He stared right at me with a concentrated expression. I stared right back in my readied position, letting the magic fill my head. Almost... Almost...!

"C'mon, Twilight... You can do it!" Spike spoke to me all of a sudden. I was about to tell him that he was breaking my concentration, when I realized his mouth didn't move as he said it, along with noticing the unchanged facial expression. I did it! My face brightened up and I stood properly; he blinked and smiled at me, noticing my change of posture.

"I did it, Spike! I could hear your thoughts!" Finally, it worked after so many months of research and practice. I felt proud of myself, but also exhausted to the hooves, letting out a relaxed sigh and hunching my head slightly.

"All right, Twilight!" Spike congratulated me as he took down a few notes with the quill and parchment I gave him. Turning to me, he started speaking in an egotistical tone. "Who's the baddest unicorn out there...? You are!" He pointed at me with both of his index fingers. It seemed like an odd thing to say; I looked down at him with confusion.

"Spike, how can I be bad if I just did something remarkable? Can you imagine the applications with this spell?" He looked at me with a criticizing glare, batting a paw out to dismiss it.

"Ah, nevermind... What kinda things do ya think? It seems like a cool trick." He walked over to my desk to set the paper down, along with tossing the quill to the small bottle of ink. Levitating the book I was reading to the front of my face, I spoke to Spike with dignity as I glanced at the pages.

"Telepathy's more than just reading thoughts, Spike; you can go into somepony else's mind to look at their memories, help understand their inner self, and it can even have medicinal uses!" I lowered the book, excited, and he looked back at me with interest. "I'm just starting out, though; if I concentrate, I can hear someone's thoughts on the very surface, even a little animal's. Nothing really significant until I practice." Smirking, I held a hoof to my chest proudly. I certainly hoped to get much out of this new spell.

"Huh... Lemme know if you need any help, 'cause I forgot where I put a gift for Rarity..." He scratched the back of his head guiltily. I smiled and nodded, reassuring him and walking to his side at the desk, setting the book back on top of it.

"Don't worry, Spike, I could try to take a look in your little noggin to find it sometime." I tapped a hoof on his forehead playfully, making him smile and look up at me, seeming hopeful that I would help him. "Not right now, of course, it took a lot out of me just to hear a short sentence, we just had our first successful test, after all." I gave him a caring expression even though his face dropped and he looked down.

"D'aw, alright..." The little dragon did a light kick at the ground in frustration. He looked back up at me after a moment, perking up a bit. "Oh yeah, speaking of gifts, I gotcha a little somethin' while I was out getting breakfast." Looking at him inquisitively as he dashed over to the base of one of the bookshelves, I wondered what it could be, tilting my head over to try and look past him. Taking a small bag off a stack of books, Spike stepped back over to me and held the pouch open for me to take a peek, looking down at its contents himself.

"Here, gotcha some takeout!" Inside were some yellow flowers that I hadn't seen before; though, I wasn't too familiar with the study of plants. To me they looked like a mix of lilies and sunflowers.

"What're these?" I used some magic to levitate one in front of me, leaning my head forward a bit to take a light sniff. It smelled wonderful.

"They're a new kind of flower that somepony replanted or somethin' out in Dandyhock Field a week ago or so. They got fully grown a couple days back, and're gettin' pretty popular as a snack, so I thought you might want some." That purple dragon sure was sweet sometimes. "I don't like flowers o'course, so I dunno if these are any good or not... They smell good, though." He looked up at me, a gleam of hopeful acknowledgement in his eyes, setting the bag on the ground.

"Oh, thank you, Spike! They look great!" I responded happily, making Spike visibly bashful, batting a paw at me and turning to walk off to do his own business. Now that we had completed today's magic session, he was free to go out; I watched him walk to the door, opening it and going outside, shutting it. Taking the bag with my mouth, I set it on my desk along with the flower that I was floating. I guess it would be a good time to have a little snack. It looked so pretty though; but if everypony ate them, I suppose I could give it a try, too.

I leaned my head down and took a small bite of one of its thick petals to taste-test, chewing lightly, savoring the flavor. Hmm... It tasted... Sweet. It had a kind of sweet grapey taste, mixed with a kind of flavor I'd expect from cake; it was a little juicy, too. Overall, it seemed very much like a fruit! Very delicious. I happily gobbled up the rest of the flower; I should definitely repay Spike with one of the gems I've hidden around here.

Levitating another flower from the bag to my mouth, I bit into it gleefully. Definitely had to get more of these from now on. I continued to snack on the flowers, grabbing a book from the fiction section, and opened it to the bookmark; Dash's new interest in Daring Do reminded me that I should read through them all again.

As I reached another chapter of Daring Do and the Holy Grail, an incessant knocking at the door interrupted my immersion into the story. Bad timing! Slightly annoyed, I went over there and opened it up. It was Pinkie Pie. She barged in, getting close to me and making me back up with her closeness.

"Twilight, Twilight! Spike said you could read minds! Is that true??" The pony hopped in place excitedly as I went to close the door.

