//------------------------------// // Saving the Day, Plague Style (unedited) // Story: The Plague Master // by Theyellowninja13 //------------------------------// “Come on! Hurry it up!” The rainbow-maned pony yelled from above, as I quickly navigated the forest on top of my pet fox.         “We’re going as fast as Dippy can!” I yelled back, patting Diphtheria on the back of his head. I decided to name him after the disease, because no one will have any clue of what Diphtheria is. Spoiler alert, it’s a bacterial infection in mucous membranes in your nose. It causes stuff like sore throat, fever, swelling, weakness, and it can close up your airways which makes it harder to breathe. If it’s not cured before too long, then it can damage your heart, kidneys, and nervous system. But it’s very rare too. I remember only seeing about one case of it while doing my job.         “Dippy?!” The mare, or at least I think she’s a mare, yells from overhead, as Dippy jumps over some fallen trees in our path.         “Not enough time to explain!” I yelled back. My head snapped back, getting hit by a branch on a tree. I shake it off, being careful not to use my hands and staying on Dippy. My neck felt sore, which I instinctively tilt my head, a loud crack resonating from me. I look around me, noticing my lack of feeling afraid.         ‘Interesting. I’m usually terrified of stuff like this. I can’t bear going at high speeds, or at least being near a window while moving at high speeds. Which is why I just walk to work and to the store. Maybe these strange powers are affecting my instincts? Would make sense as the plagues in me would want to spread the diseases as much as possible, but would also want me to live so they can.’ I go through many thoughts in my head, almost missing the fact that we exited the forest, and a homely looking town sat below the hill I was on. There was a huge castle near one edge of the town that looked awfully out of place.         The pegasus was quickly flying towards the town, and I furrow my brow, as Dippy quickly take me into town, where ponies were lying left and right. The plagued fox skids to a stop, and I jumped off, ignoring the pain in my legs as I landed on the grounds at speeds faster than I should.         I ran up to the closest pony, a mare, and put my hand on their chest, ...no I think it’s called a barrel. She was overflowing with that weird red aura, and I instinctively licked my lips. She seemed to have several small tumors growing out of her body, and she had a dried bloodstain going down from her mouth. She was gently shaking, and I sighed, as she stopped shaking, and just laid still, the aura slowly fading, and entering me.         Standing up, I slightly turned my head to this rainbow maned pony. “What’s her name?” I asked.         The pegasus looked confused and irritated. “What does it matter! We need to save everypony we can!”         I looked her straight in the eyes. “What was her name?!”         The pony backed off, shocked by something. She looked at the dead mare. “Sprinkle Medley. We used to go to flight camp together.” She had a sad look, clearly remembering some better times with the pony.         “I’m sorry for your loss.” I turned back to Sprinkle Medley, and gently put my hand on her barrel. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. May you rest in peace.” The red aura quickly went into my arm, and I noticed some small growths appearing on my pale arm.         Standing back up, I looked around, noticing countless red auras through all the walls and buildings. “I can’t save all of them, we’re gonna need some help. Do you know who can help me?”         She didn’t even take a second to think this through. “My friends can. Especially Twilight. She might be able to make a magic cure for everyone.”         ‘Magic. There’s no such thing… wait, I shouldn’t dismiss it so quickly. After all, how do I have these powers? Suspension of Disbelief maybe? I might have to ‘believe’ in magic to help these ponies.’ “Lead the way.” The pegasus nodded, and I followed her, Dippy close behind me.         As we quickly made our way through the town, I saw countless ponies laying on the ground, several dead, and more dying. I had to hold back tears as I saw the lack of red aura in children, as they laid still next to their parents with a fading red aura. From what I can tell, all these ponies seemed to be suffering from a more advanced form of the bioweapon that Applebloom pony suffered from. The town seemed like such a nice town too. With wooden houses and straw roofs. ‘What kind of creature could have made a bioweapon to harm these peaceful creatures.’ It didn’t take long to get to where the pony was leading me. When we got there, I saw Applebloom, desperately trying to help a bunch of sick ponies. I noticed her two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo also laying on the ground, sick, along with two ponies one that while also sick, gave off some kind of bright white aura, along with the familiar red aura. This bright aura made me feel like I should stay far away from them. I pushed through this feeling, and quickly ran over, checking on the nearest pony, a purple one with both wings and a horn and the bright aura. Applebloom noticed me and I could see her walk over out of the corner of my eye. “Mister John! Can you save them?!” I put my hand against the purple pony, and I noticed her slowly move her head to look at me. She looked a bit surprised, and if I’m not mistaken, excited, but she grimaced in pain. “Stay calm. I’m a doctor.” “That’s Twilight. She can help us. Can you cure her?” The rainbow pony sounded exhausted, and I sensed the red aura in her flare, as she fell down and started showing more symptoms. Closing my eyes, I focused only on the red aura inside this ‘Twilight’ and I felt it reaching out to me, as if either it wanted to infect me, or to join with me. Either way, the red aura moved to reach my hand, and suddenly was pulled in, merging with me. I opened my eyes as I felt a sharp pain through my body. I started taking quicker shorter breaths, as if I was having trouble getting oxygen. I removed my hand, as Twilight slowly started to move, her horn slowly deflating, with the surprising sound of a toilet bowl flushing. Her black hind legs turned purple as the necrosis left them. The tumors quickly started disappearing. Needless to say, I was shocked by the sudden regeneration. Twilight rolled over slightly, sitting in a position as if she was about to stand, but too tired too. Her legs were folded underneath her. She looked at me, surprised and gaping. “Y-you’re a-a-a human!” I cringed at her voice, which sounded like she was gargling glass, and then someone left a hair drier in her mouth, and kept it on for a few hours. “Yes-I-am. And I-was told-that-you-can help-me, Miss. Now-if you’ll excuse-me.” It was getting harder to speak with my shortness of breath. I quickly stood up, and turned around, standing over the ill body of Sweetie Belle, and a white unicorn with a purple curled mane. I crouched down, putting one hand on each of them, and did the same process I did on Twilight. I noticed the aforementioned pony stumble over, looking at what I was doing with wide eyes. The red aura went into my arms, leaving the two ponies to heal. The bigger one seemed to heal faster, but not as fast as Twilight, while the younger one didn’t seem to heal at all, which should be normal, as diseases like these don’t go away in a minute. Like popping a zit on your face. You could fully clean it out, but the red mark would stay there for a bit, eventually healing. “How did you do that?” Twilight asked, her voice somehow sounding better. “I don’t-know.” I responded taking a few more breaths, which was partly true, but I also wasn’t going to reveal everything to a person...er pony that I wasn’t sure if I could trust. I got back up, and walked over to Scootaloo, quickly healing her. She didn’t heal fast either. Either something is strange with the two older ponies, or the two fillies heal slowly. Standing up and turning around, I noticed Applebloom wasn’t sick, but still had the red aura. Which would make sense, as I cured the bioweapon in her, and her body might’ve developed an immunity to this bioweapon, even if it’s an upgraded one. I was about to quickly walk over to the rainbow maned pony, but I suddenly lost feeling in my right leg, and fell down. Holding myself up with two arms and my left knee, I regurgitated some blood, and looked down at my right leg, ripping off the fabric around the bottom of my leg, revealing my leg to be shriveled up, and almost dead looking. ‘Crap, just the time to receive necrosis in my leg!’ I looked at the rainbow pony, as I felt her red aura slowly fade, meaning she was slowly dying. I mustered up as much strength as I could, trying to pull my body over, but wasn’t able to get more than a few inches closer, before I started puking more blood, staining some parts of my clothes with my vital life juices. I heard a sad whimper to my side, and I turned my head to see Dippy sniffing me, and then looking at it’s back, before looking at the rainbow pony. I understood what it was suggesting. Trying to climb onto it’s back, I failed miserably, before a pink aura surrounded my body, lifting me onto Dippy. I looked around, noticing Twilight looking at me with a face of determination, and her horn glowing pink. Nodding, I patted Dippy on the back, telling him to move, which he did, quickly taking me over to the rainbow pony. I slid off him, ungracefully falling to the ground, but my hand landed on the pony’s barrel, which allowed me to absorb the disease. I noticed she also healed as fast as the white pony. I turned my head to see Twilight helping the white pony up. We