The Adventure Begins: A Dressmaker's Momentous Task
"...Well, yeah, Ah unnerstand the principle of it, Rarity, but Ah still don't see why ponies dress up. Yes, it looks fine an' dandy, but everypony knows looks can be deceiving, an' that aside, we don't normally wear clothes."
"Oh, Applejack," Rarity gave a condescending chuckle, more hurtful than she had meant, "Clothing is used as a symbol of status; much like certain manecuts- this elegant coiffure, for example- show where in the social strata you belong, different fashions show the world how important a pony you are."
The apple farmer rolled her eyes and promptly punctured Rarity's logical fallacy balloon. "Well, if more clothes means yer a more important pony, how come Sweetie Belle's always runnin' around in her birthday coat?"
"How dare you even suggest that Sweetie Belle is anything less than the single most important pony in Equestria!"
"Calm down, girly." Applejack took a tentative step back from the enraged dressmaker. "Ah'm not sayin' that. What Ah am sayin' is there's a couple holes in that idea that need fixin'."
Rarity put her eyes up in thought, but couldn't find a reasonable thing to counter with. Grumbling her way past a smug Applejack, she began rooting through one of her many, many boxes of fashion magazines. Applejack ducked low to the Carousel Boutique's floor as magazine after glossy magazine flew overhead. One landed right in front of her, showing a nearly starved Prench model in an impossibly tight corset and ruffled dress. She winced, and turned back to Rarity, who had found the magazine she wanted.
"Aha, here we are! Come with me, Applejack, I believe I have found an absolutely delightful new style for you!"
"No deal there, Rarity, Ah'm fine with my hat, thank you."
"Applejack, it's free, and you have twigs in your mane."
"So today's harvest got a little outta control, Ah still don't need a dress to cover it up."
"No, this issue isn't about dresses. Vague magazine only covers jewelry and manes, and this one here on page 42 is wonderful! Here, take a look!"
She thrust the magazine toward Applejack, who rolled her eyes and decided to humour the frantic fashionista. As it happened, she couldn't disagree with what Rarity had found. It was a simple enough style, a small bun at the back with the remainder of the mane forming light curtains toward the face, with one or two small locks draped over the face. Bizarre to picture if described, but the pictures in the magazine were convincing. Applejack hated her agreement, but the fact was simply that it looked too nice to pass up. Not that anypony would ever know, but the orange mare did have at least some concept of her appearance, and was always disappointed when she compared herself to others. Now hyper-fashionable Rarity invites her over just after an intense harvesting day when she looked her worst. Life was funny like that.
"Ohh... Awright, Ah can't say no to a good deal. But, can y'keep my ponytail intact? Appearances to keep up an' all that."
Rarity gave her most unbelieving stare at Applejack's hypocrisy before her inner designer took control, leading Applejack deeper into the Boutique.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Alright now, Applejack, step into the shower and clean yourself up. I shall go prepare my tools and tonics."
"Tools? Don't you just need a pair of scissors?"
"Yes, if you wish to go around looking like a crude attempt at a disheveled shrub. For the art I have planned for you, I will require more than simple scissors. Now, do be a dear and wash up."
Rarity practically skipped her way out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed with her tail as she left. Applejack sighed, remembered what she was here for, and promptly undressed. Off came the hat, set reverently on a pedestal near the sink. Next came the two red bands holding her hair up. With their removal, her tatty mane reached down nearly as far as Fluttershy's, and she could plainly see the twigs, leaves, and grit that the harvest had left her with. Her tail fared just as well. She looked into the mirror, putting a hoof under her chin.
"Am Ah really like that? All work an' no play? No style?"
Somewhat unhappily, she took a small hammer from a drawer, clutching the mouthbit between her teeth and prying off the iron horseshoes she wore. They too were battered, somewhat grimy, and hardly attractive. Wincing again, Applejack stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain, turning the water to full blast. She shivered as the icy water pelted her coat before warming up to a soothing downpour. Sighing contentedly, the farmgirl began teasing the debris from her rather long mane. When was the last time she had it cut? Three years back? Four? She couldn't remember.
