Chapter 3_Separated and an Epidemic
Over a break in the forest canopy where a twisting river runs, a reddish-brown and silver bat-winged stallion causally rides the wind current just above the tree tops guided by the light of a hunter’s moon. Secured to his body by a harness, that was famed to have been inspired by a visitor from afar; hangs a rolled up net and side bags.
“Fish, fish, fish, oh that tender fish!” The red brown flyer sings casting glances for any ripples that disrupt the rapids. He takes the net from his harness and readies it with all four hooves. “What treasures will it be today Perch, Carp, or Trout?”
Swooping down with fore hooves extended into the river water 3 small carp flip into the net the hooves moving to close up as the flyer sets down. With skilled darts of his muzzle he put the 3 fish into a saddle bad. “You’ll do for the time being, I also need blackberries and can’t have you taking up all the space.”
A piercing and strangled female cry echoed through the trees from down river.
“That sounded like an injury… a bad injury.” The red brown bat pony muttered rolling up his net and reattaching it to the harness. He stands up readying his wings. “Okay If you’re still alive play that note again. 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3…”
“Somepony help…HELP!” another voice shrieks.
“Not the same voice!” The red brown bat pony blurts out monetarily stunned before taking quick leap into air and flying down stream.
Darting just a foot over the rushing river sending sprays water off to the shore on either side, the bat pony flew dodging a few rock outcroppings that sheltered this canopy shrouded section of the river. On one outcropping hanging just of the ledge a pair of short blackberry vines.
“Blackberries, can I risk the flyby?”The bat bony considers aloud.
“Hel… Help me… HELP!” The other voice screams out again with greater urgency and distress.
“No time River Runner this is an emergency.” The red and silver bat pony banks sharply toward a dark clearing to his left following the smaller of the two river branches. The scent of fresh blood now hits his nose, if it was predators they would have to be near by or on their way. He picked up the pace, but only a little; because his ears told him he was close now.
There was little moon light here, but what light illuminated the clearing ironically reveled the sources of the screams. A pale red earth pony with dark spots was standing over some creature that River Runner was not familiar with. The earth pony was crying and trembling almost hard enough that she could have fallen down, she was covered in severe cuts that strange dead vines clung to, and she was clutching an odd clear bag half filed with what could be blood by the scent.
As bad as the earth pony looked and even smelled the creature she stood over was worse as she was not even awake bleeding from the head and arm. The bag itself rigged with a tube into the unhurt arm. The pony manages to catch at glimpse at River Runner landing to meet them.
“Oh thank you! You need to get her some help, she won’t stay awake.” The pale red earth pony whines panicky.
“We will miss but I need to bandage these wounds or she’ll bleed to death.” River Runner replies in a commanding a voice locking her gaze before pulling out some linins he planned to use for cushioning the berries. Using one cloth to soak up the blood and another to hold it in place over the wounds, River Runner bandages the strange creature.
In spite of the strange creatures wounds, her breathing wasn’t labored and her when her eyes would flutter open she would track the new comers movements as he unrolled his net.
“When you’re ready put the top of that bag up to my mouth and grab her shoulders and I’ll get the feet so we can move her on my net.” River Runner calmly commands. With a nod the two moved the clothed and injured human on to the net and with a gesture of his hooves the two hook themselves up to the nets clips.
Once they were to their feet River Runner gives a glance up river to the earth pony and the two make for River Runner’s home as fast as they safely could.
Tina’s vision went in and out during the trip, and for most part all she saw was moss scared trees and moon light. There was also the beating of wings along with the squishing mud or crunch of branches in her ears.
By about the fifth return to the waking world, Tina catches a glimpse of a black and tan bat winged pony poke its head out of woven branch basket of a nest that opened at the bottom. The bat pony fixes a wide eyed gaze on Tina then calls out to the one at her feet.
“River Runner, what happened and who are they?” The bat pony mare calls.
All Tina heard in a reply was a piercing squeak when she tilted her to ask she held her tongue seeing a red and silver bat pony with her blood bag hanging from his mouth. The bag was almost out and she was still light headed, but she could see her hurt arm was bandaged.
“We need a doctor for her she’s bleeding badly.” Another voice adds from behind Tina’s head in her blind spot as the black and Tan bat pony mare lands beside them.
“How could this night get worse for Doctor Hemlock?” groans the bat pony mare at the pony in the blind spot before turning to turning to Tina. “We’ll get you fixed up don’t worry, names Pollen Duster.”
“Ti… Tina.” Tina rasps in response to the greeting.
Tina wasn’t sure if her injuries were as severe as she first though or if the lighting had gotten better but she could make out the village here with surprising ease. Not only did three or four tall trees have more of the branch basket nests in them, but Tina could also make out small 3 walled stalls nestled in amongst night flowering shrubbery. The stalls had mud brick foundations where straw was heaped in the middle with small shelves holding various personal effects, she almost mistook them for market or storage space until she spotted a steam spewing vent on side of one brick mounds.
“Geothermal heating…” Tina muttered.
“A wonderful way to enjoy the view I suppose, but stick with my cozy nest.” Pollen Duster remises giving Tina a wink before glancing at the Ponies carrying her. “I’ll get Hemlock to find her a private room and patch her up but I won’t guarantee a warm reception. Two ponies fell sick with something and have been a handful ever since, he hasn’t even gotten the chance to explain what they have yet.”
Pollen Duster enters what is probably the only building with four complete walls and less than a moment later a brown earth pony messy white main and a mustache bolts out.
“Get her in here now this is no time to wait patiently!” Doctor Hemlock Scolds.
Once inside the group is directed to a side room with far too many personal items to be a patient’s room.
“Pollen Duster, help me move her from this net to my bed.” Doctor Hemlock calmly orders.
“Yes sir…” Pollen Duster replies.
“She has suffered blood lose from a head wound on left side between her eye and ear, and also has 1” cut on left arm. I’m going to need to stitch these up.” Doctor Hemlock mutters to no one in particular before fixing a gaze on River Runner. “That bag in your mouth, we’ll need another of the same type while I do this.”
“What… I don’t know where they got it!” River Runner blurts out almost dropping the blood bag all together.
“She pulled it from a pack on her hip.” Peoria adds.
“AB negative… the AB negative bag.” Tina adds faintly.
“How can I tell them apart?” Peoria asks confused.
“Match the symbols on this bag with a fresh bag!” Hemlock commanded opening the case of his surgical tools.
“I found one!” River Runner replies separating an AB negative blood bag from a pile of 3 others.
“Hook it up just as the other is.” Hemlock replies using a candle flame to sterilize the needle he was going to use to stitch up Tina’s head and arm. He gives a worried look to the pile of blood bags before turning to look Tina in the face to ask. “Where are your traveling companions?”
“What are you talking about?” Pollen Duster asks confused.
“I didn’t see, smell, or hear anyone with them.” River Runner interjects agitated by Hemlock’s question.
Tina groans closing her eyes for a moment as the doctor prepares to close up the head wound.
“So you have friends out in the woods.” River Runner adds downtrodden.
“No, they must have gotten sent elsewhere. Lilly would have lead Brian and Mike right to me if they were in earshot.” Tina replies with an air of disgust about her own revelation. “You’re not a detective on the side are you Dr. Hemlock?”
“You’re carrying that many blood bags and only 2 match your blood type. A simple deduction for even a foal.” The doctor deadpans as he dabs a clean cloth on the wound so he could see where he still needs to stitch.
“We ran into something we couldn’t handle and were forced to use our failsafe to return home, but I’m here with Peoria instead of at home. It could have been interference we were getting back when I last saw them but I have no memory of why we used the failsafe recall system. Where am I by the way?” Tina calmly replies.
“You’re in the Everfree forest village of Moon Bloom Glen part of the Equis Territories.” Pollen Duster replies. “Where are you from?”
“How did you bring Peoria with you and where did you come from?” Dr. Hemlock asks.
“I’m from Earth. My friends and I were testing a travel device to come to a different version of your world and landed way off target. I’m sorry I dragged Peoria along with me here but I think however I did this was the better than leaving her behind.” Tina replies using her good arm to point to Peoria.
“It would seem so. I will need to clean your wounds too once I’m done here Peoria.” Dr. Hemlock replies snipping off the tread for the now closed head wound. “How did you become tangled in such nasty vines?”
Doctor Hemlock looks over Tina’s hands and arms more closely, like Peoria there was strange desiccated vines in the wounds on Tina’s arm. As he pulls experimentally on one, Tina suddenly tenses in pain; exposing green shoots growing into the wound from the seemingly dead plant.
“Oh pony feathers…” The Doctor sighs going pale. “Pollen Duster pick up a spare pair of tweezers we need to finish with Tina then we need to treat Peoria as soon we are done and don’t touch the vines!”
“Doctor what is it?” River Runner blurts out spooked.
“These vines aren’t as dead as they look and are growing into our patients?” Dr. Hemlock nervously belts out hurrying his pace. “Tina, do you have any kind of antiseptic for this infection?”
“The… brown bottle with the green label… in my kit.” Tina winces through the pain.
“Don’t we have medicine that will work?” Pollen Duster asks as she drops a vine fragment into the doctors waste can.
“She’s not a pony, we cannot risk poisoning her trying to treat this!” Dr. Hemlock replies readying another needle to stitch her arm.
“I have it Dr. Hemlock.” River Runner interjects pulling out the brown bottle.
“Give it to Pollen Duster and grab a set of heavy gloves and carefully unwrap the vines from Peoria. I’ll be over to help you soon.” Dr Hemlock commands as he stitches Tina up where the wound was disinfected.
