Hey. It's me again. Starting this journal thing was a great idea! Twilight and I were talking in bed the other night about all the great adventures we go on. Twilight said ponies in the future would be sure to read all about their adventures in friendship, and mine too, since I was also a part of the group, but not a pony. That means my account of the same adventures could be totally different, and I never really thought about it like that before. So Twilight convinced me to start this journal. Haha, of course, now that I've started this journal we get a few weeks without anything happening. Go figure. Still, the peace is nice, and I hope it lasts.
Nothing exciting is happening, but Twilight is still bouncing off the walls. See there's this comet that's supposed to be coming by this Wednesday night. She will NOT shut up about it! I love it when sis gets crazy excited about stuff, but sometimes she geeks out a little bit to hard. ;)
I can't blame her, though. Princess Luna and Celestia are planning to stop by. I think she's hoping to impress Luna. She pulled more than a dozen books from the shelves about comets and she'll read each and every one of them before Wednesday. That's great and all, but just guess who she's gonna get to put them back on the shelves. Ha!
Still, it oughta be a lot of fun. I'll be making my special Super Dragon Spice Nachos. Everypony says my nachos are to die for, and Rarity always says to give the public what they want, so I'm thinkin' this is the perfect time to try out a new recipe! This is gonna be sweet!
Everypony is really excited about the comet tomorrow evening. Apparently word got out that the Princesses will be showing up, so things are getting kind of crazy. So far, we've got a whole bunch of ponies who said they wanna swing by! I guess getting to chat up Princess Luna about the stars in the sky is kind of a big deal. I hope I've got enough nachos for everypony!
Guest List (so far) Princess Celestia Princess Luna Cheerilee Octavia Vinyl Scratch (They're having a 'tiff' according to Rarity) Aloe Lotus Thunderlane Rumble Rainbow Dash Scootaloo Rarity <3 Sweetie Belle Apple Bloom Big Mac Apple Jack (She says she's bringing cider! ) Snips Pinkie Pie Fluttershy Twilight (of course) Berry Punch (Twilight says Berry Punch and Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch are not allowed in the library at the same time. I don't know what thats all about.) Snails Zecora Lyra Bon Bon Cranky Doodle Donkey (As if) Mayor Mare (I mean, she SAYS she is going to show up, but something always comes up last minute and she can't make it. Which sucks, cause I honestly think Mayor Mare is pretty fun to hang around. Derpy Hooves Doctor Whooves Twist Nurse Redheart Gizmo Diamond Tiara Silver Spoon Bulk Biceps
I know right?! It's like the entire town wants to show up! I can't really blame them. I guess getting to meet with Princess Luna on a personal level is exciting for some ponies. She doesn't really make a lot of public appearances like Princess Celestia does. I'd be skittish too if I tried to overthrow a kingdom, failed, and still had to live in that kingdom. Twilight says we're not supposed to talk about it, but it can't hurt to write about, right? Either way I hope tomorrow turns out to be fun for everypony!
So that went off without a hitch! Who'd have thunk it?
The 'comet party' was a complete success! The turnout was almost exactly as we planned it to be and the comets were really cool! Best of all, I think the princesses BOTH had a really great time! Princess Luna ended up surrounded by fillies and foals, and she explained space and stars and time. It was really cool! She drew pictures in the sky as if it were a chalkboard, and she told stories of the constellations. I think it was really healing for her, to know so many ponies turned up just so that they might talk to her! AND BEST OF ALL EVERYPONY LOVED MY NACHOS!!!
YES!!
It's a little bit weird, though. Twilight said there was only supposed to be one comet tonight, but instead there were two. We asked Luna about it. She said she had no idea where the second one came from. Twilight started making predictions about how it wasn't a comet at all, and Rainbow Dash said we needed to get some tin foil hats so the aliens couldn't read our thoughts. Twilight quit talking about it, after that, but I think it was really bothering her. She didn't bring it up again, though. I wonder what it was...
Twilight said from the really odd trajectory and surprising appearance, the (second) meteor would have had to strike down quite a few miles outside of town. We might be able to spend a day or so hiking out over there to see if we could find it. It's up near the mountains so it won't be anytime soon. Might be a weekend thing, though. I'd like to go, sounds like fun.
I knew something was wrong when she didn't get out of her bed this morning after her alarm went off. She just lied there, yelling at me to get it for her. I figured maybe she'd spent all night reading up on comets, but she says she didn't. She refused to eat breakfast, and just told me she wasn't hungry but just needed more sleep. That was back when it was morning. It's 1:36 in the afternoon, and she's still in bed! She's claiming she doesn't any energy.
Usually, when she's feeling like this, she'll sit up and read in bed while I take care of her. She'll go through a stack of books, and I'll bring her more, and more and eventually she'll get frustrated at the books I leave for her, and get up to get them herself. That's how I know she's getting better, and it usually only takes a few days. Usually.
But she's been telling me she hasn't got the energy to even do that! I thought she was exaggerating, but I gathered up all the left over reading from Wednesday for her, and she hasn't touched the stack! I hope she gets better soon, because this is sort of freaking me out.
I took her temperature, but she isn't running a fever or anything like that. She's a solid 100 degrees, so hopefully this just a bad case of fatigue or something. She does keep mentioning a headache, though. I made her some tea and cleaned up the library a little bit. Nothing too exciting happening today, and I'm thankful for that. It really sucks when Twi is sick. Poor sis. :(
I'm not sure what it is, but something is going on. I checked on her last night, and she was just staring into space. Like she were completely lost in thought. Sometimes she gets that way when she's studying, but this? This is something different. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it.
So even stranger than that? After trying to talk to her, she went right to back to sleep as if she hadn't been awake for any reason. I asked her about it, but she told me she didn't remember doing anything like that. She slept for a few hours, got up, drank some water and stared into space again. For twenty minutes. She mumbled something about a headache, and after that, she went back to sleep.
Weird. If this keeps up I'm going to nurse Red Heart. Actually. I'm going to nurse Red Heart tomorrow period. I'm worried about her.
Twilight is doing much better today! I was worried there for a moment, but today she's up and walking around. She hasn't gone outside or eaten anything, but she's talkative and that's a good sign. She's got this cough now that she seems to have gotten over night. She says she's not congested, and she doesn't sound congested, so she doesn't know what's causing it. It's this raspy, hissing choke of a cough that alternates between lung suffering horror and a strange clicking sound. Seriously, I've never heard her...ANYONE make a sound like that before. It's mega freaky.
Sometimes she goes into these scary fits of non-stop coughing. It sounds like she's trying to hack up a lung, and then she takes a huge breath like she were suffocating. I went to fetch Nurse Red Heart but she wasn't in. She was out making house calls or something. I haven't seen much of her since the party.
Twilight's been asking for medical books and symptom guides. I already know where this is going. This is going to be a repeat of that time she convinced herself she was a psychopath just by reading symptoms from a magazine. Every time Twilight gets her hooves on a book of medicine she's suddenly dying of anything and everything. She once convinced herself she had a terminal illness after stubbing her hoof on a stone outside.
At least this is familiar. After a few days everything will be back to normal, I'm sure of it!
Twilight can't stop coughing. It's getting worse. I can hear it wreaking havoc on her lungs, and today she coughed up blood. She says her throat is pretty raw and I believe her, but this is getting scary. I'm thinking we might have to visit Canterlot General if this keeps up.
She tells me she doesn't need to go to the hospital for something like this. It's just a cold, but I don't think it is. She's looking paler. I mean, less purple, you know? Like a faded purple. I heard her early this morning, coughing from the kitchen. It's this raspy, guttery cough like she were a smoker, but there's this strange clicking sort of sound too. Like a long hiss (of a cough) with little clicks intermittent. I'm thinking I might have to go and visit Zecora, but I don't want to leave Twilight by herself. She's complaining more and more about a headache. She says it's right at the base of her horn, like a magic build up, but it doesn't feel the same. I don't know what she's talking about, but the more I hear, the more I want to see what Zecora has to say.
I tried to visit nurse Redheart, but there's a line around her building. I think there's somethin' going around.
(I've started titling these to make them easier to keep track of)
I woke up last night and found Twilight staring at me. She didn't say anything. She didn't ask for anything. She just stared at me. I asked her if she was okay and she said she had a headache. Then she went back to sleep.
I don't know what to do. I'm really worried about her. I sent a letter to Princess Celestia last night, but she hasn't replied. It's not like the Princess to ignore one of our letters. What's going on?! I went down to the market to buy some groceries and the place was practically a ghost town! Everybody's locked up in their homes and nobody wants to talk.
I wanted to explore more, but I had to get back to Twilight. When I got back home, she was in the basement. She's been there all day since I've gotten home. I don't know what she's doing down there, but when I check on her she tells me she doesn't want to be bothered. I'm beginning to think, hang on, Twilight is coughing again. But it sounds different now. It sounds...it sounds more like screaming...
**************
The royal guard just came by. They...they said something about not being able to leave. No one in town was allowed to go anywhere. Canterlot Royal Orders.
I tried to tell them Twilight was sick, and we needed to go to Canterlot General, but it's like they didn't hear me. They didn't answer any of my questions, and just told me to stay inside. I tried to get Twilight to come upstairs and help explain, but she just told me to leave her alone. WHAT IS GOING ON?! I sent Princess Celestia another message. Hopefully, she sends me something back soon.
****************
I can hear her. Twilight's coughing on the other side of the basement door. I keep asking her what's wrong, but she says she's fine. I snuck down there to check on her, and she was sitting in her lab with dozens and dozens of books open and she seemed like she was trying to read them all at once, muttering about time. I asked her if she needed anything, and she said...
She said the weirdest thing. She told me there was something wrong with her blood, and she was trying to fix it. I asked her what she meant, but she started screaming at me to leave her alone. She chased me upstairs into the kitchen and that's where I am now. Tomorrow, I'm going to see if Applejack can help.
