> Silver Apples, Moonlit Rainbows > by Mavy_Gravy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue (Part 1) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was routine for Celestia at this point. Each night when she would raise the moon into the sky, she found herself staring longingly at the image engraved upon it. There was not a single day that she didn’t regret what she had done.  Her sister. Her own blood and kin. Banished. Sometimes she would bring out one of her sister’s favorite books to read to her, others she would sing her lullaby to her. But most often, she would stare long and hard, the pain slowly engulfing her being. She would watch the moon where her sister resided, often until it was time to raise the sun once more. So hence, when her image suddenly vanished ten years too early, Celestia thought that her mind had finally got the better of her. Celestia paused, raising a hoof to rub her sleep-heavy eyes. Blinking a couple of times, she gazed back up at the moon, ready to continue watching her sister’s image. Except… It wasn’t there. She was gone. Her rose-colored eyes widened in horror. Wings spread wide, she immediately took off, back to her original home. The Castle of the Two Sisters. The green fields of the lands that she ruled over blurred past her. She dully realized that she was passing over Ponyville when colorful houses came into view. Every once in a while she came across a lit home, only to be turned off mere moments later, the ponies of her land falling to sleep. The dark and scraggly trees of the enchanted Everfree Forest quickly came into view. Her shadow cast over the treetops as she flew above the forest, eyes searching for the castle. When she finally caught sight of it, she allowed her wings to fold against her body, diving into one of the holes in the decaying building.  She easily recognized the room as one of the ballrooms. Torn and faded banners hung upon the wall, cracked pillars lined the room, pieces of them scattered about. Dust rested on everything in the room, having nearly been a thousand since it last had last seen a living soul. The only beautiful thing that remained was a stained glass window, one that simmered color across the room in the light of the moon. But her gaze was not focused on the window. No. It was focused on the stallion who stood in front of it. He was not an alicorn like his older or younger sister, but rather a mere pegasus. The fur along his body was a deep black, reminiscent of the sky on a new moon night. His mane and tail did not flow like Celestia or her sister, it simply draped down along his neck and shoulders. It was a deep blue, the only thing that stood out about it was the white lights scattered about upon it. He did not bother looking back at Celestia as she walked up, but the flick of his ear told her that he was aware of her presence. As Celestia approached, she could see more of him. Like the royal regalia that adorned his body or how, despite her being an alicorn and older, he stood slightly taller than her. Finally, she could see his cutie mark, both the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Finally, she stopped at the base of the stairs where he stood. “Orion,” she called to him, her firm voice echoing in the near-empty room. “Celestia,” he responded, glancing back at her and revealing his sparkling silver eyes. “What is the meaning of this?” Her voice held a strained edge to it. “What is the meaning of what?” The stallion asked, finally fully turning around to look at her. “Can you not see it?” She asked, pointing at the empty moon with her wing, “Luna has escaped!” Orion’s sparkling eyes widened, he followed her wing to the moon. “Oh,” he said breathlessly, “I hadn’t noticed.” “What do you mean?” Orion sent her an offended look, “Did you think I had something to do with this?” “Well, I didn’t do anything!” Celestia said, “You’re the only other one who’s powerful enough to release her!” Orion shook his head as he stepped toward her, “Celestia, you only managed to banish her in the first place with the aid of the elements of harmony! There’s no way that even I as a royal could have done anything to bring her back.”  Celestia felt her anxiety rise. “Then who could have done it?” She began pacing nervously, “If you nor I did it, then who?” Orion was quiet before glancing at the tower that held the elements of harmony. “Do you think… that her banishment has finally worn off?” Celestia shook her head. “No,” she said, “It is ten years too early.” Orion moved to speak but was cut off by loud and sharp laughter.  A dark blue mist filled the air, circling above them. Thinking quickly, Orion leaped down from where he stood, wings spread to soften his landing. Just as he touched down next to his sister, the mist slammed down where he previously stood.  The dust that rested upon everything in the room was sent flying. It quickly filled Celestia’s and Orion’s lungs causing them to go into a violent coughing fit. When the cackle belted out into the room again Celestia peeled her eyes open struggling to see through the dusty air. Orion quickly remedied this, wings flapping and blowing the dust away from them. Celestia nodded her thanks to her younger brother before turning to look at who had joined them. The first thing she saw were those eyes. The same teal of her young sister, now mutated into a sadistic sort of glee. The similarities ended there though. From the misty mane and tail to the silver armor adorning her black fur, nothing was the same as her precious baby sister. “Nightmare Moon,” Celestia said, voice cold. The mare smirked, “So it seems that you remember my name, darling sister. I’d have thought otherwise.” “How did you escape from the moon?” Orion asked, “Who in Equestria would help the likes of you?” “Oh brother,” Nightmare Moon cooed mockingly, “Hatred is a powerful thing.” “The elements are the most powerful force in all of Equestria!” Orion cried, “Could you really hate your own siblings so?” Nightmare Moon chuckled and rolled her eyes, “Precious older brother, I don’t just hate you,” In a swirl of blue mist she disappeared from where she stood, appearing right in their faces. “I despise the both of you.” Celestia shoved Orion behind her, wings shielding her younger brother from the corrupted mare. She kept her voice steely when she spoke despite the pain that she felt from her sister’s words. “What is it that you want, Nightmare?”  