//------------------------------// // Infection at Dawn // Story: Destiny Sparkle // by Spirit Guide //------------------------------// The next morning I awoke to the sound of rain beating against my window. It wasn't the worst way to be woken up, considering the fact that the weather's been responsible for waking me up for half a week already, but it gets somewhat annoying when you can't turn off the sound with a smash of a snooze button. I rolled out of bed and fell onto the floor, hard. That wasn't supposed to happen. I climbed to my feet and rubbed my head on the point of impact. That was going to leave a mark. I trudged over to the window and looked out upon the city. Over night, things had gone from bad to worse. The street was flooded up to the sidewalk, water spilling out onto the interlocking bricks. The few remaining cars had either been shoved up against each other or knocked over. A large green dumpster lay on its side, for all its weight it couldn't hold up against the harsh wind that raged through the night. The sight was very depressing. It must've been the fourteenth time that particular thought crossed my mind, but it still wasn't positive. A storm like this wasn't good for anything: it didn't help farmers grow their produce, it merely drowned them to the point where the crops can't be tended; it prevented people from going out to work, shutting down every mode of transportation one way or another; families couldn't go outside and spend time together, children couldn't run around and play, friends couldn't go and visit each other. It was an extremely dispiriting time. My thoughts wandered to the events of the previous evening. The lightning and thunder, the appearance of Twilight Sparkle on my street, the talk we had by the fire. Some part of me kept repeating that it was all a dream, a fantasy that built itself from my love of watching ponies, but the rest of my mind insisted that I go with the flow, ignore the voice of reason and its attempt to destroy what little joy I had left in my life. I brushed the mental argument away, along with its split decisions, and opened my closet. I've been responsible for my own wardrobe for years and found myself taking advantage of this, purchasing clothes that I found pleasing rather than ones that were socially acceptable. Wondering what Twilight's reaction would be to it, I donned a pair of dark-blue trousers and a dark-red shirt with the Elements of Harmony on them arranged in a circle. It was one of the only pieces of pony merchandise I owned and the day I made the purchase was still clear in my memory. Once I'd finished dressing, I left my room and started down the stairs. Even before I reached the bottom I heard soft sleeping sounds coming from the living room, so I crept over and peered over the couch. Well, that's settled the argument. The sofa bed was still set up and a sleeping purple unicorn was still in it, emitting soft, cute breathing sounds as she slept on. My face split into a wide smile. Twilight just looked so adorable asleep, my heart was melting at the sight. The seven o'clock chime of the grandfather clock was almost entirely drowned out by the hail. The only reason I did notice was thanks to the vibration that the clock sent through the floor when it struck seven. Deciding that I was hungry wasn't a hard decision to make, so I made my way to the kitchen and began breaking out the ingredients. I hadn't felt so lively in months, and certainly not enough to make a warm breakfast. Soon enough though, the smell of fresh pancakes filled the house while I flipped the round pieces of batter in the frying pan. I secretly hoped that ponies ate pancakes, but since I know they eat cupcakes and other foods unsuitable for typical Earth equines, I imagined it was okay. The sweet aroma of the finished pancakes must've been enticing, for Twilight stirred in her sleep and, ultimately, woke up. I could hear her climb out of bed as I laid the table for two. I stepped back to admire my work, Twilight clopped over to my side. I looked down at her and found her looking up at me with her bright purple eyes. "Good morning," I said to her softly. "Morning" she replied, rubbing her eyes. She walked over to the table and looked at the breakfast I had set up. "Table for two?" she asked with a slight smile. "Of course," I said, pulling out one of the chairs. Twilight climbed into it, making herself comfortable on the padded seat. I pushed her chair in and sat down in the chair opposite her. Each of us had a plate, a set of cutlery and a cup. between us sat a pitcher of water, a bottle of syrup and a large plate stacked high with pancakes with a serving spatula at the side. Twilight started examining the tableware, clearly unsure about what she should be doing. "Go ahead." I pushed the pancakes closer to her plate. "Take first." "Thanks." Twilight looked at the pile of pancakes and closed her eyes. The spatula was surrounded by the magenta glow of her magic and slowly lifted itself into the air, its flat blade loaded with two pancakes. Opening her eyes, Twilight flipped the fried batter on to her plate and laid the spatula back into its place. Carefully levitating the knife and fork, she cut a small piece off the pancake and put it in her mouth, cutting up the rest of her pancakes while she chewed. By the look on her face, I could tell she was enjoying breakfast, so I picked up the spatula and served myself. With that, the meal started actively, the two of us alternating between serving to laughing at each others expressions and reactions. The mood was very light-hearted and I realized just how good it felt to spend some time with a new friend. Halfway through the plate of pancakes, Twilight finally noticed my shirt. Her eyes widened and she let her fork drop onto the plate. "Are those what I think they are?" she asked warily. "Most likely," was my casual response. Already her gaze was making me uneasy. "How do you know about the Elements of Harmony?" Snap. She's asking. Just like in the story that other guy wrote, except Twilight didn't find out by watching the show. Curiosity killed the cat. Her eyes slanted slightly as I gave her a blank look while secretly trying to come up with an answer for her. Deciding that there was no point in hiding the truth from her, I