Across Equestria, coming from neighboring towns and spreading to villages, the infection caused the population in Equestria to plummet. The infection was a wish for death. The horrors and pain it brought to its victims, as well as the doctors trying to find a cure, soon had them believing there was no cure possible. The doctors soon fell ill like their patients.
The spread always started the same way, beginning as a common cold, followed by blood loss an hour later. Innocent ponies suffered this in their homes, in the streets, in the shops and medical facilities, bringing devastation to many villages.
Though a mare of fair health felt no fear from this disease, Twilight had seen how this sickness affected those outside of her castle, which looked over the small, formerly charming village. She decided to send her assistant off to gather her long, forever friends and the villagers that were still able to join Twilight inside her strong castle. Although she herself was not afraid of the infection, she was worried for her friends catching it, so she wanted them to stay with here where the disease couldn’t get to them behind guarded doors. She wanted them distracted from all that was happening in the outside world by asking Pinkie Pie to help her throw a small masquerade ball.
Time counted the hours that passed, and soon the castle was filled with dancing, music, and ponies not having a care in the world. Twilight was up in her room, getting ready with her outfit and the mask Rarity had designed for her. She looked at herself in the mirror as she tied a ribbon around her head and smoothed her dress. When she was ready, she stepped out of her room, walking down the hallway to the ball.
She passed by the rooms lining the hall. Six different rooms that were all specially prepared for her friends in the event they needed to stay overnight in the castle, or if anything happened and they had nowhere to go. She was prepared to welcome them. Twilight looked at each one as she made her way to the ballroom.
The first room she passed was Pinkie Pie’s. It was decorated with colorful balloon, a large, cupcake-shaped chest Twilight made so Pinkie could fill it with party supplies, a bouncy but comfy-looking pink bed in the middle of the room, and completed with a blue-colored stained-glass window.
The next one was Applejack’s. The room was filled with an apple scent, the floor and wallpaper had a natural feel to them, there was a small hat rack and a bed with light green covers and an orange stained-glass window which filled the room with color. The rooms after that belonged to Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and then Fluttershy. Each one decorated to fit the pony they belonged to, filled with colors of red, violet, and pink.
Finally, the last room she knew by the pony living in it. It belonged to Starlight Glimmer. It was illuminated by a purple light gifted to the mare by Trixie, while the rest of the room was filled with darkness. She never knew Starlight’s reasoning for this, but she never asked since it was harmless. Twilight made her way past it to the ballroom, where she could hear cheerful celebration.
It had been a few hours and the party was still going as time counted slowly past. Twilight made her way through the room, checking up on everypony, making sure they were having a good time, until she heard somepony trying to get her attention.
“Psst, Twi? Hey, Twilight?” A country voice said. She turned and saw an orange mare that was likely Applejack under a scarlet-colored mask.
“Oh, Applejack. Is something the matter?”
“Not really, but there something I wanted to ask you about this whole party.” Applejack’s eyes looked around the room with a cautious expression.
“Sure, what is it?’
Applejack sighed and moved her mask up on her head to look Twilight in the eye. “Look, sugarcube, I know you threw this party to distract everypony from what’s happening, but do you think we oughtta be celebrating right now? Shouldn’t we be evacuating the town?”
There was silence between them. The sounds of the party couldn’t penetrate their closed conversation as the two spoke. “I wrote to Celestia on the matter and I’m keeping everypony safe in here away from the disease. We have to be positive about this. Trust me, Applejack. The infection can’t get us when the castle is protected.”
Applejack paused before she spoke. “Alright, Twi. I trust that you know what you’re doing.”
Suddenly, there was a loud clang and everyone stopped all at once. The music ended along with the dancing, and Twilight looked around, trying to see what had made the noise. She finally identified it as an old clock. The chimes continued, growing louder as everyone’s face drained of color. Faces went white with fear and confusion until finally the clock stopped. Light laughter echoed in the silent room. The only one who laughed back was Pinkie. Everypony smiled, thinking it to be one of her pranks. The party continued, but it was once again interrupted by the loud chiming of the clock. This time, it was accompanied by something different.
Twilight was in a far corner of the ballroom when she saw something. A guest who she had never seen before appeared in the center of the room. The guest had a mask like everypony else, but it was shaped like a skull, and the pony wore the blackest robes. Ponies murmured to each other about the figure, expressions ranging from concern to terror. Twilight watched the figure a moment as it left a trail of blood behind it. She moved to meet it.
“You’re one of Pinkie’s little jokes, aren’t you?” She turned to look at the pink mare. “That’s very funny, Pinkie. Who’s under there? Where did you even hide—”
“I…I didn’t do this, Twilight,” Pinkie said. Twilight’s eyes widened when she saw no smile hidden on Pinkie’s face.
Twilight’s head snapped back when she heard the figure step forward and she instinctively stepped back. It moved closer, but Twilight turned and made a break for it. She ran through the crowd to the hallway. The figure followed, while everypony else scattered to the exit.
Twilight ran down the hall. The purple from Starlight’s room splashed on her face as she ran past. Looking back at the beast behind her, she could see it was catching up. The colors changed to pink.
She shouldn’t have run this way.
The color changed from pink to violet, violet to red, red to orange—she shouldn’t have run this way—orange to blue—she knew it was a dead end—blue to darkness.
Twilight turned around to face the creature. Her horn glowed as she pressed against the wall. It approached her, the hallway’s darkness around her smothered the purple light of her horn. Her breath quickened when the skull-like mask approached. It stared her dead in the eye and she felt as if her soul was pouring out.
A cry rang through the castle. A quiet thud as Twilight’s body fell to the carpet. Her friends had followed after her, and they found her motionless on the ground with the figure standing over her. Her friends threw themselves on it to avenge her, but the figure was motionless in the shadow of solitary clock that tolled out the time. All they got their hooves on was the skull mask it bore.
The infection came and went, but it showed to all that none could escape it.