It was another 7 minutes of work to finish to stabilizing Tina before the three ponies set into Peoria in full force. It took a full hour to clean and close the wound on the earth pony. Both Tina and Peoria were left exhausted by the pain involved to remove the plant parasite but were stable enough to leave unattended.
Dr Hemlock, Pollen Duster, and River Runner exit the makeshift patient’s quarters into the lobby. Dr Hemlock crashing onto a plush couch, cold sweat poured off him complimenting his pale drained features.
“I can’t deal with this.” Hemlock huffs deep with worry. “Two more with something I’ve never seen before, sure they don’t need restrained but why this why now?”
“Doctor you need to tell us what’s happening. I knew you were stressed and had your hoofs full but not to this degree.” Pollen Duster asks placing a wing on the doctor.
Dr Hemlock passes a forlorn glance at Pollen Duster before he closes his eyes to groan before standing up again.
“Follow me down the hall.” He motions to the two bat ponies.
In the far room, strapped to bed on their sides trashing lightly; were a yellow fur gold mane unicorn stallion and black fur gray mane earth pony mare. Both were labored in their breathing, but what covered their bodies almost made River Runner and Pollen Duster break in full panic.
Tina and Peoria slept for several hours having been left drained from their injuries. Light from the noon day sun entered a far window to reflect off a mirror and on to Peoria’s face waking her.
“This is not enough sleep after yesterday.” Peoria grumbles her eyes half lidded. Her body was bandaged up pretty good along her legs and barrel.
Tina was still sleeping, the second blood bag was near empty but not quite empty. Peoria wondered if that was a good sign in itself as she took a moment to watch the human breath.
Pealing back one her bandages she found the injury was completely sealed, her fur was missing but it would likely re-grow. “That was fast…” Peoria mumbles. “I’m thirsty better get some water.”
Under the light of day Moon Bloom Glen was a silent place. Many of the stalls that had been empty the night before were now occupied by the villagers. All the bushes had closed flower buds and just looked drab.
“Every last pony is asleep. Now where do I get myself some water?” Peoria whispers agitated as she glances around residential area.
Peoria trots along the small streets looking for anyone who could be awake to direct her to the town well to get water.
Moon Bloom Glen was populated by earth ponies and the occasional unicorn, or one from Peoria’s count; on the ground and bat ponies in the tree top nests.
“Why would you want to sleep starring at the place you might fall to your death to?” Peoria nervously mutters furrowing her brow.
“Their grip is more secure than you think.” A tan stallion with an emerald mane replies. He was hooked to a cart that had various objects packed neatly into it, some of it looked like food but she did not know what the other stuff was. “Name is Moss. My friend over yonder is Three Leaf. This is her first time out of our little village, so she might be standoffish.”
The pony mare was at least 2 years younger than Peoria from the looks of it and she seemed to be nervous about even seeing her at all.
“Where do you hail from lass? Locals don’t often show this much interest in the view during the day.” Moss chided her smirking.
“I’m a little lost about how I ended up in that forest, so I can’t tell you where my home would be from here.” Peoria replies.
“You were out in the middle of the forest lost?” Three Leaf adds disbelieving. “No pony gets that deep in to the Everfree on accident.”
“Now Three Leaf, there is no need to accuse the lass.” Moss retorts glaring at her with disapproval. “Where be your guide Peoria? That forest is not known to be pony friendly.”
“I found myself in the company of some heavily clothed thing by a river in the middle of that forest. She was severely injured and a pony with furry webbed wings by the name of River Runner came to our aid bring us here.” Peoria replies here head lowering down a little as she spoke.
“I know that lad, good colt but his fish breath will wilt your mane faster than hot summer day.” Moss snarks getting looks of revulsion from both Peoria and Three Leaf.
“Ponies eating meat…that’s mons…” Three Leaf begins to reply with disgust only to catch a second glare from Moss.
“Attitudes like that are why few accompany me on these trips anymore Three Leaf!” Moss snorts in agitation. “Forgive her lass too many of my kin have become keen on sheltering folks from the rest of the world leading to bad manners to say the least.”
Before Peoria could reply two upset ponies carrying a small squirming filly dash off in the direction of the Doctor’s home. Peoria starts to get a bad feeling about being in this village.
Meanwhile back at Dr Hemlock’s, Tina starts to stir as some noises disturb her sleep.
“My arms feel like lead.” Tina mutters cringing a bit as she tries to open her eyes. “It’s like a spot light is shining from behind thoughts curtains.”
Gurgling groans and the rattling of wood on stone, feint to normal human hearing; could be heard from down the hall.
“That sounds just sickening enough to make me want to vomit.” Tina scowls getting up and moving to enter the hall. “I better find Dr. Hemlock before someone dies.”
Tina’s head throbs with pain her vision made every picture, potted plant, and wood splinter pop out as if someone applied a 3-D rendering filter to the world. Her hearing was in echoes with how the sound seemed to bounce around the hallway objects like a cave interior.
“Blasted Foxfire… I must be under its influence still.” Tina groans stumbling past the first room of the hall before stopping to lean on a wall.
Tina searched herself for her bag containing her epee-pens so she could mute her out of control senses but it was gone. She was about to return to the room she woke up in to search for her medicine, but a foal mix of smells assaulted her nose.
Coming from the furthest room, which was the source of noxious stench; was Dr. Hemlock. He was pale looking, covered with cold sweat, and had bloodshot eyes as he stumbled out of the room.
Tina could hear him whimpering but nothing from the room behind him. Thinking back to a moment ago the gurgling had come from that room, Tina knew what this meant when taken with the rest of the evidence.
“Do you need someone to talk too or your room back and some privacy?” Tina casually mutters aloud avoiding his gaze while she speaks.
“Up… up and… about I see.” Dr. Hemlock replies softly crying as he turns to face the human. “You really… should… still be in… bed.”
“You need rest too. You’ve had a long and stressful night yourself.” Tina softly replies turning to look the doctor in the face. “I’ve seen that look before on the face of a doctor from my homeland when he told me my brother didn’t make it through surgery for a broken leg. I was younger back then.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Dr. Hemlock replies confused sniffing slightly.
“That doctor did everything he could for my brother and nearly gave up medicine over losing him.” Tina mutters closing her eyes briefly. “You saved me last night doctor. There could not have been anything wrong with your talent and skill in medicine to do that. What happened?”
Dr. Hemlock continued to cry for another minute or two before speaking again.
“I’ve never seen anything like this…” Dr. Hemlock groans out a chocked sigh as he motions for Tina to enter with him. “Between six and eight hours of the first breakout they started to lose control of their bodies.”
“Break out? Like some sort of...” Tina replies only for her thought to be interrupted by the site before her of two dead ponies.
The ponies, a yellow and gold unicorn male to the left of the room and a black and gray earth pony female on the right side of the room; badly bruised with hints that they recently were foaming at the mouth lay strapped to heavy wood beds dead.
Based on the placement of the doctor tools about the room, the fresh splatter of mashed food by the female Tina deduced that the male died first while she had slept. Dr Hemlock must have been trying to force feed and hydrate the earth pony female before she chocked to death. Even with the trauma on their bodies from their bonds Tina could not miss the rash of false cutie marks.
Tina jump back in shock from the site and strait into the wall. When she regained her footing her face twisted into a worried scowl.
“Now I know that look miss. You’ve seen this before as well.” Dr. Hemlock turns to Tina an edge of frustrated anger entering his tone.
“Cutie Pox… Brian, you royal screw-up!” Tina shouts only half in response to Dr. Hemlock.
“What did your companion have to do with this?” Dr. Hemlock trots in front of Tina fixing her gaze. “What is Cutie Pox?”
Tina jumps at the doctor’s move before remembering who she was with.
“He was responsible for choosing our test location for the Travel Device I ware.” Tina gestures to the strange bracer on her arm.
“What about this Cutie Pox sickness?” The doctor advances on the human.
“I only know what Brian had briefly told us when he researched to location. It’s caused by a plant based toxin that reacts with the magic properties of ponies relating to their cutie marks, causing that rash, the out of control movements, and exhaustion triggered death.” Tina retorts darting out from between the doctor and the wall. “The plant has a purple pitcher plant bloom, with heart shaped ridge, long yellow stamen spouting from the pitcher, and drops heart shaped petals; but it is all the same kind of conjecture that got us in this mess in the first place!”
“Wait…” Dr. Hemlock interjects raising a hoof his eyes darting a bit in thought. “My uncle sent me a book on exotic flowers a while back, it’s in my room. He travels all across the Equis territories and the surrounding countries. I think I seen something of that description.”
Tina followed Dr. Hemlock back to his room, but she had not improved from earlier and was now stumbling around. Her senses were causing her head to throb and ears to ring. Tina was so disorientated she doesn’t even notice Dr. Hemlock trot back to help her.
“I told you should have stayed in bed.” Dr. Hemlock grunts as he pushes himself under her arm so she had some support as they went back to his room. “You lost too much blood the night before to be exerting yourself.”
“It’s not that doctor, it was those vines you removed causing this.” Tina mutters clutching her head with her free hand. “I have something in my bag that will stop this, at least temporally.”
“Okay just keep it together miss.” Dr. Hemlock adds leading them into the room and helping her to a chair before grabbing her bags. “Now I got to find that book.”
Tina could hear a panicked but garbled commotion coming from outside rise to the notice of her senses as she jabbed herself with an epee-pen. As the drug began to work on her body several loud knocks were made and accompanied by yells.
“Dr. Hemlock hurry open the door!” Calls a distressed male voice from outside.
Dr. Hemlock turned toward the door carrying a book in his mouth before giving a glance at a more relaxed Tina. Trots over to Tina.