Nightmare chuckled before disappearing and reappearing at the top of the stairs. “Nothing!” Celestia and Orion exchanged deeply confused looks before turning back to the younger mare. Taking a deep breath, Celestia spoke, “What do you mean?” “I just wanted to see my darling siblings before I won,” She smirked sending a haughty look to the two of them. “The battle has just begun, Nightmare Moon!” Orion called from behind Celestia, “You have only just escaped from the moon!” Nightmare Moon chuckled, “You’ll see, brother.” She then turned to Celestia, “Keep an eye on your oh-so-precious sun-loving children, sister. Else you may lose them to my night, forever.” And with that, the dark blue mist from her mane swirled around the room alongside her cackles of glee. Orion struggled to get into the air, knocked down each time by the powerful winds created by the pseudo-tornado. Eventually, Celestia grabbed him and pulled him close, creating a golden-colored shield to protect them from the debris that was flung around the room. Finally, when the last of the mist had faded, Celestia lowered her shield. She stepped away from Orion, staring up at where Nightmare Moon had previously stood. The silence filled the air in place of the previous laughter. “Sister?” Orion hesitantly stepped forward, “What shall we do?” “I…” Celestia trailed off. What were they going to do? Originally she was going to have one of her students harness the power of the elements of harmony alongside the aid of her friends to hopefully save her sister. But with how early Nightmare Moon had managed to escape, Celestia knew that none of her students were ready for such a task just yet. “I don’t know,” She finally said, “I don’t know, Orion.” > Prologue (Part 2) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As soon as Celestia returned to the royal castle, she sent quick orders to all of her soldiers and advisors alike. They were simple yet firm. “Keep an eye on the ponies in all towns of Equestria. Send word back if anything out of the ordinary happens. No matter how small.” She had soldiers, doctors, and even mages, spread out across Equestria. From Appleloosa to Fillydelphia she didn’t care. She refused to let any of her subjects get hurt on her watch, especially if Nightmare Moon was using them to get to her. At first, everything was rather quiet. Nothing truly bad seemed to be happening. That was until now, nearly a month later. Celestia had raised the full moon a couple of hours ago and was ready to finally rest her head when one of her advisors and one of her soldiers rushed in.  Raven Inkwell, a white-furred unicorn with a brown mane, as well as her royal advisor, spoke first. “Your Majesty! Strange and worrisome activity has been picked up on in Cloudsdale!” Celestia shot up from where she was about to lie down. “Strange activity of what kind?” The soldier stepped forward. A pegasus mare with pale orange fur and a russet mane cut close to her head. It dully reminded Celestia of Spitfire, except this mare allowed her mane to brush down and graze her eyes. She bowed low to Celestia, “Your Majesty, we have found signs of a never before seen illness in Cloudsdale. There has been little that we found out about it thus far, only that it is spreading quickly.” “Have you found how it spreads?” Celestia asked, already gathering her things to make a trip to Cloudsdale. “We don’t know for sure,” The mare said, “But doctors have noticed common marks on all those infected.” Celestia finished gathering her stuff. Turning to Raven Inkwell, she said, “Prepare for departure, we leave as soon as possible.” Raven bowed low before turning tail, calling for her carriage to be prepared. Once she was out of sight, Celestia turned back to the soldier, “What does this mark look like?”  “It seems to be a bite mark on the neck, similar to the vampire fruit bats found around the Ponyville and Everfree Forest area,” The mare said, voice firm. Celestia thought back through all the years that she had been alive, trying to find something that remotely resembled what she was hearing. Coming up with nothing, she turned back to the mare. “What is your name, soldier?” “Commander Sunbeam of the Cloudsdale division of the Equestrian Royal Army. Serving under Captain Shining Armor of the Canterlot division of the Equestrian Royal Army. I am at your service, my lady.” Celestia nodded, “Then come, Sunbeam, we have not a moment to lose.” ~ The moment they touched down on the cloudy surface of Cloudsdale, Celestia could immediately tell that something was wrong. Hundreds of pegasi stood around a single building, only barely held back by the soldiers that stood there. As Celestia stepped off of her carriage, she could see the faces of the ponies who stood there. They ranged from rage to horror, their yells and shouts filling the night air. Celestia watched as one soldier struggled to pull himself out of the crowds of ponies, but once he managed, he ran over to where Celestia stood with the commander. “Commander Sunbeam,” He called as he ran up, quickly striking a salute. “We are struggling to prevent more ponies from entering the hospital grounds, what should we do?” Sunbeam stood tall, “Inform the doctors that the princess has arrived, I shall handle the rest.” “Yes, Commander!” The stallion dropped his salute and ran back to the building. Once he had disappeared into the crowd, Sunbeam turned back to Celestia, “Would you like me to announce your arrival, my lady?” Celestia bowed