//------------------------------// // Just another day. // Story: Plague // by AwSweetHolyHell //------------------------------// "Twilight! Nahght cycle's about ovah." Applejack's voice resounded inside of her lab, diverting the unicorn's focus from her experiment. The purple mare stifled a yawn with irritation. She had barely had time to install her equipment… She would have to have a word with Discord on the matter. She suspected he wasn't the only one behind the idea of shortening night time. The only time Twilight could do any research efficiently. "Twi? Don't make me come 'n there!" "Don't! I'm finishing!" She replied irritably, knowing that her voice would be heard despite the thick stone walls in which she did her research. Rapidly, she put her equipment back in place. Then she moved to place Rainbow Dash's cyan wings in the cold room linked to her lab in order to prevent decay. The plague had hit the pegasus two days ago and it had progressed lightning fast. Not a surprise considering her friend's restless nature. As it was, signs of necrosis covered the entire muscle segment of the wings. They had had no choice but to amputate them, lest the decay progressed to her body. It had been an ugly and morally taxing surgery. With a heavy sigh, Twilight closed the door to the cold room and came out of the lab, stepping through the magical barrier she had set around it. Her passing through it was accompanied by the familiar tingle of sterilization; all nefarious germs burned off of her body. "Thought you'd nevah step outta there." The earth pony looked at her suspiciously. "I've learned my lesson. I know I can't push myself too hard…" Twilight admitted after a short pause, that had been her first real clash of will with Applejack since the beginning of this entire… mess. Briskly, the unicorn set off through the stone tunnel on her left. "Where d'you think yer goin'?" Applejack's voice trailed behind her shortly, it sounded irritated. As well it may be. "I'll get some sleep later, if I can. I need to check on ponies right now. Anyone asked for me in particular?" "Fluttershy's wanted to speak t'you 'bout… Rainbow." The earth pony's voice was ridden with barely suppressed pain. "To the quarantine area then…" Twilight said glumly, following the sinuous tunnels of the cavern that represented home now. The few ponies they met bowed or curtsied hurriedly before setting off again. Three years now since the great war with the gryphon empire. Two since the plague had broken out, taking her mentor and her sister in the process… Then one more year since they had found this humongous cavern and Twilight had discovered and bound herself to the Well. Only three years, and it already felt like several life-times. The walk to the quarantine ward was a short one, since it wasn't positioned far away from her lab. "Wait for me here, please." She said to Applejack as she stepped through yet another sterilizing ward. Inside, the moans of the sick greeted her, although they were less numerous than they had been a year ago. The survivors had all learned that a mercy kill was sometimes preferable to pain. "What do you think you're doing in here without a suit?" Came a muffled voice from a figure standing on its hind legs in an ominous white suit. Joshua Syringe. "Oh, it's you, your majesty. My sincerest apologies." The armored figure came to stand beside her, keeping its bipedal walk. The helmet had a transparent opening that showed a handsome orange pony's head topped with shaggy brown hair inside of the suit. "I've already told you, don't call me that!" She told him in a warning tone. She didn't know if the medical pony found it amusing to call her that, but she wasn't a monarch… Never would be. "And I've already said you don't have a choice. This goes beyond simply ruling. You're a savior: Equestria's savior. You won't have a choice in the matter once you're elevated to a religious figure." The suited pony said with a grin. "Let her be, Josh. She has enough on her mind… Please." Fluttershy came into view, wearing a similar suit to her colleague, although she stood on all four where he always had a bipedal stance. With a grunt, he stepped aside. "So how is she, Fluttershy? Any sign of the madness?" Twilight asked her friend hopefully. Fluttershy's guarded expression was answer enough. "No… Already? But it's only been two days!" The lavender unicorn's voice rose a degree of urgency. This was happening too fast. "For now, she's in full denial but." The pegasus paused for a long while. "But I've seen her eyeing me with nervous longing. It's a blessing these suits don't show my wings, otherwise I think she'd already have tried stealing them." Fluttershy's voice was constricted with sorrow. Amputating wings or horns was only a small mercy. One that prevented their bearers from dying of the slow and painful decay of the plague but… It never diverted the madness from taking them. Before long, they would forget or ignore any prior affiliations and try to steal the appendages back from somepony in a futile attempt to replace what they now lacked. "Can I see her?" Twilight asked resolutely. Fluttershy answered with a nod before leading the way. The lavender unicorn's heart skipped a beat when she saw the cyan pegasus sitting up on a bunk. Her torso was heavily bandaged, covering up what remained of the amputation. Without a doubt, a heavy scar would remain. "Hey Twilight! Say, you can't get Fluttershy off my back? She insists I stay here, but I need to stretch my wings! It's so boring in here!" Rainbow Dash said with an honest smile. Her eyes were fixed in front of her, as if not daring to look on the sides for fear of not finding her wings. Behind her, Twilight heard soft sobs. Although she hated herself for it, she didn't have time to mourn for the sick. She had to tend to the living and give them a chance. "Sorry, Rainbow. Can't help you there. I did bring you some reading, though." The pegasus beamed from her bunk, sitting straighter. "Wow, thanks!" She said as Twilight