Dawning lights spread along the forest floor as it spread from the tree tops reaching for a small town in Equestria. In the middle of the small town a young little dragon and as he yawned accidently burping out a puff of green smoke forming to a letter. Rolled up in a parchment, the small dragon caught it and looked around in hopes of avoiding the rush and bother. Jumping out of his bed he ran to the door and sneaked down the hall to a door where the violet and pink pony slept, slightly pushing the door open he asked.
"Twilight?.."
"Not now, I'm still tired Spike." She answered.
"But there's a letter from the princess Celestia."
Awaking from her slumber the young pony walked closer to the young dragon and pulled the letter from his claws with a violet glow. Unwrapping the letter she saw that both spike and her friends were summoned with her to the castle.
Latter that day the group gathered within the castle as the elite guard brought them forth to the princess who was currently speaking with the court advisor. They were discussing the current situation which had occurred at the farthest edge of the land. As the friends were brought forth the princess excused the advisor and turned her attention to the six pony's and the little dragon.
"My dear little children I'm so glad to see you."
"It is a pleasure your highness but what was so urgent that you needed to call all of us?"
"Well, I don't exactly remember calling you all but now that I think of it there might be something you could help us with. You see there has been a strange outbreak at the a city at the far reaches of Equestria a town called Norkture, theres a disease outbreak and the royal apothecary's are having issues dealing with it, so perhaps you all could help them out a bit as the sickness is slowly becoming more severe, the disease currently doesn't appear to be spreading but if you all could find the source or help the alchemists create a cure that would be perfect."
"Travel to a disease written land and risk our own health, surely you must be joking." The white pony replied as she pulled back from the group.
"There is a specific task I wish you to do while your there, the town is at the boarder and there are rare imports there and I believe something important to me may remain within the city, if possible I'd like you to retrieve it at the very least." The princess continued.
"Rare imports?" The white one asked with sparkling eyes.
"Why, yes" the advisor added, "Several of the greatest jewels in the whole land come from that city and even the rarest of fabrics, we cannot risk that place to remain in such a state."
With a short discussion between friend the group agreed to the request and left for the city along with a few other apothecaries as they were bringing supplies for the sickly. Several guards joined the caravan as the journey carried on to the boarder dwelling. It was a few days journey but with the help of the river stream they were able to avoid most of the latency and arrive a whole day earlier.
As the group stepped into the city they began to notice the deteriotion in its livelihood. The streets were scares with citizens as most were in camps hospitalized or at home avoiding the sickness. The group of friends quickly followed the caravan to the apothecary camp. The healers were all in a rush tending to the sickly. As the girls walked through a sense of dread began to awaken in them. They soon found themselves at the entrance to the healers leader tent where the elite guard were having a discussion with the alchemist and apothecary leader.
"We cant risk sending out a group of soldiers to find a single child in the city!"
"Yet she was the one who stole our most recent attempt at a cure!"
"Then make another one!"
"We cant all our research was based in the herbal medicinal properties of those supplies, they ran out yesterday, and are not listed in the new shipment!"
"The royal alchemist is correct without that mixture we might as well start the entire project all over and it would devour more time and lead to greater consequences." The apothecary leader explained as she brushed away the dust off the table and placed down a cup of tea, the leader was familiar to the group of friends that arrived. It was their friend from the woods near their home town. In stripes and all she was here helping the sickly.
"Fine then I'll send a few guards to look for her, if that keeps both of you calm." The leader of the guard left the tent as he walked past the girls growling and muttering to himself.
With the quarrel done the Alchemist returned to his work examining the components of the cure he was working on. The girls all went closer to the table where the fight was and asked.
"Zecora what are you doing here?"
"Ahh, girls what a pleasure to see you all. Only sad that it is not under better circumstances." She explained as the alchemist turned back to them.
"Are these your acquaintance's?" He asked as he stepped closer.
"Yes, these are the children from the village I live in, I've told you about them before."
"Perhaps, my memory is not as good as it was once before." He said while scratching the back of his neck.
"Well that aside, what has brought you here. Especially during this time."
"Princess Celestia has asked us to aid you in finding a cure." The little dragon replied.
"I see but I do not think it is best that you stay here for long, especially if you catch the sickness."
"I'm not leaving without using the stores to their fullest. I'm going to buy everything that is rare in this city." The snowy colored pony stated.
