Rarity stepped into Twilight Sparkle's library, her thoughts calmer and more collected. She opened the door, ready to calmly explain the situation to Twilight.
"Twilight, I need your help. It's extre- OH SWEET MOTHER OF FAUST!" Rarity cried, looking at what was happening in front of her.
Laying on the floor, and thrashing about, was Applejack, tied up with her own lasso. Twilight helped pin her down as Applejack snarled, her hair unkempt and her voice deep with rage.
"Ah'm gonna kill ya! I'll tear yah ta shreds and feed ya to the queen!" She shouted, growling a dark voice far too familiar with Rarity. It got even worse when Rarity noticed her eyes were colored an eerie bright orange, and the sides of her eyes were black, like Applejack was a mere shell, and her eyes were flaking, revealing a new charcoal black skin underneath.
"Rarity! Thank Celestia your'e here!" Twilight cried, struggling to contain her crazed friend. "Applejack just burst in a while ago, yelling about some queen! I'm holding her the best I can, but I don't know what to do!"
Rarity looked down in her hands. She had a perfect opportunity to test the prototype antidote, but her friend was at risk. She leaned down, holding Applejack's shoulder. "Please forgive me." She whispered, poking the needle into Applejack's arm. The cowgirl let out a pained yelp as Rarity slowly pushed the syringe, pumping in a little of the purple liquid inside. Applejack stopped thrashing, and her eyes healed to normal.
Rarity pulled out the needle, and looked down at Applejack. "Are you alright?" she asked.
The orange girl took a few deep breathes. "Ah am... but what happened to me?" she asked, looking at her shaking hands as Twilight loosened the rope. "Ah felt so ....angry and vicious."
"You were poisoned." Rarity said, grabbing their attention. "If I hadn't helped you, you wouldn't have made it."
"What?! How do ya know that?" Applejack cried.
"Yea... and how did you get that?" Twilight Sparkle asked, pointing toward the syringe.
Rarity sighed. "It's a long story. But I guess it's worth telling."
<><><><><><><><><>
Deep in a mountain's tunnel, a black insect buzzed through the cavern toward a dimly lit throne, woven from a silk-like substance. The walls were lined with small holes, and loose threads of white webbing hung from the ceiling. Sitting on the throne was a woman, a very sickly one. Her lips were black and her eyes were pale, along with a withered face shrouded behind teal, wispy hair. Two black gnarled horns protruded from her forehead, resting under a tiara made from an ebony-like material. The woman had a thin, malnourished body, with very little muscle or fat to be seen. Small black thorns lined her forearms, and her bony fingers sported long, black painted nails.
The woman wore a black dress, which was tattered and filled with holes near the bottom. She sat there, looking like she hadn't eaten or slept in eons. She rose her head to the bug, and turned her palm for it to land. "Ah... my little courier." She hissed in a raspy voice. The insect's wings began to vibrate, letting a green gas fume out. The woman took a deep breath through her nose, and exhaled as her flesh regenerated, her wrinkles vanishing slightly, and muscle returning to her arms and torso.
"A new life essence... one of a trained killer. This certainly is new. Oh, I must have more of this." She said, her voice regaining youth and smoothness. she brushed the hair from her eyes, a green color appearing in her irises. She slowly stood, having the insect buzz away, and as she stood, a pair of green, translucent insect wings unfolded behind her. A few more insects crawled from the crevices in the wall, and followed the first bug to fly out of the cavern. Sitting behind her throne was a green egg-like pod. A crack appeared in it's surface, as a black, clammy hand reached out. The woman began to chuckle as she turned to the hatching pod.
<><><><><><><><>
Rainbow Dash snuck up to the altar. She was well aware of Rarity's warning, and the risk of becoming infected by a lethal, seemingly incurable disease. But she just wanted to see Scout, and she wasn't herself sure why. Even if she was sure, she quickly snuffed the idea from her mind. But first, she had to get to him.
"Rarity told me she put the stone by the Medic's picture, and then she appeared in his world. So, if this works right..." Rainbow Dash thought, moving the sapphire toward The Scout's picture, and waited. For a few long seconds, nothing happened.
"Great. It's a dud. So much for-" Rainbow thought, before the sapphire began shaking and sparking. Small bolts of electricity formed between the stone and the hat, and before Rainbow could react any further, she was gone in a flash of light.