Crusaders of the Lost Root
"Havaanem seemdeel, haam frahm!" the voice of the stallion resonated through wooden walls and rustic support beams. "Mehm theem kavaan!"
"Not so fast, Sweetie Belle," Rainbow grunted. The cottage was evidently built for smaller ponies, and she found herself having to duck multiple times. "I'm coming! Yeesh..." Rainbow Dash sniffed the air. "What's that smell? Milk of Mudnesia—?" Thud! "Ow!" Rainbow rubbed her skull..
"Watch your head, darling," Rarity said.
"Yeah. Thanks for the tip." Rainbow squinted past an assortment of antique furniture and generations-old weaving material. "Yeesh, this place feels ancient."
"Heee!" Pinkie grinned. "Feels like Granny Pie's house!" She winked aside. "Could use the undying smell of gingerbread, though."
"Where's that light coming from?" Rarity asked.
"There's a bright fire lit somewhere," Twilight said. "They must have a remarkably big hearth."
"Oh... so that's it," Rarity said.
"What's it?" Rainbow blinked.
"There's a remarkably large stone foundation for this cottage. It occupies the east side of the building where the chimney is."
"Huh. Well they did a good job." Rainbow ducked through another doorframe. "It's nice and toasty here on the roof of a landberg."
"Aaaaaiee!" Fluttershy shrieked.
"What?! What?!" Rainbow gasped. She realized that she had just bumped into a dangling mess of dead rabbits. Just a few inches down, garlic and parsley bunches also hung over a kitchen cutting table. "Whew... dang it, Flutters..."
"S-sorry..." Fluttershy produced a shuddering breath. "I... j-just can't get used to that."
"Seems like these Snow-Bloods have plenty of preparations," Twilight remarked. "I wonder what they could need?"
"Maybe they'll show us." Rainbow ducked low to look into the adjacent chambers of the cottage. "Just where is our host, anyways?"
"Haam frahn!" the stallion's voice echoed from a corridor down.
"Uhm... in that direction, Rainbow." Fluttershy pointed. "Ten paces."
"'Ten paces, she says." Rainbow shuffled around a corner. Flouncing amber light forced her to squint as she stood at the far end of the cottage's largest room. Before an enormous fireplace, a cot had been assembled with a mountain of blankets stretched over it. The pony who had summoned her stood beside the makeshift bed, which was warming a sickly elder stallion beneath the woolen bundles. On the other side squatted an old mare with thick worried lines etched across her wrinkled muzzle.
"Klehm..." The young host bit his lower lip and pointed anxiously at the ailing resident. "Laamaadraan ehm haam kumundeel. Havas kunemdrem evu haas theem, haat?"
Sniffling, the old mare looked up from the sick stallion's bedside. "Verlaxion meff vennden, haam frahn. Klehm..." She fought to contain a sob, her aged body shuddering. "Klehm havaana klaasa grumdeel... Klehm."
"Hey!" Pinkie pointed. "I understand one of those words!" She looked at the others with a grin. "She said 'Klehm!'"
Rarity face-hoofed.
"I think they're just invoking Verlaxion's name," Twilight remarked.
"Well, that's their second problem." Rainbow slowly strolled forward, approaching the cot where the sick stallion lay. "As for their first..."
"Careful, Dashie!" Pinkie gestured. "You don't wanna catch anything!"
"...are any of your 'infectious' body parts acting up?"
"Uhm. No."
"Then I think I'm good." Rainbow squatted by the stallion's head. "So... uh... let's take a look at this dude, shall we?"
"Basaava lamaadraan?" the young host inquired.
"Er... yeah, sure thing, Sweetie Belle." Rainbow waved back at him without looking. "'Haam frahn' and all that." She leaned in, squinting at the bundled elder. "He... seems to be feverish with something."
"What if he fell off a snowbank and broke his hip or something?" Pinkie remarked.
"Negative." Rarity shook her head. "His bones may be brittle, but I'm not detecting a single break."
"He definitely looks sick," Twilight remarked. "That much is for sure, Rainbow."
"Is he even awake?" Pinkie remarked. "His eyes are swolen shut!"