passed over the books. More adventurous fiction. "This'll help for sure… But I'll be able to fly. Won't I?" Rainbow's face grew sweaty and her voice turned panicky. She kept throwing glances at Fluttershy's suited shape. "You promise, Twilight? You do, don't you?!" "I do. You'll get better, and then you'll fly again… I swear." Twilight said slowly as she laid her hoof on her friend's shoulder, snapping her out of her delirious questions. The lie tasted of bitterness… But it was more merciful than truth. Rainbow sank back in the bed, wiping the sweat on her brow with a confused frown. "Thanks…" The word seemed to have deeper meaning to Twilight, but perhaps she was reading too much into it. As she turned away, the cyan pegasus dug in the books eagerly. "Are you sure you'll be okay Fluttershy? If she snaps and decides to assault you… if she breaks the suit…" The lavender unicorn didn't dare finish her sentence. She couldn't bear to even imagine the gentle Fluttershy succumbing to the plague. Her friend flashed her a disarming smile through the helmet. "I'll manage. Rainbow doesn't have any weapons, while I don't need a weapon." Fluttershy had come a long way since the war. She'd almost erased her shyness altogether. "I don't want you overworking yourself though! If you can't find a cure or even delay the inevitable… We'll live through it. But you're our last hope; we can't afford to lose you." Come a long way, indeed. "Yeah, I know." Twilight gave in with a sigh before leaving the quarantined cave. Applejack waited for her on the other side. Before the mare could say anything, Twilight set off again towards the main cavern of their underground home, a mess hall of sorts. Its proportions allowed children and adults alike to socialize or play. It didn't have much in terms of furniture, just rows of tables and chairs… But it had a homely feel to it. As she stepped in the huge cavern, the children noticed her almost instantly and began congregating around her. Shouts of 'Princess Twilight' came from them in a chorus and the unicorn's heart cringed. She couldn't help it; these foals and fillies had never known Equestria during its time of glory. They'd either been born during the war, or the first year of the plague. But the worse were the cavern-born ones. They had known nothing except the dull stone walls of the huge cave they inhabited. No matter the background though, they all had hopes riding on Twilight's shoulders… Perhaps Joshua was right about her not having a choice. "Now, now, kids! Don't bother Twilight, run along!" Applejack admonished gently. They obeyed without a single complaint. The orange earth-pony had taken on the role of a house-mistress in the cavern. To some, she was like a second mother. For all too many, she was a real mother… A substitute for somepony dear they had lost. Before long, Twilight spied the head of the draconequus in the middle of the cavern. The mare stalked in his direction, Applejack still on her heels. It was lucky of her to catch him here; oftentimes he'd avoid her altogether. She slowed as she came closer though, it seemed as if he was having an argument with Big Macintosh. Fancypants was there too, trying to negotiate between a godly figure and a farmpony. "All I'm saying is: if I'm going to be taking care of morale support, I need to be given certain liberties!" Discord said in an ominous voice. "Nope. Today's harvest day, crops ain't gonna wait on yer foolish tricks." Big Mac replied, staring at the draconequus impassibly. "Now, now! Gentlemen, I'm sure we can come to some arrangement." Fancypants said in his usual expansive voice. A crowd was beginning to congregate around the dispute. The cave-dwellers liked having a good show to break up the routine. Applejack stepped in. "And what d'we have here? Somepony tryin' t'throw mah household in jeopardeh?" Fancypants was the first to turn, a happy smile illuminating his features. "Why, hello there, darling." He came close to her and pecked her on the mouth. The on-watching children all bellowed out in disgust while the adults chuckled lightly. Everypony had gone over the oddity of these two getting together a long time ago. Very little could shock the cave-dwellers anymore. Not after years of atrocities happening back to back. Whenever anypony asked why they had fallen in love, they'd simply say that they were both honest ponies and smile mysteriously. It was all so romantic and utterly out of place considering the state Equestria was in… still, it worked wonders for the morale of the survivors. "So Discord, what're you up to?" Applejack asked in a no-nonsense voice. "Why, I had some chaotic entertainment scheduled for this wonderful crowd!" He swiped his lion arm over the on-looking ponies. "And I do run a tight schedule! What's with making the sun and moon dance around in the sky?" Having the draconequus live around the cave had been a risk that had paid for itself. At first, trust had been sparse, but he had taken over the alicorn's duty over the moon and sun after their death. It was a task Twilight had no idea how to accomplish, despite the great power she had at her disposal through her link to the Well. Discord's crazy antiques were also wonderful for the cavern-dwellers as they broke the monotonous days and brought some eventfulness to the place. Applejack turned to her brother. "Today's harvest day. Can't have 'im mess up the process." It was clear from the way he stated it that it was a fact. He would not budge. The crowd surrounding the dispute held its breath while Applejack starred at the two for the longest of time. It felt as if a criminal was waiting for his judgment. "Look, Discord. Yer a good kid, I like you n' all. But crops and harvest are important. Can't feed mah family with laughter." Silly grins of pride spread across numerous faces as she named the on-lookers her 'family'. House mistress and god held a staring contest. None of them wavered, not the least bit. No blinking, no looking down: just the stare. Then, despite all