EMERGENCY ALERT!
Code Red Protocol: Evacuate Immediately

A mysterious virus has been detected in Ponyville, coming from the Tree Castle underground. Evacuate immediately!

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Apploosa Press Just In: Ponyville has been taken by a mysterious virus that originated from the basement of the Tree Castle. Princess Twilight Sparkle is reported to be the creator, and unfortunately, is its first victim. Because of safety reasons, a proper burial is impossible.

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'This is Grace from Filly Delphia News Network, here with Dr. Stones from Manehattan. Thanks for joining us tonight!"

"Thank you, Grace."

"Now, a few questions on behalf of the population, how do you plan to take down this virus once and for all? The rest of the inhabitants of Ponyville have been moved to sterile facilities, to my understanding."

"They have, and eighty percent of them, as I've heard, are clean. For those who aren't clean, we will take a sample of the virus from them. The first priority is to get a vaccine out there to the ponies in close proximity of the source outward. Then we will have the most powerful unicorns move in and eradicate the virus for good."

"Right. And, I heard that Ponyville celebrities Rainbow Dash and Rarity have been infected, as well?"

"That is correct, Grace. The rest of them are suspected to be out of town."

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THE RAIN FELL IN HEAVY SHEETS INTO THE STREETS, exploding as they hit the hard concrete. The press's camera's flashed blinding light, so many of them there that she couldn't properly make her way down the street. She kept her grey eyes fixated on the passing sidewalk tile, her vision fuzzy from tears. She wore a semi-transparent poncho that made her yellow coat look reddish, her drooping, pink mane looking a deeper pink.

Her teeth chattered of cold and stabbing nervousness. She absolutely hated crowds, especially now. She'd just barely heard the news, and as soon as she heard Twilight's name mentioned among the dead, she bolted out of her hotel in a mess of tears. All she wanted to do now was fly, though she'd only be colder, and would be a mess when she reached the train station.

Around her, the press continued pressing microphones at her, some with FM numbers ranging from zero to one hundred twenty. Vanhoover News, The Filly Report, and Channel 7 News were on the microphone blocks all in flashy fonts. She, if she didn't know better, would rip the microphones from their hooves and bolt, but she kept her composure as much as she could.

"What do you think of Princess Twilight Sparkle's death?" asked one.

"Rainbow Dash and Rarity have been taken into care," stated another. "What say you in that?"

"Do you think this virus can be stopped?" demanded another.

Fluttershy backed into the ground. She just couldn't take it anymore; the questions, the flashing, the crowds... She felt a wail build up in her system, a disgusting, desperate one that needed to escape. Her chest burned with anxiety, her mind was clouded with fear, and her ears were deaf to the biggest and most guttural scream she'd ever accumulated, lifting her hooves to her head, trying to make this nightmare end.

For an alicorn, Fluttershy always wondered why Twilight was so obsessed with science experiments.

It's true that science and magic were two different things. The mass of this planet pulled us down to earth. That isn't magic, that's science. The way that unicorns can summon spells in exchange for effort, that was science. The result of that, however, is magic.

But wouldn't a powerful alicorn with a basic knowledge of science be enough? Fluttershy thought. What's she trying to prove?

Fluttershy brought her pace to a slow stop as she arrived at the front gate of the violet castle. Moreover, Fluttershy added, why did she bring me here? Any other one of the ponies would be more responsible than me, I'm sure of it. She studied the gate closely. Usually, the gate was locked down tight. Twilight was introverted in that way. But for some reason, the gate was unlocked, the door slightly ajar.

Fluttershy's heart stopped for a moment. Oh dear, she couldn't have been... Fluttershy crept up to the golden gate, newfound fear wrapping its ice-cold fingers over her heart. It was maybe three times her height, and she caught her reflection in the precious, polished gold. Her mane was a tad bit messier than usual because of rush, and she spotted a small twig behind her left ear, probably from the cute little robbin trying to make a nest on her head the previous day.

She scratched her ear. Boy, did she have a basket case to take care of yesterday. All of the creatures and critters were restless for some reason, and that usually meant bad omen. But all was relatively quiet afterward. They probably saw Zecora that day, she thought. Poor Zecora, all the animals being scared of her. Zecora normally came around Ponyville Tuesdays and was keen to visit as she ran errands. The town had gotten used to her visits, and they found her very sociable.

