"It Came From The Sky. Welcome To The End." | A MLP cosmic horror infection AU | 2,307 Words
Please note going in: AU designs + no beta reader
(note: editing chapter names on here to match with Ao3)
Over the course of two days, Phantasiaβs condition worsened.Β
Her eyes were bloodshot and her whole body ached with a dull, but constant pain. It started in her leg, but had spread to the rest of her body by now.Β Zecora and Twilight had come to visit her and were shocked by her appearance, especially as the doctor explained that the antibiotics, or really any medications, werenβt making a difference in her condition. The three stood outside her room, discussing the next move.
βDo you think we should amputate her leg? It seems like itβs pretty badβ¦β Twilight asked the doctor, who looked equally concerned.
βI suppose? Iβve never seen an infection move this fast before. Iβm not sure if amputation would help at this pointβ
Zecora tapped her hoof anxiously, worrying about her apprentice.
βPerhaps the particular bramble is what left her in shambles?β
Doctor Horse tapped his chin.Β βIβm not sure what kind of plant would be able to do thisββ
βWell, she was in the Everfree Forest, that place has a lot of unknown species of plantsβ Twilight interjected.
The doctor agreed that perhaps they should investigate and see if they could find the plant. Perhaps send out Zecora and Fluttershy, since the two knew the area better than anypony else.Β The trio trotted down the hall and into the doctors main office to discuss the plan of action.
Meanwhile, Phantasia was in her room groaning and rubbing her eyes. She felt like she was in agony and was so tired. She laid down with her eyes closed and tried to take a nap.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Her ear twitched.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She growled in frustration and sat up, looking around the room for the offensive sound. Her eyes settled on the sink, but it wasnβt dripping. That's strangeβ¦ then where was the sound coming from?Β She checked the ceiling, the walls, even double checked the sink by turning it on and off with her magic. Nothing changed. She rubbed her ears and listened, but the sound was gone.
βSorry, that was loud wasnβt itβ
Phantasia whipped her head around to the door, but no one was there.Β She couldβve sworn she heard Nurse Redheart.
βUmβ¦ hello?β She spoke up, but was met with silence. βIβm dreaming again, huh?β She chuckled to herself.
βPhantasiaβ a voice whispered right in her ear.
She leaped up off the table and backed up towards the door on shaky legs.
βW-whos there!?β
No one was in sight.
She felt her forehead with her own hoof; she was burning up. Maybe sheβs imagining things.Β It felt so realβ¦
βWho are you talking to?β
She yelped and ran to hide under the bed.
βSorry! I didnβt mean to scare you!β Fiddlestick apologized, kneeling to see her under the bed. Phantasia let out a sigh of relief.
βOh, itβs just youβ thank Celestiaβ
She struggled to crawl out from under the bed, waving off Fiddlestick as he offered to help.Β The two sat with their backs against the bed frame and made small talk. Anything from the bland hospital food to the books they were sharing. Phantasia told him about her worries and that she missed Zecora since she hadnβt visited much.
βIβm sure your mom will come back when youβre betterβ He comforted
βSheβs not my momβ She squinted at him and the colt wilted.
βOh, my bad I just thoughtβ¦β he tapped the ground βWhereβ¦ is your mom?β
She didnβt respond. Silence filled the room, but it wasnβt really awkward. He just waited; maybe she was thinking about it. Or maybe she didnβt want to talk about it.Β
βMy real mom left me in the woods as a baby and Zecora found meβ
Her ears laid back and she picked at a chip in the floor tile with her hoof.
βWellβ¦ then that's not a mom. She mightβve been your mother, but she's not your momβ
Phantasia rolled her eyes.
βThatβs the same thing!β
βNo it isnβt!β He insisted βAnyone can be a mother, but it takes a lot to be a mom. Momβs take care of you, love you and keep you safeβ¦ and to me it sounds like Zecora does thatβ
She stayed silent. He had a good point. One that seemed like it came from someone else.
βWho told you that?β
He chuckled nervously.
