//------------------------------// // A strange disease // Story: Doctor Whooves: Invasion of Manehattan // by Guillermo //------------------------------// The first rays of the sun streamed through the curtains, waking up the mare who was lying on the bed. With a groan, she pulled the blanket over herself and tried to go back to sleep, but her efforts were thwarted when the alarm clock on her nightstand began to blare. After futilely trying to drown out the strident noise, the mare gave up and accepted her defeat, getting up from the bed and standing on her four hooves, turning off the damn device. She was an earth pony, with her cream colored fur and a burgundy mane, with a small pink stripe. Her cutie mark was a rose, matching her name, Roseluck. The mare yawned and she left her room, down the hall to the stairs that led to the first floor of the house, specifically, to the kitchen, where she turned on the coffee pot. She placed three different cups on the counter and took out the can of milk and sugar, preparing everything for her friends when they came down for breakfast. Once the coffee was ready, Rose put on her mug, poured herself milk and two tablespoons of sugar, and sat at the kitchen table, allowing the caffeine to jump-start her system. After a few minutes, the sound of hoofbeats came from the stairs, and soon after, one of her best friends, Lily Valley, appeared. She was, like Roseluck, an earth pony, with pink fur and a golden mane, her cutie mark was a trio of white lilies. Like her friend that very morning, she groggily moved toward the steaming coffee pot. "Good morning" she murmured as she started to put on the coffee. "Good morning, Lily" Rose said with a smile. "Ready for today?" "Uh-huh...I've got my suitcase ready" she muttered, putting down four spoonfuls of sugar. "And Daisy took care of safely packing the flowers, so we don't have to worry about that." "Remind me to thank her." "It would be enough for me if you always make me coffee" said Daisy's voice from the stairs. "Seriously, it would help a lot." Daisy was, like her two friends, an earth pony, with pink fur and a lime green mane, her cutie mark depicting two daisies. "I'm afraid that can't be" Roseluck said with a small laugh. "We had already agreed to share that task." "Besides, it's not impossible," Lily argued as she sat down. "You only have to get up a few minutes earlier, it's not such a big problem." "Yeah, but it gives me more time to sleep." Daisy walked over to the coffeepot and put her cup on, then sat down next to her friends. "Did you remember to tell everypony that the flower shop would be closed today?" Lily asked after taking a sip of her coffee. "Yes" Roseluck replied. "I brought the flowers to our garden, asked Cheerilee to stop by when she could to water the plants, closed the stall and informed Mayor Mare, and left a sign at the stall to let the ponies know we're closing. If somepony places an order with us, we'll have it in the mailbox when we get back." "Perfect, in that case, let's finish breakfast and get ready to catch the train, I don't want to be late." "Lily, the exhibition is tomorrow, don't be so nervous" Daisy said as she rolled her eyes, to which her friend frowned at her. "Yeah, but I don't know if the flowers will last that long locked up in boxes." "For Celestia's sake, you know those boxes are made to hold flowers," Daisy muttered back. Roseluck watched her friends' verbal exchange in silence, finishing her cup and getting up to go to the bathroom, quickly being noticed by Daisy. "Hey! It's my turn to take a shower first." "To have taken less time with your coffee" Rose said as she stuck her tongue out at her mockingly. "Besides, time is running out, we must hurry, miss 'I spend half an hour in the bathroom'." Daisy looked away from her, muttering to herself that she was entitled to a little pampering, while Roseluck laughed and went upstairs to prepare for the long train ride. Manehattan, the city that never sleeps, and that year, the venue for the 34th edition of the Equestria Flower Show, an exhibition made so that the best gardeners in the country could present their plants, whether they be flowers, cacti, bonsai... Roseluck and her friends always performed in the middle category, since despite not being rookies, they did not have the talent to enter the major leagues, where the gardeners not only showed the care they put into their plants and how beautiful they were, they also created true works of art. Hedges with various shapes, life-size statues made of flowers, last year the first place went to a scale model of the city of Canterlot made with flowers of all kinds. This year, the event would be in the garden of the Alicorn Palace hotel, for a whole week. On Monday for the beginner category, on Tuesday and Wednesday for the intermediate category, on Thursday and Friday for the major leagues, and on Saturday the awards ceremony. Roseluck loved this event because it was an escape from her boring life in Ponyville, since, although her passion was gardening, after all it represented her cutie mark, repeating the same routine every day would eventually tire anypony out. In fact, the most exciting event she had ever experienced (not counting the return of Nightmare Moon or Discord) was almost six months ago when a stampede of rabbits destroyed their flower garden, and more than exciting it was devastating, after all, she and her friends depended on