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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Problem with Prokaryotes
“Hey, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle asked, one afternoon during Twilight time. “Why do we get sick?”
Twilight blinked, then frowned, turning to face the filly. “Your school doesn’t teach you that sort of thing?”
“Not yet.” Sweetie sighed, scuffing a hoof across the floor. “It’s mostly dumb things like math.”
Twilight half rolled her eyes, then smiled. “Well, I’d be happy to tell you why ponies get sick. It’s very fascinating, really! I should really write a dissertation about it!”
While Twilight brought out her blackboard, Sweetie spotted her two friends from the corner of her, experimenting with their alchemy project. They both slowly shook their heads at her.
“Sorry…?” Sweetie offered.
“Hm?” Twilight chimed.
Sweetie snapped back to attention. “Nothing.”
“Well then, let’s get started!” Levitating a piece of chalk, Twilight started drawing a series of strange shapes on the blackboard. Sweetie could only describe of them as… detailed splodges. They had no regular shapes but the insides of them appeared to be incredibly intricate.
“When we fall ill, it’s usually a case of our immune system staging a battle in our bodies,” Twilight explained.
Sweetie put up her hoof. “Immune system?”
“The body’s defence against pathogens,” Twilight replied.
“Pathogens…?”
Twilight kept up a patient smile. “I’ll explain what details of our immune system later. But first: pathogens. Pathogens are agents of infection that cause disease. Essentially, they’re invaders of our body. Now this can mean many things. Even poison joke can be considered a pathogen! But most pathogens are these,” she said, pointing to the her drawings.
Apple Bloom looked to Scootaloo during the pause. “Do you think she stops so ponies ask her questions so she feels smarter?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Probably.”
“So, these things are bacteria,” Twilight said, smiling sheepishly. “They’re single celled organisms, more specifically prokaryotes, that multiple by copying themselves and splitting into two.”
“That sounds kinda cool,” Sweetie said.
“Oh yes, it’s fascinating,” Twilight agreed, nodding. “There’s hundreds of different types. They number in the millions too—no, billions. Not even that! As long as there’s food for them, they never stop dividing!”
“Huh. So… where are they?”
Twilight beamed. “Everywhere!”
Sweetie froze. “Everywhere…?”
“Yep!” Twilight said, pointing at the blackboard. “On this board, on the floor, on the ceiling… even on you and I!”
“G-Great,” Sweetie stammered, forcing a smile.
“Indeed! We’ve only been able to discover them thanks to microscopes and…” Twilight’s voice soon faded away as Sweetie looked around her frantically. Every possible surface she could see them. Those funny little drawings, wiggling around everywhere. Even on her skin!
And they numbered in the million billion trillions....
Sweetie Belle had come to the Boutique screaming.
Not that it was an unusual occurrence to Rarity. Her sister screamed a lot. It just seemed to be the thing little fillies did these days. Scream and run around, no time to admire the pleasantries of life.
That was yesterday. No amount of screaming would prevent Sweetie from going to school today.
“Sweetie Belle! It’s time for school!” Rarity shouted from the kitchen, a cup of warm tea on the table.
No response. Not even a tired groan.
“Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity repeated.
Again, she got nothing. Snorting, she stood and grabbed a broom with her magic, smashing the handle end of it on the ceiling, directly below Sweetie’s room. “Get down here right now!”
“No!”
Rarity sighed. Finally something at least.
Marching upstairs, she swung open Sweetie’s door and stomped through. “You get your flank downstai—”
She sighed deeply.
“Should I even ask…?”
Sweetie Belle was huddled up on the bed, hugging herself and shaking frantically. Her eyes were wide open, bloodshot, constantly darting around the room before focusing on Rarity. These things were not what concerned Rarity.
“Darling, why are you wearing a hazmat suit?” Rarity facehoofed the moment the words left her mouth. “A better question would be how did you acquire one?!”
“Stay back!” Sweetie cried. “You’re contaminated!”
“No, I’m not,” Rarity flatly replied. “I used all the hot water this morning, like always.”
“You’re covered in it!”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Covered in what?”
“Bacteria! It’s everywhere!” Sweetie squeaked. “Crawling in your skin!”
“Sweetie, who on Equestria told you about bacteria—” Another pause. Rarity stepped out of the room, heading outside the Boutique and looking at the library.
“I’m not going to blame you, Twilight,” Rarity said to herself. “No, I won’t blame you. It’s shame on me for thinking nothing else could go wrong after the first incident.”
