White Demure

by Heitomos

The End

“With a gentle sip and then a sponge bath, you will finally be rid of White Demure’s wrath.”

Using a funnel, Zecora gently poured a few mouthfuls of her brew down Apple Bloom’s throat. The little filly was lying in a small metal tub, her coat an extremely pale yellow, nearly white, as she waited to be cured. Once the liquid vanished down the little one’s throat, the zebra carefully pulled out the funnel and set it aside. She then picked up a pail containing the remainder of her batch of special brew with her mouth and emptied its contents all over her patient, though making sure not to make it overflow.

“Now what do Ah do?” Applejack asked.

“Take your brush and scrub until the white you can no longer see, wash and wash and wash until her skin is raw if need be.” Zecora replied.

The farmpony nodded in understanding before strapping a stiff bristled brush to her hoof. As much as she hated the idea of hurting her sister in any way, the alternative was far worse, and so, she got to work. Despite the severity of the situation, a small smile found its way to Applejack’s face as she felt a certain nostalgia come over her. It had been years since she’d been the one to wash Apple Bloom, back when she was just a foal; those were some happy, if annoying, times, and she cherished every memory.

However, a few moments later, her thoughts were interrupted. “Applejack? Brushing a little slow there, don’t you think?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

The orange mare gave her head a shake to get out the fog before replying, “Oh, sorry. Was getting’ some happy memories.” She gave an awkward chuckle before continuing with gusto, “Raight! Fer real this time!”

While Applejack started to scrub her little sister vigorously, Twilight turned to speak with Zecora, “Thank you so very much for your help, Zecora. We couldn’t have done this without you.” She said with a smile.

“It was a pleasure to help avert this doom, and to help heal poor little Apple Bloom. But now I must ask of the others ill, for my brew are they waiting still?” Zecora asked, hoping the best for them as well.

The studious unicorn gave a happy nod, “Mhm! I managed to get an express package of all of the important ingredients, as well as your instructions, to the Princess. Those ponies should get the help they need just in the nick of time!” She exclaimed.

“It is good news that you have given to me, it makes me as happy as can be.” The zebra replied, smiling wide. “And how about the pegasi so very brave, that you all did save from a cold and early grave?”

“They seemed alright when we brought them here. Maybe I should go and check on them, actually. Do you mind staying with the others while I go and do that?” Twilight asked.

She received a nod in reply, and took it as her queue to head upstairs. As she entered her room, she heard voices coming from within, and smiled as she realized that her friends were awake.

“Come on now, drink up.”

“No! I can do it myself!”

“No, you mustn’t! Nurse Redheart said not to move your hooves for twenty-four hours.”

“Aww c’mon, Fluttershy! It’s only a little bit of frostbite! Just a teensy bit!”

“Rainbow Dash! You should very well know how bad frostbite can be, even in small amounts. Nurse Redheart said that if you move too much before the medicine runs its course, you might not be able to walk right for a month or two!”

Dash gave a coarse sigh, “Fiiiine.” She said as she caved.

The pink-maned pegasus gave a bright smile as she brought a bowl of warm and nutritious soup up to her friend’s open mouth, taking care not to spill any as she poured it in. Once Dash was finished drinking a large portion of the soup, the shy pony smiled and set it aside on the bedside table. “There you go, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Mmm… that was actually pretty good.” Replied the rainbow-maned pegasus, licking her lips. A moment later, her eyes turned to the doorway, “Oh! Hey there, Twi. I’d wave, but I’ve been told not to.”

Twilight giggled gently, “Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash. I understand. So, how are you two holding up? Things were pretty rough there for a while.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it! We’ll be fine once Redheart gives us the go ahead.”

“We’re feeling much better now. Almost ready to get out of bed… well, I am. Rainbow has to stay in bed for a little while longer.” Said Fluttershy.

”Well that’s good to hear! Well, not that you’ll be bedridden for a day, Dash, but that you two will be alright in just a little while.” The purple unicorn said, awkwardness lacing her voice.

“There’s that at least. I can’t wait to take to the skies again. I’ll do my best routine for Apple Bloom, probably during her special Pinkie Pie party.” Said Rainbow Dash.