expectation, Discord lowered his eyes with a grumble. The house mistress stood up to a godly figure and came out on top. A powerful sheer came from the crowd, taking Applejack by surprise. She began blushing rather furiously. "Oh, alright, mom!" Discord said in the voice of a sullen child. That earned a round of laughter. "I don't need a schedule anyway, too tidy, not enough chaos in it!" He spun around and began stalking away from the group with a grin. "Discord, wait!" Twilight called out. She had let the scene play out, figuring it could only end in a bit of laughter. With an evil laugh, the draconequus looked back at her and stuck his tongue out. "Can't be bothered, your royal boredom!" Following which, he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a burst of magic while the crowd booed him away. Twilight could only grit her teeth. Not only did he remind everypony of this silliness about her now being a monarch, but he also ran on her. She had no doubt that he suspected what she had wanted to discuss. Despite that, she was thankful. Discord played a dangerous game, taking on the role of a jester and channeling the latent anger of the survivors on himself at the same time. Hating on a plague was a difficult thing to do… He at least gave the cavern-dwellers someone to dislike. The crowd began dispersing slowly, now that the show was over. Big Mac gave his sister a thankful nod before returning to his crops. He'd stayed true to himself and kept to agriculture. That tranquil giant of a pony was the main reason they still had enough food. Twilight moved again, Fancypants and his wife falling in behind her. "Where are we off to, your majesty?" Again, that title. Perhaps she should accept it once and for all? "I want to check on Spike. I'll get to sleep afterwards, I swear Applejack!" They all knew each other well enough to anticipate reactions before they even happened. The dragon was stationed in a cavern Twilight had dug out with the power of the Well near the entrance. He was one of three that were unaffected by the plague; the other two being Discord and herself, which made him perfect to guard the entrance to their cave. Especially since he had grown tremendously in three years' time As they approached the exit, the familiar ring of hammer on anvil could be made out along the tunnel. Rarity was at the forge again with her husband. They never seemed to stop of late. Working together or relaying each other; no matter which, the forge never cooled. It was for the best; although Twilight worried about her friend overworking herself. If not for Rarity's forging and Pinkie Pie's tinkering, they would never have created the sterile suit that medical personnel used to treat the contaminated or the more robust model that allowed ventures outside of the cave, among other inventions. "Well, Applejack, Fancypants. Thank you for the escort." They could not accompany her outside, not without a special suit. The two lovers bid her farewell and walked away once Applejack made Twilight promise once more that she'd sleep afterwards. With them gone, Twilight stepped into the antechamber of the cave, a big half-sphere like compartment where Spike could fit behind her ward for the night. She quickly crossed the room and stepped through the sterilizing ward. The entire cave system was crisscrossed with similar barriers. She had cast it and held it in place at all-times thanks to the power of the Well. The purple unicorn seldom used her horn any longer; it was a risk to her health she could not take. Not if she wanted to live long enough to bring this affair to a conclusion and restore Equestria to its former glory. She knew somehow that the Well and the plague were linked. She could feel the taint in it. She just didn't know how the two fit together. Not yet. "Hello Twilight, came to visit your little brother?" A rough reptile voice broke through her thoughts. She looked at Spike with a smile; he was currently picking through his terrible fangs with a claw the length of a pony leg. "You know you'll always be, no matter how big you grow." She said fondly. It was true; no matter what he'd always remain her little spikey-wikey. The dragon flashed her a toothy grin and she laughed, despite the gloomy situation they were in. "Anything to report?" The dragon spat a concentrated jet of flames through his lips: a flippant gesture. "The usual, a couple lost souls wandering about, looking to steal their lost appendages and some gryphon patrols flying about, though they still haven't figured out about that invisible dome thing you cast around the perimeter." "I wonder sometimes… Could the gryphons have somehow cast this plague on us?" She asked, almost to herself. "Don't see why not. We won the war, which shamed them greatly. Besides, it's not like any race aside from ponies has been dying from this." The dragon answered calmly, his anger was hard to rouse nowadays. Although it was a frightening sight once it was unleashed. "But I keep wondering: how? How'd they do it, take down two goddesses and cripple an entire country like that…" "I think the question you should be asking is how anybody in this world can be so cruel as to inflict all this." Now signs of anger were showing through. "I can't accuse them yet. It may be totally unrelated, although it certainly came at an opportune time for them." She concluded, not willing to push Spike beyond his self-imposed restrains. "If they had anything to do with this… I swear to Celestia-" His tense voice stopped mid-sentence and a wing came protectively around Twilight. It was an unnecessary motion, but old habits die hard. "What's happening, Spike?" She asked in confusion, he had blocked her vision of the scenery. The wing slowly unfolded. "It's… I…" The dragon sounded speechless. A foal no older than two years stood in front of them. A slanted horn sat atop his forehead and mismatched wings protruded from his back. Yet those weren't the most surprising features about him. He was crying. Ponies outside the cave never cried.