Bloodshot

How does one define emptiness?  Ooh, you caught me with that one.  Emptiness can take on a number of forms.  It could be described simply by calling it a lack of presence, or an absence of matter or meaning.  But an explanation like that has so many meanings in itself; it’d be challenging to compress all of them into a compound sentence.  Emptiness is one of those metaphorical things that can be used in a multitude of different manners to describe physical space, emotional satisfaction, or……spiritual departure.

       Fluttershy jolted awake from a startling noise that attacked her eardrums.  She sat up quickly, shaking her head to reorient her senses.  Her vision was clogged with blurriness and confusion, as was her hearing and sensitivity.  For a lengthy few seconds, nothing seemed to come together.

       All the confused pegasus could see was a messy haze of colors.  A splotch of yellow and pink was visible when she looked down at herself, surrounded by a smear of olive green.  That must’ve been the surface that she was laying on.  Out beyond the green patch, an expanse of tan sprawled out in all directions.  Perhaps that was the floor.

       Upon looking up, many different colors could be seen.  Appearances ranging from dark browns to light grays to greens to shiny silvers danced around mysteriously in her perception.

…

       Fluttershy squinted a little, and the runny water-colored picture of her vision started to become a little clearer.  In fact, the chaos that she was able to see actually started to become familiar.  Was her mind playing tricks on her?  The more she looked, the more the vision began to resemble…

       …her cottage.  Fluttershy’s jaw went slack when she observed herself laying peacefully on the couch in her living room.  Once everything in her perception became as sharp and as clear as normal, the mare looked slowly around the room.  Bright, illuminating sunlight beamed in through the back window facing the Everfree Forest.  That could only mean one thing.

       It was morning.  Coupled with the magnificent rays of sunlight, rampant animals could be seen scurrying around the cottage.  Full of energy from a good night’s sleep, the critters were as rambunctious as ever.

       This was nothing that Fluttershy wasn’t used to.  She yawned softly, producing a sort of fluffy squealing sound.  Rubbing her eyes, she climbed off the couch.  She would have to walk off whatever weird dream that occurred the night before.

…

       She stepped around the scurrying mice and slithering snakes on her floor as she trudged over to the bathroom.  Flipping on the light, she leaned in front of the mirror to wash her face.  Before turning on the water, however, Fluttershy got a good look at her appearance.

       Her mane was an absolute pigsty.  The smooth, curly curtain of pink strands that usually made up her luscious mane were now exploding outwards in directions unknown to the frazzled pegasus mare.  This was not her first concern, however.  Her entire face almost seemed to lack the luster that it usually contained.

       Fluttershy was only in her mid-twenties.  Her face made her look like she was forty.  The exuberant, bright butter yellow that shined proudly on the rest of her body was not quite as evident on her face.  Her cheeks had lost the slight blush that usually brought her adorable complexion together.  She looked almost like a transforming zombie.  Her eyes were severely bloodshot.

Bloodshot.  Something about that adjective felt off to her.  It held some sort of…relevance that she couldn’t explain.  Never before has she woken up in the morning looking like this, so what could it mean?  What if...

       Nah.  There was no way that last night’s frightening encounter was real.  If it was, how could Fluttershy have gotten back home after the incident?  The way she remembered it, the dream ended with her lying on the ground.  Nothing could’ve magically teleported her back to her cottage before she woke up.  Right?

…

       Fluttershy was saddened to admit it, but she would probably finally have to use that facial makeup that Rarity had given her months back.  After all, there was no way she was going to let Silver Spirit see her like this.

       Sighing disappointedly, the mare leaned down below her sink to open the cabinet that contained the facial appliances.  Searching around blindly with her hoof, she came across a moderately-sized bottle that felt familiar to her.  Pulling it out hastily, she glanced at the label.

       “CoverMare Facial Foundation…”  Fluttershy muttered.  “…I bet Silver Spirit would love this.”

       The bottle of CoverMare was bound to be the stuff that Rarity had given her.  After all, the general feel of the product had Rarity written all over it.  Plus, Fluttershy never really had any reason to buy makeup herself.  She unscrewed the cap, and dabbed a bit of it on her hoof.