“Please give this book a look and see if you can find that plant while I check on this.” Dr. Hemlock politely asks heading out to open the door.
“This is getting out of hand…” Tina mutters accessing the controls for the planer Trans-locator on her wrist. “I’ll need my field chemistry kit, something tells me the cure to these ‘cutie pox’ will not be easy to get a hold of.”
With a few taps to the touch screen, Tina sets the planer anchor causing her body to emit a faint glow of orange before it shifts to green before disappearing all together. From the corner of her eye, Tina catches a similar brief flash from the doctors trash can. She might have checked out the can but she could here Dr. Hemlock begin to enter and he sounded distressed again.
“Let this work…” Tina mutters activating the trans-locator.
Peoria, having decided to find out what was happening to the filly; rushed after the three as they made their way to Dr. Hemlock’s. A sudden flash of orange and then green startled Peoria causing her to trip over herself.
“Argh… What the hay?” Peoria mutters preparing to stand back up.
“What was with that flash? Are you hurt Peoria?” Pollen Duster swoops in landing beside her trying to wipe the blindness from her eyes.
“I don’t know… I don’t know.” Peoria replies grabbing a hoof. “I’m alright nothing…”
Peoria’s grip slips as the road suddenly turns black and yellow. The forest and town before her morph into a large open plain with massive dwellings at the other end of the phantom road.
“Peoria look out!” Pollen Duster screams vainly trying to push her out of the way briefly only to fly out of the way of something.
Peoria turn to her left curling her legs to jump away when she spots the object that was speeding towards her start to cut to the opposite direction. It was red and somewhat see through. It’s back end slipped toward her before the front end succeeded in pulling the object away from her. She could feel the winds it whipped up with its passing.
Peoria could see the thing inside the object as it passed then quickly vanished all together. The thing was like her traveling companion only slightly different.
“Peoria, what was that that thing that almost stampeded us?”Pollen Duster rushes back panicky.
“I don’t know but maybe my companion dose. We need to get to Dr. Hemlock’s something bad is happening.
Elsewhere in a simple class room of the former Two Sisters Castle, Celestia sits before two unicorn students giving a lecture on Sun Empathy. Celestia’s mane no longer flows like it was caught in a phantom wind and even has the beginnings of gray bands through the pink and blue; she even has some wrinkles on her muzzle.
“Unlike most magic you cannot just make the Sun do as you say, she requires gentle coxing when it is time for her to rising and can be impulsive when you feeling tense or agitated.” Celestia cheerily speaks.
“Your connections with this power will not likely become as great as mine was in my youth, but even my connection has long since diminished.”
“Miss Celestia, I still don’t understand how to talk to the Sun.” A pony yellow and red gradient coat with a red mane asks.
“You got to fill your mind with how the morning is to feel, like the temperature for the day and from where the shadows will begin when you get her to rise at the dawn; my little Dawn Rise.” Celestia replies walking over to her unicorn student. “Allow me to help you.”
As Celestia lowered her horn and touched her student’s horn to impart a memory that would guide the young unicorn in the art of Sun Empathy; a wave of power from the planer anchor intersects with their own magical connection. The memory shifted from the one that Celestia had intended to an image of two distinct rooms one was a pony dwelling of some sort, the other was a little alien but otherwise unremarkable except for one thing. In the opposite corner near the back of this room a corner rips away to reveal a cliff and a familiar green brown fox and a Pegasus.
“Celestia what was that? Who are they?” Dawn Rise asks trying to shake off the weird sensation.
“Something I… I haven’t encountered in 23 years.” Celeltia mutters in surprise. “Those two were the travelers who…”
“You mean the heroes from the Harmony Tree’s sanctuary!” Dawn Rise gasps getting the attention of the rest of the class.
“Another of them has come. I am sorry my students I must investigate this new development.” Celestia replies dismissing the class.
Back at Dr. Hemlocks Tina frowns at her sudden return. She succeeded in bringing back the large metal suit case that was the field chemistry kit, but something else had pulled her back to Moon Bloom Glen.
“Mike made it back…” Tina mutters perplexed.”…But what was with Lilly?”
The sounds of struggles in the room next door ends Tina’s questions as she sets the kit down and races next door room. In the waiting room Tina find the doctor with two other ponies Tina didn’t recognize who were trying to restrain a younger yellow and black bat pony filly.
“She has it as well!” Dr. Hemlock blurts out freaked.
“What’s her body weight?” Tina shouts spooking the group.
“Who…” The strange stallion begins to demand only to get cut off.
“Her weight now we’ll do introductions later!” Tina counters pulling one of her epee-pens.
“73 pounds.” The mare replies.
With a twist of the dosage dial and a swift motion of the Tina’s hand she injects the filly in the flank garnering a pained squeak out of her, but also causing her to immediately relax her struggling. The pair of strange ponies watch as the filly pants catching her breath try and get comfortable.
“What did you do to her?” Dr. Hemlock stammers trying to keep his voice low. “What is that stuff?”
“A chemical suppressant, it used to protect people with cybernetic from suffering brain and nerve damage when the implants act up. It also seems to work on ponies whose latent magic acts up.” Tina replies equally quite.
“Bee Charmer…” The strange mare coos.”You’re alright.”
“No, she’s not alright.” Tina retorts.”What I did is a temporary fix. We need you to tell us everything you can, involving her in the last day.”
Tina and Dr. Hemlock spent the next hour with Bee Charmer and her family trying to get any information that might lead them to a starting point in treating her cutie pox condition. The doctor even retrieved his book and found the plant Tina had described the ‘Hearts Desire’. It was no use however as nothing suggested that she had come in contact with it or done anything strange beforehand.
Peoria and Pollen Duster returned shortly after Tina did and witnessed the intervention on Bee Charmer’s behalf. Both were spooked and Peoria was particularly upset with Tina for a reason that group would put off until later. Dr. Hemlock decided to ask Pollen Duster about her deceased unicorn friend’s activities from two nights before.
“I’m sorry Dr. Hemlock she didn’t do anything unusual that I can think of.” Pollen Duster sighs.
“Where do we start in treating this?” Dr. Hemlock groans as much from sleepiness as frustration turning to Tina. “How long until this wears off, can you do anything do to slow it down or stop it?
“Based on how my first injection is affecting her we have six hours till I need to dose her again. My current supply could slow the progress of her condition by a week.” Tina replies rubbing her head. “I wish your book had the flower that was the counter agent.”
“Are you feeling alright? You seem to be having a flare up of your own condition.” Dr. Hemlock casts Tina a worried glance.
“Condition… What’s wrong with you?” Peoria asks staring at Tina.
“As long as I stay away from that plant you pulled from me I’ll be fine. That plant needs to be quarantined for everyone’s safety or destroyed.” Tina replies to Dr. Hemlock before turning to Peoria. “I have in me machines that increase my senses beyond my potential, the plant makes it more likely that the machines might overload my brain and kill me.”
Peoria became uncomfortable at this admission worrying both Dr. Hemlock and Pollen Duster.
“Peoria I will ask more about what that look meant later.” Dr. Hemlock deadpans giving her a concerned look to which Peoria nods ears flattened. “We seem to have gotten side tracked Tina. Can you in fact suggest anything to help Bee Charmer?”
“While you went to first meet Bee Charmer parents… or guardians…” Tina replies a little uncertain, before composing herself. “I went back to my world and brought this back.”
Tina pulled a heavy looking metal case from the hall that had placed at the opposite end of it from Bee Charmer’s room.
“This case contains equipment that I can use to identify what is inside Bee Charmer that is causing this sickness, but I need some samples of blood and other tissues from her and from ponies that are healthy as well as permission to autopsy your dead kin.” Tina scowls with a huff. “Once I have these I can start to test possible remedies on the tainted Tissue cultures until I find one that promotes a normal health condition.”
“I don’t like what your suggesting is there any other way we can treat this.” Pollen Duster grimly comments.
Tina pulled a sketch of a flower and some seeds she had made from memory she used earlier when Dr. Hemlock was looking in the plant book.
“We couldn’t find this plant in Dr. Hemlock’s book, but the other one which I suspect is the cause was there. This one is supposed to be the cure this condition.” Tina replies handing over the sketch.
“I’ll get River Runner, he travels the forest the most he might have seen one.” Pollen Duster replies nodding heading out.
“Tina, can you get me some blankets?” Peoria asks gesturing to the now sleeping doctor.
As the hours ticked off Tina began her work by collecting tissue samples from the dead earth pony and unicorn. Using a scalpel she slices off three squares of pony hide about an inch in size and places each one in its own culture/Petri dish. After sealing the culture dishes she uses a disposable needle to draw a small bead of blood from each corpse and places it on a glass slide.
After finishing she covers up the bodies and closes the door. The time was getting late as the sun was now two hours from sunset, Tina herself would need to rest soon but she had one last thing to do first. Tina steps into Bee Charmers room.
“How are you feeling little missy?” Tina asks the yellow and black filly.
The bat pony looked up and smiled some. She was now up to six false cutie marks, but was still calm in her movements having only climbed or flown up to the ceiling to rest. Her father was asleep by the bed that the filly had left.
“I’m a little thirsty.”Bee Charmer replies as one of her wings twitch.
“I think I can find you something for that.” Tina replies pulling a bottle of water from her pack that was half full and giving it to the bat pony.
Bee Charmer finished the water while still hanging upside down. She was about to return the bottle but her twitching wing was getting worse.
“I can’t hold on like this. I am going to fall.” Bee Charmer squeaked just as her left leg let go.
