Ponid-19

Starlight and her friends raced into Canterlot’s castle, determined to see Princess Celestia and clear everything up once and for all. The former dictator felt her mane abound in waves behind her, and she truly began to put herself in Twilight’s position. She imagined The Princess of Friendship coming into the throne room with questions and problems that only Celestia could help her with. Only now, Starlight was the one with the query, and she felt that she had assembled an excellent team of heroes that could help save Equestria. All they needed was a push in the right direction, and Celestia could give them that push.

They blew past the surprised guards and hurled themselves down at the hooves of a very surprised ruler. The white princess looked each of them over, but smiled. Even though, technically, they had broken her orders to remain sheltered and away from other ponies, it was good to see some of them. The ones she did not know, she still treated with the utmost care and respect, as she did everypony.

“Welcome, Starlight Glimmer,” she said kindly, “and Trixie as well. I see you’ve brought some new friends to see me.”

“Yes, Princess!” Starlight said as she panted, “this is Rose Garden, her daughter Kite String, and our friend Smooth Boulder.”

“I’m delighted to meet all of you,” Celestia said, “but I must ask…why have you come to see me when I did not call for you? You know that it’s against the law to be out and about with this terrible virus running rampant.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, and please forgive us,” Starlight said, “but we had to know of the truth, and we’ve found it. Princess…this virus is not natural!”

Celestia’s look turned surprised, and she leaned forward on her throne. Her ears pricked up, as if standing at attention to receive Starlight’s words. Her eyes became wider and her irises seemed to grow in size. She was physically imposing enough as it was, but as she bent her head over and nodded in encouragement, Starlight felt like she was as tall as the sky itself. Her rainbow mane seemed to flow faster than before, and the sparkles that dwelt within seemed to multiply rapidly.

“Go on, my little pony,” the princess said.

So Starlight told Celestia the entire story, from the moment she and Trixie had left Ponyville, up until their visit with Clean Bill. Every passing second was like an anguished hour to the reformed pony, and she felt sweat bead up on her forehead and down her back. Like a clammy judge whacking his gavel on the block of her very existence, it spoke of her own fear. She still was not sure if Celestia would punish them for their investigation. Would she put them into prison? Would she harm them?

“…and that’s it, Princess,” Starlight finished, “the virus was small and only existed around the gates of Tartarus until somepony tampered with it and infected little Flurry Heart on purpose!”

Celestia’s look became mournful, and she got up from her throne and trotted over to the stained glass window that represented the birth of Flurry Heart. In it, Cadance was portrayed as bringing forth the very light that would shine all throughout Equestria. The baby princess was at the center of the glow, and everypony around looked with awe and wonder. It had been commissioned right after Flurry’s crystalling, but now it seemed that the young pony might be crystallized. Starlight still wasn’t sure if Flurry was really dead or not, and the fact that they’d received no news from Shining Armor made her worry all the worse.

“Princess…I’m…I’m so sorry,” Starlight said.

“No, my friend,” Celestia said, “there is nothing for you to be sorry about. You have done Equestria a great service with your actions, and I commend you for them.”

She turned and trotted over to Starlight, bending down to nuzzle at her and assure her that she was being praised. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met somepony who is as determined or tenacious as you, Starlight. Perhaps not even my own Twilight Sparkle!”

“Oh, Princess,” Starlight said as her face turned a deep crimson, “I was just doing what I felt was right.”

“That is all I’ve ever asked of anypony,” Celestia said, “and now, you have given me vital information that could lead to the eradication of this accursed infliction! You and your friends will be hailed as heroes, and I shall make sure that your names are written in all of the books of Equestrian history.”

“Well, thank you, Your Majesty,” Starlight said, “but…I don’t think we deserve any kind of special recognition. All we’re trying to do is help everypony.”

“Yes,” Celestia said, “you’ve certainly done that. My dear Starlight, your little group has gone beyond the call of duty, and I am very proud to receive every last bit of information you have to offer. Everything you tell me shall be crucial to my science team in attempting to reign in the disease. Rest assured, you have my full cooperation…and my thanks.”

Starlight smiled as Celestia’s warm words draped down upon her. She felt as if she were floating on clouds of compliments with the sun of the princess’s love warming her from the top of her head to the tip of her tail. Her reverie was amazingly euphoric, and she felt heroic for the first time in her life. Perhaps she and her friends did deserve the heap of praise that Celestia was tossing upon them. Perhaps they truly had solved this crisis and Equestria would be free once again.

She was enjoying herself very much…until a magic beam from behind caused her to crumple to the floor in terrible agony. She screamed as pain shot through her like millions of tiny bullets, and she felt the contents of her stomach begin to stir awfully. She couldn’t hold herself back and vomited at the hooves of Celestia. She panted heavily after the discharge, and looked behind her to see…Trixie, with her horn pointed downward and giving off a bit of magic smoke.

"You...shot me!" Starlight gasped.

Trixie laughed evilly. "Yes, I did, Starlight, and now you have PONID-19!"

"No...no...NO!" Starlight yelped.

Then she turned back to see Celestia smiling wickedly with a rope in her magical possession. The princess tied Starlight up and then yelled for her guards to arrest the other ponies. Starlight could only watch in helpless pain as her friends were dragged away to some unknown fate. Then, she was hurled onto her hooves and forced to march out of the throne room and down the hall to Celestia's chambers.