"Well, I still need a lot of practice, but... I think I've got the beginnings of the spell down--"

"Oh, that's so great!! I wanna see you do it on me! C'mon, c'mon!" I looked at her with surprise. Did she come over here just to see if I could do it? Well, I could see her doing that... Glancing over to the open book on my desk, I conceded to Pinkie and sighed; I'll get back to the story again soon.

"Alright, I suppose I could..."

"Yay! I can't wait! This could be a great party trick! I'll think of something... Fluffy! No, rocky! Wait, um, um--" I held a hoof up.

"Pinkie, I need you to stay still and be quiet so I can concentrate, okay?" As quickly as I asked, she stood absolutely still and didn't utter another word; she merely stared at me with an anxious smile. It's always surprising when she does that... Walking over to her, I mentally prepared myself for the spell. I stared back, concentrating my magic and focusing on my thoughts, attempting to connect to hers. It all flowed a little smoother this time, now that I knew what I did to do it before.

About five seconds or so passed. I could hear something faint... I think it was from her. Just need to focus on the sound, and...

'You do not belong here, madame! Hmph!'

My concentration broke at the sudden sight and interjection. I looked around to see if somepony else was in the room; but there was none, so I looked back to her.

"Did it work? Did it, did it? What was I thinking about?" I merely looked at her with confusion.

"Uh... It sounded like somepony with a french accent, and there was a bag of flour on a table..." Her eyes widened, and she chuckled nervously, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Oh, um... I see..." She started to walk around me, towards the door. "I just remembered, I uh... My refrigerator is running, gotta go catch it! Bye!" Pinkie dashed out of the house, seeming very distressed about that running refri- Hey, wait a minute; that was an excuse! As I went to close the door again, I wondered what it could be, really? Did my attempt at telepathy remind her of something? Either way, I smiled to myself; I had another successful mind-read, uh, I think. Maybe I should try it on somepony random on the street! This time was a bit faster; I'm sure I could speed up the spell a bit more if I get the hang of it.

That settled it then; I went ahead and dashed to the desk, scooting out a small shoulder-pack from underneath, then looked up and over to the highest shelf on the wall. Some bits flew in my direction, and I placed them in the pack. I also took the Daring Do book and put it in there, making sure to mark the current page; just in case I needed to read. I hoisted up the bag's straps around my shoulders. All set!

Walking over to the door, I opened it to go outside, closing it behind me and looking around from where I was for random ponies. I saw one pony with a bag of vegetables, which reminded me I should get some more of those yellow lilies. They were absolutely tasty! I felt I ought to stock up on them for quick snacks. Starting up a light canter, I went in the direction of the usual place ponies set up their kiosks for selling random items.

I noticed it was a really nice day outside, glancing about; few clouds in the sky, a cool breeze blowing through the town, and a sweet smell in the air. Somepony must be baking nearby. Everypony seemed cheerful and carefree, no doubt thanks in part to the recent holiday.

As I walked, there was a pony coming up that was going to pass me. I waved a hoof at her with a smile which she returned and continued going closer, the two of us stopping for a friendly greet. This would be a good opportunity to test out my mind-reading magic; I started collecting magic in my horn, focusing on her thoughts as we spoke.

"Hi, Roseluck! How're you?" She seemed to be carrying a barely filled bag on her side.

"Oh, Twilight, nice to see you. I was just running some errands. Picking up a cake, depositing some bits in the bank, heading over to Dandyhock Field to check on some flowers I planted there..." I blinked. Maybe it was the same flower I had before?

"What kind of flowers? Yellow ones that look like lilies?"

"Oh, no, just some inedible kinds... But I've seen those there, too! Really pretty; I'll probably bring some home. I couldn't bring myself to eat them like everypony else, though!" She smiled cheerfully, looking like she was in thought. "It's funny that such a great flower was found in the Everfree Forest. We should explore there more to find more nice flowers!" A flower from the forest? Who knew something so pretty and delicious could come from there? I suppose with the vast area it covers, it's only natural that some good things could crop up now and then.

'I wonder if any creatures from the forest liked the flowers, too?' A sudden thought of Roseluck's entered my head. Taken aback slightly, I kept my composure and continued the conversation.

"I'm headed to the market to see if anypony's selling them. I like them too!" She giggled and started to walk past me, stifling a light cough. She must have a cold or something.

"Okay, don't let me keep you, see you later!" She waved at me happily and I returned it, turning forward and starting to walk once more. Another successful telepathy attempt, and so quick, too! I'm definitely getting the hang of it. However, her thought made me think a bit as the kiosks came into view. What if there were creatures in the Everfree Forest that liked them? We practically stole the flowers away and planted them in a field nearby. The creatures may not be too happy about that... Ponyville might have to deal with them if they find out. In any case, it's nothing to worry about at the moment; I'm overthinking.

