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Plague Ponies Episode 8: "Test Results"

Nurse Redheart returns from Canterlot to share her findings with Twilight Sparkle. With the addition of Big Mac's test results, a theory begins to form...

Content Warnings: Blood and disease in a medical setting

Comic Start

Beneath the Golden Oak Library

Nurse Redheart: Can you see alright?

Twilight Sparkle nods and gestures affirmatively with her wing. Spike stands at her side, quill and clipboard at the ready.

Nurse Redheart points to the side of Big Macintosh's neck. He is laid out on a raised cot in a padded room.

Nurse Redheart: The best vein to draw from is the jugular vein right here. If you're not sure, you can use the topography spell I showed you. Feeling with your hooves works just as well, but we're truing to limit contact as much as possible.

Nurse Redheart demonstrates the steps to be taken when drawing blood. Step 1: Disinfect. Step 2: Prepare to insert (the needle).

Big Macintosh looks nervous.

Nurse Redheart: You're doing very well, Big Mac. You're just going to feel a little pinch...

Nurse Redheart prepares the needle. While she's turned away, Big Macintosh mouths to Twilight Sparkle and Spike,

Big Macintosh, silently: Help...

Twilight Sparkle, silently: Sorry...

Spike: You did tell him there would be needles involved, right?

Twilight Sparkle: ...

Nurse Redheart: If you've got the vein, you'll see the blood travel up the tube right away. Sometimes it's a little tricky, but Big Mac here has great veins.

Nurse Redheart finishes up and puts a plaster on Big Macintosh's neck. Big Macintosh lets out a sigh of relief.

Nurse Redheart: We're just taking five samples today. You did wonderfully, dear. All done!

Nurse Redheart pulls out a star sticker as a reward. Big Macintosh is very happy with his sticker.

Nurse Redheart: And we'll have the results ready in a few days.

Twilight Sparkle: Wow~

Big Macintosh: Before we finish up here...could you let my family know I'm alright? And tell Applejack this isn't her fault. Knowing her, she'll be beatin' herself up for my getting hurt.

Twilight Sparkle: ...

Spike looks up to Twilight Sparkle. Nurse Redheart exits Big Macintosh's room with his blood.

Twilight Sparkle: Of course.

Big Macintosh: Thank you, princess! Thank you!

Twilight Sparkle walks away from the observation window, looking miserable.

Spike: Would it be so bad to let the Apples visit?

Twilight Sparkle: Well...

Before Twilight Sparkle can elaborate, Nurse Redheart interrupts. Twilight Sparkle brightens immediately.

Nurse Redheart: Are you ready for the blood analysis Spell?

Twilight Sparkle: Yes! I've got it all figured out! It's been so long since I've had to study a layered-function spell...I had so much fun getting it to work just right!

Nurse Redheart is taken aback, but not displeased, by Twilight Sparkle's enthusiasm.

Nurse Redheart: It's good you enjoy it. With so few unicorns trained in medical magic here, it's likely you'll have to know it well. In fact, how would you feel about training a few more of our staff?

Twilight Sparkle: I would love to!

Twilight Sparkle casts a spell on the blood testing machine and sets it spinning. The blood in the tubes begin to separate.

Nurse Redheart: Perfect! Just keep that up for five minutes.

Spike: This is cool and all...but why are we spinning Big Mac's blood again?

Nurse Redheart walks Spike to the other side of the counter, where a small monitor is hooked up to the machine Twilight Sparkle is spinning.

Nurse Redheart: The centrifugal force separates the blood into readable parts. This way, we can get more accurate information...which we read from this machine!

Nurse Redheart reads the monitor screen.

Nurse Redheart: And look here, there's antibody presence in his blood!

Nurse Redheart leans closer to Spike to whisper to him.

Nurse Redheart: His body is learning how to fight the virus.

Spike: Ohh...

Twilight Sparkle: That's great news!

Nurse Redheart: I'll get more eyes on this so we can confirm what I'm reading. I'm also seeing an unusual presence of magic and protein in his blood. I think this confirms our theory, princess.

Twilight Sparkle: So it really is compromising his magic system, then?

Nurse Redheart: Yes, it's pretty clear now that we've observed an earth pony patient. Earth pony magic is directly connected to the muscles, so magical viruses sometimes cause muscle atrophy in earth ponies.

Nurse Redheart and Twilight walk over to a board.

Nurse Redheart: How was he feeling this morning?

Twilight Sparkle thinks back to the early morning, when she secretly bandaged up Big Macintosh's leg in the barn before getting him to the Golden Oak.

Spike: Achey all over, pretty tired. He's bored, too.

Nurse Redheart: And his bite wound?

Twilight Sparkle: Nothing much has changed. It's been flushed out and there's no swelling, but it won't close.

Spike: It's only been a day, maybe it's just too early? It was a pretty nasty bite...

Nurse Redheart: Even still, it's unusual for an earth pony patient's wound to show no change after a full day cycle. I'm almost certain the virus targets pony magic.

Twilight Sparkle: You saw similar symptoms in your unicorn patient?

Nurse Redheart thinks back to Fleur De Lis as she last saw her.

Nurse Redheart: Of sorts. That patient's symptoms were more aggressive. We think the virus may have targeted her horn root.

Twilight Sparkle: ...We'll need more data points of how the symptoms differ between different kinds of pony...