those flowers to pay their rent. Luckily, Twilight offered (rather, begged) them to accept half of her salary from Celestia and buy the lost flowers herself as compensation for what Applejack did, who offered them a discount on Apple Family products for two months. After a half-day trip by train, they finally arrived at the hotel, and after drawing lots, Roseluck was chosen to be in charge of carrying the flowers that they had brought to the plot that the organization of the event had given them. She spent a full hour taking the pots out of their boxes and arranging them in such a way that they would stand out and draw attention to the naked eye. Satisfied with her work, she looked around, studying the other plots with ponies of all three breeds, there were even a few griffins and zebras, putting up their own pots, all watched over by a security team to make sure the contestants didn't try to sabotage each other. Roseluck focused on the security team, then on the pots, and after feeling her stomach growl, she considered that she could go get something to eat and then go rest in the room that had been given to her and her friends. Humming cheerfully, she walked toward the hotel entrance, admiring the flowers the other contestants had brought, but her attention was quickly drawn to one pony in particular. It was an earth pony stallion, walking with a slow, unsteady step, pulling a small carriage with several pots filled with flowers. Roseluck looked at him a little worried, since the pony was moving erratically, and as they got closer, she noticed the huge dark circles in his eyes. At one point, the stallion tripped and fell forward, crashing to the ground. The mare quickly went over to help the poor pony, and as she did so, she noticed that he not only had dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes were bloodshot as well. "Are you okay?" she said as she helped him up, her eyes drifting to the pots to make sure none of his flowers had gone bad. "Yes, yes... Thank you" he said, his voice weak but trying to sound friendly. "It was just a little dizziness." Roseluck bit her lip as she studied the pony a little better. "Maybe I'm messing where I'm not called, but you should see a doctor, you don't look very healthy." "I know" the earth pony said with a sigh. "But I'm fine, I just haven't been able to sleep well lately, but thanks for asking." Roseluck gave the pony a hesitant look before nodding and allowing him to continue on his way to his plot. After watching him for a few moments, she resumed her walk, already discarding the meeting. At that moment, what worried her most was the hunger and tiredness that a long day had caused her, and she really wanted to go to bed, tomorrow would be a great day, even if their flowers would not be analyzed until Tuesday. Roseluck woke up slowly, shifting in her bed and yawning as she stretched. Her eyes went to the clock that she hung on the wall of the room that she shared with her friends, noticing that it was 7:50 am. Yawning again, she stood up, stretching her muscles a bit more before looking at the other two beds, seeing that only Daisy was in hers, Lily surely already downstairs for breakfast and to take a look at the flowers. Roseluck went to the window, pushing aside the curtain a little to look out over the streets of Manehattan, the morning rays of the sun filtering through the buildings, enveloping the sidewalks in shadow, lined with dozens of ponies, and on the roads passed carriages going from one place to another. It was a big change from Ponyville, and the mare was always fascinated by the sight. That morning, however, she noticed something she had never seen before, something placed in one of the corners. Squinting, she tried to make out the object in the distance, and if she had to guess, it resembled a blue phone booth, something that puzzled her. Those booths had not been very common, not even in the city that saw them born, Manehattan itself, and their magical communication technology was obsolete, since they could only communicate with stations that had the necessary arcane antennas, and to top it off, it could only be within a radius of two kilometers, and in a city as big as the metropolis that never slept, it was unfeasible. Even now, Roseluck didn't know of communication technologies that used magical phone lines, since they were superseded by radio, though the common pony still used letters. Long-distance communication was still in development. "Will you close the curtain, please?" said Daisy's sleepy, annoyed voice, snapping Roseluck out of her thoughts. Taking one last look at the cabin, Roseluck turned and looked at her friend with a smile. "Don't complain so much, there isn't so much clarity either." "It's still too much" she murmured as she covered herself with the blanket, making Roseluck laugh. "Come on, we have to help Lily." "The flowers aren't going to move anywhere, I don't see what we painted there" growled the mare as she looked at her friend, who shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but we have to go. Besides, I want to have breakfast." With that, she went into the bathroom to get ready while Daisy groaned in exhaustion and tried to fully wake up, out of the three of them, she had the worst time in the mornings. Twenty minutes later, Roseluck entered the hotel's cafeteria, in an area separate from the buffet, and she was alone, since Daisy was still in the bathroom