Twilight just woke me up. She's screaming again, but she's screaming my name this time. And it sounds sorta like she's crying...
***
I went down to the basement door. I could hear Twilight on the other side. She was coughing again. One long continuous choking cough, following by the clicking sound. I realized, that the clicking sound is when she inhales. That's what her breathing sounds like now. I vowed to hunt down Nurse Red Heart tomorrow. She's got to still be in town, right? They wouldn't leave the town without a doctor, right?!
Twilight was crying. I could just make it out through the raspy cough. She kept saying she'd figured it out, but there wasn't enough time left. Then she starts crying again. Then laughing. She said it was funny and laughed like it was hilarious. It sounded like it hurt. Badly. Every choked squawk from the other side of the door made me cringe.
Finally, she said that I wasn't allowed in the basement. That she was going to lock the door and it was going to stay that way until she came back out. She made me promise. I...She forced me to promise her. Then she went quiet, and wouldn't answer me anymore. I could still hear her on the other side of the door. She was making that raspy sound again. I spent all of last night begging her to talk with me. I woke up here a few minutes ago. I'm going to tr
I have NEVER been so happy to see Applejack in my entire LIFE! I think I started crying. I was trying to explain everything that's happened, and she kept telling me to slow down and start over again, but I don't care!! I'm SO happy she's here!
Applejack came by looking for Twilight. She says there some sort of bug goin' around and Canterlot is takin' it real serious like, but she doesn't know too many details. Applejack wanted to see if Twilight knew anything about symptoms Sweetie Belle is showing. Rarity's been taking care of her, but she'd feel better knowing Apple Bloom wasn't next to get sick. She says Sweetie Belle has been complaining about headaches, she's sleep trotting, and has a bad cough. She'd come by hoping Twilight could help with any of those in case Applebloom started displaying symptoms.
Boy did I ruin her day.
I told Applejack everything that's happened up to this point. She says she was hoping Twilight might know something about the quarantine in effect. We're under a quarantine? I don't even know what that is, but it sounds bad.
Applejack says things are fine. But the thing about Applejack is she's a terrible liar. I've picked up on this from her. You know things are really bad when she says "There's nothing to worry about." So I guess we're not quite there yet. I begged her to check on Twilight for me, and she said she'd do just that. She used Kicks and Buckey to open the lock (smash the hinges.) And told me to wait in the kitchen.
That was four hours ago. I kept calling down to the basement, but every time I did, Applejack told me to stay in the kitchen. I started to sneak down, but she got really, really, really mad when she caught me on the stairs. I couldn't see what was going on, but I know for a fact I don't want her mad at me like that, EVER again.
It's a little bit past five now. Applejack came back upstairs and fixed the door. I asked her what's going on and...she...she smiled at me.
I handed Applejack another nail and watched her beat it into the wood. It was evening by now. Applejack had insisted she come over and spend the night. I don't know why. I think she wanted to keep me company and help me look after Twilight. I can't tell you how relieved I was. I wanted to ask about Twilight again. I wanted to know what was going on in the basement, and outside, and why everypony was suddenly so serious about everything.
"Ain't nothin' ta be worried 'bout. I reckon this here's just a...routine precaution! Yessirree! Just a normal everyday medical drill. " Applejack had tried to explain. I handed her another nail and she hammered it into place. The look on my face must have spoke volumes because she bit her lower lip and gave a ragged sigh.
"Things are gonna be okay, Spike," she said softly. But she didn't make eye contact. She put the hammer down and turned towards me.
"Ya'll...ya'll understand you can't go downstairs, right? This is real important, Spike," she said. I stared at her. A sudden burst of anger rippled through me. Why couldn't I go downstairs?! Why couldn't I see my sister?! What was everypony trying to keep from me?!
Applejack couldn't tell me what to do. Who was she to decide where I could and couldn't go?! I turned and stared at the basement door long and hard, while AJ put another board into place.
"It's just until we can figure out how ta help her. Err it's just that Twilight might be..." she growled, paused and sighed again.
"What?!" I snapped. Applejack's ears peeled back against her skull at my tone. I could tell she was stressed out. I was too. I had a right to know what was happening to my family!!
"Everything is going to be...It'll...Everything is gonna be okay, Spike," Applejack stammered quietly. I could spit fire!
"So it's not okay, now?! Is that what you're saying?!" I snapped. I watched tiny curls of smoke rise from my nostrils and dance in angry ribbons in the air. I could feel the heat radiating in my throat. Fire. I wanted to spit fire at her. I had expected her to start yelling at me again or at least firmly tell me why I was too young to understand. Or some other horseapples older ponies use when they want to avoid talking to me about something. I'm not stupid. I pick up on these things.
But Applejack surprised me. She didn't start yelling. She didn't even look angry. It was only then I noticed how misty her eyes had gotten. Like she were holding back tears for my sake.
"Spike. Please? Trust me?" Applejack asked me quietly and shot me the most apologetic look I've ever seen. My anger melted away immediately. I sighed and I nodded my head. Lost in thought, I reached down into the bucket and handed her another nail. Silently, she went back to boarding up the basement door.
I had fallen asleep in Twilight's room. Applejack had insisted I get to bed. She said she'd look after Twilight while I got some much-needed rest. Really, I couldn't blame her. I've been pulling late nights worried about Twilight, and sleep was hard to come by with all the coughing and screaming she was doing. I was out like a light. At some point, I was aware there was a conversation going on downstairs, but I was so out of it, I couldn't concentrate on it. I just wanted more sleep.
Until the screaming started.
"GET OFFA ME!! GET OFF! I'M NOT SICK!!"
"Calm down! We ain't sayin' ya'll got it! We're just discussin-"
"NO! NO! WE SAW WHAT THEY DID TO RARITY! I WON'T LET THEM DO THAT TO ME!! YOU'RE IN ON IT!!"
"In on what Dashie? You're not making a lot of sense anymore,"
"YES I AM!! YOU'RE TRYING TO TRICK ME!! YOU WANT MY WINGS!! YOU'RE ALL JEALOUS!!
"HOLD HER DOWN, AH GOT THE ROP- HURRROFF"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!! EARTH PONIES ARE ALL IN ON IT! I KNOW THEY ARE!! IT'S A WAR!! YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE ME LIKE YOU!! I WON'T LET YOU! I WON'T!!"
That was Rainbow Dash's voice. Boisterous and unrestrained, like usual. But this time, it was stressed. It was different than shrieks and hollers of wild excitement pegasi were known for. This was more like an angry panic. I could hear thrashing downstairs, and the sound of books tumbling to the ground from the shelves. I could hear the sound of fighting.
"Wowie zowie, please calm down! Rainy, it's me, it's Pinkie, you know me! We're friends Dashie, You'd never do anything to hurt me, and I would never EVER do anything to OOOF!"
"YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!! YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!! YOU CAN'T!! THEY'RE MY WINGS!! THEY'RE MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!!"
"SHE AIN'T TRYIN TA TAKE YER WINGS DASHIE!! SHE'S JUS- WHOA NELLY! DASH GIT OFFA HER!! LEGGO!!"
"D-DASHIE THAT HURTS!! PLEASE THAT HURTS!! YOU DON'T WANNA HURT AUNTIE PIN-GAAH!! ARRGGHHHHH!!!!! STOP!! LEGGO, LEGGO!!!"
"I'M NOT SICK!! I'M NOT SICK!! I'LL PROVE IT!! I CAN STILL FLY! YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!! YOU CAN'T-"
That's when everything went quiet. And that's when I made my move.
The first thing I noticed were the feathers. Bright blue ones scattered all over the library. They were the same color of Rainbow Dash's coat. With the way they were scattered around, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear Rainbow Dash was molting. But pegasi don't molt, and from the way she was shouting, I can only assume Rainbow Dash is sick too. Several books had fallen off the shelves and were lying about the room. There were a few dots of a red fluid on the floor, and I shuddered at the sight of it. That was before I caught sight of the basement.
The door was open.
I crept as quietly as I could, taking my time to work my way down the basement staircase. The way the tree curved limited my view of the main room, but as I crept closer more and more of it started coming into view. And as more of the basement started to come into view, the more I wanted to vomit.
Blood. Blood was all over the walls, smeared and splattered with familiar hoofprints. With a bone chilling shudder, I recognized those hoof prints. The blood spelled out words and phrases along the wall, as if some pony had run out of parchment and become desperate to write down her thoughts. I'll try to write down what I can read, but it's really difficult to make out some words.
EARTH PONYS?! NO CURE! AGGRESSION?! WRONG BLOOD!! GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT (It goes on like this all around the room. A horrible, hypnotizing pattern that ends in a large messy splatter.)
SIMTUMZ HED AKE KOFF ANGRR BAD WATER CHOAK BAD BLUD HELP ME
In the corner sat Twilight herself. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and a long, continuous guttery rasp escaped past her lips. She was covered in bloody bandages and secured to the corner with a length of strong rope. Applejack's handy work. There was a makeshift straight jacket around her upper torso, keeping her from actively moving around the basement and leaving her more or less bound to that corner. That meant she was making the blood writing before Applejack had come over.
She was sitting on her haunches, still as a statue and her mouth hung open to emit that dry raspy hiss. That's all I got to see, (WAY too much) before I had to duck back into the stairwell and process what I saw. What was happening to the town?! What had happened to Twilight?! I wanted to rush over and pull her out of all that! They couldn't keep her tied up like that!!
I couldn't stop myself! I missed Twilight so, so, so much, and seeing her like that...I lost control. I ran up to her to wrap my claws around her. Even if she couldn't hug me back, I just...I HAD TO.
