Chrysalis, Wizel and Char were in trouble. Despite their greater strength, they found themselves being quickly overwhelmed by the horde of outraged Changelings.
"I command you to stop this!" Chrysalis forced some of them back with an expanding dome of magic, "Antler, what good will killing Sazh do you? It will not bring back your son!"
"Maybe not!" Antler roared, "But I know somepony must pay for him getting infected and killed, and if it is not Sazh, it might as well be all of you!"
"You have lost your mind, Antler!" Chrysalis snarled. "Revenge wouldn't be what your son wanted, nor will it make you feel any better. It will only prolong the pain!"
"Oh, really? You're preaching me about not taking vengeance?!" Antler snapped. "The same Queen who had led us on paths of vengeance towards the ponies who had murdered many of our kind before!"
"I... I..." Chrysalis stuttered, cowed by his statement.
"You should listen to her though!" Wizel urged, unleashing first a crane kick, then a roundhouse on a couple of Changelings. "What happened to your son was tragic, but you are only perverting his death by killing another!"
"Zzzo for the lazzzt time, zzztand down!" Char demanded... though by the way his bruised body was wobbling, it seemed he was pleading him to.
"Never!" Antler roared. "We have to eradicate the source of infection, and nopony will stand in our way! Not that cowardly King, not your decrepit uncle, not your flipflopping soldier, and not even you, Queen!"
"Then that's all there is to it, isn't it?" Chrysalis growled in defeat. "No matter... you will not touch Sazh. He may had been a runt, but he is still one of my children, and I won't let you hurt him."
"That boy had seen me through some very rough times, and as his sole father... I won't let you bring harm upon my son..." Wizel declared boldly.
"Got that right. I may have zzzeen him as a runt before, but he is zzztill a member of thizzz hive and he doezzzn't dezzzerve to be punizzzhed like this!" Char agreed. "You'll hurt that little guy over my dead body."
"If we must!" Another Changeling snarled, punching Char hard.
"Ugh!" Char groaned, his body given out from fatigue.
"Char-!" Chrysalis yelped, before being tackled by several of her subjects at once.
"Chrysa-!" Wizel's yell was cut short as he too was brought down.
"It seems our Queen has turned against us." Antler declared. "She places the needs of one Changeling over the entire hive, letting the rest of us suffer to protect the plague-bearer. She and her cohorts must pay the price for their treason..."
"You musn't do this!" Chrysalis struggled.
"You're the ones who are committing treason!" Wizel declared.
"You'll regret thizzz!" Char grunted.
"For the good of the hive, they must be executed!" Antler roared.
"No!" Chrysalis yelled, fear in her eyes. "You can't! I'm your Queen! I'm your mother!"
"You think things are bad now?!" Wizel asked. "Assassinating the Queen will only make things worse."
"Are you zzztupid, or zzzomething?!" Char yelled.
"Quiet, traitor." Antler snarled. "Your time is at an end. And so will Sleight and Sazh's once we get our hooves on them. Once I have Sazh in my bare hooves, I am going to take that runt's stupid, plague-spreading carcass, and-"
Suddenly, a loud bang filled the air.
The Changeling horde nearly leapt out of their shell as they all turned to face the origins of the sound...which was from none other than Elite Everest, holding up a smoking musket rifle, and sporting a gas mask (as provided by the DCD).
"Alright, that is enough! The madness ends now!" Elite yelled.
"Excuse me, who the buck are you?!" Antler snarled, "Can't you see we're busy dealing with these traitors?!"
"All I see is a bunch of rabid animals moments away from committing regicide, matricide, and just plain homicide!" Elite snarled. "And if you don't back away from the Queen and her two cohorts right now, the next shot will be aimed right at your head!"
"Oh, you and that one doohickey?" Antler scoffed, "You think you can take us all?!"
"Don't underestimate the power of a rifle, sir." Elite glared as he points the musket at the hord., "I once blew the head off of a pony with this thing and a Changeling's head will be no different! Now either stand down, or I will shoot!'
While the mob did have strength in numbers, none of them were interested in losing their lives, so they did as they were told, until all but Antler stood there, pinning Chrysalis.
"Maybe we went a little too far..." One remarked.
"We don't want any trouble..." Another added.
"Don't get cold hooves on me now." Antler growled.
"But Antler, how is us getting killed going to help anthing?" A third Changeling. "We might be better off letting this go for now. Unless you actually want that stallion to take our heads off?"
"Hrr." Antler growled. "Fine. We'll step aside... for now.
"Thank you." Elite huffed, as he turned to the Queen and the two cohorts, as Chrysalis rose to her hooves and Wizel helped Char to do the same, "Queen Chrysalis. General Char. Wizel Yggdrasil. We received word that 'patient zero' had vacated the hive, and I was given orders to escort you three out of the quarantine zone to the center."
"Thank Faust." Wizel smiled.
"Yezzz, it'zzz been getting a mite clauzzztrophobic in here." Char added.
"Loathe though I am to leave my subjects, perhaps at the moment, it's for the best." Chrysalis sighed.
"Wait, what about us?!" Antler demanded.
"What about you?" Elite glared.
"You said that the one that infected us all is gone." Antler declared. "That means that no more of us can get sick! That means we should all be allowed to go free now!"
"I'm sorry, but I was only told to bring these three." Elite glared, "Besides, this zone is the only thing keeping in the monsters... and I don't mean the infected..."
"You son of a-" Antler snarled, before Elite flashed his musket rifle again.
"Just walk away." Elite ordered coldly, as he turned to the other Changelings. "That goes for rest of you. Return to your homes and forget about killing anypony! And make no mistake, we will have words about the actions that almost went down just now!"