Unlike the alicorn that nearly took off her muzzle. Fluttershy jumped back as the gate flew open, uttering a small eep! Standing in the gateway was none other than Twilight Sparkle. Her mane was an absolute mess, the red stripe in her hair spread all over the place. She smelled strongly of sweat, her lavender coat greased down and seeming singed in some places, her wings in desperate need of preening. Her deep violet eyes were bloodshot, and she breathed through her mouth erratically.

She nodded tiredly toward Fluttershy and gestured her into the commons. To the right and left were stairwells, the right wing leading to the library, the left wing leading to the throne room, the sleeping quarters, and the viewing tower. However, there was a new addition in the front-center of the room. There was yet another stairwell leading down into the roots of the tree. Yellow light danced on the rear wall of the hole.

"Come on down," huffed Twilight, and she hobbled to the stairwell that led deep underground.

"Um, Twilight, are you sure?" Fluttershy asked. "You seem really, really tired."

Twilight shook her head and flashed a hoof to Fluttershy's direction. "No, no, I... I've gotta show you this... er... thingy." She stepped onto the first stair, wobbling like jelly.

"Twi—!"

"Don't worry 'bout me," she slurred as she slid her way down the stairs. "Just come on... I have something to... to show you."

Fluttershy bit her lip. She would do anything for her friends, but Twilight was pushing herself too hard! What she needed was rest, and a nice, long bath. But, she knew Twilight. Possibly the only way to get her to do something is to do the thing she asks of you. Even if it was descending into a dark, cramped hole that probably led to unexpected scientific discovery.

She took a deep breath and climbed down the stairs. Under every two wraps of steps, a torch was placed on opposite sides of the stairwell. This setup was horrible; the wrap in between the torches would be pitch dark, and Fluttershy couldn't really tell where the steps were, which was very disconcerting up to the point where she slipped on the edge of the step. Her flank touched down on the (thankfully) carpeted stairway and she slid down like butter in a skillet at a great speed. She glided into Twilight at the base of the stairs, landing one on top of the other. Fluttershy nearly zipped over Twilight's slick fur, but decelerated just enough to stop mid-flip, looking at Twilight's face. Fluttershy wondered how Twilight got those big, round buck teeth for a second when she realized Twilight was scowling at her upside-down.

"Oh!" Fluttershy squeaked, lifting one leg after another off of her, "I'm sorry!"

Twilight held her twitchy scowl, then sighed. "It's all right," she said. "I'm just a little cranky, that's all."

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. She then glanced at the lab in front of her, and that glanced turned into a stare. Many test tubes and flasks were dotted about wooden shelves, all containing odd liquid, all in many different colors. A strong, grape-like smell filled the room, similar to the smell of liquid cold medicine.

"What is this?" Fluttershy asked in wonder.

Twilight stood up unsteadily, and walked toward her creations. "This," she said, putting a hoof gingerly on the side of a flask, the contents of which were blue, "is medicine." She smiled gleefully. "There are children in the middle east who are infected with a sort of virus. One that, quite oddly, seems parasitic; it eats its victim on the inside out, and..." Her voice faltered. "... yeah."

Fluttershy was extremely glad that she didn't go into detail as per usual. She minimized her gawking. "Twilight... that's amazing! I didn't know making medicines were a part of the princess's job description."

Twilight shrugged wearily. "Eh, we do our best."

"How long have you been at this?"

"Four days," Twilight sighed. "Almost nonstop. And I'm not done yet."

Fluttershy frowned. Four days consecutively, she thought, yet it still isn't done? She studied Twilight again, who'd started preening her feathers, an activity she personally thought was sensual. Fluttershy looked away. At least she's getting a little self-conscious and is starting to clean up. But, I need to persuade her to get her rest.

"How much more needs to be done?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight spat out the gunk from her feathers from inside her mouth. "Note to self," she mumbled, "don't wait too long to preen." She raised her voice. "All that needs to be done now is to make it become stable enough for pony consumption. If I don't do it soon, gases will release, gases of the deadly sort."

Fluttershy's heart sank. I guess there's no way I can convince her now, she thought, sighing. "Well, I'll leave you to that."

"Wait, Fluttershy! The reason why I called you down here is because it's so unstable. A concoction like this can turn into just about anything."

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I have a train to catch to Vanhoover for an animal convention that I'm speaking at. I've never had such of an opportunity." She tried to say that as calmly as possible, but she was scared out of her mind. Stage fright had it out for her, waiting for its time to strike.