"Get a hold of yerself, Applejack! Those sorta things are fer frou-frou ponies like Rarity!"
She shook her head to dislodge the thoughts and heard a small wet slap from the ground. She pulled her sopping mane from her eyes and looked down. There between her front hooves was a clump of straw coloured hair. Instinctively, she ran a hoof through both her mane and tail. More wet slapping noises followed, and more clumps of hair fell into the small pool of water. She didn't even feel the hair coming off of her. There were very few explanations for losing hair at her age, the least deadly of which was genetic hair loss, and nopony suffered from genetic hair loss. She bent down to look at the clumps in the water, a tone of panic rising in her voice.
"Ohh... This won't be good..."
The Plague of Ponyville
Book I
Chapter I
The Adventure Begins: A Dressmaker's Momentous Task
The next five days in Ponyville were said to be the worst ever faced. Of course, nopony knew what would happen in the weeks that followed.
Mayor Mare did her best to silence the crowds of panicking ponies, but a full-scale riot wasn't far away. The entire town of Ponyville was in attendance, and all clamoring at once. A balding Pinkie Pie hopped her way up to the town hall steps that the Mayor was speaking from and produced a comically outsized megaphone. She took a small breath before switching the device on.
"BE QUIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!"
The few ponies among the crowd that still had their hearing after Pinkie's outburst looked up to the shellshocked mayor. She twisted a hoof in her ear until she could hear herself speak.
"Um... thank you, Pinkie Pie? A-hem. Good ponies of Ponyville, I realize we have a balding crisis on our hooves, but it's nothing to cause a riot over. Now, we know it must have a source somewhere. Think, has anypony noticed any kind of pollution in our water supply?"
A voice piped up from the audience, "Water boys checked already; it's all crystal clear."
"Well, anything in the air?"
"Sorry, Mayor, my team already did our purifying for the week. The air should be cleaner than ever right now," called a light blue pegasus from the front of the crowd. After a second, Mayor Mare recognized her as a totally maneless Rainbow Dash. She barely suppressed a snicker at Dash's expense when a brown leg rose in the air. Regaining her dignity, she called on the leg's owner.
"Yes, Mr. Turner?"
"Have we considered the possibility of this being some kind of alien invasion? Maybe a spore used to weaken or distract the popula-"
Whatever else he said was drowned out by insulting yells. Mayor Mare smacked her hoof against her podium to restore order.
"People, please! I realize this is distressing, and it is a silly idea, but let's not behave like foals when somepony has an accident, alright? Now, we've taken a couple blood samples from volunteers and sent them to Ponyville General. The results should be here in minutes. Until then, I ask that anypony who is losing hair over this to watch yourself. Record what you eat, where you go, any dealings with psychotic unicorns, anything like that. We can't fight something we know nothing about. Oh, wait! Here come the lab tests!"
An ashen, somber Twilight Sparkle made her slow way up the steps, followed by an equally grave Nurse Redheart. Twilight took the stand and spoke very quietly.
"M-My fellow Ponyvillians, I have bad news. The rapid spread of baldness is not normal. It's caused by an incurable disease, known as KEMOSABE. It's a bacterial single-cell lifeform that eats the keratin in mammal bodies."
Only a handful of ponies understood what she meant. They looked on in horrified silence as Twilight further explained.
"Keratin is a hard, somewhat flexible substance that is found in many of the body's cells. The main ones are skin surfaces, fur, hair, things like that. Ponies, I don't mean to be graphic, but this disease will melt the hooves, skin, and hair of all who suffer from it... and that's almost all of us..."
Three ponies in the crowd fainted at the imagery this conjured up.
"I've asked for aid from Princess Celestia, but she, Princess Luna, and even Discord are all busy protecting Canterlot, Fillydelphia, and Manehattan from the disease with magical barriers they can not leave. Our tests show that the bacteria can not be killed through magical means, only repelled. It also destroys antibodies in the body that attempt to neutralize it. Fillies and gentlecolts, we are on our own against an unstoppable sickness that almost all of us already have. There is no known cure, only ways to combat the disease and alleviate some symptoms.. Only ponies like myself who still retain all their hair seem to be able to tolerate it. Will anypony who has lost no hair yet please step forward?"
