July Event Conclusion - A "Cure" at What Cost?
The bodies of the warped infected began to hunch and shudder. Each let out a wail that would go one to haunt many a pony’s nightmares. Their faces twisted in smoke, before slowly solidifying back into the host’s normal features. One Umbrum near the Crystal Heart remained, fighting the command to retreat. It glared at the numerous ponies who had foiled all attempts for the Crystal Heart’s destruction.
“You haven’t seen the last of us,” Hissed the remaining Umbrum. “We will be free. We will find a way!” The warped infected’s body convulsed the final Umbrum’s features swirled away and dissipated, leaving the infected to collapse in a heap on the ground.
Slowly citizens began to reappear. They came out from their hiding places and helped to pull up the shaken and injured. The lingering fear and uncertainty were palpable, though. Why had the Umbrum stopped? What had made them leave…? Did that mean they could come back at any point…?
In the streets on the border of quarantine Jade Castor appeared with a collection of guards. He looked just as surprised as everypony else…by the looks of things, he had been expecting to need the guards’ assistance. He cleared his throat, mumbling under his breath, before announcing, “We’ve found a…cure of sorts. Please have any infected gather around the Crystal Heart.”
He did not look happy, but he also looked extremely weary and resigned. The cure might not be in the form he wanted, but he was not immune to the immense suffering that had been happening here. There would be time later to stew over why the Umbrum left so abruptly.
After the final Umbrum had fled, Professor Golden Sage entered, followed closely by a handful of timid infected. She seemed surprised by the state of things, but only let it show on her face for a moment. Instead her resolve strengthened and she led the first of the infected with her to the foot of Flurry Heart and the Crystal Heart itself.
She passed a glance at the various ponies who had fought so hard to defend this place. “Thank you for all your hard work. Without the heart, I’m not sure what would have happened…if we’d be able to continue with the solution we’ve found.”
She looked at the infected stallion and nodded her head. “Please…do as we practiced. Let’s not waste time. We have many to teach if this works. Face the Heart and focus…feel the connection you have to it…”
The stallion took a deep breath while staring hard at the Crystal Heart. With one long exhale he closed his eyes and dropped his ears back. He was still for a long time. Many of the surrounding ponies looked at one another, as if silently asking what they were waiting for. Slowly twinkles of light began to glimmer from the inside of the topaz crystals adorning his neck, back, and legs. As the glowing grew stronger, the crystals began to move, shifting against each other like shuddering tiles. Slowly the crystals began to shrink in size before disappearing into fur. Soon the stallion looked almost normal, with a smaller cluster of crystals remaining on his back.
He gasped and began to pant. His legs shook and he blinked rapidly, looking at Golden Sage hopefully. The zebracorn smiled at him, relief leaking into her expression. He laughed then and sat on the floor with tears at the corners of his eyes. It had worked!
Professor Golden Sage turned to the remaining infected she had brought with her and called out, “Come! Channel the Wild Magic flowing within you and regain mastery over your bodies.”
One by one the infected came towards the heart and entered a brief, meditative state. One by one the infected cleared their bodies of crystals either completely or leaving only a few areas with crystals on the surface. Some might say they were being cured, but it was more that each individual was controlling the crystallization now, rather than it running rampant on their bodies.
As the last one finished, Jade Castor entered with a crowd of infected following him. Begrudgingly he dipped his head in Golden Sage’s direction, before going off to the side to observe carefully.
“Come, everyone, I will teach you how to Channel the Wild Magic that has afflicted you…Your Affiliation with the magic of your Empire’s Crystal is the key,” She announced.
And so, over the next few weeks Professor Golden Sage worked with infected across the city. Some found it easy to control the Wild Magic within them, while others struggled or resisted. In time everyone was at least able to control the crystallization enough to stop the infection-like spread. The quarantine boundary was broken down. Families and friends reunited. The triumph, however, was bittersweet. Those who were fully crystallized could not be reached. They had no way of reaching them or Flurry Heart. As a way to mourn together, the city decided to bring all those crystallized to the Heart. There they could all stand together, in the loving presence of their Crystallized princess.
The Empire began to stabilize. Researchers, after resting, began to return to their homes across Equestria. For many this was seen as a solution to the problem. Jade Castor, however, deemed it only a temporary reprieve. He instructed his colleagues to continue research. There had to be a way of ridding ponies of this Wild Magic for good. He would find a way.
Characters now have the ability to channel Wild Magic through Affinities! Click here to learn more.
All "Crystallization Infections" have been turned into "Earth Affinity Level 1". If your character was infected, but is missing this from their inventory, please comment here or in the "Help" on Discord.
