The Drip Plague (MLP Infection AU)

The Final Confrontation

Luna stood tall amidst the chaos, the flow of water swirling around her like an endless current, yet unable to touch her. The infected ponies, led by Twilight, advanced with chilling determination, their eyes glowing with the malevolent blue of the flow. The once vibrant and heroic Princess of Friendship was now a cold, distant figure, driven by the relentless urge to make everypony part of the tide.

As Celestia was slowly enveloped by the water, her body now fully succumbing to the infection, Luna's eyes burned with a fierce, unshakable resolve. The water had tried to pull her down, to drown her like it had done to so many others, but Luna stood firm. She wasn't going to let this nightmare claim her, not without a fight.

She locked eyes with Twilight, who stood nearby, watching the destruction unfold with an emotionless gaze. "Twilight," Luna said, her voice unwavering, "this isn't you. This isn't what you should have become."

Twilight tilted her head, her lips curling into a cold smile. "It's too late for me, Luna. The flow is in my veins now. It's all I am."

Luna's heart ached as she looked at her, seeing not her former student, but an empty shell of the pony she had once known. The same deep sorrow and regret filled her eyes as she glanced at the infected ponies surrounding them.

But then, Luna's eyes shifted from Twilight to the Weeping Well—the very source of this torment. The once revered symbol of prosperity had become the heart of this nightmare, its waters pulsing and surging with unnatural power.

Luna took a deep breath, her gaze growing steely with purpose. "I created this very water," she spoke, her voice echoing through the storm of water and chaos. "I created the well that has brought this plague to life. And I will destroy it."

Twilight's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but the emotion quickly vanished, replaced by the cold, determined look of a pony who had already embraced her fate. "You think you can stop it now? You're just as much a part of it as we are," she sneered, her voice laced with disdain.

But Luna did not waver. With a powerful sweep of her wings, she gathered the remaining strength within her, her magic beginning to crackle. The air around her seemed to shift, the oppressive weight of the water loosening as she gathered the full might of her lunar magic.

"I will not let this curse continue," Luna said firmly, her eyes glowing with silver light. "I will undo the harm I have wrought. It is my responsibility to end this."

As she focused her magic, the very water around them began to recoil, as if sensing its impending doom. Luna's horn flared brightly, and she pointed it directly at the Weeping Well. With one final, intense burst of energy, she unleashed a wave of pure lunar magic—a beam of silver light that pierced the very heart of the well.

The water within the well began to bubble and churn violently, as if it were resisting, fighting back against the magic. The flow of water around them started to swirl in unnatural patterns, the infection fighting to hold its grip on the land.

But Luna's magic was unwavering. The beam of light struck the well's core, and with a thunderous crack, the water began to evaporate, rising into the air in misty, shimmering clouds. The well's once vibrant, life-giving flow began to sputter and die, its power draining away.

Twilight stared, her expression darkening with every passing moment. "You can't stop it," she whispered, but there was doubt in her voice. "The flow will always return."

Luna's gaze softened as she looked at her, her horn still glowing faintly. "Not if I can help it," she replied, her voice full of resolve.

As the last remnants of the water evaporated into the night air, the flow began to dissipate, and with it, the power over the infected ponies. Twilight's blue eyes flickered, her body trembling slightly as the grip of the flow loosened for the briefest moment.

The infected ponies around them paused, their movements slowed as if the energy sustaining them had faltered. But even with the flow's power receding, Luna knew that the battle was far from over. The damage had already been done. It would take more than just destroying the well to undo the horrors that had been unleashed.

"I've only delayed it," Luna whispered to herself, but she didn't look back. "I will end this. I will restore what I have broken."

Turning to face the remains of the Weeping Well, Luna stood her ground, determined to see this through. It had begun with her, and it would end with her, no matter the cost.