At first, only two ponies came to the stage- a dumbstruck Time Turner and an equally scared Lyra Heartstrings- and joined Twilight. After brushing herself thoroughly to triple check, Fluttershy flew up as well, followed by Rarity and Spike. Nopony else moved up.
"Is... is this everypony who hasn't lost hair yet? Everypony?"
A bright green flash illuminated the stage, billowing smoke across the stage and obscuring the entrance of another creature, its hooves clopping against the hardwood planks.
"There is one more you've yet to count,
But this might be drastic to announce
My presence in such a way as this,
In such a time of widespread crisis."
Zecora the zebra stepped out from the smoke, taking a place with the other unaffected equines. Rolling her eyes at Zecora's flair for the dramatic, Twilight resumed speaking to the assembled ponies.
"Everypony else, this is a serious disease, but a slow one. We need everyponyto gather at Ponyville General in three hours; they have it too, so there's no worries of contaminating them or worsening their conditions. Gather anything you need to comfort yourselves from home, and get plenty of bedrest while at the hospital. The rest of us will have to take care of you while developing a cure. With my magic, Zecora's knowledge of herbs and plants, and Time Turner's scientific skill, we should be able to cobble something together. Any last thoughts?"
Zecora tapped her on the shoulder, motioning to talk with the unaffected behind the stage while the afflicted prepared themselves.
"Alright then, everypony, hop to it. This is a life or death situation, but you may as well be comfortable while we work."
The crowd shuffled off to their homes to gather supplies and trot to the hospital. Twilight bit her lip nervously before walking behind the stage. Once there, the ponies, Spike, and Zecora formed a neat circle.
"Alright Zecora, what was it you wanted to say?"
The zebra cleared her throat before beginning her poetic speech.
"We seven seem to be one last shot,
At stopping that which makes ponies rot,
A scourge my kind has faced before
A sickness laid down throughout our lore.
"Meltmane Fever, we called it then
We prayed not to face it ever again
For there is no remedy for such a thing
But the clearest waters of the Purest Spring.
"Meltmane's effects are horrid, true,
But the quest for the cure can be so too.
A fountain in Zebreria, the land of ice and snow
Found in a place where nopony should go.
"A drop from its waters can cure all that harms,
From dread disease to corrupting charms
Needless to say, 'tis guarded well
Few ever escape to live and tell.
"If we wish to cure this single-celled curse
We must select somepony first,
To wander far and save the day
While the rest of us here keep the sickness at bay."
Lyra politely clopped her forehooves together for Zecora, who bowed modestly in return. After piecing the message together, Twilight shook her head.
"Wait, wait. You're saying there is a cure, but it's in a far-off land and guarded?"
The zebra nodded happily, but her smile waned at Twilight's expression.
"Now, Zecora, I trust you completely, but this sounds sort of... fairy-taleish. I mean, magical springs, fierce guardians, and high danger? I need full confirmation that this is, without a single possibility of a hope of a shadow of a doubt, real. Is it?"
"Zebra folk are not given to lies,
I'll Pinkie Swear before your eyes.
But I'll have you know I play no tricks,
It's as real as my skull, and it does exist."
Satisfied, Twilight looked over her ragtag group. Hardly adventuring fare, she mused. Lyra was an amateur musician who bummed her way through life, always putting in as little effort as it took to survive. She was a wonderful friend and fun to be with, but hardly epic quest material given her laziness. Zecora knew the most about this so-called Purest Spring, but only she would know how to combat the KEMOSABE from here. Fluttershy was hopeless for the mission. She'd be an amazing asset on the homefront, but journeys involving things more frightening than shadows were not in her specialties.