Antler scowled angrily, while his followers seemed chastised, as they did as such... but not before giving cold looks toward Chrysalis, Wizel, and Char as they walked toward Elite.
"Thank you, Mr Everest." Chrysalis declared.
"Impeccable timing, I must add." Wizel smiled.
"Yeah, another few zzzecondzzz, and we'd have been toazzzt..." Char added.
"Just doing my job." Elite nodded. "I'm just glad that they didn't know that this rifle only had one round in it." He grimaced at the rifle. "With all the magic we have, we can't give this thing more bullets."
"One step forward, and two steps back, eh?" Wizel smirked
"Such is the curse of technology." Elite shrugged. "Now let us make haste to the center. We have ponies waiting for you there."
They made their way to the gates, which were opened for them, and entered the quarantine center, where Celestia, Shine, Luna, and Gothic, and Aspir Harlhooves were waiting.
"There you are." Harlhooves smiled. "I must admit, when word got out about that riot, I was worried."
"We all were." Celestia added. "Thank goodness you're safe."
"Yes, we are not harmed." Chrysalis sighed. "Not physically, at least..."
"Is everything alright, Chrysalis?" Shine asked.
"Honestly, no." Chrysalis sniffed. "Everything is not alright. My hive is under attack by a viral infection, a portion of my subjects are now fungus-coated savages, my husband and one of my child is currently on the run, and I was just almost killed by my other subjects. So, no, Shine, everything is far from being alright."
"Chrysalis..." Celestia frowned.
"You zzzhould had zzzeen them." Char grimaced. "It wazzz like back when Hazzzel was taken. They were all zzzo angry and filled with hate. I thought I would never zzzee something like that again."
"And I hoped I would never see it again." Wizel sighed. "I barely even recognise them anymore..."
"Faust... I knew things were bad, but I didn't think it was that awful." Aspir cringed.
"I, for one, am just baffled." Chrysalis admitted, wiping tears from her eyes. "To hate one of their own so much because of things beyond his control, that they would go as far as to kill their own mother and queen just to make them stop living. I thought our kind was above such violent urges... it seems like everything we had worked for since those dark days had been for naught..."
"Don't give up hope yet, Chrysalis." Celestia declared.
"Your subjects are just afraid." Luna told her. "And fear breeds panic, you know."
"They're just lashing out." Gothic agreed. "You can't blame them..."
"But rest azzzzzzured, my Queen." Char declared. "If we make it through thizzz in one piece, I will zzzee to it that thozzze Changelingzzz learn their lezzzzzzonzzz."
"Thank you Char, but that's cold comfort right now." Chrysalis sighed. "After all, we have no way of knowing if the hive will even survive this..."
"Don't you worry, Chrysalis. One way or another, we will find a way to fix this." Shine assured her.
"They're right, Chrysalis." Wizel declared. "Just hold on to a little faith and we will make it through this."
"Faith." Chrysalis smiled weakly. "I suppose that's all we have right now. All that we-"
"Mother?"
Chrysalis turned in surprise as she saw Glinda rushing towards her.
"Mother!" Glinda hugged her.
"Glinda?" Chrysalis gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I hope you don't mind." Aspir spoke up. "While I had Elite go and save you three, I had another DCD member come to escort this young Changeling from the zone. I was told that this little one has very special significance to you and Sleight."
"You could say that." Chrysalis nodded, as she smiled adoringly at Glinda. "I'm just glad you're safe."
"Where is Sleight?" Glinda asked, worry written all over her face. "I've been hearing from the other Changelings that Sazh is the reason everypony is getting sick and that Sleight had forsaken us and... and..."
"It's alright, little one." Chrysalis assured her. "Sleight is fine. So is Sazh... I hope. All we know is that the others can't hurt them."
"But the rezzzt of uzzz aren't so lucky." Char declared. "Thingzzz are already deteriorating quickly. Who knowzzz how long it'll be before another mob attack?"
"Char, let's try to focus on the positives." Chrysalis declared. "We're still alive. Sleight and Sazh are still alive. At least we can be thankful for that."
"As big a shame it was for our patient zero to flee, Queen Chrysalis is right." Harlhooves agreed. "As long as Sazh is alive, there is hope for a cure to be created. We can only hope that we locate him and Sleight soon..."
At that moment, another suited pony entered.
"Senator Harlhooves, your presence is requested in the medical tent." He announced. "Our experts believe your chemistry knowledge may assist them in their efforts."
"Then I must provide that assistance." Harlhooves nodded. "After all, this contagion must be stopped, before it becomes... uncontrollable."
Harlhooves rushed over to the medical tent.
"There you are, Senator." Twilight noted. "Grab a scalpel."
"Of course." Harlhooves nodded. "Glad to be of help."
"And we need all the help we can get..." Echo mused.
"Hmm..." Harlhooves examined the body. "Interesting... It appears the viral strain has binded itself to the host's chromosomes, initiating a complete systemic mutation."
"You could tell that just from one look?" Echo gasped, astounded.
"Well, it's really more of an assumption." Harlhooves shrugged. "I always did have a way with biology."
"At last, somepony who can actually tell what's going on in there." Lars smiled. "We may finally be getting somewhere."
"Let's not get too hasty." Twilight frowned. "We're a long way from fixing this."
"My thoughts exactly." Harlhooves nodded. "We must get this contagion under control, with all due haste."
Suddenly, Harlhooves' pocket started vibrating.
"Ah... would you excuse me for a moment?" He asked. "I have an important call."
"More important than this?" Moon Dancer frowned.
"The caller would have you think that." Harlhooves mused. "It'll only take a moment, I assure you."
Harlhooves stepped outside the tent, and pulled out a walkie-talkie.
"Harlhooves here." He declared.
