The Last Of Us

Fluttershy, in the sensation of time not flowing around her, beheld the being as she starred into its eyes. It had the shape of a pony, but it did not look like anything that could be considered ponyly.

The hide's color lacked the luminance of normal pony hairs, looking ghoulish and bedraggled. It's mane was the same, and it just hang down her face, like it was soaked. Though the most distinct characteristic of this creature was its eyes. Its pupils and irises looked exactly like the rifts Fluttershy had seen throughout the city. The Iris glazed, looking like the night sky with tiny stars in it which lacked almost any luminosity and the pupil was just like a red orange thunderbolt following a diagonal path.

The wight clenched its unusually sharp teeth, breathing heavily and slowly, starring right back at Fluttershy. To her horror, she recognized this being as somepony she knew.

“Golden Harvest?” She whispered dolefully, unable to comprehend what happened to one of her friends.

Carefully, she rose one of her hooves and while dithering, she put it on her shoulder in an attempt to reawaken the pony inside of Golden Harvest. But as soon as she did that, the creature that was once a pony pushed her away and growled loudly in a guttural fashion, causing Fluttershy to back off. Snarling like a timberwolf, the corrupted pony prowled and licked its teeth. With nothing but the burning desire in its sparkling eyes to take Fluttershy out, it jumped at her, knocking her down. With Fluttershy lying on her back, barely able to hold the creature up from snatching at her throat, Spike and Angel did not hesitate and slammed their own bodies right into the transformed ponies side, making it fly and crash several feet away from Fluttershy.

Spiked quickly took her hoof and pulled her up. “Come on! We've got to get out of here!”

“B-but...” Fluttershy stammered disbelievingly. “That was... Golden Harvest.”

Spike gazed at the cursed pony, which slowly began to get on its hooves again, bloodthirstily starring at the threesome. “No, Fluttershy. Not anymore.”

Without allowing Fluttershy to reply, Spike and Angel dragged her away from the creature. She hardly walked on her own, as her mind was unable to fathom the cruelty fate had imposed on one of her acquaintance.

Eventually, not galloping away from the creature showed itself a fatal error, since the trio was still in the alleyway and the infested Golden Harvest quickly chased after them. Fluttershy shook her head and tried to fly into the air to protect her friends, but a gruesome pain rushed through her wings, apparently re-realizing that her wing was broken, tripping and falling to the ground.

Spike and Angel startled and once again, they intended to pull her up from the ground, but Fluttershy was just lying there in her pain and confusion. Lying on her back, she saw how her two friends took her forelegs and dragged her through the dirt track, while the corrupted beast furiously approached them.

Fluttershy starred into its eyes, like the monster's gaze would hypnotize them. What was happening? Why would such a thing happen? Questions over questions overwhelmed her mind. Though she did her best to process everything, it was too late.

The infested Golden Harvest jumped at her direction, but instead of her, it took spike and slammed him into the ground. He did everything he could to push the dark pony away, but he was just a little dragon, and his powers were limited. Angel did his best to assist him, trying to drag Golden Harvest away by pulling her tail, but his efforts were in vain, too.

“Get off me, you creep!” Spike yelled at it to no avail

Just as the corrupted Golden Harvest was about to gouge her teeth into Spike's neck, they heard a frustum, echoing sound. What was left of the former Golden Harvest stumbled, shook and eventually fainted right next to Spike. He turned his head and gazed at Fluttershy, who was standing on her hind legs, breathing heavily with a shocked expression and a trash can lid in her hands. She shed tears and weept, letting the lid loose and falling on her four hooves.

“I am sorry...” She whispered stutteringly. “I promise. When we find a cure for you... I will shepherd you until you are safe and sound.”

Spike calmed down again and stood up, gazing at Fluttershy, dolor grazing his face and Angel's. The clear night sky vanished quickly, leaving behind only dark clouds of dust an severe cold. And then, it began to rain. No intensive, but just enough to be actually noticed.

Spike and Angel approached her, gently taking one of her hooves.

“Hey.” Spike calmly reassured her. “Is Everything alright?”

“How could there be anything alright, Spike?” She spoke under her breath. “I just put Golden Harvest out of action with a dastard assault...”