Next was Time Turner. Few ponies knew a thing about him, other than his great scientific knowledge, his peculiar blue shack, and his habit of disappearing for days at a time with the local mailmare and her daughter. Whenever they returned, little Dinky would always tell the most extraordinary tales of her imaginary adventures, fighting against evil creatures and statues and machines with plungers on their bodies. Twilight ticked him from her mental list.
All that remained were Rarity and Spike. Twilight was proud to see Spike not fawning over the classy unicorn beside him, but sullenly accepting the gravity of the situation. All other choices were exhausted. Not much needed to be said, but there was still some. The lavender librarian lowered herself to Spike's level, resting her hooves on his shoulders.
"Spike... you're still a kid. You're my number one assistant, but... It's time for you to be a hero. We need that cure, and we need it badly. I would never in all of time suggest putting you near danger if I could help it. I would stand up to Ursa Majors, Discord, even the Princesses to protect you, but I can't do that. I need you and Rarity to find a way to Zebreria and find the Purest Spring.
"Rarity, the same goes for you. You're one of my closest friends," Twilight's eyes watered a little, "and I would cherish your assistance here, but we need the cure. Do you think you're up for this?"
Rarity looked down at her hooves nervously. "Twilight, is this really that serious? Spikey-Wikey and I are the best chance we have?"
"It has to be you two. All the town's pegasi but Fluttershy are sick, and she can't make it herself. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are also in a bad state. I'm stuck here too... There's nopony else but you who can go. Spike's immune to the KEMOSABE, I should think, and you and I may be resisting it, but it'll hit us eventually. Go now while you can. The bacteria slows down if it isn't in the immediate presence of other creatures afflicted by it, so the distance from these patients should clear you up and keep you safe. So, will you go?"
Rarity put on her war face, magically removing her false eyelashes and summoning saddlebags from her Boutique, which promptly inflated with supplies. She was oddly quiet as she spoke.
"Of course, dear. There's no other choice that won't harm the town, and I'd just get in the way here. But Spike?"
The little dragon hadn't said a word so far. He was biting at his claws, a sure sign he was scared. Twilight ruffled the spines on his head.
"Yes, Spike too. He's young, but he's brave and loyal enough that I trust him with this. Hear that, Spike? You're the hero of this story. You have to protect the fair damsel and escort her. Is my number one assistant up to the task?"
Spike had only been away from Twilight for no more than a day or two. He hated to admit it, but he was still a baby. He still had his blankie, still took naps, and still asked to sleep with Twilight after a bad dream. Here he was about to embark on a journey far away for an unknown period of time. He gulped audibly and brushed the tears from his face, putting on a thin coat of bravado.
"O-of course I'm up for it, Twilight! Rarity and I will be back quicker than you can say 'MacGuffin.' Heh, don't worry about us, we'll be fine! You just keep yourself focused on saving these ponies, okay?"
The tears burst like a dam from Twilight as she clutched him, waving him to and fro in a spine-cracking hug.
"I-I knowhoho! Sp-Spike, be careful, I-I *hic* I couldn't handle it if anything happened to you! Waaahaaa!"
Rarity was touched, and remembered she too had a sibling to speak to. She excused herself from the group and the ever-filling saddlebags, making her way toward the Boutique. Once inside, she heard quiet sobbing from upstairs, near the guest room's open door. She quietly made her way up the steps and pushed the door open. Sweetie Belle was crying on the bed, curled up in a tight ball. Scattered across the blankets were thin strands of pink and purple hair, enough to fill the small patches of white showing in the back of her mane. Rarity stepped closer to her sister and put a comforting leg around her.
"Sweetie Belle?"
"Nnngh... Raredy?"
"Yes, Sweetie, it's Rarity. I have something to tell you."
The little filly pulled her head up from the blankets, hugging her sister.
"I-Is it about the chema-sabama-whatever that everypony has?"
"It is a little bit. I'm going to have to go far away for a while to find the cure. Nopony else is able to make the journey, so it's up to Spike and I to make sure you all get better."
"You're... going away?"
"Yes. To Zebreria, wherever that is. It's the only place in the world with the cure for this horrible illness. I'm going to be gone for some time."
