Chapters The Great Equestrian Virus
The creature strapped down to the table was not of ponykind. It looked like a pony, but it wasn't a pony. It pushed against the ropes that held it down and growled at the unicorn doctors standing over it. Celestia had even come down from the castle to see what the ponies had found. There were three more ponies lying sleeping next to it. They had apparently been bitten by the creature and had passed out soon after. The three of them looked pale and blood ran down their necks or legs where they had been bitten. The creature groaned at the unicorns and pushed against its bonds again as the Sun Goddess looked over it.
"Doctor, what is wrong with this pony?" Celestia asked.
"We are not sure. I have cast spells to look at it through X-ray, and I can tell you one thing Princess. That creature, its heart doesn't beat, it doesn't breathe, or get hungry, it doesn't do anything a living thing would, the only thing left, alive, is its brain. And not as much as any pony, just a small piece of it. This thing. It isn't alive, we don't know what is wrong or how it happened but it has happened, this pony is dead." The unicorn doctor replied.
"What of those three." Celestia asked.
"They were bitten and just, passed out. They have been like this for hours. They were all bitten around the same time. They are weakening more and more and may die. There is nothing we can do." The unicorn replied.
"Thank you doctor. I shall be going now." Celestia replied. She turned to leave and there was a low groan coming from one of the ponies that had been bit. Celestia looked to it and saw it was awake. Its eyes white and dull. The pony got up slowly and walked forward, groaning again.
"Hello? Are you okay. How do you feel?" The unicorn doctor asked. The pony turned to the doctor and groaned again, then lunged forward and bit into its neck. Blood sprayed out over the hospital floor and the doctor screamed and feel to the ground. Ponies suddenly screamed as the other two ponies stood and galloped toward ponies, biting into the panicking ponies. Celestia stepped back to the doorway. Shouting for guards. They ran in with weapons and armour. Charging at the corrupt creatures, the bitten were slowly rising up as well, more and more ponies dying and, changing. Celestia felt a push of a guard; he had been bit on the neck and was bleeding out.
"Run! Princess run!" He shouted, his eyes turning white and coughing blood out of his mouth. The guard slumped down, before slowly groaning and growling at the princess. Celestia stepped back again and ran out of the room, screams and groans following behind her.
Celestia made her way to the castle; ponies were panicking all through Canterlot, hearing the fighting and panic of the hospital. Those things swarmed out after Celestia, attacking ponies as they went, unicorns shot spells and fire at the creatures but they kept coming. Spears and swords had no effect to the creatures either. They wouldn't die.
Celestia ran through the castle, ordering guards to close and lock the doors behind her, they did. Shouts from ponies followed and they banged on the doors, trying to get in.
"Do not open those doors! Those things out there are not of pony kind!" Celestia shouted. "Mother please forgive me for abandoning those ponies outside." Celestia muttered. The air filled with groans now, the sounds of those corrupt, not those of the normal ponies.
"What in Equestria is that?" Luna asked. She had obviously been woken up by the noises and was walking down the stairs of the castle, rubbing her eyes with one hoof.
"Luna, get some supplies, we are leaving." Celestia ordered.
"Sister?"
"Ponies are, changing. I don't know how to explain it. If you get bitten, you change, only wanting to bite more ponies. They are swarming Canterlot. We need to leave, get to Ponyville and warn them. Move!" Celestia shouted. She then looked to the guards standing at the doorway.
"What are our orders princess?" Shining Armor asked.
"Tell the men to evacuate. I want a few to defend the doors until we are ready, then we are all evacuating to find your sister. Go find Cadence." Celestia replied. Armor nodded and turned.
"You heard her! Hold the doors until we are ready. It's time to leave!" Shining Armor shouted. A window smashed and a few corrupt ponies fell down, they had made a pony made ladder to the window to get in. The creatures groaned and smashed to the ground, they slowly got back up, limping from broken limbs. Blood dripping down.
"Princesses! Get out of here. Ponies. With me!" Shining Armor shouted, aiming his spear down.
"It's been an honour sir." A pony muttered as the guards charged forward.
"Celestia. Keep Cadence safe!" Shining Armor shouted, then a pony bit into his neck and he screamed in pain. He fell down. Celestia heard herself counting. "One...Two...Three...Four...Five...Six..." At this point Shining's body was moving and he was screaming against the corruption, his eyes changing colour and his limbs going through uncontrollable spasms. "..Ten...Eleven...Twelve...Thirteen..." His body had now gotten up; it stood prone for a second before groaning and looking to the princesses. It lunged forward. "Fifteen." Celestia shouted and ran; Luna quickly took flight and followed. A corrupt pony jumped at her and Luna screamed out.
