Everfree Meltdown

Chapter 2: Prophylaxis

It was foggy out that morning when the Princess came. Everypony in town was still living as carefree as they always had. The birds were singing, the sun was shining. Things, it seemed, were happier than ever. That was all about to change.

Twilight was still sound asleep in her bed, exhausted from the incident that had taken place previous night. “Twilight!”, yelled Spike. “You’ve gotta get up now!”

The unicorn was quick to rise. “Oh no! Did something happen?”, she asked with concern?
“Yeah, the Princess is here to see you.”, replied Spike.

“Great! Now I can ask her about what went on last night!”, Twilight said triumphantly. Unfortunately, the Princess would not meet her student with the same enthusiasm.

“Twilight Sparkle!”, shouted the Princess. “I need you and Spike to come outside slowly!”

Twilight noticed something strange about the Princess’s voice. It seemed as if it was being muffled by something. She also wondered why the Princess was asking her to come outside slowly. Something's got to be wrong, she thought to herself.
Worries aside, she slowly opened the door and walked out to greet the Princess.

“Twilight. Stay where you are.”, said the alicorn through a large black gas mask.

Twilight noticed a large metal carriage in front of her. There were Hazmat ponies lining the way from her door to it. She was becoming more and more nervous as each second passed. “Princess... what’s going on?”, the unicorn said meekly.

The Princess turned her head. “I will explain that to you shortly, but now you and Spike must get inside this carriage.” Twilight hesitated at first, but quickly complied with the Princess’s request.

Twilight and her dragon were now inside of the windowless box. It was dark and smelled of various chemicals, not a very inviting odor. Just then, the armored door slammed shut. “Aaah!!”, shrieked Twilight. “Princess! What’s happening!?” There was no reply, as her voice could not be heard from the outside.

“Tw...Twilight?”, asked a familiar timid voice.

“Fluttershy is that you?”, questioned the unicorn.

“Y...yes.”, replied the yellow pegasus.

“Fluttershy, what’s going on? Why are they doing this?”

“Nopony knows!”, answered a voice with a strong roughnecked accent.

“Applejack? You’re in here too?”, Twilight asked.

“We’re all here Twilight!”, responded Pinkie Pie.

The unicorn was now more puzzled than ever. “Hold on. I’m going to give us some light.” Twilight’s horn began to spark for a brief moment, as it created a small white light, giving depth to the once black room.

“Where are these ghastly ponies taking us?”, muttered Rarity.

“I don’t know...”, said Twilight. “But it has to do with what we saw in the forest last night.” The rest of them nodded their heads in agreement.

“Hey, what happened to Rainbow?”, asked Twilight in surprise.

“They done had to tranquilize her after she tried makin' a break for it!”, Applejack replied.

This concerned Twilight more than ever. “There is something horribly wrong going on here girls. Something horribly... horribly... wrong.”

After a few confused minutes of questioning and planning, the captive ponies decided it best to lay down and let fate decide their course. Eventually, sleep took the seven of them, once Twilight's light had gone out. All of them were now dreaming of things far happier than the situation they had just walked into.

Just then, their transport came to a grinding halt, as the large door slowly opened. The first to awaken was Pinkie, who was struck with fear as she gazed into the face of a emotionless hazard suit. She let out a fourth wall shattering scream. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” This quickly woke the others from their forced slumber.

“Sir... please tell us what’s going on here!”, Twilight squeaked erratically. The pony said nothing.

Rainbow Dash drug herself dizzily out from the back of the wagon. “Gi... Give us answers now!!”, she wailed. The cyan mare made a disoriented charge at the pony in the suit.

“Rainbow! NO!”, yelled Twilight. But it was too late. The pony spun around, giving Rainbow a swift buck to the face. Sending her to the ground moaning in pain.

“Rainbow!”, shrieked Applejack. This left Fluttershy and Pinkie crying hysterically. It was then that the Princess came forward, gas mask resting upon her face.

“Princess! What in the name of Equestria is going on here!?”, her panicked student exclaimed.

“Twilight.... I’m sorry for all of this.”, said Celestia. “But I’m doing this for the good of all of Equestria.”

Twilight was now scared more than ever. “What’s happened to us?!”, she asked in terror.

“I’m afraid that you and your friends may have been exposed to dangerous levels radiation.”, Celestia returned somberly.