Twilight blinked, then frowned, turning to face the filly. “Your school doesn’t teach you that sort of thing?”
“Not yet.” Sweetie sighed, scuffing a hoof across the floor. “It’s mostly dumb things like math.”
Twilight half rolled her eyes, then smiled. “Well, I’d be happy to tell you why ponies get sick. It’s very fascinating, really! I should really write a dissertation about it!”
While Twilight brought out her blackboard, Sweetie spotted her two friends from the corner of her, experimenting with their alchemy project. They both slowly shook their heads at her.
“Sorry…?” Sweetie offered.
“Hm?” Twilight chimed.
Sweetie snapped back to attention. “Nothing.”
“Well then, let’s get started!” Levitating a piece of chalk, Twilight started drawing a series of strange shapes on the blackboard. Sweetie could only describe of them as… detailed splodges. They had no regular shapes but the insides of them appeared to be incredibly intricate.
“When we fall ill, it’s usually a case of our immune system staging a battle in our bodies,” Twilight explained.
Sweetie put up her hoof. “Immune system?”
“The body’s defence against pathogens,” Twilight replied.
“Pathogens…?”
Twilight kept up a patient smile. “I’ll explain what details of our immune system later. But first: pathogens. Pathogens are agents of infection that cause disease. Essentially, they’re invaders of our body. Now this can mean many things. Even poison joke can be considered a pathogen! But most pathogens are these,” she said, pointing to the her drawings.
Apple Bloom looked to Scootaloo during the pause. “Do you think she stops so ponies ask her questions so she feels smarter?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Probably.”
“So, these things are bacteria,” Twilight said, smiling sheepishly. “They’re single celled organisms, more specifically prokaryotes, that multiple by copying themselves and splitting into two.”
“That sounds kinda cool,” Sweetie said.
“Oh yes, it’s fascinating,” Twilight agreed, nodding. “There’s hundreds of different types. They number in the millions too—no, billions. Not even that! As long as there’s food for them, they never stop dividing!”
“Huh. So… where are they?”
Twilight beamed. “Everywhere!”
Sweetie froze. “Everywhere…?”
“Yep!” Twilight said, pointing at the blackboard. “On this board, on the floor, on the ceiling… even on you and I!”
“G-Great,” Sweetie stammered, forcing a smile.
“Indeed! We’ve only been able to discover them thanks to microscopes and…” Twilight’s voice soon faded away as Sweetie looked around her frantically. Every possible surface she could see them. Those funny little drawings, wiggling around everywhere. Even on her skin!
And they numbered in the million billion trillions....
Sweetie Belle had come to the Boutique screaming.
Not that it was an unusual occurrence to Rarity. Her sister screamed a lot. It just seemed to be the thing little fillies did these days. Scream and run around, no time to admire the pleasantries of life.
That was yesterday. No amount of screaming would prevent Sweetie from going to school today.
“Sweetie Belle! It’s time for school!” Rarity shouted from the kitchen, a cup of warm tea on the table.
No response. Not even a tired groan.
“Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity repeated.
Again, she got nothing. Snorting, she stood and grabbed a broom with her magic, smashing the handle end of it on the ceiling, directly below Sweetie’s room. “Get down here right now!”
“No!”
Rarity sighed. Finally something at least.
Marching upstairs, she swung open Sweetie’s door and stomped through. “You get your flank downstai—”
She sighed deeply.
“Should I even ask…?”
Sweetie Belle was huddled up on the bed, hugging herself and shaking frantically. Her eyes were wide open, bloodshot, constantly darting around the room before focusing on Rarity. These things were not what concerned Rarity.
“Darling, why are you wearing a hazmat suit?” Rarity facehoofed the moment the words left her mouth. “A better question would be how did you acquire one?!”
“Stay back!” Sweetie cried. “You’re contaminated!”
“No, I’m not,” Rarity flatly replied. “I used all the hot water this morning, like always.”
“You’re covered in it!”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Covered in what?”
“Bacteria! It’s everywhere!” Sweetie squeaked. “Crawling in your skin!”
“Sweetie, who on Equestria told you about bacteria—” Another pause. Rarity stepped out of the room, heading outside the Boutique and looking at the library.
“I’m not going to blame you, Twilight,” Rarity said to herself. “No, I won’t blame you. It’s shame on me for thinking nothing else could go wrong after the first incident.”