asked, "Are you done eating?" Her left eyebrow shot up when she heard my unexpected response. "I guess." We had, in fact, finished all the pancakes, so her only way out of that would have been to ask for more, which I would have had no problem with anyways. I got up from my chair and walked over to the living room, Twilight following close behind. Gathering up the bedsheets, blanket and pillow that she used last night, I collapsed the sofa bed back into its original form, dropping the pile of bed items on to the couch. I gestured for Twilight to make herself comfy on the couch and grabbed the remote control, flicking the TV screen on before sitting down beside her. Twilight was instantly fascinated by the sudden flash of the screen. "What is this?" she asked, pointing at the TV with her hoof. "A television set," I explained. "We use it to share information and ideas with a lot of people at once. Sometimes, a group of people will get together and work to create a series, or program, consisting of one or many topics, usually presented in a manner that pleases a large audience." "Wow, that's some pretty advanced technology. But I still don't see what that has to do with you knowing about the Elements." "Hold on, I'm getting there." I turned on the power and was about to start looking for the channel I was after, only to find that there was no signal. Damn it, how could I forget the storm? Obviously, with all the turbulence and electrons permeating the sky, there was no way I'd get a connection. I turned my eyes on Twilight. The mare was getting a slightly impatient look and she was starting to fidget, her tail flicking side to side cutely. I thought for a moment and then remembered a purchase I had made just for such occasions. "Wait here," I told Twilight as I jumped up from the couch and ran up to my room. There, sitting on a shelf between a box and some comic books: two season's worth of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episodes. I knew I wouldn't regret getting these. With the two 4-DVD packs in my hand, I ran back downstairs and plonked myself down in front of the TV. Twilight stared at me quizzically as I plucked a disk from the box and slid it into the DVD player. Settling down on the couch beside Twilight, I flicked the TV settings from cable to DVD player and the disk's menu flickered on the screen, the opening theme playing from the speakers. Twilight stared at the bright screen, her eyes growing wider every passing second. With her mouth agape, she slowly turned her head towards me. I couldn't help but smile. She looks so cute when she's mystified. Using the remote control, I selected 'Play All' and the first episode started. I sat back and watched, remembering the day that I'd seen this for the first time. After a few more episodes I was in, although I never did attend any meet-ups. Twilight's face kept changing throughout the entire episode, sometimes shock, sometimes recollection and even delight and relief. For the most though, she seemed to be enjoying herself viewing the events of her first Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville from a different angle. That is until we got to the middle of the second episode. The moment she saw the Elements of Harmony, her attitude towards the whole thing changed. She wore a blank look on her face and blinked very little. I tried to enjoy the rest of the episode but I couldn't help but wonder what Twilight was thinking. When the episode was over and the credits finished rolling, I turned the TV off and chanced a look at the purple unicorn sitting beside me on the couch. Her eyes were wide and a small frown sat below her nose, which looked slightly red. She slowly turned to face me and I knew I was in for an interesting conversation. "How?" she whispered, almost inaudibly. "How could you possibly know so much about Equestria? And what is this thing?" she added, pointing first at the TV set and then at the DVD pack. I stared into her eyes, watching the violet irises twitch ever so slightly in the bright light from the ceiling. I had actually been planning my explanatory speech while the show was playing, choosing what to tell her first and thinking about what she might ask. I just hoped the knowledge wouldn't cause any unpleasant effects to either of us. "Are you ready for a history lesson, Twilight?" I asked her. Her expression changed from one of concern to one of eagerness. I knew she wouldn't turn down a chance to learn, especially if said properly. "Yes, please." "Okay." I got up from the couch and pulled the armchair in front of it, so that when I sat down, I was facing Twilight directly. She sat back down on the couch, wrapping her tail around her hooves like a cat. It was distracting in cute sort of way. "About 25 years ago, here in my world, a group of people got together and created a television series, a type of entertainment, based on a line of toys. It was popular among young girls, or fillies if you prefer, and went on for about eight years, often undergoing changes in the style during that time. They stopped making episodes for nearly two decades, but at the end of 2010, just about two years ago, the group rebooted the show featuring new animations, ideas and concepts. It was a huge success with the show's original audience of children, but then something amazing happened: men, grown-ups began watching the show. Long story short, adult males in our world are not expected to watch a show about colored ponies and the magic of friendship." "That's silly," Twilight put in. I didn't expect her to interrupt, but she did a very good job of it. "Everypony should learn about friendship in any and every way possible." "No argument here," I said, holding up my hands. "Nonetheless, that's how things work here and anyone who acts otherwise is considered mentally strange or weird. I am among those men who enjoy the show and its themes." Twilight nodded. "That's nice to know and all, but it doesn't really answer my question." "The way I understand it," I began again, "is that the group, Hasbro, envisioned their own version of Equestria, but had no idea that the magical world they were designing was already existing long before they'd started." "They did a pretty accurate job, considering they based it off their own imagination," Twilight said, impressed. "There we go. I'm thinking that maybe somepony or some other creature in Equestria cast a powerful spell that inspired Hasbro's staff to make Equestria the main setting for the show and secretly supplied their minds with the basic structure and design of your world." Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That actually makes a lot of sense, and it answered my first question. But seriously now, what is that?" Very persistent, I said to myself, following her hoof which was pointing once more at the DVDs. It's not that interesting, but she did ask and it's not like this is dangerous knowledge. "Compact disks, like these, were invented to hold large amounts of information on a very small space. These are a particular kind of disk made for viewing videos, but data can't be written or erased. Hasbro sells these in sets containing the events that have, apparently, taken place in Equestria." "That seems accurate, although there's not much evidence to prove it. I suppose we could try—" Twilight's words were lost as she suddenly coughed violently. "Are you okay?" I asked her concernedly. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. I just feel a little—" She began coughing again, her entire form shaking every time she exhaled. "You know," she groaned. "Maybe I'm not as well as I thought." I placed my hand against Twilight's forehead. It felt hot, warmer than it probably should have been. I got up from my armchair, went into the kitchen and pulled a digital thermometer out of a drawer full of assorted items. After carefully washing the instrument, I returned to the sitting room, hoping the thermometer would work for the magical equine who needed it. Twilight wasn't the least bit surprised when I asked her to open her mouth and did so obligingly. I placed the thermometer under her tongue and waited. "Whah do 'oo fink i' is?" Twilight managed to say around the thermometer. "Shh, not with your mouth full." Wow. I sound like a parent chiding a kid. Never did that before. The thermometer beeped, so I slipped it out of Twilight's mouth and looked at the number display on the screen. 38.3°C! That must have been high! No wonder Twilight wasn't feeling good. "What's my temperature?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice. It took me a while before I managed to get the words out. "Thirty-eight point eight." A look of uneasiness appeared on the mare's face, her eyes growing wide with alarm. "How bad is that?" I asked her. "Above my normal, that's for sure." Clopping her hooves together nervously, Twilight looked down at herself, as if trying to examine her own body for symptoms. We didn't have to wait long. Without warning, Twilight retched loudly and a stream of purple vomit was expelled from her mouth and splattered onto the floor. Her face was a slightly paler shade of mulberry then it was originally. "Urgh, I haven't done that in a while," Twilight moaned, staring down at the pool of violet sick. "That's it," I announced. "You're going to bed." I gathered up the ill unicorn in my arms and started up the stairs. She hacked several times as I made my way to the second floor. I took her straight to my room, threw back the blanket and laid her down in my bed. She smiled warmly as I tucked her in. "There, that should help." Twilight shuddered. I could hear a loud gurgling coming from her stomach. I dashed out of the bedroom and into the hall, grabbing a dull blue basin that was sitting in the corner. I ran back into my room, whereupon I shoved the container in front of Twilight just as she disgorged another load of stomach contents. "I have a really, really strong desire to start collecting that stuff," I confessed. "Don't let me stop you," Twilight chuckled. "I obviously don't need it. At least my body thinks so." "That still doesn't tell us what you've come down with. You've definitely got a bad case of something, but it seems a lot worse than just a common cold. Maybe the flu?" Twilight lay back and stared at the ceiling. She began listing her symptoms. "Temperature above average, violent coughing and persistent vomiting. There are several possibilities. I just hope it's not..." Her voice drifted off. "What, Twilight?" I asked her. "What do you think it is?" Her answer was barely audible. "It might be pneighmonia." I resisted the urge to laugh. Pneighmonia? Very clever. I mean, I already knew that in Equestria ponies can get cutie pox, feather flu and hay fever, so why shouldn't they have their own type of pneumonia? Not that it's a good thing, pneumonia is horrible, not to mention deadly. Pneumonia has killed its fair share of people in the world although there have been improvements in medical service over time. "Is it really bad, Twilight?" I asked her, laying the basin on the floor by the bed. "If it's not treated, then yes." She wiped her muzzle with the back of a forehoof. "I seem to be in an early stage, nothing serious as of yet." "Well, make yourself comfortable. There's a shelf full of books over there," I pointed at the wooden plank attached to the wall. "You can reach them, right?" Twilight looked at the bookshelf and concentrated. Her horn glowed and a book hovered off the shelf, enveloped in a magic aura. Twilight gently brought it down to the bed and lowered it down in front of her. "My magic is working okay. What are you going to do now?" "First, I'm going to clean up the mess downstairs." I saw Twilight flush slightly. "Not that it's your fault," I quickly added. "You're ill and can't help it." Twilight looked down at the book before her and opened it up. "Thank you for being so understanding. I'm so glad I ended up with someone as caring as you." With another coughing fit and a turn of her head, she heaved another quart of brightly-colored vomit into the basin by the bed. "Being sick isn't fun," she muttered, turning over. "Take it easy," I said, patting the unicorn through the covers. "No disease lasts forever. In fact, right after I finish cleaning up I'll go see what I can do to help cure you." That's what I said out loud, but in my heart I secretly worried about what might happen to my new friend should I be unable to help her. Taking the book in her hooves, Twilight began to read. "I hope you come up with something." Me too, Twilight, I thought wistfully. Me too.