Bloodshot

Your Highness, don’t feel guilty about any of these happenings.  You know deep down that none of these conundrums were your fault.  You did the right thing by coming to me for assistance.  With the speed of which this plague is spreading, we both are going to need all the help that we can muster.  I’m already onto a couple of clues…

       The next few hours of Twilight’s day were spent frantically searching for answers about Fluttershy’s illness.  Even with her castle’s expanded library, her efforts were repeatedly turning up negative.  Upstairs, Spike was worriedly trying to coax Fluttershy awake on Twilight’s bed.  The pentagram on her flank was emanating a very dull red glow.

       “Twilight, I’m scared…”  He shivered.

       “Don’t be, Spike.  This plague has no way of affecting you.  Besides, you don’t even have a cutie mark.”  Twilight replied with utmost confidence.  She slammed a large, heavy book down on her reading podium, and began to skim through it.

       “But…what about you?  What will I do if you get the disease?”  Spike countered.

       “That’s nonsense, Spike.  The book from earlier said that only the three main races of pony could be affected by this disease.  I’m an alicorn now.”  She mentioned.

       “Well…do you suppose we should tell Princess Celestia about this?”  Spike asked.

       “As long as we keep Fluttershy quarantined here with us, everything will be under control.  After all, neither of us can contract the disease.  I don’t want this thing becoming a national panic.”  Twilight explained.

       “What…what if Fluttershy dies?”

       “Don’t even say that aloud, Spike.  No one is going to die here.  I’d give my own life first before I let Fluttershy die from this plague.”

       Spike didn’t reply after that statement.  He silently turned back to Fluttershy, and continued with his attempts to snap her awake.  A lot rested on the shoulders of him and Twilight.  Until they could discover the plague’s mode of contagion, she could not be allowed to leave their castle.

…

       Mutual silence occurred within the castle for perhaps the next twenty minutes.  Twilight continued to scan through the same thick book from earlier, but was not coming to any results.

       “This doesn’t make any sense!  If there was an article about H.S.D in Perplexing Pony Plagues, why are there none to be found in any other medical books?”  Twilight ranted.

       “Well, Twilight, it said in the other book that much about the disease was unknown.  Plus, aren’t most medical books about modern diseases?  H.S.D’s been nonexistent since Starswirl’s time.”  Spike argued.

       Twilight sighed, and plopped her head down in the pages of the book.  Although she didn’t want to believe it, Spike was right.  Hooves-on research would’ve been necessary if they were going to cure Fluttershy.

       Spike suddenly gasped.  “Twilight, I think Fluttershy just moaned!”

       Twilight’s head shot back up out of the book.  She galloped up the stairs to where Spike was standing next to Fluttershy.  The two of them looked down at their assailed pegasus friend.

       Fluttershy stirred a little bit on the bed, making soft grunting noises as she stretched her muscles.  Twilight and Spike stared at her intently, relieved that she was finally waking up.

…

       Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes.  As soon as she did, all three of them leapt backwards in shock.  Fluttershy’s wings flared open.

       “Were…were you guys watching me sleep?”  She asked nervously.

       “Fluttershy, your eyes are gray!”  Spike exclaimed, ignoring her question.

       Twilight nodded anxiously in agreement.  Fluttershy stuttered and gasped irregularly with confusion and doubt.  “Wh…what?  Really?”

       Twilight nodded again.  “Yes, Fluttershy, your irises have lost their hue.  Do you remember anything from the last few hours?”

       Fluttershy took almost no effort in recalling, which meant that her memories had not been lost.  “Yeah…I think.  My cutie mark was gone, so I flew to your castle to see what was wrong.  While I was here, you read up about something called H.S.D, but while you were reading, everything just kind of…blanked out.”

       “Alright, that’s good.  You still remember everything.  Now, if you wish, you should probably go downstairs and get a look at yourself.”  Twilight offered.

…

       As soon as she was given the opportunity, Fluttershy took off from the ground, and hovered down the stairs to the bathroom where she could get a view of her face.  Once she had gotten there and looked in the mirror, she was shocked.

       “I…how…but…wha....?”  She stammered.

       “There’s still time.  We could still test for answers rather than research them.”  Twilight announced.

       “How do we plan on doing that?”  Spike asked.

       “I’m not even entirely sure yet.  When it comes to testing, you have to experiment with different things.”  Twilight replied.

…

       Suddenly, nearly cutting Twilight off, a large-sounding object slammed into the roof of the castle, causing some books to rattle on their shelves.  Fluttershy jumped back in fright, almost hitting her head on the towel rack behind her.

       “What the heck was that?”  Spike asked.

       Twilight sighed.  “I think Rainbow Dash is going to be at the front door.”

       Moments after Twilight’s prediction, the front door received a swift knock.  Spike chuckled, impressed that Twilight had made such an accurate claim.  In reality, when something crashes into the roof, it’s kind of obvious.

       Twilight flew gently down to the front door, and opened it lightly.  To the surprise of absolutely no one, Rainbow Dash stood on the other side.  Her mane was a complete mess, and a large bump seemed visible on her forehead.  She chuckled awkwardly.

       “Uh, hey again, Twilight.  Do have a Band-Aid I could borrow?”

       “Yeah, I think they’re upstairs in the bathroom.”  Twilight replied with a bemused look on her face.  “Oh, and by the way, be careful please.”

       Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.  “Why?”

       Twilight sighed.  “Fluttershy’s up there.”

       “Wait, what?  What’d she smoke?”  Rainbow Dash asked.

       Twilight suddenly looked up at Rainbow Dash with a confused glare.  “What the heck are you talking about?  She’s upstairs!  I told you to be careful because she has a serious illness that we know nothing about!”

       Rainbow Dash chuckled awkwardly again.  “Heh heh…oh.  That makes much more sense.”

       Seemingly ignoring Twilight’s warning, Rainbow Dash took off up the stairs of the castle.

Princess, there’s a problem here.  I’ve carried out the tasks that you asked me to, and I am currently at no avail.  This pestilence is metastasizing at an alarming rate, and it’s not following the expected means of transfer.  I’ve looked into whatever I could, and none of it is consistent.  Family members and other closely-related ponies seem to be contracting this disease without ever coming in contact with their loved ones.  I’m beginning to feel lucky for not being plagued myself.  Do you have any changing suggestions?

       Rainbow Dash appeared in the bathroom just in time for Fluttershy to turn around and notice her.  Rainbow Dash stopped in place, and gasped when she caught a look at Fluttershy’s usually-vibrant face.

       “…Fluttershy?  What happened to you?  Why are your eyes…gray?”  She asked in awe.

       “Um…I guess I’m…diseased or something……”  She muttered.

       “And are you wearing…makeup?”  The athlete asked.

       Fluttershy looked down at the ground in shame.  She nodded her head a few times.  Rainbow Dash just stared in silence at her changing friend.

       Twilight trudged up the stairs.  “Don’t judge her for anything.  She’s very frightened right now, and so are we.  None of us have any answers to what’s happening to her right now, or if it’s fatal.”

       Rainbow Dash’s Band-Aid was not even on her mind right now.  Who was she to request a Band-Aid when her best friend was sick out of her wildest dreams?  The cyan mare stepped away from the bathroom entrance, allowing Fluttershy to exit.

…

       As Fluttershy passed by Rainbow Dash, her flank became visible.  Rainbow Dash gave a quick glance, and practically jumped when she saw what was there.

       “Sweet Celestia, Flutters, your ass!  What happened to it?!”  She exclaimed.

       Twilight face-hoofed.  “Rainbow Dash, seriously!  Try to have a little bit of decency about this!”

       “I’m sorry, but this is all weirding me out!  Is that a pentagram?  It looks almost like it’s carved out of blood!”

       Fluttershy stopped walking for a second.  She was still looking at the ground, and her grayed-out eyes were closed.  She nodded once to answer Rainbow Dash’s question.

…

       Once the plagued pegasus did that, the whole room was plunged into silence.  Fluttershy’s head continued to face the ground while her eyes stared into her eyelids.  Twilight and Spike stared at Rainbow Dash, waiting for her to respond.

       “……I wonder what your date would think…”

       Fluttershy suddenly broke into crying.  She fell to the floor, and buried her face in her hooves.  Spike and Rainbow Dash stood awkwardly in their spots, while Twilight groaned.

       “You need to learn a little tact, Rainbow.  You can’t barge in here and say stuff that will hurt somepony’s feelings.  Fluttershy’s sensitive as it is, and now she’s in a dangerous condition.  You’re not being very careful, like I asked.”

       “I thought you meant ‘careful’ as in not to catch her disease!  I didn’t know you were telling me to stay quiet!”

       “I didn’t think I had to.”

…

       Rainbow Dash leaned down next to Fluttershy, and put her hoof over her ruffled mane.  She gently caressed her distressed friend’s hair.  Fluttershy, with Silver Spirit on her mind, continued to cry into her hooves.

       “Never mind what I said, Flutters.  I know we’ll find a way out of this for you.  By the time your date shows up, you’ll be back to your young, beautiful self.”  Rainbow Dash assured.

       Fluttershy sniffled once.  She turned her head, and looked up at Rainbow Dash with her gray, altered eyes.  Stray tears streamed down her cheek.

       She wiped her face with a stroke of her hoof.  “Th…thanks, Rainbow Dash……”

…

       Once Rainbow Dash’s name escaped Fluttershy’s mouth, the light around her grew dim.  Her gray eyes flashed a sudden pure black, and a drop of blood fell down from her tear duct.  When she spoke the name, it made a deep, echoing, ghostly sound.  The other three looked at Fluttershy in horror, like she was being possessed by a demon.

       Rainbow Dash’s face did not remain terrified for long, however.  Once Fluttershy had finished her statement, the light around her returned to normal.  Rainbow Dash’s face suddenly turned completely blank, like she was glaring off into space.

       “Uh…Rainbow Dash?  Are you okay?”  Spike asked nervously.

       Rainbow Dash did not reply.  To everyone’s shock and horror, Rainbow Dash exhaled sharply, and collapsed to the floor.

…

       “Aw, horseapples!”  Twilight exclaimed.  She lunged forward to where Rainbow Dash had fallen, and tried to shake her awake.  She got nowhere.

       Fluttershy, seeing what she had done, began to cry loudly once again.  She turned away from the other three, and continued to bawl into her hooves with fright and guilt.  Twilight and Spike did work on Rainbow Dash like they were performing CPR, but got no result.

       “Spike?”

       “Yes?”

       “Contact Princess Celestia.  This needs further attention.”