"Report." A gruff voice on the other end demanded. "How is the disease looking? Any complications?"
"I'm afraid so." Harlhooves revealed. "Sazh Teller, our patient zero, has escaped the quarantine. With Sleight Gambit in tow."
"WHAT?!" The gruff voice roared through the walkie-talkie. "How could you let him escape?!"
"Hey, I am just as upset as you were when I was told this." Harlhooves frowned. "But there is no need to raise your voice at me!"
"Don't you realize what this could do to our plans?!" The gruff voice snarled. "It's bad enough that you been dragging your hooves with this 'cure' nonsense, but now we have a actual biological threat out there!"
"Calm yourself." Harlhooves soothed. "Don't worry, we will put out a search party for them. They will find Sazh in no time, and we can get back on track with finding the cur-"
"No." The gruff voice cut him off. "We've already wasted enough time with this cure bullcrap. We already got enough of what we need to begin the next phase, so Sazh is irrelevant!"
"I thought we talked about this." Harlhooves growled. "You would give me time to try and find the cure."
"And I did just that." The gruff voice spat. "But the point is if Sazh isn't put down soon, they could find our 'little' present and trace it back to us. And then everything will go to crap!"
"But the cure could still prove useful." Harlhooves insisted. "Just in case-"
"No, Aspir! I am done waiting!" The gruff voice growled, "We need to find that little runt and silence him as soon as possible. Do I make myself clear?!"
"...Crystal." Harlhooves murmured. "Don't worry, I had already taken some precautions, and 'slipped' something into Sleight's coat earlier. With that something, we'll be able to track them down."
"You had better." The voice growled. "For all our sakes."
"I know..." Harlhooves sighed.
"Good." The voice declared. "Just bucking find him and forget this damn cure, so we can finally get this crap done!"
"At once." Harlhooves nodded. "Harlhooves, out..."
Meanwhile, out in the outer swamplands, the card that contained both Sleight and Sazh fluttered overhead.
Believing that they were no longer in danger, Sleight undid his spell, and they both emerged, landing in some mud.
"Ow..." Sazh groaned.
"Yeah...not one of my better landings..." Sleight grimaced as he rose to his hooves, "Hmm, how far do you think the card took us?"
"Hmm..." Sazh rose up and glanced around, seeing the mucky swamplands. "I assume we are a ways away from the hive."
"Great... looks like we'll be walking all the way back to the quarantine center." Sleight sighed as he began walking. "I only hope that Chrysalis and the others are okay. We left them in a pretty bad mess..."
"They wouldn't be in that mess if it wasn't for me." Sazh whimpered, his voice heavy with guilt. "I'm the 'infected one', remember. I brought that plague upon my own kind."
"Come on, pal." Sleight comforted him. "It's not your fault. And besides, a pity party isn't going to help anypony."
"Yeah, I guess..." Sazh sighed, as he let out a small cough.
"Come on." Sleight urged. "Let's get out of here. if we can find our way back to the quarantine zone, the brainboxes might be able to whip up a cure."
"Now that would make me feel better." Sazh declared. "But right now, I'd settle for getting out of here..."
"Me too." Sleight nodded. "So let's go."
They began their trek through the swamp.
"What a day this turned out to be." Sazh groaned.
"Yeah, no kidding." Sleight shrugged. "Bad enough we were all quarantined. But to be attacked by the others, forced to run..."
"And then, I learn that I'm the plague carrier." Sazh frowned. "All in all, not one of my better days..."
"You know, Sazh?" Sleight began, as he took in his surroundings, hoping to take their minds off things. "This place reminds me of when we first met... do you remember when you found me trapped in that 'quickstick slime'?"
"How could I forget?" Sazh mused. "You thought I was going to eat you."
"Yeah... and then when I told you about how I ended up here in that balloon, you got it into your head that I was some legendary wizard..." Sleight grinned. "Not that I did anything to dissuade you, of course..."
"Yeah, even if that part wasn't exactly true, you did save my life when those thugs came and almost gave me the business." Sazh gave a small smile.
"Yeah... though my lie did little to convince Chrysalis and Wizel when we first met. Heh, I don't think Char bought it either." Sleight chuckled.
"But you proved yourself one in the end, though." Sazh recalled. "You became our savior, just as I knew you would... and you became my bestest friend."
"And I would do it again." Sleight declared fondly, "Even if it meant going up against a psycho like-"
"Look!" Sazh pointed.
Just beyond the swamp was a rundown old boarding house, which, unbeknownst to them, was once the hideout of "Red Eclipse" (actually Black Knight Paladin) and his gang of racist thugs.
"Oh, good." Sleight smiled. "Somewhere to stop and rest for a while."
"And it looks like nopony's home." Sazh declared.
"Which means we're free to shack up there for a while." Sleight nodded. "Until we can figure out how to get back home."
"And we'll need all the time we can get..." Sazh said darkly.
The two of them made a beeline for the house, finding it to be a ramshackle mess inside.
"It's not much, but it'll do." Sleight noted. "We'll just rest for a while, get our strength back."
"Sounds good." Sazh sighed. "I'm exhausted..." He let out a couple of coughs, as a few spores sprayed from his nostrils.
'That may not be the only thing wrong with you, buddy...' Sleight fretted.
Back at the center, Twilight and the others weren't doing so well.
"I'm afraid I'm at a loss as to what to do for a cure." Twilight shook her head.
"Me too." Moon Dancer sighed. "These virons read like Haygyptian heiroglyphs. I can't make heads or tails of them."
"I can see the pieces, but not how they fit together." Harlhooves admitted.
"If only those fear-crazy Changelings hadn't driven off patient zero, we might actually be getting somewhere." Lars scowled.