“That sounds like a great idea!” Twilight exclaimed, “Applejack is actually doing the last part of the curative process right now.”

“Oh, that’s so wonderful! How does it work?” The yellow pegasus asked, curious as to how the process worked.

“Well, she had to drink a bit of Zecora’s cure, and now she has to get a really harsh bath in it. Her skin will be red for a while and she’ll be sore, but at least she’ll be okay.”

“At least she’ll be better soon. A small price to pay for such a big reward.”

“Yeah. We all gave a lot… especially me.” Rainbow said, glaring at her bandaged forelegs, “But… it was totally worth it to save Apple Bloom.” She finished with a smile.

“I know just what you mean. Pinkie Pie hurt her neck pretty badly saving my life. Though, she apparently took a trip to see Lotus and Aloe at… some point when we weren’t paying attention. According to Pinkie, anyway. She’s fine now, though. Oh! And then there was that piranha-toad that---“

The unicorn’s retelling of her and the party pony’s own wounds was suddenly interrupted by a loud yell from downstairs.

“Everypony! Get yer flanks up an’ over ‘ere raight now! She’s wakin’ up!”

The voice was obviously Applejack’s, which meant that the ‘she’ she was talking about could only mean a certain yellow filly.

Twilight turned to the others in the room excitedly, “She’s about to wake up!”

“That’s awesome!.. Too bad we’re stuck in bed.” Complained Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I got it covered!”

The two pegasi looked to Twilight Sparkle curiously, and were about to ask what she meant by that, but their question was answered before they could even ask. The unicorn’s horn had begun to glow brightly, and in a powerful flash of light and magic, the three ponies, and the bed, found themselves downstairs in the main area of the library. Most everypony in the room were shocked and surprised by the sudden transportation; except for the caster herself, of course.

After a moment of stunned silence, Applejack shook her head and got back on track, “Come on over, everypony.” She said once again, a bright smile on her face.

The Apple family, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the six brave adventurers all gathered around Apple Bloom. At least, all of them save for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who were still bedridden. The filly’s coat was now a light orange, a combination of her reddened skin and yellow pelt, instead of the near white she had been. Slowly, the youngest of the Apples stirred, groaning lightly as she did so. Then, to everypony’s alarm, she suddenly curled into a ball and moaned in pain.

“Ohh… It hurts!” She cried out, pain lacing her voice.

Applejack was the first to panic. She turned her sister over with a hoof and began to gently poke and prod her, trying to find out what was wrong. “What’s tha matter, Apple Bloom? Speak ta me!” She shouted.

Then suddenly, a noise filled the room, one that startled and scared everypony present into silence.

Instead of hearing a reply from Apple Bloom, they instead heard a massive, ferocious growl that echoed throughout the library.

And it wasn’t until they realized that such a monstrous noise could only have been made by a hungry belly that’s been empty for five days that they began to laugh.

---

Apple juice stained the wooden floor as Apple Bloom greedily tore into a bushel of golden delicious, aiming to satisfy both her hunger and her thirst in one fell swoop. Everypony in the room smiled as they watched her eat her fill, waiting until she was finished before they attempted any sort of affection.

Despite her intense hunger, Apple Bloom proved wise enough not to eat herself sick, and soon, she set down half of her last apple, letting out a loud belch in satisfaction. “Ahh! That hit tha sweet spot!”

Now that she was full, the floodgates opened wide. The first to let it out, or rather, the fastest, were Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, tackling her to the ground in a tight hug, causing her to yelp in shock.

“We were so worried about you!” Sweetie Belle said, tears in her eyes as she clutched her fellow Cutie Mark Crusader.

“Speak for yourself. I was brave for you the whole time!” Scootaloo said, puffing out her chest.

“What? I saw you hiding outside in the bushes every day. You were more broken up about it than I was!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Girls!” Apple Bloom shouted as she pulled them into a hug that left them breathless, “Thank you both fer caring so much about me. Ah don’t remember… well, anything from the last few days. But, knowing that you two were there tha whole time? Well… Ah really appreciate it.” She said, easing up on her hug once she was done her speech.