…

       As the scatterbrained pegasus applied the substance gently to her face, she thought to herself idly.

       “When did Rarity get this stuff for me, anyways?  Perhaps it was a birthday gift.  Wait…maybe she got it for me to go along with my gala dress from a few years back?  Hmm…that doesn’t really feel familiar to me…”

       Fluttershy also couldn’t help but to marvel out how leathery her face felt.  It almost worried her as she glided her hoof over the extent of her cheeks and chin.  Why did she look so aged?  And why was it only present in her face?  The peculiarities troubled her.

       The substance she was rubbing on her face sported a rather rare sheen.  Upon reading the label, one could find the words, “Morning-Light Yellow,” being beamed off of the surface.  Makeup had to come in a rainbow of different colors to suit the fur colors of all the ponies in Equestria.  “Buying makeup would be quite expensive for Rainbow Dash…”  She thought with a chuckle.

…

       With a few more minutes of careful application, Fluttershy was looking like her young, vibrant self again.  She smiled happily, looking in the mirror as she closed the CoverMare bottle and set it on the counter.  That stuff really did work miracles.

       One thing still didn’t make sense, though.  Why was it necessary?  Of course, it did its job well in hiding the bland monstrosities that reflected on Fluttershy’s face.  But why were they there in the first place?  Fluttershy had never woken up before with a face looking that fatigued.

       Fluttershy thought deeply to herself about the conundrum as she turned toward the porcelain throne to her right to relieve herself.  As she turned to the side in the mirror, the confused pegasus caught a glimpse of the rest of her body.  She gasped in utter horror as she got a view of her reflected features.

       Something was wrong.  And it was time to tell Twilight Sparkle about it right away.

Honestly, though, what is the purpose of all these questions?  It’s not like you’re trying to write a dictionary or anything.  I don’t know why you’re coming to me for help.

Ooh, research, you say?  On some kind of fatal curse of the soul?  That does seem interesting.  I myself have heard things of this subject, but have not taken the time to delve into its secrets.  I’ve never had the chance to confront such a plague, but I have heard of its existence.

Wait…you say you’ve seen this curse?  From where has it occurred?  I won’t exactly be able to help you if you don’t give me any details.

…Mmhm…I see……So it’s imposed upon by a dark being of some sort?  Where have you heard of this?

Witness accounts…that does indeed make sense.  Well, Princess, you have my word when I say that I will study this along your side.  I will do whatever it takes to suppress this disease that’s been plaguing the fine ponies of Equestria.  I, Starswirl the Bearded, give you my word.

       Fluttershy practically pounded the door out of its frame when she arrived at Twilight’s castle.  After a few minutes of waiting anxiously, she finally got a response from the other side.  When Twilight opened the door, she rubbed her eyes groggily.

       “Fluttershy?  What are you doing here so early?  I hope you know it’s a Saturday.”  She paused suddenly, and opened her eyes wider.  “…You sure look exuberant.”

       “Um…I had to put Rarity’s makeup on my face this morning.”  Fluttershy absentmindedly replied.  “But anyways, that’s not the point.  I need you to see something.”

       “What is it?”

       Without saying another word, Fluttershy flashed her flank to the Ponyville Princess.  With a quick glance, Twilight’s jaw fell slack.

       “It…it………Oh, sweet Celestia…”

…

       Fluttershy’s cutie mark was completely gone.  Twilight stared blankly at the Element of Kindness’s outer thigh, shocked at the spectacle.  Believe it or not, the fur on her flank was yellow in complete uniformity.  No butterflies existed on its surface.

       “But…that’s impossible!  There isn’t any kind of disease or impairment that would cause one to lose their cutie mark!  The only cutie-mark-related disease I’ve heard of is Cutie Pox, and that just makes you gain more cutie marks.  Nothing like this has ever been seen before!”  The shocked unicorn ranted.

