//------------------------------// // 1 // Story: The Idemoni // by BetaWolfs //------------------------------// "Everypony! Please, back to your homes immediately! Lock your doors, another pony has been infected with AE37U!"A loud, and very frightened voice boomed over the loudspeaker. The pony, quietly waiting in her large crystal castle in the middle of Ponyville, moved over to the window to see the commotion. Large and gruff ponies covered head to hoof in yellow hazmat suits, were forcefully escorting a pony by her two front hooves to a large medical vehicle. Her back two legs were unmoving, paralyzed. Twilight watched as ponies looked upon the sick mare, their eyes filling up with horror as the pony screamed for help. "My child! M-My child is still in the house! L-Let me see him, please!" She shouted. The two sturdy colts shook their heads, throwing her into the back of the ambulance. Twilight wanted to think that this was just, maybe, a once in a lifetime experience. A traumatic event for her to remember in days past. But, of course, this was not one of those times. Many other ponies in this town had suffered that same fate as that poor mare. Dragged against their will to, what would most likely be death. Infected with that horrible disease. AE37U. Twilight never did know what the mix of letters meant in the name. It was simply, just a name to repeat when describing this unknown occurrence. It was, of Twilight's knowledge, incredibly spreadable. Ponies couldn't go nearly 10 feet from a pony with AE37U and not get sick. It was awful to watch. Everypony, locked up in their homes, shaking fearfully at the thought that maybe... nopony could survive. Was this unknown virus going to be the death of everypony in Equestria? Was this the end of her adventures with her friends? ...Were they even still alive..? ...What would happen if.. "Twilight. T-Twilight? Twilight!"Twilight jumped at the sudden screech. She looked over, and saw Spike standing there. She shoved him away with her magic and watched as ponies fearfully stepped back out into the real world, life returning as normal once again. "Now, I know you're worried about your friends with this new AE37U thing going around, but you need to look after yourself, too! You haven't eaten in two days, Twilight," Spike sighed. He held up a clean, white plate, a daffodil and daisy sandwich placed on top. He waved it around in front of her, Twilight taking it with her magic and inspecting it. "...Spike." Twilight said quietly. "..Yeah?" He replied dully, looking up at her. "...Ponies.. are dying out there. I can't let that happen... as a princess. M-My duties.. something with my duties must have to be done here. If I leave these ponies out to die from this horrible disease..." "...What will that make of me..?" Spike cleared his throat quietly, and placed the plate on the castle's large windowsill. "...That doesn't make you any less of a princess. You will still wear that crown on your head, Twilight- no matter what you do. It isn't your duty to help those ponies. If anything.. keep all these ponies in high spirits. They'll break if you leave them for too long with this AE37U stuff. Go, get Pinkie, or-" "BUT WHAT IF SHE'S DEAD!" Twilight shouted loudly, and quickly shoved her hooves over her mouth to stop any more unnecessary words from coming out. Spike stood in shock for a quick moment, before standing back up straight and, without wasting any time, forcefully shoved Twilight off her wooden stool onto her four wobbly hooves. "Alright. You're gonna go get all your friends and come back here ASAP. No questions asked." Spike didn't even give Twilight a moment to think- he just pushed her out the door with slow, forceful movements, and closed it as soon as she was outside. "S-Spike! You-" But she had no say in the matter. She was to go out and get her friends. ... ..In this hell forsaken world... she was going out to get her friends. ...Twilight liked that phrasing much better. ------------------------------- "Applebloom, get inside! We don't want you gettin' sick too!' Applejack yelled to her small sibling. She had been playfully jumping around in the grassy field, out where the cows graze, and didn't quite understand why she'd been yelled at. "Sick? What'cha mean? If I get a cold, I can miss school tomorrow!" She responded gleefully. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh have already gotten inside, perched up in their rooms, both deathly scared of the new- incredibly spreadable- or so they've heard, AE37U. All the apples were taken inside, farming equipment put messily back into the barn; yet Applebloom stayed oblivious. "It doesn't matter if you miss school tomorrow! What matters is keeping you from gettin' that sickness, so GET INSIDE!" Applejack's throat was sore from all of her recent yelling. "Fine, fine! If we haf' ta stay inside, though, can't I at least invite Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle over??" Applebloom, even with agreeing to come inside, was still a burden to the small apple family as they rushed to close the door. Applejack just let out loud gasps of air as she watched Applebloom gracefully come inside. Granny Smith's voice wavered as she tried to speak. "Now- Applebloom. We don't wanna get inta' detail here, but please do stay weary of this here town right now. Any one of us could possibly have AE37U." "Huh? AE37U? What's that?" Applebloom asked curiously. She placed her small hooved onto the supports of her walker, eyes gleaming with childish joy. "It- It's- s-somethin' you shouldn't worry about. Just stay in your room for now until we give the 'okay' on coming out, alright?" Applejack tried to say calmly. Even though she was confused- she obeyed the older ponies' orders and headed off to her room. "Alrighty, but if you don't say nuthin' for a while, I'm comin' out and checking on you!" She yelled from down the hallway. After a few moments of small hoofsteps, a door opened, and, just as fast, closed again, signalling that Applebloom was finally out of earshot. "...Alright, y'all. I think us ponies are the most vulnerable to this here disease right now, so we gotta stay cautious." Applejack told the group of her, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. "E-Eyup," Big Mac tried to say. In reality, he was the most concerned out of all of them about anyone he knew coming down with said disease. "We gotta stay calm though, ya' hear? Someone will find somethin' that'll make this all a thing'f the past. I promise," Applejack said reassuringly. They all nodded, and smiled, even though some were slightly forced. "We're gonna get through this as a family." This disease really was the thing of nightmares, but ponies only were seeing the beginning of it. -That's what they all thought, anyway.