My Little Gem: Friendship Shines Bright

by President_Celestia

Part 7

Pinkie Pie walked into Ponyville General Hospital, a worried smile on her face as she walked up to the receptionist. The pony at the desk looked up at Pinkie Pie and placed down the folder they were looking at.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie. Is there anything I can do for you?” The receptionist asked, a smile on their face.

“Yes, actually.” Even the receptionist was shocked by the lack of enthusiasm in Pinkie’s voice. “I’m here to get checked out.”

“Yes… of course.” The receptionist looked back down at the folder in her hooves, and then she turned over to a file cabinet. “Please, go and get Nurse Redheart from Room 10. She seems to be quite busy at the moment.”

“Okie dokie lokie.” Pinkie Pie slowly turned and trotted down the hall. The receptionist felt their eyes follow after Pinkie, worried by the lack of joy in the party pony’s voice.

After walking a short distance, Pinkie Pie stopped in front of Room 10 and knocked on the door. After a few short moments, the door opened, revealing Nurse Redheart.

“Pinkie? Have you come to visit Rarity?” Nurse Redheart asked, her voice exhausted. Pinkie Pie looked past Nurse Redheart at the shimmering figure on the hospital bed. Her smile faded as she saw Rarity lying there motionlessly.

“No… I’m here to be checked. I, uh… seem to have what Rarity does.” Pinkie Pie held up a leg, revealing it to be nearly completely dominated by the shimmering crystal hairs. Redheart felt her eyes widen and she saw the same thing on Pinkie Pie’s other front leg.

“Sweet Celestia… and… do you know how you got this?” Redheart slowly asked.

“I think it was when I caught Rarity when she fainted.” Pinkie Pie responded, nodding her head.

“Direct contact…” Redheart muttered under her breath, nodding almost unnoticeably. “I see… please follow me to an empty room.” Redheart looked back in the room at Doctor Horse, who was writing something down on a clipboard. “Watch Rarity for me, Doctor.”

“You don’t even have to ask.” Doctor Horse responded, barely glancing toward her.

With that, Redheart stepped out of the room, walking to the room just to the right. She opened the door and gestured for Pinkie Pie to enter, which she did, and jumped onto the soft hospital bed.

“So, Miss Pie…” Redheart began. “How are you feeling currently?”

“Less happy. More…” Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin as she thought of a word. “I feel like I’m dreading something, but I’m not sure what.”

“A sense of doom?” Redheart asked, to which Pinkie Pie nodded. Redheart sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Do you feel any different?”

“My front legs feel all tingly and numb… it almost hurts.” Pinkie idly rubbed her front legs together, the crystal hairs reflecting in the light.

“Any dizziness, nausea, or coughing?”

“No, Other than my tingly legs, I feel fine,” Pinkie explained. “But, I have a feeling that it won’t stop there.”

Redheart nodded slowly, lowering her gaze to the floor. “So, would you-” However, she was cut off as she saw Pinkie Pie’s tail start to twitch wildly.

“Twitchy tail…” Pinkie Pie then bolted up from the bed and ran to the door. Redheart was shocked by this sudden change in behavior and followed her out into the hall.

“Miss Pie!? What has gotten into you?” Redheart asked as she watched Pinkie Pie pry open Room 10’s door.

“Rarity!” That was all Pinkie Pie could get out before she stumbled back in shock, bumping into a horrified Nurse Redheart.

Standing over Doctor Horse’s mangled, battered corpse, standing in a smear of blood, was Rarity, standing tall in under the light. Her coat shimmered magnificently in the light, revealing something on her head. A crystal. From the looks of it, a crystal had grown out of her skin. All along her chest, a sea of small, sharp crystals was growing out of her chest, letting blood drip onto the floor.

Rarity’s mouth was stuck open in a silent scream as she looked back toward the door, her sightless eyes glossed over. Pinkie Pie stood there silently, a tear in her eye as she realized what her Pinkie Sense was telling her.

Her friend was no longer with her.

“Run, Pinkie!” Nurse Redheart grabbed Pinkie and pulled her away from the door, slamming it shut just before Rarity darted at them, thudding heavily against the door. Running on autopilot, Pinkie followed Nurse Redheart as they ran through the hospital halls. The receptionist at the desk looked up at the pair as they ran, confused.

“What-?” The receptionist was cut off as the door to Room 10 burst open, letting the crystalized Rarity drop into the hall. That was all it took for them to drop the folder in their hooves and follow after Nurse Redheart and Pinkie Pie out of the hospital and into the night.

---

Rarity

Status: Infected Stage 3
Infection: Has started spreading deeper into Rarity’s flesh; has gained control
Health: 41%
Stress: ???%
Energy: 15%
Hunger: 99%
Thirst: 99%

“Pinkie…”
“...what’s… happening…?”
“...Sweetie… Belle…”

Inventory: NOTHING

---

Nurse Redheart

Status: Healthy?/Grieving

Health: 89%
Stress: 97%
Energy: 31%
Hunger: 44%
Thirst: 20%

“Doctor…”
“Keep running! We have to warn everypony!”
“I could’ve saved him…”

Inventory: Nurse’s cap (worn), mask

---

Doctor Horse

Status: DECEASED

Cause of death: Beaten to death by Rarity

---

Pinkie Pie

Status: Infected Mid-Stage 1/Disbelieving
Infection: Has continued to spread up the legs and into her chest
Health: 95%
Stress: 93%
Energy: 98%
Hunger: 6%
Thirst: 10%

“That’s not… possible.”
“What happened?”
“That wasn’t Rarity… right?”

Inventory: NOTHING

---

Lyra Heartstrings

Status: Infected Stage 1/Worried

Health: 97%
Stress: 13%
Energy: 63%
Hunger: 16%
Thirst: 21%

“What’s happening to my horn?”
“Did I get… infected with something?”
“This feels all sorts of wrong.”

Inventory: A diamond horn ring

---

Bon Bon

Status: Healthy/Worried

Health: 100%
Stress: 43%
Energy: 88%
Hunger: 10%
Thirst: 11%

“Are you okay, Lyra?”
“Do we need to go to the hospital?”
“Your horn… it reminds me of what happened to Rarity.”

Inventory: Wrapped candy, a golden hoof ring

---

Princess Luna

Status: Healthy/ Riding the train to Ponyville

Health: 100%
Stress: 2%
Energy: 98%
Hunger: 1%
Thirst: 1%

“Perhaps I should’ve just… flown there after all.”
“Oh well, it allows me time to recollect.”
“Not a soul resides in this train car anyway.”

Inventory: Notebook

---

Twilight Sparkle

Status: Healthy/ Hopeful

Health: 93%
Stress: 91%
Energy: 11%
Hunger: 41%
Thirst: 58%

“Every pony I’ve asked so far says they haven’t touched Rarity.”
“Maybe everything is okay after all…”
“I’ll go check on Sweetie Belle. She’s probably fine… right?”

Inventory: A list