"We can't deal with what-ifs right now." Echo frowned. "Only with what is. and right now, this corpse isn't enough. We need patient zero here, now."
"Say no more." Harlhooves declared. "I will tell Director Everest and his cohorts to form up a search party immediately."
"Good." Twilight nodded. "The sooner we get patient zero here, the better."
"We all feel that way, your highness." Harlhooves nodded. "Unfortunately, time is not our friend..."
"When is it ever?" Moon Dancer snorted.
As soon as Harlhooves had told the others of their lack of progress without patient zero, Elite had immediately gathered Fletcher and Caboose and a group of DCD members, as they stood outside the center.
"Alright, everypony." Elite announced. "We have gotten word from the researchers, and now we have a task of an utmost importance. As of now, Mr. Teller is out only chance for finding a cure, and we must find him before it is too late."
"But how will we do that, sir?" Fletcher asked, "The wind patterns were all over the place yesterday. They could had landed anywhere."
"Yeah, it would be like trying to find a pony and a sick changeling in a mucky swampland..." Caboose began, before frowning, "Wait..."
"Maybe I can offer some assistance, gentlecolts." Harlhooves stepped forward.
"We appreciate the offer, Senator, but you are needed back with the researchers." Elite declared.
"They can manage without me." Harlhooves shrugged, "Besides, you will all be happy to know that I had actually slipped a magc mirror into Sleight's pocket, complete with magical tracking. With my help, we can track the mirror and it should lead us to both Sleight and Sazh."
"Wait...why did you slip a mirror into Sleight's pocket?" Fletcher asked.
"More importantly, when did you slip a mirror into Sleight's pocket?" Caboose frowned.
"I had a feeling Sleight would want to stay with his subjects, so I had one of my workers slip the mirror into his pocket while escorting out. Which turned out to be a smart move..." Harlhooves explained. "Regardless, with the mirror, we should be able to find those two. Simple as that."
"Well, I can't argue with that logic." Elite nodded. "You may come with us, Senator."
"Excellent." Harlhooves smiled.
Back at the boarding house, Sleight just finished lighting the fireplace.
"There we go." He smiled "Nice and warm."
"Yeah, great." Sazh sighed. "Being toasty warm should make all our worries vanish."
"When did you become such a Debbie downer?" Sleight asked.
"Since my own kind tried to kill me." Sazh bowed his head.
"Hey, how about a little entertainment? That ought to give us something to do while we wait, huh?" Sleight declared.
"I don't know if I am in the mood." Sazh moped.
"Come on, I'm sure it will be fun!" Sleight smiled, as he began tuning in.
The muscial chime of a news station blared out as soon as it was turned on.
"As the Changeling hive enters it's sevent day of quarantine, the death count has been estimated as over two hundred, with over three hundred infected." A new announcer declared.
"Um, let's try another station." Sleight frowned, as he changed the station.
"The quarantine is holding for now." Another reporter declared. "But some fear it is only a matter of time before the Changelings within succumb to the plague, or worse, find a way to escape, and spread their contagion across Equestria..."
"Um, okay..." Sleight changed it again.
On every channel, there was talk of the quarantine. Not all of it was good.
"We could have a full-scale epidemic on our hooves!" The voice of Jet Set snarled.
"I have never had anything against the Changeling race as a whole." Mayor Lee Cavallo of Ponyville announced. "But whoever it was who brought this plague upon our fair land must be made to pay the price!"
Fortunately, more were speaking words of sorrow, and fear.
"I just hope they're going to be okay." Fleetfoot declared. "And not just because I have somepony special in there..."
"They don't deserve any of this." Sapphire Shores sniffed.
"If there's a cure, it needs to be found." Vito declared. "Right now..."
"I don't know if you're hearing this, Sazh." Maud announced, her voice tinged with sadness. "But please, stay alive. For me. I couldn't bare to lose you."
"Our thoughts are with those poor Changelings." Celestia declared. "We can only hope our dear neighbors can recover from this awful experience, for it would a true tragedy for Equestria to lose them..."
Sazh's face began to grow more sullen as he listened to the radio. Sleight instantly shut the radio off.
"You know what, radio is overrated nowadays." Sleight grimaced.
"Unbelievable..." Sazh murmured. "Even outside the hive, I'm still making everypony suffer..."
"Hey, come on, pal." Sleight urged. "It's not all bad. With you out of the hive, no more Changelings can get sick, right?"
"Yeah, as if that will change anything..." Sazh growled... as he began coughing hard. "All those Changelings are dead because of me."
"Look, Antler had no right to try and do what he did." Sleight growled. "He was just going to kill you, even though you could help give us the cure."
"But I don't blame him. His son died because I got him sick." Sazh grunted.
"Don't think about that." Sleight urged. "You can't help that. Besides, there's a chance to fix this."
"But what if those smart ponies can't find a cure?" Sazh asked. "What if what's inside me isn't enough? Then we really will be doomed."
"Or we might not be." Sleight urged. "Look on the bright side. As long as you're alive, there's still a chance."
"Look, Sleight, no matter how you look at it, there's no bright side." Sazh coughed some more. "I got every Changeling sick. End of story." With that, he turned away, curling up and facing the fireplace.
"Sazh..." Sleight tried to reason, but no words could come out. "Damn... he's got me there... let's just hope we can get back to the quarantine center and soon..."
Unbeknownst to them, Elite, flanked by Fletcher and Caboose, and a few DCD members were approaching the boardinghouse, with Harlhooves in front, his horn beeping rapidly as he stopped.
"They're in there." Harlhooves noted, "I assume they had been taking shelter after what happened earlier."
"Uh, this place..." Elite mused, "What a bit of irony."
"Excuse me?" Harlhooves frowned.