I didn't make it close enough to touch her with a claw tip in the slightest. No. I was maybe two steps from the staircase before a thick brown rope lassoed itself around me and tugged me back onto my butt. I already knew what was happening before the shadow loomed over me and a thick country drawl broke the silence.
"Howdy pardnah. Ya'll picked a bad time ta wake up."
Applejack loomed over me, glaring down at me with a look of disdain. I flashed a nervous smile and she gave a sigh. Thing is, I don't think she was mad. She didn't sound mad. She sounded exhausted.
"Sugarcube, I told you not to set hoof down here, didn't I?!" Yeah, Applejack was mad. I stared up at her silently, going over the options I had in my head. Did I race back upstairs? Did I break out of the rope with a burst of fire, and demand Twilight be set free? Did I plead for mercy? In the corner, Pinkie Pie was nursing at a bandage over her left ear. I could already guess: Rainbow bit her. A little further over, Fluttershy was sitting against the wall, with Rainbow Dash lying in her lap. The cobalt pegasus shuddered and trembled feverishly in Fluttershy's grasp, mumbling to herself and clearly out of it. Her wings had become completely devoid of feathers. All of them were gone, leaving thick, bone tendrils of naked skin sprouting from her shoulders. Fluttershy was dotting her head with a damp sponge and shushing at her quietly.
"Sugarcube." Applejack asked. I looked up. She glared down at me.
"Y'all....thirsty?" She asked after peering at me for what seemed like forever. I shook my head. Thirsty? How could I be thirsty at a time like this?! I promptly held up a claw. Applejack glanced over towards Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie gave a sullen sigh.
"Spike...hey, Spike, come here..." She cooed at me quietly. The way you might coo at a feral dog or some unstable creature. I peered at her curiously and looked up at Applejack. She nodded her head, and I quietly climbed to my feet and made my way over to Pinkie Pie, who smiled at me sadly.
"Are you thirsty, Spike? "She asked me, and flashed me a nervous grin. Again, I shook my head. No, I wasn't really thirsty. Pinkie and Applejack exchanged glances.
"Y'all sure we can't interest y'all in a nice cool glass of water, Spike?" Applejack asked me, Slowly approaching me with a glass of water she'd gotten from somewhere. Behind me, Pinkie Pie tensed up, as if she were preparing for someone to hit her. I frowned.
"No thank you. I'd really like to know what's going on, though? Like, for real, okay? Now, maybe? I'm not cool with Twilight being all tied up like that!" I snapped, jerking a claw over towards my sister. Applejack and Pinkie nodded at one another, and Applejack placed the glass of water she was holding to the side.
"Spike. y'all need ta listen closely, okay? Yer sister...Twilight's sick Spike. She's sick with somethin' the folks up in Canterlot are callin' "The Rasp." Other than that, we don't know too much about it. Dr. Stable up n' disappeared n' Nurse Red Heart is running ragged with all these here cases. Right now we're trying to figure out exactly what to do, but I'd hoped y'all wouldn't have to see her like this. Seems like it effects Pegasi n' Unicorns, but ain't got no effect on us Terra ponies. I reckon it's our natural defenses 'gainst gittin' sick. But even with the Terra ponies up and about, things ain't lookin' good. That's all the news we've got." Applejack said miserably. I stared at her with my mouth wide open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! The whole town and Twilight too?! Was this some sort of horrible nightmare?!
"Twilight?" I asked, turning towards the purple unicorn strapped to the corner. She didn't reply. She only continued to sit there, gurgling a quiet, hissing noise. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and a slack line of drool dangled from her lips. I wanted to cry. This couldn't be the end of my sister's journey! This couldn't be everything she built for herself! Not this!!!
"Twilight!" I sobbed, reaching out for her. Her eyes snapped open and settled on me for an instant, then the rest of the room. I could tell something was very, very wrong. She leapt to her hooves instantly and hurled herself in my direction. If it weren't for the rope restraining her, she'd have crashed into me. Instead, she was standing on her hind legs, snapping and gnashing at the air. She strained the rope to its limit, choking herself with her wild attempts to get free. For whatever reason, she didn't bother to use her magic.
"SPIKE! SPIKE THANK GOODNESS IT'S YOU!! SPIKE!! SPIKE LISTEN TO ME! THERES SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY BLOOD! I CAN FIX IT, BUT I NEED MORE TIME, SPIKE! I NEED MORE TIME! I NEED...G-GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD, SPIKE! CAN I HAVE YOURS?! I NEED YOUR BLOOD! I CAN FIX IT WITH YOUR BLOOD!! GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD!! GIVE IT TO ME! GIVE IT TO ME!! GIVE IT TO ME!! GIVE IT TO ME!!" She screamed, over and over again, until it slurred into one long harmonized cry. She threw herself forward again, bouncing against the strength of Applejack's patented knots. She hissed and gurgled, biting and chomping the air in my direction. Applejack watched sadly and shook her head.
"Starts with the urge for a drink. Ponies get real thirsty, and cough a lot and claim they've got a headache. After that, they don't want water no more. They think somethin's wrong with it. Cough gets worse n' worse. Then they start thinkin' up things that ain't real! Thought it was just Unicorns at first, but that ain't the case. Twilight, Lyra, Rarity, Sweetie Belle. All of 'em claim there's somethin' wrong with their blood. In Rarity's case, she kept saying her 'magic was off' but, but I didn't...I didn't think nothin' of it...Oh,...Rares..." Applejack whimpered quietly. She drew in a deep breath, rubbing the back of her hoof over her eyes and adjusted her hat.
"W-We don't know how ponies are catchin' it. Don't know why Terra ponies are immune to it, either. Pegasi....well they get real aggressive like. They don't want no water either and get real stressed out. Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane both started screaming that 'somepony was trying to steal their feathers'. Even though she lost all of 'em from the sickness. Ain't rightly know how it affects dragons. "Applejack said. Slowly, it dawned on me they didn't trust me. Had I been acting strange lately?! Sleeping, sure, I've been really tired, and really worried. But, what if I'm infected?! What if my scales all fall off?! What if I lose my fire breath?! What if I start hurting ponies?!
I wanted to cry out! To assault my fears and beat them into place. I wasn't sick! I couldn't be! I had to take care of Twilight! There had to be something we could do!
"I'm fine!" I growled, clenching my claws into fists. "I don't care if I'm sick. We have to fix Twilight! We have to make this better!" I barked. I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes. Without Twilight I didn't have any sort of plan. I didn't even have any sort of hope. The town was closed, the sickness was everywhere and it was only a matter of time before...
I didn't want this to happen. I couldn't let this happen. I wouldn't let this happen!
"The thing about the water...that's rabies. That's rabies, but Ah ain't nevah saw no rabies like this before. This...This ain't rabies. Ain't nevah seen nothin' like it...R-Rares, I'm sorry, I shoulda..." Applejack sputtered to herself, I was too busy staring at Twilight to really pay Applejack any attention. My mind was racing through every issue of Power Ponies, The Gryphon Tales, The Dragon Defenders, and "The Revengers." Any relevant issue to sneaking out of a heavily guarded area. Even if it wasn't the same circumstances, maybe there was something I could do that might work anyway. Come on Spike, think! Think, Think, Think! What would Twilight do? What would big sister say with her big sister brain? She's standing right next to me. Listen to her?! What's she saying?
I desperately clawed at the walls of my own head, searching for an answer that wasn't there. This was way too big for me to handle, and I didn't know who else could help. The Princess wasn't responding to me, Dr. Sable was nowhere to be seen, Nurse Red Heart was running ragged, and most of the pegasus ponies and unicorns were apparently infected with "The Rasp."
I looked back at Twilight. After having stepped back from her after her outburst, she seems to have forgotten all about me. She's gone back to making a guttural hiss and staring into the space behind her eye sockets. I stare for a long time. She didn't move. She didn't speak. That wasn't my sister anymore. I felt a bitter, burning anger inside of me, a way I hadn't ever felt before. Rage, despair, frustration, and hopelessness all melted into one ferocious strangled scream from my lips. I wanted to burn the whole library down!! None of this was fair at all! Twilight was a good pony! Why did bad things happen to good ponies!! I wanted to tear through the wall. I wanted to march right up to the guards and demand they let us into Canterlot for help. I wanted to write Princess Celestia ten thousand letters demanding to know why she abandoned us.
I didn't do any of those things. Instead, I simply lifted my arm, brought my closed fist to my muzzle and coughed into it absent-mindedly.
Was I infected? It was just a regular cough, wasn't it? I didn't feel particularly thirsty, and I didn't have a headache. I was frustrated, sure, but I wasn't going to start raging. Sick or not, I had to look after Twilight! I'm not going to fail her just because I get sick too! I decided right then and there, that I'll keep going as long as I can.
Its been a few hours now. We left the basement and left Rainbow Dash down there with Fluttershy. I don't know what she plans to do, or how she'll keep Rainbow Dash calm, but Fluttershy wasn't showing any symptoms and Applejack trusted her when she told us she felt fine. So she's downstairs with Twilight and Rainbow Dash, while Pinkie and Applejack and I figure out what to do next.
Outside, it's creepy. It's really really quiet. Not like a normal quiet, but like all the animals, and even the night itself was holding its breath like it were waiting for something. Sometimes I can see them. Other ponies. The infected. They lurch and stalk through the shadows of the town, searching for victims and hissing with that terrible sound. They're much more active at night than the day. They babble about infected blood, and lots of them look bloody and mutilated from trying to 'get it out.' I won't let Twilight stay like this. There must be something we can do. Something. ANYthing!!
Applejack says our best bet is to try and find Zecora. I think that's great, but she hasn't been seen since all of this began. I think she's in hiding or something. Maybe she's trying to figure out whats going on without being infected. But that's the plan that we've got right now. Fortify the tree, sneak out and search for Zecora.