Angel stroke her cheek while Spike shook his head. “That isn't her; not anymore at least. You will be able to cure her and everypony else. I swear that we will find a way.”

Fluttershy nodded slightly, but it was obvious in the whooshing gentle rainfall that her spirit was fragile and her believe in herself was broken.

Spike sighed, but then he smiled and put a claw on her chest, right above her heart. “Hey. You just saved us, you know? Twice actually. Angel maybe even three times.”

As Spiked said that, Angel nodded encouragingly and snuggled with Fluttershy. “We owe you our well-being. You put yourself at risk to save us and even got hurt. Don't think there is no kindness in you. There is more than you believe. If you don't believe yourself, then at least believe us.”

Fluttershy was visibly touched by Spike's words. Like a spark of hope suddenly guiding her path, it was him who calmed her mind.

She nodded quietly and smiled a little bit. “Oh you charmer. Thank you.”

Spike simpered and turned his back, all three of them walking out of the side street an into one of the main plazas. Like being struck by an intense explosion, the silence of the night was immediately filled with the screaming voices of terror of ponies running away, the hissing of blazes consuming the buildings and the whooshing of a few beaming projectiles flying over the city.

“Shoot! The order to stop the attempts to get rid off these anomalies hasn't reached everypony, yet. Come on! We've got the get out of the city and to your place, Fluttershy.”

She nodded in agreement and continued to follow the trotting Spike. They saw the terrified ponies around them, running and screaming in agony through the streets. Just coming by the waterspout fountain, they saw that the town hall was on fire, and parts of it were dropping off like water from the leaf of a lotus.

Angel was just about to continue to run and follow the rest of the herd galloping through the streets, but Spike grabbed his arm and threw him and Fluttershy down, before he himself took cover.

The clock tower lost its stability and quickly, it came tumbling down, flooring everypony and everything that was beneath its hart dirt. The threesome did not see anything of it while they covered, and ultimately, they did not want to see how many got injured by this or what else might have happened to them.

Besides the cracking of sparks, it once again was silent. They got up and Fluttershy bit her lips, before shaking her head.

“We've got to take the long road to get to my house.” She explained solicitously

“Don't worry.” Spike reassured her with a sedate tone in his voice. “I'll get you there. Just follow me and everything will be fine.”

Fluttershy did not want to agree. She just wanted it to be a nightmare to wake up from. She wanted nothing more in this situation than to hid herself and huddle up to herself or somepony else. But she knew it was the only way out and with a silent groan, she accepted and followed him alongside Angel.

The main street they were trudging through was barren of life. Only in the distant could they see the silhouette of ponies distancing themselves from their position. Everything seemed normal as they hurried through the path, but they could not shrug off this eerie feeling the silence that encased them caused.

The sudden noise of a cracking window next to them scared them, but as they turned at the location of its origin, they spotted a dark gray pony with a silver mane being attacked by another one of these corrupted zombies.

“Help! Help!” The Pegasus colt screamed in agony, being pushed on the ground and attempted to being pricked by the monstrosity, that looked uncannily familiar to Berry Punch, a friend to everypony, with only a light pink hide and a nauseating yellow for her hair color.

Spike and Angel swallowed in fear, but they did not hesitate any longer and tried to pull away the insane pony from the pony which outer appearance revealed it to be Thunderlane.

Both of them managed to hold her off, but not enough to get her from the young Pegasus. It was like the infested pony was completely ignoring Spike and Angel, even though it was noticing them, like ponies had a much higher priority.

“Fluttershy! Drag him off her!” Spike yelled at her with his clenched teeth, groaning in desperation as he had to use all of his power to not let go off whatever that thing in front of him was.

But she did demure. She dreaded the creatures the ponies have become. These immane, grotesque, yet pitiful beings, torn out of their sanity to do something she could not understand.

She starred at Thunderlane. If she would not react now, he might be injured. But it would put herself and maybe her friends at risk. She knew there was only one true answer fit for pony beings. With all her courage at display, she dashed towards the others and took Thunderlane's forelegs. The infected snapped at her, but Spike and Angel combined were strong enough to keep her away from Fluttershy.