"Luna!" Celestia shouted, looking to her sister. Blood dripped down Luna's leg and she crashed down to the floor. Celestia was too high up to be grabbed but nearly fell herself at the sight.
"Sister!" Celestia shouted, shooting a spell at the creature biting into her. The creatures head was blasted off and the body flopped down. The jaw was still biting at the air.
"Tia. Tia. I am, I-. I am so, so sorry. Goodbye sister." Luna muttered and shut her eyes. Corrupt ponies swarmed around Luna as they jumped to Celestia.
"Me too Luna. Me too." Celestia muttered. She felt tears forming but knew she couldn't do anything about it. Her sister was already getting back up and was groaning. Celestia let a tear drop and flow out of the window, cried and screams quickly followed. "Mother, what have you done?" Celestia asked to her mother.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Two [Part One]: Ponyville
Back in Ponyville, all was well. The newly crowned Princess, Twilight Sparkle was walking through the town with Spike on her back. Everypony was happy as normal and bowed down to the lavender Alicorn as she passed. Twilight had gone out that morning to get some apples from her farming friend, Applejack, who Twilight could spot from where she was, the sun was at it's highest, the day was warm and the Pegasi had removed the clouds from last nights storm. The ground was still damp and puddles still littered the ground, puddles in which little colts and fillies were running around splashing in them. It was a Sunday, so tomorrow they would all have to go back to school. Twilight smiled as she watched the children. She knew they loved going to school and their lessons in their classes. Twilight was nearing Applejack's stall now, but paused when she felt something rub against her leg. She looked down to see a young yellow coated filly was looking up at her.
"Oh, erm. Sorry Princess." The little filly muttered and bowed.
"Don't worry little one. It's my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going. No need to bow either, what is your name?" Twilight asked with a smile, the filly paused for a moment, possibly debating if Twilight really did want her name, or perhaps the idea of giving it to a stranger, even if she is a princess. After a moment of silence however, the filly nodded, as she had made a decision.
"My name is Lavender, princess." The filly replied smiling. Twilight smiled back.
"Well I must be off, buying some apples, bye Lavender." Twilight said and walked off, the little filly giggled and ran off in the opposite direction. Twilight laughed quietly and looked to the sky, still not a single cloud. Pegasi were flying around happily and some were racing each other from random speck in the sky to another. "It is going to be a good day." Twilight muttered to herself, it was normally a 'good day' in Equestria, especially Ponyville, but today was just that extra special.
"Twilight!" Somepony from a distance shouted. Twilight jumped slightly and looked around. The shout sounded again and Twilight looked frantically around. She heard galloping which was getting louder and closer. Twilight noticed a figure as she looked down a road. A white, tall figure. A Pegasus perhaps, as the two wings were flapped down. But as the figure got closer Twilight noticed a long horn. A white Alicorn? Celestia? No, it couldn't be, she wouldn't come down from Canterlot, let alone, well, alone. Twilight began to walk toward Celestia slowly, the Alicorn was still running. Twilight could hear the other princess panting loudly.
"Celestia?" Twilight asked. Celestia reached Twilight and paused, panting deeply. The Sun Goddess was looking to the ground, tears were in her eyes and she looked messy, she had certainly walked, or flown all the way here. But why.
"Twilight. Luna, Luna is dead. Gather your friends, and Spike. We need to leave, now." Celestia panted.
"Luna? Dead? How, Princess you must explain more." Twilight replied, obviously shocked.
"I don't know how to explain my student, there were these, corrupt ponies, they wouldn't die. They were already dead, so the doctors said, they bit ponies, and they, they turned. The whole city was in chaos. I reached the castle but they got in. Hundreds of them, they spread so quickly. Luna was bitten, so, so was your brother Twilight. I do not know what happened to Cadence. I am sorry." Celestia muttered and began to cry. Here she stood, the ruler of all Equestria, she raises the sun everyday and raised both sun and moon for one thousand years whilst Nightmare Moon was in banishment. Now crying into Twilight's shoulder. Twilight repeated what the princess just said in her head.
"Shining Armor, was bitten?" Twilight muttered.
"Yeah." Celestia muttered, wiping her eyes. "He turned in a matter of seconds. Attacking those he had just called brothers earlier that day."
"We need to get out of here. But where, if the infection, or whatever this is, spreads so fast, it could be here at any moment, it could already be here. We have to clean and examine everypony." Twilight shouted, Celestia stopped her with a hoof.
