“So what do y’all reckon this little fellah is?” Applejack asked while looking down at the foal sleeping in her lap.
“Let’s wait for a medical expert before we start discussing anything…” Twilight responded distractedly. She was too absorbed with studying the strange features of this infant who’d just walked up to them, tears filling his eyes.
“Hey, sorry for being late.”
“Shouldn’t Fluttershy be here, instead?” The lavender unicorn asked, more roughly than she had intended.
“What? Is ol’ Josh not good enough for your majesty Twilight of the Sparkles?” Responded the medical pony as he came to a seat in his strange bipedal gait and dropped to a sit. Instead of the previous medical suit, he was wearing a long lab coat. Twilight gritted her teeth at the flippant comment. Joshua Syringe had enough ego and arrogance for a couple stallions or more. She never knew if his inventing random titles for her was a game or a serious endeavor… perhaps both.
Josh flipped his hoof dismissively through the air. “Fluttershy wanted to stay with Rainbow, still as soft as before the war.” That earned a few raised eyebrows that he pointedly ignored. “Besides, I heard you might need some sedatives for the little monstrosity but…” He pointed his hoof at the sleeping foal.
“Who d’you think you are to call him a monstrositeh?” Applejack barked irritably.
“More importantly, where did you hear that? We haven’t even revealed the foal’s existence to the others.” Twilight added worriedly.
Joshua rolled his eyes skywards. “Please, Twilight. The little bugger was wailing like it’s the end of the world…” The pony chuckled grimly at his own words. The others glared at him for his morbid humor. “Anyway! I heard he was inconsolable, but that was blatant rumor since he’s fast asleep now.”
“As for the monstrosity part, he does come from outside the cave… I think we’ve all learned our lessons on that matter the hard way. You got him shielded tight, Twilight?” The lavender unicorn gave him a flat look. Of course he was shielded in the same sterilizing ward that separated each part of the cave.
“Ah don’t care what happened in the past. He’s just a foal!” Applejack pressed on sullenly. Twilight caught Discord, the other participant to the meeting, mumble something about ‘empathy’. He was uncharacteristically quiet for once.
“That’s the problem though! It is a foal. And I can tell without even examining it that it’s no older than two years… I’d bet it’s younger, in fact.” He gave Applejack a meaningful glance, yet the mare’s protective expression didn’t wither away. Joshua sighed. “Do I have to spell it out? He was born on the outside! We’ve learned the hard way that no other pocket of survivors can be trusted.” That hit a sensitive cord. The last time they had let newcomers inside of the cave… A lot had perished.
“But-”
“No buts!” The doctor slammed his hoof on the meeting table, making the wood creak under the force of the blow. “I will NOT lose more ponies because of foolish mistakes!” Applejack sank back as if she had been slapped before lowering her head.
“Settle down, Josh… We will take the necessary precautions. You’ll have to admit though, there are inconsistencies here.” Twilight took over. They all knew how Joshua took failing to cure a sick pony as a personal failure; no need to let the situation worsen.
He grunted gruffly. “I’m sorry, my liege.” Josh said before taking in a calming breath. “As for the inconsistencies… I wouldn’t put too much stock in them. So it has horns and wings, what then?”
Twilight chortled. “Other than these combined features are signs of an alicorn? Well no, that’s absolutely fine!”
“Heh, yeah, only thing is: they’re entirely askew. If anything, my money’d be on a slight alteration of the plague. After all, a virus adapts just the same as us. Who’s to say that a foal that’s been in contact with the sickness since infancy wouldn’t mutate somehow?” Joshua bit off after a derisory snort. “Besides, look at the color of his coat. Just look at that sickly green and tell me that’s natural?” He launched finally. Indeed, the foal’s coat was a muted green overall, with certain patches darker than others.
Twilight sneered. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand the implication; you weren’t there when the plague first broke out and took Celestia and Luna. They were the first to go and almost instantly at that!”
They had worked out, after countless nights of study, that the plague attacked the primary attribute of any type of pony. If that pony used the attribute after being contaminated, the rot only happened faster. If the infected had an affinity with the three pony properties, or trinity as they had taken to calling it, they decayed in a matter of minutes…
Twilight closed her eyes as the painful memory of their leaders’ death played across her mind. “You don’t understand Joshua…” She said bitterly.
“Then explain it! What is it I don’t understand? I’ve been working on this virus for two years now, and there are still secrets you keep from me; how can we expect to overcome this situation if you keep information away from me?!”