I came to the open area where most ponies set up little shops to sell various things. Applejack was here with her apples as usual, of course; there was a vegetable stand, baked goods stand, candy stand, flower stand... Flower stand, there we are. There seemed to be a small crowd of about five or so ponies standing around to buy some flowers, growing by the minute; I saw a filly run off with a couple of flowers held by the stem in her mouth. It was the new flower! They must be a pretty popular new snack. I saw more ponies join the crowd; I should get over there before the line gets even longer.

"Come, come, get the new and tasty Dandyhock Field flower! Two bits for three flowers! Get them while they're hot!" I could hear the kiosk owner going on with a pitch. Ponies were talking amongst themselves or to the shopkeeper excitedly, quickly exchanging their bits for some of the pretty and delicious product. Some more ponies were getting in the queue behind me, as well. Soon, it was my turn.

"Hello! I'll take a half-dozen, please." I floated four bits out of my pack onto the counter, which the owner slid off the counter on his side with a hoof; I could hear the clinking of bits. He continued smiling and placed six flowers with their small stems down in front of me.

"Here ya go, missy. Next!" I took the flowers into my pack with magic, and quickly got out of the way so that I wouldn't hold the line. Walking off to the side, glancing at the other kiosks, I noticed they had stems, while the ones that Spike gave me did not. These must be really fresh! Smiling to myself, I was thinking I should probably eat one right away... or three.

Wonder if I should get anything else while I'm here? I considered the option while looking over at Applejack, who seemed a bit disgruntled; nopony was there to buy her apples. I trotted over there to greet her, and she seemed happy to see me.

"Hiya, Applejack! How's business?" I looked around at the apple baskets, and she was a bit overstocked. She groaned in frustration, flopping onto the counter. This would be another good opportunity to try the mind read... I silently focused magic into my horn.

"Ugh, ah tell ya, Twilight, them new flowers're gonna run me outta business! Ah gotta thinka sum'n to draw the crowd, or at this rate..." She looked a bit worried, but in an angry way. I felt a bit sorry for her; I thought it might make her feel better if I bought some apples.

"...Two apples, please." Moving five bits out of my pack, I heard them clinking away as they fell to the counter. It was a bit too much, but perhaps she wouldn't mind me giving her a little extra. She brightened up a bit and took the money with a sigh, looking at me gratefully without saying anything, just nodding. Levitating a bright red and green apple each from one of the baskets, I stuffed them into my backpack, careful not to crush the flowers inside.

'Twilight, yer way too kind... Wish ah could say no...' Hearing that in her thoughts made me happy. I nodded with a smile and turned to walk out of the market zone back to my house, but I stopped for a moment. Wonder if I should enjoy the day outside with a little snack? I do have the book I need to finish, after all... My friends always tell me I should go outside more, too. I suppose I'll find somewhere nice to sit...

Trotting a different direction out of the market, I looked around to find a bench or table to read at. I passed by some tables in front of an eatery, a few benches, one with that one pony and her friend that sits oddly... Oh, there's a free bench; one of the ones in front of the pathway to the hospital. I set the pack on one side and laid down on the other, sighing with relaxation. Opening it and dragging my book out with my mouth, I quickly turned to the marked page and continued reading, but not before grabbing some flowers to snack on. I took a sniff of one; it had a bit of a more sour smell to it compared to the ones from earlier. The freshness sure does make a difference.

Daring Do ran into the sunset once more. I closed the book with a sigh, smiling at the back cover as I reflected on it, reaching over to grab another flower to snack on. However, there were none. Oops, did I eat them all already? My mistake... Guess they're just that good! Just as I was appreciating the newfound food once again, I saw two ponies running this way, in white clothing. Emergency ponies carrying a hospital stretcher with a pony lying on it. As they ran by me to turn to the entrance of the building, I could see the pony on it was quite sick, coughing loudly; and it was just a little filly! It was a bit strange. When I thought about it, there were quite a few coughing little ones with their parents coming through that I noticed while I was reading.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I packed up my things to put around my shoulders, hopping off the bench and trotting to the hospital. I should find out if there's a little something going around; have to be prepared for sickness. I inhaled and sighed deeply. The air was smelling sweet even here; rather comforting for what I was about to see.

As I opened the doors, it became apparent that many ponies were sick; the air filled with the noise of coughing, and I walked into the waiting area, looking around the room. The majority of them were little fillies and colts coughing up a storm; though I did see a few adults were, too. Something must really be going around. Suddenly, a nurse ran up to me, looking a bit distressed, no doubt due to the workload of so many ponies in need. She had a surgical mask on.

"Are you sick or visiting? You aren't coughing..." Looking me over, she reached into a bag on her side.

"I'm just curious... Is a sickness going around?" I asked with concern as she brought out what she was looking for.

"Here, wear this." It was a protective mask like hers to prevent me from getting sick. I put it on, strapping it tight behind my ears, getting it snug around my muzzle. "There's something going around, alright; but we haven't found the cause yet. We think--" Just as she was about to give a clue, another pony on a stretcher showed up. Wait...! That wasn't a pony, it was Spike! I gasped and dashed over to walk alongside the stretcher as they hastily carried him down the hall. The nurse from before followed on the other side.