"It doesn't matter." Elite shook his head, as he stepped forth, "We must approach this delicately. Sazh is a ticking time-bomb. His spores and his blood could infect us if we're not careful. We just need to get Sleight away from him and then get Sazh contained. Simple as that."
"I fear not, Director Everest." Harlhooves declared. "I think we might be too late."
"How do you mean?" Fletcher asked.
"What do you mean too late?" Elite frowned.
"I had been running the numbers, and while Sazh's being the carrier had staved off his turning, it cannot be dragged out forever." Harlhooves frowned, "And if my calculations are correct, Sazh is only moments away from turning."
"Oh no..." Caboose frowned.
"Be that as it may, we still need him." Elite said firmly, "He is our only shot at finding the cure."
"But how do you expect to get him back to the quarantine center?" Harlhooves asked. "If we try to transport his highly infectous body across the swamplands, we run the risk of one of us getting infected. And you saw those infected Changelings. If we're not careful, we could unleash an infected out into the wilderness, getting other wildlife sick, and condemning the whole territory."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Elite asked.
"The only thing we can do." Harlhooves frowned. "...We have to put him down."
"What?! Kill him?!" Caboose gaped.
"Isn't that a little... extreme?" Fletcher asked.
"Extreme, yes." Harlhooves nodded. "But unfortunately necessary at this point."
"What about the cure, though?" Caboose questioned. "Isn't that why we're out here? Won't killing him get rid of the virus?"
"That I don't know." Harlhooves admitted, "We might be able to salvage something, but at this point, it's the best we can do."
"So you say." Elite noted. "But what about Sleight? The poor pony was ready to fight to keep him alive, and I doubt he will care about his own safety if we try to kill his best friend."
"Trust me." Harlhooves declared. "I think I know what to do."
Harlhooves pulled out his magic mirror.
Inside the house, Sleight suddenly heard a ringing in his jacket.
"What the..." He frowned. He looked over at Sazh, who was still curled up, trying to sleep, as he then slipped into another room.
Sleight checked his pocket, finding the mirror Harlhooves had planted on him.
"Okay, how'd that get in there?" Sleight frowned.
Harlhooves' face appeared in the mirror.
"You." Sleight frowned.
"Yes, me." Harlhooves nodded. "Senator Aspir Harlhooves, at your service."
"Senator... why was there a mirror in my pocket?" Sleight asked.
"It's a long story, but we need to talk." Harlhooves declared.
"No offense, but this isn't exactly a good time to talk." Sleight frowned. "Hey wait, how did-"
"I'm well aware of what has befallen you and Sazh." Harlhooves cut him off. "Dreadful business, that."
"Yeah, no kidding." Sleight growled.
"How are you?" Harlhooves asked. "And more to the point, how is Sazh?"
"I'm doing fine." Sleight sighed, "But Sazh..." He glanced back towards the other room. "He's getting worse. He's coughing a lot, his body is spreading spores everywhere, and... it's just bad."
"As I feared." Harlhooves frowned. "It's only a matter of time before he turns..."
"You mean... like the others?" Sleight frowned, knowing full well what he meant.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." Harlhooves nodded. "Being the carrier has done well in delaying the infection's progress, but I fear he hasn't long before it overtakes him completely."
"No..." Sleight shook his head, mortified. "Not my pal..."
"I'm sorry, Sleight." Harlhooves sighed. "But me and the others have come to an agreement and... Sazh has to be put out of his misery."
"What?" Sleight nearly croaked. "No! What about the cure?! He is the only chance-"
"We know, but it's only a matter of time before he turns completely. And as long as he is alive, and you are there with him, you put yourself at risk of getting infected too." Harlhooves explained.
"If you think I'm going to let you kill him, then you are sadly mistaken!" Sleight snarled.
"Oh no, we're not going to kill him. At least, unless we have to." Harlhooves declared. "The reason I'm calling is so we can give you the chance to do so yourself."
"So you want me... to kill my best friend?" Sleight whispered.
"I know it's bucked up to ask this of you, but that is what it has come to." Harlhooves declared. "Either he dies by your hooves or by ours. The choice is yours."
"No... no... no!" Sleight felt tears striking his face, "There has to be another way! Maybe I can contain him somehow! Tie him up, or put him in a card, or-"
"Sleight, enough." Harlhooves snarled coldly. "This is the only way. Try and look at the positives, with his remains, we might be able to find something to help us cure this disease. And if not, we can still end the quarantine and your kingdom can at least return to normalcy, and find another way to deal with the infected."
"But Sazh... Sazh..." Sleight murmured,."He's my friend..."
"Sleight. Sometimes, we have to make tough choices for the good of ponykind." Harlhooves sighed. "But the bottom line is that as long as he is still alive, the quarantine may never end, and your hive will eat itself alive. Now you tell them, is one Changeling's life worth that of an entire hive? Your wife? Yourself?"
Sleight was unable to answer.
"We will give you a half hour." Harlhooves declared. "If nothing is done by then, we're coming in there. And Sleight? I'm sorry..."
Harlhooves' face vanished from the mirror, leaving a distraught Sleight with his difficult decision.
Harlhooves sighed as he placed the mirror away.
"Are you sure Sleight is going to go through with it, Senator?" Elite asked. "I mean, I don't know what I would do if I was put in his position."
"Sazh is his best friend." Fletcher declared. "Even the toughest of stallion balk at killing their bestie."
"I know I couldn't do it." Caboose sighed.
"I trust that Sleight will make the right decision... no matter how painful it may be." Harlhooves said solemnly.
Sleight was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to do.
'What do I do?' Sleight thought, at odds with himself. 'I can't kill Sazh... but what if Harlhooves is right? What if he is about to turn? What if killing him is the only way to save the others?'
