The Inheritors of Friendship

by NgKQ

Chapter 53

Back at the throne room, Orion Galaxy, Honey Drops and some royal guards were waiting for Princesses Celestia and Luna to return from the hospital from visiting Prince Blueblood. It had been eight hours since Blueblood was admitted to the hospital. Orion paced up and down nervously.

Several minutes later, the princesses returned.

“How’s Prince Blueblood, Princess?” asked Orion.

“He’s in a coma,” explained Princess Celestia. “According to the doctors, it was supposed to be a mild case, so he should be recovering about several hours ago, but he’s still unconscious…”

“Serious? This illness is strange…” replied Honey Drops.

“Strictly speaking, Prince Blueblood’s case isn’t the first case here,” said Meadow Charm. “There are already thirty reported cases similar to Blueblood’s since a fortnight ago, all have yet to regain consciousness as of today.”

“Everywhere or just Canterlot?” inquired Orion.

“So far all patients are from Canterlot, but there are rumors saying that ponies of Ponyville and some other towns and cities will then fall victim to this case.”

“That’s horrible,” said Noxxa.

“There’s one more thing: On the night before the victims were admitted, their relatives claimed that they saw them groaning and looking agonized in their sleep.”

“I don’t think it’s just a common disease,” Captain Apollo spoke. “There must be somepony behind this.”

“I was thinking the same, too, Captain,” agreed Orion. “It looks like somepony else is using evil magic to make them sleep permanently.”

“Such action shall not be tolerated,” said Princess Celestia. “This is an act of endangering one’s life, hindering the economy and bringing other complications.”

“Who would you all suspect?” asked Honey Drops.

“Until now, we have not located the source of the problem,” said Princess Luna. “But it is confirmed that it did not come from anywhere else, not even from Canterlot, Ponyville or the Crystal Empire.”

“Indeed this is a crime,” said Captain Apollo. “It can’t be forgiven.”

Later that night, while everypony was asleep, Princess Luna was at usual on her night patrol duty. For everyone she checked, they were all sleeping soundly.

As she entered Orion’s room to check him out, she noticed something was amiss.

Orion looked like as if he was suffering from an illness, groaning in his sleep.

“What’s the matter with him? Let me check him out…” She used her magic to scan Orion’s body all over, but he looked fine.

“Maybe he’s dreaming something bad. I’d better solve this right away,” she thought, and using magic, she entered into Orion’s dreamland.

“Where is this?” Luna entered to find herself in a labyrinth, with walls made of stones. The sky was an eerie ultramarine blue, devoid of anything but stars.

As she wandered around, she heard the sound of galloping hoofsteps. Princess Luna turned around.

“Orion? Is that you?” called Luna. From a distance, she could see him coming out of a corner, with something like a herd chasing him.

“Princess Luna! Save me!” Orion cried desperately.

“Come to me! I’ll get you covered!”

Without hesitating long, Orion quickly teleported himself next to Princess Luna who managed to cast a shield around them.

The creatures bumped onto the shield, unable to penetrate through.

“What are these things?” asked Luna.

“From what they looked like,” said Orion as he calmed down. “They’re something like Queen Myra’s minions, from what my sister accounted.”

“Wait, did you just say ’Queen Myra’?”

“To begin with, I found myself in this maze. I was trying to find my way out when I came upon these creatures. They revealed themselves that they’re minions of somepony named Queen Myra, then they chased me…”

“Gosh! It looks like Myra’s dirty trick is on. We’d better get outta here.”

“Definitely. Fast!”

Quickly, Princess Luna opened a portal, and both of them jumped inside to return to the real world.

“That was close,” remarked Orion as he settled himself. Dawn was already breaking over Equestria.

“How cunning she is!” remarked Princess Luna. “Taking over my skills to enter somepony’s dreams, she must be in a plan to torture everypony into slaves and take over the universe!”

“We must warn everypony else!” declared Orion. “Everypony’s lives are in danger if they continue to live in this dream world!”

“You’re right. I think this is one of Myra’s initiatives to conquer the universe!” agreed Luna.

The two rushed to the throne room only to discover Honey Drops and Meadow Charm, looking anxious.

“You won’t believe this terrible news, Orion!” cried Honey Drops.

“What’s going on?”

“We just came back from the hospital,” reported Meadow. “The number of patients suddenly increased to about a hundred and fifty!”

“Serious!?”

“Indeed! It was really crowded with desperate relatives!”

“But that’s not all,” went on Honey. “The hospital staff told us that there are now seventeen reported cases in Ponyville!”

“WHAT!?”

“And we’re here to tell you girls what’s really going on, alongside my sister,” said Princess Luna.

“What was that?” asked Honey.

Back at Ponyville, at the hospital…

The corridors were chaotic, with doctors and nurses rushing over to attend the patients. Among them were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who both failed to get up since the morning.