"Oh, Spike, are you okay?" There was a clear tone of concern and worry in my question. He coughed and responded with a raspy voice.

"Ugh... Twilight. Just a nasty cough, that's all, probably the flu..." He coughed again with a few green embers slipping out, sighing and trying to relax where he was, closing his eyes. I was really worried, now... There had to be a cause for this. As Spike was carried into a room, I spoke up to question the nurse quickly before she got back to business.

"Excuse me, but what were you saying just then? Did you figure anything out?" I looked to her with concern, and she returned the same look.

"We're not exactly sure, but ponies mostly from the east side of town have been getting sick. It must be something over there. Please, excuse me..." She turned away to go into Spike's room, the stretcher carriers running past the nurse and myself as they hurried it back through the hall and out the door. They're probably going to try to look for somepony else in need. I heard the door close to the room, and looked at it sadly; I'll see if I can visit him, later.

As I was about to turn to leave, I heard a nurse shout suddenly from a room nearby.

"Code Blue!!" I remember that term...! It meant that a patient needed immediate resuscitation, something happening to them that kept them from breathing or something similar. Was it related to the sickness? I had to find out, just in case. Letting some nurses gallop past me, I slowly trotted over to the open door of the room they all went to, and peeked in.

The nurses were crowded around the bed in question, but I could see the patient somewhat; it was a little filly unicorn with a purple mane and light blue coat. So small... They worked hard to get her to breathe again. I felt myself becoming more and more tense over what seemed like ages passed. In just a moment, though, they all relaxed with a sigh, and so did I. They succeeded in getting her back, for now; just barely visible, the tiny pony's chest rose and fall. I could overhear them talking, albeit muffled through their masks as they double-checked everything.

"She's one of the first, right? Have the tests been finished yet?"

"Not yet, they're still being run... All that's really unique is that there's an odd smell from the coughs of the afflicted."

"If we can't figure it out, we'll have an epidemic on our hooves... Not even sure how long this little filly will last..." They all became visibly saddened at the thought of everything that's happening. I turned to walk away, going down the hall from where I came.

I thought to myself as I exited the building with a slow canter. Another stretcher team passed me as I arrived the end of the path. I needed to help figure out what happened, sighing hopelessly, but tried to keep my confidence. It was necessary to be strong at these times, and I needed to investigate. Remembering I still had the mask on, it should be quite convenient to prevent infection while I'm over in the place where it seemed to start. Quickly, I started a brisk trot towards the east side of Ponyville.

As I started to get over there, I didn't really notice too much out of the ordinary; ponies all around were taking care of their business, as usual. I did, however, see one or two give a light cough here and there, and a stretcher team had also run a pony past me, heading down to the hospital. I looked around aimlessly; where was I supposed to start? Sighing, I hung my head and just gazed over to a nearby flower stand. I perked up a little at the idea of having some more of that sweet yellow flower, whatever it was called, and went over to take a look.

A few ponies were standing around, and I could see some canter off with the tasty flowers in the grip of their smiling teeth. I was the last one in line, and there was nopony else behind me. Stepping forward, I asked hopefully for some of the plant.

"Could I buy some of those new yellow flowers, please?" I smiled behind my surgical mask, feeling regret over my appearance; but I couldn't risk it. Hopefully I hadn't offended the shopkeeper.

"Oh, sorry, miss, I'm fresh out." I groaned, hanging my head. Of course there weren't any available when it was my turn. She spoke up again in a friendly tone.

"...You know, if you really wanted to get some, you could head over to Dandyhock Field, just over the hill back there. It's where they're being planted at, after all." I widened my eyes in surprise as she raised a hoof in a direction with a light cough. Of course! Sometimes I have terrible memory.

"Thank you, ma'am, I'll do that." I happily trotted off towards the direction the flower shop mare pointed at, walking past the houses and into a field with tall grass outside the town. Received a few stumbles as I dealt with not being able to see the ground, but I came to the hill, climbing up the incline.

As I arrived at the top, Dandyhock Field came into view. It was quite nice up here, the wind was cool and strong, blowing past my face, and I had a pretty view of the entire field. I could see it; a big yellow patch of flowers. I couldn't tell if they were the ones from here, so I galloped down the hill to get closer.

I was soon in front of the large patch of flowers, close enough to be able to see the tilled soil under all the petals and grass. Moving up to the edge of the patch, I decided to pluck one with my magic and bring it up to my face to sniff. The air was already pleasantly scented, thanks to the strong smell of the flowers and the breeze wafting it about, and it smelled a bit different in this big field as opposed to just one flower. Somewhat tangy and more sour, I believe. I was about to lower my mask to get a better sense of smell when I noticed something odd in the patch. Placing the flower I plucked into my pack, I hopped over the miniature fence and stepped carefully over each line of flowers.