As the other leg let go Tina moved to catch the bat pony. Hands and hooves managed to intersect to catch the falling filly.
“It… It’s happening again.” Bee Charmer cries as she starts to fidget.
“Just stay calm.” Tina replies pulling out the epee-pen and setting the dosage before injecting her. After the filly calms down Tina asks. “Dose that help?”
Bee Charmer nods saying. “It’s like an itch I can’t reach only I do stuff and can’t stop. I don’t want to be like this.”
“I agree, is there anything more you can do?” The bat pony father asks.
“Pollen Duster and River Runner have gone out to look for the plants that I described before, but I don’t have a clue whether they can find the one we need or not. River Runner must be knowledgeable enough to be recommended for a search.” Tina replies. “I would like to ask you permission to draw some blood from you and your daughter as a way of identifying the cause?”
“Why do you want to take our blood? How would that help?” The father asks.
“I need samples from both a sick pony, in this case your daughter; and one from a healthy pony to compare. That would be you.” Tina calmly replies looking at the father. “You have been with us most of the day and have yet to show any signs of sickness. I might be able to spot the irregularity in the samples.”
“I… I don’t understand.” The father stutters warily. “How can you see anything in our blood?”
Tina pulls out her laboratory microscope, a pair glass slide, a new water bottle, and an eye dropper.
“Ever use a magnifying glass, this builds on that concept using many lenses to see even smaller stuff.” Tina replies with a grin using the eye dropper she places a drop of water from the new water bottle on one glass slide. She than picks up the bottle she had let Bee Charmer drink from a uses the eye dropper to place a water drop from that bottle on the remaining slide. “Under normal eyes these drops of water are the same, but give them a look under this.”
Bee Charmer went first, curious as what the microscope was and what Tina was doing. As the filly looked through the eye piece Tina places the slide of the water with new bottle under the scope. When the filly looks up Tina changes the slide and gestures that she look again. After a minute of looking at the second slide a look of surprised joy appear on her face as she motions for her father to give it a try to which Tina gladly repeats the process.
“How can water look so different?” The father asks.
“The water is distilled so it has fewer particles in it, but more importantly one bottle was freshly opened and the other had been used for drinking.” Tina explains gesturing between each bottle with a smile.
“And working with blood is the same way?” The father asks.
“Similar, all blood has many different components to it. Even between multiple healthy samples, you will see differences in the blood make up.” Tina replied with less joy. “However I think I can isolate the alien component with enough samples to use as a reference base and start work on compounds to destroy the alien without harming the rest.”
The father considered what Tina had said and shown before consenting to the blood tests. Tina would soon head off to bed for even she need sleep, but only after the samples were safely stored with her lab tools.
While this took place Peoria’s day was different.
Peoria was given no time to ask about the strange event she had been part of just minutes before arriving to witness Tina’s actions on behalf of the filly named Bee Charmer. It had been startling to Peoria as though she had something similar done to her somehow not too long ago. This feeling reminded Peoria that the events since waking in the unfamiliar village were not all she experienced that were out of the ordinary.
Pollen Duster had been given a picture of an unknown plant that might help with Bee Charmer’s strange sickness. Peoria had noticed an alarming urgency by Pollen Duster to get River Runner and start the hunt for this plant. It would take little time to persuade to bat pony stallion to accept the hunt.
“This plant might cure the sickness that killed the other two?”River Runner asks.
“Wait! You mean others caught this and Bee Charmer might die too?” Peoria sputters a reply and going pale.
“Honey Badger, died from exhaustion related to being unable control his body over this sickness. We are lucky he didn’t burn the village down with an errant spell.” Pollen Duster mopes. “He was one of my oldest friends even in a town where you get close to every pony.”
“We don’t have enough time to go traipsing through the forest. One day is just not enough time.” River Runner stutters.
“Tina said she could slow the sickness by a week.” Peoria replies half-heartily. “The way Tina and the Dr. Hemlock are acting doesn’t make me feel all that confident.”
“I’ve noticed it too. The way Dr. Hemlock looks at Tina it is like he thinks she is keeping something from him. Then we got Tina acting like the world is about to catch fire.” Pollen Duster snorts.
As the trio approached the entrance to Moon Bloom Glenn, they happen upon a crowd gathered around a set of tire marks that extend from one side of the path to the other before abruptly stopping. River Runner’s eyes go wide.
“Her story was true after all. That… was Earth!” River Runner asks surprised. “Rumors were flying all day between the poor guys who were woken up.”
“I was nearly run down by one of them in some sort of carriage as it swerved to avoid me. Just one moment Pollen Duster and I were running back to Dr. Hemlock’s about the child then the next a flash blinds me and that happens.” Peoria sputters. “I felt the wind as it passed!”
“She’s not lying here’s the tracks.” Pollen Duster gestures flying over to a small gathering of ponies.
Amongst the crowd Peoria recognized the two merchants from earlier with the cart Three Leaf and Moss.
“What kind of cart needs wheels this wide?” Mutters an awe struck Three Leaf.
“I never heard of such a thing.” Moss replies.
“It was a really load horn too. My ears are still ringing.” Spoke a purple mane and tan earth pony stallion.
“Excuse me Mr. Moss. Can I talk with you for a moment?” Peoria politely asks.
“Ah Lass making friends I see.” Moss replies with a bright smile. “And no fish breath either, River Runner must not have gotten around to treating you to that delicacy.”
“Come on Moss. So I like to keep my culinary options open.” River Runner lands and casts Moss a dejected look. “The Protein also helps for long distance flying.”
“Well I admit my lad you spend as much time amongst the dark wood and beasties as I do, but it still is too gamy for my taste. What do you need?” Moss causally replies.
“We are wondering if you ever seen this plant in your travels.” Peoria hoofs over a drawing of a plant with 6 pink claw shaped outer petals surrounding a glowing white bulb with 5 inner petals flared like a 5 point star on top, and pale yellow stamen protruding from the bulb. In the corner of the picture are two yellow oval shaped seeds. “It is sort of rare.”
“Rare indeed lass as I’m sorry to say I have not.” Moss replies shaking his head before turning to another pony that was just entering town pulling another cart. “Gray Hoof my boy can you come here for a bit? This fine lass needs to know the ware bouts of a plant.”
“Well I’ll happily give it a try!” The gray and black stallion, Gray Hoof; replies quite chipper.
Moss hands over the picture to Grey Hoof, but the lost look on his face telegraphs his answer.
“Sorry but nothing local matches this picture. The best I could suggest is to go beyond the blue flowers but you are really risking your lives out there.” Gray Hoof grimly replies. “There are some bad…”
Noise from down the road alerts the group to a pair of ponies racing toward Dr. Hemlocks, one pony seemed labored in her breathing barely keeping up with her partner. Before any pony could speak, and to the grim shock of River Runner, Pollen Duster, and Peoria; a flash of intense light erupted from the labored ponies flank revealing a false cutie mark.
“In all my years…” Moss mutters.
“River Runner you know where the blue flowers grow?” Peoria asks to which River Runner nods. “Take the picture and Pollen Duster and go!”
Pollen Duster was going to ask about what Peoria was going to do when another flash off in another part of the town happened. Giving a nod to Peoria, Pollen Duster and River Runner take flight for the Everfree Forrest and Peoria runs toward Dr. Hemlock’s.
“Gray Hoof my boy, get Three Leaf home now and send Carpenter.” Moss whispers to the gray black stallion.
“Moss…” Three Leaf sputters startled.
“Go lass! I won’t repeat myself.” Moss scowls.
With little more than a nod and a stern look Gray Hoof ushers Three Leaf out of town.
Tina had only been asleep for maybe four hours and twenty minutes before frantic knocks and a door slamming open woke her. Emerging from the room she set up her lab in just as Dr. Hemlock did with his the two found themselves confronted with several ponies.
“One at a time what has happened?” Tina grumbled glaring at the disheveled mob.
“Cutie Pox…” Dr. Hemlock shouts giving a quick glance over the crowd. “…Three new cases!”
“Oh shit!” Tina yelps in shock.
“Doctor what’s happening?” A tired rose colored earth pony mare asks as a flash erupts from her flanks.
“Dr. Hemlock inject her with this.” Tina yells tossing an epee-pen to him. “Set it to 30.”
“Only thoughts ponies who are sick move forward, the rest of you wait orderly on the porch.” Dr. Hemlock demands.
After injecting the last new patient, Tina and Dr. Hemlock help them each to a bed.
“Dr. Hemlock I… I need permission… to blood test these ponies, we have to know how many have contracted this sickness.” Tina stammers wiping her face.
“Do It. We now have an epidemic on our hooves.” Dr. Hemlock wheezes.
Drawing out of her lab kit, Tina removes several glass slides, scalpels, and several needles. Her kit was already beginning to run out of a few things.
Moving from each patient, Tina draws a blood sample and cuts a small sliver of skin off a false cutie mark. After packing them off in the lab, Tina turns to the doctor.
“We need to check the rest who are waiting for any signs of this now. Then we got to send for help if all possible.” Tina grimly voices.
“And after we do that what next? You do have something in mind?” Dr. Hemlock asks cocking an eye brow.
“Have you used a microscope?” Tina asks passing the doctor one of her last water bottles. “I’m going to need your help examining the samples for anything that don’t belong.”
Dr. Hemlock had not, in fact; used a microscope before. Neither did he understand what it did a first glance, but after Tina demonstrated how she uses it Dr. Hemlock understood and the pair set out to examine the samples.
Tina’s micro scopes were cutting edge in they contained built in digital cameras and light emitting diodes that could illuminate the sample under different light waves. The lab kit contained a printer and a battery that could be used with the microscopes.