First, we shut all the windows. They were staring at us. None of them were moving, but all the infected outside were staring at the library. Like they know we're inside. They don't move. They just watch. I think you have to be close to them to make them crazy. That's what happened when I got close to Twilight.
Applejack says next, we should start boarding up the windows. I don't understand how that will help, but Applejack says it's a very thick tree, and it's quite sturdy. I don't...I don't like where she's going with this. We should be out there helping ponies, not hiding from them!! I tried to tell Applejack but she said she'd talk to me about it later. Later, later, later. Why did it always have to be later?! I can help too! Sometimes I wish they didn't treat me like - We'll stick a pin in that, I hear something in the pantry closet.
(Sorry, I couldn't think of a title for this entry. I'm pretty stressed out as it is. When this is all over, I'll come up with a title for this entry.)
The kitchen pantry was a mess of opened boxes and eaten food. Apple cores, and banana peels and orange rinds all circled around a little orange pegasus who looked scared out of her mind. I don't know what Scootaloo was doing in our pantry or how she even got in, but the filly looked no worse for wear. Most importantly, I noticed she had all of her feathers. I didn't know if that was a good indication of health, but right now, it's all we've really got. I smiled at her and extended a claw. She bounced forward immediately, and wrapped her forelegs around my neck, crying into my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry! I was trying to find Rainbow Dash and everypony started acting weird, and I was so hungry, and everypony started chasing me, and they all wanted my blood, and I don't know what to do!" Scootaloo sobbed, squeezing me tighter and tighter, as she cried harder and harder.
I sat down in that mess of food and held her. To be honest, I really needed to break down too. To be held and just...cry. Normally, secretly, that's Twilight's job, but...
"We're safe here," is all I said to her after a few minutes. She seemed to accept this if not tentatively, and finally let me go. I flashed her what reassuring smile I could muster and nodded my head. "We're all boarded up on the first floor. There's no way any of 'them' can get inside, and-" She cut me off with a painful question.
"D-do you know where Rainbow Dash is? I'm really scared, and I- I've got to find her!" She sputtered. I winced.
"Uh...nnnnooooo, I haven't...I haven't seen her. " I stammered. I didn't know how to break it to her, but I could leave that up to Applejack or some older pony. Right now, personally, I'm as scared as Scootaloo. I wouldn't mind spending an hour or so in the closet, hiding from the monsters outside. What I could really, really use was a nap though. I don't know why I'm so super tired all of a sudden. Do I have the Rasp too? I only coughed once! I haven't had a craving for water, and I haven't felt aggressive. I chalked it up to circumstance. That's all it was. That was it. I was fine. I could still help Twilight. I could still figure out a plan to rescue her from our own basement.
...but maybe after a nap.
Unfortunately, Pinkie's voice from the living room suggested that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
"WOWIE ZOWIE!! APPLEJACK!! APPLEJACK!!!!"
Scootaloo and I glanced at one and other and I made a beeline for the living room, but Scootaloo didn't follow. She lingered at the door to the pantry watching me with wide, terrified eyes. Slowly, she pulled the pantry door closed and disappeared inside.
I couldn't blame her. I even locked the door behind her. Just in case Rainbow Dash did get out...
I raced into the living room and braced myself for whatever bad news we had to deal with next. Pinkie was standing on her hind legs, bracing herself up against one of the boarded up windows. I leaped up next to her and peeked out as well.
At first, I couldn't tell what was going on. There was a blur of motion and cries of pain coming from some sort of scuffle right outside the library. I shifted my position, leaping onto the back of the couch, so I could peek underneath one of the boards. There! A much better view!!
I'd never actually seen hoof-jitsu before. I'd heard of earth ponies practicing it, but never did I ever actually expect to see it in action. Yet here it was, right in front of me, brutal and unmistakable. Octavia Melody moved with an almost astounding awe-inspiring grace and speed. Like some sort of deadly ballerina, she leapt and twisted and spun with beautiful and poetic movements. Every beautiful spin, turned into a perfectly executed kick that caught one of the infected in the face. She was holding them back and there was a large group of them. Familiar faces of ponies I knew caked in blood and horror. I didn't want to hurt any of them! Something was making them sick, it wasn't their fault!!
Octavia did not have this conundrum. She spun around and improvised attacks. She was like a whirl wind of violence. I'd never seen any pony fight like that before!! What was she even doing out there?! Was she trying to make it to the library?! I was shaken out of my thoughts by Applejack's crisp authoritative voice that rang in my ears.
"Y'all git upstairs n' help her!" She yelled at me. I'd only been partially paying attention to what she was saying. Regardless, I caught myself bounding up the stairs to the second floor and throwing the balcony doors open. Underneath me, Octavia fought for her life. She seemed generally effective maneuvering around them, but I could see she was getting tired. She wouldn't last to much longer! Downstairs, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were scrambling to get the back door open. I could hear them prying off boards and trying to get past the barricade. I watched Octavia slowly get over whelmed. They were screaming about getting Octavia's blood and they were racing at her like....like....like mad mares! I started to panic! What did Applejack mean when she wanted me to get upstairs and help her?! How was I supposed to help her?! I peered at the growing mob of infected ponies below me. They were violently trying to claw Octavia apart! I had to do something, but what? Could my fire breath really reach down that far? Octavia was starting to lose. I didn't have a choice. I climbed up to the balcony railing, drew in a deep breath, and hurled a fireball towards the ground. It wasn't very strong, but it DID catch one of the infected in the face. Derpy Hooves. I felt my heart sink. Not Derpy too!!
Ok, good news, though. The fire stunned her. I don't think it hurt her, but I caught her in the face with it and she dropped to the ground, twitching. Perfect timing too, since she was trying to sneak up on Octavia's flank. I hurled another fireball and caught Lyra Heartstring in the chest. It bowled her over, but it didn't last long. She'd crashed to her side and snarled, and hissed. Drooling with a blood hungry look in her eye, she leaped back to hooves again. This time Octavia took her down with a brutal kick. Lyra did not get back up.
"HURRY AND GET THE DOOR OPEN!!" I screamed down the hall. I heard a crash in the kitchen.
"WE'RE TRYIN!! ALMOST THERE!!" Applejack screamed back in panic. Applejack's earth pony strength made the barricades exceptionally study. I didn't think we'd need to take them down so soon! I readied another fire ball and hurled it to the ground. I spit them all as accurately as I could, catching infected ponies left and right with blasts of dragon flame.
I was starting to get kind of good at this. It was almost like some horrible, horrible game. It was also the absolute worst time to get a message from the princess. Oh yeah, you heard me. NOW, of all times. I hacked up a scroll instead of a fire ball, and watched it tumble, down, down, down into the mob of screaming infected. I stared in absolute horror at the rolled up parchment being trampled on underneath. NO!! That scroll could (and probably did) have something extremely important on it! It was lost to the angry horde below, but I could still catch glimpses of it. Before I could figure out a plan to retrieve it, I heard Applejack below me again.
"IT'S OPEN!! GO NOW!! NOW NOW NOW!!!" Applejack screamed from inside! I didn't have time to worry about the message the princess had sent. I waved my claw wildly, and tossed another fire ball down, smacking Flitter in the shoulder. It was just enough room for Octavia to make her way around the side of the library.
"RUN TO THE BACK DOOR!!!" I cried out, trying to cover her as best I could with a rain of fire! I lost sight of her as she rounded the tree. I made my way downstairs and found Pinkie, Applejack and Octavia doing their best to keep the door shut, while dozens of ponies tried to force their way in. I threw myself at the door, hoping my added weight might help tip the scales here. I don't know how we managed, but the door slammed shut, and Applejack went to work feverishly repairing the barricade.
"Octavia? What in tarnation are y'all doin' out there?!" Applejack barked, slamming nails into the boards. She raved and grumbled to herself, while Octavia cried softly. I don't think Applejack noticed. She was practically screaming at Octavia about her reckless behavior before Pinkie Pie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered something quietly to Applejack, who shook her head immediately. She sputtered something that sounded like 'sorry' and excused herself from the room.
I wanted to ask what was bothering Octavia, but I already could guess it had something to do with Vinyl Scratch. She had the DJ's sunglasses clipped to her bow-tie and there was blood all over her hooves. I didn't want to ask any questions, and she didn't offer any details. The Rasp had claimed another victim.
It's so late it's early. I'd been standing on the balcony for about an hour now. Just staring at them. There were dozens of them. Dozens and dozens of ponies all glaring up at the tree. At me. They watched me with angry eyes, and horrifying intent. Down there, somewhere, was the scroll the princess had sent to me. Whatever was written on it was lost to the violent horde (herd?) below. Forever. Vital information that had been delivered to us was gone forever, and it was my fault.
Next to me, Applejack glared quietly at the teaming mass of infected ponies. I don't remember when she'd stepped out with me, but there she was, scanning the ground for any possibility of retrieving the scroll. She was looking for hope, and all that looked back was horror. She then shot me a glance of pure disappointment that dropped the pit out of my stomach.
"Whelp....nothin' we can do bout it. Reckon we oughta get some sleep, and work on our plans for t'morrow. " Applejack said with a frustrated huff. She gazed down at the silent infected and gave another sigh and shook her head. She turned and headed inside without another word.
I gazed down at the group of infected and grit my fangs. I was very, very angry.
I'm so stupid. I'm...Twilight would be so disappointed in me. That scroll was our only hope. OUR ONLY HOPE AND I BLEW IT! Like usual. I'm such a screw up. I'm so angry at myself. I'm so furious I could scream. I'm going to fix this though. I'm going to fix this, and I'm going to save Twilight, and everything is going to be okay! I've been thinking about how I'm gonna get the scroll back. Twilight only reacted when I was close to her. I'm pretty small... I think I can make this work. I really do. Theres no way Applejack would ever let me do this, so I can't tell her. But I'm going to make this work. I am going to fix this.