Twilight sighed. "Everypony else is busy," she muttered. "Fluttershy?"

"Yes?"

"Just... promise me one thing. That if anything goes wrong, you'll help to sort it out."

Fluttershy thought the question was silly. She's just being herself, she noted, always overestimating outcomes on an extreme level. "I promise," Fluttershy ensured.

Twilight sighed for relief. "Good."

They said their farewells, and Fluttershy ascended the stairs, expecting to see her after the trip was over.

But that was not the case.

"Fuck me!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Why did I have to take her request for granted? Now she's gone! And two of my friends are going to die because of it! Because I put my own wants in front of me instead of hers! Now, nothing can heal this wound! My friend died because of me! How can I live with that?"

Fluttershy didn't care now how wet or cold she'd get. She flew, knocking the poncho off her as she extended her wings. The rain drenched her, flying into her eyes, blinding her as she soared for the train station. But she didn't make it far until her chest met a tree branch. She fell about six feet, landing smack on her side, the shock of the impact throwing her into a coughing fit.

She picked her head up, grimacing in pain. Why? she thought, slamming her hoof into the ground. Why did this all happen? Why did she have to die? She hit the ground again, her sobs making it impossible to breathe. Then she remembered Twilight's last request.

Promise me... if anything goes wrong, you will help sort it out, she had said.

Fluttershy grit her teeth. I... I promise! She slammed her hoof into the ground. There's nothing I can do to bring you back, but... I will honor your death. Trust me. I'll do whatever it takes to reclaim Ponyville! For you!

Memories of Twilight flashed in her mind. Her nerdiness, her quirkiness, all among her intellect, understanding, and care for every one of her friends. Fluttershy could almost see her right in front of her, smiling down at her as she gained the resolve to stand again.

Fluttershy let out a yell. Not a cry of anguish, not a wail of self-hate, but a war cry. A statement of morale that shook the ground and the mountains, and every heart around her.

"WHATEVER IT TAKES!" Fluttershy bolted up to her hooves, and leaped into the sky and took of, disregarding any shortcomings.

It was a two day train ride down to Ponyville. Well, Ponyville's approximate location, that is.

The car that Fluttershy was situated in was a fairly decent one. It was somewhat of a high class train, with a homey look that was profound even when you stepped into the car. The seats could've used a little more padding; Fluttershy found herself constantly adjusting her seating position to avoid pain. When Fluttershy heard the announcer call that they were nearing first infirmary facility, she sighed in relief. The car was filled up with people, and some of them tried to engage conversation with her. Fluttershy was at least thankful that it wasn't as bad as the ride up.

The train screeched to a halt, puffing out steam like a proud animal. As she walked out of the car, everything seemed to be fine. Just with the addition of an acre-long tent about a mile away from the town. Fluttershy looked at the town hopefully for a second, then the memories hit her of what happened down there. She looked away from the town, eyes burning.

There were only three ponies that dismounted and stayed, including Fluttershy. The rest were probably here to see what had happened, she figured. They walked back into the train car quite quickly, though.

The other two she could recognize from a mile away. One was a small filly with a drifting deep pink mane and a tan coat. Her wings looked small and undeveloped on her barrel. The other was older, an earth pony with white-and-silver striped mane with a tri-shade hair clip hanging over back. Her coat was creamy white, which somehow reminded Fluttershy of cold winter days sipping on heavenly white hot chocolate.

"Scootaloo? Coco?" Fluttershy called.

The two turned. "Fluttershy..." Scootaloo whimpered, sprinting toward her with glassy eyes. She rammed into her chest, wrapping her hooves around her neck, and sobbing into her chest. Fluttershy rested her head on hers, and gently wrapped a hoof around her. "It's all right," Fluttershy cooed, though with a broken voice. She felt a stab of pain in her as the lie's sweet coating turned bitter.

Coco walked up hesitantly. She narrowed her eyes in a speculative manner. "You're friends with Rarity, aren't you?" she said with a vague eastern accent.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. I decided to drop by on my way down."

Coco nodded back. "If I may ask, where are you going, exactly?"

Fluttershy gulped. Is it a good idea to tell her? she thought. I don't want anypony trying to stop me. But the health department was on its way to figure out the mess; maybe she could wait it out. Fluttershy shook her head. No, she had valuable information. Who knows what'll be out there.

"Are you all right?" Coco asked.

