The Crimson Rage

by Time Shield

Chapter 3: "The Outbreak"

THE CRIMSON RAGE

By: Time Shield

CHAPTER 3: “The Outbreak”

Big McIntosh wandered aimlessly through the Everfree Forest; he barely seemed to take note of his surroundings through his blurred, reddened vision. Due to the infection, he didn’t have any idea where he was going, but something forced him to press on anyway. The foliage steadily grew less and less dense, and eventually he emerged out into the normal, sparser woods that bordered the Everfree. Almost as if regaining a hazy sense of memory, he began to quicken his step, instinctively knowing that this way took him to more familiar grounds. His wandering had caused him not to exit back onto Sweet Apple Acres, but rather, close to a park on the outskirts of Ponyville…

---

The cart carrying Applejack rattled while Twilight Sparkle pulled it along the path, as she and the others charged quickly through the Everfree Forest. She had been this way enough times that she knew the fastest way to get to Zecora’s house. Regardless, she galloped as hard as she could in order to make that time as short as possible. Rarity managed to keep up, and both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew alongside the cart, keeping an eye on it. There was no conversation along the way; everypony was focused on getting there as fast as they could.

Before long, they pulled up to the location, coming upon the great tree that made up Zecora’s home. Twilight let go of the cart and stopped to catch her breath, then panted, “I’m going inside… *huff* *huff* …All of you, stay out here and watch Applejack… *huff* …Don’t let her get free, whatever you do!” The others nodded and kept circled around the cart.

“Oh, I do hope she’s home,” Fluttershy remarked.

Twilight ran to the front of the house and threw the door open. Zecora was indeed home; she was grinding the petals of a flower for one of her potion ingredients. Turning to face the door, she reacted first in surprise, but then smiled as she recognized Twilight. “Ah, a welcome sight you are to see,” Zecora told her, “but one should knock before entering my tree.”

“I know,” Twilight panted, still tired from the run, “but this is an emergency!”

“Tell me then, if so inclined: what has you in such a bind?” Zecora asked.

“It’s Applejack, and Big McIntosh,” Twilight explained. “They’re… sick, with some illness I’ve never seen before! Big Mac caught it here in the Everfree Forest, and now Applejack caught it too!”

Zecora nodded, “I have many ways to cure disease, from the pony plague to a common sneeze. But first, if I am to assess, I must know the symptoms they possess.” As she finished, she picked up the bowl of ground up flower petals in her mouth and walked over towards her cauldron in the center of the house.

“Well,” Twilight explained, “it’s like they’ve lost their minds! They’re all violent and attack anypony around them, and their eyes are all puffy and red. We brought Applejack with us…”

She was interrupted, as Zecora had frozen in place wide-eyed as soon as the description had finished, and the bowl dropped from her mouth in shock. It broke against the ground, covering the area with petal dust, but she didn’t seem to notice. She took a step backwards and muttered something fearfully under her breath in her native tongue, which Twilight didn’t understand.

Twilight exclaimed, “What? What is it?”

Stepping forward, Zecora finally found words and spoke, “Show me to her quick, Twilight! I must find out if my fears are right!” Twilight nodded and led her out the door and around the side of the tree. They came upon the others, still watching over the cart, and Applejack still trying in vain to free herself from the ropes. Zecora followed close behind and gave a sharp intake of breath as she saw the state Applejack was in. She looked visibly shaken, which seemed odd to Twilight; usually it felt like very little could frighten Zecora.

“What is it? Is it bad?” Rainbow Dash asked her urgently.

Zecora nodded, regaining her composure as she said, “This sickness I have seen before, but not for twenty years or more. A plague I witnessed at young age…” She narrowed her eyes and shuddered slightly at the memory as she continued, “…We knew it as ‘the Crimson Rage’…”

The others gasped, and Twilight pressed her to go on, “What happened?”

“When I was young, I used to roam the village that I called my home,” Zecora recounted, “I’d watch the others come and go, until that day, so long ago. A Crimson Fly—so large it was—flew in the village with a buzz. A villager it did attack, and bit him once upon the back. The Crimson Rage, it took hold quick… he bit another, and they got sick. It spread to half the village fast, and more and more the plague was passed. Our hopes to stop it fell astray… until finally, we found a way…”

“How?” Twilight asked.

Zecora explained, “The village elder mixed a brew, and filled up vials that we threw, releasing smoke of silver-gray that drove the Crimson Rage away.”

Rainbow’s expression brightened with relief, “All right!”

“And you know how to make it?” Rarity asked anxiously.

“I do recall the special blend,” Zecora nodded, “in case the need arose again. Not all the parts I have, but rather, some things we will need to gather.”

Twilight nodded confidently, “Just tell us what we need, and we’ll find it.” She finally began to feel optimistic about the situation, just knowing that a cure existed.