Sorrow filled Twilight and an oppressive silence crawled over the room. Some things, she could not reveal, not if she wanted to keep a semblance of order in the cave. How could she expect anypony to react positively to the news that their only hope to restore Equestria was also the cause of the plague?
“Have you tried delving him, Twilight?” Discord suddenly decided to break the awkward silence.
“No, I haven’t…” She said dubiously. She was grateful that the draconequus had stepped in but what was he driving at?
“What are you waiting for, then?” The embodiment of disharmony said with a snort.
Suppressing a sigh, Twilight pulled on the power of the Well, letting it fill her body. It was very much like unicorn magic, only purer and much more intense. Nausea hit her as the taint of the Well washed over her along the magic. She ignored it with the practices ease of a year of usage. Quickly, she formed fine tendrils of magic and sent them towards the body of the foal. Their magical composition allowed them to penetrate the skin without harm.
She gasped.
The plague appeared as tiny pinpricks stuck in a pony’s flesh to magical probing. The foal’s was covered entirely, not a single parcel of healthy flesh.. It was almost as if the foal was entirely composed of the virus, as if it had replaced his blood…
“How… Is that possible? How is he still alive?” She asked incredulously.
“What? What do you see?” Joshua asked. She explained briefly and his expression darkened. “We have to get rid of this thing… What you’re describing is a disaster waiting to happen!”
“Not now Joshua…” She began probing deeper; surely there was more than this ocean of plague to this foal. There had to be. Before long, she felt something else: a feint undertone of harmony running through the body. It was as if the forces within it were balanced… In fact, it felt exactly like her mentor’s dying body had felt.
She gasped for a second time.
“This is ridiculous, it doesn’t make any sense!” Confusion was washing over her mind in powerful waves. This foal was an oddity with no names, how could a being like this exist, a living contradiction? He should be rotting before their very eyes, and yet he slept peacefully. “What do you make of this, Discord?” Twilight asked in a troubled voice. Perhaps the draconequus would have some insight over the matter.
“You’re not done yet, there is more to see.” The quiet whisper of Discord’s voice was so very much at odds with his usual demeanor that the lavender unicorn couldn’t help but shiver before she probed even deeper.
She went passed the ocean of the virus, passed the powerful trinity of harmony running through his body and came into a deep void, pitch black. What was she meant to see there? She couldn’t find anything at all. Weird. Twilight stilled her thoughts, stilled her body and waited quietly. As ironic as it was, she trusted Discord, if she was meant to see something, she would, eventually.
Little by little, the tendrils accustomed to the dark void that lay beyond the trinity, like eyes accustoming themselves to darkness. Yet even though she could vaguely discern some basic bodily functions there was not-
There! Just for an instant, she had felt a… link to something external. She began the process of waiting calmly for the reaction to happen again. This time, she didn’t react when it appeared and studied it from the edge of the probing tendrils of magic.
For a third time, she gasped as she recognized the link. It was so familiar that she hadn’t thought of it at first, but now that the lavender had had time to study it, there was no doubt.
“He’s linked to the Well…” A dumbstruck silence greeted the revelation.
Joshua’s chair scrapped back as he bolted to his legs. “What?! You can’t be serious! This little shit is linked to our only hope for salvation?!” He shouted, planting his front hooves forcefully on the table. “We have to kill it, immediately!”
Applejack stood as well, taking the foal in one leg protectively. Twilight adjusted the protective bubble around the foal to keep Applejack safe from the virus without a second thought. “Oveh mah dead bodeh…”
For a moment, Joshua looked taken aback. Then his traits mirrored determination. “If that’s what it takes… I won’t risk any more deaths over you inability to make a hard decision!” Applejack didn’t back down. She didn’t release the foal either. In fact, she took a step forward. “You can’t be serious! Without your shields, I’m more than a match for you. At least give yourself a fair chance!” Joshua snarled at her. Being underestimated tugged at old insecurities of his.
The house-mistress did not relent. The doctor spat scornfully on the side and jumped up the table before going for Applejack at a sprint.
Simultaneously, two thunderclaps resounded in the room, stopping the coated doctor in his track. The plagued foal woke up and his cries began anew. Applejack cupped him over her shoulder, smoothing his mane out in a motherly fashion while she shot Twilight and Discord a murderous glance.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Joshua spoke through gritted teeth, still standing on the table.