Just when Thunderlane had enough space to stand up, he leaped to his hooves and stretched his hind legs tight. When the duo lost grip off the corrupted pony, she sprang and immediately, the outstretched, stalwart hooves of Thunderlane's hind legs acquainted themselves with her chin.

In a moment, the corrupted filly collapsed and fell on the ground, forthwith fainting and not a single muscle.

“That will hold her off for some time.” Thunder remarked in disgust by the afflicted mare.

“Hey!” Fluttershy shouted at him, before quickly retreating and whispering as usual. “This act of violence was completely unnecessary.

Spike and Angel rejoined the group and looked back and forth between the two ponies.

“Are you out of your mind?” The Pegasus questioned her in slight anger. “I'd rather not be a supper.”

“Aren't you better than this?” She ramshackly stood her point.

“I had no choice!” He shouted at her, before calming down again when he realized how afraid she was. “She'll wake up in some time. I bought us this time to get out of here. It was the only way.”

Fluttershy shook her head. She did not want to believe this. Violence was never the solution, only a presumptuous method to stall the problem. But was this situation an exception? After all, Thunderlane only acted out of desperation to save himself and likely her and the others, too.

“Hey...” Spike calmly intervened. “We should not discuss this here. First getting out of the city and then the discussion about what's wrong and what's right. How does this sound?”

“Settle down, pal. We are Pegasi. Let's just fly out of the city and we'll bring you to anywhere we want.” Thunderlane suggested cockily.

“I would like too, Thunderlane, but...” Fluttershy admitted precariously. “My wing is injured, if not fractured.”

“Oh, poor you.” He replied grievingly. “But don't worry. I'm sure I can carry you and the two little fellas without effort. After all, I'm training in the Wonderbolt Academy.

“I know. We were there when your group saved us.” Fluttershy responded with a smile gracing her face. “Rarity is still very thankful.”

“Oh... yeah, right.” Thunderlane answered nervously. “Well, let us get it over with.”

Just as Thunderlane was about to open his wings, Spike horned in. “Wait! Look at your wings first.”

“What? Why?” He questioned him in bewilderment, before comprehending what the young dragon meant. “Holy gosh...”

It was only now that any of the attendees noted how badly harried his wings and the side of his body was.

“Darn.” Thunderlane lamented. “That must have happened when I crashed through that window. Stupid cullet. All of that adrenaline must have made me numb to the pain. In any case,  I won't fly with these babies anymore for the next time.”

“What is it with Pegasi having so much trouble staying save and sound? Rainbow Dash will flip out if something similar happens to hear.” Spike remarked sarcastically, as he was in desperation, since seemingly all opportunities to leave the town were without avail.

“Then let us canter out of Ponyville. Were already close to the bridges so it should be an easy ride.” Thunderlane animated the rest of the group.

“We have no other choice.” Spike responded. “Let's try it through sideways. It may sound harsh, but those corrupted are probably after the masses, not single ones.”

“Then it's a deal.” Fluttershy commented. “And don't worry. We'll take care of you as soon as we are out. You can't go out with these injuries.”

“Well, maybe. Without working wings, I won't be able to find my lil' brother in Cloudsdale. So yeah, I appreciate your offer. And thank you for saving me anyway.”

“Always a pleasure, but now, let us really get a move on.” Spike replied, before turning his back, leading the group through multiple dark alleys at a good pace.

There was only one corner they had to take, before they would come across one of the bridges that lead out of town. Spike walked past it with Fluttershy immediately behind him. She felt save between the two, strong men that were guarding her, and of course her own little guarding that was always right next to her. This was a sensation of security that should not last for long.

Just passing the corner, Spike duck and jumped forward. Another of these ferocious creatures assaulted them from seemingly nowhere, with its eye on Fluttershy. Yet again, Fluttershy remembered who the pony behind the outer appearance was, but she did her best to simply see it as the best it was.

She anxiously bawled as she infected mare attacked her, but the creature has not taken into account the brawny stallion that Thunderlane. Like a hero in shining armor, he jumped in front of Fluttershy and lifted the corrupted with his strong neck, literally throwing her to the side.

“Hurry!” He yelled, before galloping and dragging Fluttershy with him.