"I'm afraid that will be impossible, as all the shops are closed due to the outbreak of this sickness." The alchemist explained to her.
"At the least maybe you could help us find a young one that had run away from the center she is sick and hopping for a cure she stole our mixture that we were experimenting on to find an antidote to this outbreak."
Accepting the request the group of friends soon left leaving the young dragon behind. Once outside the camp at the boarder of the town they worked their way to the entrance that was guarded by the soldiers. With an explanation and a few words the girls had passed and entered the city. Once inside they separated in to three group and began looking for the young one that escaped from the healers. The streets were quite and while the two Pegasus flew over head searching from above while, Applejack and Pinky looked through the streets from bellow. As twilight was stuck with her friend Rarity searching along the shopping district.
Searching the city was no easy task but while looking through the streets Applejack noticed some shadows in an ally. Taking a closer look she saw a young little pony surrounded by three mares. She was holding a small bag in her teeth as the group were closing in on her. The energetic pony quickly jumped in yelling at the three.
"Hey, what ya all think yer doing to that girl."
"Its none of yer business, brat. That cure is ours!"
"Not if I've got something to say."The two ponies were quickly joined by their winged friends as they landed behind them near the alley.
"Dang it, this is too much trouble for that cure. "
"Shut up, you wanna get sick like the rest?" The three mares began to bicker as they turned around leaving the young one alone for the time being. The three stepped forth bit by bit as they attempted to scare the girls away.
"Hush now!" A voice echoed through the street as a bright light surrounded the three and soon left them falling to the ground. With the three mares down on the ground a figure soon emerged from the back of the alley. A tall shape in a dark cloth he began to illuminate the three in a bright light as he lifted them from the ground. "I apologies for these three, they are to sick to account for their actions, they have refused their medicine for too long." With the same bright light he pulled out three vials from within his cloak and forced its contents down the three mares throats. Once they had drunk the liquid the shady figure placed them back down and left the three sleeping on the street. "There, they should feel much better once they awake. Now to you young one, come along, your mothers been looking for you."
"Wait a minute, who the blazes are you?" Apple jack asked as the figure took the bag from the young girl.
"They call me Shade." He answered tossing the back over to the girls. While he walked away into the shadows with the young pony that had stolen the mixture. Rushing after him the blue Pegasus raced forth slamming into a wall.
"What the, but he passed right through here, what happened." She asked.
"I don't know but we better get Twilight and Rarity and hand this over to Zecora. I'm getting the creeps from this place." Applejack stated as she picked up the bag.
While the others left the little Fluttershy had a closer look at the wall where the tall figure disappeared with the girl. As she scratched the surface she found a small trail along the ground as she pushed the bottom of the wall she slipped and fell sliding through. There was a slide behind it descending into the dark depts. Of the city where she landed on the ground that was covered with cloth to soften the landing. As she lifted her head and opened her eyes the young one saw the tall figure with a few others. There was the young pony that had ran away and was surrounded by those three above. Beside her as her mother that seemed overjoyed to see her child safe again. Besides them was a figure wrapped in cloth and covering his mouth, it led the two away as the cave was illuminated by blue cold flames. As the one called Shade turned around to see the child on the ground he stepped closer and asked her.
"Are you ok, not all are unscarred by their first ride."
"I-I'm fine…" she whispered silently.
"That's good to hear, then will you be staying for a while or leaving soon?"
"I, don't know… What is this place?" the young Fluttershy asked.
"Some may call it a casem or catacombs but there are those who call this place sanctuary or home. It all depends on how you look at it."
"Where did they go" she asked hinting to the young girl and her mother.
The tall figure pulled back and gazed at the tunnel.
"To the others, if you wish I may show you but you must promise that all this remains a secret." The figure spoke as he light the blue light that danced through the dark cave.
"Can I leave?"
"If you wish, no one is held here by force."
"And the one with the cloth that led them?"
"A unicorn that can manipulate the lights to guide them safely to the city here bellow. It may seem like a small cave system but one may get lost here and never return. In such we must constantly search the caves for those that get lost in case someone stumbled down here."
