Contagion

The sky was dark. Inside a room in a beautiful castle, sat a lone purple alicorn. She had a beautiful flowing astral mane, and was wearing her full royal regalia, crown and all. Her purple magical aura was lit up, as she was levitating a quill, preparing to write a letter. A sputtering candle flame glowed next to her, but she ignored it. She was Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and it was her duty to maintain her friends.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" She called wearily.

"Princess, I have a message for you, it hails from Ponyville, and it is urgent. The sender asks for you to read it immediately." A unicorn of the Royal Canterlot Guard stood behind her, levitating a sealed scroll, which he placed on her desk. She broke the seal and opened the letter, and read it.

Hey Twilight, haven't seen you for a while, hope everything's going okay over there in Canterlot, but over here, it's bad news. I discovered a strain of virus that is found in animals, but not harmful to them, but as proven, it has infected several ponies, and they are currently in the intensive care unit of the Ponyville hospital. It's bad news. I've also identified this virus as Plague Strain M-13. I've managed to contain most of it for now, requiring to.... exterminate several animals much to Fluttershy's disdain, but hopefully the virus that's out there will disappear soon. Meanwhile, you should stay in Canterlot. Don't come here, I don't want this virus to pose a threat to you. I know that you care for us, but please, I beg you, not to come here, for your sake. Thank you.

Your friend,

Applejack

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't leave her friends there. She had to go back and save them. She burst out of the room,  knocking the guard aside and levitating the letter behind her as she galloped to the throne room. When she arrived, she did not see Princess Celestia in her usual place on the throne, instead, she saw her pacing around, back and forth, back and forth.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight said, concerned. "What troubles you?"

"Greetings, Twilight. I trust that you have heard the news too, about... Ponyville..." Celestia replied. Twilight grimly nodded.

"I must go back and save my friends! I know that Applejack has become an expert on things like this, but there is a risk that this... thing will escape and will sweep across the whole of Ponyville, killing everypony..." Twilight shook at the thought.

"I am sorry, Twilight. I cannot let you go back to your friends."

Twilight was aghast. "Why? They are my friends! They deserve to be saved!"

"I thought that I never had to say this but... You, as fourth Princess of Equestria and Friendship, must remember your title and rank."

"But my friends are a part of me, I cannot leave them! Without them I am NOTHING!" Twilight's voice raised to a yell.

A single tear ran down Celestia's eye as she walked towards Twilight and looked her in the eye. "You have to do this for the good of Equestria and for every one of our subjects. If you bring them here, there is a risk of the plague being spread into Canterlot. We do not want more ponies to be infected. We need to keep it contained. Remember, dear Twilight, being a princess comes with a cost. You must put the empire before your personal needs."

Twilight opened her mouth in reply, but no words, came out, she just didn't know what to say. She didn't know that being an Alicorn would be such a burden, to both her and her friends, and for the whole empire. And even though she was one of the four most powerful ponies in Equestria, she still didn't have the ability to save her friends. All she could do was sit in Canterlot Castle, and watch the citizens below as they walk about, not a care in the world, carrying on with their daily lives. Oh, why couldn't she be as carefree as them?