       “Wh…What do I do?  A lot of weird stuff is happening to me, and Silver Spirit is coming to pick me up later today!  I’m not sick or anything, am I?”  Fluttershy asked anxiously.

       Twilight trotted hastily into her castle, gesturing for Fluttershy to come in as well.  Fluttershy entered cautiously, and shut the door behind her.

       “You know, Fluttershy, I’d normally try to be consoling by saying that you’re not sick.  Heck, I don’t even know if it’s a sickness that you’re dealing with.  But I can say for sure that something is definitely wrong with you, and it needs to be fixed immediately.”

       “Do you know what it is?”

       “No, I don’t.  I just said that.  And when I don’t know something, it’s my duty to figure it out.  This could be your life for all I know.”

       Fluttershy froze for a moment.  Then, with a startled squeak, she huddled down on the floor behind her hooves.

…

       “Spike!  Come down here!”  Twilight yelled.

       In a matter of seconds, Spike had sprinted down the stairs and into Twilight’s presence.  A shot a playful salute, and put on a stern-soldier face.

       “Yes, ma’am?”

       “Spike, knock that off.  I need your help with some important research.”  Twilight ordered.

       “You got it!  What do you need?”  He asked.

       “Look at Fluttershy’s flank.  We have a serious problem on our hooves.”

…

       Spike glanced over at Fluttershy, who was still curled up on the ground.  Leaning past her face, he got a quick view of her outer thigh.

       “Holy guacamole!  How did that happen?  I didn’t know ponies could lose their cutie marks!”

       “I obviously don’t know what happened, Spike, because if I did, I wouldn’t be asking you to help me research it!  Now come on; we need to see what book has information on this predicament.”

       Without another word, Spike eagerly jogged forward into the bookroom.  Grabbing a stepladder, he prepared to start looking for books with possible answers to their problem.  Twilight walked in slowly behind him, followed by Fluttershy.

       Twilight turned to Fluttershy while Spike was browsing.  “Fluttershy, what exactly happened this morning before you noticed that your cutie mark was gone?”

       “Well…nothing.  I just woke up after a weird dream, and my face looked like…”

       “What was your dream about?  It could hold some meaning!”  Twilight demanded, cutting Fluttershy off.

       Fluttershy jumped a little bit, startled by Twilight’s stern interruption.  “I, uh…I really don’t want to remember it……”

       “Don’t be like that now, Flutters.  I can only help you if you give me details.  I need to know everything!”

       “Well, um…I was chasing my chipmunk, Mr. Whiskers, into the Everfree Forest.  I think it was to get something back from him.  I encountered this……creature, which struck me backwards with some sort of beam.  I blacked out after that, I think…”  She explained with a stutter.

       “Did this creature say anything before he blasted you?”  Twilight asked.

       “Uh…I think so…”

       “What did he say?”

       “I’m not quite sure…”

       “And you’re sure this was all a dream?”

…

       Fluttershy looked up from the ground, and gazed uncertainly into Twilight’s eyes.  Unspeaking and unmoving for a few intensive moments, she continued to battle with herself.

       “N…no……not really…”

       Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder.  “Fluttershy, when something like this is happening to you, always assume that weird happenings are not dreams.  Understand?”

       Fluttershy quivered nervously.  A tear rolled down her cheek.  “…Okay……”

…

       Spike gave a whistle.  Twilight and Fluttershy turned to look at him, and saw him waving a book around in his claw.  The ladder he was perched on swayed uneasily.

       “I found a book that might help us.”  He announced.

       “Be careful there, Spike.  Don’t let that ladder tip.”  Twilight warned.

       Spike slid down the side of the ladder on his tail.  The ladder fell idly to the side.  Spike leapt up to his feet, and brushed himself off.  “Relax, Twilight.  I got it.”

       Spike handed the book to Twilight.  Twilight gripped it with her magic, and stared at the cover.

       “Perplexing Pony Plagues!  I don’t know why I didn’t think of this one before.  This was the book where we found information on Applebloom’s Cutie Pox!”