The strange object came into view; it was a pony! I recognized her colors and cutie mark. It was Roseluck. She seemed to have passed out, laying on her side... Her bag was also next to her, although empty. I walked around to see her face and knelt down to check on her. Very weak breathing; I had to act fast. Charging the magic in my horn, I enveloped Roseluck in a telekinetic aura, being sure not to miss one spot of her to raise. I lifted her up very carefully and set her on my back, adjusting her position between me and my backpack, along with her front legs forward to keep her there. I could feel the light breaths on me; a convenient indication of how serious a condition she's in. With her secure, I began a hasty gallop out of the field of flowers and up the hill, quickly heading into town to go to the hospital.

"Don't worry, Roseluck, I'll get you help..." Several ponies looked on as I ran down the road, but I paid them no mind. It was important that I get to the hospit-- Oh, this is convenient. Two stretcher runners happened to be heading in my direction.

"Hey! Over here!" I waved them down, quickly catching their attention, the two stallions running over and working in tandem perfectly. In nearly an instant, they had set the stretcher on the ground, grabbing Roseluck off my back and gently putting her on it. "I found her passed out in the yellow flower patch in Dandyhock Field." They nodded to me and hastily carried her off towards the hospital.

Phew... All that running and carrying made me pretty tired; I sighed and hung my head low to catch my breath, closing my eyes a moment. Didn't seem like I found anything worthwhile when investigating over there, only a passed-out pony. I needed to think. What could have caused all of this? A random pony with a bad virus? There's no way it could have spread so fast, though. Roseluck... She coughed when I saw her earlier. Could she have the illness? I started feeling fairly gloomy at this point. Perhaps getting back into my magical practice will improve my mood... When I opened my eyes and looked up again, there was suddenly a brightly-colored pony there which spooked me.

"Twilight! I, uh... caught my refrigerator!" Pinkie Pie looked at me with a smile. On her sides were her cutie mark bags; she must have been gathering her usual party supplies. "Sorry for leaving so soon, earlier! What's with the mask? Are you a doctor?" The pink pony looked at me inquisitively, invading my personal space.

"No, no, a nurse gave me this mask to keep me from getting sick," I said as I backed up a few steps. "There's a really bad illness being passed around, and it started from back that way..." I took a glance behind me and pointed with a hoof as she followed it, craning her neck. Lowering my mask to speak to Pinkie properly, I gazed at her with concern; she didn't seem to be sick, at least. "I was at the hospital earlier to find out what the commotion was. I had no idea it was so widespread." She looked at me sadly.

"Twilight, what about you, are you sick?" Pinkie was being serious, for once. I shook my head, even though I couldn't exactly be positive. She seemed to relax a bit, loudly sighing in relief.

"No, for now I'm fine. What about you? Have you been feeling well?" Magic started to focus into my horn. I remembered that I should practice more on mind reading; the idea of getting out of my own busy mind right now and into Pinkie's carefree one seemed relaxing.

"Oh, I've been great! Don't forget to come to Derpy's party! There's gonna be pin the tail on the pony and piñatas and everything! I even just got some tasty party snacks!" She opened one of her bags, the act of which caused a loud popping sound, sending confetti and balloons all over the place and spooking me for a split second. Pinkie's always so full of surprises... She turned to face me again, a flower stem being held in her mouth, and dropped the flower onto a held-up hoof.

"See, I tried out these flowers, they're great! Everypony loves them!" I smiled and nodded in agreement; she was quite right. Leaning my head down a bit to smell it, this one was sour-smelling, though also having a real tangy scent to it. I supposed Spike bought some from an older batch; none of the ones I've smelled have been the same as the flowers he bought. Although, then again, it's smelled slightly different each time I've done it. I wonder how sensitive they are to freshness? Standing up straight again, I looked at Pinkie who giggled.

'Help me...! Help!! Please...'

Suddenly, I heard a voice crying out. Trying to find the source of it, I turned my head left and right, but there was nopony; I just looked at Pinkie who returned my look of confusion.

"Do... you need help with anything, Pinkie?" She shook her head vigorously.

"Nope, nope, nope! I do all my party planning by myself, it's my special talent, after all! Speaking of which, I need to get back to it! Bye!" The pink pony hopped away joyfully in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. My mind went back to that cry for help. I couldn't have heard somepony calling out, could I? Perhaps it was somepony in a house nearby. The maximum range on such a spell was never defined very well.

Trotting over to the nearest house, I knocked on the door, and waited for a minute or two. No answer. Made another knock to be sure; still nothing. I went to the next closest house to repeat. Nothing. Looking around again to be sure, I didn't notice anypony close by at all. It was empty around here; the atmosphere it gave off was a bit creepy, but at least the cool breeze in the air smelled nice. Even so, what I heard was really strange, but there was nothing I could do about it for now.