"No, Twilight, it isn't a virus you can see, from what I saw. It's not a 'this' it's a 'they'. If they bite you, you join their ranks. The first one is still tied up in Canterlot, I presume. He and three others went into the Everfree to look for some poison joke for a researching test, but the doctors found the first already corrupt and had to tie him to a bed, the other three he, no, it. It had already bitten, they turned whilst I was there. About to leave as a matter of face. Biting into doctors, patients and soldiers alike. No discrimination. Only that biting. We can't go anywhere near the capital, as they have over run that, and anything that goes from and too Canterlot is doomed." Celestia said, stern look in her eye.
"But the Ponyville train, that goes straight into Canterlot. And will be coming back soon. We have to find my friends, tell everypony to head south, thats the only place we can go." Twilight replied, speaking fast, she was naturally scared and twitching.
"Okay, you go find your friends, I will warn the town, met back here in ten." Celestia agreed. "Lathough we may not have that long." She added, in the distance she could see the smoke of a train, it didn't look like the smoke had been tended too for a while. If the train was infected, the driver must have tried to escape and become bitten on the way back, so any and all passengers would be corrupt. If the train had gone into Canterlot, it could have stopped, or needed to turned back for some reason.
Celestia and Twilight ran off in opposite directions, Twilight was running toward Applejack's stall and Celestia to the town hall.
Twilight reached AJ in a matter of seconds. Looking at her friend quickly and running close to her.
"Oh hey Sugarcube, how may I be'in of a service to ya today?" The orange farm pony said with a smile.
"We need to leave, Celestia's orders, we are to met at the edge of town in ten minutes, you know. Where the sign is. I will explain when we are all together, go get Granny Smith and the rest if you want, but we are leaving. Whatever you do, bring lots of apples and food." Twilight shouted quickly.
"Er Twi. You okay there?" Applejack asked.
"AJ, just please trust me, get your family and supplies and go to the RV point." Twilight replied, without pause, twitching violently.
"Okay Twi. I trust ya. Wonder what the Princess wants." Applejack muttered. "Well, Princess Celestia anyway. Because you're a princess now sugarcube." She added. Then walked off. Leaving her stall unattended. Twilight then ran to Fluttershy's house, where she loudly knocked on the door, Twilight felt like she would break it if she knocked any louder. After a brief pause the door opened, only to have nopony there, well, until Twilight looked down, Angel was at the door.
"Hey Angel, where's Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. The rabbit pointed inside and got out the way so Twilight could come in. Doscord and Fluttershy were sitting together. "You two, we need to leave now. Get supplies and head to the east side of town. Just trust me." Twilight ordered, Flutterhsy jumped at the sound of a voice but then fixed her posture when she realised who it was.
"Oh, hey Twilight. What will we need?" Fluttershy said quietly.
"Food and water, we are on a mission from Celestia." Twilight said.
"Oh, okay." Fluttershy replied and got up to get her saddle bags. Discord looked puzzeled.
"What's all this about then?" He asked, then paused. "Princess." He added and bowed.
"What do you know of ponies supposedly dying then coming back, different?" Twilight asked, suspecting him, although to be fair on the god, this would be his first mess up in almost three years.
"Different?" Discord asked.
"Biting other ponies, then the bitten, become one of them." Twilight elaborated.
"You mean, like zombies?" Discord asked, the Alicorn paused, then nodded.
"Well what do you want to know. They are undead and bit ponies." Discord said, confused.
"Do you have the power to, spawn them? Or even, get rid of them?" Twilight asked. Discord gave a confused facts, then lowered his voice as Fluttershy began singing, still getting supplies.
"Is this what this is about. There are actually, zombies in Equestria?" He asked quietly.
"Yes, Luna and my brother are dead, Canterlot has fallen and Princess Cadence is missing." Twilight muttered. "Celestia is here warning the town to evacuate as a train that has just gone to Canterlot is coming back as we speak and may be full of infected. So I am gathering my friends, their families and any extras, and we are leaving. Heading south, somewhere." She added.
"Well, Canterlot has fallen to the dead. This is bad." Discord genuinely sounded worried, even, scared. "Undead creatures, zombies or any other spawn of that kind of Chaos has been out of my power for near on three thousand years, I only had that power when I first became Chaos God, but then I lost any knowledge of it when I preferred Joke Chaos, rather than Evil Chaos. I fear there is nothing I can do in this matter." He muttered, saddened by that fact.
"Well by all means come with us, we are going to the east end of town in ten minutes. Please hurry her." Twilight replied looking at Fluttershy, who was now feeding ever one of her animals. Individually. Twilight ran out of the house, letting Discord think on the matter at hand. "This isn't my doing at all, Zack is far more Chaotic than even my power, too evil. Whatever caused this, is not of Equestria, something of the Verfree perhaps?" He asked himself. Then heard Fluttershy singing again. "Fluttershy dear, please hurry up, we wouldn't want to be late for the meeting with Celestia." He called, then got up to help her.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Everypony was now present, on the eastern side of town as previously agreed, the mane six and their families, along with Celestia and Discord were standing at the front, the other ponies of the town were just behind, unable to stand still, most of them stood on the spot, hooves stamping the ground repetitively in an uneasy stance. They were preparing to leave, making sure everypony was present. They were.