We' re safe now. I finally found something to write with, so I'm jotting down what I can. Let me go back a little bit. Thursday, is the last entry I wrote, I think. Yeah. Thats when we left. We left because of me. See, I did something stupid.
I went outside.
I knew I shouldn't have. It was stupid, and it was dangerous, and I wasn't thinking. I was just so angry. I'm such a mess up. I screw everything up. I slipped out to the balcony. IM SO STUPID.
I made a rope out of the sheets. I made a rope, and I climbed down to the ground. There weren't many of the town's ponies around. What few there were, loosely gathered around the tree and stared at it. None of them looked at me. None of them even turned towards me when I touched down on the ground.
It should have been easy. There it was. Over towards the front door. No ponies around. I could make it. I could make it!! I was scared to death, and I could have just climbed right back up the rope.
I should have climbed right back up the rope. Oh, CELESTIA, why didn't I climb back up the rope! Why, why, why, why, why, why, why why?! CELESTIA WHY?! I'M SO
I'm back. I'm better. Sorry. I'm sorry. I kind of had a breakdown. This is really really hard. I'm sorry. Where was I?
Ok. So I went outside. I made a rope from sheets, and climbed down from the second balcony. We live in a tree, so there are balconies all over the place. It's really kind of neat.
I went out side, and climbed down. It was quiet. It was night. The scroll was right in front of the door. All I had to do was sneak over and grab it. Thats all I had to do. That was all I had to do. I should have gone back up the rope, but I didn't and I tried to get it. I tried. I snuck over to the scroll. It was so easy. Hang on, I need another drink. I never recovered from spitting that many fire balls that quickly before, when I protected Octavia. I'm so tired, and I'm getting off track. I got the scroll. I didn't even see her. I didn't see her there, and she was RIGHT there!! ARRGGHHH!! IM SO STUPID!
I walked back to the rope. I had the scroll. She was sitting there, all covered in blood. Vinyl Scratch. Didn't notice her until I was right next to her at the rope. I'm scared, I mean, I know what Vinyl Scratch usually looks like and she didn't look like that at all. She had the Rasp and she says to me...
"Wheres Tavi, Spike? I gotta talk to her. She promised she'd go and get help. It's in my blood, Spike!! TELL HER TO GIVE ME HER BLOOD!" She screams at me. She lunges at me. I leap away at the last second and grab the rope in my claws. I start hauling myself up as fast as possible. I threw myself over the balcony, and clenched at my chest, trying to catch my breath. My heart wanted to hurl itself out of my throat. All for the paper clutched in my claws. The parchment that I gripped as tightly as possible. I pitched myself down the staircase.
"APPLEJACK!! APPLEJACK!" I screamed. I was so proud of myself. I was so so, so very proud of myself, I screamed as loud as I could. Woke up the entire library!! I GOT IT!! I got to the base of the staircase. to find Applejack glaring at me. She looked tired, and her ears were pulled back, ready for a fight. Her muzzle turned to pure shock as I held up the parchment.
"Ya'll got another message?! ...Wait...ya'll didn't..." She frowned. I gleamed. She frowned even further. She looked like were trying to decide between being excited and impressed, and furious at my idioitic actions. In the end, she settled for excited.
"Whats it say?!" She barked. Octavia had entered from the kitchen, and Pinkie looked over from the couch. Carefully I unraveled the message Celestia had sent to me.
I had expected hope; instructions, or perhaps directions to go for help. That the calvery was coming, and all we had to do was sit tight. I burst into tears at the message. Three simple words.
I didn't know what to do, or what to say. A wave of panic washed over me. It felt like everything in the world was happening in slow motion, and I threw up. I think it was the stress. Just all over the floor. Applejack was screaming. Everypony was screaming. I thought they were screaming at me. I'm sorry, things are all messed up right now! I don't know why I got so mad all of a sudden. Why were THEY so angry at me?! It wasn't my fault!
I tried to sputter something rude, but I couldn't. I dropped to my knees, gasping for air, while Applejack charged into me, sending the two of us tumbling to the ground. I tried to yell, but I had a mouthful of sick. All I knew was Applejack was attacking me, and I wouldn't stand for it! She was infected! She must have been!!! I began to thrash and kick violently. I'm so sorry Applejack. I'm so sorry. I caught her in the face with a firm kick, and she let go of me. I rolled onto my belly and looked around in panic.
My blood froze. Applejack hadn't been attacking me. She was pushing me out of the way. Out of the way of Vinyl Scratch. They hadn't been screaming at me. They were trying to warn me of the pony behind me. The infected in the house. The one that had climbed up the rope. My rope. My fault. I felt sick again.
Applejack hauled me onto her back, and I surveyed the room. Vinyl Scratch had gone from pouncing at me, to wildly assaulting Octavia. I didn't see what had happened, but Octavia had a large gaping wound on her neck. She was oozing blood from it. Was...Was Vinyl trying to suck at it? Octavia was screaming and trying to fight Vinyl Scratch off with one hoof and keep pressure on the wound on her neck. From out of no where, Pinkie Pie barreled into Vinyl Scratch, sending them toppling to the floor. Applejack was at Octavia's side immediately.
"SPIKE!! GET FLUTTERSHY!! NOW! You're gonna be okay, darlin, yer gonna be jus fine. I know it hurts, but she missed the artery! Calm down!! SPIKE!!" She screamed. I stumbled to my feet and threw myself at the basement door, throwing it open as fast as I could.
At the top of the stairs stood Fluttershy. I immediately pointed towards Applejack and Octavia.
That was before I noticed all of Fluttershy's feather's had been lost and she was covered in bite marks and bandages. She gave an animalistic hiss, and lunged for them.
I can only remember it in chunks. Things get fuzzy after Fluttershy. She was sick. I hadn't thought to check on her lately. I've been so tired. She said she was fine!! THIS IS ALL MY FAUL
Sorry. I threw up again. I can remember. Fluttershy went after Applejack and Octavia. Octavia threw Applejack out of the way and wrestled Fluttershy to the ground. Fluttershy was hissing and screaming, and kicking wildly. I ran over and tried to help, but she kicked me right off my feet. I crashed into the desk on the other side of the room. Twilight's desk. There was a candle on the desk and so much parchment. I Didn't mean for this to happen! Im so sorry! IM SO SORRY
The fire ate up the desk like it was kindling. All paper. It's all paper. Twilight and Rainbow Dash came out of the basement. All of them sick. Infected. Screaming for blood. Trying to take it from Applejack and Octavia and Pinkie. For whatever reason they didn't seem to notice me. I wish they had. I wish they'd taken me away. I want to go away.
Applejack is a strong pony. She's probably the strongest pony I know. I wish I was strong like her. But I'm not. I'm weak. Fluttershy's kick wouldn't have affected Applejack, but I was stunned by it. The world was spinning and I couldn't figure out how to make my tongue work to say anything. I coughed and gagged and everything happened so fast. There was smoke in my eyes, but suddenly I was on Applejack's back. Octavia was next to us. Pinkie was behind us. She was trying to buy us time. Trying to talk sense into Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. She couldn't hurt her friends. Sick or not.
We made our way to the third balcony. We jumped to the next building. The roof of the next house. We watched. We watched the tree burn down. The tree burned down. I watched my house burn down. I tried to get back in, I really did! I DID! I kicked and wiggled! I cried and fought. But she wouldn't let go!
"NO!! PLEASE, PLEASE LET GO!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!" I cried, trying my best to get to my feet. Applejack wrapped her hooves around me tightly and held me close while I struggled to get out of her grasp.
"WE HAVE TO GO BACK!! WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!" I screamed desperately. Applejack frowned, and easily held me down.
"NO! HMMPH, CALM DOWN! We can't help her now! We have to worry about ourselves!!" Applejack insisted. She wouldn't let me go back into the tree house. I watched in agony as it burned down. There was nothing I could do to stop this madness spreading around me. Applejack babbled on behind me about how Twilight would be just fine. She had no idea I wasn't talking about Twilight.
"WE HAVE TO SAVE SCOOTALOO!!" I screamed again. Applejack turned towards in in alarm. I gestured towards the tree, and realized what a futile effort it was. There was no way back inside. There was nothing but fire and infected below us now. It was too late. I was too late. I glanced down helplessly at my claws in silence and choked back a hopeless sob.
"What about Scootaloo?!" Applejack hissed. I stared up at her with teary eyes and I silently shook my head. If I said anything now, Applejack would have turned and hurled herself back into the blaze. I'd be sacrificing her on the slim chance to pull Scootaloo out of the clutches of the infected and the flames. My tummy turned itself into a knot, and I kept my mouth shut.
"I thought I saw her. But it couldn't have been...No-nothing. Nevermind. " I sobbed. Applejack gave a tired sigh.
"Ya'll try and calm down, Spike, I need ta help Pinkie with Octavia, so ya'll just sit right here, okay?" Applejack cooed, wrapping the rope tightly around my shoulders. She pulled it taut to keep me in place while I watched my home crackle and pop. She was right to do so. If I could have, I'd have thrown myself right back into the fire. But I knew the infected had already gotten a hold of Scootaloo. I could feel it.
I cried myself to sleep that night. I'm so sorry Scootaloo. I'm so sorry. I thought you were safe in the pantry. I didn't know this would happen.
I decided to keep Scootaloo a secret. Applejack and the others don't need to know about it. It would only tear them up inside. I can't ever tell anyone. Holding it inside makes me want to explode, but I can't say anything. I can't. I just can't. It wouldn't help now. Nothing can help now.
I've been sleeping a lot lately. I feel so weak. And every time I close my eyes I can hear her. She's reaching for me. Crying out for me to come and get her. I never get there in time. It's the same dream, over and over again. Twilight would be so ashamed. Ashamed of me. I'm ashamed of me. I feel sick. Applejack came over and asked me whats wrong.