"Let's see if we can have a look, huh?" Licking her lips, Rainbow rubbed her hooves together, then reached in. Delicately, she pulled one eyelid back.
There was barely any cornea to see from a veritable river of jaundice. Yellow mucus streamed out in pungent tributaries, staining the stallion's wrinkled muzzle and forcing a cough from his throat from the sheer odor.
"Ewwwwwwww..." Pinkie winced. "Sticky icky!"
"Whew... that's unsexy." Rainbow cleared her throat. "I think this dude's been dealing with this... whatever illness for a while now."
"I'd say as much," Rarity said. "Seemed like they pulled a bed out here just so they could keep him warm by the hearth."
"And Sweetie Belle was grabbing hot water when we showed up," Rainbow said. "So... severe chills?" She tapped her chin in thought. "And all that nasty buildup in his eyes. I'm guessing that... uh... something's poisoning him from the inside. Maybe one of his organs has gone kerplunk."
"Is that your best assessment?!" Rarity exclaimed.
Rainbow growled aside. "Yeah, and?"
"Well..." Rarity blinked. "I just figured that—from all of your many months of violent escapades—you would have learned a thing or two about advanced first aid!"
"It was never my department. I was always the butt-kicker of the Noble Jury, not the brains." Rainbow sighed out the side of her muzzle. "Sadly... Imre didn't live long enough to teach me any of the medical tricks she knew. And Booster Spice... well..." Her eyes rolled. "Who could understand any of the wild stuff that flew out of his muzzle? I mean honestly."
Fluttershy leaned in. "Looks like a severe allergic reaction to mountain wasp venom."
Rainbow and the other three mares did a double-take in Fluttershy's direction.
Fluttershy blinked. "What?" She pointed. "He's got a swollen neck. Chills. Extreme drop in temperature. And excessive mucus buildup in his eyes."
"How in the heck do you know that, Flutters?" Rainbow wheezed.
"I... I-I've had to treat several of my furry creature friends for it. The wasps migrated into the Everfree Forest from Canterlot." Fluttershy said. "Angel got stung once, and he was sick for an entire week. I had to give him shots and everything."
"Wait... she's right!" Twilight Sparkle gasped. "She's completely right!" She pointed at the stallion. "I remember reading up on allergic reactions to mountain wasp stings in Princess Celestia's Annual Almanac of Allergies and Ailments! This stallion's symptoms match mountain wasp venom to a T!"
The young host and old mare glanced at one another, then squinted in Rainbow's direction.
"Evv mehm suum kalvan, haam frahn?" asked the old mare.
"Just a second, Apple Bloom," Rainbow raised a hoof. "Just... figuring stuff out."
"Since when was she 'Apple Bloom?'" Rarity barked.
Rainbow ignored her. "I... I'm not a complete idiot about this, actually." Her muzzle hung open as she thought aloud. "Moutain wasps... mountain wasps..." Rainbow looked at Twilight. "Aren't all foals back home... like... given shots for that kind of a thing?" Her eyes narrowed. "I vaguely remember grade school lessons going on and on about how there used to be 'mountain wasp epidemics' all across Equestria."
"Yes." Twilight nodded. "There used to be entire hives nestled within the hollows of the Canterlot Mountains. So many ponies taking up residence agitated them, and they flocked down into the valley. About thirty percent of the average equine population is terribly allergic to their stings." Twilight's eyes brightened. "Oh! Commander Easy-Glider nearly died from a sting. That's one of the most famous cases."
"But he lived... and because of that, the Wonderbolts still exist to this day." Rainbow blinked. "But that was... like... seven to eight friggin' decades ago!"
"Over a century, Rainbow," Twilight corrected.
Rainbow looked at the sickly stallion. "...these ponies are suffering from something that Equestria fixed over a hundred years ago?"
"It's... the other side of the Grand Choke," Twilight said.
"To say the least!" Rarity added.
"Rohbredden has a completely different history than us." Twilight nodded "You know that."
"Well... okay then..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "What's the cure?"
"It's pretty simple, really... if you know what to look for." Twilight glanced across the way. "Fluttershy?"