Fluttershy snapped out of the deep thought. "Yeah, just became deep in thought again."

Coco crossed her hooves ashamedly. "I'm sorry if I reminded you of her."

Fluttershy managed a smile through profound heartache. "Don't worry about it." She gestured to the town. "She's been on my mind all the time."

Coco cocked her head. "Fluttershy... you're much different than what I remember..."

Fluttershy shook her head. "No. I just... have a promise to keep."

The wind howled emptily on the plain, almost trying to breathe life into the abandoned town to no avail. Fluttershy chocked a sob. Just three days ago this town was lively, she remembered. Now it's just empty. Empty and depressing. Probably even the animals have caught the virus by now. Fluttershy hugged Scootaloo closer to her chest, who had started calming down, cooing almost infant-like in the embrace.

Fluttershy looked to Coco again. "We should go inside and check on Rainbow and Rarity," she proposed.

Coco shook her head. "It's no use. They won't let us in. They say it's for our own safety, that the virus is contagious, spreading by air." Coco looked at the town. "But if the illness was airborne, one would think it would be here by now. The breeze is coming from Ponyville anyway."

Fluttershy knit her eyebrows. It was possible, with being in close proximity to them. Her heart sank into the earth. This may have been the final chance she had to visit her friends. If she ends up dying in this endeavor, she knew she would regret it. But part of her resisted, wanting to just go. Who knows what bad condition they'll be in... Fluttershy thought. But then another flashed in her mind. You're being selfish, Fluttershy! She shook her head. Dying alone, unfairly due to a dire turn of events, the least I can do is give them hope. Hope that they will see another day. Fluttershy clamped her eyes shut, a cool, false light growing in her eyelids.

"W-well, at least I will pay them a visit," Fluttershy stammered.

Coco's eyes widened. "Eh?" she gasped, then took a lowly stance. "... Are you sure? It may be dangerous."

"No!" Scootaloo cried in her breast. "I'm at risk of losing two friends now!" She buried her face in Fluttershy's bristly fur. "Please don't add a third!"

Fluttershy suppressed a gasp. She was thinking one-sidedly. For some reason, it didn't occur to her until just then how much Scootaloo needed her. Her parents died in an accident, Fluttershy recalled. Tragically, the same accident the Applejack's parents were involved in. She glanced down at Scootaloo, who was still refusing to break the embrace. Adopted by foster parents who are barely home. Fluttershy suddenly felt heavier. There was no right way to go about this. She made a promise, a promise among the rotting, that she would right this wrong. The stakes were high, higher than the sky's reach. But in order to knock down that iron-clad pillar, she needed information. Information from the doctors. She wanted to assure her friends that everything was all right before they gave up completely.

Fluttershy kissed the crown of Scootaloo's head. It was like just then she felt like a mother to her, and that thought hammered into her head, raising emotion that she wouldn't otherwise have. For one second, she didn't want to leave her, but as much as this familial feeling pierced her heart in all the wrong places, she couldn't leave her other family to die. Her sisters, they needed her.

"I'm sorry, Scootaloo," Fluttershy soothed, "but I must do this." Fluttershy felt her voice breaking like shattering glass. "I promise you, I will come back. I won't have this disease get the better of me."

"B-but..." Scootaloo rubbed her face into Fluttershy's chest. "You can't... you... I love you... you can't..."

Fluttershy gulped down a sob. "I love you too, Scootaloo..." As much as it hurt her, Fluttershy looked to Coco. "If you would..."

Coco nodded. Without another utterance, she pried Scootaloo from Fluttershy, whose hooves were loose in such anguish that Fluttershy's heart felt like it was being trampled on as they swiftly fell away from her neck. Coco swung Scootaloo with difficulty over her back, who was now kicking and screaming. Coco looked back at Fluttershy, with a trustful, but determined expression. "I trust you to help our friends," she said, and without a second glance, she turned toward the stationed train that was puffing steam out of the exhaust. Scootaloo's face was now turned toward her, her hoof outstretched, with red eyes and a dampened face. Fluttershy did another thing that killed her on the inside: she turned away.

I have a duty to tend to, Fluttershy thought, locking her eyes on the infirmary tent, not daring to look back. I will not fail.

Author's Note

Just a final warning here: the next chapter is going to be very graphic in gore. So if you're squeamish, you may want to turn back now. If you want to brave the gore, don't say I didn't warn you.