Scootaloo had been feeling strange since the meeting on the roof with Apple Bloom. Chills kept her from paying as much attention in class as she cared to, and she’d started wearing her coat in class. Most of the other students and faculty were too busy to really care, but Ms. Cheerilee adopted a concerned expression; she approached Scootaloo and placed her hand to her student’s forehead.
“My goodness, Scootaloo, your forehead is as cold as ice! I want you to head straight for the school nurse.”
Scootaloo blinked lethargically as she looked up to Ms. Cheerilee. Finally it dawned on her what had been said and she got to her feet.
“Silver Spoon, go with her to make sure she gets to the nurse.”
“What? Why me?” Silver Spoon was clearly put out judging by the tone of her voice.
“Because you and Miss Tiara have been giggling throughout my entire lecture, now march!” Ms. Cheerilee indicated the doorway.
Scootaloo stumbled along through the classroom entrance.
Silver Spoon got to her feet in a huff and followed after her.
Outside in the hall Scootaloo was even more lethargic as she stumbled on her way towards the nurse’s office. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling so strange all of a sudden, but she really didn’t like the sensations creeping through her body.
Silver Spoon caught her as she stumbled against the lockers. A brief flash of concern on the former bully’s face. “Are you ok?”
“I feel cold.” Scootaloo’s teeth began to chatter.
Silver Spoon didn’t think she could get Scootaloo to the nurse’s office fast enough; so she flagged down another student in the hallway quickly. “Help! Scootaloo is really sick.”
The blonde girl shared a look of concern as her eyes took in both girls simultaneously; she rushed over to help the younger students, lending a hand with getting Scootaloo up and helping Silver Spoon support the slowly freezing purple haired girl.
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Scootaloo was vaguely aware of voices surrounding her, some filled with concern, others uncertainty, but she barely cared. All she really cared about was the freezing sensation which was creeping through her limbs at a rapid pace. Tossing and turning on the semi-hard surface she was laying on the world slowly faded from her senses completely.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Nurse Redheart exclaimed as she studied the temperature readings for the young girl under her care.
Principal Celestia stood off to the side. “Can you think of anything else, girls?” she asked Silver Spoon and Derpy.
The blonde shook her head negatively.
Silver Spoon imitated her older companion, but chose to address the Principal verbally as well. “I just don’t know. She’s been acting flakey all day, Sweetie Belle too. Maybe they caught whatever Apple Bloom picked up because she’s acting really odd.”
“Yes, I had noticed Apple Bloom was dressed rather inappropriately for the current weather. Do you think it could be some new strain of Flu?” Celestia aimed her question at Redheart who was busily working to continue circulation in the unconscious girl’s legs.
Nurse Redheart adopted a thoughtful expression as she worked. “I don’t think so, but maybe we should send her home. Or get her parents to take her to the hospital,” she suggested.
Principal Celestia grimaced slightly. “Ordinarily we would, but Scootaloo’s parents are typically away on business and her guardians, her Aunts, are currently incommunicado working wildlife rescue further North until much later tonight.”
Nurse Redheart sighed and turned to Celestia. “I just don’t have the equipment to treat this here, let alone diagnose it.”
“What about Rainbow Dash?” Silver Spoon wondered. “Aren’t her parents also listed as emergency contacts?”
“Vice-Principal Luna is attempting to contact them as we speak. I fear what could happen if we can’t get hold of them in time.”
Nurse Redheart shook her head then turned to Derpy. “Fetch all the blankets in the supply closet on the third floor. Silver Spoon, please go tell Ms. Cheerilee what’s happened and somebody get Sweetie Belle down here immediately. If she’s exhibiting the same symptoms we must start monitoring her at once to ensure she doesn’t slip into a similar state as Scootaloo.”
Derpy saluted sharply and rushed from the room.
Silver Spoon glanced fearfully one last time at Scootaloo before taking off as well.
Principal Celestia frowned briefly and turned to leave. “Sweetie Belle is in PE at the moment, I’ll notify Coach Will at once.”
Nurse Redheart nodded gratefully as she did everything she could to keep the young teens' body from losing all warmth.
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The orange siren floated around Scootaloo’s body as it hovered through the clouds. Rainbow Dash was at her side doing loops and tricks and showing off like mad, but the siren was glaring at the stupid human and seemed impatiently waiting for something.
