Epidemic

Chapter 10.

-Canterlot; Laboratory-

Labor yawns, takes an energy drink, and continues on with the ingredients. It's not all the ingredients, but it's enough for about a 30% progress.

Labor looks into the microscope. The cells are now 4 times as big as before. Labor is astonished, and writes his findings in his journal. Labor turns around, and bumps into a guard, smacking the chest plate armor with his head.

"Ow!" Labor rubs his head. "Any varning before you suddenly appear?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Germane. I didn't know minorities had equal rights." The guard retorted. Labor stop rubbing his head, and looks up at the guard, him being taller.

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to save a kingdom here. So, scoot and sit over zhere if you vant to vatch or somezhing." Labor gestures to a stool a couple feet away. The guard looks at the stool, then back at Labor.

"And what if I don't?"

"Zhen Celestia vill have a tough time finding a replacement as bull headed as you." Labor responds. The guard laughs.

"What are you gonna do? Tell on me?" The guard shoves Labor to the side, and walks past. "I was sent by Luna to check up on you anyway. Seeing with you history and all, you can't be trusted."

"I can see zhat happening. So zhey send zhey're big, strong, most handsome guard to stop me, eh?" Labor winks as soon as the guard turns to looks at him. The guard shakes his head in disgust, and returns to look at the rat.

"I'll tell Luna you've been a good Germane, colt." The guard said after a while.

"Zhank you. I'm sure she'll be very pleased vith you. I'm sure she'll give you a raise." Labor says. "Zhe name is Labor Kittel, by zhe vay. Learn it today, know it tomorrow."

"Sure thing, Germane." The guard says as he leaves. Labor smiles, and blows a kiss to the air. "I hope you come back soon. I just hate it vhen you're not here, handsome!"

"Go to hell." The guard shuts the door, and Labor chuckles, before getting back to work.

-Ponyville; Fluttershy's Cottage-

Fluttershy sits on her comfy couch. Coughing, sweating, and vomiting into a bucket she had nearby, she tries to have her bedtime read, but is interrupted still, by the cough's she coughs.

Fluttershy has heard the warning, just as good as any other pony in Ponyville. Surprisingly, Fluttershy was not in fear, but she was calm as ever. Maybe it was because she had fulfilled her dream of helping animals as best she could. Maybe she wasn't scared, for she new there was nothing to worry about.

Angel bunny comes hopping along, and stops at her hooves. A worried look on his face, he raises yet another carrot at her.

"Oh, it's okay Angel, I'm fine *cough* without it. Besides, this is the 7th one you've given me." Fluttershy says. Just then she turns, and hurls into the bucket. "I would like it if you'd bring me a glass of water though. My throat hurts, and I think it'll help." Angel salutes her, and hops to the kitchen.

Fluttershy smiles, coughs, and returns to the book. It's not so bad, surely there's a cure for this weird disease, right? Surely, it'll come her way, and everything will be alright.

-Canterlot; Twilight's room-

"I will tell you. It all happened a thousand years ago. When Celius was born.

"Celius appeared from nowhere, and by the time we've found out it has been spreading, it was too late. More than three quarters of Equestria was under it's death grip. I had no choice, but to evacuate and leave before the virus caught to me, and I succeeded. During the time, the cure was found, and most of Equestria was saved. Enough to bring ponykind back to its hooves."

"I don't understand..." Twilight said. "If most of the ponies survive, why is Celius one of the most feared diseases?"

Celestia closed her eyes. "Because I had lost two major cities in those years."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"There was once a city named SunDale. It was high above in the clouds, for pegasus. It was a special place. Ponies from all over the world would come to see its landmarks. But then Celius arrived... It took all of SunDale's residence, leaving nothing but a small filly, coughing, bruised, spitting blood, and falling to her side every three minutes."

"That's horrible... Where's SunDale now? Can we rebuild it?" Twilight asked.

"No. It has already been rebuilt." Celestia said. Twilight tilted her head. "It's been rebuilt and renamed 'Cloudsdale'"

Twilight's eyes widened a bit. The city above Ponyville was a place once overrun by the deadly Celius. "What about the little filly?"