Thoughts of all the good times he and Sazh had had together flashed through Sleight's mind. The night they worked together, Sazh helping him perfect his card tricks for the battle with Red Eclipse's forces. The moment Sazh finally unlocked his magic, by defending Sleight against Char. Fighting side by side against Shadow Ponies. Sazh standing by his side when he passed the decree to keep malformed larva from being drowned. Sazh comforting him after his father passed. And so much more...
More tears came to Sleight's eyes. Sazh had always been there for him, and now he is to repay such a beautiful friendship by killing him.
"I can't do it... he's still my friend..." Sleight murmured.
However, as he continued to think some more, he knew deep down that was much more at stake. There was an entire hive that is currently blocked off from the world that needed this disease to end. His thoughts went to the others: Wizel, the wise and kindly (if not a bit perverted) elder, Char, the rough yet loyal to a fault general, Glinda, his surrogate daughter who he had killed another Changeling for...and his wife, Chrysalis, who had stuck by him through thick and thin, all the same as Sazh. And in spite of those who had tried to hurt Sazh, none of them deserves to be locked up because of his unwillingness to not kill one Changeling...
He had to kill his best friend, that is all there was to it.
Sleight clenched his hooves, his resolve strengthened. 'I have to do this... the needs of the many outweighs the needs of one...even if that one is my best friend...'
With a heavy heart and acknowledgement of what he must do, he pulled out one of his cards. While it was nothing like a knife, he knew that it's edge would be sharp enough to pierce a shell.
He slowly walked back into the main room, where Sazh was still sitting in front of the fireplace, not curled up on the floor, but rather just sitting there. Probably still sleeping.
Sleight felt his heart grow heavier as he began to channel his magic into his card. He knew that a sharp card would not be enough to kill a pony, but maybe an explosive one would.
The trickster pony dragged his hooves, trying to not lose his nerve. Many thoughts ran through his mind, mostly about how much it will hurt to see Sazh's life end.
'Come on, Sleight... it'll be like ripping off a bandaid.' Sleight thought sadly to himself. 'If you aim it right, he won't feel a thing... Faust, I hope he doesn't feel a thing.'
Soon, Sleight was right behind him, as he raised his card, glowing with his powerful magic, ready to end his life.
"Sorry, Sazh..." Sleight whispered to himself. "Please forgive me..."
Sleight then brought the card down...
At least, he would of, had not his hoof refused to move. Sleight struggled to do what was required of him to save his hive... but his hoof refused to budge.
'Come on, do it...' Sleight grit his teeth. 'You have to do this... even if it's Sazh you're killing...'
As Sleight struggled with himself, he recalled words of encouragement Sazh had told him before. Such as what he had told Sleight after he had been exposed as a fraud, all those years ago...
"Look, Sleight... things may seem bleak right now, but I know... I know you can do this, because I believe in you... and I always will. Under all that pain and suffering and regret… under all the lies and misdeeds… there is a great pony…"
And then, when he had found Sazh injured from protecting the larvae...
"Don't blame yourself, Sleight. You're only doing what's right. Something that should have been done long ago. And I'm glad to stand up in defense of these larvae."
Sazh had always been there for Sleight, no matter. And now here Sleight was, inches away from killing him. That didn't really seem like the best way to repay him...
With a defeated sigh, he lowered his card-holding hoof.
'Oh, buck me...' Sleight thought, his eyes growing misty. 'I can't do this... I can't hurt the one Changeling who always believed in me... even to save the rest of the hive. What a lousy situation this is...'
"Sleight?" Sazh spoke up.
"Oh, uh..." Sleight hid the card under his sleeve. "Hey, Sazh... I didn't know you were awake."
"I couldn't sleep." Sazh let another cough.
"Yeah, me neither." Sleight said awkwardly. "Lot on my mind..."
"I know what you were trying to do, Sleight." Sazh turned to face him.
"Do? Do what?" Sleight said nervously. "I wasn't going to do anything."
"There's no point denying, Sleight. I overheard you in the other room, talking to Harlhooves... they are saying that I am going to turn real soon and that I need to be put out of my misery." Sazh said glumly.
"Sazh..." Sleight felt a lump in his throat, "Pal, I... I... I wasn't going to go through with it. I want to help the hive, but not at the cost of losing you-"
"It's alright, Sleight." Sazh murmured,."I'm ready to die."
"I know it can't be pleasant, your best friend almost killing-" Sleight suddenly stopped. "Wait... what did you say?"
"I'm saying that I am okay with dying." Sazh murmured. "I understand why you need to do it. If killing me means everypony in the quarantine gets to go free and no more Changeling get sick, I am willing to die for it."
"What?!" Sleight gaped, "Sazh, you can't be serious. How can you be okay with dying?"
"I don't know, really." Sazh admitted, "But maybe dying wil allow me to repent for the sins I had committed."
"What are you saying, Sazh?" Sleight gasped, "That you think you deserve to die?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I am saying!" Sazh glared. "I'm the reason the virus found it's way into our hive. I got all those changelings sick. The blood of those they killed are on my hooves. And if I continue to live, I will only get more ponies sick. And I don't want any more to suffer because of me."
"Sazh, think of what you're saying." Sleight urged. "None of this is your fault. You just been dealt a bad hand. I'm sure maybe if I go out there and talk to them, we might be able to get you back to the quarantine center and find the cure..."
"What's the point?" Sazh grimaced. "My life is already over..."
"Don't talk like that, Sazh." Sleight glared. "We can fix this! We had been through much worse and we're going to get through this like we did with everything else!"
"Open your ears, Sleight!" Sazh snarled. "I said I am ready to die, so just end my life and get this over with!"
