Epidemic

-Canterlot; Outside Celestia's Residence-

Labor has just informed Celestia of the great job him and Twilight are doing, and how close they are to the cure. Celestia has happy. Everything is turning out great, considering what's going on around.

Then Labor hears something drastic, something horrifying, something that would scare the toughest stallions.

A cough, from around the corner.

In a fit of panic, Labor fumbles to grab a medical mask from inside his coat, and quickly strap it on. There is no time to figure out who was the source of that cough. The cure needed to be finished now. Labor runs in the opposite direction, towards the lab.

Had he stayed just a bit longer, he'd have seen Luna come around the corner.

She doesn't look very well either.

-Canterlot; Laboratory-

Twilight focuses on the rats. Two more are dead, leaving seven still alive. Probably hoping for death.

Labor bursts in, and hurries to his hazmat suit. Twilight sees the look of worry the doctor has, and refocuses her attention on him.

"Labor? Are you okay?" Twilight cautiosly asks.

"Celius is vithin zhe castle valls." Labor says, as he puts on his hazmat suit. Twilight's eyes widen, and she looks at the door. "No von is to come into zhe lab. Absolutely no von."

Twilight shifts her vision to Labor. "I thought you ordered a lockdown!" Twilight anxiously screams.

"Some may have gotten it later zhan others! It looks like our message vasn't fast enough!" Labor finishes putting on his hazmat suit, then proceeds to shut the door, and lock it tight.

"What are we going to do?" Twilight asks.

Labor looks at Twilight. "Ve have to finish zhe cure. Now!" Labor rushes to his work, and starts the cure again.

Funny, just a couple days ago, the doctor kept slacking off, playing as if he could care less wether or not the world died. And now, here at the brink of death, he's working harder then Twilight's ever seen anyone work.

I guess all the doctor needed was a little motivation.

-Ponyville; Derpy's residence-

Dr. Whooves remains in his home. With his daughter locked in her room, and Ditzy coughing away in her room. And Dr. Whooves, with his eyes on the front door with a baseball bat.

There are still some ponies trying to get in. Out of all the houses, they have to attack this one. Maybe it's because he's a doctor. And doctors have medicine. Because they're doctors. It's what they're known for... Having medicine.

Another crack on the wooden planks he put up. It looks like they're just about to come in. Dr. Whooves sniffs the air. What's this? I don't recall Whooves leaving the stove off. Where else could this smoke come from? Certainly not from inside his home. Whooves didn't set anything ablaze.

Unless of course. It comes from outside.

Dr. Whooves, jumps up, and runs to the source of the smoke. (Turn back now.) It's coming from down the hall. (Stop reading.) It's getting stronger, so he must be closing in on it. (Don't go further.)

That doesn't seen right, the only room on that side of the house is... Oh dear.

"DINKY!!!" Dr. Whooves grabs the chairs and tables, and tosses them aside. The house is on fire, the blaze started from his daughters room. Dr. Whooves finally gains access to the door, and without hesitation, breaks it down.

Dr. Whooves rushes in, but the smoke is everywhere. He coughs and coughs, trying to find any sign of his daughter. But to no avail, the smoke is too thick. He coughs and wheezes, trying to suck in the smallest of fresh air. But alas, it's no use.

Dr. Whooves falls back, hitting the wall, and sliding down to the ground. Coughing more and more violently, he finally sees his daughter. Laying motionless next to her bed, blood seeping from her head. It looks like a falling plank from the ceiling smacked her right on the skull.

Dr. Whooves starts to feel weaker and weaker. It looks like times up for this doctor. *wink* Dr. Whooves closes his eyes slowly, letting the cold grip of death take him away.

As for Derpy? Well, the house is on fire, Deroy is too weak to move.

We can all agree, that the Whooves family, just didn't make it.

-Canterlot; Laboratory-

"Labor, look!" Twilight points to the rats, and Labor rushes over to see that the rats are spitting blood.

Labor runs back to his work, and continues, his pace slightly faster. Twilight wipes a fearful tear.

"It's not what I think it is, is it?" Twilight asks.

"Total organ failure. Ve have no time." Labor says.

-3 hour later-

Celius threatens world.

Cure: 96%

Death rate. High.

-Ponyville; Fluttershy's Cottage-

Crying. Nothing but crying. An agonizing pain comes from inside, but it's no use. Trying everything to get rid of it won't help either. The pain won't go away.

But the pain isn't Fluttershy's, it's Angel. A deep sense of emotional pain. For he is standing alongside Fluttershy, crying. She fell 20 minutes ago. In a fit of bloody coughing, she just dropped to the ground, and now Angel cries, because his owner is just laying there, without moving.

Blood oozes out of her mouth. The rashes cover up most of her body, and she is reeks of puke. A horrendous way to go.

Angel still cries, tugging at Fluttershy's mane like if that's going to be any help here.

Nope. This time you don't get your way, Mr. Bunny. You'll just have to face the fact, that dear old Fluttershy has passed.

Cure: 97%

-Ponyville; Caurosell Boutique-

After Spike was put in the care of Rarity, he was delighted. Sick, but delighted that he would be spending time with his crush.

Unfortunately for him, however, the past couple days weren't exactly the dream dates he's dreamed of. He was still happy to bring her water everytime she coughed, or a dry towel when she sweat. She can't go around looking like she was working hard on the farm in the hot sun day, now can she?

But now we're here, Spike is still alive. Breathing the best he can, wiping the blood off his lips, and the tears from his eyes. With a different handkerchief of course. Rarity passed about forty minutes ago. Sweetie Belle about an hour and ten minutes ago.