"Everypony. We will be marching by day and sleeping by night, we have food wagons with enough supplies for nearly three years so we have ample provisions. Please stay as one group and if you see any sign of another pony report it to a nearby guard. Ponies may be hostile so be wary. I have told you already what we are facing so be on the look out at all times. Ponies, head to Ponyton." Princess Celestia announced to the town, they all began to walk along the road, some looking back and around at their now empty homes. Twilight turned to join in looking, and noticed a single, small pony walking around on it's own. Twilight paused, Celestia saw the lavender princess stop and she also saw the pony. It was walking toward the townsponies. A few other ponies began to appear, they were too far away to recognize but were getting closer. One began to run, tripping and falling. Then getting up and continuing. None of the ponies on the march mad a sound, until they got nearer, the front one made a low, loud moan. Celestia froze completely. Twilight saw this and panicked.
"Move!" She shouted, the ponies nearby saw the two princesses panicked looks and screamed out, then began to run, more and more joined the stampede. Discord appeared next to Twilight and as she stood she noticed her friends appear too.
"What in the hay is wrong with that poor pony?" Applejack asked. If they stopped to count then the group would've known there were now over a hundred ponies walking toward them.
"The creatures that murdered my sister. Run!" Celestia shouted, the group began to run with the Ponyvillian herd and as they did, the ponies in the town also took a gallop. Growling and groaning as they did. Twilight's heart was racing, she took flight, among many of the other Pegasi. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Celestia were already in the air. Rainbow paused in flight to look at the ponies running, they over took the cyan Pegasus, a few jumped at her but were out of range, the main horde however raced at the townsponies. Twilight flow over the group and cast cloud standing spells on ponies, mainly her friends, then began to cast a teleport on the ponies to the clouds above. However even her magic was limited, she watched as ponies began to get grabbed and bitten, screams of pain and panic filled the air. Twilight realised, you couldn't outrun them, close combat was out of the question, all you could do was fly. Then something came to her. Clouds, surely the cloud Pegasi cities were safe? If they could get there, then maybe ponykind could regroup, rebuild and figure out how to deal with this. Twilight came back to reality and saw her friends were on clouds, along with half a dozen other ponies, Lyra, Derpy Hooves, Rose Luck, and others. But a good deal of those hundreds of ponies below weren't so lucky. Everypony was in pure chaos and panic. Dead and dying everywhere. A few spells were being fired but to no effect. The corrupt ponies just kept on coming. Twilight decided to cast a few pot shots. Most actually missing but one hit. One lucky shot and the spell hit. Right on one ponies head, the spell exploded on impact sending blood and brains flying. The now headless body dropped, not moving. That was it, the only way to take these creatures out. Was to destroy the head. Cut the body off from the only thing active, the brain.
"Shoot the head! Aim for the brain!" Twilight shouted, still standing on the cloud with her friends. A few of the trees were now moving and alive, thanks to Discord, and were helping take on the dead. But due to not attacking the head, the trees weren't affecting them at all. Limbs were ripped off and bones broken, yet still. They. Came. The screams echoed through the day, all they could do was take pot shots from a cloud, and watch hundreds die. They should have left sooner. Should have done something. The battle, if it could be called that, went well into the day and into the night. Many ponies fleeing in all directions, the dead following. By morning, only twenty-three bodies littered the ground, among various limbs and bits of flesh and gore. Meaning hundreds of corrupt ponies were somwhere out there. In the forests, the towns, and spreading. Fast.
"We need to leave." Celestia said, it was early morning now, the princess had found the magic and time to raise and lower both sun and moon and was tired, they all were.
"We can't, not until we rest." Rarity said, sobbing. Her sister was curled up next to her, crying deeply. Applejack hadn't said a word, her brother and Granny Smith had been down there. In fact, Granny Smith was one of the actual dead. Her left foreleg ripped off and head cut apart, the jaw still biting the air. Applebloom was safe, and was likewise crying into her sisters coat. Scootaloo was with Rainbow, also crying. The cyan Pegasus had taken her eyes off Twilight since the beginning of the fight. Spike was also on the cloud. Pacing up and down the marshmallow texture of the cloud.
"Fine. We rest here, then head to Cloudsdale. It should be safe there. Twilight, renew their cloud walking spells and get some sleep." Celestia ordered.