“Come on, Scoots! You can fly too, these wings work just like mine,” Rainbow encouraged.
Scootaloo gulped nervously as she looked down from her perch. “A-A-Are you sure, Rainbow?”
Dash grinned as she hovered in front of her little sister. “Totally, would I ever lie to you?”
Scootaloo glanced at the tiny looking wings on her back. “W-w-well, I guess they do sorta look like yours.” Grinning nervously at her idol she took a tentative flap and then hopped clear of the cloud.
The siren grinned. “Finally.”
Scootaloo spent several moments enjoying her time ‘flying’ until her wings locked up in pain and she plummeted out of the sky. “RAINBOW DASH!”
Zipping down faster than the speedy blue human girl the orange siren latched onto the girl wrapping her hooves around the young human’s body. “I’ve got you.”
“You’re not Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo accused.
“I’m also not a pathetic worthless siren,” the orange siren admitted with a devilish grin. “Your resistance is high, but now, despite Loyalty’s interference, you are mine!”
Scootaloo screamed in pain as the orange siren morphed into strange swirling energy and pushed into her chest, spinning around and around as if going down the drain. And high above the clouds a trio of oddly proportioned equine specters whinnied as they claimed yet another victim.
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Windy Whistles arrived at Canterlot High as quickly as she could get away from work for this emergency. When she arrived she found Rarity and Rainbow Dash outside of the Nurse’s office with concerned expressions on their faces.
Rainbow Dash rushed up to her mother as soon as she saw her. “Mom! Scoots is in real trouble.”
Windy nodded briefly. “I know, Vice-Principal Luna explained as much as she could on the phone. Has the situation worsened?
Rarity seemed on the verge of tears. “We don’t think so. Sweetie Belle is dangerously close to experiencing a similar problem, but Scootaloo has begun to stabilize. Nurse Redheart insists they be seen to by a doctor.”
“Is your mother coming?” Windy briefly placed her hand on Rarity’s shoulder to offer some comfort.
“Father is busy at the moment and mother is out of town, he told Principal Celestia that he would allow us to take her to the hospital as soon as you arrived.”
Windy sighed. “Ok, where are they?”
“Right here.” Nurse Redheart opened her door to reveal a shivering Sweetie Belle wrapped in three blankets with a hot water bottle hugged tight against her chest and a still unconscious Scootaloo on a makeshift gurney.
Rainbow was quick to pick up one end, while her friend Fluttershy took the other.
“We’ll take them through the cafeteria loading dock to avoid spending any time out in the cold more than necessary.” Windy turned around and began to lead the group off.
“Where is Apple Bloom?” Sweetie asked as they walked.
“Applejack has been looking high and low for her, but can’t seem to find her. She seems to be missing from her class.” Rarity patted her sister affectionately.
Sweetie frowned briefly. “She might be up on the roof again, she had us hold a meeting up there earlier… she wasn’t wearing any outer wear either.”
“Good heavens!” Rarity exclaimed. “You mean to tell me Apple Bloom was out in the cold without any winter clothing at all?”
Sweetie nodded.
Rarity pulled out her phone and quickly texted Applejack this new information. “If she’s there again, Applejack will find her and join us in the parking lot.”
Sweetie trembled briefly as she eyed her sister gratefully, she would have mentioned that Scootaloo hadn’t had a pierced ear earlier that day, but something inside of her held her tongue preventing her from providing any further dangerous knowledge.
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Apple Bloom watched all of this from her vantage point with a sour expression on her face. Her plans were not working as well as she’d hoped, now that she had full access to the power within she had tried to escalate the transformation in her companions. Unfortunately it may have backfired slightly; fortunately the girls only thought they had contracted something harmful, not that magic had set root within and was altering them on a fundamental level.
Applejack would have questions for her, especially as her skin had gained an interesting blue tint to it and her hair was now somewhat longer than it had been that morning. But if she worked her magic on her sister and the others she could keep them from putting two and two together just yet. Dealing with the Harmony Magic within the six friends was not possible yet, they were still too weak.
Apple Bloom curled her lip in disgust briefly and then turned back around. “Ah may have made a tactical mistake… But ah know how to fix it.” Grinning she spotted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon arguing in the front hall. Whipping out her phone she quickly uploaded several images to MyStable. “Anon-A-Miss, yah have another task ta perform fer me.”
Swiping her fingers across the screen rapidly she waited and watched. This was going to be good.