her head slightly, “Do you as you see fit, but I need to see those infected.” Sunbeam lowered herself into a bow before taking to the sky. Celestia saw her take a deep breath before shouting. “Clear the area! The princess has arrived! Clear the area!” Immediately, everyone turned back to look at her with wide eyes. They then quickly scrambled back to open an area for her to walk through before bowing low. Celestia wasted no time moving past her subjects into the hospital, Sunbeam flying in after her. Once she entered, she was greeted by a doctor and a couple of nurses. They bowed low to her as she walked into the building. “Your Majesty,” The stallion, began, “We are deeply grateful for your arrival during such trying times.” “Of course, now, please show me to the first pony who contracted this illness,” Celestia said, nodding down the hall slightly. The doctor and his fellow nurses stood, “Of course Your Majesty.”  As they turned down the hall, the doctor began to speak once more. “We are unsure as to how this disease started,” He began, “But we are assuming that it came from an animal, judging by the bite marks shared by all the victims. So far everyone who has been bit has at first shown signs of blood loss, before shifting to similar symptoms to that of the flu, and it finally ends in a comatose state. No one has awoken yet.” They finally stopped at a room in the back of the hospital, the door firmly shut. “Is this the first victim?” The doctor nodded, before opening the door.  In the cloud bed lay a lanky pegasus mare. Her fur was a pale coral color while her long mane was a platinum blonde. She was hooked to several different devices, but the one that drew Celestia’s attention was the heart monitor. It was barely moving. “She’s barely alive…” Celestia’s voice was shaky. The doctor sighed, “Sadly, she seems to be doing the best out of everyone here. We even have ponies who don’t have a heartbeat but are still moving.” Those words chilled Celestia to the bone. How was that even possible? She turned back to the mare, “What is her name?” The doctor pulled out a clipboard, flipping through the pages attached to it. After a minute, he spoke, “Mane Allgood, world adventurer.” Celestia hummed, burning the name into her memory. She was about to speak when a shriek cut into the air. The five ponies who were awake in the room stiffened up. They exchanged glances before rushing over to the door and looking out into the hall, Celestia dully noticed Sunbeam working to stand between her and the hall.  They stared down the dark hallway, not seeing anything with the limited light that shone down through the windows. But they could hear something. It reminded Celestia of what Luna would do whenever the three of them would eat noodles, slowly slurping them up. Taking a deep breath Celestia created a simple light spell. A ball of golden light formed at the tip of her horn. She then guided it off of her horn and down the hall. The first thing they saw was the face of the nurse, eyes wide and glazed with shock, blood pooling under her head and splattered across her face. The next thing that they saw was the pony standing on her, his face buried in her neck, making loud slurping noises. The doctors and nurses gasped sharply at the sight of their co-worker while Sunbeam stiffened, clearly ready for combat. The three ponies in front of her exchanged terrified glances until one of the nurses stepped forward. “E-excuse me, sir?” He called out to the stallion, “A-are you alright?” The pony showed no signs of having heard the nurse. Celestia’s gaze pinched into a hard stare, struggling to see further in the dark hall. She moved the light a bit further back, so she could see more of them. Doing so allowed her to realize that there was more than just his behavior that was off. In the light, she was able to see that his ears were large, even compared to other pegasi. The fur around his ears and chest seemed to be much thicker, and while the fur on his legs seemed to start rather thin, it ends in long fur that obscured his hooves from view.  But the thing that stood out the most to Celestia was his wings. They were large and leathery. With each seeming gulp of the stallion, they twitched and fluttered. It reminded her of the vampire fruit bats that she had seen once or twice around Ponyville. “S-sir?” The nurse stepped closer. This causes the stallion to snap up. He pins the poor nurse under a blood-chilling gaze, his eyes nearly engulfed by his dilated pupil, from what little of his iris that Celestia could see that his eyes were a bright red. His muzzle is covered in the mare’s blood, something that he cleans up with his unnaturally long tongue. Him doing so allows Celestia to see white fangs glinting in the light of her magic. His eyes were locked on the nurse who trembled under the intensity of his gaze. The room was silent, no one moving or speaking. The stallion was the first to move, slowly stepping forward toward the nurse. Suddenly he leapt forward, towards the helpless nurse. He would’ve succeeded in his endeavors if it weren’t for Sunbeam dashing forward and grabbing him by his neck and throwing him into the wall. “Go!” She snapped as she turned back to the doctor and nurses, “Find safety!” The three healthcare workers wasted no time running away from the scene. Sunbeam turned back to Celestia, “Your Majesty! Allow me to lead you to safety!” Celestia turned back to the stallion on the ground before turning back to look into the room, where Mane Allgood rested, now seeming to awaken. She turned back to Sunbeam. “Hurry.” > Prologue (Part 3) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As they ran through the once-quiet halls of the hospital, they fought off the infected individuals who came at them, fangs glinting in the light of her magic. As they moved to leave, they saved whoever they came across, allowing them to escape ahead of them. So hence was why when Celestia heard the sound of quiet crying, she skidded to a stop.  