Zecora thought for a moment to go over the list, and then said, “A rabbit’s hair, as white as milk… a fabric spun of spider’s silk… but mostly, if we’re to succeed, a Crimson Fly is what we need.”

“A Crimson Fly?” Rainbow repeated. “Where in Equestria are we gonna find one of those?”

“We know Big Mac went into the Everfree Forest, and we found him later in a clearing with the Crimson Rage,” Twilight mused. “A Crimson Fly probably bit him while he was there. I’ll bet if we go back to that clearing and look around, we can find the fly and capture it!”

“I know I have a roll of cloth made out of spider silk in the boutique somewhere,” Rarity said. “I don’t use it very often really, but I do keep it around in case I’m feeling inspired.”

“And I suppose I can ask Angel Bunny for one of his hairs,” Fluttershy offered. “Should I go get it now?”

Shaking her head, Twilight said, “The fly first. It’ll take most of us together to find and catch it. The other items we can get in a jiffy once the fly’s caught.”

Fluttershy looked at the cart and asked, “What about Applejack?”

“There’s no way she’s going anywhere,” Rainbow insisted. “She won’t get out of that rope.”

“Not good enough,” Twilight said. “We thought the same thing about Big Mac, and he got free. We need at least two people guarding her if we leave her here. Zecora’s one.”

“Then I’m two”, Rarity volunteered. “But please, do hurry…” The others nodded and quickly followed Twilight off into the forest. Rarity glanced at Zecora, who gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back and returned her attention to the cart, just as a loud growl erupted from it. It shook a few times as Applejack tried futilely to get free again. Rarity cringed and looked back in the direction the others had run off, silently hoping that they make it back safely and quickly…

---

The doors to the schoolhouse opened, and Miss Cheerilee stepped out, taking a brief moment to admire the cleanliness of the school grounds. The children had pitched in earlier to clean things up after the storm, and they had done a wonderful job at it. All the children had left a while ago; Cheerilee stayed behind to finish up a few tasks before she headed off towards one of the parks on the edge of town. She wanted to collect wildflowers as part of a lesson she was going to give tomorrow.

It was pretty empty when she got there; most of the ponies in town were no doubt still cleaning up after the storm as well. It was also very quiet, aside from the sounds of birds in the nearby trees. The lack of anypony else around did make the park feel a little lonely, but she would only be here for a short while anyway. Humming to herself, she set down the basket she was carrying and started to pick the flowers.

A snapping twig from the nearby bushes alerted her for a moment, and she looked to see where it had come from. There was no further movement, so she shrugged and went back to picking. She was startled when she heard the rustling of leaves, so she dropped the flowers she had just picked and called out curiously, “Hello? Is somepony there?”

There was no response at first, but in the next instant, a large shape hurled itself from the bushes. She only had an instant to recognize it as Big McIntosh, letting out a terrified yelp as he clamped down suddenly with his teeth…

---

“…and so we came straight here,” Sweetie Belle said, completing her recount of the events at the clubhouse. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat at a table in Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie Pie, explaining the situation and why they were hiding out here as Twilight Sparkle had told them to do.

They half expected Pinkie to not believe the story, but after listening to it, she looked worried and asked, “Is Applejack all right?”

“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom said, lowering her eyes. “I sure hope she will be...”

Mrs. Cake walked over to the table and said comfortingly, “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s in good hooves with her friends after all. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Cake,” Scootaloo said.

“Yeah! No pony’s getting through that door,” Pinkie declared, pointing at the shop entrance, “and if they do, they’ll have to deal with me!”

“Now, Pinkie, you don’t have to sto--…” Mrs. Cake started to say.

She was interrupted by the door opening, and one of the townsponies started to walk inside. Pinkie immediately ran to the door and yelled, “You can’t come in! Go away!” The pony at the door backed up out of the shop in surprise, and Pinkie cheerfully added, “Thank you, come again!” as she slammed the door shut.

Mrs. Cake frowned, “Pinkie Pie!”

“What? He looked suspicious!” Pinkie explained.

Back at the table, Sweetie Belle looked over at Apple Bloom and said, “Don’t worry about Applejack and Big Mac. Twilight was going to see Zecora, remember? She’ll know what to do.”

“I guess you’re right,” Apple Bloom said, forcing a smile. “If anypony can get them back to normal, Zecora can.” While she had confidence in Zecora, Apple Bloom still couldn’t help but worry about her siblings. I wish I knew what was going on out there, she thought.

---

“This is it,” Twilight Sparkle said as she and the others emerged from the thick foliage into the clearing from earlier. “This is where we found Big Mac with the Crimson Rage.” It wasn’t that long ago, but with all that had happened in such a short time, it felt like it had been ages. She spotted the branch that Big McIntosh had been tied up from, except now it had snapped off and collapsed to the ground. No doubt how he got free, Twilight figured.

Fluttershy, still apprehensive about having to leave the main path, kept darting her eyes from side to side nervously, “Y-you really think we’ll find the fly near here?”

