The Awakening AU

This AU belongs to Sapphire. Credit for the concept goes to Harvester and ElectricFanatic on YouTube.
This AU project is currently CLOSED. Please don't make a character for this AU at this time!
Disclaimer: This AU project contains subjects that may be disturbing or triggering for some people. CW: hospitals. I'll add content warnings to the top of the page as needed.
The IceWings will forever remember the plague that the Darkstalker sent upon them. The magical sickness killed many IceWings, including their own queen. The tribe was devastated, and it could very well have been wiped out completely had Darkstalker not been stopped.
But what if a similar thing were to happen to all of Pyrrhia? What if a disease with a 95% mortality rate and never-before-seen abilities started spreading across the seven tribes?
Such a pathogen could wipe out a full 75% or more of Pyrrhia's population. 
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This AU is set about 500 years before Darkstalker's time, so the NightWings are still living on the Talon Peninsula. There are no living animus dragons at the time of this AU. The plague ravages the continent between late 2553 A.S. and early 2554 A.S. Immunity appears in the SkyWings in late 2554, and the first truly Immune dragonets are hatched around late 2556-early 2557.
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==Fall 2553==
===Days since index case: 0===
Life in Pyrrhia is seemingly normal at the moment. But that's all about to change very, very soon...
====Scorpion Den, Kingdom of Sand====
Kangaroo was working another late shift at Wings of Comfort, the biggest hospital in the Kingdom of Sand and one of the biggest in all of Pyrrhia. She anxiously eyed the hourglass as the sand in the top bulb trickled painfully slowly down to the bottom bulb. As soon as the top bulb was empty, Kangaroo intended to get her tail out of that hospital and back home to her family.
Her ears perked up at the sound of dragon footsteps. "Hello?" she called out cautiously.
A SandWing face peeked around the corner. "S-sorry to b--" The dragon broke down in a fit of coughing. She shook her head. "Sorry. I've just not been feeling so good for the past few days. I've had this cough for several days, and today I just started to get a stomachache, and my head hurts when I look at the light. Do those symptoms sound familiar to you?"
Kangaroo frowned and shook her head. "Not that particular set of symptoms, no," she said, "but I can give you something for your stomachache."
Unbeknownst to Kangaroo and the other doctors, this dragon isn't the only one experiencing these symptoms. Smaller hospitals in the area are seeing an influx of patients with very similar symptoms. By the end of the day, the total number of cases in the Kingdom of Sand is about 120.
===Days since index case: 1===
The pathogen's supposed index host, an anonymous female SandWing, is now resting at Wings of Comfort. But, despite the doctors' best efforts, her condition seems to be worsening. They're more worried about their patient than about the strange new illness wracking her body.
====Scorpion Den, Kingdom of Sand====
Donning a covering over her snout and gloves on her talons, Kangaroo gingerly parted the layers of curtains surrounding the sick dragon's bed. The curtains served the purposes of keeping out light, stopping any airborne pathogens, and muffling the dragon's horrendous coughing.
"How are you feeling today?" asked Kangaroo as she gingerly changed the cold, wet towel on the patient's forehead. Even through her gloves, she could feel the patient's body temperature was becoming dangerously high. WIP
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The Queen of the SandWings has gotten wind of this strange new disease. She comes out with a statement assuring her subjects that the outbreak is under control.
====SandWing Palace====
"Fellow SandWings and loyal subjects. It has come to our attention that a mysterious new illness has appeared in the area around the Scorpion Den. The Wings of Comfort hospital reported a single case a day ago, and since then that number has risen dramatically. Other hospitals in the kingdom have reported numerous cases as well. All reported cases as of today number about 3,000.
"However, we, Her Majesty Queen Aloe, ruler of the SandWings, have deployed medical teams bearing all manner of medicines to every town in the kingdom with reported cases. This outbreak is being brought under control as we speak. There is no need to worry.
"For our subjects in and around the Scorpion Den, I am imposing certain restrictions for your safety. You are now under curfew from sundown to sunrise. You must keep at least two body lengths of distance between yourself and other dragons not part of your household. These restrictions will remain in place for at least one week, to allow ample time for our royal medical teams to attend to the sick. Your cooperation is appreciated.
"We repeat, the outbreak is being brought under control as we speak. There is no need to worry. Follow all guidelines, stay safe, and good luck to you all."
3,000 cases!? That's a massive increase from yesterday!
Category:Alternate Universes
Category:Mature Content
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Content (SapphicSapphire143)