βAhβ¦ my step-mom. Sheβs nice, a lot better than my original motherβ
The unicorn didnβt ask what he meant by that, instead she stretched and moved to sitting back up on the bed. He went to join her, but she shook her head and moved him to the door with her magic.
βIβm tired and have a headache, we can hang out tomorrowβ
He didnβt argue. He simply wished her a goodnightβ despite it being noonβ and let her sleep.
Two more days went by and the search for whatever plant she stepped on turned up nothing. They had no idea what part of the forest she went to, but they searched as far as they could safely. Fluttershy flew over the thicker parts where the bushes were too dense to walk through, but still found nothing.Β The only brambles they could find were normal, everyday plants.
βDo you think sheβs just allergic?β Fluttershy asked.
βI donβt know what allergy would doΒ thatβ Twilight responded quickly as she looked between several books and papers. She was researching in her private library to try and find a possible answer.
Perhaps a foreign plant that was introduced with a bad side effect? Maybe even a poisonous plant? She couldnβt find anything that had a description similar to what was going on with the young filly. She groaned and put the books away before pulling out a scroll.
The door to the library swung open with a sweating and panting Zecora entering.
βTwilight! Something is wrong with Phantasia!β
The princess immediately dropped everything. Zecora led Fluttershy and Twilight to the hospital where a very confused Phantasia was trying to buck the nurses.
βWhat in Equestria is going on with her?!β Twilight shouted.
βW-we donβt know! She just started talking to herself and freaked out when the doctor walked in the room!β Nurse Redheart quickly explained βZecora tried to calm her down but it made her freak out moreβ
βI want to go home! Leave me alone!β Phantasia shouted, stumbling and struggling to stand as she kept kicking.
Twilight used her magic to hold the filly down, allowing the nurses to inject a sedative. It quickly took effect and she calmed down, slowly slipping down to the floor and laying down.Β The nurses quickly moved her to a secure room to contain and quarantine her until they could figure out what was causing her to freak out.
βCould it be rabies?β Fluttershy suggested to Doctor Horse, who was holding ice over his freshly bruised eye.
βWe arenβt sureβ¦ it's possible, but she can swallow just fine and isnβt having negative reactions to waterβ
The princess turned to look at Zecora; she looked devastated and worried.
βWhat is happening to my child?β she whispered to her friend.
βI donβt know, but weβll find outβ
πππ
Things were not looking good.
By day seven, Phantasia had lost her magic and her hair had begun falling out. Her colours were dull and her irises had turned white. The skin on her back leg where the bramble had poked her was completely gone; Dull flesh, muscle and bone exposed.
Her chest had a large lump of flesh hanging on, exposing the surface of her sternum and ribs through a gnarly gash created by her own hooves.Β She had thrown herself against the wall so many times in a futile attempt to kill herself that a deep gash formed on her head, exposing her skull. Her ear was torn and mangled, several spots on her front and back legs exposed more muscle and bone.Β Despite her emaciated state, she was still somehow strong enough to dent the door trying to escape.
She screamed and begged for them to kill her, but no one wanted to get close enough to check her since she had become so violent in her confused state.Β At this point, sheβd given up asking for help and just laid down on the floor, crying.
The door creaked open, but she didnβt notice, and Fiddlestick hesitantly stepped in.
βPhantasia?β
βLeave me aloneβ¦β
He slowly stepped towards her with his head lowered.
βYouβve been yelling for a whileβ¦ I thought maybe youβd like it if I visited?β
She got up, stumbling and struggling to stand as she glared at him through eyes he wasnβt sure could even see anymore.
βI said get out of here Fiddlestick! Before you get hurt too!β She yelled at him.
βIβm not leaving you alone! The doctors might be scared but Iβm not!β He stomped his hoof and stood his ground, flapping his singular wing in defiance.
She whimpered and attempted to step towards him, but tripped over her own foot and fell against him.
He caught her, holding her up and helping her sit before he felt a sharp sting in his hoof. He pulled out quickly and looked at it. A small, purple quill was stuck in his hoof and as he looked back at Phantasia, he quickly noticed she wasΒ coveredΒ in them.Β They seemed to be sprouting from her exposed flesh.