"Uhm... aside from a modern innoculation?" Fluttershy fiddled with her fetlocks. "...essence of stoneroot... combined with tree sap... then mixed into a rich protein liquid... warm. Preferably milk."
"Is that the only thing that can be used to fix this dude up?" Rainbow exclaimed. "I don't even know how to begin translating all of that for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom here!"
"Why try translating it when we can just look for it?" Pinkie suggested with a grin.
"Eugh..." Rainbow face-hoofed. "Pinkie..."
"No, she's got a good point!" Twilight said. "The original remedy for mountain wasp infections were found... in the mountains!. Stoneroot tends to grow in high altitudes with scarce amounts of natural soil."
"And there are plenty of pine trees out there to procure sap!" Fluttershy said with a nod.
"And surely it can't be that hard to procure milk around this cottage," Rarity offered, smiling.
"If we try going out there to... to find this 'stoneroot'..." Rainbow gulped. "You think you can find it, Fluttershy?"
"It's been a while, but I'll know it when I see it." Fluttershy blinked. "Rainbow, we haven't much time to waste! This poor stallion's in the later stages of infection. Trust me—it's not looking good."
"The sun will be going down within the next few hours," Twilight added. "I suggest we follow her suggestion and get a move on."
"Darn tootin' we will!" Rainbow Dash stood up, pointing at the ailing stallion. "I'll be darned if I let Scootaloo kick the bucket! Come on, girls!" She gestured for the young host to follow as she galloped out the cabin. "Let's uproot some root!"
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Where would we be without your veterinary first-aid knowledge, Flutters?
Sure they can't speak the language, but they watched this gal stare at their sick friend, and then talk gibberish too herself for several minutes. Should be minor suspicious.
Hey, I resemble that remarke.
Dud I?
Oo Eck DM., I left me anti pasta hasta la vitamines in me other pants.
The Snow-Bloods must be so confused right now. They find this strange mare in the middle of nowhere, so they bring her in, hoping that she can cure this infection. She takes one look at their friend, and starts babbling incoherently at someone or something they can't see. She then promptly runs outside, still jabbering on, without warning or explanation, leaving their friend still sick and bedridden.
New side-quest: Cure the geezer.
Something tells me that if Rainbow helps him, they'll show her a route through the mountains. Then again... my gut also said this situation would involve a pregnant mare, so...
6941474 You think it was hard on you?
This has to be super confusing for them. At least Rainbow has an idea on how to help though, now it just about finding the root.
The main issue of an allergic reaction is swelling of the throat, making it impossible to breath. I am guessing they managed to take care of that judging by the fact that he is still alive.
Not the bees! oh, no, the wasps!
6941475 It depends. If they have a shamanistic cultural background, this will have looked like they got exactly the right mare for the job to them.
My two favorite CMCs. You spoil me, Skirts.
Now... Just one more to go...
I laughed harder than I probably should have
6942030
Our running theme is back... just not quite as originally intended.
Don't worry, Sweetie Belle. Dr. Dash is on the case. 20 cc's of awesome, STAT.
6941979 not the bees! NOT THE BEES!
Oookay.... Just what is going on with Dash?
Dammit Dashie stop naming random ponies after Equestrians!
6934085
I was joking!
I didn't actually expect them to be named after the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
this is a super sidequest-y side quest
I just want to say that to all the people who called Scoots and applebloom being the new names of choice, Good job. I mean it was a tad expected but, Nice.
Rainbow isn't always great with first impressions, but I'm surprised that these other ponies don't think she's completely insane.
And of course the cure for the CMC involves tree sap.
I mean, she's not a doctor but she can't understand a word they're saying anyway, so that evens out.
On the bright side, she has four assistants who can literally stick their head inside the patient, one is a walking X-ray/MRI/ultrasound, another one a walking encyclopedia, the third a veterinarian and the fourth has logic-defying precognition. Yeah, she'll be fine.
Should be straight forward, how long for it to go sideways then
11/02/2019
18:10 UTC
Hey look! A side-quest!
Pinkie Sense is good for just about anything, apparently. Then the others back her up. Neato.
In the nicest way possible, get over it Flutters.
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!
Considering Fluttershy can understand any animal back home, I a little surprised she can't instantly understand any language.