"What about you princess?" Twilight asked, she attempted that sentence twice before she could actually say it without sobbing.
"I'm not tired." Celestia replied quietly, no emotion in her voice. Twilight cast the spells.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Three [Part One]: Cloud layer
Twilight didn't sleep all that well that night, no pony did. Crying echoed through the night joining in the chorus of the groans of the corrupt ponies wondering the forest either side of the road. A few made their way back onto the road and growled toward the ponies suspended on the clouds above. Spells were cast and the ponies put down, but the noise only attracting more. Twilight had yet to figure out how they could transport all the unicorns and earth ponies to Cloudsdale, or any Pegasi city. They couldn't exactly teleport them all from cloud to cloud all the way there, they would become magically exhausted rather quickly, even if the other ponies were giving off magic. Twilight was shattered anyway, but everytime she shut her eyes the faces of those lost came back to her, the screams of yesterday. The scene. Those ponies could certainly run, only true athletes even had a chance at escaping these creatures. The only way to put them down was a shot to the head, even then they may no die. Just cutting the head off is ineffective, as Twilight had seen from the day before. Granny Smith's head still biting the air. It was probably still at it, but she couldn't see due to the darkness of the night, and couldn't hear over the sounds of the dead groaning and the living grieving. Twilight caught Rainbow Dash's glance and stared at the Pegasus.
"What is the plan then?" Rainbow grunted. Scootaloo turning in her sleep, a cyan wing holding her in place.
"Head to Cloudsdale, you heard Celestia." Twilight replied, sobbing slightly.
"Then what?" Rainbow muttered. "We can't, you can't keep casting that cloud walking spell forever, we need solid ground. As must as Cloudsdale is safe, there is no way it can be these ponies permanent home." Rainbow replied, looking to the earth ponies among the survivors.
"Well the city is completely made of clouds, we have seen that. If we put then in one of those brick homes the city has, teaching the unicorns the cloud walking spell they can stay there whilst some of our number find a suitable grounded location to defend."
"But who would go back down-" Rainbow muttered and pointed a hoof down to the corrupt ponies, now feasting on those who had been put down. "-Down there, once we are safe no pony will want to go back. If Cloudsdale is safe then everypony will want to stay."
"Well I am going to travel Equestria, once we are safe, to see where is infected and warn those towns and cities who aren't." Celestia put in, the Alicorn princess had been watching and listening to the two chat for a while now, but only just thought how to pitch in. Grief was still fresh for the Goddess and she was surprised how well Twilight was faring knowing her brother had fallen. Or maybe she didn't believe it, and as soon as she had the chance, would go back to Canterlot to find him, or whatever he is right now.
"And I for one will go look for a safe haven for ponies to go, set up defences for them and build up a little haven for evacuating ponies. Maybe somewhere central like Neighwich." Twilight put in. Rainbow paused, thinking.
"Well if you are going as soon as this one is safe I will join you. I am sure the others will too." Rainbow muttered quietly, looking to Discord and Fluttershy, the yellow mare was actually sleeping, when you fear everything plus your own shadow, it would be easier to put this all off as a dream. Which is probably what the shy Pegasus is doing. The Chaos God however was wide awake, watching those creatures below, not saying a word, just watching. Most ponies who weren't cuddled up to friends and family or crying were just sitting there, watching. Only around five or six were actually sleeping. Those who were weren't doing it in still sleep, but in moving mumbled balls of fur and mane. Waking up through the night screaming or calling out a ponies name. There were around forty-five to fifty ponies all laying on the cloud layer above the ground. Fifty survivors out of the two thousand Ponyvillians. Twilight noticed that a few of the food carts were still on the ground. Six to be precise, many ponies had run of or turned still connected to them.
"I know how we can transport everypony." Twilight said suddenly. Rainbow looked up from the orange filly sleeping close to her to Twilight. "We can use those wagons down there, supply enough food just for the trip and transport the Earth ponies and Unicorns to Cloudsdale via that. A few stronger Pegasi, we will need twelve to twenty, can drive the wagons, whilst the rest of the Pegasi fly by, landing on every cloud and walking as much as possible, can be reserves for when the drivers are tired, we can keep swapping and thus keep moving, we could be there in less than a day that way." Twilight said.
"It will be risky getting those wagons, but it is the best idea we have. As soon as the it is sun rise, we can grab them. It is too risky to get them whilst it's dark. How long do we have to wait Princess?" Rainbow asked to Celestia.
"About two hours. The moon is just getting to it's lowest point." Celestia replied, her horn glowing. Twilight and Rainbow both nodded.