Sunbeam also stopped when she realized that her princess was no longer following her. “Your Majesty!” She cried, “We must hurry, these halls are only getting more and more crowded!” Celestia ignored the Commander’s worries, instead choosing to follow the sound of crying.  She had followed it just a bit further down the hall to another hospital room.  She quietly opened the door and stepped into the room. Almost immediately, the cries were silenced. Sighing gently, Celestia called out into the seemingly empty room. “Hello? Little one? Is there anyone there? Please come out.” Still nothing. From the sounds of the cries, Celestia could only assume that it was a foal in the room. Old enough to be able to consciously silence her tears but young enough to not know friend from foe. Celestia thought for a bit, wondering how to coax the child out from their hiding. She found herself thinking back to Orion and Luna when they had been mere foals themselves. Having made her decision, she pulled the orb of light towards herself. She thought for a bit before deciding on separating it into hundreds of tiny glowing golden butterflies. They quickly scattered and began fluttering about the room, emitting a dimmer light but filling more of the room. This light allowed her to see the tiny pegasus foal hiding behind the bed, looking up at the magical butterflies with an enchanted gaze. Celestia stepped around the bed, “Hello little one,” She said as she approached. Before she could get a good look at the tiny foal, she jumped and scrambled under the bed, out of Celestia’s sight and reach. Celestia tilted her head and sighed. Just what was she doing wrong? This had always worked with Orion and Luna when they were younger- oh. Celestia turned around and glanced at her frame. Tall, lanky, but overall big. No wonder the poor thing was terrified of her. Thus led to Celestia tucking her wings in and kneeling on the ground in front of where the foal had scrambled under the bed. She then directed some of the butterflies under the bed before looking under there herself. There was the foal, staring at her with wide eyes. “Hello, my little pony,” Celestia kept her voice low, soft, and gentle. “Can you come out, I’m going to help you find mommy and daddy.” The foal stared at her with her wide eyes, quietly studying her. When she finally raised a hesitant hoof to step out, she was startled further back under the bed by the sounds of yelling and loud banging. Celestia immediately recognized the voice to be Sunbeam. Pushing herself up, she looked out the open door. One of the infected ponies was flung across the open area. It was quickly followed by Sunbeam, yelling at the passing ponies trying to escape, giving them directions. She then leaned back down to the cowering foal. “Worry not, my little pony,” She cooed gently, “I shall let no harm come your way.” She slowly reached her hoof out to the foal. “You simply must trust me.” The foal looked between Celestia and her held-out hoof. She flinched when the loud noises continued before scrambling into Celestia’s waiting Forelegs. Celestia cradled her gently, pulling her up to her face so that she could finally get a good look at her. With all the butterflies now fluttering above her head, she was granted a clear view of the child that she held. The foal had soft yellow fur with a pale pink mane and tail. Her soft and round eyes glimmered a bright red under the light of the butterflies as they followed the magical beings as they fluttered above Celestia’s head. This led her to her next shocking discovery. The foal’s huge furry ears and large leathery wings, both far too big for her tiny body. When the foal tilted her head at Celestia, she revealed the two puncture marks along her neck. This foal was infected yet seemed perfectly rational. “Um…” The foal finally spoke, her voice was quiet and Celestia could barely hear it over all the ruckus going on outside of the room. “A-are you alright, miss…?” Celestia snapped out of her thoughts to answer the foal, “Ah! Um, yes, I’m fine. Do not worry about me. What is your name, Little One?” “Oh, um… it’s um… it’s Fluttershy…” She had slowly gotten quieter over time and by the time that she said her name, Celestia could barely hear her. “Alright Fluttershy,” She began, “I’m going to bring you back to your parents, but, I’m going to need you to answer a few questions for me.” The foal nodded slightly, bright red eyes adverting the princess’. Seeing this, Celestia began, making sure her voice was soft so as to not intimidate the shy foal. “Do you know what caused you to contract the infection?” “I... I think…?” She tilted her head again, her shoulders coming up to protect her neck. “I think it happened at night, I was really sleepy, I thought that it was a dream. There was a blue mist? I think? And then I felt a bite on my neck. It really hurt but then I couldn’t feel it anymore.” Celestia felt her brow furrow. It seemed that Nightmare Moon held no qualms against manipulating mere foals to do her bidding. Celestia pushed the troubling thoughts out of her head, choosing to instead focus on the foal in her arms. “Okay,” She finally said, “Just a few more questions and we’ll be done, Fluttershy.” When Fluttershy nodded, Celestia asked her next question, “Are you feeling alright, is there anything at all that’s not normal?” “I’m really hungry,” Fluttershy answered immediately, “Is there anything I can eat?” Celestia thought for a bit before going with the simplest solution.  