"The filly died in the hospital. By the time we got the cure to her, she had already fallen victim to Celius' grip." Celestia lowered her head in symapathy.

"That's awful..." Twilight said. "What about the second city?"

Celestia closed her eyes, and fought back tears. "Graystone. That city fell because of me." Twilight was taken back by that. "Graystone would've still been if it weren't for me. I am the reason Grastone doesn't exist anymore."

"Why do you say that?" Twilight asked.

"I had the choice to stay and help find the cure, or leave and save myself." Celestia lowers her head in shame. "I panicked, and was so afraid of Celius, I chose to run instead of help." Twilight was in awe. Never has she seen the princess so ashamed of herself.

"I... I didn't know..." Twilight carefully says.

"I beg of you not to reveal this to anypony. What kind of princess can I be if my own ponies cannot trust me?" Celestia says, looking into Twilight's eyes. "Only you, Luna, Dr. Labor, and I now this dark, dark secret."

"I promise I won't speak about this to anypony." Twilight reassures the princess, by gesturing her lips shut.

"Thank you." Replies Celestia, knowing that her student will keep her promise.

-Canterlot; Laboratory. The next morning-

Twilight walks into to the lab, prepared for another day to fight the dreaded virus. Although others didn't have the right idea. Labor sat on his stool, in front of the huge microscope, head down. Snoring.

"Labor?" Twilight gives him a little nudge. "Are you asleep?" Labor budges, but doesn't wake up. "Hello?" She gives him a more firm nudge, and Labor shoots up, a paper stuck to his cheek.

"YES!! Vhat?" Labor unsticks the paper from his face, and reads it. "Celius now shows severe rashes? Oh, zhat's right. Zhe rat did zhe uhm... Zhe zhing vith zhe *yawn* red marks on his body."

"Rashes? Oh, that's not good." Twilight says, speeding up to the rat, and sure enough, the rat was stratching itself through coughs.

"Since vhen is anyzhing in Celius good?" Labor stretches and yawns once more, "I vas sure I'd stay up past 4..."

"What time did you go to sleep?" Twilight asks, and walks over to her book.

"How could I possibly now zhat?" Labor gets up, and walks to his journal. "My eyes vere closed. Unless you can figure out how to tell time in your sleep, I von't know vhat time it vas." Twilight opens the book, and looks in the symptoms page. Rashes, and next up, boils.

-Ponyville; SugarCube corner-

Pinkie sat alone on a bed, in the basement of SugarCube corner. She'd never thought life could threaten her much, she'd have to push everypony away, but here she was. Alone. Locked in her basement with nothing but pastry and water. There is a deadly virus out there, and she knows it. The only way Pinkie was going to get out of this alive, is to stay as far away from everypony. No matter how much she trusted them.

It was the only way.

-Ponyville; Derpy's residence-

"Will mommy be okay?"

"I don't know, Dinky. I certainly hope so." Replied the doctor, cradling Dinky in his arms as he sat on the couch in the living room. He can hear the sounds of her coughing, vomiting, and groans of agony. It was painful to here the one you loved scratch the bottom of the barrel, looking for some sustenance of comfort, or relief. But Dr. Whooves knew that if Celius is about, and within your body, such sustenance does not exist.

Dinky hugs Dr. Whooves, and Dr. Whooves looks down at her. Luckily, she hasn't been infected yet. She was healthy, and that's what matters. If this bastardized disease was going to take his family, then he'd atleast save one. If the cure isn't found by the time it starts to kill ponies, then he'll have to let Ditzy go.

"I'm going to go to my room. I want to color." Dinky tells the doctor. Dr. Whooves nods, and let's the filly run to her room.

All he had to do was keep his little filly safe, and away from Celius, and he'd save atleast one part of his family. Of course, he knew he couldn't hold her anymore from this point out.

Not until he stopped his coughing.

-

Celius is spreading fast.

Cure Progress: 22%