Epidemic

Twilight nodded and got to work. Labor went off to fetch some of the guards to acquire what the book asked for. The cure was to be quick, precise, and strong enough to overcome Celius.

"Okay." Twilight precautiosly stared at the infected rat inside the small glass box; making sure to take note of any hints of new symptoms setting in. Labor, on the other hand, had run into into a dilemma at the castle.

As Labor dashed through the halls, the sounds of sobbing coming from from Celestia's room stopped him in his tracks. Without thinking he found himself peeking in.

Luna had a comforting arm around Celestia, who was crying into her hooves.

"There, there sister. I know it was hard. It is in the past now. It's over" Luna's words seem to bounce off Celestia as she continued to sob, and face away from Luna.

"Princess? Is... Is something wrong?" Labor said, finally deciding to enter the room. Celestia quickly wiped her tears, and set a proper stance.

"Yes, doctor. I'm fine." Celestia told Labor, her back facing him.

"Forgive me, your highness, but I zhink your majesty isn't doing very vell." Labor responded with a slight bow. Celestia took a deep breath.

"Dr. Kittel. I'm fine. You have a cure to make." Celestia was serious. Labor felt a chill go down his spine at that sentence. He decided it would be best to leave the princess alone for a while. He walked back to the halls. He stared at the door for a minute with a worried look, and continued on his way to the guards.

Back at Ponyville

Dr. Whooves ran through the streets of Ponyville, avoiding the violent coughs, and the undigested food of any nearby ponies. Pretty soon he found himself at Derpy's front door, and began to frantically knock.

No answer.

At that point, panic ran through Dr. Whooves mind. Why isn't Derpy answering? Is she home? Is she infected? Is Dinky infected?

Dr. Whooves wild assumptions were put to a rest when a little grey filly opens the door.

"Hello?" The small filly greeted. She looked tired, as if she's been up for a couple nights. She didn't look infected, just tired.

"Dinky? Sweetheart? Do you feel well?" The Doctor searched throughout her body for cysts.

"I'm fine. Mommy hasn't been doing well though."

Dr. Whooves heart sank. He was struck with panic and sorrow. He dashed into the house and into Derpy's room. His jaw dropped and tears starting to form.

Derpy lay on her bed, seemingly unconscious. She bled around small wounds, and she was dreanched in sweat. A bucket of her undigested food sitting aside the bed.

Dr. Whooves approached the bed. He placed a hoof on her forehead; she had a fever. There was no doubt about it now. Derpy Hooves has been infected with Celius.

The Doctor backed away, now afraid of catching the virus himself. He didn't know what to do. Should he leave and help find the cure, or should he stay and keep Derpy company?

At the lab

Labor returned to his lab. Twilight was still staring at the rat.

"Any new symptoms, Tvilight?" Labor asked, walking to her and examining the rat himself.

"Not yet, doctor. Nothing so far." Twilight responded, finally breaking her trance from the rat and looking at the book.

"Oh please, call me Labor. In zhis lab, ve are friends! Zhere is no need for rank or class!"

Twilight was a bit shocked that Labor seemed so calm about the entire 'Plague Apocolypse' going around Equestria.

"Oh, o-okay." Twilight said, a bit uncomfortable calling the advanced doctor before her by his actual name.

Labor went back to his microscope. Twilight made an irritated face; remembering how Labor called her microscope "little."

"It doesn't look like they're moving." Labor pointed out. The cells were at a medium size range. It looked bad, but no lethal symptoms were actually taking place. The rats still coughed, sweat, and spewed vomit, but they weren't dying yet or showing signs of developing the next symptom.

Guards came into the room with saddlebags, and Labor took his eyes off the microscope.

The guards set the bag on a a desk. Labor walked up to the desk, and opened the bag; there were a variety of plants and liquids. Twilight brought the book to him, and he did a quick recap on what he needed. Sure enough, the cure needed these ingredients.

"Excellent!" Labor began, "Ve start zhe cure immediately. Tvilight? I'm going to need your help for zhis."

"Anything, doctor. I mean, Labor"

Labor smiled, as he pulled things out of the bag. Twilight looked at him, a bit nervous. There was a stallion in front of her, who was so calm. A stallion with a criminal record of insanity. He was smiling, obviously not the best time to do so, but he smiles nonetheless.

"L-Labor?" Twilight needed to now more about this stallion. (As of you viewers.)

"Hmm?"

"How... How was your license revoked?" Twilight asked, with a mixture of fear, and nerve.

Labor stopped in his tracks. His smile widening.

"Vhy. I hardly zhink zhis is zhe time for storytelling, my dear Tvilight." Labor turns his head to look at her, his eyes show an insane look. This was now scaring Twilight. "Zhere is a virus going around."

Twilight stayed silent. That look in his eyes, and that insane smile on his face made Twilight fear the doctor to a state of speechlessness. (That's a word now.)

"Vhat's wrong, Tvilight?" Labor's eyebrows creased. The look in his eyes becoming more and more evil by the second. "It seems you are left vithout a vord to say."

Finally, Twilight's trance was broken.

"I... I uhm..." But she's still at a loss for words. Go figure.

A guard walks in with another bag.

"Hey! Here's another bag full of that cure stuff!" The guard calls out. Labor breaks his eyesight, and turns his attention to the bag.

"Zhank you, gentlemen. Much abliged." Labor walks to them, and takes the bag.

Meanwhile, Twilight shakes her head, breaking her from trance completely. Her gaze lowers to the ground. She had just been stares death at, by a sociopath.

"C'mon, Tvilight! Ve have a lot of vork to do!" Labor restarts to pull the cure ingredients from the bags. Twilight looks up quickly.

I'm finding the cure for an old deadly virus with a sociopath... Twilight thought to herself.

How fun.

Celius has been spotted.

Cure priority. Minimal. (As no one other than Labor and Twilight find it very very lethal.)

Cure progress... 0%