so good! How did it go? You have all of-”
He raised a hoof to stall the flow of words. “We have them, take them down somewhere where we can secure them, I’ll go wash up and-”
She frowned shaking her head. “No, you are going to go straight to a bed. Even you can’t keep going on zero sleep.”
He looked her over, frowning at her haggard appearance.”Nurse...”
She stopped him again by laying a hoof on his shoulder and helping him out of the harness. “I know time is of the essence, but we can’t afford to be taken out any more than we can afford to lose the other three elements.”
He nodded, watching as other nurses and doctors who were still strong enough to help got the ponies, and creatures out of the back of the wagon and got them inside. Taking his first step forward his knees buckled. He smiled sheepishly up at her, “Guess I’m not used to pulling all that weight.”
“Another reason why you should take a little time off and rest. Besides that, you are injured.” She said, pointing to the bite on his neck.
He grimaced as she inspected the cuts, scrapes, and bite he had acquired through the day’s events.
“This one needs to be treated right away.” She said inspecting the bite on his neck. “You are lucky it didn’t cut the jugular.”
He lowered his eyes; refusing to meet her harsh gaze, hissing in pain as he felt her force him back up to his hooves. “Come on doctor, don’t get prideful. We need to get you in for treatment, and a nap. Then I’ll see if I can find anything remotely tasty to help you get your strength back up.”
Twilight sat looking down at Spike’s sleeping form. She’d failed him... she’d failed the one creature in the universe that relied on her more than any other. She’d come straight here once she’d found out that Spike had been brought back. He looked so tired laying there. The infection had taken its toll on him as it had so many others.
“Princess?”
Twilight’s ears flicked back as she heard the doctor enter, but her eyes didn’t move from her number one assistant. “He will be alright… right?”
Doctor Stables sighed as he walked up alongside the princess and laid a hoof on her shoulder. “If what we have read is correct, yes. But if we are going to save him, we have to get going. I think the pet’s bodies have rested to the point where the transfer will be safe.”
She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. He hoped it was just an effect of the infection, but somehow he knew it also had a great deal to do with the idea itself. Not that Twilight was opposed, but it was a newer spell.
“Your Highness, please, time is of the essence, and we’ve already spent a lot of it doing everything required to just keep our own minds and bodies functioning.”
She nodded, standing shakily. None of them were doing well, but they all had to make the best of it.
The room that had been chosen for the procedure was the ‘Emergency Ward,' which was a long hallway filled with beds. If Ponyville was ever under such an attack that it would be required to house most of the town’s population, this is where they would go.
This room was also ideal since it would give them plenty of space to work with that wasn't already filled with the ponies pouring into the hospital. Soon, if it kept up, it would be. However, right now it wasn’t.
Twilight hesitated before entering, she knew what she was walking into. The doctor paused beside her; watching her with a concerned, professional eye. “We have to do this.” He reminded once more.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she pushed the door open and forced her way inside. Instantly, her eyes fell upon Fluttershy’s broken form, and in the bed beside her Dash lay pale, and seemingly lifeless. Her skin was tight against her bones giving her this eerie look that unnerved the alicorn. In the next bed lay the happily sleeping Pinkie Pie. She was the only one who seemed able to just stand up and get out of bed. She appeared to simply be having a good night’s rest. Twilight frowned, if only Pinkie would wake up. The party planner had been asleep now for nearly a day and a half. A day and a half of knowing what to do and being unable to tell them.
Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat. A hoof was gently laid on her shoulder, and she looked over to see Applejack, her hat missing, standing beside her. The two mares exchanged glances as Rarity also joined them.
“It’s so dreadful Darling!” Rarity said in barely a whisper.
Twilight took a deep breath; steadying herself against what was going on around her. “It is bad, and that’s why we have at do it.”
She turned around and looked to the sleeping forms of the pets.
“Is it just me,” Applejack Piped up. “Or do you feel selfish for wanting to disturb that?”
Twilight half smiled. “At least they are sleeping. I know none of them have since this whole thing started a week and a half ago.”
They all nodded, agreeing with Twilight’s statement.
Doctor Stables took this opportunity to step back up, disrupting their little conversation. “Girls, if I should make a suggestion, I would advise you to all laydown. I think this spell will go better if after it’s done, I don’t have to worry about moving you into the beds.”
Twilight’s frown returned. It was happening. She nodded. “Come on girls. The doctor is right.”
Each one turned and started walking towards the medical beds that had been set up. Twilight tried to relax as the nurse stepped up beside her and started hooking her body up to the monitors. She looked over to where Owlicious lay sleeping... soon that’s where she’d be.
“Are you ready?” Stables asked.
Each of the three awake mares nodded, their eyes showing concern. “I know,” He began. “You’d all rather let Twilight do the spell, but I had her magic checked a bit ago. I’m afraid princess your mental strength has deteriorated to the point where that is not an option. I’m not strong enough to do it all at once, so I’ll begin with Fluttershy, and work my way to Twilight. Ready?”
They all nodded.
His horn lit up as he stood between the two beds. A glassy aura began to glow around the two of them, Fluttershy winced, then lay still as her spirit was drawn out of her body, and placed into her rabbit’s. Angel’s consciousness was inserted into her mortal shell.
Once done, he took a step forward and repeated the process with Dash and tank. Then Pinkie and Gummy.
Applejack winced as he stepped up to her. “I’m not sure how this will feel for you, do you want me to give you something to sleep?”
She shook her head. “No, I can take it Doc.”
He nodded as he started the spell. It was agony. Complete, and utter agony. It felt like her insides were being torn out. A tear creaked out of the corner of her eye and with a mighty scream; Applejack’s conscience was lifted from her body and the process was completed.
Rarity’s shivered in fear as she watched the hearty mare be put through such agony. “Knock me out! Please Doctor! I can’t handle that! Just-”
He laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Alright.” His horn lit up, as the magic washed over her. Both she and Twilight, who had given him a pleading look, fell into a deep sleep.
SCREEEEEE
The noise was maddening. Rainbow Dash grit her teeth as she was suddenly woken up from her nap to a high pitched, ear piercing scream. “Stop! Stop!” She tried to say, but all that came out was an annoyed grunt. She opened her eyes looking up into the face of Doctor Stables.
“Rainbow, how do you feel?” He asked her.
She looked up at him, then noticed behind him lay a pegasus mare that looked strangely like her... She blinked. “Wha?...” Another, more confused, mumbled noise came out of her maw. She blinked; looking around. Nothing looked right.
“AHHHHHH!” Rainbow looked to her left where Angel bunny had leaped to his paws and was having a full blown panic attack.
Rainbow rolled her eyes, then looked to her right. “Gummy?” She asked, tilting her head at the little alligator.
“Nah! I’m Pink- They did it! We’re-” Suddenly ‘Gummy’ covered his hears with his claws. Rainbow winced painfully as the scream got louder and louder. She grit her teeth the lot of them screaming in pain. The noise, the lights, the colors, the sounds... everything! It was becoming more crazed and unreal by the moment.
“Doc? What happened!?” Rainbow screamed. She felt something inserted into her flesh and the world once more fade into nothing.