The three Crusaders held one another in silence, sniffling occasionally as everypony else watched, tearing up at the sight. Soon enough, however, they broke up, and now that she was free to move, Apple Bloom walked over to her sister and wrapped her hooves around her leg.

“Thank you too, sis. And tha rest of y’all, too. Thank y’all so much fer fixin’ me up. Ah don’t know exactly what you did fer me, but I’m so grateful that you did. You look like you all went through so much just for me an’… Ah don’t know what ta say.” She says, her eyes beginning to tear up.

“Don’t worry about it none, lil’ sis.” Applejack said, leaning in to nuzzle her sister’s head. “We did it so that we could save yer life. We all love you, Apple Bloom, and we’d do anything ta keep you safe.”

A tear fell down the filly’s cheek as she continued to hold on to her sister, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Even Big Macintosh, who had been staying strong and keeping it all inside throughout the terrible ordeal, was now letting it all out.

It was at that time that Pinkie Pie, who had been crying the hardest of them all, suddenly stopped and broke into a smile.

“This is so amazing! It’s a little early, but do you know what this calls for?”

---

“A party!”

Balloons and streamers decorated the library, happy music filled the room, and a table covered in sweets and confections was currently being pilfered of its supplies. Most everypony was busy dancing and merrymaking in the center of the library, each passing around the filly of the hour so that she could dance with each of them. At least, everypony except for Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith, as they were sitting out due to injuries, embarrassment, and a bad hip respectively.

As everypony enjoyed themselves, a loud knock came upon the door. However, thanks to the music, almost nopony heard it. Thankfully, though, at least one of them did.

With a quick bit of magic, Twilight Sparkle opened the door to her library curious, and smiled wide at who she saw, “Spike! You’re back!”

However, instead of replying aloud, the baby dragon simply smiled wide and waved to her vigorously. Twilight looked at him curiously, wondering just why he was doing that instead of talking to her.

“What happened to you, Spike? How come you aren’t talking to me?” She asked.

In response, the baby dragon turned around and reached into a red wagon, something Twilight only just now noticed he had, and pulled out a letter with the royal seal on it, holding it out for her to take.

“A letter from the princess?” She asked, taking it with her magic and unfurling it. After clearing her throat, she started to read aloud:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It is my hopes that by the time you receive this letter, Apple Bloom’s condition will have been remedied. I also thank you from the bottom of my heart for the cure you sent to us in the express mail, you and the others have saved many pony lives thanks to this.

For a more immediate concern, you may be wondering why Spike is not speaking. You see, as he was breathing the fire I needed in order to destroy the White Demure in Everfree Forest, well, he ended up breathing too much of it and rendered his poor little throat hoarse. In thanks for what he did, and for the pain he suffered, I personally granted him some of the flawless gems found in the Canterlot Treasury.

He seemed to cheer up and ignore his condition the moment I showed them to him.

Twilight Sparkle let out a short giggle, “Oh Spike. You really do love your food, don’t you?”

He nodded vigorously in response, and she simply laughed a little more. Her eyes then turned back to the letter and she continued to read.

I have collected all of the dragon fire that I needed, and am bringing it to Luna now. I’ve decided to drop Spike off first so that he can give you this letter, and so that I can tell you and your friends to watch the Everfree Forest. I’ve already told Mayor Mare about a display of fireworks that will be coming from the Forest, so there shouldn’t be any panic in the town.

Your mentor,

Princess Celestia

Twilight looked curiously at the letter, and realized that Princess Celestia must have just dropped off Spike personally, and was on her way to the Everfree Forest as she stood there. Thinking that it would be an amazing sight for all to see, she quickly smiled and turned to everypony in the room.

"Hey, everypony! Can I have your attention please!" She said, calling out to the party goers in the room.

Slowly, they all turned to look at the purple unicorn curiously, wondering why she was stopping the party, "I have just received a very nice letter from the Princess, and I want you all to come outside with me for a moment. We're going behind the library so that we can get a good look at the Everfree Forest. You're all going to love it!" She said as she turned around to leave the library.

"What is it, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked, wondering what was so important that it had to interrupt her party.

The unicorn just looked over her shoulder with a smile, "It's a surprise!"

"Ooo! I love surprises, let's go everypony!"