I decided to make my way over to the hospital, a constant unnerving feeling creeping up my spine. Something was making me feel very anxious. I couldn't put a hoof on it, but it seemed like there was something I was missing, some detail about all this I've overlooked... It was driving me a bit crazy. As I approached the hospital, I put the surgical mask back over my muzzle, breathing out a sigh. No doubt after what time's passed there will be more ponies checking in for the ailment. Looking into the sky, I had noticed that a dark, somewhat cloudy evening was beginning.

As I reached a hoof up to get the door, a large group of ponies wearing surgical masks and carrying saddle packs burst through and galloped past, almost running me over. Where were they off to in a hurry? There must be a big emergency somewhere... I hope everypony in Ponyville will be alright after all of this passes.

Walking inside, I was once more greeted with the sound of much coughing. The sight of all of the ponies in such a weak state had made me not feel so well, either; and it didn't help that just about everypony was wearing a mask. I stepped over to one of the nurses that were rushing around.

"Excuse--"

"I'm sorry, if you're sick, you'll have to wait..." I was interrupted almost immediately; she must have noticed my mask. The nurse quickly turned away from me to go back to her business.

"Wait! I'm here about Roseluck! I found her unconscious..." She looked back at me with a distressed face, hesitating a moment.

"Ah... Very well, come with me." She began a brisk pace down the hall, and I followed close behind her, not wanting to get in the way of the bustling hospital patients and staff. Soon, she opened a door to the right, and I saw a piece of paper taped under the door number, hastily scrawled with the names of the ponies using this room. Roseluck was on it, along with two others that I weren't familiar with. The nurse held the door open for me, closing it when I entered.

Looking around, the other two ponies that were in here appeared to be suffering, coughing fairly rough. It made me feel a bit disheartened, but I needed to check on Roseluck. Stepping over to the last bed, I noticed a stallion doctor and a mare nurse were standing on opposite sides of her. I stood alongside the nurse, watching the florist pony have a troubled sleep. Sighing sadly, I gently laid a hoof on her hind leg, which I could tell was shivering. Hopefully everypony gets through this okay...

"This pony found her in the field." The nurse who brought me in here spoke from behind me, and I looked back at her. She nodded to the doctor, and quickly left the room to tend to other duties.

"Twilight Sparkle, right?" I nodded in acknowledgement. "We have the sneaking suspicion that this illness has been caused by the yellow flowers growing in Dandyhock Field." My eyes widened. Could that be true? How could that happen? "It's likely that they were poisonous to eat in a way we couldn't realize... and it also seems to be contagious from pony to pony, hence the masks." I looked down at Roseluck again, lost in thought. It didn't make sense.

"I talked to Roseluck earlier today. She said she couldn't bring herself to eat any of them, they were too pretty..." My eyes closed and I rubbed at my forehead, trying to think; my mind was getting hazy. "...And my friend Spike, he doesn't like flowers, either. He couldn't have eaten any, but he still got sick." The doctor looked between me and the nurse to my side, seeming pensive.

"That's unfortunate... It must be airborne, then, which is far worse..." He took a deep breath and sighed. I shook my head, however; that didn't make sense, either.

"Couldn't be; haven't the flowers been growing for a while now? Plus, they've been eaten and given out all over the place for days, I hear." The doctor looked to me, trying to think of an explanation as hard as I was. The unicorn nurse at my side spoke up.

"Yes, that's true... And nopony has become sick with this until today... It's all so confusing. Everything fits except the time difference." The three of us looked down in contemplation. For some reason, the hard tile floor started to become soft and spongy like jelly, but I stood my ground.

"Either way, any moment now we'll get the test results back from the earliest afflicted patients. I hate to say it, but your bringing Roseluck here helped to confirm our theories. It was only twenty minutes ago that a colleague spoke to her--" He stared at me wide-eyed as he moved side-to-side by Roseluck's bed. What an odd doctor. "...Are you feeling alright?" Just then, I felt a burning sensation in my throat; lurching forward and bracing myself on the bed, I let out two sharp, painful coughs; I had no idea it hurt this much. The nurse next to me held me with her hooves as she tried to guide me to a visitor's bench at the wall near the door, my balance being rather shaky. I couldn't concentrate on the ground, it was too difficult to walk on my own.

Suddenly, I found myself lying on the cushioned bench. The nurse took off my backpack and set it to lean on the armrest. I saw her step over to the medical cart to get a few things, with her back turned to me. A moment later the mare had prepared an injection, holding it up with magic. I closed my eyes and braced for it; I felt a sharp pain around where my cutie mark was for a short moment, but it passed. Quite quickly, I was breathing more comfortably, and felt more balanced. I still let out a few coughs, though, but they hurt less. Looking up to her, I smiled and was about to speak, but she started before I could.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Miss Sparkle... It's just something temporary to ease the symptoms. Just rest." The nurse looked down at me sadly as she tossed the syringe in the trash. I felt a bit discouraged at the notion, but it was what it was. After a moment of double-checking the other three patients, she left the room, continuing her business with the other ponies in the hospital.