"Then Twilight, myself and any other Pegasi can go down and grab the wagons. Then it will be a long day, if we start at sun up, and continue as Twilight said we could get there in twelve hours, every hour the Pegasi swapping and a water and toilet break." Rainbow Dash said, pausing now and then to figure out the math.
"Okay. I will go spread the word of the plan." Twilight said, she got up and began talking to the ponies of the group, mainly the Pegasi of their number.
Celestia sat up, watching her ex student walk along the cloud layer talking with other ponies, everypony seemed to tired to argue with her so either just moved her on with a hoof gesture or nodded slowly, sleep taking their eyes. A few more were drifting off now, but it was too late, apart from the few that could sleep on the wagon, if they got comfortable enough, then many would still be awake for the longer part of the day. It was probably safest to let the more awake Pegasi drive first and let the next lot sleep or rest in a wagon. Each wagon, with the food and all the other ponies who couldn't fly, would be able to fit in four Pegasi at one time. So if one wagon was driven by two or four ponies then the next wave could certainly fit and rest. In normal circumstances the wagons would be incredibly heavy and need around eight or nine ponies to carry as many, plus food, but due to Pegasi having a certain kind of magic, in the air they seemed to have twice as much strength as any Earth pony or unicorn down below. Maybe it was something to do with the cloud layer and being so close to the hemisphere that the light feel of being so high up meant they were stronger perhaps, but with that logic then all of Canterlot could be athletes, well. Four days ago anyway.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Three [Part Two]: Cloudsdale
It was now just coming up to mid afternoon when the group finally saw Cloudsdale in the distance, the Pegasi were tired and the Earth/Unicorn ponies were in deep want of some sort of safety. Especially if that meant one hundred feet of sky between hell and safety. They still all grieved and cried out, many scared that the great Pegasi city had fallen to the dead. They were scared by the fact the dead had begun to rise and eat other ponies. Everypony was scared at that fact. Nopony knew why they had risen or where it began, apart from the theory it started with that pony in Canterlot. But that was just a theory, he had been the thing that caused this destruction, but ponies all over the world could have fallen to this virus, Celestia wanted to find out. Whilst she traveller the world warning ponies she met to evacuate to Cloudsdale, until Twilight had built a defendable town for them, the sun princess would try to track down where this had all started. If she found the source, she could perhaps find a cure, or at least a way to stop it. Or stop more deaths happening.
Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash flew at the front of the group. Rainbow panting as she had just had her turn at driving. Celestia wanted to see if the city had fallen, and if it had, what they would be facing.
"We three shall go ahead, rest now. We will be back in an hour. If not, move on, go to Ponyton as agreed." Celestia announced, it really didn't help morale after Celestia just said they may not return from a city the same three had previously deemed safe. Ponyton was probably one of the worse places to go, it had most likely already fallen to the undead, being so close to the Everfree and Ponyville. Ponyton was closer to the forest than it's sister town. Much of the forest was growing around homes and pathways. But it still wasn't proven that it was the Everfree. For all ponykind knew, the Everfree was the safest place to be right now. The three left the group and began flying toward the main entrance to the city, one could of course just fly in and land anywhere, but if the city hadn't fallen then the local guard wouldn't be very impressed, even if it was the princess. It was common courtesy to enter any city through the gates, in case of times like this, well, more natural times such as war, the city would be on high alert and want to check everypony and everything that enters and leaves the city. The gates looked closed and two figures were aimlessly walking on the cloud near it. Celestia instantly thought the worse and could see the look in Twilight's and Rainbow's eyes. The trio continued to fly toward the city, slower now. Not wanted to cause any unwanted attention, even though they could just fly away it would be better to not alert the corrupt ponies of their presence here. If in deed they were the undead. Questions flooded everypony's minds though. If they were dead, how did they get up here. Did the plague start in multiple places, multiples a Patient Zero was made up here? Was somepony bitten and didn't change until hours, maybe days later. What happened up here? But as the trio got closer. Their questions dropped. The two ponies at the gates were certainly ponykind. Wearing Silver Cloudsdale armour and holding long pikes in their hooves and attached to their saddles. The two must have seen the three flying toward them due to the fact that by the time the three ponies landed, the guards counted near to twenty or thirty. One pony, presumably the leader stepped forward to the trio, now standing on the cloud layer.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight. What brings you here?" The captain asked.
"Do you not know?" Twilight replied.
"Know?" The captain asked, then paused. "Oh, you mean down there. Of course we know, everypony knows. It has been spreading like a forest fire. Just would have thought you would be defending Canterlot, is all Princesses." The captain replied.
"Oh I see. Well, Canterlot has fallen,from what I can presume, that was what fell first." Celestia said softly.