"How can you be like this?!" Sleight growled, "This isn't you! Where's the happy-go-lucky Sazh whose my best friend?! We can still get our lives back if we just-"
"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Sazh screamed tearfully, "I HAVE NO LIFE TO RETURN TO!"
Sleight was taken aback by his outburst.
"Sazh, I don't under-"
"Sleight..." Sazh sniffed, tears streaming down his face. "If by some miracle, that we were to find this cure, and that I somehow beat this thing... what difference will it make? Everyone at the hive knows that it was me that brought that disease into the hive. You saw the way they looked at me. It was like I was back in the days before I met you, where everyone said that I should had been drowned as an egg... they all hate me, Sleight."
"That's not true-" Sleight urged.
"But it is, Sleight." Sazh sobbed. "You don't know what it was like back then for me. To have everyone despise you because of how you didn't belong. Not even having Wizel made that pain go away. I had even thought of ending it couple of times. But I didn't. Because I thought things would get better... and for a moment, it did. I met you... I was able to use magic... I was respected by my peers... and I found a mare who loved me... but now..."
"Sazh... I... I had no idea..." Sleight whispered.
"Well, I never really told anypony this. Not even Wizel." Sazh sniffed. "But the bottom line is... there is no coming back from this. Even if I do survive, every Changeling at the hive will look at me and see the Changeling that had brought a disease that killed so many of their bretheren. They will all despise me like they did back then, and... and... I just can't go through that again. I rather die than go through that again."
"Sazh, I..." Sleight reached desperately for the right words.
"There's no changing my mind, Sleight." Sazh wept. "I can't live with myself, knowing I had caused so much bloodshed and misery, and I don't want to prolong their suffering by just breathing... so please, just do it..."
"Sazh... please..." Sleight felt tears building up in his eyes. "Think about all the ponies who love you. Maud... Wizel... Chrysalis... heck, even Char. And what about me?" He sniffed. "You're my best friend. I can't just let you die like that. You're way too important to me... in fact, you're too important to many! You have so much to live for to just give up on life like this."
"You don't think I know that?!" Sazh yelled, letting more sobs. "That's why I'm asking you to kill me right now! Before it hurts so much just thinking of all the ones who loved you you're leaving behind! Please... I just don't want to live with this pain anymore..."
"...Well, I'm sorry, Sazh." Sleight lowered his hooves, his card slipping out, his eyes still teary. "You may want to die, but it won't be by my hooves. I will not kill you."
"You don't have a choice!" Sazh retorted. "Don't you understand? If I continue to live, I'm gonna... gonna..."
"Sazh?" Sleight asked.
Sazh started coughing more violently than ever, flecks of multi-colored blood flying out of his mouth, as the fungus started to grow. He was beginning to turn...
"Sazh!" Sleight screamed, as tears streamed down his face. "No... Faust please, no..."
"Kill me..." Sazh gurgled, trying to hold on. "Kill me now... before I hurt... you..."
"I can't..." Sleight wept. "I just can't!"
"Please..." Sazh groaned, as he fell to the floor, the fungus overtaking his body.
Back at the quarantine center, Wizel was overlooking the effort for the cure, watching as the greatest pony minds in Equestria struggled to unravel the riddle of the virus.
"Anypony else feeling like this is a lost cause?" Lars sighed.
"I'd argue, but when you're right, you're right." Echo sighed.
"We can't give up." Twilight insisted. "Not as long as there's still a chance."
"That's right." Moon Dancer nodded. "It's not over yet..."
"Please, my intelligent friends... please discover our salvation." Wizel pleaded quietly.
"You're wasting your time... and so are they."
Wizel turned to see a figure in the shadows. The figure was wearing a large trenchcoat.
"What is this?" Wizel scowled.
"What?" The figure asked. "Surely you'd appreciate a sympathetic visitor in your hive's hour of need?"
"I would, if I knew who the visitor was." Wizel glared.
"Your wish is my command." The figure took off his trenchcoat, revealing himself.
"You." Wizel gasped.
"Me." The figure nodded.
"What are you doing here?" Wizel asked.
"That doesn't matter." The stranger declared. "What matters is that I have some information to share with you..."
Back at the boarding house, Sazh's transformation was complete. He stood before Sleight, looking at him at with bestial curiosity. His body was covered in fungus, his armor cracked and mottled. Spores streamed out of his nostrils.
"Sazh... oh, Sazh..." Sleight cried, as he picked up his card, which still held his charge. "Why did this had to happen to you of all ponies? To my best friend..."
Sazh let out a vicious hiss, his eyes dull as the other infected, devoid of the equinity Sleight once saw in them.
'You have to do it now.' Sleight told himself. 'You only have a few more seconds before Sazh attacks you... but is he even Sazh anymore? Or is he now just a rabid animal that needs to be put down?'
Sleight held up his card and got ready to throw. It was now or never... and it was either him or Sazh...
Sazh let out a growl... which sounded much different from the other infected. Sleight wasn't sure what it was, but he could have sworn it sounded like.... he was still crying.
Either it was just him, or maybe... Sazh was still in there somewhere, secretly begging Sleight to kill him before he did so first.
Sleight let out a harrowing sigh, as he lowered his hoof... and dropped his card.
'I'm sorry, everypony... especially you, Chrysalis.' Sleight whimpered, knowing what would come next. 'Fungus zombie or not, Sazh is still my best friend... and in spite of everything, I would rather die than kill him. Chrysalis, Glinda, I'm afraid I won't be coming home. Forgive me...'
The infected Sazh let out various clicking sounds, ready to pounce.
"Okay... come and get me." He braced himself for Sazh's attack. "Sazh, I don't know if you're in there anymore... but no matter what, I will not kill you. I love you too much to do so. So just do it..."
Instantly, Sazh obliged.