Two hours and forty-one minutes pasted as the pair preformed their check up of the gathered ponies. In that time one more had fallen ill.
The pair only remembered about the strange Foxfire plant problem after they set about gathering the remainder of Tina’s suppression epee-pens and found a frighteningly large bush spouting from the waste can. Upon stepping into the room the pair started to feel their hearts race, and this made Tina’s vision senses with erupt with stimulation. For a short moment Tina could almost make out legs sprouting from the base of the Foxfire bush through the wall of color.
“Tina… Tina are you alright?” a stinging voice called out. “Can you help me get her over to the bench?”
Tina raised a hand to her nose after they propped her on a bench. When she pulled her hand away to look at it, Tina felt a pinch in her neck.
“Thanks doc…” Tina distantly mutters as she notices the blood on her finger tips.
Several miles off and into the Everfree Forrest, Pollen Duster and River Runner arrive at the field of blue flowers.
“Why does every pony treat this part of the forest as a wall?” Pollen Duster asks remembering how the merchants were talking about flower field. “I get that flying through the trees is a bit of a thrill ride, but we also have to keep a line with the Sister’s Manor from time to time.”
“Not every pony thinks that, but a bridge over these might help.” Replies River Runner as he scowls at the blue plants dismayed by just how much territory these weeds took up. “For as long as I’ve known Moss he seems so friendly, but something today is just rubbing me the wrong way.”
“I noticed that as well. Any time his companion went to say something he became testy.” Pollen Duster replied disgusted. “Yet she was more candid than he was; Moss with all his back hoofed remarks about you.”
“You mean the fish breath thing…” River Runner groans still casting his eyes across the flower field.
“Not just that River, for all his talk of his kin being sheltered he did a lot of that with that mare.” Pollen Duster snaps. “He should have let me confront her and set her strait for bad mouthing us.”
“River Runner, tell me how many of the ponies have you met from our sister village of Sunny Town?” Pollen Duster continues. “In all your years of knowing Moss, have you ever met any pony else of his kin?”
“Aside from the two today it is always just him.” River Runner replies.
Before they could continue their search under a beam of moon light, a very loud greeting startles the pair. Pollen Duster gets hung up on a tree branch in her moment of panic in turn scarring a squirrel which jumps off the tree colliding with River Runner’s left wing. This makes the bat pony stallion crash land into a patch of blue flowers.
“Hail citizens, I apologize for startling you, but can you tell me if anything out of the ordinary happened near here lately.” Stewart Celestia calls out again much more softly flying in for a closer look at the two bat ponies.
“Stewart…” River Runner mutters dizzy.
“Oh River Runner… You’re going to be an awful mess latter.” Pollen Duster shakes her head at her friend as she pulls herself from the tree and back into the air before turning to Celestia. “We came out her to look for a flower that a strange visitor described as a cure for an illness our town facing. Umm… Can you help me get him up without touching him? He going to have a bad week thanks to these flowers.”
“Sure I can lift him with a simple spell until we can get you home, but what about this illness?” Stewart Celestia asks as she begins following Pollen Dusters lead.
“It began a few days ago, one night before River Runner brought the nearly dead stranger into town; a couple of folks became covered in cutie marks and… worked themselves to death. Dr. Hemlock doesn’t know what it is and tried forced feeding and restraints to keep them from exhausting themselves but it didn’t help.” Pollen Duster explains sorrowfully. “One of them… was a… a close friend.”
“You being out here now worries me, are there others?” Stewart Celestia asks carrying River Runner in her magic’s grip.
“Four maybe more now… One is a filly who might last a week tops.” Pollen Duster weeps.
“How is it that the first two died so quickly and the filly only has a week at best?” Stewart Celestia replies with confusion and concern.
“The stranger… The near dead injured… whatever she was used a medicine of some kind on the filly.” Pollen Duster replies back. “She said it would slow the condition not cure it, but that was yesterday before the others got sick…”
Pollen Duster went pale and nearly fell into the trees as she briefly stopped flying.
“Pollen pull up, snap out of it!” River Runner screams at the bat pony mare.
“Ahh… that was too close.” Pollen Duster shrieks both at the tree she nearly crashes into and at the magical hold that arrested her momentum.
“This is not easy to do.” Stewart Celestia groans pulling Pollen Duster away from the tree while not losing hold of River Runner. After the bat pony mare was flying on her own again, Celestia continues her conversation. “This flower you mentioned earlier do you know what it looks like?”
“We have a picture that the stranger drew. We asked a visiting merchant from the nearby town and he said we might find it past the blue flowers.” River Runner explains pulling the picture from his saddle bags.
Stewart Celestia frowns at the drawing. It was a rare mystical plant that she had indeed heard of and seen somewhere before, but it was not native to Equis Territories.
“I cannot help you with the flower my friends as I know for a fact it does not grow around here.” Stewart Celestia sternly replies with a down cast expression. “It is a Zebra remedy and it will take time to procure. Take me to this stranger maybe between the three of us we can find a way to manage this calamity until I can get word out for help acquiring this cure.”
The heart break in Pollen Duster’s eyes was obvious but she nodded and continued back to Moon Bloom Glenn. Stewart Celestia was not certain about how useful her magic would be in curing the illness but she could certainly help buy some time for the cure to be acquired.
The sun rose a few hours of flying later, Stewart Celestia found her-self pleased with her students first solo attempt. As much as she wanted to supervise the activity she knew that they would be on their own eventually and now she had other pressing matters as she entered Moon Bloom Glenn.
From the look on Pollen Duster’s face the situation in the town must have gotten worse. There were signs of damage to the homes of many residents which was disturbing, but no bodies of dead ponies were yet present. No one was in their homes at a time that Stewart Celestia knew was the custom for Moon Bloom Glenn.
“Please tell me I’m not seeing this.” Pollen Duster meekly wheezes. “Please Dr. Hemlock and Tina do not let them all die.”
Pollen Duster raced toward the hospital that was the Doctor’s residence followed closely behind by Stewart Celestia. As much as the Stewart wanted to let go of River Runner so she could hurry to aid the doctor, River Runner had him-self become inflicted by an illness.
An hour earlier River Runner’s wings morphed into blue spotted fins, his hooves became flippers, and he was now covered in scales instead of fur. He was still breathing normally but she didn’t know if that would change. Poison Joke was a very nasty plant but it’s afflictions were not often fatal, just unpleasant.
Outside the Dr. Hemlock’s home a pale red earth pony with deep red spots was tending to about five other ponies on cots, all of whom were partly covered with false cutie marks. All of the ponies that were being tended to were sweating and breathing heavily. Pollen Duster races over to the earth pony.
“Peoria, tell this isn’t happening!” Pollen Duster shrieks stumbling as she lands.
The earth pony mare wore a down trodden scowl as she took notice of Pollen Duster.
“It’s been getting worse and we can’t determine the source of the outbreak.” Peoria replies injecting something into the stallion on a nearby cot. “Tina was able to create a small amount of her medicine but we only have a day and a half worth with this many patients. Tell me you found that plant or your friend can get it. We are at our wits end.”
“I sorry citizen…”Stewart Celestia calls out to Peoria. “…but those plants do not grow around these parts. I offer my assistance with my magic until word can be sent to import some, but we will need time. Can you take me to the doctors?”
Peoria nods and waves a hoof for the group to follow.
Inside the office a few ponies that were not sick wait nervously for Dr. Hemlock and Tina to tell them what ideas they had to stop the illness. A pair of voices could be heard coming from a room down the hall.
“I think I’ve isolated the toxin in common with all the patients.” Tina speaks circling a particle found on five different blood sample images. “Can you confirm that this is not some normal blood factor for me?”
“Let me see…” Dr. Hemlock casts his tired eyes about the images of the blood samples in question and his notes from the healthy ponies. “I don’t see a match with the healthy residents for… that circled thing. Let’s check the other patient samples first.”
“Dr. Hemlock, Tina; the search party is back with someone else she wants to help.” Peoria calls to the pair from the hallway door.
A small smile crosses Tina’s face as she looks over at Dr. Hemlock.
“They must have succeeded.” Tina said happily as the two make for the door.
As Dr. Hemlock and Tina entered the waiting room, Tina went wide eyed at the form of Stewart Celestia.
“Princess… Celestia…” Tina mutters panicky.
“Actually I go by the title Stewart. I hear you’re tying to cure this illness.” Stewart Celestia replies as a sharp pain from a surge of magic starts to lance her mind.
“What happened to River Runner?” Dr. Hemlock groan racing over to the bat pony. “We need to get him into a tub of water so he doesn’t dry out further.”
Tina was feeling faint and she wasn’t sure if it was the Foxfire wood’s influence again or the surprise of the alicorn’s arrival that was the reason.
“I… I’ve ident… identified the something that I think is the cutie pox toxin. Please tell me you have the actual cure… that you recognized the plant in the drawing and… and brought it.” Tina sputters careful not to rush up and shake the alicorn on her shaky feet.
The expression on Stewart Celestia’s face drooped prompting Tina’s own expression to lose the little shine of hope that Celestia’s arrival prompted and she feel to her knees.
“Poison Joke… He fell into a patch of those twisted weeds.” Dr. Hemlock scowls exiting the room River Runner was taken to with Pollen Duster.
Tina turns her head toward the doctor not even hearing Celestia’s reply with a look of confusion on her face. Before Tina could reply her senses flare up painfully all at once.
“What you cannot cure you must help them endure!” Tina imagines a voice call to her with the vision of the Foxfire wood overlapping the recalled image of the Poison Joke flower from Brian’s briefing on where they planned to travel. These were followed by a short series of chemical equations.
