Ponid-19

Rose Garden and Smooth Boulder ran through the streets of Ponyville, trying desperately to reach The Princess of Friendship. The normally crowded thoroughfares and avenues were hauntingly empty, and many of the shops had small signs in the window stating that they were closed because of the national health crisis. They saw more and more guards trotting through the streets and understood that the entirety of Equestrian freedom depended on the success of their mission. They would not allow Celestia’s evil plan to bear more fruit than it already had, and they had their weapons at the ready. They felt heroic, and for Smooth, it was almost like a return to his Third Hoof War experience. He trusted Rose, and she trusted him, even though they had only been friends for a short while.

They galloped harder than they had ever done before, trying to fend off a company of soldiers who had engaged them in hot pursuit. They felt their tails soar behind them, almost as if they had magically transformed into Wonderbolts and now soared through the air on a quest for truth and justice. They nodded at each other as they turned a certain corner and skidded to a halt, awestruck at the majestic Castle of Friendship that loomed in front of them. Their eyes widened as they beheld its sparkling glow, akin to the beautiful pony that resided there. They nodded again and raced to the door, banging on it and screaming for help.

Just as Luna had predicted, a small dragon answered. “May I help you?” He asked politely.

“Yes, we need Princess Twilight!” Rose exclaimed, “it’s incredibly urgent!”

“I’m sorry, but Twilight isn’t seeing anypony right now. She doesn’t want to get the illness.”

“But it’s about the source of the illness!” Smooth yelled, “Princess Luna sent us! You’ve got to believe me!”

The dragon looked them up and down, and then saw the group of guards that were hot on their hooves. He quickly halted them and told them to return to their jobs, in the name of Twilight. Since any Equestrian order evoked with a royal’s name is legally binding, the guards were at a complete loss. They turned, grumbled, and trotted back to their stations. Once they had gone, the dragon smiled and invited the two ponies inside. He was still wary of them, because asymptomatic ponies could spread the disease without knowing it, but he put them through a thorough disinfecting process and then led them down a carpeted hallway.

Rose and Smooth were slack jawed at the beautiful sight around them. The castle was absolutely exquisite. No detail had been left untouched and, even though the builder had been magic itself, they were still impressed with the care that had been put into the construction. Each wall held shimmering stones and amazing carvings. It reminded each of them of their own home back in The Crystal Empire. The fortress was almost crystallized, and they each couldn’t help but produce a sincere smile. It truly was the friendliest, warmest, and most welcoming place they’d ever been in.

As the dragon led them along, he noticed their reactions. “I take it you enjoy our home?”

“Oh, it’s wonderful!” Rose breathed, “absolutely mesmerizing! But…where is Princess Twilight?”

“She’s been holed up in her room for a few days now. She’s frightened of the illness, but more than that, she’s terrified that she’s tarnished her reputation as a Princess.”

“What do you mean by that?” Smooth asked, “I mean, I’ve always thought of her as being endearing and helpful.”

“Yeah, but now she’s worried that friendships are being destroyed over this virus.”

Rose and Smooth looked at each other knowingly. They understood that Celestia was at the heart of all this, working behind the scenes and tugging on each string. She was playing everypony like a concert grand, and they knew that Twilight and her friends were a crucial part of the rescue force. Even though they didn’t know that there was an antidote, it fell to reason that, if Celestia had created the illness, then surely she must have given herself immunity. If that were the case, then Twilight and the others could disperse the cure throughout Equestria, healing everypony and returning life to normal.

“Look,” Rose said, “I appreciate that Twilight has such care in her heart for everypony. But we need her to be the strong Princess that we know she can be!”

“Yes,” Smooth affirmed, “if we don’t have her support, we won’t have anything. Please…may we see her?”

The dragon looked at the floor, and then nodded as they stopped in front of a certain door. He gingerly opened it and peeked inside. “Twi…there’s some visitors here…”

“Go away!” Came the frightened and mournful voice of the Princess, “I’m not seeing anypony, not until Celestia comes up with a vaccine for this illness! In fact, I’m thinking of forcing everypony to wear a magic mask! If they don’t, I’ll fine them…or throw them in prison…or…or….WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Twilight’s angered proclamation was suddenly interrupted by a fit of weeping. The poor mare was so scared of what she’d had to do to protect everypony that she had buried her face in her pillow and would not stop screaming. Rose and Smooth looked at each other and shared yet another simultaneous nod before gently entering the room and trotting up to the bedside. They found the purple mare in a pool of her own sadness, and each tear seemed to drain more and more of her energy. She looked up and saw the kind face of Rose Garden, and immediately tried to wipe her tears away. She attempted to look brave, but failed miserably.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Rose said sweetly, “you’ve got friends here. My name is Rose Garden, and this is Smooth Boulder.”

“What friends?” Twilight asked darkly, ignoring the introduction, “ever since I shut down Ponyville, I haven’t been able to see anypony. Everyone’s on edge, and the quarantine’s only making it worse. Oh, why? Why didn’t I allow everypony to make the decisions for themselves? Why did I take freedom from them? Why have I harmed friendships for something as trivial as ‘the greater good?!’”

“Your Highness,” Smooth said, “we all make mistakes, and be assured that friendship will endure. If everypony’s belief in it is as strong as we Equestrians make it out to be, then this will not destroy it.”

“He’s right,” Rose said, “I know we’re just two ponies you’ve never met before, but…perhaps we can offer some comfort in this time.”

Twilight wiped her tears away and smiled through her pain. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. I’m just so scared that I’ve done something that has ruined my beliefs as The Princess of Friendship. I’m afraid that ponies won’t be able to be friends once this is over.”

“Princess,” Smooth said, “ponies will remain friends, sickness or no sickness. Rose and her friend Starlight Glimmer taught me that.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You…you know Starlight?!” She asked, “where is she?! We’ve been frantic in our search for her! Please tell me she’s alright!”

“Well…she’s not…alright at the moment,” Rose said, and then told Twilight everything that had happened to them in Canterlot, and how Luna was fighting Celestia for the liberty of Equestria at that very moment. Twilight’s eyes got bigger and bigger until they threatened to fall off the cliffs of her face. Her mouth fairly hit the bed as Rose’s story went on. By the time she was finished, Twilight’s look had turned fiery and she spread her wings in a rage.

“Rose, Smooth…let’s go round up my friends. We’ve got a country to save.”