What do I say? What do I do? I want to tell her. I want to tell her everything, and let her take it all away. I want her to take it all away!!
I could tell her. I could tell her what happened and cry into her shoulders. I could explain that Scootaloo was hidden in the pantry. That she was in there when the fight broke out. That she was in there when the fire collected the house. That she was left behind when we made our escape. I could tell her all of these things, and watch her heart tear itself in half like mine was doing. I could lift the weight off my shoulders. I could give the burden to her.
"I'm fine." I said softly.
We've been in the forest making sure the infected weren't following us before we made our way to Zecora's hut. Thats where we are now. When we arrived I immediately took a nap. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I'm so tired all the time now. Applejack won't say it, but she's convinced I've got the Rasp. I'm convinced too, but I don't have time to be sick. I've got to keep fighting but...
Applejack woke me up. She says it's time to try and head somewhere safer. I started to argue that this was pointless, but I kept my mouth shut. Applejack did not look like she was in the mood for arguing, and frankly, neither was I. I was grumpy from not getting enough sleep, and my head was throbbing from not getting anything to eat. Gems are pretty scarce right now.
Zecora doesn't keep that many gems in her hut, so no help there, but we did find some bandages and medical supplies for Pinkie and Octavia. I gotta hand it to her, I've never seen a pony carry on the way Octavia was. She was more or less covered in her own blood and various wounds, but she's still walking under her own power. She's pure incredible! I wish I could be like that!
But I'm not. I'm weak, and pathetic and I let Scootaloo die, and I'll NEVER FORGI-
Sorry. I have to keep writing about our adventure. Our story. Our progress. If I start talking about my feelings I'll never stop, and I'll waste the parchment again. I've gone through whole scrolls just trying to ...make sense of everything that's happening. Twilight would use the journal for clues but I'm not smart enough to suss them out like she does. I've been reading over the tale over and over and I just get mad at myself. Mad at Applejack. Mad at everypony. Then I realize that's not normal. It isn't ok for me to be mad all the time. I have to fix this!! I HAVE TO! I have the Rasp, I'm sure of it. It's in my blood. I can feel it making me sicker and sicker. What's the best way to get your own blood out? I need something sharp. If I can get all of it out, then I'll be ok again. Maybe just a few cuts. I mean, your body produces more blood right? It's a simple process. Drain some, let more develop that isn't contaminated? That's what I have to do. I'll do it to save Twilight. I have to. If I can cure myself, I can help her. I can save my sister! I need something sharp!! Applejack doesn't understand. I can't let her know. She'd try to stop me from saving Twilight. I can't trust her. I can't.
Got some out. Didn't mean to spill it on the journal, though. I feel better! A little light headed, maybe, but the headache is going away! I would have gotten more, but Applejack came over and told me it's time to go. Pack everything up. She doesn't know about the knife I found. She doesn't know about the blood. I hid it when I rolled my scroll up. I asked her where she intends to take us.
"Sweet Apple Acres." She says.
Applejack isn't infected. I don't think she's infected. She doesn't seem like she's infected. Her blood is untainted. I can use it to help Twilight. She'll forgive me, won't she? Of course she will. She'll understand. She's my friend. She HAS to understand! It's important to help Twilight. We have to save Twilight!! I WON'T LET HER SUFFER! I'll write later. We're about to leave. Sweet Apple Acres is the perfect place to go.
Been in and out of it all day. Waking up, falling asleep. Most of the time I was riding along Applejack's back. She says I've got a fever. Says not to worry about walkin. I think she just wants to keep me close. She smells so sweet. Sweaty, but I can smell the apples in her mane. Mouth watering apples. Scarlet treasures growing on trees. Bright, dazzling rubies.
So hungry...
We approached Sweet Apple Acres around the evening. The sun was going down, and night was just starting to get into full swing. Luna and Celestia must be somewhere, still working on princess stuff. Instead of helping us. I hate them. I HATE THEM! They should be saving their subjects, not screwing around with the sun and the moon!!
Angry again. Raging again. Need to calm down. Will write soon.
Applejack took us to an older barn that was on the outskirts of the property. Empty place. Mostly used farm equipment. Lots of bales of hay. Lots of tools. I wondered if there was something here I could use to help me get more of my blood out. Have to get it out...It's all I can think about. I have to get it out to rescue Twilight. I've got to.
There wasn't much around except apple trees. She marched into the barn with us in tow and stopped in the middle of the room. There, she tapped her hoof on the ground three times. I watched all of this quietly. THUNK THUNK THUNK. The ground was hollow.
As lame as I was feeling, I was still amazed. This must have been an old cellar or something they built a barn over. Now it housed a new quarantine. That's what you call a group of people hiding right? Because that's what it was housing. A massive red hoof opened up a hatch from inside, and Big Mac poked his boxy nose out at us. I have never seen Big Mac smile like the way he did when he saw Applejack. I could feel my heart melt, but they didn't embrace as I expected them to.
They were both smiling, but they kept their distance. Big Mac glanced down behind him, into the cellar, and then back out at A.J. with a grimace. As if he were bracing himself for what would come next.
"...Applejack." Big Mac said tersely. I could feel the tension in the air. It was suffocating. I was suffocating. Applejack nodded her head stiffly and adjusted her stance. She glanced back at Octavia, myself, and Pinkie Pie, and then drew a deep breath. For a moment...I didn't understand what I was seeing. Like the gestures didn't make any sense. The orange one pointed to the other two, and then at me. Why was she pointing at me? I didn't like it. I didn't like her hoof pointed at me.
"Octavia n' Pinkie Pie need medical attention. Pinkie got bit, n' Octavia got hurt somethin' fierce. We ain't shown no symptoms, but...Spike...ain't doin' so well." She said slowly. I perked my ear fins and tilted my head. The name Spike sounded familiar.
"Spike...Ya'll gonna need ta stay out here, okay?" Somebody was saying. Somebody was saying it far far away. My thoughts felt muddled. Like, I was trying to focus on a million different things at once. Like everything was fuzzy and the words all stopped making sense. It was almost like I was falling asleep.
"I think yer sick...and...I can't letcha make us sick too. Spike? Sugarcube?" The voice asked. They were talking to somepony else. They were talking about things I didn't care about. They weren't talking about Twilight. They weren't focusing on rescuing Twilight! THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT TWILIGHT!!! I had to do something!! The longer we sat around talking the longer Twilight was sick! I had to do something! I needed to get that blood. NOW!
I remember falling on all fours, spitting fire into the air. I snarled and bit and snapped at them as they tried to get closer to me. Applejack had a rope, and for some reason seeing that sent me further into a rage.
Then,
Then something weird happened. I remembered Twilight for a moment. I could see her face. I could see her mane. I could hear her voice. She's my family, and she was in trouble. I wanted to save her. That's all I wanted. That was my only goal. I knew that I was sick. But if I could make myself better again, I could make Twilight better too!! I had to get the orange pony's blood! Hers wasn't infected! She wasn't sick!
But then a new voice whispered in my ear. It was soft. And it was gentle, and it was loving and it was crying.
It was pink.
"H-hey...You've gotta be really scared right now, right? I know I am, but we're gonna get through this. We're gonna get through this and we're gonna have a party afterward. You n' me, and Applejack and Twilight, and all of our friends, okay? I promise!! I promise we're gonna be okay!! Y-you gotta believe that, cause it's the only way ...it's t-the only way we can get through this! "The voice sobbed itself into tears. Someone was...holding me? For a few seconds, I was confused. The voice had mentioned Twilight. I felt calmer somehow.
Twilight? Who was Twilight. I swear that name sounded familiar. That name... Yes. Twilight! This was about Twilight! Saving Twilight! It didn't matter WHO saved Twilight, as long as somepony did! I didn't know where I was at the moment, but the only thing that mattered to me was finding and saving Twilight!! Yes! Yes focus on Twilight. What's your best bet at saving Twilight?! Uninfected blood! Applejack has uninfected blood! No! Not her blood...I didn't need Applejack's blood...I NEEDED APPLEJACK!!
It was like a breath of fresh air! Like, suddenly waking up from some terrible dream! I could remember standing up, and holding up both my claws in the air apologetically. I regained my senses- just as Big Mac clapped me on the back of the head with one huge hoof. He'd snuck up behind me during the scuffle.
I woke up with a throbbing headache and the taste of glue on my lips. Well, more accurately, the taste of the duct tape someone had gagged me with. Somepony wanted to make sure fire wasn't on my list of options at the moment, and they were wise to do so, considering how I acted earlier. A strong line of rope had been secured around my sides, keeping my arms pinned in place, suggesting I wasn't going anywhere, and somepony planned to keep it that way.
Applejack.
She was sitting adjacent to me in the barn, with her back against the wall. She'd obviously been keeping watch, but the poor pony was so exhausted, she'd fallen asleep with her hat tilted down over her eyes. I couldn't blame her. We'd been running for so long, and fighting so hard, I doubt even a bomb going off could wake her.
She didn't even react to the dreadful tell-tale hiss of infected as it neared the barn. Helplessly, my heart stopped as I watched this horrible thing drag itself into the barn. It must have followed us from ponyville.
It lurched forward with a low hissing rasp spilling from its muzzle. Smaller than the other infected but still threatening, this particular creature was colored tangerine with splashes of blackened and burnt fur over its frame. It dragged itself forward on charred and stubby little hooves, only to pause for a moment to peer around the room. Violet spikes of mane jut out over glossy lavender orbs, and small, pale, writhing appendages sprouted from its back.