She carefully nodded and followed the tall figure through the dark caves. The path was constantly twisting and turning as they traveled forth. Soon they approached a light at the end of the tunnel that opened up to a large underground city that was filled with wingless ground ponies and several pegasus as well as unicorns that were tending to the sickly. Some of them seemed to be without the so called cutey marks as they all worked together none of them were aggressive or neglective towards those that were different. Even mules and zebras were living together in the city.
"What is this place?"
"We simply call it sanctuary, most of us are with our own problems down here but as a community we survive and help our neighbors as much as we can. Especially now during this disease. We have a cure of our own, yet the outbreak is still persisting."
"If you have a cure then why aren't you helping the city?"
"Well that is a tricky slope, you see if we help then they know we are here and some of us are unwanted above and few of us are even banished from the kingdom. It is much safer if we help those we can as I did above, I gave those three the medicine and soon the disease should pass leaving them unharmed, yet I cannot aid everyone, there is a limit as to how many people we can help."
"But if you have this cure who made it?"
"I did, long ago I was a student back at the castle and I learned many things, but because of those things I was also thrown out of the kingdom." The figure explained as he lead the young Pegasus into the city. Upon entering many of the citizens welcomed him back with opened hoves as they thanked him for the help and asked if there were more vials of the antidote. He handed out a few of the vials and said. "That's all I have from the recent batch, I'll get to making some more soon." The old unicorn thanked him as he took the seven vials to a group of sickly residence. They all agreed that the children would be the first o take the medicine and gave the three kids the vials to drink, they all began to complain about its taste and began spewing. But once the children were all done the remaining cures were distributed among those that needed the cure most as they were barely able to stand. Fluttershy followed the figure to a house where he began brewing the cure.
"I forgot to ask, you see the disease is transmitted through air but it also travels from one pony to the other. As a flying one did you feel any symptoms after you arrived? Dizziness, nausea or feeling tired?"
"Just a bit of a headache, is that something?"
"Well just to be on the safe side, I'll give you a dose once its done and cooled down."
"But why?" she asked with a bit of confusion.
"This is my home and as a guest I can't have you falling ill now can I."
While he worked Fluttershy had a look around the small shack he called home. There was a whole pile of books that were falling apart, this somehow reminded her of Twlilights tree house where she and Spike lived. Near the widow stood a small pot where several weeds grew, she remembered seeking them in the dark forest near town. In the corner was a photo of a family that stood in front of a large castle, it seemed familiar in a way. As she waited the tall figure returned with a cup of what looked like tea.
"Hear you go, a fresh batch. Its still a bit hot so I suggest waiting a bit, during that time I'll pour the remaining cure in vials for the residence."
"So this cure of yours works?"
"Mostly, I believe It lacks a few ingredients to work for everyone though. Currently it works for ponies of land sky and magic. The others just have to trust me to find a way to make it work for everyone."
"And is there any progress on that?"
"Yes, but I lack a few ingredients that only grow in a small town near the royal castle. Since my banishment I can't return there so I have to find a way to steal them from the latest shipment. Yet the guards are a bit agitated at the moment, I can't risk it currently and if It don't hurry some may not have the time to wait."
"I think, I could ask them for the ingredients…" Fluttershy said to him as she gazed at the green liquid in front of her. It seemed to slowly change color as it cooled, which made it rather disturbing to watch.
"And how would that work?" Shade asked as he separated the fluid into doses.
"Our friend is taking care of the apothecary camp, I figure I could just ask her…"
"If your friend isn't that much aggressive about laws, I think we might agree to find the cure for everyone before it's too late."
As the liquid cooled it turned red and resembled a tea, figuring it was safe to drink she sipped from the cup and instantly began spewing as the bitter crude taste settled in. Shade laughed and said that everyone reacts the same way. Not thinking much she drank the medicine and soon felt the headache fade as she sat the cup down.
Once the cure was divided Shade handed out a few vials keeping some by his side just in case. Once that was done he lead Fluttershy back through the tunnels leading her to an exit from the caverns bellow. The two exited the darkness to the dim light street above. As they neared the entrance to the city where the camp was they were quickly ambushed from above as a blue figure slammed Shade to the wall.
"Fluttershy are you ok? If this guy did anything to you I swear!" She screamed as she pressed him against the wall.
"No, he didn't do anything, in truth I came here to help him."
"What? Why?" Rainbow dash asked as she looked back at her friend.
