We Are Equestria

"If that's how the infection made it into Equestria, how did it explode in the populous?" Scrawl asked.

"The changeling dumped the infected corpse into the sewer west of town, where the body was consumed by the fungus. The corpse sprouted with tons of fruiting bodies. The tunnel was a nearly perfect staging area for the fungus; it was dark, moist, and there was mass to be used to make more spore producers. It was only a matter of time until the whole population of Ponyville was exposed."

"Reports we received from Canterlot claim that the element bearers were evacuated from Canterlot the day of the attack on one 'Victory Bell's' house. Why wasn't the whole town evacuated? I mean, wasn't the whole town in danger?"

"Celestia was misinformed; she was told that the changeling was a scout in another invasion plan. So the bearers were moved immediately in secret, as to not provoke a panic. She wasn't aware of the infection until later."

"Are you sure, sister?" Luna asked.

"It is the safest plan of action we have, Luna." Her sister responded. "If the changelings have spies in Ponyville that are violent enough to attack a family in their home, any mass evacuation might set them off." Celestia was scribbling instructions on a scroll and quickly sealing it and preparing it for departure.

"We already have guards in Ponyville, why not reinforce them and prepare for combat?"

"According to Twilight, the changeling was strong enough to put a earth stallion near two and a half times his size in the local hospital before dying. I'm not saying I'm against protecting our lands, but the spies might notice the increase of guard presence and accelerate their plans. I'd rather just have the Twilight and her friends out of harm's way first."

"This changeling attack, as twilight described it, was somewhat out of character for changeling abduction?" Luna questioned, skimming the hastily written letter for her sisters recently crowned pupil.

"Yes, it lacked any form of stealth whatsoever."

"Hmm," Luna mumbled. "Send for them, it’s about time for you to raise the sun."

"Yes," Celestia said, "Go get some sleep. You should get some rest before they arrive."

Luna left the room, and the letter went up in a cloud of smoke.

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The patient room Victory had been placed in was dark; the security guard hadn't come back since she had batted him on the snout with a numb fore-hoof. Luckily, she had been laid down belly up so she could see the clock. Almost an hour had passed since the last visit from the guard and Nurse Burdock. Motor control had returned faintly, but feeling was still long gone.

The control attached to the bed was just out of reach of her hoof, and her magic was still locked-up thanks to the silence spell the guard used on her. The feeling of being cut of from magic and the sensation of touch in a near pitch-dark room was maddening.

The door slid open just out of vision, and closed again. Someone had entered the room.

"Miss Bell?" Burdock came into vision at the foot of the bed. The silence spell held back a torrent of cusses and curses that exploded in Victory's mind.

"Your husband has stopped responding to out efforts, and his vitals have all but gone."

Victory could do nothing. She was paralyzed, not by the spell, but by the shock. She would've been struck silent by grief, if she had possessed the ability to speak.

Burdock lowered his head in shame, "I'm sorry we couldn't save him, our team did all they could."

The spell didn't keep her from doing at least one thing. Tears began to flow down her face, and Nurse Burdock left the room.

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"Did you tell her the news?"

"Yeah," Nurse Burdock answered.

"How'd she take it?"

"Can't tell, you really overdid it with the spells," Burdock stated.

"I'm sorry; I went straight from incapacitating a full grown earth stallion to a dainty sized unicorn mare. You have to admit there wasn't much time for adding that factor to the spell," The guard justified.

Nurse Burdock nodded, and looked back at the clipboard hanging on the hook just next to the quarantine room door.

"Did Paisley get that bite cleaned?" Burdock questioned.

"M'hm." The guard nodded.

"Where is he?" Nurse Burdock tapped his pen against the clipboard.

"I believe he was sent home after they cleaned and wrapped the bite."

"Alright," Nurse Burdock slipped the clipboard back onto its hook. He walked away and spoke into his radio once he was out of earshot.

"Redheart? It's Burdock."

"Yeah, Bur?"

"Can you tell me which one of the nurses fixed up Paisley?"

"I don't know. I didn’t do it."

"Who sent him home?"

"He got sent home? I was at the front desk and I never saw him clock out."

"For the love of—find him. We need to find him. He was exposed to a fungus that already killed a patient. We can't have him wandering around the hospital with the possibility he's living on borrowed time." Burdock began to gallop down hallways searching for the lost orderly.

"I'll get security on it. We’ll get any available personnel to search the hospital right away. If he’s still here we’ll find him."

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Captain Black Frost, of the First Ponyville Platoon, sat behind his desk inside town hall like it was any other morning. Surprising he had all this free time, given the night before a changeling had attacked a Ponyvile family in their own home.

The reports had been filled, and no more paperwork meant today would be as cushy as every other day was. It was probably about a week until some other calamity happened.

Black Frost kicked up his hooves, and sighed.

The front door blasted open as the new recruit busted into his office. Black frost launched over backwards and collapsed on the floor.

"What is it, cadet?" Frost said, irritated. The cadet was struggling to get words out between gasps for air.

"Captain—a changeling—is outside!"

"You’re seeing things, cadet. Now get back out to your patrol, you aren't due back for another hour." Frost picked himself up off the floor.

"No—Captain—changeling!"

"Cadet, if I hear you say that word one more time, you'll be doing gallops around ponyville until I'm tired. Now get back to your patrol."

"Captain—just look!” The recruit yelled as he pointed out the town hall's main doors to the courtyard out front.

A whole commotion was coming from outside, ponies screamed as the town guard corralled a changeling with a phalanx of spears.

"What in blue blazes?" Frost pushed aside the gassed recruit and rushed outside.

The changeling was panicking, it's head spinning trying to find an escape. It batted at the spears only to have more take it's place.

The changeling was pleading for it's life, but the spears didn't lower. The changeling saw Frost and yelled.

"Help me! You ponies have to!"

Frost was skeptical. "Really; why should we help a spy?"

"I've been poisoned! I need medical attention. Surely you can put aside our species’ past discrepancies and help me!"

"I'll help you, you leach on society." Frost taunted the changeling. "Stallions, take him to his new, nice warm cell."

"No! You can't jail me! I need medical help!" The changeling screamed as he was escorted away. The changeling was quickly out of earshot.

"Great," Frost mumbled as he trotted back inside and sat down in his desk. He pulled out forms from the file cabinet and set them down on his desk, "More paperwork."

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