Tina was so out of it she did not notice that she completely collapsed in front of everyone and start to bleed from her nose. Dr. Hemlock and Celestia racing to her side with most of the waiting ponies suddenly worried about her health instead of their own. Tina blacked out.
“Dr. Hemlock what is wrong with this Traveler?” Stewart Celestia desperately demands. “I can sense her mind and body going wild.”
“She skipped her injection again…” Dr. Hemlock kneels down over Tina’s prone body brow furrowed in thought. “She can’t afford to do this even to save our patients.”
“Doctor what going on?!” Stewart Celestia growls.
“She said she has things in her head that can injure her if not treated with drugs from time to time.” Pollen Duster replies frantically to the Stewart’s question.
“She can’t do this to herself, she’ll die!” Peoria adds distraught over the new development.
“Do you have enough medicine to help her?” Stewart Celestia snaps.
Dr. Hemlock removes a needle that the two had set up for the patients and injects Tina.
“This is all I can do for her until she wakes up; we don’t have any more mixed up and I need her help to craft the medicine.” Dr. Hemlock mutters worried.
After helping the doctor make Tina comfortable Stewart Celestia exits the hospital and manages to stop a guard Pegasus who had been part of last night’s search and sends him back to inform her sister with a message about Moon Bloom Glenn’s emergency. It was her hope that the added help they might just secure that cure that would keep the town from perishing.
Dr. Hemlock explained the medicine’s effect as best as he could to Stewart Celestia, and in turn Celestia tried to replicate its effect with her magic on the ill ponies. She was no doctor, in all Celestia’s long life she had never been required to deliberately numb the body of another pony while also suppressing the magic flow. Despite this new challenge she resolved to extend their chances of life till help arrived.
Tina woke in a semi-conscious state, as best a she could tell; and moved in a robotic manor toward the Foxfire tree that took over Dr. Hemlock’s room ripping some of the thorny branches off it. Tina’s senses swam as she left the doctor’s room and into the room River Runner was sleeping to collect the scraps of Poison Joke that had been pulled off his body.
How she remembered to find and put on gloves before touching the blue weed she was unable to recall.
Upon entering the lab she had set up, Tina pulled out a few test tubes, a mostly empty water bottle, a scalpel, and some surgical tape from her kit. With the scalpel Tina slices into a Foxfire wood clipping and the stem of a Poison Joke flower, them meets the exposed flesh of the plants together before taping them up and placing the newly spiced plant into a test tube with some water. She remembers that the water bottle ran out on the second test tube before a flash of visions in here head prompted her to mix some of her last lab kit chemicals into the test tube water and splatter each spice with blood on the leaves. Tina scribbles some notes on a note pad and blacks out again.
Peoria enters the room that Dr. Hemlock and Tina had been using as a lab to look for any remaining suppressant for that we left so they could have them ready for use in seven hours when the effects ware off.
‘I hope Stewart Luna can get that help to us soon.’ Peoria wonders as she absentmindedly waters a plant in a small glass vase that for some reason was low on water. ‘Why am I watering these and where did they come from?’
Putting down the clay water jug Peoria takes a closer look at the plants. Something scared her about the thorny part which shined a disturbing prismatic light on the underside of its leaves, but she couldn’t place the memory because of the blue blooms that was growing out of what looked like the same plant. Before she could get any closer she bumped into something that groaned.
“How did… when did you get here?” Peoria whispers to her-self stunned having forgotten why she came to this room in the first place catching site of Tina’s form slumped on the desk.
Peoria regains her composer and dashes outside to get help.
“Tina, can you hear me?” a distorted voice calls to Tina.
Tina squints trying to get her eyes to adjust to the color intensity induced blur.
“I found her in the lab.” Another distorted voice adds.
Tina’s vision was still blurry, but she began to feel a tingling sensation overcome her resulting in her vision clearing some.
“I think this might help her condition some.” A new voice adds.
Tina was now able to make out the figures over her as Peoria, Dr. Hemlock, and Stewart Celestia.
“Are you with us again?” Dr. Hemlock asks. When Tina nods her head he continues with another question. “What is going on in the lab with those plants you blacked out near?”
“Plants, I not sure what you’re talking about?” Tina mutters confused.
Dr. Hemlock motions Tina to follow him to the lab. Stewart Celestia offers Tina a shoulder to hold onto so she can avoid hurting her-self during the walk.
In the lab Tina sees three strange hybrid plants growing from test tubes. The first two were identical with thorny bark and blue wide leaf flowers but also some small prismatic stripped blue flower buds that weren’t open. The third hybrid on the other hand had red heart shaped leaves and a white thorn-less stem. Tina’s jaw dropped at the site she did not remember these being here.
Looking more closely at the hybrids, Tina could see the remains of surgical tape that was used to hold the spliced plants together as well as empty chemical bottles. Checking the note pad she found hastily written instructions and formulas.
“I don’t remember setting these up.” Tina states mildly confused. “If these notes are right, I spiced Poison Joke with Foxfire wood and bathed the clippings a third of the chemicals I need to make more suppressant. I know the Foxfire wood makes innate powers and augmentations run rampant, I’m guessing Poison Joke reverses the properties of living things, all the while drawing up the chemicals as if they were hydroponic fertilizer.”
“Why would you do something like that?” Stewart Celestia asks.
“Most medicine is derived from the natural world where I’m from, but this would not have been my first choice to fix things.” Tina replies.
“Is that why you went looking for a toxin in the blood as the cause?” Dr. Hemlock asks.
“Yes. Like if someone was bitten by a poisonous snake, I could milk some of the venom from that snake mix it with a few things and make a cure.” Tina replies. “But making anti-venom requires milking the correct snake to work, and I don’t know why the last hybrid is different from the other two.”
“If you were trying to make a cure how can you test it if it might be poisonous?” Peoria asks.
Tina’s eyes lit up with inspiration.
Elsewhere on the opposite end of Moon Bloom Glenn, the pony Moss in nervously awaiting the arrival of his kinsmen Carpenter.
“Pisst… Moss.” A red mane brown whistles. “Why was Grey Hoof so panicked?”
“Something foul is at work Carpenter. What with holes to spirit world, and ponies wreaking stuff and dropping over.” Moss grumbles.
“What do ya figure the cause?” Carpenter frowned.
“Some screwy magic light has been jumpin off of folks here. I’m thinking we start with what that’s about.” Moss grumbled as he motions to his friend to quietly follow him.
Night was only a few hours off at the time when Moss and Carpenter went toward Dr. Hemlock’s home. It took little effort to sneak over to the residence/hospital, as most everyone had fallen sick.
Outside Dr. Hemlock’s tending to the ill ponies on cots, Peoria and Pollen Duster went about checking just how many false cutie marks each pony had at this point. With no more suppressants, all any of the health ponies could do is wait until Tina and Dr. Hemlock finish testing the two serums on the preserved tissue samples. Most of the ponies on the porch were now up to ten false cutie marks.
“I don’t know how long they’ll hold out.” Pollen Duster mutters as she wipes a wet cloth across a greenish blue bat pony stallion’s forehead.
“Tina says we have two hours and sixteen minutes until it wears off. Hopefully they have something ready before then.” Peoria replies.
Three new flashes of light shine over there of the sick ponies bodies. Then some pony else screams.
Inside the make shift lab, Stewart Celestia conjured a table top for the lab equipment after the testing serums from the first two identical hybrids ate holes through the samples and table all the way to the floor.
“These two are certainly toxic and dangerous. No need to waste the slides or ruin the microscopes with a more thorough test serum A.” Tina groans audible stuffing the bad hybrids into the metal lab case for disposal. “Waste of valuable tissue samples on corrosive burning sludge.”
“Do I want to know who these samples use to be part of?” Stewart Celestia asks with a hint of anger to her voice.
“Yes, no one should be forgotten when they die by those who cared for them.” Tina quietly mutters a reply. “For now we give serum B a try so we have people or ponies to mourn their dead and not more dead to mourn. Please serum B, don’t be a waste.”
“The next set is laid out, ready to try it?” Dr. Hemlock asks moving the last of the cultured and tainted pony flesh into position.
“No more…more time for… other options, my training either helps us now… or all we can do is make them comfortable before the… end.” Tina mutters with a shaky voice and trembling hand as she injects a small amount of serum into the samples.
The reaction took a few minutes to start up. The first sign that something was working was flickers of magical light across the chunks of pony hide.
“We have a reaction.” Dr. Hemlock calls to Tina and Stewart Celestia. Dr. Hemlock looked like he was going to be sick but had the start of a smile too.
“Let it be good.” Tina replies making her way over to look at the samples.
“Please, I’ll even hold back the sun rise a little for the next day so they may enjoy it with restored health, work.” Stewart Celestia begged.
Peering over the sample the three could see the false cutie mark crack and fade away as a more heath color returned to the sample. Tina rushed over to a microscope and preps a glass slide with tainted blood to test how the serum works on the blood sample. She carefully moves the slide under the lens, set the photo printer and introduces the serum. As the photos slide out of the printer the alien toxic particle vanishes leaving all the others untouched.
The three nod to each other and head over to Bee Charmer’s room. Both of Bee Charmer’s parents waited at the filly’s side she wasn’t yet struggling to control her body meaning the suppressant was still working. As they approached the family the three steeled their resolve for the question they needed to ask.
“Misses Wind Melody and Mr. Spore Dancer we request yours and your daughter’s permission to use this remedy to attempt to cure her.” Dr. Hemlock nervously asks the family.
“It is not a proper cure, but I am confident that it will stop this sickness. I will not force you if the risk…” Tina adds.
