Failing Friendship (an Infection AU story)

Sapphire Star enjoyed her week off.

No royal anything, no fancy parties, she could just be.. Herself, surrounded by her friends, enjoying the moment. She was content, really. She lifts her head from her pillow, grumbling about the sun in her eyes before she gets up. The alicorn stretches, yawning before she’s up and about. Brush hair, make herself semi-presentable, go get breakfast, see who wanted to hang out today. She’d be going back in a couple days, so she knew she wanted to make dinner plans…

Those plans were halted by the sirens going on outside.

The sirens had been made by the current Mayor, Mayor Tiara, to alert Ponyville citizens of emergencies. It’d been smart considering the time Ponyville was attacked, or the time Ponyville was attacked, or the time…

Sapphire looked out the window, frowning. She didn’t… see anything. Didn’t see any encroaching armies, no approaching hoards, nothing. She opened the window, moving to call out to a stallion who was running past.

“Excuse me! What’s going on?” The Stallion stops as he’s addressed, looking around before up at the Princess and bowing for a moment.

“Your majesty! Ponies are going mad! They’re attacking each other..” He looks back towards Greater Ponyville, then his eyes widen. “Orange Blossom!”

The orange unicorn staggers forward, gurgling and struggling to continue to put one hoof in front of the other. Sapphire had never seen so much… so much blood. She’d gotten a cut or a scrape, or seen a few injured guards, but nothing like this. Nothing so heavy that it made the unicorn look like her coat naturally shifted to red at her hooves. Nothing that dripped from her mane so dark it made the normally green hair look black.

The green stallion took a step back, and Orange staggered closer... closer... lunged. He tried to kick her off, to do something to stop his untimely demise, but with a sickening crunch, he fell limp. Sapphire covered her muzzle with a hoof, eyes wide as she took a step back from the window. She’d… watched somepony die. Because of another pony.

She turns, racing through the small castle to find her Aunt Starlight. “Starlight! Starlight!” Her cries echoed off the crystal walls, only amplifying her own panic. She pushed open every door she could, looking around before her aunt’s voice called back to her.

Sapphire pushed open the door to the room that held the Cutie Map, looking in at not only her Aunt, but a couple of her friends, and their mothers. She pushed forward, hugging her aunt close and letting out a sob.

“I.. I watched somepony die, Aunt Starlight. I watched them die…” She finally murmurs, and Starlight’s muzzle turns into a grimace.

“I was afraid of that..” The older unicorn murmurs. “Pinkie, do you have any idea what happened?”

“It was... freaky-deaky..” The pegasus murmured. “I was watching Sunflower Seed pick up some food! She was wearing a mask, and she didn’t.. look okay? I was going to ask if she’d visited Dr. Redheart, but…” Pinkie pauses. “I.. another pony, I don’t remember who. They cut themselves while prepping something at their stall. And Sunflower turned around and… and attacked them.”

“What?” Sapphire looked up at Pinkie. “She just… attacked them?” This.. wasn’t making any sense. Ponies, attacking other ponies? In broad daylight? “Has Ponyville gone mad?”

“I don’t know.” Starlight frowns. “But we have just as bad news. I.. haven’t been able to get a letter to Twilight. They just… keep burning up.”

“Mom? Is she safe? Do we know if she’s okay?”

“I don’t, not for sure...” Starlight frowns. “But your mother is one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, I know she’s safe.”

“So.. what do we do, then?” Amethyst speaks up, looking at the other mares gathered. “Greater Ponyville is being overwhelmed, and I don’t know how many ponies are… even safe.”

“Well…” Starlight hums, gently resting her head on top of Sapphire’s as she thinks. “I think we should gather the other Elements of Harmony. If we can get you all to Twilight, then maybe we can use the elements to deal with this.”

“That’s a good idea, Starlight.” Rarity hums. “It’s just AJ and Dash, who are at the farm, like usual, and Fluttershy is in her cottage.”

“Right.” Starlight continues thinking, her tail swishing back and forth. “Pinkie, you and Peach can gather supplies. I don’t know if the train is working, so we might need to walk. Rarity, you and Amethyst will go get Applejack and Rainbow. Sapphire, I trust you to take the long way and get to Fluttershy okay?”

The other mares nod, pausing as Amethyst raises a hoof. “There’s... something I should tell you.” Everyone’s eyes turn to the lilac unicorn. “One of the.. the monster ponies…” She frowns, trying to figure out how to word it. “It used to be a unicorn, and when another unicorn tried to use magic, it was like.. the monster pony ate it.”

“It did what?” Starlight looks up.

“It ate the magic. Like.. the magic didn’t do anything to it. And then the other pony.. got attacked.”

Starlight frowns. “That’s... worrying. I guess that just means to be extra safe, alright everypony?”

Everypony nods. Then they’re all getting up, sans Starlight, who’s going to be mapping out the best way to go. They step out onto the streets, looking out and around before splitting up.

Pinkie and Peach head off the trail towards the main area of town, to stay out of sight.

Sapphire takes to the sky, heading towards the Everfree Forest.

Rarity and Amethyst head towards the outskirts of town, intending to loop around towards the farm.

And Starlight Glimmer prays that all five of them come back safely with their friends.