Nurse Redheart: Yes. Let me show you what notes I have so far. Is...Spike okay to see this?

Spike: I can handle it!

Nurse Redheart: ....Alright.

Nurse Redheart turns on a projector.

"Unicorn Magic System:

The magic system and nervous system are closely linked in all pony kind. The magic of a unicorn is in highest concentrations within the horn root and cutie mark.

Due to this, the first indications of infection in unicorns manifest in the form of positional headaches, pressure behind the eyes, photosensitivity, nausea, and swelling of the sinuses and lymph nodes."

"Virus Progression in Unicorns:

"The virus co-opts the unicorn's magic. Veins will discolor as they are burned by involuntary surges of magic. Patient will experience increased discomfort, irritability, followed by confusion, and eventual anterograde amnesia and apraxia.

By this point, the patient's immune system is also compromised. Combined with the increased likelihood of self-injury, small cuts and bruises may deteriorate into larger complications very quickly. Patients at this stage should be under constant supervision."

"Earth Pony Magic System:

The magic system and nervous system are closely linked in all pony kind. The magic system of an earth pony is distributed all throughout the muscles."

Nurse Redheart: I suspect that magic surges also occur in earth ponies, but are not observable as the magical veins are further below the skin. My greatest concern is with the heart. As it is one of the most vital muscles of the body, I want Big Mac's blood oxygen and fatigue closely monitored. Absolutely no unnecessary physical exertion.

Twilight Sparkle: Do you think we'll have to keep him down here for the rest of his observation?

Spike: Yeah...he did charge straight out of his sick bed to help the others in the orchard.

Nurse Redheart: He was sick even before the bite?

Twilight Sparkle: Yes. There's been a cold going through town lately. He was mostly recovered by the time he was bitten, though.

Nurse Redheart: I see...It's strange not to see any signs of other pathogens when he was so recently sick.

Spike: Earth ponies are fast healers, right? Big Mac must just be that strong!

Nurse Redheart: ...Sure.

"Pegasus Magic System:

The magic system and nervous system are closely linked in all pony kind. The magic of a pegasus is in highest concentrations within the lungs, wings, and cutie mark."

Nurse Redheart: We haven't had the chance to monitor any pegasi yet, but I can guess at respiratory issues being a problem.

A pegasus is in bed, looking out the window at his bedside.

Nurse Redheart: A pegasus patient recently agreed to go under observation, so we'll have more answers soon.

Spike: If catching this sickness affects every kind of pony differently, what about alicorns?

Nurse Redheart: Well, since alicorns have the attributes of every kind of pony...they may exhibit all of these symptoms as well.

Spike: WHAT?!

Twilight Sparkle: Spike...

Nurse Redheart: Well,. we can't be quite sure just yet!...

Twilight Sparkle: Don't worry, Spike, I'll be sure to take every precaution. But I am curious...how come we know so little about such a dangerous illness? Have we never seen something like this before?

Nurse Redheart: Excellent question! This appears to be a very, very old kind of virus. It hasn't been seen in living ponies in, well, ever! It actually appears to be targeting the magical signature of horn snails.

Spike (confused), and Twilight Sparkle (excited): Horn snails?!

Spike: What do snails have to do with all of this?

Twilight Sparkle: Ooh, I know this one!

"Magic History 101:

A long, long time ago, the world was full of free-roaming magic like the Everfree Forest is today. It was a chaotic time full of unpredictable magic.

Some creatures, like the horn snail, developed sturdy bodies designed to harness this potent energy.

It became advantageous for the slow-moving creatures to cooperate with more mobile creatures in exchange for their magical ability.

The horn snails worked so closely with the prototypical pony that they eventually became one creature.

Different branches of ponies appeared from this partnership. Some ponies channeled magic through their horns, some through their bodies, and others through the power of extended levitation which later supported flight."

Spike: ...so you've got snails in you?

Twilight Sparkle: Well, sort of? My ancestors did a long, long time ago! The process is actually pretty complicated but but super interesting! I can explain it in more detail if you'd like--

Nurse Redheart: I believe that's a good enough introduction to the topic. If we could get back to the topic at hoof...

Twilight Sparkle: Ah, right. So, the main point is, if this virus targets pony magic in this way, it must be extremely old, which explains why we haven't experienced this sort of thing before.

Spike: So if this virus targets ponies, other magical species can't get sick from it?

Nurse Redheart: It's safe to assume that, yes.

Twilight Sparkle: I'll send a summary of these findings to Princess Celestia. I think this is serious enough to call for a public announcement...if not a state of emergency. Thank you for your help, Nurse Redheart. I'm sure you must be tired from your trip back from Canterlot.

Nurse Redheart: Of course, princess. I'll keep Doctor Greymare updated. He should come around with the pegasus patient later today.

Twilight Sparkle: Perfect. The tunnels to the hospital were finished the other day. You can take those stairs back as a shortcut.

Nurse Redheart is on her way back to the hospital through the new underground tunnels.

Twilight Sparkle: Spike, take a letter.

Spike doesn't answer. He reappears with a small bundle swung over his shoulder.

Twilight Sparkle: ...Spike? What are you up to?

Spike: I got out my game stuff! Since I can't catch anything from Big Mac, I thought he'd like some company.

Twilight Sparkle: That's very thoughtful, Spike. I'll write this letter myself. You should go have some fun.

Spike and Big Macintosh are having fun playing Nondescript Roleplaying Game.