Diamond Tiara’s father Filthy Rich was kneeling by his daughter’s bed, weeping with sorrow.

“Please, Diamond Tiara,” he sobbed. “Whatever has happened to you? I was expecting a normal, healthy mare but what is this? How could you fall ill without an illness?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Filthy Rich with sympathy. Despite being their bully victims since young, they still felt sorry for them.

“Don’t be sad, sir,” consoled Sweetie Belle. “They aren’t the only victims.”

“I know,” he turned to them, “She’s my heir to all of my property. I can’t let anything happen to her and her friend!”

“I guess, she’ll be alright,” said Scootaloo. “If she and the others don’t recover…”

“Don’t talk about it!” hushed Apple Bloom. “I can’t imagine the situation! Think about ourselves, too! Any one of us might be the next victim!”

The two of them shivered, fearing that their fate will be the same as them.

“N-no way…” shivered Scootaloo.

At that moment, Button Mash appeared in front of the door.

“Girls!” He panted as if he rushed to visit a relative being hospitalized. “You all won’t believe this…”

“What’s wrong, Button Mash?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“I just got this from one of my friends from Canterlot,” he continued. “And it’s linked to what’s going on right now…”

“What is it? Tell us, tell us!” pleaded Apple Bloom hastily.

At Sweet Apple Acres…

“As I expected!” snapped Rainbow Dash. “I knew it! Queen Myra’s really behind all of this!”

“Yes,” said Twilight. “I can’t believe that she’s such a genius in that. If not for Princess Luna Orion Galaxy would have been added into the list!”

“That was terrible!” said Fluttershy. “I guess, that the worst is beginning.”

“How are you so sure of that?” asked Rarity.

“She has a point,” explained Twilight. “As what Princess Celestia stated in the letter, that must be one of her plans to start her conquest of the universe!”

“That’s scary enough,” murmured Pinkie Pie.

“Wait a second. Now that we know what she’s up to, there’s one thing that puzzles me,” said Applejack. “Where in tarnation does she hide anyway?”

All six stood in silence.

“You’re right,” said Twilight. “Until now we hadn’t even located her hiding location! That makes our mission to stop her difficult.”

“Daaarn!” moaned Rainbow Dash. “I really wanted to take her down the moment I see her!”

The days passed. The number of victims who failed to get up from their sleep continued to rise, and this time, it came from every city and town, from Appleloosa, Dodge Junction, Manehattan, Cloudsdale and even up to the Crystal Empire. Princess Celestia immediately declared an emergency all over Equestria.

Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were baffled by the situation.

“This situation must be stopped at once!” huffed Shining Armor at the throne room.

“Calm down, dear,” calmed Cadance. “You haven’t been sleeping for almost two days already. Go get some rest.” He had been visiting the hospital and even travelled to Canterlot to tell Princess Celestia the matter.

“I know, Cadance,” he replied. “But I won’t rest until I’ve got Queen Myra within my hooves!”

“It’ll take some time until her location is found. You’ve stressed too much.”

“I know. But what if I’m her next victim?”

Soon, one afternoon…

Bloodthirst was assisting Beryl in harvesting firewood in the Everfree Forest.

“There must be a solution to this problem,” said Bloodthirst.

“Yes,” agreed Beryl. “I can’t stand to see the fall of Equestria. It’s so heart-breaking.”

“Shh! I hear something!”

“What is it?”

“Hide up here!”

The duo quickly settled on a tree branch.

“What did you just saw?” asked Beryl, surprised.

“I just heard voices. Be quiet,” he whispered.

Soon enough, they saw about four figures passing them.

“Man, I just can’t find enough today…”

“Why can’t you? The other day I went to the eastern part and I found lots!”

“How could you be so sure?”

“I’ll lead you back home. I’ll show y’all where it is…”

“Myra’s minions!” cried Beryl seeing them. “Gee, your hearing’s so good!”

“Now,” Bloodthirst said. “One of them said that they’re going back. You stay here while I’ll follow them down. Don’t worry. I’ll be right back…”

“Good luck then,” replied Beryl.

Bloodthirst followed the minions quietly and unnoticed for about ten minutes. Soon he arrived at their destination.

“Gosh…” he gasped to himself. It was a big, vast cave entrance, with darkness inside. The four minions just entered into it.

“I’ve never seen a huge cave hidden in a dense forest like that before,” he said to himself. “But anyway, mystery solved!”

He hurriedly returned back to where Beryl was.

“Beryl! You won’t believe this!” He told her excitedly.

“What was it?” she asked him.

“I’ve finally found the hideout of Queen Myra!”

Comments

[Sjacik]

Gosh, they say gosh a lot. See what I did there?

[Green Alter]

Gosh your right! Oh no now I'm doing it too. I think it's contagious!