The door to a little store was in their way, but luckily, it was not closed and they quickly entered the building and blocked the entrance with what appeared to be a wagon. The store was in fact a small diner. It wasn't a familiar building, but it's mostly red furniture looked clean and agleam in the bright night. Gazing through the windows, they saw the purple bridge that lead out of the city and right to the entrance of the Everfree Forest.

They all sighed in relief and even chuckled for a few second.

“Well, were almost out of here. Then the princesses will make their plans, hay, probably even use the Elements of Harmony and POW... everything will be daily grind again.” Spike told them joyously.

Angel hopped through the dark interior of the diner, but tripped over something felted. Just as that happened to her, groaning and moaning echoed through the small restaurant. Everywhere inside, legs began to raise from the ground and grabbed the furniture in an attempt to drag  the rest of the body up.

But now, they saw that the dim light hid at least half a dozen corrupted ponies, all of which wore faces Fluttershy just knew all too well.

“Oh Crud.” Spike stuttered as the masses of infested moaned like zombies in bad horror movies while they were getting up on their hooves.

“We've got to get out of here, before it is too late!” Thunderlane clamor, before he took everypony and galloped with them to the exit. Crashing through the door and being outside and still breathing, Thunderlane pressed his body against the door, as the infected ponies tried to break through without respite.

“Shoot! I can't hold them back much longer! Run away!” Thunderlane commanded them, but Spike shook his head and pressed himself against the door as well.

“No way! They will rush us back to Fluttershy's house if I am not here to buy some more time. Fluttershy, Angel! Go home. I'll come in about 5 minutes.”

“No way. I know Twilight said that you are responsible for me, but I won't let you two guys down.”

“You are not letting us down! You are doing what we want you to do.” Spike explained her energetically. “Otherwise, everything was for nothing. Go now! Find your animal friends and make sure they are save. I'll be there in just a couple of minutes. I promise that!”

Who was she to fight against Spike? He was showing so much bravery in this dire situation. He truly behaved like a man he always was. She wondered what that strength inside of him was that allowed him to show such courage. He was a valiant little guy, but he would not hesitate from fleeing when the situation becomes a loosing game. And this was surely nothing they could win. Fluttershy had faith in him, and so, she packed Angel on her back and nodded.

“I believe you. Good luck, the both of you.” She replied sternly, before turning her back and galloping over the bridge.

In the middle of it, she heard how the door collapsed and she turned around, only seeing how both Spike and Thunderlane were rushing away from the attackers with an incredible speed. Luckily, she gained no attention, and she assiduously cantered through the streets back to her home.

For a fraction of a second, it was relief that overwhelmed her with sheer pleasure. But as everything in this night, it was in vain. It was not only the city that was burning down to ashes, but parts of the Everfree as well, including her own house.

She and Angel where in shock, as they did not know about the well-being of their animal friends. Angel was scared for them and he felt the urge to do just anything. Without explaining himself, Angel jumped off her back and rushed towards the burning house, possibly in an attempt to open a door or something like this to save everypony inside.

“Angel, no! Stop! It is too dangerous!” Fluttershy outcried, but the little critter was way too focused on his goal to listen to her.

“Please... be save and save them...” She whispered as she saw him entering through an open window on the building's side.

She followed up onto the small hill, but as she approached her home, she heard a buzzing in the background. She remembered what that sound was. It was the noise these anomalies made, like what ponies would imagine a black hole or a wormhole to sound like.

She browsed around and eventually, her eyes gazed at the little lake near her house, where it was. She did not see it through all the flames that brightened up the sky, but now it was crystal clear. It was, in her shock, crystal clear that a nightguard in almost full armor was attempting to use his magic against it.

“Oh no!” She shouted, before she galloped towards the guardian.

“Stop.” She tried to explain him with her common gentle voice. “You mustn’t use your magic against it. I will create these big projectiles and...”

“Be off!” The nightguard accost her while trying to focus. “Find somewhere to hide, young mare. These anomalies are dangerous.”

“No, no. You don't understand me, it's an direct order from Twilight Sparkle that...” The attempted to convince with, but with no avail.

“I have direct orders from Shining Armor. Until I am reported otherwise by an official source, I have to fulfill my duty.” He replied with anger gracing his tone.