and told her that she could go and she would catch up with her later. There were already several ponies there, most of them contestants or customers who couldn't afford the all-inclusive buffet, all having their breakfasts. The mare sat down at a table overlooking the pool, wondering not for the first time if she should pay to be able to spend more days there and thus have access to the areas reserved only for clients. Her ears twitched as she detected the sound of hoofbeats approaching, and turning her head, she saw a pegasus mare approach with a smile, but there was something that bothered Rose. Like the pony from the day before, this mare had a wobbly gait, dark circles under her eyes, and bloodshot eyes, which put her on alert. Perhaps it was some kind of disease? She now regretted not being aware of the Manehattan news. "Are you okay?" she asked when the mare was close enough to her, not allowing her to speak. The pegasus blinked in surprise before giving her a slightly weaker smile and speaking in a weakened tone of voice. "Yes, yes... Thank you, I just haven't been able to sleep well lately, but thanks for asking." "It's strange, yesterday a pony told me exactly the same thing." "Really?" she asked the mare as she produced a menu and notepad from under her right wing, placing the menu on the table. "Well, you shouldn't worry too much, it's probably just a coincidence." Roseluck regarded the mare with a raised eyebrow before nodding. Even though something inside her told her that something was off, she dismissed it as her general boredom and her desire to go on an adventure and not look at it from the outside like she had in the release of Nightmare Moon and Discord. "What will you drink?" said the mare as she put a pencil in her mouth to write. Roseluck turned her attention to the menu, looking at the various dishes offered for breakfast, thinking of something that Daisy would like. Since the organization of the event paid for their accommodation and meals, she decided on a couple of well-loaded dishes to start the day with energy, Celestia knew that her friend needed it. "Give me a plate of caramel waffles, a plate of eggs and fried hay, and two juices, one apple and one peach." The pegasus nodded, giving her one last smile before picking up the menu and walking away from her with the same shaky step, but luckily, she didn't fall to the ground and kept her balance. Roseluck watched her for a few more seconds before focusing on the rest of the room, noticing something that set off her alarms again. Most of the ponies she watched also sported bags under their eyes, the ones that stood up had that wobbly gait, and if she had to bet, they had bloodshot eyes. "Did you order my breakfast?" Daisy's voice said from behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Roseluck turned to look at her friend, who looked more presentable than she had that morning. "Yes, a plate of fried hay and eggs." "You know me well" Daisy said with a smile as she sat down. "Of course I know my best friend" Roseluck said with a smile, making Daisy smile. "That will be a blow to Lily." "I don't think so, she's my sister from another mother." "Ouch, cheap shot." The two laughed at their exchange before calming down and speaking more calmly. But despite being with one of her best friends, Roseluck kept glancing at the other ponies, those who looked sick. "Something happens?" Daisy said, snapping Rose out of her thoughts. "No, why?" "It's just that you seem distracted" Daisy commented with a raised eyebrow. "What happen?" "Well…" Roseluck looked back at the ponies doubtfully before replying. "Haven't you noticed anything unusual?" Daisy frowned, considering her response before shrugging and shaking her head. "No, nothing out of the ordinary." "Haven't you noticed that there are ponies that look sick?" Roseluck asked insistently. "Yesterday a pony fell to the ground, he was dizzy and looked like he hadn't slept at all, and this morning I saw the waitress with the same symptoms." Daisy frowned, glancing from her around the cafeteria and noticing for the first time the ponies Roseluck mentioned. "Maybe you're exaggerating. I mean, it could be equine flu, we're at the time." "It's not equine flu," Roseluck snorted. "I've been through the flu, and so have you, and you know as well as I do that this isn't equine flu." "Equine flu makes you dizzy and exhausted, which can look like lack of sleep" said Daisy with conviction, before looking worriedly at the other ponies. "I hope nopony infects me, the flu makes me feel terrible." Roseluck snorted and looked away from her friend. Maybe she was right and she was just exaggerating, but there was still a little voice in her mind that warned her that something was up, something very wrong. After passing through the cafeteria, both mares went out into the garden and headed to their assigned plot, where Lily was finishing watering the plants. "You got up too early to water the plants, didn't you?" Daisy said with a raised eyebrow, to which Lily rolled her eyes. "We need to keep the plants as perfect as possible for Tuesday." "Have you had breakfast?" Roseluck interjected, making Lily groan in frustration. "Yes I do." "You better, I don't want it to happen like last year." "For the last time, Daisy, it was only ONE time." "Uh-huh, but we still had to carry your unconscious body to the bed." Lily growled to herself, grumbling as she focused on the flowers in