*****Below is a fanfiction based on the TV show Seconds from Disaster. Info mentioned here is factual mixed with speculation******
The Everfree Forest, a home to many mysterious creatures and Ponyville's neighbor. Suddenly, Ponyville is invaded by a swarm of Parasprites that leave Ponyville in ruins. Disasters don't just happen, they're a chain of critical events. Unlock the clues and count down those final Seconds from Disaster.
Equestria > Ponyville > The Everfree Forest (written like how the show zooms in and pans to the location of the disaster). Ponyville houses many animals including cattle, ducks, frogs and of course ponies. Next door, however is a mysterious forest called The Everfree Forest, home to a plant called Poison Joke and a zebra named Zecora, whom has remedies for common ailments. 7:30 AM. Fluttershy is busy outside picking flowers for Princess Celestia when a Parasprite appears and agrees to take it with her. 10:55 AM. As Pinkie Pie tests treats at Sugar Cube Corner, home to Mr. and Mrs. Cake the bakery ponies responsible for Ponyville's delightful treats, Fluttershy shares what she had but it's now triple what she had before. Twilight agrees to take one but Pinkie Pie, having already known what they are, heads off to gather instruments to stop them. 3:00 PM. Now Twilight Sparkle has more Parasprites than she started so Rarity and Rainbow Dash take one for themselves. 7:30 the next morning. Twilight Sparkle and her accomplice Spike awaken to dozens more Parasprites living with them, as do Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. 1:00 PM. Rainbow Dash decides to conjure up a tornado to gather all the Parasprites into one place. 1:40 PM. Rainbow Dash's tornado splits apart, releasing all the Parasprites it captured. 2:00 PM. The group decide to see Zecora, the zebra with potions and solutions to any disease they come down with. However, even she doesn't know what to do in their case and Princess Celestia is coming. 2:45 PM. Pinkie Pie advances through with an array of instruments she had gathered and the Parasprites follow.
Now, by rewinding the events of that day, we can reveal what really happened on that day. First on the list is to find out about these Parasprites. Where did they come from and how did they cause so much destruction? *Twilight Sparkle appears*
"It was awful. They're so adorable but have the weirdest way to reproduce. Their appetite is certainly a mystery to all of us," said Twilight.
Investigators learn that these Parasprites have an unusual property about them that allows them to eat what is normally not edible. Just inside their mouths is a special chemical called Lactothoride, which softens what they put into their mouths for normal digestion. Their bodies also give them a large appetite that allows them to take in ten times an insect their size could devour. How do these Parasprites multiply? *Rarity comes on screen*
Ugh! I can't BELIEVE I'm asked to answer this. These....things simply act as if they've got a hairball to remove and basically spit out another one of their kind," answered Rarity.
So we now know how they eat and multiply but why weren't they able to reverse the damage or at least stop the Parasprites from eating? *Applejack comes on screen*
Golly! These no-good Parasprites seem to have some kinda resistance to magic because nothin' we did got them to stop eatin'," stated Applejack.
Investigators rewatch the clips of the disaster as it unfold but are at a dead end, as nothing the clips show reveal what makes them so resistant to magic. *Zecora comes on screen*
"I'll tell you what. I was clueless on how to face them, even though we had had enough." said Zecora.
Days later, still nothing answers the Parasprites' resistance to magic but then a breakthrough. Although magic DID work on them, it wasn't enough to make them behave. This is because investigators have discovered that because of the Parasprites' small size, the streams of magic were only touching them at the sides, not engulfing them. This gave enough magic to affect them but not completely. If the Parasprites had existed, why weren't Ponyville residents better equipped to handle the situation? *Fluttershy comes on screen*
"I'd have to say that because of how adorable we thought they were, we couldn't think they were of any real danger. Plus, Zecora didn't have anything to help us either," stated Fluttershy.
With inadequate defenses against Parasprites, one question still remains. Why didn't Pinkie Pie explain what she knew about Parasprites and what the instruments were for? *Pinkie Pie comes on screen*
"I would've told them what I knew but they never asked me, which is kind of surprising since I knew more about Parasprites than they did. Then again, they really didn't pay much attention to my needs to stop the Parasprites. They were to busy fondling over what I was trying to stop," answered Pinkie Pie.
By reviewing the events of that faithful day, we can finally put together the chain of events that left Ponyille Seconds from Disaster. 1 day to disaster. Since none of the ponies knew about Parasprites, Fluttershy and most of her friends found no harm in keeping them. 2 hours to go. Pinkie Pie begins gathering instruments but because no one asked her about her knowledge of Parasprites, they aren't prepared for the impending disaster. 1 hour to disaster. The Parasprites have multiplied and because of their Lactothoride in their mouths, they devour everything in sight. 15 minutes left. Twilight's attempt to put the Parasprites under a trance fails because of the Parasprites' small size, leaving the magic spell to only affect them from the sides. Disaster strikes. Ponyville is in ruins and the Parasprites remain. After a month of repairs, Ponyville's glory is restored and the ponies have a better understanding of Parasprites. Twilight Sparkle has written a book on them, hoping that through research, the town as a whole will be better prepared in case of a second swarm invasion. With their new knowledge, they'll be much better off in dealing with this threat and won't likely take cute and cuddly for granted again.