During the thirty minute gap, all Rarity was doing was mourning for her sister. The mourning was halted, when Rarity paused, dropped, and didn't move any more.

Spike watched her fall, but he couldn't do anything and he knew it. So he just came to the living room, and sat on the ground. Coughing blood, and throwing up to the side. It's not like anyone was going to clean that, right?

Why he hasn't died, is because he's a dragon. If he were a pony, he would've been the first to die, because he's a baby. But he's a dragon, so he'll last longer than the sensitive ones.

But alas, that doesn't save him from death. Spike coughs one last time. His vision blurs, and his eyes close, as he tilts to his side, and falls into an endless sleep.

Cure: 98%

-Ponyville; SugarCube Corner-

The one pony we all knew was going to survive! Although she completely isolated herself from the outside world, she has proven a match for Celius!

So here she is, the sole survivor of the devistating plague! Watch her as she... Hangs... From a... A noose.

This wasn't something you could say would never happen. After Pinkie gave it a long and hard thought, just one conclusion came to her mind. 'Everypony is going to die.' She could hear them too. The thumping of yet another Celius victim dropping to the ground.

So, she came up with the best solution of all! She would meet them all up in pony heaven, where birds sung, small children played and laughed, and ducks could paddle the ponds in safety! Being locked in the basement is no fun at all, especially when she can hear all her friends dying five by five out there.

Let's not sit around here too long. It's not a very happy place.

The cure has stopped completely.

Oh? Whatever for?

-Canterlot; Laboratory-

Labor grabs his chest, coughing violently, while Twilight throws up in the trash bin. There hazmat suits are torn in some spots.

Well what happened here? Let's find out.

-One hour thirty minutes earlier-

Labor is at work hard, making surer everything he needs is just right. Twilight keeps a constant eye on the rats.

"Dammit." Labor mumbles to himself. Twilight looks over to him.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asks.

"It's another difficult part of zhe cure. It has to be precise, or it von't vork." Labor says, and attempts to drop the perfect amount again. Failing yet again. "F*ck!" Twilight takes a step toward him.

"Labor? I think maybe you need to calm down a bit." Twilight suggests.

"Calm down a bit? Zhere's a f*cking virus inside zhe castle, and you vant me to 'calm down a bit?'" Labor says, causing Twilight to stop in her tracks.

"Well, I thought maybe you-"

"Vell you zhought wrong." Labor interjects. "Like you've zhought of me going to murder you." Labor places the tubes down, and walks towards her. "I don't have time to 'calm down' Tvilight."

Twilight back steps, fearing Labor now.

"So you just vatch zhe rats, and let me do vhat I do, alright?" Labor threatens.

"But I just wanted to-"

"Alright!?" Labor screams.

Twilight jumps back. The worst thing she can do. Upon jumping back, Twilight hits the boxes, and tumbles three over.

"Sh*t!" Labor backs away, while Twilight jumps away from the counter. The rats run around for a while, and after running to no apparent direction, they spot the two ponies and charge them.

"Zhey're going to starts biting!" Labor screams, and sure enough, that happens.

The rats climb the hazmat suits, and begin sinking their teeth into the suits. Labor and Twilight both manage to swipe the rats off them, and Labor stomps the three.

There are patches of skin on the hazmat suits now, small bloody bites.

"Zhis isn't good..." Labor points out. Twilight hyperventilates, and starts crying at this point.

-Present time-

It didn't take but 15 minutes for the virus to settle and start giving symptoms, and 5 minutes every new symptom appeared. Total organ failure caught up with these two. Twilight struggles to stop her insides from burning so much. Labor on the other hand, coughs blood, and struggles to keep his hooves steady enough to get the perfect amount into the other tube.

It's no use working under these conditions.

The cure has stopped completely.

Labor grabs his chest, coughing violently, while Twilight throws up in the trash bin.

"Zhis is it, ve're not making it." Labor says through a bloody throat.

Twilight cries in the corner. Grabbing her head thinking of all the wonderful times she had with her friends. Just wishing it would back to that.

Sorry, sweetie. Not this time.

-Ponyville; Sweet Apple Acres-

The Apple Family is dead.

-Ponyville; Rainbow Dash's residence-

No more whistling. The tune of Pinkie Pie's lullaby has turned into nothing but silence.

Rainbow Dash remains in the places she was curled up in. Only this time, she isn't breathing. Blood puddles are seen by her mouth, and she looks way thinner than before. I think it's say to say she hasn't eaten since last time.

So who won, the giggly, or the ghostie? I think the answer is fairly obvious.

-Canterlot; Celestia's residence-

-One hour later-

"I'm so sorry, dear sister!" Luna cries at her sisters chest. "I did not mean to bring devestation!"

"You didn't know, Luna." Celestia argues, then coughs at a different direction.

"Do you still love me?" Luna looks up at her sister with pleading eyes. Celestia smiles down at her younger sibling.

"Of course I do." Celestia looks out the window, and her smile quickly fades. Anarchy is outside. Nothing but destruction, as ponies try and kill each other over pure hatred.

Luna coughs, and blood pews out. Celestia looks down, and sees that some of it land on her white coat. Celestia allows Luna to cuddle up to her.

"Why don't you catch some rest, sister? It will do you good." Celestia suggests with smile. Luna nods, and closes her eyes.

Celestia frowned, she knew Luna isn't waking up from her sleep. Celestia looks out the window once more. More ponies fighting each other, while others drop dead.

Celestia had already recieved word from a sick royal guard that both Twilight and Labor were found dead in the laboratory. There was no denying it now. Soon, everyone will just be a corpse. A tear runs down Celestia's cheek.

It's over. Celius had won.

5 years later.

Celius eliminates all life on earth!

Cure Progress: 98%