"He's actually helping people who can't get medicine from the camp, he's even making a separate cure for everyone."
"He's probably lying, how could he find a cure when Zecora hasn't."
"Then let me explain, the cure I made was from the plants and moss that grows beneath the city, most of the people don't even know about those specimens and they don't grow in well lit areas."
"I don't know what you said, but I'm still calling it a lie." The blue Pegasus responded to Shades attempts to an explanation.
After a short discussion Fluttershy convinced Rainbow dash in helping them get the herbs needed. They agreed to bring Zecora to an old oak outside of town where Shade would wait for them. Once the two left Shade returned to the underground passages beneath the city. As the two winged friends returned to the camp the others were just getting ready to leave, as there was nothing else to be done in the city and they didn't wanna risk getting sick. Zecore was nearby seeing them off.
"Guys wait, I think we should stay a bit longer to help everyone." Fluttershy said.
"How, theres nothing we can do, and the whole city is sick, If we catch this thing we aint ever getting home soon." Applejack argued with her.
"I think Shade, the guy we met before maybe able to help everyone."
"I found her in the street with him, apparently there's a city underneath this city and everyone there is sick as well, but this Shade guy has some kind of drink that can make the sickness go away." Rainbow dash explained.
"Wait what city?" Twilight asked.
"Uhh, its probably deep underground behind a maze and a lot of different ponies and mules and zebras live there avoiding persecution from the guards and society in fear of them." Pinky screamed.
Everyone just paused for a moment and looked at her as she was jumping around all giggly. Zecora soon walked up to them and asked.
"Whats all this yelling now, most of these ponies are trying to rest."
"Zecora would you be able to come with us to the woods for a bit, there's someone we need you to meet."
"Whats this all of a sudden child, there are sick ponies here I can't leave them like this."
"Why don't we all go and see what this Shade fellow has to say." Twilight interrupted the conversation.
"Shade? I've been hearing that name for a while now, most of the ponies here talk about a figure in a dark robe calling himself that. You say he's real?" Zecora asked as she pondered for a moment.
"We all met him in the alley with the little one who stole the medicine." Applejack explained.
"Very well then, I'll go meet him with you." She agreed.
Within a few minutes the whole group with the dragon in toe followed the path through the woods to and old oak tree outside of town. Besides the tree stood the hooded tall figure that they saw before. He was watching the wind brushing along the leaves as he spoke.
"It's been a long time since I've felt the wind or been out here."
"So you mostly stay underground in the filthy mud? How do you keep that robe so clean then?" Rarity asked.
"It's a dear memento from my past, its all that is left of what once was."
"So why did you want to meet us?" Twilight asked.
"To give you this for starters," he pulled out three vials of the cure from within his robe and handed them over. "That is a cure I've been working on, but it only effects the ponies of the sky ground and magic, other breeds are yet without a cure. I hoped that after trying this substance you might be able to aid me, I need a few herbs from the dark forest that I cannot obtain. If able I'd like a few of them from your supplies, Then I'll complete the cure and all will remain in your hands." Shade explained.
"Wait what do you mean in our hands?" Applejack asked in confusion.
"You'll see when its done."
"And does this cure f your work?" Zecora questioned him.
"So far the spread was halted in our city and we are slowly eliminating the disease, yet those not of sky ground or magic remain ill."
After the quick discussion Shade wandered off into the woods disappearing once more, the group of friends all returned to the camp and waited while Zecora went off to test the cure on a few patients. While waiting they all wondered who this Shade fellow was. Pinky was off playing some music and trying to entertain the other patients. Then soon Zecora came back with a serious look on her face.
"So what does he need?" Fluttershy handed her the list that Shade had noted down earlier.
After a read the leader of the apothecaries looked up and called in a few healers that were tending to the sick. She told them to find all the objects listed on the page and bring them to her. After a half hour the herbs were all packed and ready as the ponies were starting to feel a bit down with the flue. They loaded the package and followed the path back to the oak tree, once there they waited for Shade to appear again. It was a long wait as the moon was starting to rise, the rays illuminated the forest as they could see his shadow appearing through the trees. Shade came back as he was entering the field he found three of the six friends down with the disease waiting.
"What took you so long?" Spike asked.