She could not allow him to cause any more damage. But what was she supposed to do? He did not listen to her, and he arguably had good reasons for doing so. He just kept on channeling his magic energy through his horn and transferred it to the rift in time and space with a concentrated beam.

She knew that soon, something would happen that would cause another one of these blasts to struck something down. There is only one way. A method she always despised to use. Being a showoff was not her way of living, but in this case, she had no other choice.

“I am the Element of Kindness, close friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle who bares the Element of Magic. In her name, I order you to stay down..... please....” She demanded him to so.

“The Element of Kindness?” He wondered about her words, before he turned around and looked at her.

“Oh yes. You are Fluttershy. You helped our precious princess Luna once, too. Okay. I believe.” He responded happily.

Only his face stuck out of his armor. Like most nightguards, he had a dark gray hide, but there was a unique touch of dark purple in his. His mane and tail were, in comparison, dark blue like Luna's, and his wings had a slight wider span. He must be a higher ranking nightguard or a special elite.

“Captain Penumbra to your command.” He saluted joyfully.

At first, Fluttershy smiled, but her victory should soon turn into despair. As Penumbra turned around and greeted her, the magic connection between him and the anomaly got lost. Dark sparks began to emit between them, and before they could grasp it, it was already to late.

An ear-battering, white blast struck the two down, though with his unmatched perception and agility, Penumbra was able to cover Fluttershy from the blast by protecting her with his own body.

But ultimately, there was only the white nothingness.

Fluttershy awoke in the cold grass, next to the nightguard captain who was moaning. He was bruised to say the least, but he was still capable of shakily standing on his two hooves, breathing heavily and having tears in his eyes.

Fluttershy was still deaf from the explosion, which knocked almost every sense of her out of their balance. She could only see blurry forms, and her equilibrium sense was almost not working at all, though she was steadily able to stand up.

She breathed in and out, unable to hear anything,but the beating of her heart. It needed something to truly wake her up. Another shock, like a cold shower or alike. Her desires were fulfilled, as a glare began to fill her eyes.

She starred at it, and her eyes adapted to it and with it, all her other senses. Instantly after regaining her full consciousness, she followed the path of the glare. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in an attempt to yell, but her throat was too dry. In this one second, she realized what the blinding light was. It was another one of  these projectiles, but at a much larger scale.

She tried to get something out of her mouth. She tried to gallop towards it, but there was no time to do even one step. Ultimately, she could only watch it in tears.

The light disappeared for a fraction of a second, before it extended itself and consumed everything. Everything she once called her home. The grass desiccated and the earth blackened. It was just in this mere seconds the impact of the light with her house made that everything she knew, all the beauty and blithesomeness she knew in her life, was turned into tight grip of black despair and demise. She just stood there; and watched.

Again, there was nothing. But this time, it was ever-lasting. She gazed at the burning remains that was once the place she lived in. With one strike, everything she knew was gone. Things, that were irreplaceable, leaving behind only bitter memories.

Fluttershy stumbled and fell on the ground. A stream of tears flew down her cheeks and shattered on the grass. She crawled through the grass in an attempt to reach her house, but her body felt so tired and so did her spirit.

Even though she gave everything, someone grabbed and and pulled her back. She gazed at the person, which revealed itself to be Spike. He was shouting something, but she could not hear it. Her mind was empty. She screamed “No!”, constantly, broken-hearted; and fought against Spike. She had to save something, she just had to.

But then, it was not just Spike, but also everypony she considered her best friends who dragged her away from the building. She knew she was yelling at him to let her go, but she just could not hear it. She meandered and resisted, but it was futile.

As she got pulled through the grass, she saw how Penumbra starred at the flames with tears in his eyes, while Twilight Sparkle exclaimed against him.

Her body simply give in and she collapsed. She knelt there, in the arms of her friends, holding her tightly and mourning alongside her. With her tears rushing down her side, the rain intensified, nearly becoming the storm of despondency that raged inside of her.

It was in this night, the night she became an dult, that she lost almost everything that mattered to her. Her home, her life, but most of all, her family and friends. And In the end, all she had was the endless reminder that life... goes... on; without them.