Her horn shone with golden light before an apple flashed right in front of them. She then held it out to the foal. Fluttershy leaned out to it, her nose twitching as she sniffed it. Suddenly, she recoiled, openly gagging, her ears pinned to her head. “It smells nasty.” Celestia sighed, sending the apple away. It seemed that despite the fact that the foal could still think straight, she still held the traits of those infected. She stares down at the foal for a bit more before changing plans. Using her magic, she summoned a blade, something that caused the foal to cower in fear in her arms. She shifted the foal to one Foreleg, freeing up the other. She then cut the skin on her arm, just enough to allow her blood to slowly seep through and begin staining her white fur. Already, despite the deeply disturbed look on the foal’s face, Celestia could see her nose twitch in interest at the metallic tang of blood that now filled the air. She then held her cut hoof out to the child. Fluttershy recoiled in shock, sending a confused and scared look to Celestia. Seeing this, Celestia smiled gently, “It’s okay,” She said soothingly, “Trust me.” Her gaze snapped between Celestia’s face and her bloody hoof. After about a minute of this, her stomach grumbled quietly. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard it. It seems that her stomach was just as soft-spoken as she was. But this rumble seems to have helped make up her mind.  Slowly Fluttershy leaned forward before giving the bloody cut a hesitant lick. Immediately, her pupils dilated and she latched onto the cut, suckling gently. Celestia winced slightly at the feeling of the foal’s unnaturally long tongue lapping heavily at her wound. Despite her discomfort and slight pain, she allowed her to continue until the cut no longer bled. By this point Fluttershy was seemingly full, leaning back into Celestia’s hold on her. Now that her hunger has been seemingly sated, her eyes faded from a stark and bright red to a dull and gentle teal.  Fluttershy yawned in her hold, her eyes drooping dangerously low. Seeing no reason to force the foal to stay up, Celestia adjusted her hold on her once more, allowing her to snuggle into the feathery fur on her chest. She then walked out of the room, looking around for Sunbeam. She didn’t need to look very hard as an infected pony was sent flying just in front of her.  She turned to where they had come from. Sunbeam had caught sight of her first and was now running up to her. She was seemingly about to call out to Celestia before catching sight of Fluttershy and freezing in her tracks. “Y-your Majesty…” She said slowly. “Yes, I am aware of the foal.” Celestia breezed past her, moving to the front of the hospital, now within their clear view. As she walked out of the building, Celestia took note of the lack of infected ponies attacking her. While most of them lay unconscious on the ground, knocked out by Sunbeam, it was far from all of them. Especially when a decent portation of these ponies was the hospital staff all of the holding a bloody bite mark on their necks, sometimes several. Stepping out into the night air revealed just why that was so. Several infected pegasi circled in the air, diving down to attack the ponies who ran away, screaming in terror. Her soldiers struggled to pin down the infected, having to recoil from their snapping jaws in order to avoid being bit. Seeing this, Celestia passes the sleeping Fluttershy over to Sunbeam, who begrudgingly takes her. Celestia then steps forward, wings spread wide. The fleeing ponies see her step forward and rush behind her, taking cover from their airborne attackers. The infected ponies, seeing this, dive at Celestia, fangs glinting in the moonlight. Her gaze pinched into a glare before a bright blast of light shone forth from her horn, effectively blinding all the infected, their dilated pupils unable to retract in time. Many of them fell to the ground spasming violently, while those who remained in the air blindly flew around bumping into one another. She then turned back to her subjects who cowered behind her. “Hurry!” She called, “Return to your homes! Do not let anyone who can not prove their health to you in!” The pegasi bowed quickly to her before rushing off to their homes. There were only two who remained. A mint green stallion with a cloud white mane and tail and a pale yellow mare with a cherry red mane and tail. The stallion and mare exchanged terrified glances before the stallion ran up to her, bowing low at her hooves. “Your majesty!” He cried, ignoring the soldiers to had flocked to her sides when he ran up to her, “Please! We need your help!” Celestia gestured to the guards, telling them to be at ease. Once they did as such, she stepped forward and lowered her head to speak with the stallion. “How may I help you?” She asked, making sure to not use her Canterlot-voice. “M-my daughter,” The stallion cried, “She was in the hospital after she got sick from the virus! We don’t know where she is and we’re worried for her!” “And your name?” Celestia prompted gently. “Mr. Shy!” He quickly said, “And that’s Mrs. Shy, my wife!” He pointed to the mare who stood a couple feet away. “What is your daughter’s name?” “Fluttershy!” Mr. Shy cried, “She’s about half my height, has the same color coat as her mother, and a pale pink mane and tail!” Celestia nodded before motioning for Sunbeam to step forward. She gently took Fluttershy from the commander before offering her to the stallion. Mr. Shy’s eyes lit up in relief and happiness as he eagerly took his daughter from Celestia, paying no mind to her new features. Mrs. Shy, who caught a glimpse of her daughter from a distance, ran up and nuzzled her husband and daughter. Celestia found herself smiling gently at the scene in front of her. Once the small family seemed to have calmed down slightly, she spoke once again.  “While she seems to be right mind, unlike those around us, she still requires blood to eat,” She said, “Though far less than her counterparts due to her small size.” Mr. and Mrs. Shy nodded.  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Mrs. Shy said, bowing, “We’re just so happy to have our baby girl back!” Celestia nodded before opening one of her wings and gesturing to where the homes of Cloudsdale floated, “Now quickly return home. I highly doubt that the infected will stay down much longer, let alone that I managed to get all of them.” Mr. and Mrs. Shy gave sharp nods of their heads before rushing off back to their homes. Celestia watched after them, ensuring their safety for as long as she could see them. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Sunbeam calling out to her. “Yes, Sunbeam?” She asked, turning back to the commander. It appears that she had been speaking to a group of soldiers who Celestia hadn’t realized had flown up to them. “I have just received word that several of the infected have not only managed to make it as far as the Weather Factory and the Wonderbolts Academy, but they are currently flying down to the surface,” Sunbeam said, face twisted in deep worry and fear. “Did they catch sight of where they were headed?” “It was hard to say as they quickly split up,” Sunbeam said, “But they’re guessing that they’re heading to the Ponyville area, Manehattan area, West Equestria, and Appleloosa area.” Celestia felt her brow furrow. This was going to be hard to get a handle on. “Send part of your team to the Castle of the Two Sisters in Everfree Forest and get aid from my brother Orion,” Celestia finally said after a moment of thought, “Tell him to get a handle on the Manehattan and Appleloosa areas. Once he’s finished, tell him that I’ll meet him in the Royal Castle in Canterlot once I have finished up with Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and West Equestria. Next, have another part of your team send word to Captain Shining Armor in Canterlot, inform him of what is going on here.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” Sunbeam lowered her head in acknowledgment of her request. She then called a couple of the soldiers forward to relay the message. Once they took off Sunbeam turned back to her, ready for her next order. Celestia merely turned away, towards the Weather Factory.  “Come,” She said, “We have not a moment to lose.” ~ They managed to clear through the Weather Factory with relative ease, especially once they had figured out the infected’s weakness to light. As they moved to the Wonderbolt’s Academy to get a handle on what was going on there, they heard a shriek of terror. Celestia quickly changed routes, moving to aid the pony in danger. She heard Sunbeam sigh behind her before the sounds of her hoof-falls followed after her. When they got to the source of the sound they found a blue stallion struggling to fight his way through a barrage of infected ponies. The thing that stood out the most to Celestia was his brightly colored rainbow mane and tail. Disregarding her interest in the stallion’s colorful mane, she made quick work of the infected blocking his way.  Instead of thanking her like so many others had, he didn’t even look at her. Instead, he gave a cry of ‘Windy!’  – before running ahead. Celestia’s eyes followed after him to see him running at an infected pony who drank from a light blue mare with a coral mane. Quickly seeing what was wrong, Celestia gestured for Sunbeam to handle it. Sunbeam nodded before rushing the unaware infected pony. She twirled around to buck the infected’s face off the poor mare before grabbing them and slamming them into the ground, effectively knocking them out. Celestia watched as the stallion run to check up on the mare, gently trying to help her up onto her hooves. Luckily the mare seemed to be conscious if a bit shaken. Seeing this, Celestia stepped forward, causing both ponies to look up at her.  Their eyes widened when they realized just who they were talking to before snapping down into a bow.  “Calm yourselves, my little ponies,” She said, gesturing for them to rise. Once they had done so, she continued to speak, “Now tell me, do you feel anything wrong with your body right now?” Celestia wasn’t entirely sure what would happen if you got bitten by an infected pony, but judging from what she knew about other viruses, she could only assume that it would spread. “No, Your Majesty,” the mare said, gaze still lowered. “I only feel a little dizzy, but I think that was from when I hit the ground.” “Or blood loss,” the stallion said, gently nuzzling the injured mare. She hummed before nuzzling him back. Celestia watched them for a bit, deep in thought. Eventually, she spoke once more. “What are your names, my little ponies?” “I’m Bow Hothoof,” the stallion said, “And this is Windy Whistles.” He pointed to the mare as he said that. Celestia nodded, quickly memorizing their names. “Listen well then, my little ponies,” she began, “I will relay your names to the doctors and inform them to keep an eye out for you, all you need to do is keep an eye on Windy’s health. The moment she starts feeling ill, get medical help.” The two ponies nodded their heads, eyes alert. Feeling slightly better now that they had a plan, Celestia gestured for the houses of Cloudsdale. “Now go, find shelter and do not let anypony into your home unless you are certain that they are safe.” Both ponies nodded and bowed to her. Then Bow Hothoof flew up into the air, gently grasping Windy under her stomach, and carried her back to their home. Once more, Celestia watched until they had disappeared from her view. Once they were gone she turned back to the Wonderbolts Academy with not another word spoken. They were already running out of time. ~ They had breezed through the academy easily. Largely thanks to the help of Spitfire and her team. Once done, Celestia moved to go to Ponyville but not before ordering Sunbeam to stay in Cloudsdale. The mare seemed shocked and slightly offended by the order and voiced her questions. “Your Majesty,” She began, “Would it not be better if I stuck with you?” Celestia shook her head, “The pegasi will need protection in case there are more infected around. Especially if this virus spreads as I think it does.” Slight understanding crossed the mare’s face as she bowed, “Then I shall heed your orders, Your Majesty.” Celestia nodded before turning and heading down towards Ponyville. The flight was short and yet the damage was already so great. Ponies ran about the town shrieking in terror. Fillies and colts doing their best to defend their friends and families from their airborne attackers.  