I couldn't pull my eyes away from it. It didn't notice me. Or maybe it did, and it just didn't care. It drew forward with another terrible little hiss, and my eyes widened when I realized what was happening. It gave a clicking cough and started forward towards Applejack. She was asleep, and only a few feet away from me, but my arms were bound and I couldn't speak!! APPLEJACK!!!
Wriggling in the rope, I tried desperately to make a noise. Call out! Something!! ANYTHING!! I had to warn her the infected had found us! I HAD TO WAKE HER UP!!
"MMMPMMH!! MPPHMMH!!" I cried. She was so exhausted. We'd been running from infected for days and Applejack was a particularly heavy sleeper. She didn't notice me and the monster dragged itself closer and closer. NO! APPLEJACK WAKE UP!!
I kicked and squirmed and only managed to roll myself over onto my side. APPLEJACK!! I kicked furiously and writhed on the ground. I didn't have the strength to stand! Why did I have to be so weak?!
MMPMPMH!! MMMPMMH!!!" I screamed again. Applejack didn't move. It was crawling closer and closer, hissing all the way while I desperately tried to cobble together some sort of plan. If only I could use my fire breath!! I watched, ravaged by guilt as the infected crawled over to Applejack.
Oh, I knew who it was. I knew in my heart of hearts that this blackened little charred nightmare creature had once been a friend of mine. I knew those sweet innocent eyes, and the crisp burnt orange fur. I knew that pony. All I could do was watch in agony as it approached us. No. It approached Applejack. It was after uninfected blood. That's why it didn't bother looking at me. That's why I was invisible to it.
I shifted my hips and tried to edge myself towards Applejack. With enough frantic twisting and kicking, I managed to start making headway towards the pair. The monster was faster than me, though. It approached Applejack and started climbing up onto her. Was it going for her neck? A single killing blow? I needed to get Applejack's attention and now!
But there was nothing I could do. For all of my frantic kicking and wiggling, I was helpless to watch as a tragedy unfolded in front of me. My lashing tail caught the side of the barn with a thump, and Applejack shifted in her sleep. It only took me a moment to realize what I had to do, and in that minute, I did it. I crushed my tail as hard as I possibly could against the wall. WHUMP! It hurt, but it didn't matter! It was noise! I was making noise! WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP. I wound my tail back for one final smack at the barn's wall and... CRACK!! It was like kicking a rock. You know what that feels like? It hurt. A lot. I'm fairly sure I broke my tail in that single blow. The pain was like fire racing through my hips and I screamed in agony. Even through the gag, it was loud.
Loud enough to jerk Applejack into wakeful state. In one swift move, she put the infected pony down. Hard. One brutal kick was all it took. It was hard to know which was worse: The guilt of watching that happen, or knowing I created the problem in the first place.
Never sad she never did nothing for me. You know, that Zeocoora i like her a whoooooooooooole bunches IT HURT SO MUCH and I think it's starting to kick in now, so I'mfndik rrrsss fsact kflnbkssfd Nap in her room. I son'; rrww. fARMHOUSSSS
THROW A PARTY ON THE MOON
pANCAKES Pancakes R beautiful
And that's the dream I had. I'm sure it's important. Pinkie sense too Pinkie would throw a party like that. Maybe she can help me figure it out. maybe maybe.She and Zecora. is pret.ty awesoem.
I remember rolling around on my side in agony. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I was gagged. The best I could do was muffled shouts. My arms were pinned by the rope, so I couldn't right myself. My tail was in an awkward position, and it drove white hot spikes of fire through my rump. I sobbed silently while trying to right myself. Every second was a nightmare!! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!! Applejack didn't notice. She was too busy inspecting the unconscious infected. Or dead. I didn't know. It didn't matter. I can't describe the agony I was in. I guess I was screaming wildly, and Applejack finally came rushing over to me.
She didn't pull the gag off. I wanted her to pull the gag off! LET ME SCREAM!! PLEASE!!! But she refused. She refused. She let me suffer. Was she punishing me? Was this what I deserved for what I did to Scoo- No. I don't deserve to write her name. Is this what I get for that poor filly? Is this what she felt?!
"Sorry sugahcube! I can't letcha'll draw attention to us!" She hissed. She ducked down into the cellar for a moment. I couldn't see through all of the tears. I couldn't recognize anything. I screamed through the gag. I didn't even hear the footsteps of the ponies gathering around me.
"...............Looks quite severe............. Broke his poor rear!" Somepony said. Through my haze of pain I recognized that voice. That perfect rhyming scheme could only be Zecora. Even if I only heard half the rhyme. I knew it was her. She must have been hiding in the cellar with the rest of the survivors of the town. Theeeen I kinda went on a little trip for a while. I think that I... yup, I wrote an entry. Uh...nevermind that part. Let's just say for how bad I was feeling before is how good things felt thanks to Zecora. I remember her setting my tail for me, and rubbing it down with special salve that was supposed to accelerate healing? She didn't know if it had any effect on dragons, though. So we'll have to wait and see. Since I wouldn't stop screaming, and this was an extreme circumstance...heh...She gave me some 'special' medicine and made me promise not to tell. I get it, though. I mean, really, if it's the end of the world...Might as well live it up, right? The end of the world. That's what this feels like...Anyway. WOW. I felt great!! Put me right to sleep! Well, I think I went right to sleep, err, after I made that last entry. I can't really make it out. I wasn't making any sense at all. I only remember bits and pieces of it writing it. Something about a party on the moon with Pinkie Pie? Ugh. I'm only semi-conscious now while I write this. I'm falling asleep again. Still feelin' good thou.
Ugh
I wonder what day it is?
Anyway. I just woke up in Applejack's bed. That's where I wrote this entry. Don't know whats going on, but I don't- wait...something's outside the door...
Zecora hurled herself into the room with me and pressed her back against the door. Her mane was wild and her eyes were frenzied. She had the Rasp! Before I could call for help, Zecora pounced me. Roughly, she forced me down with the strength of an earth pony. With my cheek pressed firmly against the floor (Her hooves on my neck meant she could the direction of my head, and in turn where my fire breath would go. Clever.) she lowered her head down close to mine. I'd never heard Zecora sound so deadly serious before but I almost wet myself. cried.
"I think your life, it would behoove, if you choose not to move. " Zecora snarled in my ear. I stared up at her fearfully and while she pinned me down, she...oh, ugh...she had a knife. I don't know where she got it from. Oh, Celestia. She cut herself. She drove the knife into her leg and a burst of blood splattered all over my face. I screamed. I was horrified! I didn't know what was going on and I begged for her to let me go. I screamed for her to get off of me. A moment passed before she did just that. She released me and I scrambled to my feet, wiping the blood off of my face with the closest thing I could find. The bed sheet. This was insane!! The whole world had gone insane!! Was this how the infection spread? Blood transmission?! I'd just started feeling better and now I was covered in infected blood!!
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I screamed furiously. I wildly looked for a weapon or something I could use to defend myself before I realized Zecora was no longer attacking me. No, she was just sitting there, staring at me with wide eyes, mouth agape. A moment passed and it hit me. I was disgusted. Not frenzied. I didn't want Zecora's blood. I wanted it off me.
I was cured.
Ok, maybe not cured. I still had a headache but this is something important. Zecora almost seemed giddy and gamboled in place. She looked extremely proud of herself. Had she devised some sort of cure?! Before I could react, she scooped me up and onto her back, and turned towards the door.
"Things look grim for the farm I fear, you and I must get out of here." Zecora said cryptically. Things looked grim for the farm? How long was I out? Whatever that stuff Zecora gave me sure did the trick. I could only feel a faint sort of uncomfortable 'buzz' from around my hips. If my tail were still broken, I'd have never guessed! But if I knew then what I know now, I'd have rather just stayed asleep.
Zecora pitched us down the stairs at breakneck speed. We slammed into the floor and shot through the front door like a missile. At first, I thought it was daylight. That's how bright it was.
No.
That was just the fire. The orchards were engulfed in flame. Every tree was a huge burning fireball, and a hazy fog of smoke clouded the air. The focal point of the blaze was the barn in the distance. Some sort of explosion? Burning bodies were everywhere. Infected and survivors were scrambling all over the farm, screaming for help and gurgling last breaths. It was chaos. It was absolute armageddon. This was Tartarus. I had actually died in Applejack's bed, and this? This is my punishment for failing Scootaloo.
Zecora burst forward, running as fast as she could through the roasting apple trees. I hung onto her as tightly as possible still dizzy from the medication she gave me earlier. Had she healed me? Was there a cure for this?! What had happened to the farm?! How that this blaze started?! Something tackled us from the side, sending Zecora and I into the ground. Above us, a tree glowed with a bright flaring light, and charred apples rained down around us. Zecora climbed to her hooves and limped over in front of me. I should have ducked behind her. Maybe climbed up onto her back to make use of my fire breath. But I couldn't move. I stared. Twilight stared back at me.
She was different. She was wildly pale, and her fur was in shambles. The left part of her body had been badly burnt, and she gave an animalistic hiss. There wasn't a spark of intelligence left behind her eyes, and she peered past me at Zecora. I was wrong. Twilight wouldn't attack her if she had the Rasp. Good for us, right?
She drove herself towards Zecora. She didn't notice me. Was it the scent of my blood? Zecora's blood? Twilight looked like she'd gone feral and smashed herself into Zecora, chomping and biting at her neck. All the while, she was screaming in a harmonized cry, like she had three voices in her throat.
"BLOOD!!" She screamed. Over and over again. There were no other words in the world. Just the one thing she wanted more than anything. Thats when I realized it. Ponyville's librarian, my sister, Twilight Sparkle, was gone.
The last thing I could remember, was Zecora screaming for me to run. She was fighting with Twilight and I was trying to break them up. The smoke was sickly sweet in the air and the stench of burning apples was suffocating. I grabbed Zecora and tried to lead her towards safety. It was impossible to see with all the smoke and fire raging around us. I got turned around. It all looked the same, and it was so loud and I felt so sick and
Well
I got lost. I know. I've been to Sweet Apple Acre's hundreds of times before, and could always find my way around but this was like a completely different farm.