"I had to brew a new batch and lucky you are that I did." He pulled out seven vials from within his coat and handed them to Zecora and Fluttershy who gave it to everyone else in the group. "I'll be going then, the faster I finish the brew the faster we can cure this plague." Taking the packaged he left the field descending to the caverns bellow. While he returned to the underground city the ponies soon began to feel better as the medicine took effect. After they were back on their hooves the group returned to the camp where they were soon confronted by the alchemist and the leader of the guard.
"You've taken half of the supplies what is the meaning of this, and what exactly did you give to those three patience, those vials of medicine were not made by me." The alchemist began attacking them.
"What is the meaning of this, you were chosen by princess Celestia to aid in the curing of this plague but there are no excuses for thief's." The guard began to yell as he called in the soldiers.
"Wait, it was all to help to cure everyone." Zecora tried to explain.
"How, by putting a holt on my research, by stealing from us. How can I cure anything like this. We have many ponies in there that need the cure and not your selfless aid to some outsiders, we were quit acceptive enough to let you be appointed as the lead apothecary but this is to much. We never should have let your kind in to the camp to begin with." The alchemist screamed.
"That's quit enough!" A voice echoed through the camp. "What sort of alchemist refuses to aid others and seeks only personal merit from a plague."
"What? Who is that!?" the leader of the guard asked.
Shade stepped from behind them approaching the camp. He had two steaming jugs on his back.
"Now then as I promised, heres the cure, its finally complete. Now all that remains is for some Pegasus to spread it in the clouds and the remains of the cure should remain in the air after the rain, then all will be over."
"Who is this mare!?" The alchemist asked "Who does he think he is playing alchemist this is a serious job not some joke for a youngster to be playing around with."
"To be honest, I'm not even joking when I say I could take you and your entire battalion of guards out in a moment. I have no interest in playing with a pathetic all decrepit fool and his young lackeys, so why don't you just bugger off." Shade spoke with a threatening agitation in his voice.
"As if, you think you can really handle us all at once?" the guards laughed.
Shade pulled the jugs off his back and handed them to the group of ponies that he had spoken with, with the cure in hand they quickly head out to the city to spread the cure from the sky and hand it out to the patients in camp. Shade stayed in the field surrounded by the guards and alchemist.
"Those girls aren't getting away any time soon, first we teach you a lesson then we take them to jail." The leader of the guard laughed.
"I'd like to see you give it your best shot, so don't disappoint me." Shade taunted him.
The soldiers all charged in to attack him with blades in jaws and held by magic. Soon with the flash of light they were all knocked back though the leader of the guard remained he attacked with his blade held by his magic he swiped past Shade time and time again as he dodged his blows.
"You fight like a mindless monkey, even a squirrel would be more capable then this." Shade spoke as he knocked the captain to the side slamming him to a tree and binding him to slumber with a flash of light. The alchemist furious began to swing his staff attempting to hit the cloaked figure. Shade avoided him and knocked the staff away as he gazed the old man in the eyes and said. "Try something like this again and I don't care where you are, I'll chop off your hooves and turn them into glue." The old mare soon dropped to the ground with fear.
Once the medicine was distributed the citizens soon began to shake away the disease and get back to their feet. Even the underground city was cured of the sickness. The next morning the ponies had a quick flight from the city home compliments of the townsfolk. Shade accompanied them in case the disease spread farther as luck would have it the sickness was carried over by travelers, yet with a quick cloud seeding the rain soon washed away the disease. The group was called into the castle where both princess Celestia and Luna intended to thank them all for their effort, but as soon as they mentioned that most of the praise should go to Shade, he was gone from their side, disappeared once more as all the times before.
Shade wondered down the halls where he found a room within witch there were many books but underneath them was an old picture of the two princess's when they were young, they were all playing in front of a castle with both a black young mare and a Pegasus that had barely noticeable pupils. They were all enjoying themselves as the mare had a symbol on his hind side, a vial pouring liquid into another vial exploding into an array of colors. Shade laughed as he walked away leaving a small bottle on the table behind him.
Later that night Luna returned to her room to find a bottle on her table, the bottle was placed on the picture on where the young mare was. As she looked back through the door she wondered who brought this here. She opened the bottle to see it burst into a rainbow of colors as though shooting stars from within. As she closed it and placed it back on the table she remembered and old friend. As she looked down the hall she wondered what had ever happened to him.