The room fell silent. The friends just stared awkwardly at their Princess, filled with too much disbelief to ask an questions. For nearly half of a minute this silence shimmered through the room, until a traumatized lavender pony spoke up. “Are... we going to die... Princess?”, asked Twilight with tears in her eyes.

“I’m afraid I don’t know yet... Twilight.”, Celestia responded with grief. “But I need you and your friends to follow me into the next chamber.” The seven contaminated friends all obeyed, as they left their steel prison. Rainbow, who was still unconscious, had to be carried by Applejack.

They were now walking down a dark corridor of stone. It was cold, damp and musty. The only sources of light were the small lanterns which lined the narrow path.

“Where are we?”, asked Fluttershy meekly.

“These must be the old Canterlot dungeons.”, replied Twilight. “I’ve read about them in book on the history of the castle.”

They came to a well lit cell. “This is where you’ll be staying for now, my little ponies.”, said Celestia. A tear fell from her left eye. “I am so sorry.”

The seven friends walked quietly into the cage as the door closed behind them. “This is only temporary.”, the Princess said. “As soon as me and my sister figure out what to do, you will be released from here.” Tears were now flowing freely from the Princess’s eyes. “Goodnight, my students.” The Princess walked solemnly away.

Twilight looked around the cell at her friends. Fluttershy had cried herself into a depressing sleep, while Rarity was trying to comfort a panicking Pinkie Pie in the corner. Meanwhile, Applejack was stroking Dash’s rainbow mane, hoping that her beaten friend would be alright. The unicorn’s mind was ablaze with insanity, as the thoughts of her friends’ mortality began to overwhelm her.

Suddenly, she found her leg being embraced by a small pair of purple hands. It was her faithful assistant, who was now bawling his eyes. She wrapped her hooves around the little dragon, as her eyes began to water. “How could I have let this happen?”

Many hours passed, and Celestia had still not returned to the imprisoned ponies. “How much longer are we expected to wait in this filthy stall?!”, Rarity cried out angrily.

“Please be patient Rarity.”, pleaded Twilight. “This is a very complicated situation we’re in right now.”

“But did they have to keep us in this cramped, dirty cell!?”, whined the dressmaker.

Twilight’s mind was now breaking under the stress. “Look, I don’t think they have any other safe places to keep us! If we are exposed to other ponies, they could share the same fate as us!” Rarity looked to the ground and began to sob quietly.

After a few brief moments, a rusty door could be heard opening down the hall. The two unicorns’ ears perked up. They found themselves gazing upon a dark blue alicorn.

“Princess Luna!”, beamed Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle, you and your friends must follow me.”, Luna declared in a cold manner. The seven of them listened to the Princess’s command and followed her back down the long, dark corridor.

“Rainbow... Ya feelin' alright sugarcube?”, Applejack asked her now conscious friend.

“Yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”, replied Dash.

“So do ya know what’s goin' on?”, the cowmare asked.

Rainbow pointed her head to the floor. “Yeah. I think I know what’s goin' on.”

It was then that they entered the room they had first arrived in, where Celestia and her guards were waiting for them.

“Princess...”, Twilight started. “What’s going to happen to us?”

The Princess paused for a moment, troubled by what she was about to say. “Twilight... I’m afraid that you and your friends will not be returning to Ponyville for a long time.”

The group gasped together. “But what about my boutique!?” “And mah farm!” “And my animals!” The outburst was followed by a long, awkward silence.

Luna spoke up, “We shall send royal aid to preserve your previous engagements.” This of course provided little security to the frantic ponies.

“Where are you gonna send us?”, Pinkie asked meekly.

“Fear not dear Pinkie Pie, for we shall take care of you as well.”, the blue mare replied, trying to comfort her subject.

“So... uh... Where are you going to send us?”, Fluttershy asked timidly.

Celestia answered, “You will be taken to a secluded camp built just for exposed ponies like you, where you will be given treatment, and can hopefully make a full recovery.” This did not sound so bad to the seven of them.

“We know what we must do Princess.”, Twilight said with a slight smile, as she and her friends walked back into the metal wagon, which remained as it was when they had first left it.

“Once again my students... I am so sorry about this.” The heavy steel door shut slowly, as the carriage made its way to the nearest exit.