"Raaarrrgh!" Sazh snarled as he lunged at Sleight, sinking his teeth in his shoulder.
Sleight fell in the ground in agony.
"Guess this is it." He said with tear filled eyes.
Outside, Harlhooves, Elite, and the others were still waiting.
"Should we go in yet?" Caboose asked.
"Not yet, Sleight's still got about ten minutes." Harlhooves declared.
"But will he really do it?" Fletcher asked.
"He must." Harlhooves frowned.
"I know Sleight... kinda." Caboose frowned. "I don't think he will do it."
"We don't all possess the killer instinct." Elite announced. "Especially when it comes to the innocent..."
Wizel suddenly descended on the boarding house.
"Wizel?" Elite frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Where is Sleight and Sazh?" Wizel demanded, "I must go and speak to them right now!"
"They're in the boarding house, but you can't go in there!" Elite stepped in front, as he let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Wizel, but we feared that Sazh had already turned... if Sleight hasn't already killed him that is."
"WHAT?!" Wizel roared. "Why would you have Sleight kill his best friend?!"
"It's the only way to prevent the disease from spreading!" Harlhooves stepped forth. "There is too much at stake here to let him live any more! And we thought Sleight would be the one to do it."
"You fools! You don't understand!" Wizel snarled, "We just had a breakthrough! For the cure!"
"The cure?!" Harlhooves gaped.
"Yes, and we need Sleight, alive!" Wizel declared.
"Hold on, what are you talking about?" Elite frowned. "What kind of break-"
There was a loud crashing sound inside the house, as sounds of inequine growling echoed.
"Oh buck." Elite gaped.
"That can't be good..." Fletcher frowned.
"Unless they're having a party in there." Caboose shrugged.
"We must get inside, fast!" Harlhooves urged.
The group rushed inside, Elite kicking down the door.
Instantly, they made their way into the main room, and their bloods ran cold. The entire room was a mess, like a bull went through a china shop, and on the floor was Sleight, folded over, and a nasty bite mark on his shoulder, and on the other side, Sazh, on the ground, unconscious.
"Oh no..." Wizel gasped.
"Sleight..." Caboose gulped. "I think he's..."
"I tried to tell him." Harlhooves sighed. "I said he had to kill Sazh, but he just wouldn't listen..."
"Oh, Sazh... my poor boy." Wizel felt tears come to his eyes, "And Sleight... what am I going to tell Chrysalis? What I am going to tell Maud?"
"Wait, if Sleight is dead, than what happened to Sazh?" Fletcher asked.
"Perhaps it was a mutual kill." Elite suggested. "I've seen it happen before..."
Suddenly, they heard a groaning sound, as Sazh started to stir.
"Mutual kill nothing." Harlhooves frowned. "Sazh is still alive!"
Sazh rose up. Immediately, the DCD members held up crossbows, along with Caboose. Fletcher held up his bow, and Elite pulled up his musket rifle.
"Keep back!" Elite warned. "We don't want to hurt you!"
"Ughhh..." Sazh groaned. "What's with all the yelling..."
Suddenly, the fungus that was still on Sazh's body began to shrivel up.
"What the buck?" Caboose raised a brow.
Once the fungus was all shriveled up, it simply fell off his body, leaving no scars or anything. And as Sazh turned to face them, his eyes were clear and green.
"What... what happened?" Sazh asked. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
"The fungus... they died." Harlhooves gaped.
"Sazh..." Wizel gasped, wiping his tears, slowly approaching him. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"
"I feel... fine." Sazh realised. "Better than I have in days."
"But how?" Fletcher frowned. "You just bit Sleight."
"I what?!" Sazh gasped, turning to Sleight's prone form. Immediately, tears struck his eyes, "No..." He let out a scream as he broke down, "NO! Sleight, no!"
"It wasn't your fault, Sazh." Wizel told him.
"You weren't yourself." Caboose added. "I can kinda relate..."
"I just murdered my best friend..." Sazh whimpered. "I told him to kill me... but he wouldn't do it..."
"Wait... you did what?" Wizel frowned with concern.
"Ohhh..." Sleight suddenly groaned, catching everypony's attention. "Where's the snooze button?"
"Sleight?" Sazh sniffed.
"He's alive too?" Harlhooves frowned.
"Yeah..." Sleight grimaced, opening his eyes, as he clutched his bitten shoulder. "Lauren Faust..."
"Sleight?" Wizel gaped.
"Wizel?" Sleight looked up. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you something." Wizel declared.
"That can wait." Harlhooves stopped him.
"How do you feel, King Gambit?" Fletcher asked.
"Well, aside from the sore shoulder, not too bad." Sleight shrugged.
"How perplexing..." Elite frowned.
Suddenly, Sleight noticed Sazh, fungus free and fine, "Sazh? You're...you're... normal again. How?"
"I have no idea." Sazh murmured. "In fact, I was hoping you could tell me."
"Last I remember, you... you bit me..." Sleight looked at his left shoulder. "Yeah, you did..."
"Don't you... feel strange at all?" Wizel asked.
"You're not sick or anything, are you?" Elite frowned.
"No, but I feel something... for some odd reason, I feel a draft on my left hoof..." Sleight rubbed the back of his head with said hoof.
The others suddenly gasped in shock.
"What?" Sleight asked. "What is it?"
"Y-your hoof." Sazh pointed.
"What about my-" Sleight looked at his hoof... and gaped. His hoof, which was normal before, was now black and full of holes, like a Changeling's, as it crackled with the same green flames.
Three words came to Sleight's mouth.
"What the buck?!" Sleight gasped.
"Sleight."
Sleight and Sazh turned to face Wizel, who donned a solemn expression.
"I believe there is something you should know..." Wizel declared.