It was then that all of the partying ponies left the room, heading outside to go behind the library. At least, almost all of them. Twilight Sparkle quickly ran back into the library, and gave an apologetic look that met with Rainbow's gaze of annoyance, "I'm soooo sorry, Rainbow. Let me help you out." She said awkwardly.

Another casting of the group teleportation spell sent herself, Dash, and the bed outside with the others, all of them staring curiously at the Everfree Forest, waiting anxiously for the surprise Twilight had mentioned.

The group waited impatiently, their anticipation growing with each passing second, for a full five minutes before they saw anything. At once, they all jumped back when they saw a ball of light leaving behind a trail of smoke shoot up high into the sky. Once the ball of light reached the highest it was going to go, it exploded in a show of green fire and sound unlike anything they had ever seen before. It weaved and burned in intricate patterns that caused gasps of shock and awe to come from everypony present.

They all smiled wide in excitement and delight as they watched the show, watched as the flames danced beautifully in the sky for nearly a full minute before dissipating in a cloud of black smoke.

Once the show was over, everypony started to stomp their hooves loudly in response.

"That was so awesome!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly, "What was that?"

"That was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna using the fire they collected from Spike, which is why he can’t speak right now, to completely annihilate what was left of the White Demure disease. Princess Luna had collected all of it into one spot, and Celestia brought over Spike's fire. And now, it looks like we won't have to worry about it ever again." She said, smiling brightly.

"Well, that's a mighty fine thing ta hear, Twilight. Makes me feel a whole lot safer knowin' we won't have ta worry about it no more." Said Applejack.

"Me too! Ah don't want that ta happen ever again, not ta me or anypony else." Added Apple Bloom.

"I think we're all glad that it's gone, and that Equestria is safe from its danger once again." Said Twilight Sparkle.

And that was a sentiment everypony present shared. Once the light show was over, they all worked their way back into the library, all eager to get back to the fun and put the ordeal behind them, and to look forward to the future, especially the future of the life they had saved.

The End

---

A/N: I did it! I finally did it! I completed something for one! Holy crap I'm so excited! It's taken me months, but this is the single longest thing I've ever written to date, and it's the first story I've ever managed to finish! Phew... this had been a long journey for me, and it's greatly improved my writing skills. Thanks to all of those who've read my story, and for all the feedback I've gotten. Thank you all.

Special Thanks to Lortheus and Whistlewind Wolf for proofreading my stories, and Aethirshero, author of Ballad of Autumn Dreams (with permission from the artist), for giving me some great support.

Extra Special thanks to Lauren Faust and Jayson Thiessen for helping to make something I once despise in to something I love, and for once saving my life.

Thank you all so very much.

Comments

[BlankFlankBrony]

*standing ovation*

[flshgordon003]

This was great story

[Blue Thrush]

A really fun fic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this adventure from beginning to end. Excellent job!

[PonyPonyX]

Vas good trip! Heitomos is kredit to team!

awesome story can't wait for another rousing adventure

[Heitomos]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. Makes me happy.

As for jwil, there might be a sequel. Two, in fact, like I originally planned in this story's first conception. (Fun fact, this story was made to add weight to the story I originally wanted to write, as sort of a prequel to set the tone/world.) The first sequel is gunna be a bit of drama/slice-of-life, while the second will be back to good ole' adventuring. But that's a ways away, I think.

[Karrakaz]

75277

you mean there's gonna be more ? wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends.~Czech Proverb

Great story I cried manly tears at a few parts ( a few spelling a grammar mistakes tho )

[Matthais Unidostres]

I've been waiting for this to show up here! Awesome! I love this story! You are an artist!

[Loganberry]

Fuller review here, but in brief: unsurprisingly shows its considerable age now, though I appreciate Apple Bloom's friendship with Zecora and some of the world-building.

[Heitomos]

9039878
Yeah, this story is ancient, written during Season 2, I think. Glad people can still enjoy it though. :)

[Loganberry]

9040931
It always makes me smile when I find an old-fandom author still around, even if not writing these days, so thanks for replying! :)

[Heitomos]

9041198
Quite welcome! I've moved on to an attempt at Original work now. But I still like to kick around this site for some old favorites.