My eyes scanned the room lazily. When did the doctor from before leave? I could hear some muffled talk in the hallway; one was faintly the doctor I was just talking to. I closed my eyes and focused as much magic as I could muster with my sickness, trying to listen to their conversation outside with the telepathy spell. Only localized to just outside... I should be able to pick up what they're saying this way.

"...noted that it couldn't be ingestion, nor inhalation."

"What other method is there? Not that it matters; these tests confirm everything."

"We all know what we have to do, don't we?" There was a long pause in conversation after that question which made me feel a bit anxious.

'It's a shame, really...'

'They tasted so good.'

"...At the least, we immediately started on a cure; the virus is not actually a virus, making it simple. We just need time. Prepare the most critical patients. There have been no fatalities as of yet." I relaxed once more at the sound of a cure and that nopony had been seriously affected. A feeling of drowsiness began to wash over me in my mental comfort in that fact, but I needed to hear everything they had to say, first.

"We know where the source is, at least. There's no mistaking the relation after the tests we completed. Even if how it happened is still a mystery... We have to act. Now."

"All right. I'll get the guards and anyone else healthy to help take care of it. Let's move fast." I heard the group of doctors gallop away down the noisy hall.

Throughout the conversation I couldn't really understand or interpret too much of what they were saying. The combination of the sickness getting into my head along with the injection I was given made it hard to concentrate. Something was still bothering me about all of this, though.

'P-please... Is anyone there... Help me...'

My eyes shot open. I heard yet another cry for help, and I looked around. Nopony awake. The three that were in here were sleeping unsoundly, but they weren't sleep talkers. It had to have been close by... This was making me frustrated. I experienced another set of painful coughs, rising my head up on my foreleg knees and coughing into my mask once more. After that rough session, I panted a bit, catching my breath. I immediately noticed something odd; a strange smell. It smelled like... something tangy. Did I just...?

Gasping, I felt as though all of the gears in my head started moving. The puzzle pieces began fitting together. How could I have been so blind? Something terrible was about to happen; I had to get out of here, to try and stop it. Wobbling profusely, I carefully stepped off the bench and stood up, my newfound realization fueling my adrenaline. I took in a deep breath and exhaled out, letting out a cough again. The scent was still there. Had to hurry; I stepped to the door of the room and bolted out, galloping down the hall.

I was a bit swervy, but I managed not to run into anypony as I ran outside, continuing down the path back into the main part of town. Realizing I was still wearing the surgical mask, I snapped it off and tossed it aside with a burning cough. I didn't need it anymore. The sweet, sour smell of the air was stronger than ever.

Turning towards the direction to the east side of town, in the faint distance under the purple sky and rising moon, I could see the silhouettes of a large group heading that way... towards Dandyhock Field. My hooves started up again to follow. Had to stop them, before it was too late. Three times I fell due to my poor balance, my shoulders and sides skidding along the ground, only causing me to wheeze achingly with my coughs. I quickly shook it off each time and kept on with my mildly unresponsive limbs, panting heavily. I couldn't let this happen.

Soon, I found the base of the hill and climbed up hastily, my legs and lungs burning with each step and breath. I could barely see a radiant light just over the edge with my gradually blurring vision, but I didn't want to believe it... I had to look. I came to the peak and carefully gazed out at the field, unprepared for the worst.

My last-minute efforts were in vain. Bright flames within the field of flowers blazed intensely in the night, sending dark plumes of smoke upward which reflected the moonlight. I had another burning cough as I looked on, still breathing heavily from my ordeal. All of them, they're being destroyed. With the last remnants of my willpower, I concentrated the last bit of magic I could muster into my horn. I needed to be sure about my conclusion.

It came on suddenly. A thousand screams of fright entered my head, immediately causing me to hold its sides just in front of my ears. I quickly fell onto the ground, shaking; the pain was splitting my head in two. If I had any strength left, I would have screamed, myself. I cancelled the spell, but I still heard it. A dizziness was encompassing me, as I felt my coughs getting worse. My head was wailing with the misery of a thousand voices. All I remember after that moment is that the raging orange light slowly became more and more blurred until I could see it no more.

I woke with a start, breathing in deeply and frantically all of a sudden. The white ceiling that I was looking at was bright. I looked around; I was in a hospital bed. There were chairs all around my bed with all six of my friends sitting in them, all sleeping. My friends...

Stretching out a bit, I was feeling extraordinarily tired, taking in a deep breath and letting out a loud, relaxed groan. My throat was no longer feeling like it was on fire; and I wasn't feeling dizzy where I sat. My groan seemed to stir Pinkie from her sleep, who quickly noticed I was awake, smiling and starting to nudge the rest of them awake.

"Wake up, wake up, everypony!! Twilight's awake!" They all slowly woke up, perking up and smiling when they saw me, although Rainbow and Applejack couldn't help but stifle a yawn. The sight made me do the same.

"It's so good to see all of you... How did I get here, and how long was I out? Ah, I hope I didn't keep you from anything." I looked at them apologetically.

"It's no problem, dear. We'll always be here for you."

"I was so worried, I'm glad you're okay..."