The glint of golden armor on several ponies fighting back filled Celestia with relief. It seems that Shining Armor received her message.  She joined the fray, quickly becoming a guiding path for those rushing to the safety of their homes. Celestia nearly tripped several times over the ponies rushing under her long legs to escape their airborne pursuers. Despite these hiccups, she managed. She was in the middle of escorting a couple to Sugarcube Corner when she heard the shriek of a filly.  Snapping around she found a tiny white unicorn filly with a purple mane and tail, surrounded by snarling infected ponies. Her horn shone with blue light as she desperately tried to fend them off. Celestia was in the middle of rushing over to her when a sudden shadow covered them all. It was only a second before a new pony slammed down between the filly and the hungry infected ponies surrounding her. The new pony quickly handled the infected around them, sending them flying with quick precise moves. Once the dust had settled Celestia could see that this new pony was now crouched in front of the filly, whispering gently to her. Celestia walked forward to get a better look at this sudden helper. What she wasn’t expecting were the big leathery wings and big fluffy ears. Even more so, Celestia was shocked by the golden armor they wore. They had ocean blue fur and a sandy blonde curly mane and tail. As Celestia approached the filly took notice of her. Her blue eyes widened and she quickly bowed.  Her sudden bow caused the pony in front of her to turn around, eyes filled with confusion. That immediately faded once they caught sight of Celestia and they bowed as well. “Rise, my little ponies.” Celestia said calmly. Once they did, Celestia got a better look at both of them. “Hello, your majesty,” the infected pony said, voice distinctly male. “I am Sandy Tides of the South-West division of the Equestrian Royal Army. Severing under Shining Armor of the Canterlot division of the Equestrian Royal Army. I am at your service, my lady.” “Sandy Tides,” Celestia said, testing the name on her tongue. “Are you aware of your infected nature?” “Yes ma’am,” He said, head bowed, “But it does not hinder my ability to protect my race so I shall continue fighting.” Celestia nodded and turned to the filly. “And what is your name, little one?” The filly seemed to be a strange mixture of excited, shy, scared, and overjoyed as she answered, “Rarity, my princess.” Celestia nodded, she was about to ask more questions when another soldier ran up to her. “Your majesty!” She cried, “Many infected ponies have begun to spread to Sweet Apple Acres and beyond!” Celestia’s eyes widened. She quickly snapped around to Sandy Tides, “I trust you’ll bring this one to safety?” Sandy Tides immediately saluted her, “You have my honor, Your Majesty.” He then gathered up Rarity and began leading her away. She then joined the soldier in the rush to Sweet Apple Acres. ~ It was practically a maze. Celestia struggled to hunt down the infected through the many apple trees that were planted on the property. She managed to subdue a few but she knew that there were many more hiding in plain sight. Something disturbing that she began to notice was the change of some of the infected ponies. They grew more feral, they were losing the fur along their body and in the manes and tails. Their wings and ears looked too big for their small bodies. Their eyes had grown larger too, beginning to swell and get caught in the socket. Some she came across even had eyes that ruptured from the pressure of the socket and were left blind. The rest of their teeth also grew sharp and jagged and they began craving not only the blood but also the flesh of other ponies. She was about to move onto another field when she heard the shrieks of ponies. She and a couple other soldiers followed them. The first thing they found left Celestia sick to her stomach. It was a mutilated stallion. The golden fur along his body was covered in dark red blood that seeped into his bright red mane and tail. His neck was torn apart and his organs were strewn everywhere. It was clear by just one look at him that he had long passed. But Celestia couldn’t stop to pay her respects as another shriek tore through the air. Following the ear piercing sound led to a clearing not far from the main barn. Laying on the ground was a mare. She had blonde fur tainted red by her blood and a curly orange mane and tail. Standing on her was one of the more mutated infected. Nearly paper white skin covered in the blood that seeped from their brown out eyes.   Her soldiers quickly moved to save the mare but it was too late. By the time they had detached the infected and dealt with it, she had already passed. She was about to move on when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. A cowpony hat. Not so weird. Except it was trembling. She walked over to the hat and slowly lifted it up, what she saw under it made her heart sink. A trembling filly. Orange fur with a blonde mane and tail. She had wide green eyes that were glazed over with shock. Mixed with the fact that filly refused to look away from the dead mare and the fact that she looked like both the mare and stallion, Celestia could only assume that this was their daughter. Celestia’s attention was brought back to the filly when she noticed her stand to shaky legs. Celestia watched with a pitiful gaze as the filly stumbled over to her mother. “M-mama?” Her voice had a deep country accent as she spoke, “Mama?” She fell into the mare’s side, paying no mind to the blood that began to drip into her fur. She began to shake with silent cries as she nuzzled her mother’s bloody body. Celestia exchanged saddened looks with her soldiers