The smaller unicorn's eyes welled up again, threatening to spill into geysers of tears. She hugged Rarity's side tighter.
"But I don't want you to go! Who's going to take care of me while you're gone?"
"Twilight, Fluttershy, and Miss Zecora have all volunteered to keep the town safe. Do you know Miss Heartstrings, or perhaps Time Turner? They'll be helping out too. You won't be alone, I promise."
A good few minutes passed as the sisters hugged, the silence broken only by small sniffles from Sweetie Belle. Once she got uncomfortable, Sweetie asked another question.
"Rarity? Am... am I going to die?"
Now it was Rarity's turn to tear up. She squeezed the little filly tighter, as tough she would never let go.
"Don't you ever say such a thing, Sweetie. You're the most important pony in my world, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the cure for this. You're going to lose your mane and your fur, yes, but I swear on the name Rarity Belle that nothing, not a single thing from paper cuts to deat- to anything worse will happen to you or your friends. I swear."
Sweetie Belle had never heard Rarity speak in anything besides fashion tones. Hearing her just now made her rethink the way she saw her sister. Her tears had dried, but she still felt like rubbing her face into Rarity's soft side.
"Hey, Rarity?"
"Yes, Sweetie?"
"Will you sing the song? The one Gramma Needlepoint sang to us when we shared a bed?"
"Of course. Anything I can do for you before I leave on my trip, I will do."
Rarity slid from the bed in an unladylike manner, clearing her throat and humming a few bars. She began crooning quietly:
"When to spring all the seasons will begin to turn,
And the banks of the rivers all swell,
I will sing to the birds of this lesson I learned,
By list'ning to two little Belles.
"There is nothing more different than the peas in a pod,
Thick as thieves, but like day and night;
One will do something the other finds odd,
But when she tries, she finds it's a delight.
"The closer we grow, the more closely we see,
The things that will make us unique,
A filly of fashion, of artistic passion,
And her sister who's endlessly sweet.
"One is black, one is white,
One is left, one is right
One likes boys, the other toys
One silence, one noise
"But these little fillies, such wonders are,
And so of them I will sing,
For the bond that they share is beyond compare
Despite not sharing one thing."
Sweetie Belle sat in silence as Rarity's song faded out. Rarity understood full well.
"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm coming back to Ponyville with that cure come Tartarus, high water, or horizontal stripes with faux snakeskin."
"Mmkay." Sweetie giggled, "Be careful, alright?"
Rarity stretched her back somewhat before nodding to her sister. She scooped her up in a cloud of blue magic, carrying the now glowing filly out into the crowded streets of Ponyville.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight and Spike were surrounded by levitating foodstuff, utensils, travel-sized cookware, and Spike's personal collection of books. They both were chanting the same rhythm as each item floated past their eyes.
"No. No. Yes. No."
All the approved materials hovered over to a durable canvas bag, magically modified to fit Spike's frame. The small satchel quickly filled to the brim, leaving not one single molecule of free space in its ingeniously packed contents. Spike gave a low whistle as he examined it. A rectangular jar of gems was crammed in next to some of Twilight's survival guides, forming a perfect four-by-four inch block. A waterproof bedroll was placed lengthwise in the remaining space on the lowest level of the bag. Twilight's magic rotated, dropped, and folded everything else into neat little blocks of various shapes, bringing to Spike's mind a certain game he once played at the open-air arcade.
Once the bag was absolutely packed, Twilight's horn flashed it closed, sealing it with a satisfying click as the buckles slid together. Finally, she pulled her scaly friend to her side, giving him an affectionate hug.
"Well, Spike... I can't believe this, but I guess this is good-bye for now..."
"Y-yeah, I guess so..."
The librarian wasn't sure of what to say next. The duo sat in the awkward silence for a moment before Twilight's head perked up.