…

       Walking over to her reading podium, Twilight set the book down and flipped it open.  Fluttershy and Spike followed behind her anxiously.  Looking over her shoulder, they took a glance inside the book.

       “Let’s see…it should be somewhere in the same section as the Cutie Pox……  After all, it’s related to the same thing.”  Twilight grumbled, flipping through pages.

       Spike’s eyes widened.  “Wait, Twilight, stop there!  I think I saw something!”

       Twilight halted her frantic page-flipping, and went back a couple of pages to what Spike had seen.  There, in the top-right corner of page 137, was a diagram image of a frowning pony with no cutie mark.  What appeared to be a cloud of steam rose above the pony in the picture.

       Fluttershy stared in confusion at the title.  “Oh my…what in the name of Celestia is that?”

       Twilight put a hoof on her mouth as she read the title out loud.  “Hematic Spiritual Dystrophy…”  She paused in shock and awe.  “A strange curse or disease of the soul that causes it to degenerate or dissolve.  Victims often go by the term of ‘Bloodshot’ to describe the acute effects of the plague’s progression.”

       The three of them stood in utter silence as they struggled to wrap their mind around the gravity of the definition.  Three-quarters of the page was still unread, but that did not currently matter.  A situation more serious than any of them could’ve ever imagined was at hoof.

…

       Spike glanced over at Fluttershy to see her quivering in fear.  She blinked rapidly, and her wings sat half-unfolded.  Frightened tears began forming at her eyelids.

       “Read more, Twilight.  We need to see what this is about.”  Spike suggested.

       Twilight reluctantly began to articulate the entire article.  “Hematic Spiritual Dystrophy, or H.S.D, is a critical disease of the mind and spirit.  It originated in the midst of the Pre-Classical Era, and has not been seen since.  Its whereabouts are currently unknown.  The famous Starswirl the Bearded took up the task of studying this plague under the direction of Princess Celestia during the time of its existence.”

       Twilight momentarily stopped.  Spike and Fluttershy were listening intently, and were now confused as to why she stopped.  For those brief moments, the life in the entire room was halted.  No one moved, breathed, or even blinked.  Then, with a sunken heart, Twilight read on.

       “The causes, symptoms, and cures for H.S.D are completely unknown.  Bloodshot victims, statistically, have an extremely low chance of survival.  Past superstitious rumors have stated that Bloodshot victims are destined to damnation upon death, but no evidence to support the claim has been uncovered.  Drastic facial aging and chronic loss of the cutie mark are the only known early symptoms of the disease.  Contagion is possible, but the means of doing so are unknown.  H.S.D is guaranteed, with all tests performed, to only affect the three races of equines.”

…

       Twilight stopped again when she reached the edge of the page.  She shared a dreadful glance with Spike, who was equally as worried as she was.  Luckily for him, dragons were apparently unable to be Bloodshot.

       “Well, Fluttershy, you know what this means.  If we don’t find some answers to this horrid…thing, it could spell disaster for all of Equestria.”  Twilight announced.

       She waited patiently for Fluttershy’s terrified response.  Several seconds later, she did not get one.

       “Um…Fluttershy?  Did you hear us?”  She repeated.  Turning around, she took a look at the silent pegasus.

       Fluttershy was not quivering anymore.  Her body stood completely still, and her gaze shot forward into an indistinguishable point in space.  Twilight waved her hoof in front of her friend’s face, but there was no noticeable reaction.

…

       Spike put a claw on his chin.  “Uh…do you suppose this means…”

       Spike was cut off mid-sentence as Fluttershy suddenly exhaled sharply.  Her wings flared outwards, twitched a few times, and then folded back to her sides.  Shortly after, her eyes rolled back in her head to the point where only the whites were visible.  Then, with an absent sigh, she fainted on the floor.

       “Fluttershy!”  Twilight and Spike yelled simultaneously.  They got down on the ground next to her, and tried to wake her back up.

       They cringed in fright as a pitch-black halo of energy began to emanate off of her blank flank.  Right before their very eyes, the clean yellow fur on Fluttershy’s outer thigh was replaced by a blood-red pentagram.