“I give my permission, it was only because of your aid my dear girl is still here.” Spore Dancer replies.
“I too give my consent. Dr. Hemlock you have never given me reason to doubt your judgment.” Wind Melody adds. “You wouldn’t be here if you thought it was wrong.”
“I trust you Tina, Mr. Hemlock, Lady Celestia; your all here to help after all.” Bee Charmer cheers.
“Let get you healed then.” Tina replies smiling and injects Bee Charmer with the serum.
Like with the sample it took a few minutes to get an effect, but soon magical light began tracing along the filly’s body cracking and fading the false cutie marks as a web of light streamed toward the real one making it shine brightly. Bee Charmer cringed in a bit of pain as the whole display went on, but happily relaxed when the light went away.
Bee Charmer began to hum to herself for a moment and a bee no else had noticed landed on her hoof and did a brief little dance before flying off. Bee Charmer smiled as her parents hugged her.
“We can start to…” Tina began only to be cut off by a scream.
Pollen Duster and Peoria barge into the room both with panicked expressions on their faces.
“The Merchants from Sunny Town saw the patients get false cutie marks and freaked out screaming something of a curse!” Pollen Duster wheezes.
Tina collapses to into the wall almost losing the needle with the serum in it and shudders violently her eyes becoming pin pricks with shock. “Sun… Sunny… Town, it’s the Story of the Blanks. No!”
“What happening?” Spore Dancer demands now scared.
A vision of a filly pony’s murder and zombie ponies flash in Tina’s mind.
“Those superstitious idiots need to be stopped; they don’t know that cutie pox can be cured.” Tina shouts.
“What’s the Story of the Blanks?” Stewart Celestia demands her voice lased with dread.
“A punishment… for murder they just… don’t know the truth about what they fear.” Tina gasps out her nose starting to bleed her eyes beginning to droop. “Don’t let… them… make mistake.”
“Stewart Celestia, The medical unicorns you requested from Luna have arrived to assist.” A Pegasus Stallion in guard armor announces.
“Guardsmen get word to Luna, have her muster a force to quell a panic in Sunny Town quickly.” Stewart Celestia orders.
“Mama?” The guard asks confused.
“Two Sunny Town merchants just took off from here in a crazy fright. I know the way I can show you.” Pollen Duster replies waving to the guard.
“I’m coming too!” Peoria shouts.
“Stewart I’m going to muster the unicorns and start treating the rest of the village. Please watch Tina I’ll return as soon as I can.” Dr. Hemlock asks heading for the door.
“Stewart we’ll help you get her into the bed.” Wind Melody states as she carefully crosses the room to help pick the now unresponsive Tina.
“Mommy she is really sick isn’t she?” Bee Charmer asks deeply worried about her savior.
The epidemic of the cutie pox was falling away thanks to Tina’s insight and Dr. Hemlock's trust, however Peoria’s and Pollen Duster’s news triggered a revelation by Tina that made it once again a race against time.
The merchants Moss, Three Leaf, Gray Hoof, and lastly the one Peoria did not meet by the name Carpenter, these residents of Sunny Town; were about to bring a calamity upon the world. In an act of pure panic Moss and Carpenter fled the town even succeeding in throwing Pollen Duster to the ground and knocking Peoria through a wall as they attempted to stop the pair.
A Day passed as the villagers started to regain their strength and Pollen Duster with Peoria traveled to gain Luna’s aid.
“Stewart Celestia, we can’t do any more for her. This condition she has advanced too far, that even destroying the remains of that wild magic spewing plant has had no effect on her.” A yellow unicorn medic quietly reported. “Tina is awake though and she asks to see you about ‘the story of the blanks’ she had mentioned.”
Celestia followed the medic to Tina’s room where Dr. Hemlock waiting by her bedside with Bee Charmer. Tina was pale and sweaty.
“Hi… Stewart… Celestia. I have… one last thing to… explain.” Tina wheezes with barely focused eyes. “When my friends… came here, we researched the… fictions related to your… world. That is how I… was able to deduce the illness.”
“And I thank you for that; so many lives were saved because of your remedy.” Stewart Celestia replies holding Tina’s right hand in her hoof.
“I didn’t make… the connection to… the ‘story of the blanks’… because the sister… town was never named. “ Tina continues weakly. “A murder occurs… shortly after the town’s… council learned of the… cutie pox epidemic killing… the sister town. It is all a mistake… made out of fear… bringing a curse of damnation and un-death… to all who reside there… or mistakenly visits her in the… future. Rumors need to spread first… there may… yet … be… time…”
Tina passes out.
“She’s too weak to speak more Stewart. She may… not even… wake back up.” The unicorn medic sniffles.
“I'm fit to travel Stewart; I want to help stop this calamity!” River Runner calls from the door having recently been cured of his Poison Joke affliction. “Many of the others are also willing to assist after Tina’s efforts and what they witnessed of the merchants a day ago. Let us help.”
“You have my blessing, join with Luna and go with all speed!” Stewart Celestia commands bringing cheers from the waiting ponies outside.
Seven maybe ten ponies, both bat pony and earth pony race to exit the village with River Runner racing to join them.
The sun rises on a march to noon day, Celestia would once again marvel at her students grace and dedication to the task by themselves. Celestia turns her head to the unconscious Traveler however and places this pleasant memory aside. She lived to see another stranger place her people needs ahead of their own needs and she was powerless to help.
Another day passes as River Runner’s group and Luna’s group converge on Sunny Town. The hour now grows late with a scream that pierces the Everfree Forest.
“That sounded close!” River Runner shouts.
“I can make out a clearing up ahead. It resembles farm land.” Spore Dancer replies.
“Let’s move.” River Runner calls out as a lantern light’s glow approached.
“Not without me you don’t, I’ve got Luna hot on my heels with our back up. They are five minutes out.” Peoria shouts. “I intend to buy them some time!”
In a darkened cabin a tan mane brown earth pony colt crumples in agony after having the flesh seared from flanks with a fire poker. His screams were so loud that every pony in Sunny Town took notice and shuddered greatly disturbed. Many even began to approach the cabin with a morbid curiosity.
“Gladstone… What did they do to him?” Mitta cringed at the shriek of pain. “Why did you have to be cursed?”
Mitta was extremely scared she didn’t want to watch as everyone she knew lose control of themselves and die like a few of the others had mentioned.
‘Ruby please don’t catch it too, come back.’ Mitta thought as screams of panic started to come from the direction of the cabin.
“Another one caught it!” A fleeing mare cried running from the cabin.
Mitta was transfixed with terror she failed to notice the invasion of strange ponies until they passed and she saw the cutie pox scarred flank.
“These folks are already rioting.” Peoria growls at the confused villagers.
“Their… their not dead… but how is it possible?” Mitta mutters starting to tear up.
Gladstone hobbles toward the town square crying uncontrollably. His flanks were blistered with black and red burns, hindering his movement. Collapsing into the dirt, Gladstone buries his head in his hooves.
“They mutilated him!” Pollen Duster snarls racing over to the crying colt. “Those fools convinced them already that our town’s illness was some stupid curse.”
“Illness… No I have to find her.” Mitta perked up in dread and desperation running toward the cabin. “You were right Ruby. Please hold on!”
“River Runner, we can’t let her run off!” Peoria breaks into a gallop behind Mitta.
Inside the darkened cabin, a gray filly with a blond mane now lays bound in front of a fire. All around her stand the ponies who were friends and kin, among them was Three Leaf and Grey Hoof.
“This can’t be happening! First Gladstone, now this one it’s only a matter of time before the whole town ends up like these two. We need to find a way to stop these marks from spreading.” snarled Grey Hoof with disgust unable to comprehend how or why this filly became marked.
“Well it seems these marks can’t simply be burned off. Our watchers who spotted her said it appeared just moments ago.” Three Leaf suggests uncertain.
Outside the cabin, the thunder of pony hooves arose in the distance closing fast on the cabin.
“It’s a curse after all, remember our scout’s stories. Maybe it sensed our intentions to destroy it and Jumped from Gladstone to her…” Another Colt adds but is interrupted by the noise of something.
The ponies gaze shifted toward the door and saw it shudder violently with cracks ripping along the wood grain.
“It’s begun already. Quick, do it!” The colt continued prompting Gray Hoof to race to the table and pick up a knife in his mouth.
As Grey Hoof turns beginning his approach to Ruby, the door explodes into splinters and a gray filly with a red mane is briefly illuminated by lightning landing on the hard cabin floor. Mitta somehow keeping her footing charges Gray Hoof.
“Don’t you touch Ruby!” Mitta shouts shoulder charging Gray Hoof hitting him with enough force to knock the knife from his mouth. Before Gray Hoof could even feel his hooves return to the ground he catches site of Mitta angry glare just inches from him, with a fresh gash across her check; as she swings a right hoof that connects with his face.
The hit in mid air makes Gray Hoof land violently on his side leaving him stunned. Two ponies attempted to seize Mitta as she snatches the knife to free Ruby only to be hit from behind by River Runner who forced them to crash with the far wall.
“I won’t let you kill them!” Peoria shouts swinging her head violently into a third attacker's head before ducking under him and pushing him over and off his feet. “Quickly run north you’ll be safe there!”
Mitta and Ruby almost got blocked at the door while River Runner and Peoria fought, but for whatever reason Three Leaf tripped the blocker allowing the fleeing fillies to jump over her.
Outside in the town proper several ponies baring the scars of the recent epidemic were beginning to be surrounded by the rest of the village, it looked as they might not reach the town exit only for Gladstone to tackle two other villagers out of their path. As the Ever free opened up before them PegasI could be seen by the two descending on the town.