"Wait, I have something for you!" she cried as she sped down the stairs to her laboratory. After fiddling with a few boxes of beakers and checking behind forgotten experiments, she found what she was looking for. Eagerly, she called the baby dragon down the stairs. As soon as his footpad hit the bottom step his whole world went dark. Fumbling blindly, he walked into a wall and fell back on his tail. He heard a shimmering sound and the light swish of cloth as light returned to his eyes. Twilight stood above him, horn aglow as she hovered a roll of black fabric above the young drake's head. She was blushing somewhat.
"Eh-heh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to blind you. Here, this is a gift for your journey!"
Spike pulled himself off the ground and took the cloth. It felt nearly weightless in his claws. He turned it this way and that, inspecting it for any distinct markings. There were none; it was a simple roll of fabric.
"Um... thanks? I guess I could use another blanket..."
"No, Spike, it's an old experiment of mine. I was bored one day so I started enchanting random things. I wanted to see if I could make a fabric that rendered the wearer harder to see, like an invisibility cloak. I didn't do it right, but what I did make is something much better! Here, wrap some around yourself, and I'll show you what I mean."
Shrugging, he unrolled a few feet of the cloth and flung it over his shoulders like a cape.
"Like this?"
"Yes, that's perfect."
Spike blinked in surprise as Twilight's hoof came sailing at him from nowhere in a full-force punch. She may not have been an athlete, but a pony's hooves can pack a surprising wallop, with Twilight's colliding firmly with Spike's left shoulder. He was pushed back a few inches from the force of the punch, but felt no pain. Twilight, on the other hoof, was waving her foreleg in the air and biting her bottom lip, barely suppressing a stream of vulgarities.
"Owowowowow! Okay, that was a featherbrained idea! Gah, why didn't I just use a stick!?"
"Twilight, what happened? What is this stuff?"
"It's- geez, that stung!- it's a fabric that acts as armor. It's a good deal stronger than even your scales. I tried to make an invisibility spell, but I think I made an invincibility one instead. I'm not sure how, but it works."
The purple pony was still shaking her injured leg around, causing Spike to roll his eyes.
"I know you like to test your inventions, but that was a bit drastic, don't you think?"
"I needed to make sure it'll hold up to the dangers you'll face!"
"Well, at least I know I'll be safe from any boxing librarians."
Twilight began to chastise his sarcasm but started giggling before one word escaped her lips. He had won that round. With a quick wave of her horn, Spike flew onto her back in a riding position, with his satchel flung across his shoulder and the roll of cloth in a claw.
"C'mon, Spike. Let's go find Rarity and get this trimmed down to your size. You'll need to go soon if you're gonna find that cure!"
Happy to spend one more moment with her before his journey, Spike clung closely to her neck as she trotted into the streets, making a beeline for the hospital on the hill.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyra and Time Turner were milling about the hospital, waiting for Twilight to arrive and give instructions. Rarity had come by earlier, and was now tucking Sweetie Belle into a bed near her fellow crusaders. Applejack was in a fourth bed in the room, most of her mane worn away. Big Macintosh sat in the corner. The silence was palpable, with nopony knowing what to say. They were saved from starting an awkward conversation by the arrival of Twilight and Spike. The little drake entered the room first, spotting Rarity putting a hoof against Sweetie Belle's head, just under her horn. She recoiled from the temperature she felt. Spike approached her and drew her attention by poking her side.
"Uh, Rarity? We're here."
The dressmaker turned with a flat expression. Seeing Sweetie Belle and the other foals in this condition was heavy. Spike understood, and stood against the doorframe. Twilight, meanwhile, had made way for Applejack instead. The orange farmgirl glowed magenta for a minute as Twilight ran through a magical check-up.
"...Annnd done! Well, Applejack, good and bad news. The bad news is you're about to lose your entire mane and tail. The good news is that'll give you a breather period. The bacteria seems to halt once those kinds of hair are destroyed before it moves onto the fur, and again before attacking the other things like feathers and hooves."
Scootaloo subconsciously checked her wings as best she could from the bed.
"So, in a couple days or so, you should be able to walk around. How's that sound?"
"Mighty fine; Ah can't stand bein' bedridden like this."
