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Pandemic Is Magic

ETS - Equine Transformation Syndrome


A noble mission. A grand plan. A magic bioweapon. The grandest of screw-ups: Influenza A/H3N2, modified to carry a transformation spell. It doesn't behave in the way its creator intended though. Not at all, in fact.

A complex scenario with its own symptoms, government actions and meaningful events that influence gameplay, pop-up art and two ways to win the game.

On normal difficulty it is a decent challenge and rather hard to beat on brutal. Basic storyline contained in-game, but I advise reading the backstory further down for full enjoyment.

If you appreciate darker interpretations of My Little Pony, you may find this scenario to your liking. If you are indifferent to or hate ponies in general you may find this worth a look anyway, since you get to kill a lot of people in interesting ways.

A lot of research and work and testing went into this. If you have comments on how to improve it, please don't hesitate to tell me. If there's something you thought was especially good, don't hesitate to comment either! :)

The backstory needed to understand the details of the scenario (if you so desire) follows after the disclaimer below. Beware of spoilers if you're planning to read the original story it's based on.

Disclaimer: This is a fanwork inspired by the MLP fanfiction 'Pandemic' by ASGeek2012 on fimfiction.net. 'Pandemic' is the sole work of ASGeek2012.
Artwork used to create pop-up illustrations is from artists Audrarius, allwat, rariedash, Bubble Lee, ReyRayder, kysss90, Graboiidz. Most of them you can find on deviantart or tumblr.
I claim no ownership of any of the material used for this scenario.


***

-Pandemic is Magic-

A powerful unicorn mare by the name of Sunset Shimmer studied the history of her homeworld and found something of great concern. Over the course of the ages, several grave threats of magical nature had befallen the realm. Each and every time, averting disaster had in significant part relied on luck.

Her species possesses vast amounts of inherent magic. If only there were enough ponies, any foe or crisis could be dealt with and her kind would be safe forever. She came up with a simple solution: make more ponies, by any means available.

Sunset dedicated her considerable talent to finding a solution to the problem and delved into research on high energy and transformation magic. Aided by a Canterlot biologist, this led to the development of the first bioweapon in Equestria's history: a transformation spell attached to a common pathogen. The first victim was a griffon who was turned into a pegasus.

Unfortunately for Sunset, her plan was discovered and almost led to all out war against her country. Officially, Sunset's research was destroyed and all further activities halted. She continued her work in secret though, convinced that it was her duty to make Equestria safe. Then she discovered a dormant portal to another world.

Her expertise in super high energy magic enabled her to open a temporary passageway to this other world, a world with over seven billion potential ponies - the largest mana battery imagineable. Never again would her homeworld be powerless to stop a threat, be it magical or natural. Faking her own death, she disappeared and the episode was all but erased from history, Princess Celestia going as far as using dark magic to wipe every memory of Sunset from the minds of the populace.

***

Some twenty years ago on Earth, an orphaned little girl appeared in war-torn Afghanistan. She was rescued by an American soldier by the name of Fred Turner and became his companion. No-one in his unit remembered anything about the incident and no-one beside himself ever saw her.

The little girl was Sunset Shimmer who had used a temporary transformation spell on herself. Fred became Sunset's unwitting test subject and turned into a paranoid loner, driven half mad by her influence.

Now, after two decades of research and magical engineering, Sunset's project is finally nearing completion. She has identified Influenza A/H3N2 as the perfect carrier for the transformation spell. Hardened and with increased effectiveness, it has now been given its first host: Fred Turner. The most precious gift of all, magic, will soon be bestowed upon the peoples of Earth. Whether they want it or not.

For all her research though, Sunset missed one crucial detail: all organisms on Earth have a latent thaumic potential. Because of this, the complex transformation spell matrix has been able to interact with the virus in a way Sunset never foresaw.

The transformation of humanity into little colourful equines has begun and is so far proceeding according to plan. A great experiment and incredible feat of magical engineering, it will make her homeworld safe forever and secure Sunset's place in history. Exactly how history will judge her and whether anyone (or anypony) will live to tell the tale is another matter though.

Meanwhile back on Sunset's homeworld, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her student Starlight Glimmer stumble over a magical field anomaly located in the old part of Canterlot, Equestria's capital. After unraveling the mystery and forcing Princess Celestia to unveil the cover up concerning Sunset, they manage to force open the portal to Earth. Fearing the worst for the world they find connected through the hole in reality, they resolve to stop Sunset Shimmer and take an extraordinary step at great risk to themselves.

The race is on.