briefly shared eye contact, and I noticed fear in her eyes at the sight of me, but I looked over at Twilight. “I can’t take much more of this. I need a lab. I don’t get rid of the disease by doing this. I absorb it and it’s killing my body.” I decided to reveal this information, because I do need help. “If I have a lab, I can make a cure, one that can be spread around, helping more ponies, quicker than I can do by myself.” Twilight nodded, and walked over to me, using what I can only assume to be ‘magic,’ to lift me back on Dippy’s back. “Follow me. I have a lab in my hou-castle.” Her voice sounding what I assume is how it usually sounds. ‘She must have some kind of abnormal regeneration factor. maybe due to the fact that she has both horns and wings, both traits that ponies only seem to have one of? Or maybe it’s due to the bright aura she has. Or perhaps the aura has to do with the horns and wings, or the opposite of that?’ I shook my head, trying to dispel these thoughts. ‘These are questions for later. Now, I have to focus on helping as much as I can.’ “Lead that way.” I said, exhaustion clear in my voice. “And please be quick about it. We don’t have much time. I give two hours at most ‘till everyone is dead.” “Don’t you mean ‘everypony’?” The white mare asked, almost completely healed as she kept up with the quick pace Twilight, Dippy, and I were going at. I noticed Sweetie Belle on her back, and Applebloom not far behind. I glared at the pony, shutting her up. Hearing a flap of wings, I turned my head to the opposite side of Dippy, seeing the rainbow maned pegasus flying, looking almost fully healed as well. “Here’s a question. Why are all of you almost fully healed? That’s abnormal.” Twilight was the first one to speak up. “I think it’s because of our connection with the Elements of Harmony.” Before I could even ask what the Elements of Harmony were… “They’re six magical artifacts that my friends and I wield. They embody the six aspects of friendship; Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity; Kindness, Laughter, and Magic.” ‘How is magic an aspect of friendship? Wouldn’t courage or trust or love or even hope be more likely an aspect of friendship than magic?’ Twilight spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts, as I continued to listen. “They help us defeat any threat to Equestria, like Nightmare Moon or Discord.” I was about to ask another question, but the sight of an imposing blue crystal castle in the shape of a tree, left me with my mouth hanging open. I shook the feeling away, and focused on what I’d need to do for making a cure. The big golden doors opened with the same pink aura coming from her horn surrounding the doors. We quickly moved inside the building, which is thankfully big enough for Dippy to carry me into. Twilight was about to speak, but before she could say anything else, I asked her to lead me to the lab, which she did. When we got to the lab, I noticed that there seemed to be many ridiculous scientific machines. Things from a colander with wires attached to it, to machines that spit out paper with lines on it. “It’s primitive, but I think I can make it work.” I tell her, and ignore the sound of her being offended, as Dippy takes me over to a chair next to a desk, and I gently get off and faceplant the ground. “Stupid leg.” I managed to crawl onto the chair, with help from Dippy pushing me, and once sitting down, I look at what I have on the desk. Which is just a bunch of papers with weird marks I can’t read. I look over at Twilight. “I need a few blood samples of diseased individuals. If you can get me two blood samples for three different ponies, I can work on an antidote.” Twilight looks confused and disgusted. I sigh. “Take those needles on the desk over there,” I pointed to a desk across the room. “And push them into ponies that are sick, and extract their blood into them.” Twilight still looked disgusted, but nodded, grabbing the needles in her magic, and quickly leaving the lab. I look over at Dippy, who tilted his head at me, wondering what to do. I silently point over at a bunch of beakers over on a wall, and Dippy nods, walking over and gently grabbing one in his mouth, bringing it back to me. I grab it from him and feel the faint slobber on it. My hand glowed red, as some kind of bacteria left my hand and absorbed the saliva, leaving the beaker incredibly clean. I put the beaker down on the table and get Dippy to bring me more of the things I need such as some household chemicals and other lab equipment. I had all I needed by the time Twilight got back with six blood filled needles, and a very revolted face with some new tear stains below the eyes. I grabbed them, being close enough to reach for once, and carefully put them in a crystal vial rack. “Thanks. I should be able to make a cure before too long. You should take a shower or bath or something. Clean the blood off you.” I said nonchalantly. “I don’t think I’ll ever be clean again…” She said in a faraway traumatized voice, her eyes unfocused. “Trust me. A nice cold shower did me wonders when I first visited North Korea to see what we could do about the bioweapon unleashed there.” I responded, paying more attention to the various chemicals I was mixing together, as to avoid a volatile reaction. “But what if I’m needed!” She yelled. “What if you finish the cure and I’m not done in time and everypony else dies because I took too long to help deliver the cure. Or maybe I can help you with making the cure! It has to be in a book here somewhere!” ‘She’s way too eager to help me with this.’ I mentally sigh. ‘I can’t reject her help, as I don’t want more of these ponies to die, but she would have no way to cure something like this. It’s a bioweapon. Just like the one that Applebloom was infec…..ted…..with….’ A lightbulb flashes in my brain, and I slap my face. “Of course!” I yell. “Making a cure would take too long! So why not fight bioweapon with bioweapon!” Twilight’s head is tilted. “Bioweapon? What is that? Some kind of monster? I never heard of it in any of the books here.” “A bioweapon is a weapon that involves an entity that reproduce in their host body. Imagine a disease that someone could infect an entire town with by unleashing it on one person and it keeps on spreading to other people and starts to kill them.” I said with a way too excited tone for this. Twilight looked appalled. “How would releasing something like that help save Ponyville?!” “A while back, I cured Applebloom of the same disease that’s spreading through the town. And because of that, she’s immune to it! So if I can figure out a way to give the same immunity to everyone else!” My face fell as I remembered how I cured Applebloom. “Wait, I absorbed Applebloom’s disease into my body and that helped her. I could make a disease that their dying bodies can quickly overcome, and provide themselves with a stronger immunity to the current disease, allowing me enough time to save everyone I can. But what kind of disease would work the best. Bacteria would take too long, and a virus, a bioweapon, a nanovirus, a parasite, and a prion would be too hard and risky. Fungus can easily spread quickly, and I can spread it across the world so this bioweapon doesn’t infect another town.” Twilight was having trouble computing what I was talking about, and I quickly stood up, only to fall onto the floor again and break my nose. Man, my reaction time feels like it’s getting worse. I would have been able to catch myself before. Dippy helped me onto his back, and we quickly sped out into the town, and stopped at the first fallen pony we saw. A unicorn mare. My hand glowed red, and I quickly pressed it against them, and infected them with a fungus. With the first step taken care of, I quickly evolved the fungus so it became a very weak form of the bioweapon and sent out some spore into the air to infect more. The body focused some of its immune system on the new disease, and quickly vanquished it in minutes, and took the information into itself, allowing the body to start building stronger white blood cells, which quickly fought and started winning against the bioweapon slowly but surely, judging by the slowly dying red aura. I put my hand against the mare, absorbing the rest of the bioweapon and saving her life. I smirked as I looked around to see small red dots quickly flying across the air, and spreading my fungus to other ponies. Gotta love the ability for fungus to spread spores. Dippy and I quickly take off and start absorbing the bioweapon from all the ponies that were still alive. It took somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour, but I imagined to pull the disease out of the entire town, both living and the dead. Dippy took me back to the front of Twilight’s castle, where Twilight was coming down the golden stairs in front of it. “Did...did you do it?” She asked, worried. I gave a smile, which caused her to flinch back. I guess I really need to brush my teeth. Heck, I haven’t even seen a mirror in a while. “Yep. I absorbed all the bioweapon out of all the living and dead. And everyone in town is now immune to that bioweapon permanently. The fungus is spreading across the world as we speak, so soon the entire world will be immune to it.” Twilight looked happy for a second, before becoming grim. “But how many did we lose? How many mothers lost their children? How many children lost their parents?” I was about to respond, when I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and fell off Dippy, writhing in pain. Dippy looked at me, worried, and licked the side of my face, and Twilight quickly ran over, checking on me. She yelled something, but I couldn’t hear her. I felt my vision going black. It wasn’t long before I lost consciousness.