//------------------------------// // Illness // Story: Rarity and the Phylactery // by Nevermore777 //------------------------------// Rarity tried to work, but found herself completely unable to. She had just gotten home to the bouquet, but as she tried to work the strength in her body seemed to simply fade. She tried to ignore it, but then suddenly collapsed in a coughing fit. "Sis!? What's wrong?" A wide-eyed Sweetie Belle asked her sister as she coughed violently. "Nothing major, Sweetie, I must have inhaled something in the mine. I'm fine-" Rarity's enter body contorted as she retched and began to cough even more violently. "Your coughing blood!" Sweetie cried in alarm, as Rarity pulled her hoof from her mouth, she saw her sister was right. Her hoof was covered in droplets of red and... black? "Sweetie Belle, would be a darling and go fetch a Doctor for me?" Rarity asked a fearful Sweetie Belle, the young unicorn acting immediately as she charged through the door. Rarity on the other hand, retired to her washroom, now coughing violently into the toilet. Eventually, she was pushed over the edge and instead of coughing, vomited a stream of thick, black, inky sludge; a strange, sickly smell filling the air that vaguely reminded her of preservatives. "What in Celestia's name is happening? What did I catch in those mines?" She said between gasping breaths as she flushed he sludge before slumping against the walls. Her entire body felt heavy, as if her blood had become lead and her bones steel. The strangest thing by far, however, was her complete lack of feeling. She didn't feel cold or hot, couldn't feel the air or the sunlight on her coat from the window. She couldn't even feel the wall behind her, just the firm pressure against her back. Suddenly, she felt very dreary. Her eyes slowly closed, and she felt her conscious leave her... A desert of bones... A wasteland of ice... A sea of darkness... A forest of corpses... A Realm of Death!!! "Miss?" Rarity vaguely felt the hoof against her face. "Miss? Are you alright?" "Wh-what?" Rarity groggily asked as her conscious returned and she struggled to open her eyes, bright lights shining down into them. "I asked if you were alright, Miss?" The firm voice asked. Rarity opened her eyes slowly, letting them adjust, and saw a stallion in a doctor's uniform standing over her. "I... I'm fine, I think. What happened? Where am I?" Rarity asked as she struggled to gain a sense of her surroundings. "We are in the Ponyville Hospital, miss." The doctor said, and she saw that he was right. "What happened?" Rarity asked again. "We aren't entirely sure," the doctor said. Rarity saw that his name was Dr. Getwell. "We found collapsed in your bathroom, out cold." "How long...?" "Only four hours, miss," he assured her, "We ran a few tests and talked with your little sister, and she said you were coughing blood?" "Yes... and something... black." Rarity said with a frown. "Hmm... you don't have a record of smoking, right?" Dr. Getwell asked. "No..." "We found... Well, we found something in your lungs, and also in your intestinal track." "What do you mean?" Rarity said with a frown. "When I say something, I honestly mean something, miss. We don't know what it is. However, the reason you were coughing blood was because it was eating away at your lungs and intestines and heavily irritating them." At Rarity's alarmed expression, he immediately held up a hoof, "It's not as bad as it sounds. Your body is already healing. The substance broke up naturally and you should be fine now." "What sort of damage did it cause?" Rarity asked, rubbing her stomach with a look of concern. "Nothing to bad, miss. However, I'll ask you try and eat lightly, and I'll give you something to help until your stomach's fully healed." "Lightly?" "Things like bread, cheese, milk, ice cream; stuff like that." Rarity chuckled slightly at the last one. "Any clue what caused this?" Dr. Getwell seemed to consider. "Well, do you have any idea what could have?" "I... I was mining for gems earlier." Rarity said slowly. "Did you perhaps go somewhere new?" "No, it was the same place as always... but I did open up a new cavern." Rarity decided against by telling him about the strange stone. The less ponies who knew about it, Rarity thought, the better. "Hmm... Perhaps there was some form of gas you inhaled." He seemed to consider the fact. "If that is indeed the case. would advise against going mining in the near future, and maybe see Mayor Mare about sending an inspector to see if the mines are still safe." "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Rarity said with a nod. "So... am I free to go?" "Yes, there should be problem with that. Come by next week and I'll check on the damage, see if its healing properly and all that," he gave Rarity a look, "Of course, if soemthing else happens before then, I expect you to come back in right away." "But of course," Rarity said, giving him her biggest smile. "And I expect you to take it easy for the rest of week." "Naturally." Dr. Getwell rolled his eyes. "In that case, you are free to go." Rarity thanked him and got up, heading to the door to the room. As soon as she opened it however... "SIS!!!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she tackled her. "RARITY!!!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she joined her. "Oh, did I forget to mention your sister and friends were wating for you?" Dr. Getwell's laughter echoed through out the hospital. "Well, it's a good think nothing was wrong with her, cause if there was I don't that would have been to good for her." Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "You okay, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she helped Rarity stand up, Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie still clinging to her like sloths to their favorite branch. "Yes, Darlings, I'm fine," Rarity said as she pulled the two off of her with magic. "I just inhaled something nasty in the mines that wasn't agreeing with me, that's all." "Hmm, should get someone to check that out," Applejack mumbled. Rarity sighed, "Yes, Dr. Getwell suggested the same thing. I can only hope they finish in time before my supplies run out." "You could always order them." Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, I could even picked'em up for you." "Well I thank you for the offer, Dashy, I must decline. It helps save money, and I've always found the gems in those mines to be absolutely beautiful." "Still, Sugarcube, you should rest for awhile; like the doc says." Applejack suggested. Rarity sighed in defeat and nodded. Truth be told, she felt far from fine, and though she hadn't mentioned it to Dr. Getwell, she still didn't feel anything at all. "Maybe I will take it easy for a few days... Hey, Applejack, would mind if Sweetie Belle stayed over with Apple Bloom for a few days?" "What?" Said a very shocked Sweetie Belle, who's eyes went wide at question. "Why?" "Because I don't feel good, Sweetie, and I would hate to get my little sis sick!" Rarity said, rubbing her head. "Maybe see if you can have Scootaloo join you? You can have a whole CMC sleepover!" Her gaze shifted to Applejack. "If that won't be a problem, of course." "Wellll," Applejack considered for a sec, "I guess that would be alright." "Sweet!" Sweetie Belle shouted, racing out the hospital. Applejack sighed, wondering what she had just gotten herself into, and left after her. "You sure you're going to be alright?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyeing Rarity with concern. "I'll be fine, Dashy. I'm just a little tired, and not having to deal with my little Sis should help me rest up." Rarity promised her. "Hmmph." Rainbow Dash snorted, clearly not believing her, before flying off. "I'll bring you a present in the morning!" Pinkie said, before also leaving. Rarity chuckled, fully expecting to find all of them in her house the next morning, and then left as well, hurrying to get home as soon as possible. While she couldn't feel the heat, that didn't change the fact that Rarity found the sun to be absolutely miserable today.