front of her. After a little innocent laugh, Daisy went over to check the flowers as well, analyzing which ones should be trimmed and making sure the petals were in perfect condition. Roseluck went to work as well, but stopped when she heard a crash behind her, and turning from her, her eyes widened with concern. A unicorn stallion had passed out on the paddock in front of their plot, knocking over some of his pots in the process, breaking one of them. She quickly walked over to make sure he was okay as her friends did the same, being surrounded by a small number of onlookers. "Hey, wake up!" Roseluck yelled as she crouched down beside the pony and turned him around, seeing his face. His eyes, hidden behind his lids, moved from side to side, he had deep bags under his eyes and his fur was drenched in sweat. Lily replaced the fallen pots while Daisy pushed the broken pieces away from the stallion, looking at him worriedly. "He's okay?" "I don't know" Roseluck said, still not taking her eyes off the pony, then looking at the ponies present. "Is there a doctor around here?" The ponies looked at each other worriedly, shaking their heads, but their attention was quickly drawn back to the fallen pony, who was already opening his eyes. Roseluck sighed in relief, but she frowned at the sight of his bloodshot eyes. Trying to ignore that, put on her best friendly smile. "Are you okay? Do you want us to call an ambulance?" The pony blinked a bit, trying to get his bearings, before looking at the mare. After a few tense seconds, he shook his head. "No, no... Thanks. It was just a little dizziness." "Are you sure?" Lily said. "I'm fine, I just have n't been able to sleep well lately, but thanks for asking" said the pony as he stood up on his trembling hooves, helped by Roseluck. The mare frowned, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. "That's what a pony told me this morning." The pony blinked, looking at Roseluck in confusion. "Really? Well, you shouldn't worry too much, it's probably just a coincidence." Rather than relax, Roseluck became even more restless. If she had already been suspicious when noticing that several ponies had the same symptoms, being told the same words was already a sure sign that something really terrible was happening. Before she could voice her suspicions, the stallion turned back to his pots, groaning in despair at the disaster of one of them, using his magic to grab the fallen bouquet, still with a good mound of soil attached by its roots. "Thanks for the help, but I have to go see if I can save these flowers." "Are you sure you're okay?" Lily said with concern, to which the stallion nodded. "Yes, it was just a little dizziness." Once again, the same words, causing Roseluck to frown even more. "Let me come with you, sir" said a pegasus mare, dressed in the hotel's concierge uniform, to which the pony shook his head. "No, no, no need…" the pony was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Actually, yes, I could use the help." Roseluck watched as the unicorn walked away from her along with the concierge, and the group of ponies dispersed, leaving only her and her friends. "Poor pony, the flu hit him hard" Daisy commented. "This isn't the flu," Roseluck confirmed with conviction. "And what else can it be?" Lily asked tilting her head to the side. "I…I don't know, but it's not the flu." "Rose, you're exaggerating things" said Daisy as she rolled her eyes. "It's just an outbreak of equine flu." "It's not," Roseluck protested with a little swipe of her hoof. "That pony said the exact same words to me as the waitress this morning and the pony I ran into yesterday." "Well, the symptoms are similar" Lily argued. "It's normal that their phrases are similar." "They don't look alike, they are exactly the same, word for word." "Do you have any proof?" Daisy asked with a raised eyebrow, and seeing that her friend was silent, she went to their plot. "In that case, let's drop the subject, I want to finish soon to go see the rest of the exhibits." Lily nodded and followed her friend, leaving Roseluck alone, who scowled at her friends. "There's something going on here, I know" she muttered to herself. "I think so" said a voice behind her, making her jump. Turning, she saw an earth pony stallion surveying the patch of land that belonged to the pony. He had light brown fur, with a mane in a darker shade. He was wearing a jacket the same color as his mane, a green tie, and his cutie mark was an hourglass. The pony turned and regarded Roseluck with a smile. "You're the first pony to notice it, congratulations. The rest dismiss it as equine flu or some other harmless illness." Roseluck blinked in surprise, glancing at her friends, still busy, and approaching the stallion. "Do you know what's going on?" "Yup" he said with a smile. "But that is not something that should matter to you, that should matter to me. Go and enjoy this event while I take care of everything." Roseluck looked at the pony doubtfully before speaking. "We are in danger?" she asked, watching the pony's smile fade a few seconds before turning back to his. "If I wasn't here, it would be a resounding yes, but I'm here, so you don't have to worry" he said with a smile as he started to walk away. "Enjoy the event and don't worry about a thing." Roseluck watched as the stallion walked away, disappearing among the ponies. With a sigh, she walked over to her friends, praying he was right.