And thats when I woke up here. I'm somewhere in the Everfree forest. I can still smell the smoke from the fire. I can still see
Twilight.
I guess that's it then. Twilight's gone. Applejack was lost to the fire. Zecora was lost to the infected. Canterlot is gone. Ponyville is overrun. Everyone is either sick or dead. What else is left? Where do I go? Am I lucky? I feel better. I got the Rasp. I survived it. And for what? There's no one left. I made it through. I 'won.' Yay for me. We didn't take back the city. There was no plucky band of survivors who managed to find a cure. This wasn't like my comic books. I thought if you survived something like this, you were supposed to have a happy ending.
So why does this feel so much like Tartarus?
Guess I'll start walkin.
got nowhere else to be.
Maybe I'll find someone who isn't infected. It would be nice to have a friend.
Goodbye.
P.S. Not sure when I'll write in this again. If at all. Whats the point? If somepony finds this and reads it, I'm sorry if this wasn't the end of this journal you were expecting. I didn't see it coming either.
I went to the place where everything used to make sense, I guess. I walked until I realized I was in Canterlot. The place is deserted. Occasionally, I'll find a pony or so standing on the street, mouth open, eyes rolled back, and making that horrible rasping sound.
I don't know what I was hoping for.
I thought mom and dad would be okay. I guess I was being nieve. I didn't know what I was expecting. What I wanted was Mom to wrap her arms around me and tell me she knew what to do, and everything would be okay, and we'd help Twilight and ...and...
I didn't have anywhere else to go. Home seems like the most intelligent response, right? So I went home. I went home and found Mom and Dad.
She was in the kitchen. Sitting on her haunches, ears folded back mouth open, eyes rolled back. Hissing. I knew better than to ask her if she was alright. She was acting like Twilight had, only she wasn't restrained. I love you. I love you so much mom. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I snuck up on her. I grabbed the closest thing I could. One of the dinner stools. I hefted in my claws.
I love you mom. I won't let you suffer. I won't. I love you and I won't let you suffer.
I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you
I broke the chair over the back of her neck. She went down.
then
I hit her again. And again. Twilight Velvet stopped moving. She stopped hissing, and stopped twitching. She just lay silent, in a growing pool of her own blood.
Next was Dad. He was in the study. He was sitting with his back turned towards me, staring at his large bookshelf.
I rescued him too.
I'm a hero right? I saved my parents from a horrible fate. I'M A HERO RIGHT?! I rescued them both.
After rescuing my parents, I wound up in Twilight's room. It was the only place that felt safe. I locked the door, and I dug some of her old stuffed animals out of the closet and surrounded myself with them. They smell like Twilight. I fell asleep.
I JUST WOKE UP AN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW! THERES A LIGHT ON AT THE CASTLE!! I CAN SEE IT!! I CAN SEE IT!! THERES SOMEPONY STILL ALIVE IN THERE!!! THERES A LIGHT!! IT'S A CANDLE LIGHT BUT IT WASN'T THERE WHEN I WENT TO SLEEP!! SOMEONE IS ALIVE!! SOMEONE IS ALIVE INSIDE!!
I knew better than to run up the road the way I did. I guess I was delirious with hope or something. I was waving my arms and shouting as I made my way towards the castle, all smiles and excited. I really wanted to see familiar faces. That's all I cared about. I knew some of the guards at the castle and I wanted desperately to talk to somepony familiar. I should have known they'd be on high alert. I don't blame them for the rock that shot by my head. Or the second rock that hit me dead center of the temple. A perfect shot that left me dazed with bells loudly ringing in my ears. I could see stars, big bright yellow ones that danced in front of me. They were firing from the castle's parapets as I ran towards them. Expertly crafted arrows and spears were hurled at me, while rocks pitched past with horrifying accuracy. I stopped in my tracks, waving my arms desperately!
"S-STOP!! ISH ME, SPIKE!! I'M NOT INFECTED!!!" I hollered. My skull tingled from where the rock had struck, and words felt funny in my mouth. I stumbled forwards a few steps and landed on my knees, gazing up at the castle. Didn't they recognize me?! Perhaps they did. Maybe they couldn't risk an infected dragon in the castle. The drawbridge was up, and the moat barred my entrance. They weren't taking any chances with the Rasp.
"Pleash!! I'M NOT SIC-" Another rock. It must have caught me in the skull because I don't remember lying down.
I do remember waking up, though. I was lying on the dirt road towards the castle. Guards surrounded me, and one of them held me down. By my neck. I'd never studied guard protocol before, but I could tell the difference between a normal hold and one that was meant to serve a purpose. A very specific purpose. I didn't move. I don't think I could if I wanted to. The first guard was saying something about a 'test' and the second guard nodded his head. Two of them held me down while a third...a third...
He...
He cut himself. Just like Zecora did. He cut himself, and let the blood splatter all over me!! OH CELESTIA!!! I screamed for him to get off of me, and kicked and struggled. I was horrified!! I had no idea where that guard had been or if he was sick or what was going on!! Turns out I didn't need to worry about it. They knocked me out with a third rock.
I've just woken up in one of the cells in the dungeon. My head feels like it's splitting open and I can taste blood in my mouth. I'm getting tired of being knocked unconscious. I've been waiting down here for an hour or so now. Every now and then I can hear the guards outside talking. About me. About the dragon they captured in the town. About what they should do with it. How they should deal with it.
"The same way we deal with the other infected. We take no chances. I don't care if it's Spike or the King of Griffonstone himself!"
So that's it then. Now I'm just waiting. I figure they've taken over the castle. One of them was talking about martial law. Celestia must be gone if that's the case. I can hear some pony coming.
I want ponies to know what happened here! I'm wrapping up this journal. I put one of Twilight's copy charms on it, so you'll get every entry I made. Use this as a warning! Don't come to Canterlot! There's no help!! At least you'll know what happened to your family. I'm sorry I couldn't save Twilight. Or our friends. Or even myself. I'm sorry I won't get to see you again, or know what your foals will look like. I'm sorry I let you down, big brother. I'm sorry for everything. Don't come to Canterlot. I hope you get this, Shining. I'm sending this as soon as I finish thi
Her once beautiful indigo curls splashed along the floor in a messy tangled heap. Her pretty white coat was stained with blood, dirt, and various other grime. So much that it no longer even resembled white and instead was a dark and murky brown. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and her horn had been removed. Sawed off, to a bloody nub that oozed a greenish pus down her forehead. Her body had been mutilated. Had they been experimenting on her?! Trying to cure her?! She was dead. I stared at her, teary eyed and disbelieving. This was a nightmare. This was an utter, horrible nightmare.
The guard who dragged her in didn't bat an eyelash. He was wearing a tarnished set of armor and walked with a slight limp. He simply dragged her in by a leg towards the end of the dungeon, where he opened a cell and threw the mangled body inside. As he did so, her neck snapped. The head bobbled towards me limply. I could deny it all I wanted, but that...that pony...that was Rarity. He turned towards me as I started to throw up, and gave a snort.
"We ran out of places for graves. Get over it." He said callously. I could feel a swell of anger starting to burn inside of me, but before I got the chance to lash out at this monster pretending to be a pony, the door to the dungeon opened yet again. The guards didn't waste time with small talk. They were in full battle dress. I didn't ask what they wanted. They held me at spear point and forced me to look at the wall. Then, I heard a familiar voice. Dr. Stable. Twilight's doctor before we moved to Ponyville. I could hear him standing just outside of my cell. He didn't waste any time, like usual, and got right to the point.
"We think it originated after the meteor shower. We think it was some sort of radiation coming from the meteor that touched down. Something that seeped into the atmosphere and poisoned the latent mana in the air. It's transmitted through magic. I've never seen anything like it, but this is, for all intents and purposes, a magical sickness. Unicorns are most susceptible, of course. This is followed by Pegasi, who harness magic through cloud walking or weather work. Earth ponies only succumb to it after direct infection. Bites do that pretty well, but even then it's only a fifty-fifty chance. But I never expected a dragon to contract the illness. The guards say you took the blood test. That means, you were exposed to blood and you didn't attack us. It's how we tell who's infected. They threw you down here for me to look at after I finished with the Princess. Princess Luna says Celestia sent you a message before the situation took its turn for the worst with her. You were infected by a pony who has all three pony species rolled into one. We took a sample of your blood while you were out. You were infected, but the illness seems to be receding. I think it's because of your draconic heritage. I think I can isolate the pathogen, and then, with any luck, devise a cure. You however, stay here. There's a good hoof full of us left alive in the castle, and we can't let you infect us. Even if you are cured, you could still be a carrier. We can't take any risks. If you leave this cell... we'll have to execute you." He said grimly. The guard from before, the one in the tarnished armor, nodded his head at me and leaned against the wall.
With that, he went back upstairs. I didn't know the guard glaring at me, but I didn't care. All I could think about was the letter I sent to you. The last letter I sent you an hour or so ago. I infected you. I infected the entire Crystal Empire. If that's the case, I've killed you. I've killed you, and I've killed Twilight, and I've killed Mom and I killed Dad. And Scootaloo. And Applejack. And Zecora. I killed everypony.
If Dr. Stable can create a cure, then maybe the world will have a chance. I hope.
I hope he can find a cure. I hope he can save everyone else. I hope that my blood will make a difference.
I hope I hope I hope.
And I hope you can forgive me. After I send this to you, I'm going to melt the lock on my cell and step outside and try to get to Rarity. I want to tell her one last time. I think I can make it before the guard catches me. Then...
then...
Then, maybe I can see you and Twilight and Mom and Dad. Maybe.