His stomach dropped and he backed away from her in fear. She cried and begged him not to go, pleading for him to stay. The colt shook his head and ran out of the room, slamming the door and making sure it was locked before he ran to the bathroom.
In a panic, he plucked the quill and tossed it in the trash, washing his hoof in the sink over and over until his skin was raw and swollen. Panting, he pulled a first-aid kit from the cabinet. He wrapped his leg a bit haphazardly before letting out a sigh.
Deciding it was properly clean, he returned to his room. He couldnβt let anypony else know he snuck into the quarantine room or else heβd be in big trouble. It wasnβt that bad an issue anyway, at least not in his eyes.
Before he could fully shut the door, multiple ponies walked by in a rush, including Princess Twilight. He decided it was better not to snoop for once, and laid down in his bed.Β Meanwhile, the group of ponies gathered outside of Phantasiaβs room.
βWhat do we think the diagnosis could be?β Twilight asked.
βWellβ¦ we arenβt sure. Weβve never seen this before!β Doctor Horse wiped sweat from his brow and cleared his throat. βSheβs gotten worse so much faster than expectedβ
The group looked through the dense glass window on the door and Twilight gasped at the sight of all the needle-like quills protruding from the bloody filly.Β Zecora tried to look, but the princess pushed her away.
βYou shouldnβt see thisββ
βI must!β She stomped her hoof, cutting the alicorn off.
Twilight relented and allowed the zebra to look. She stared for a moment, watching what was the closest thing to family she had in Equestria, crying on the floor in pain.
Sinking to the floor, Zecora let out a shaky breath.
βWhat can be done for her?β
The doctor and nurses all looked at each other with somber expressions.
βThe truth is Miss Zecoraβ¦ we donβt know. There isnβt anything we can do safely since we have no idea what caused thisββ
βThen what do we do?! Would you want to suffer if that happened to you?β Zecora pleaded.
She couldnβt just let her little girl go through so much pain. She wouldnβt allow it. There had to beΒ somethingΒ they could do.
βLook, it could be dangerous for someone to go in there. We donβt know if itβs contagious, but even if it isnβt, sheβs too volatile to approachβ
Twilight stepped closer to the doctor.
βWhat if we sedate herβ from a distance. Keep her asleep with magic; Maybe then we can take samples of blood and thoseβ¦ quillsβ She shuddered at the mention of those things.Β Something about it made Twilight feel uneasy. The look of them was off in a way she couldnβt quite place.
βI suppose that could work, but weβd have to get a hazmat crew in so we donβt risk it spreading to anypony elseβ
The princess nodded in agreement with the doctor. He turned to speak to the nurse, urging her to call for the crew. Twilight looked to Zecora, who was still looking at Phantasia through the glass.
βI know itβs hard Zecora, but weβll figure something out. We can save herβ
The zebra shook her head.
βThe damage is too severe. She will not be able to leave hereβ
Twilight lowered her head, knowing it was most likely true. The injuries she sustained already would likely kill her if they did manage to cure her, but someone had to hold onto hope.
The Hazmat crew came quickly. They brushed past the mares and the unicorn of the group produced a gas can before pulling the tab and throwing it in the room with the infected filly.
Quickly, the gas knocked her unconscious and the crew entered with several heavy-duty, steel containers and tools. They extracted multiple blood samples and plucked a few quills from her skin, placing all of it in the various containers.Β Zecora couldnβt watch anymore; She turned and galloped down the hall, running into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Looking at herself in the mirror, she tried to calm downβ but it wasnβt working.
She began to sob.Β Her beautiful fillyβ¦ what was nearly her daughter, was dying. The small family sheβd created here in Equestria.
I love team 8 and decided to use them to test some colouring and shading ideas that didn't quite work, but they've given me ideas for future colour palettes and shading methods.
NEW design for pv in my failed awakening au! Ive been thinking of bringing it back, though with less consistent updates ghan before when i was first working on it
NEW design for pv in my failed awakening au! Ive been thinking of bringing it back, though with less consistent updates ghan before when i was first working on it
kianamaiart
germansingergirl
origamiaround
titsay