"Well, I believe your info is off Princess. No offense of course, but our Intel has shown that this all started in Manehatten, nearly six days ago."
"Six? It has only been three days since the capital fell. Do you have any survivors from Manehatten?" Celestia asked.
"Yes. A few Pegasi. But you haven't answered why you are here."
"Well, I would very much like to speak with them, when we are free of course. I, we are here because Ponyville also fell. Thousands died but a few lived, none are bitten or wounded in anyway but many need some sort of solid support under them, as it were."
"You have Earth and Unicorn ponies in your number?"
"Along with a few Pegasi yes. Our group is all on the cloud layer just below this one captain. And I would very much be honoured if you would allow them to stay, for a while anyway. Until my student here can find them a suitable location on the ground, that is." Celestia replied. The captain blushed a bit. Her next sentence was full of false starts and stutters.
"Y-Y. Yes Princess. You can, can bring them up. I am-" The captain paused, she was obviously bewildered Celestia had used the word such as 'honoured' in asking if the Ponyvillians could stay. "-Yes of course, my troops will give them good, solid homes and we will take care of them as best we can. It will fill up some of the empty feel of the city. All of the civi's left soon after word of Manehatten's fall came about. Left for somewhere, no pony really knew. Just out of Equestria."
"I sew. Well thank you captain?-" Celestia asked.
"Galloria Princess, Captain Galloria." She said and saluted.
"We Captain Galloria, we shall soon return and then if you could kindly take me to those Manehatten survivors you were talking about. I will require some ink, feathers and parchment, to take notes." Celestia smiled.
"Of course. Notes for what may I ask?"
"Well, I need to know where this all started, so I can find a way to end it."
"Oh." Galloria paused again. "I see. Well then, I am sure Twilight and her friend can get the ponies here, whilst I take you to the survivors. The sooner the better eh?" She added. Celestia looked to Twilight and Rainbow who both nodded and flow off. Celestia then walked with the captain. The gates to Cloudsdale opening as they went.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Three [Part Three]: Survivors
Princess Celestia had been lead to a rather large looking building where she was told she would find the Manehatten survivors. There were six inside. Well eight but two refused to speak with her. So that left six who were happy, or at least comfortable with telling their stories to the Princess. The sun goddess began with the first she had seen and asked for an interview, well, a back story of the war down there. Thus far. The stallion had a brown coat and yellowish-orange hair, his wings were pretty small, under the average size for a pony his age. There was a cutie mark on his plot as usual and one of his eyes seemed slightly more closed than the other, and was twitching slightly.
He began.
The day started pretty normally, the same day as normal. I was on my way to work, the Manehatten branch of the weather factory and I noticed rather a lot of armed ponies walking around, not just guards either, it looked as if ponies had just gone home, picked up a saddle and gathered arms. I wasn't sure why, no pony had mentioned anything to me that morning or even the day before, so I ignored it not wanting to question anything, I am sure it was something they were doing and obviously didn't want me, or the other unarmed ponies to get involved. Crime isn't rare in Manehatten, no fault of your Princess, it just is. And crime gang wars aren't uncommon so I suppose I just thought it was another gang fight, so I sped up a bit, trying to get out of this possible war zone. I finally reached work about ten minutes after and just as I enter the doors I get knocked back by three ponies. They had run out of the door, from. Well, from something, I didn't quite know what, still don't really. I again ignored this, now getting annoyed and just wanting to get to work by as iI get through the double doors I see the most shocking scene I have ever witnessed. My boss is leaning over the table to the receptionists, eating her. I don't mean the innuendo kind of bucking at work kind, I physically eating her. Her body was twitching, but she was either dead already or too shocked, but either way. She didn't scream. Blood was dripping down the table and onto the marble floor. The only thing that kept me from vomiting was the fact if I did I would have alerted this now psychopathic creature my boss had become. At this point I think I deserved a raise of some kind. I decided it was best to just go outside and alert a guard or something. So as I crept backwards I hear this groan, it is coming from the receptionist, I never learnt her name so sorry on that regard. I stopped moving again and my boss stops eating her. The receptionist just slowly stands up, her eyes are grey, rather than their usual green, and obviously blood and gore are dripping down her wounds, she doesn't seem to react to the wounds and just groans a few more times, staring at me. The bit marks are pretty big and if I looked hard enough I could see where the ribcage had been broken and her heart was bleeding out down her stomach. The heart wasn't beating. At this point my boss turned around, he has fresh blood dripping down his neck and dried blood around his eye, or eye socket anyway, as his left eye is completely missing, a red, bloody skull and some tissue is all that remains. He now growls at me. Now considering he was locked in his office all day yesterday and refused to see anypony I think it is safe to say he turned some time that night, or even the day before. I have yet to understand where his eye went or how he got infected.