“My dear doctor, what guarantee do you have that killing the foal would help in any remote way?” Discord asked with a slight grin. He had enjoyed the way the scene had been going.
“I don’t see how it’d hurt either! If we let him live, he might well contaminate the rest of us. If he’s linked to the Well he could contaminate that too! Then what do we do? Where do we find hope? I can’t let this transpire!” Conviction burned fiercely in the doctor’s eyes.
Discord shot Twilight a querying glance. With a sigh, the lavender unicorn took a decision. “Sit down Josh. And stop acting so quickly, we can’t jump to conclusions. Not yet.” She said in a commanding tone, slipping in the role of the leader with the same surprising ease she had always felt. That, more than anything, seemed to surprise the willowy pony. “You wanted me to reveal secrets to you? I didn’t want to. A secret can only be kept if a minimum of ponies are aware… but you don’t leave me a choice, do you?” Her voice turned soft. There was an edge to it. “Before I go ahead and make one more pony aware. I’ll give you a warning. If the secret is revealed, if any of the other survivors get wind of this, if even the merest of rumors appear…”
“I will see your head roll.” She concluded in the most neutral of tones after a pause.
Against all expectation, Joshua laughed. “Your majesty Twilight Sparkle indeed… We’ve all changed in the last three years, for better or for worse.”
“Some more than others, I fear.” Twilight replied graciously. Somehow, the doctor seemed less tense now that the warning had been handed down.
Tucking his front hooves in his lab-coat pockets, he jumped down the table and kicked one chair lightly, making it spin on one leg. Once it stopped with its back facing Twilight, he sank down on it. “I’m all ears, your majesty: the secret.”
“The Well is already tainted.” Joshua closed his eyes slowly. A vein appeared on his forehead. “In fact, it’s the very cause of the plague. That’s why Celestia and Luna were the first to go. They were linked to it when the plague broke out.”
“Tell me this is some sick joke… Please.” There was pleading in his voice. Slowly he opened his eyes, a sorrowful smile found its way on his lips. “Don’t tell me we’ve been going on all this time for a lie. Don’t tell me our only hope is an illusion…”
Twilight shook her head. “Not quite. The Well is the cause, but it still remains the solution … It is a matter cleansing it of the taint.” Joshua breathed out slowly.
“Let me guess… You have no idea how to do that as of now?” The lavender unicorn responded with a nod. “Brilliant.” Joshua grunted and his expression went pensive.
“So Discord… You clearly delved him as soon as you saw him, give me your thoughts.” Twilight continued in her stride without stopping. If she couldn’t escape her role as savior then she might as well use it to its full potential.
“I can see the future branching off in several directions.” Discord’s mind was useful for that, considering every possibility. Chaos and empathy, he’d always say, made him good at it.
“The doctor’s first reaction wasn’t as silly as you may think. Indeed, killing the foal may cleanse the Well.” Strangely, he was looking at Applejack when he said that.
“Ah won’t stand bah idly while you slaughteh an innocent foal.” She said stubbornly, still comforting the crying infant. Discord chuckled.
“You could learn something from her, Joshua Syringe. Empathy is a powerful force.” He said wisely.
“Keep your wisdom to yourself, draconequus.” The doctor sneered back. Before the conversation could branch off into a tangent, Twilight cleared her throat forcefully. Discord gave her a vexed look before clearing his own.
“You see, dear Applejack, I’m not proposing to kill him. The key word was ‘may’. We have no guarantee, currently, that his death will bring closure to the plague. On the other hoof, what if he could somehow manipulate it? What if he could purge the taint inside of the Well and we steered him to do so?” A thoughtful silence veiled the room.
“Twilight said that he’s made of the vahrus… If he fought it, he’d be fightin’ himself. If he won, it’d be lahke suicahde.” Twilight and Discord exchanged a pained look.
“I swear to the Well, sometimes you’re just painfully clever Applejack.” Discord said, spreading his hands expansively. The mare’s expression turned dark.
“Stop, Applejack. We’re considering possibilities here. Nopony can say for sure if it’ll come to that.” Twilight stepped in before her friend could begin acting stubborn again. To her surprise, AJ nodded seriously and turned to calming the foal again. That reaction felt strangely like a betrayal to the lavender unicorn. Applejack was her friend, she shouldn’t respond to her commands that way… foolish emotional reactions.