"I know the feeling. I had the pony pox a few years ago. So many books to read, and I couldn't move a single hoof!"
"Books? That's all you had to miss out on? Lemme tell you..."
While they chatted, Rarity had sat down with Spike, keeping her mind occupied with his request. The black cloth unraveled in the air, surrounded by glowing needles and scissors. She had come up with a simple enough design for the strange material, and knew this would probably be her last moment of fashionable undertaking before her journey, she made sure she did it right.
The sable fabric wrapped around Spike at various joints, encircling limbs and tightening at his waist to get a rough measurement. At long last, the cloth hovered away from him and began folding in on itself. The scissors flew past it, and the needles ran through it, trailing threads behind them. The end result was a series of black rectangles- scraps essentially- suspended in a blue aura. Rarity motioned for Spike to take a pose and flung the fabric at him. In a burst of azure magic, the bits of black material stuck together and cut, creased, folded, and stitched just a hair above his scales. When the seamstress had finished, Twilight conjured a mirror for Spike to examine his new clothing.
Instead of the slightly rotund whelp he normally saw in the mirror, Spike saw a dragon straight out of the Con Mane novels. A sharp double-breasted coat covered his torso, with razor-thin white pinstripes that ran from his neck to his ankles. The pants that had appeared were in the same style, with the stripes staying perfectly continuous with those on the coat no matter how he stretched. There was even a small carnation in the upper pocket. His feet and hands remained uncovered to allow him free use of his claws. Finally, his spines had magically changed consistency from rigid and firm to something more malleable, as they lay slicked back against the nape of his neck. He gave a surprisingly deep growl as he viewed himself.
"Wow, Rarity! I thought your other dresses were nice, but this is just awesome! I can even use my tail without messing it up!"
He flexed the appendage up to his scapula and began scratching his back contentedly. Although it was meant to be armour, Rarity figured he may as well play the dashing hero in its fullest. Twilight cocked an eyebrow and her mouth dropped a little. Spike took that as a compliment.
"I know, I know, I'm a proper hunk of a dragon now, aren't I?"
"...Not what I was thinking. I believe you're still missing something, Spike?"
Rarity and Spike both gave Twilight quizzical looks as she lit her horn. Arcane energy gathered at the very tip, forming a bright ball of light that expanded. Once the spell was ready, the lavender mare aimed and fired. From Spike's upper lip grew a moustache of truly legendary style, a perfectly waxed monument to all the great facial hairstyles of history. From curled handlebar to curled handlebar, one look could drive mares of weak constitution mad, and cause stallions to seethe in anger. There was no doubt; it could only be described in the most glowing of poetic phrases.
"Spike, I don't wanna be mean, but you look... well, you look like a dork."
Spike deflated instantly at Scootaloo's comment. She felt like she had kicked a kitten when she saw his dejected expression, but before she could apologize, Rarity sprang to defend him, and in the process, accidentally make Scootaloo feel just a little bit worse.
"Now, now, Scootaloo, there's no need for insulting words. I think he looks like quite the gentlecolt- er, gentledrake. That aside, he's nobly leaving his home on a quest to find a cure for you and everypony else. I think he's wonderfully brave for doing that, and so should you."
Scootaloo felt awful, but Spike let her comment slide. She meant no harm, and he had to admit, being a naturally hairless creature, the moustache might have been a bit much. Might have been. But, he figured, what was the point of having a magical suit of armour without the appropriate fuzz? As he continued his ruminations on draconic facial hair, and Rarity continued her accidental guilting, Twilight finished her conversation with Applejack.
"Well, I'll have to try that once everypony's all better. That reminds me... Rarity, Spike?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"Yeah?"
"I think it's about time you two got going. You'll need to head east, far, far to the east, and find some kind of passage to the continent of Stirrope. You'll arrive in Portugallop, and head through practically every country between Prance and Brusha before you hit Zebreria. This'll take a loooooong time, so you might want to start now. I put the full itinerary on some notecards folded in the maps. Grab your bags, and I'll see you off."
