The Rise of Passion

Applejack was still unconscious when Starlight hobbled up to the school's gates. The guards, immediately recognising the situation, skipped protocol and just picked up the tranquil mare from Starlight's back. By this time, somepony had run off to Sweet Apple Acres to tell Big Mac, and as he came barreling toward the gates, the guards were carrying Applejack inside.

"AJ!" he shouted out, just barely being blockaded by the guards.

"I found her on the edge of the Everfree forest," informed Starlight. "This was sticking out of her thigh."

Big Mac looked at the dart, noting that it was empty. His contemptuous gaze could bore a hole into Starlight's skull.

"I'm not sure what was in it, but I don't think it was lethal. Her heart was still beating thirty seconds ago, and she seemed to be breathing just fine. I think it was a tranquilizer of some kind, not a poison."

Big Mac turned and looked worriedly at the building that housed his sister's unmoving body.

"In a way, she was wrong. Gallus couldn't have done this. He was chained to the door when I left, and that was just before I found her." She turned to Big Mac. "Can you fetch a doctor, or something?"

"Eeyup." Rearing up, Big Mac bolted back into town.

After being processed once more by the gate guards, Starlight entered the school and went to the infirmary, where Applejack had been brought. While the school nurse was most accustomed to tummyaches, the common cold and chapped lips, she was a trained nurse, and had set Applejack up with a cot and a pulse oximeter. Other than a mild fever, she seemed to be okay on her vitals, with the tranquilizer slowing her pulse and lowering her blood pressure.

Twilight and Gallus were already there, with Twilight holding Applejack's hoof and Gallus standing at a respectable distance, his face not dissimilar to stone.

"Big Mac is bringing a doctor," she said. "Perhaps they'll be able to tell us what she was hit with."

Twilight sighed. "I love Applejack. We all do. Why does she have to be so stubborn all the time?"

Starlight put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "We're going to find her," she said. "We know she's close, and she must be pretty desperate, if she's coming directly here to face you on her own."

Twilight shook her head. "She has an accomplice here at the school. We have a note sent to them. But we know that this accomplice was not the one who shot her with a poison dart. Nopony left the school, with the exception of you and Applejack, and I know for a fact that you weren't around when Fluttershy and Rainbow disappeared; I was with you." She pulled both hooves up to her face and rubbed it. "I don't know what to do anymore."

The door opened and Big Mac came in with the doctor. The nurse immediately rushed to the doctor's side while Big Mac went to the other side of the cot and grabbed the same hoof Twilight had been holding a moment prior.

"Vitals are stable; pulse seventy-eight, BP is one twenty-eight over seventy-four, temperature ninety-nine point seven."

"Any biopsy yet?"

"We don't have the equipment for that here."

The doctor nodded. "Where's the wound?"

The nurse pointed out the tiny puncture in the skin, which the doctor acknowledged. "Do we know where the needle came from?"

Starlight held it up. "A dart gun, we think."

The doctor took the needle and examined it. "Not enough fluid in there to test its compounds. We'll have to draw some blood and test that. I can take that now, and I'll arrange for transport to the hospital so we can keep a closer eye on her if her condition doesn't improve."

As the doctor pulled out a vacuum vial from his bag, as well as a sterile needle. He collected a small sample, about a hundred millilitres, and the nurse immediately placed a tiny band-aid over the hole. The doctor placed the sample in his beg and started toward the door. "Let me know if there's any changes in her condition."

Not a minute after he left, Applejack began to stir. Twilight immediately joined with Big Mac in grabbing her hoof, wanting to be by her side when she came to. "Applejack? Can you hear me?"

"Urf..."

Being familiar with that sound, the nurse grabbed a bucket, one that had seen so many teachers and students vomiting into it and could absolutely take another helping.

"Applejack? Are you alright?"

"Ruff."

"You're feeling rough?" Twilight helped the nurse position the bucket. "Do you need something to settle your stomach?"

"Arf! Ruff, ruff, arf!"

Applejack picked herself up, scratched behind her ear with her back hoof, and shook herself like a dog. Seeing Big Mac, she grabbed him by the shoulders and licked his face."

Twilight was shocked. "Applejack?"

Applejack barked and turned to Twilight, licking her face, as well.

"She's turned into a dog!" she gasped.

"Eeyup."

Starlight took a deep breath. "I should go tell the doctor."

As she turned to leave, Applejack jumped on her. Growling, she tackled Starlight to the ground and bit her twice, hard enough to draw blood.

She was going for a third bite, but by then, Gallus had tackled her and was doing everything he could to keep Applejack from biting again.

"Applejack, calm down!" shouted Twilight. "You're going to be okay! I promise, we're going to do everything we can to fix this!"

Applejack wasn't listening, trying to twist her body enough to bite and kick Gallus, who was already sporting a bruised thigh and was bleeding from his shin, but still holding Applejack's front hooves behind her back.

It took Big Macintosh and three guards to move her into a cage that they could keep her in for the time being. Surrounded by the rest of the ponies that had been there and Gallus, she paced back and forth, barking and growling as the nurse tended to their injuries.

Twilight sighed and turned to Big Mac. "When she woke up as a dog, I thought to send her home with you, to be with her family." She gripped his hoof. "Given her current state, though, I don't want her hurting Granny Smith or Apple Bloom. We can't really turn her over to the hospital, either. It's not safe." She took a deep breath. "Big Mac, do I have your blessing in keeping her here under lock and key until we figure this out?"

Big Mac turned to his sister, who was glaring and growling at Starlight, who was insisting that the nurse make sure her baby was okay. Whatever was wrong with Applejack, he was sure that his family could handle it. But if she stayed with Twilight, she was most likely to be cured faster. He squeezed her hoof, wanting her to know just how important it was that his sister be cured.

"Eeyup."