“Then again, we can’t predict if his nature won’t overpower whatever nurture we work into his mind. Perhaps he’ll still be the end of you all.” Discord stated neutrally, he seldom bothered to add in frill to shocking declaration. “We should also consider his very nature; which is, let’s be honest, a total and rather lovely paradox. Not only does he have the attributes and harmony of an alicorn but he is also linked to the Well, which is currently tainted and should therefore kill him. Add in the fact his body is contaminated beyond redemption…”
“One question remains, how does it balance out?” He let that hang there for a moment, giving his thinking circle time to catch up.
“Are you saying we could… synthesis a remedy from his body?” Joshua, ever the medical mind, was first to understand.
The draconequus shrugged. “It is a very real possibility, although it would be far from a final solution. We invent a vaccine, but the plague would remain. How long would it take for it to adapt and evolve to bypass the vaccine?” Joshua grunted. He knew from experience that this specific illness evolved very fast indeed.
“Despite the uncertainties, one thing remains certain. This new arrival,” Discord pointed at the crying foal with a talon. “Is a much needed break in the awful stalemate we’ve had going for the last year.”
“Question is: will it save us or damn us to a slow and agonizing death?” Twilight mused to herself.
Strangely, Discord laughed. “Only time will tell, dear Twilight Sparkle, but exciting times are ahead! It’s been all too long since I’ve been witness to such an important and interesting gamble.” There was a strange glint in the draconequus eyes.
Twilight recognized it for the gleam Discord had when he saw the prospect of playing with living beings. She smiled fondly. Despite the apparent ruthlessness of the thought, it wasn’t that simple. The lavender unicorn had come to understand Discord better over the last year. He wasn’t evil. He just had a twisted sense of humor. The world was his playground and its inhabitants his toys: his own words.
But there was one key element that prevented it all from turning to an evil mastermind’s sadistic toying: empathy. Discord had such a deep understanding of this concept that he couldn’t be evil. He was a compassionate god, in a strange and twisted way. The reason he was helping them, and Twilight quoted: “I won’t let anything kill off my precious toys. You ponies are my ward and I’ll fight to the death to save you from anything besides myself.”
“We need to set ourselves to work immediately in order to reduce the ocean of possibilities and ascertain the future before we can decide on any specific course of action. In that regard, Joshua shall examine the foal extensively.” Funny, that Twilight’d feel a little pique of irritation at Discord giving out orders.
“Not so fast!” Applejack interjected. “Ah’ll sit in on the fanceh-schmanceh examination; wouldn’t want the good doc to make any regrettable mistakes.” The house mistress’s voice was dripping with acid.
“Alas, my good Applejack! How regrettable that you won’t be able to do so! We can’t very well have you favor this little foal over the rest of your family. You have a household to run.” Discord said expansively, a little of his usual mischief coming back to him. “No worries, though. I’ll keep a watchful eye over Joshua while he goes at his work. I’ll also be keeping a very tight watch over all things related to the foal.” The draconequus concluded smugly.
“You?” Applejack chortled incredulously.
The embodiment of disharmony shrugged ruefully. “What can I say? I’m good with kids.” With that, he snapped his fingers and the foal disappeared from Applejack’s hooves in a tiny burst of magic before reappearing in front of Discord. As the infant looked at the mismatched Discord, his cries ceased, and he actually let out a childish fit of laughter. “See?” The draconequus asked smugly.
“It is okay, Applejack. We can trust him.” It still felt strange for Twilight to say that about the embodiment of chaos.
“If you say so…” The orange mare sighed heavily.
“Discord, Joshua, be on with it then.” Both bowed earnestly, to her surprise, before filling outside the meeting room. As they left, Twilight checked on the shield surrounding the foal. Although he might be an asset, it was too early to say, she wouldn’t take any risks. Before she could add another layer to the ward, she felt the draconequus’s power do what she had intended. Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle lightly; Discord apparently took his new task very seriously.
“So what d’you intend to do now?” Applejack asked while looking at the door worriedly.
“Don’t worry yourself too much; everything will work out in the end.” Twilight replied in a gentle voice. Her friend nodded and relaxed visibly. “I think I’m going to announce the prospect of a cure to Rainbow Dash, she deserves to know.” An honest smile found its way on her lips as she left the meeting room. It had been ages since she’d experienced that smile. For better or for worse, the stalemate was broken. They could finally focus their efforts on something concrete and move forward.
It felt liberating, like life itself returning.