Spike nodded and said his goodbyes to the Crusaders, making sure Scootaloo knew he wasn't offended. He then went to Applejack and gave her a big ol' hug. "For memory's sake," he told her. He then stood beside Twilight, waiting. Rarity went to the side of Sweetie Belle's bed, stroking her lovingly with a hoof.
"Don't you worry, sister dearest. Spikey-Wikey and I will return the very moment we are able. Until then, I need you to be a good filly: don't bother the ponies helping out, and definitely no Cutie Mark Crusading, understand?"
The smaller unicorn groaned at the prospect of crusade-less days ahead, but nodded her agreement. Satisfied, Rarity took her place beside Twilight.
"Well, everypony, we're off! See ya when we get back! ...Obviously!"
"So long, Applejack, Apple Bloom. Farewell, Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle? Keep your friends out of trouble, too. I'll know if you don't, and you will be in for such a makeover!"
The fillies giggled as Sweetie blushed and turned her head to avoid embarrasment. When she looked back, the trio were gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the generally accepted outskirts of Ponyville, Spike and Twilight shared one last hug. With tears in her eyes, she squeezed him as tight as she could.
"You come back to us, alright? You'd better save us all, because if you don't, you'll have a lot more than chores for your punishment."
She was joking, but Spike was a smart kid. He knew how heart-wrenching the whole deal must be for her. He pulled out his most confident smile, straightening his satchel and carnation.
"Relax, Twilight. You couldn't pick two better beings for the job! You just worry on keeping the town alive; leave the perilous missions to us."
"I know, I'm being overprotective, but still... I don't know when I'll see you next, so you stay alive. You too, Rarity."
"Oh, darling, you needn't worry about us. If it meant saving my friends, I'd gladly go. And to prove it, I'll do just that!"
"...I'll miss you both... Goodbye, Rarity. Goodbye, Spike. See you soon?"
The little dragon nodded. "You can't get rid of me that easily. See ya soon, Twilight." The two adventurers began to walk toward the horizon. Twilight's eyes grew wide as she realized something. Chuckling, she called Rarity and Spike back.
"Hahaha, oh, wow... That was north. East is that way, haha!"
"... Never mention this again, agreed?"
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Once more, the duo set off for the far-off horizon, taking a small turn to the left and now actually heading east. Twilight smiled, letting a few tears roll down her cheeks. After a few minutes of silence broken only by the wind, Rarity and Spike were mere dots in the distance. She gave a satisfied sigh, and began her walk to the hospital.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So, Spike?"
"Yes, Rarity?"
"What's in the area besides Ponyville and the Everfree Forest? We'll need a place to sleep, and I for one can not stand the idea of sleeping on, ugh, dirt."
"Lemme check the map. Uh-huh. Left there, follow the river... Well, if we keep walking on the route Twilight drew up, it'll take about ten hours to reach the nearest town."
"Ten hours!? Ohhh... my hooficure will be positively ruined! What's the name of this little town, anyways?"
"According to the map, the next place we should go is called Cornwell. Her notes just say it's a unicorn village, hardly known outside the immediate area."
"Well... I suppose we have no choice if we want to find this Purest Spring."
"Alrighty then, Cornwell, here we come!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note
Hello there, everypony! As usual, I kept promising myself I'd work on my other series. I promised y'all the same. Well, I'm hardly reliable. I always forget to plan a story out before I start writing, and so all my series lose my interest. With The Plague of Ponyville, however, I have it all storyboarded out. I'm diverting attention from everything else to work on this. If it all goes as I want it to, expect to see this get featured. In reality, don't expect this to get updated soon. I'm writing chapters ahead of time to get a weekly publishing schedule started. Oh, and don't worry; the future chapters are more detailed, with actual scenery and such.
Additionally, if you would like to help me in writing this, send a quick sample of your writing. I can only enlist the best, so pick one of your greatest pieces. I have everything planned out, but I need help executing it, and have no problem giving credit where it is due.
Additionally, again, I'll put one quote from a movie I like in each chapter. See if you can find them!