"You been out like a light fer a couple hours, now."

"Man, from what I heard from the doctor, I never knew you were that tough!"

"I guess you were sick after all, huh?"

"I shoulda been there to help ya, Twilight. Sorry."

My friends... They make me smile. I felt so lucky to have them. Them staying here for several hours made me feel guilty, though; but there wasn't anything I could do about it now, could I?

"The doc said one of the ponies at the field saw you passed out, and they brought you over." I lowered my head sadly. Spike made me realize it was a stupid move for me to rush out there in the dark. What if nopony saw me? I'd probably be...

"Ooh, ooh, Twilight, we should have a--" My hoof went to plug up Pinkie's mouth, making some of my other friends chuckle. I knew that she would want to have a party for everypony getting better in town.

"No, Pinkie... I need to go home and rest. From what I can tell, I think whatever they gave me has cured me completely." I deeply breathed in and out again. Completely clean and normal. It felt nice. "Did the doctors find out what it was?" I looked around them inquisitively.

"Somethin' about the flowers makin' us sick in our throat or somethin'." Rainbow was about as precise as a politician. We all stared at her due to the obviousness of her statement, and she grinned and chuckled sheepishly, not really knowing how odd she sounded.

"We could go find out, if you wanted to..." Fluttershy turned to me, polite as always.

"No, that's alright..." I shook my head, dismissing the idea. Sighing, I still had the feeling of unease, though. My mind was coming into focus, and the events that just transpired became fresh in my thoughts again.

"I hate to do this to the rest of you, but I'd really like to go home and have some time alone..." I looked at them apologetically, but they returned concerned faces with a smile; they didn't need to say anything, and I didn't need to read their mind. My friends were very happy to see that I was alright, after what I'd been through.

"Okay, sugarcube, les' get ya checked out." I got out of bed with a little difficulty, feeling quite a bit sore from the overexertion earlier. Some bandages were also on my shoulders and sides, no thanks to my rushing down the road, having tripped over my own hooves continuously. Rarity helped stabilize me as I righted myself, and I was able to stand and walk upright on my own again. I looked over to one of the chairs and saw my backpack there.

"Spike, can you get my bag?" I looked to him kindly as he obliged, hoisting the straps over his own shoulders and carrying it himself, smiling happily at the chance to help me at this point.

"Alright, let's blow this joint. I'd rather not come back here anytime soon... Again!" Rainbow was the first to the door and to leave the room, heading down the hall. The rest of us followed her to the hospital lobby, going to the checkout counter, and I walked up to the nurse there.

"Checking out? Feeling better?" I nodded quite happily, using my magic to levitate the provided pen and sign my name neatly along with the checkout time. Sighing with a sense of completeness, I turned to walk towards the entrance. My friends all followed me closely as I opened the door to step outside to the cool twilight breeze. I took in a deep breath; the air still smelled a little sweet, but it was waning. We began walking after a moment, talking a bit about what we did during the day as the outbreak happened.

When we arrived at the end of the hospital path, Rainbow yawned again, stretching.

"Too bad about the flowers. I gotta get some rest in a real bed! See ya'll later!" She flew up into the sky, a bit slower than usual.

"Ah gotta hit the hay, too, Twilight. You best get some rest, alright?" Applejack started to walk away, yawning again. No doubt she's not going to miss those flowers. I bid the rest of my friends farewell as I started to walk the way to my house with Spike close by my side, keeping an eye on me. I grinned; does he really feel that guilty about leaving me alone today? It's not like he could have helped getting sick.

Soon, we arrived at the big tree of a house I lived in. Opening the door, I walked in and Spike closed it after coming in himself, turning on the lights. I stretched a little more with a light grunt and started to walk towards my desk afterward. My dragon friend followed me and set my backpack under my desk, where I always kept it, and I smiled down at him. He stretched his arms out with a yawn.

"Goodnight, Twilight, glad you're better..." He walked off in a slump to lazily head over to his bed, scratching his back.

"You too, Spike." Leaning down under the desk, I opened my bag; the flower that was in there was gone, and so was the red apple that I bought from Applejack. Taking the green one, I stared at it, absent-mindedly focusing on the reflection of light on the apple. Everything that happened today... It left a bad taste in my mouth, literally. All they were doing was trying to defend themselves, and they perished for it. This weighed heavily on my heart, and I'm the only one that knew the truth. After everything that happened, what does that make us? How could anypony possibly believe such a tale, even if I were to tell them? Would it be right to keep this burden of knowledge to myself? Was ignorance bliss, for the sake of staying content?

My mind ached with the implications. I felt very torn over it all, and I wasn't sure whether or not to tell my friends about what I knew. Although, there always was one pony I could talk to, about anything. Preparing to write, I magically rose some parchment, an inkwell, and a quill from the appropriate drawers and laid them on the desk, opening the bottle and setting the feather's point into it. I hesitated for just a second; but put the ink to paper after a moment of deliberation. They will not be forgotten.

~Fin~