Chapter Text
"Test object number 020, species: white rat. Test container number 020 has been contaminated by infected food, it shows the primary stages of infection, which are
- Extreme difficulty breathing.
- Dry eyes and nostrils.
- Coughing.
- Pain.
- Secretions in the urine and feces.
- Worms in urine and feces.
- Weakness
- Fever
- Sensitivity to light
- Nosebleeds.
These were the initial symptoms I noticed, apparently the meat he ate was contaminated with mosquito eggs that hatched in his stomach. I think they're devouring his stomach from the inside.
Test subject number 019 was also infected with the virus, but he didn't eat meat, but was bitten by the parasite. His symptoms appeared more slowly than subject 020, apparently if you eat infected meat, the process is much quicker.
Spike captured a specimen of the mosquito for me, and I was able to observe it for a long time and experiment with it. I removed its wings to make it easier to handle. It didn't die without its wings, it just became much slower. The insect has a curious appearance to my eyes, the main highlight I see on it is in the area of the stinger, where there are little hearts drawn. I wonder if this is a disguise to make it look more friendly and cute.
I've been feeding the specimen with my own blood so that it doesn't die too soon, because I still have tests to do, catching another one is risky, it was extremely lucky that Spike found this one on his own. As far as I can tell, the one we've captured is a male, because the females are much bigger."
Twilight thought as she wrote in one of her notebooks, with the aid of a lamp for light. Without the Pegasus taking care of the weather, the days had been extremely dark. But... The sun and moon still rose every day and night, which meant: the princesses were still alive.
- Twilight!
A knock on the table and a scream caught Twilight's attention. She was startled and almost fell off her chair, but held on to the table.
- O- what?! - Twilight was a little lost after that shout, looking from side to side to see if there was any imminent danger as to why Applejack had given that shout. - Applejack? What's wrong?
- What? Ara Twilight, what do you think? - Applejack looked very upset. - You only slept for two hours!
- Ah... Was that it? - Twilight took a deep breath and picked up her quill again with the magic and started writing again. - I thought it was something serious.
Applejack looked indignantly at Twilight, twitching her eyelid as she stared at her. In one swift stroke, Applejack grabbed Twilight's quill, forcing her to look at herself.
- Hey! Twilight complained.
- You need to rest, Twilight, you've been messing with these plagues for days! - Applejack threw his ears back, closing Twilight's notebook. - Off to bed, now!
- Applejack, you're being unreasonable! - Twilight lowered her ears, making a beak. - I'm on a real mission! I need to find a cure!
- You won't find a cure in two days. - Applejack rolled her eyes. - And one more thing, if you find the cure, how will you use it without sleeping? You could even do something wrong!
- Applejack... - Twilight looked at her with flashing eyes. - Please let me continue!
- Bed, now! - Applejack huffed, grabbing Twilight's notebook. - If you don't sleep, I won't give it back!
- Arg... Why are you like this? - Twilight took a deep breath, resealing the rat cages as she left the bench she was sitting on. As she turned around, she could see that Big Mac was watching the two of them.
- Good morning, Big Mac. - Twilight let out a yawn.
- Good night, Twilight. - He spoke briefly, looking out of the window.
- Eh? Is it night already? - Twilight was surprised, she thought it was still the middle of the day.
- Yeah, that's why you have to sleep! - Applejack said, rolling her eyes again and letting out a sigh. - Your bed is ready in my room, please get some sleep.
Twilight reluctantly nodded her head. The purple pony headed for the stairs. But she stopped just before going up.
- I... Can I get something to eat? - Twilight said as she felt her stomach rumbling. - I think I forgot to eat too.
- I'll bring you something, now please go and rest. - Applejack spoke more calmly this time, finally feeling that she had managed to overcome Twilight's stubbornness.
In a completely different place. A bonfire was being lit with confetti and gift wrapping and lit with a lighter.
Pinkie pie felt her tail wagging strangely. Slowly she put her hoof on it, looking around, she could feel a strange tremor in her body and one of her hooves just started pointing to a specific place in the forest.
- Something nearby? - Fluttershy asked as she put some carrots on the fire to roast. - What is it?
- Well... Tail wagging, body shaking, hoof pointing... - Pinkie made a beak trying to identify what it could be. - I've got it! Haha! It's an infected! - She laughed. - My tail twitched for exactly 5 seconds and my body for exactly 3, so it's infected level 3!
- I'll load the rifle... - Fluttershy stood up, looking at Pinkie.
- No! Wait... - Pinkie pie reached into her hair, pulled out an arrow and handed it to Fluttershy. - Emergency arrow! You can use your bow again!
- How long have you kept this? - Fluttershy looked at Pinkie rather indignantly. - I needed it two hours ago!
- Hey! Don't swear at me! - Pinkie snorted. - You know that if you hadn't put it away, we could have lured more things here with your gun.
- Right, right... - Fluttershy rolled her eyes, going to her backpack to get her bow. - You know if he's close.
- Hmm, from the 7 seconds I pointed out, he must be a bit far away, but still close. - Pinkie said, taking a twig with marshmellows out of her backpack, smiling. - Delicious!
Fluttershy picked up her bow and the arrow that Pinkie pie had left on the ground, went to where Pinkie had pointed and prepared her bow. Fluttershy took a deep breath, placing one of her hooves on the ground so that she could feel if there was anything approaching by the trembling of the ground.
In a matter of two minutes, Fluttershy shot the arrow while using his gaze, which was not only used to intimidate, but also to aim... He had never told anyone, but he had a certain amount of experience with hunting, after all... He had to feed carnivorous animals. The cycle of life was cruel, but it had to exist for there to be balance.
Within seconds, she heard something fall to the ground. She adjusted her mask and put on her gloves, approaching the infected man who had fallen with an arrow in his head. She didn't recognize who it was, but nevertheless grabbed his hind legs and began to drag him, avoiding direct contact with him as much as possible, hence the gloves. Fluttershy dragged him away from the camp, then returned to clean up the tracks, using a mixture that Zecora had taught her to eliminate smells. It was a mixture of poisonous jaggery and other herbs.