Bolts of lightning lanced down at the villagers breaking up the fights.
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” Stewart Luna shouts. “CEASE THIS DISORDER AT ONCE!”
The Stewart had twenty Pegasi guards armed with spears and equipped with the shell vine armor of her guard. The villagers froze at the site of the militia assembled before them aiding the marked strangers.
“Stewart…” A villager began only to be cut off.
“Bring me the ones responsible for this unrest now.” Stewart Luna commanded coldly.
Gladstone motioned for the Stewart to follow him to the cabin. Luna followed with five guards in tow. At the cabin Peoria, River Runner, and Three Leaf managed throw a couple of their attackers out the door. The ponies attempted to reenter the cabin only to stop at the spears that were leveled at them.
“COME OUT NOW, I WILL HAVE ANSWERS!” Stewart Luna commands. At this all the ponies in the cabin exited.
Horror crossed the faces of the Sunny Town elders upon seeing the Stewart.
“I have come all this way because sick ponies needed my aid and as I return home I am informed that panic has broken out here. I hoped this news to be an overreaction, but here we stand. So explain yourselves!” Luna adds scowling.
“You’re in league with these curse bearers!” Moss defiantly spits.
“It was no curse. It was a sickness and we cured it!” Peoria retorts.
“Sickness… No. What did I almost do, what have I done?” Gray Hoof begins to sob.
“What was that you said just now?” Stewart Luna replies to glare at Gray Hoof.
“Don’t go losing your sense lad!” Moss snaps only to get at spear brought to his neck.
“I betrayed her… betrayed them… I don’t deserve to live…” Gray Hoof weeps only to get struck by Luna and knocked to the ground.
“You will not choose your own punishment, am I clear?” Luna whispers menacingly into Gray Hoofs ear, lock her gaze with his teary face to which he nods. Standing back at her full height Luna continues. “I want these ponies in irons and the rest of the troops will remain behind to enforce order until things can be better explained.”
After a day and night of running Mitta and Ruby make it to the safety of Moon Bloom Glenn, they found themselves joined by River Runner, Pollen Duster, Peoria, Spore Dancer and the other along the way. They told the pair all about the Traveler who save them from the cutie pox and the weird events of the past week or so.
As the village came into view the newest refuges began to ask about meeting this friend from worlds beyond.
“So it was Tina and Dr. Hemlock discovered that cutie pox is a toxin induced illness that messes with the natural cutie mark magic of ponies.” Mitta states still surprised. “What about the source of the contamination? It doesn’t sound like any of us would eat such a weird plant on purpose?"
“Yeah that worries me too, we could not find a pattern to explain why everyone got sick.” Peoria replies.
“Maybe I could figure it out. I seem to be good at finding things.” Ruby says smiling.
“We could ask Dr. Hemlock and Tina about it…” Pollen Duster adds.
“I hate to ruin the mood, but Tina wasn’t doing well when we left for Sunny Town.” River Runner somberly interrupted. “The medic the Stewart sent us said… she…. might not wake up.”
Peoria ears spayed back, tears welling up in her eyes before running full speed toward Dr. Hemlock’s.
At the doctor’s home Celestia was being embraced by Luna, the Sun Stewart clearly grief stricken. Peoria slowed down when she reached the two sisters. With a shake of Celestia head, Peoria head droops and she sits down.
When the rest catch up they are told of Tina's death.
Dr. Hemlock started the next new night by injecting Moon Bloom Glenn’s newest citizens with the serum as a cutie pox preventive since the source of the contamination is still unknown.
“That should do it. Now you’ll have some protection at least.” Dr. Hemlock calmly remarks as he pulls the needle out of Mitta’s arm.
“It worries me that you have to do this. It would be better to clean up the toxin instead. Didn’t Tina think it was a plant?” Mitta asks.
“She said that was speculation. I think our only clue to the real cause can be found in why 2 distinct hybrids were produced from the same methodology that Tina used.” Dr. Hemlock wonders aloud. “The first two created a flesh eating acid, but the last one produced the cure that is now in you.”
Ruby picked up Tina’s journal and flipped through the pages and comes to the note that mentioned that she ran out of bottled water on the second plant splice. Reading further it was also noted that all three spices shortly ended up with the same water levels later on. It was then Ruby saw the clay water jug by the lab tools.
“Mitta I’m going to get some water.” Ruby calls holding onto the journal.
“Okay but come back soon, we we’ll be looking for a house here later.” Mitta replies.
Ruby smiles and heads outside to find the town water well.
“It has to be in the water, that the only thing different with the hybrids.” Ruby mutters smugly. “If I can find that weird plant somewhere around the water this mystery will crack wide open.”
After asking around Ruby finds the well. Looking down inside it was easy to see that the well walls were built to keep ponies from wandering around the underground stream. It was a good idea to be sure, but Ruby was not staying out when she was so close to an answer.
Ruby put the journal into her saddle bag and pulled out a large ball of twine and a nail. After tacking the twine line to the well wall she starts exploring the waterway.
A half hour passed and both Dr. Hemlock and Mitta noticed that Ruby didn’t return and the journal was missing as well.
“Where could she have gone?” Dr. Hemlock asks puzzled.
“Excuse me have you seen a blond mane gray filly? Her name is Ruby.” Mitta asks an earth pony who points toward the well.
“She did say she wanted water.” Dr. Hemlock musses catching a glimpse of Mitta’s growing frustration. “It something else isn’t it?”
Mitta nods and the two race toward the well. Looking down into the well they clearly see the twine lifeline leading into the underground waterway.
“Ruby what has gotten into you?” Mitta grumbles climbing into the well.
“She took Tina’s journal, could she have seen something we didn’t?” Dr. Hemlock replies lighting a lantern.
“You mean like a clue to something?” Mitta replies back grabbing the lantern.
“I’ll be sure to ask her, I’ve looked all through that thing and I can’t imagine what our well has to with this.” Dr. Hemlock musses as he descends into the well.
They began walking along the edge of the underground river passing the limestone stalactites and stalagmites. Despite the cave off shoots, the twine line continued to follow the river upstream where a shaft of moonlight shone brightly.
After another five minutes of walking, Mitta and Dr. Hemlock found Ruby uprooting a strangely out of place bush and trying to stuff it into her saddle bags. The cave ceiling above her had collapsed due to erosion of the limestone and from the looks of it the light was helping the bushes to grow here. Ruby caught sight of the pair and with a pant she motions for them help.
“I… I found the cause!” Ruby exclaimed. “It was in the water.”
“Ruby…” Mitta began but caught by Dr. Hemlock.
“Ruby can you hand me that journal for a second.” Dr. Hemlock says with a hint of realization in his voice. As he flips through the pages Ruby continues.
“You see their just like the drawings!” Ruby exclaimed proudly pointing at the bushes of Hearts Desire.
“All this time we have been slowly poisoned by our own well.” Dr. Hemlock states. He points to the uprooted bushes and then to the new air shaft of the cave. “When the water washed away the rock here causing the ceiling collapse it must have also brought these Hearts Desire bushes with it where they then took root.”
“You really are great at finding things.” Mitta states warmly hugging Ruby. “let’s go back and get the other to help clean up this mess, okay!”
Over the next days the well was cleaned and Tina was laid to rest. The Stewarts returned to pay their respects and inform Mitta of the change of leadership in Sunny Town. Mitta refused to return to her former town. To commemorate the heroes of Moss Bloom Glenn a statue was planned for town square.
Life returned to normal and back at the Two Sister’s Manor, Stewart Celestia enters a partially dark room to speak to a despairing figure.
“I know how heavy your heart is burdened Discord, but you have to pass on what you have learned in your life just as I’m doing. You’re very important to our planet… and to us too.” Celestia speaks soothingly.
“Go away please.” Discord weeps weekly. “Let me waste away from my deserved punishment in peace.”
“I don’t want you to continue to hate yourself, besides I’ve met someone who can help you; one that you will help greatly by training him in your art.” Celestai states calmly and softly.
At this Discord turned a forlorn and confused gaze to meet Celestia’s own.
One year passes from the time of the cutie pox epidemic in Moon Bloom Glenn, two fillies play game of darts with homemade targets. A green gray earth pony colt just hits three targets with one stone with a silver and yellow bat filly mare watching the stunt.
“That was it Gin. Let me show you something new.” The silver yellow bat smirks picking up a small throwing star made of pine cone seed scales. “I got a way to strike them all and never let my dart hit the ground.”
“You’re dreaming Frayla. You can’t ricochet any dart and hit all of them.” Gin replies skeptical.
“Prepare to eat those words!” Frayla snickers tossing the star over her shoulder at the first target.
With the star in the air it seems the bet is already lost, but Frayla whip around and suddenly launches a series rapid squeaks that makes the homemade star buzz as it cut through the air. Her head darted this way and that as she used her sonar to guide the star to each target before catching it in her hoof.
It was then that a light shown from Frayla’s flanks reveling three bladed stars going off in different direction at once with a faded one in the center that the others streaked away from.
Frayla and Gin started to smile at this, but their smiles fell as two web-like lines were traced out by the same light ending in two more cutie marks unrelated to the first. All three became surrounded by a web-like circle and the light vanished.
“Gin… What… does this mean?” Frayla asks crying. Gin hugs her not knowing what to say.
Elsewhere in a world away a man with a metal arm begins to ponder how his future will end with all the guys with guns staring menacingly at him. It doesn’t help that orange mane silver-blue unicorn was about to wake up at his feet, or that Mike got that ‘there is something behind you’ look from the spooks.
“Oh shit.” Mike mutters.