before walking over to the filly. She placed the hat back on her before scooping her up. The filly continued to silently cry as she reached for her mother, struggling in Celestia’s hold. “Come now, little one,” Celestia murmured gently to her, “She is already gone.” This causes the filly to cry more but stop struggling. It takes them a bit but they managed to make it to the main barn. Despite how late it is, the lights inside are still on. Celestia barely managed to knock once before the door was quickly yanked open. In the doorway stood a mare that Celestia knew well. She had light green fur and a white mane and tail, mane tied up in a bun and her tail braided. Mrs Smith Apple. Well, Celestia could only assume she went by Granny Smith Apple now, looking at the filly in her arms. Her wide orange eyes were scared and anxious but confused as she stared at Celestia. Behind her stood a red colt holding a tiny yellow foal. Celestia handed the filly she held to the mare before explaining what had happened to her parents. With each word she said Granny Smith’s eyes widened and slowly she began to cry. By the time she was done Granny Smith was in tears while the colt had run up and hugged his grandmother. Celestia let them cry for a bit before speaking. “Make sure you keep the young ones inside and do not let anyone in to ensure your safety. I wish you well.” She said before leaving the barn watching as they shut the door. She then turned back to her soldiers and nodded. They needed to finish this. ~  By the time she got to the rock farm in West Equestria, the infected had already ravaged it barren.  It took her a long time to find any sort of life there. Two fillies hiding in a cellar. When she asked them what had happened they said that they didn’t know, only that their parents had told them to hide and wait for help. It took even longer to find their parents but the aid of the two fillies certainly helped. They found their parents behind the house, necks red and bloody but otherwise alive. In fact by the time they had found them, their mother was waking up. The transformations seemed to be getting faster and faster as the mare was already fully transformed. Despite this she seemed conscious and aware of what was going on around her. She also was surprisingly not craving blood. Despite this calm demeanor, Celestia still chose to take them into custody, just to keep an eye on them.  Cloudy Quartz, as Celestia learned her name to be, was understanding as she rounded up her daughters and picked up her unconscious husband. Celestia let them take her carriage back to Canterlot, choosing instead to fly. On her way back she met up with Orion. They were both silent as they flew. Orion ignored the shocked and confused looks he got from Celestia’s soldiers. His existence was not known by many as he preferred the quieter life of guarding the Elements of Harmony and her old castle. Eventually, Orion spoke. “What are we to do, sister?” His voice was laced with deep pain. “Will we truly have to exterminate her?” “I do not know…” Celestia said but she understood her brother’s pain. Despite everything that had happened, this was still their younger sister. This was still Luna. After a moment of silence Celestia spoke again, “Whatever we will do, we will get our baby sister back.” Orion sent her a small smile. He knew just as well as she did that it was truly just wishful thinking. ~ It was long past time to raise the sun when Celestia got back to the castle. Despite how late it was, she was shocked to find that there was still one pony up. Light shone under a door and as Celestia passed she could hear a voice talking quietly. She knew the voice well thus leading her to knock on the door before entering. Sitting at a desk was a purple unicorn filly. She had many books stacked and opened around her. She also had several test tubes that she was studying, scrawling her results into a notebook she had opened next to her. “Twilight,” Celestia said, trying to get the filly’s attention. “Twilight!” Twilight jumped, accidentally knocking over several books. Twilight began to panic but quickly calmed down when Celestia caught them with her magic. “I’m sorry Princess,” Twilight said quietly, looking down as she scruffed her hoof against the carpet. “I didn’t hear you.” Celestia sighed fondly, “It is no problem Twilight Sparkle, but I must ask why you are still up?” Twilight immediately brightened as she grabbed her notebook to show it to Celestia. “I’ve been studying the virus!” She exclaimed excitedly, “I think I’ve just about figured out what’s wrong with the infected!” Celestia’s eyes ran across the paper. Notes on different vitamins and mineral levels, hormones, heart rate, breathing patterns, even blood, fur and skin samples. “My, Twilight,” Celestia gasped, “This is quite a bit that you’ve found!” Twilight nodded excitedly, “ Mmh! And I think that the reason the infected are drinking blood is an iron deficiency!” “An iron deficiency?” Celestia quickly found Twilight’s notes of the iron levels in the infected compared to normal ponies. Twilight nodded again, “Normally around seventy percent of a pony’s iron is in their blood! But what I’ve noticed with the infected is that they only have about fifteen percent of what normal ponies have!” Celestia gently took Twilight’s notes and began to read them thoroughly. Eventually she spoke, “Twilight, I hope you don’t mind if I take these to the doctors so that they can look over them.” Twilight was practically vibrating, “Yes! I wanna help too!” Celestia smiled as she took Twilight under her wing, “You already are.” Twilight grinned happily as she hugged Celestia tightly back. When she let go Celestia nudged her towards her bed with her wing, “Now go to bed young one, it is already time for me to raise the sun.” Once Twilight was asleep and the notes were delivered Celestia felt at ease. Maybe there was a way to truly save Luna and all those hurt by this curse.