“I think it’s as good a place as any to start the search,” Twilight answered.

Rainbow Dash began to circle around the edge of the clearing, brushing her legs through the bushes and thick growth, saying, “If it’s here, I’ll find it.” After a few more moments of searching, she tried kicking the trunk of one of the trees.

“Good idea,” Twilight said. “If it’s hiding, that should scare it out.” Experimentally, she took hold of a few bushes using her magic and rattled them as well. A few small insects shook loose, but nothing that they were looking for.

“Oh…” Fluttershy said softly, trying to keep an eye on everything at once and having a hard time of it, “...if it is here, I don’t want it to sneak up on anypony... It could still bite, after all…”

Rainbow gave a short laugh and said proudly, “I’d like to see it try and sneak up on me! I’ve got eyes in the back of my head.”

“But not literally,” Twilight cautioned. “Just be careful up there.”

”Aw, c’mon, you at least have to admit my eyes are pretty sharp,” Rainbow boasted, “Right, Fluttershy?”

She didn’t answer; she had stopped looking around the clearing and was staring back at Rainbow with her eyes widened in shock. She stammered, unable to get the words out, “B--… be--… be--…!”

“What?” Rainbow said, confused.

Fluttershy finally found her voice and cried out, “Behind you!!” Rainbow didn’t even need to turn around, as she felt something land in her mane on the back of her head at the same time as the shout. Startled, she dived towards the ground, shaking her head wildly to try and get it off of her. It didn’t have a good enough grip and let go, buzzing as it recovered.

Rainbow pulled out of the dive and ran her hooves through her mane frantically, “Is it out? Did I get it out?!”

Twilight watched the shape as it hovered in the middle of the clearing. Now that she could get a good look at its size and deep red color, she could see that it fit the description of the Crimson Fly they were looking for. It was a frightening sight but, at the same time, a welcome one. Finding it meant they were one step closer to obtaining the cure.

The fly started to return back the way it came, and Twilight called out, “Don’t let it get away!”

Rainbow gritted her teeth and quickly flew to the edge of the line of trees. Its path cut off, the fly changed its direction and headed towards the trees on the opposite side. Fluttershy was in its way, and she held her hooves out to each side as if to block, although she looked unsure if she could truly hold her ground against it. The fly must have picked up on this as well, because after only a moment’s hesitation, it flew directly for her. Twilight tried to think of something fast that she could do to help from where she was on the ground, and started getting ready to cast a spell, her horn glowing and her eyes shutting as she concentrated…

“Wait, look!” Fluttershy exclaimed. Twilight opened her eyes and noticed the Crimson Fly hovering near the light of her horn, circling slowly. Startled at it being nearby, her spell was interrupted and her horn stopped glowing; the fly shook its head as if to clear it, and then started moving away again towards the forest.

Twilight gasped, “I’ve got it!” She cast another spell, but this time it was just a simple light spell. Her horn glowed more brightly that it was previously, and almost immediately the fly was mesmerized by it, hovering nearby and circling slowly once again. She smiled and commented, “Just like a moth to a candle flame.”

“All right!” Rainbow congratulated, “Nice going, Twilight!”

“Let’s get it back to Zecora’s,” Twilight said. “Keep alongside it, in case it tries to escape again.” Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded, flying up next to Twilight. She began trotting carefully back in the direction of Zecora’s house, and the fly lazily followed and circled the horn, still entranced by the light. We just have to get it back safely, Twilight thought, and then it’s just a few more simple items after that. How hard could that be, compared to this?

---

Near the edge of town, ponies began to return to the park, having finished up the storm cleanup. Some were there for a picnic, and others to play or enjoy the scenery. At first, it was nothing out of the ordinary, although some of them may have thought it was odd when they found a basket of wildflowers dropped on the ground, or had questioned about what might have caused the nearby bushes to become trampled. Even those that had, they wouldn’t have been able to wonder about it for long due to the events that followed. A cry of alarm from a small group setting up a picnic nearby drew the attention of the rest of the park-goers, bringing them closer to see what the matter was. They had not seen what had transpired, and had no idea they were in any danger. Curiosity turned to confusion upon seeing the infected Big McIntosh and Cheerilee, and then to panic as the newly infected picnickers charged the crowd. Ponies ran in every direction trying to get away; some were successful, but others were rapidly run down. Within minutes, half of the park-goers had fled back into Ponyville, while the other half pursued them, their combined growls growing in volume and overpowering the shouts for help…

To Be Continued…

Comments

[RisingMoon336]

HOLY SALMANDER CUTTLEFISH!!!!
NOT ONLY IS THIS WELL WRITTEN, BUT SCARY TOO!!!!!

[SageBrony07]

Nice story. I can't wait to see what the big fight it will take to get to the boutique, cottage, and then back to zecora. Good luck writing those parts.