'You say the receptionist also turned? And your boss, ex boss should I say just, stopped eating her?' Celestia asked.
Yes.
'Interesting.'
It is?
'Yes. What you are saying is if they turn, they seem to be on the same, team as it were. They don't attack each other is what I mean. Maybe there is something there.'
You mean, the dead only eat the living, not the dead? Fresh meat as it were.
'Yes exactly.'
Well in that case then it is probably instinct.
'Hmm?'
What I mean is, you wouldn't want to eat meat that isn't fresh, and you certainly wouldn't want to eat, say another pony?
'No of course not.'
Well that's instinct. I don't think these undead ponies actually have control over their actions, they don't see anything as, well, anything, just anything that breaths, makes a noise or lives. Is food. These ponies, I think the only part left to them is knowing how to eat.
'Hmm.' Celestia muttered. There was pause for a moment whilst the brown pony sat thinking of how to continue his story and Celestia thinking on these corrupt ponies. On the notepad the Cloudsdale guards had given her she wrote two phrases and drew circles round them. 'Instinct equals only living?' and 'Work as a team, or just friendly to dead?'. Celestia thought on that matter and decided to look into it later. Then nodded for the pony to continue his story.
Well these two, certainly dead ponies were now walking toward me, well, my boss has had a lame leg for nearly two years now and that had apparently followed him into the after life, or whatever state he was in now. Thus, he limped. The receptionist actually stopped walking when she got near and I swear I heard her sniff the air. She looked around after making that sniff sound and then locked her eyes on me before groaning again and lunging at me. At this point I think it is a good time to run. So I do, straight out of the doors and onto the street. Where I close the big doors behind me and hope they will hold. As i run down the stairs back onto the street I get tackled down to the ground by somepony. At first I panic and then realise it is a, very-much-alive guard. I look to him in confusion, as you do when you get taken down after fleeing a building where you just watched your boss eat the mare in reception and then reanimate in front of you. This guard kept shouting the same thing at me, over and over again. I was too shocked to answer and I couldn't find what to say before he knocked me out. Then I remember being outside of Manehatten, dumped on some hill somewhere and listening to the screams of the city. Then I made my way here.
'What did he keep asking?- The guard, I mean.' Celestia asked. Taking notes from his story again, things like 'infected straight off or variables?' and 'reanimation' kept popping into the Princesses mind so she unlined them.
I believe he kept saying "Are you bitten? Are you bitten?" But I can't be sure. I was in so much shock. I must have vomited around four or five times before I even tried to make my way here. Being a Pegasus, it only took a day or too. When I did get here I warned the guards, they put the city on lock down and the civilians left. I was fed, watered and brought here. Around a day later, these seven arrived. Together.
The brown pony gestured toward the other ponies, who had been silent and just watched the entire time this pony told his story, everypony in this room were Pegasi, meaning there were only a handful of non Pegasi survivors. Which isn't bad, but it isn't good either. Celestia thanked the brown stallion and walked off to speak to another.
"May I hear you story sir?" Celestia asked. The pony paused, then pointed to a tall Pegasus with a bright blue coat and short white hair, the mare was the tallest, and biggest of the bunch. He had a few scars but they weren't exactly war scars, most likely that of bar fights or some sort of gang war, whether he was involved or just a bystander.
"Talk to him. He is the one who got us out of the city. My story is basically the same as his." The pony replied, looking to the brown pony.
"Okay. Well thank you anyway." Celestia replied. Then walked forward toward the other pony.
"Princess. It's an honour." He said, his voice deep and menacing.
"Why thank you kind sir. May I hear how you got out of Manehatten?" Celestia asked.
"Yes. I suppose I ought to tell somepony." The pony replied. Then began.
It started when the Weather Factory was taken, as your friend over there has already mentioned the boss was presumably the first to turn. I don't know how, I only saw this stallion, covered in blood. Lunging toward ponies slowly followed by another mare. No pony knew what to do at first, many were bitten and turned. Soon after the first few fell. Everypony panicked and ran. Others, those who had been carrying weapons around all day, began to fight. Going for the head they killed the corrupt undead. But kept they kept on. The dead never weary. More and more ponies were bitten, raising their numbers, and lowering ours.
'Ours?' Celestia asked.
Well, we are all in this war together. Every race of Equestria, not just ponies. I wasn't fighting, didn't know how. But we are all in this war now princess. Fighting the same foe
'Which is?'
No offense princess, but after all this, you still ask me that question?
'We have to have multiple theories in this don't we. What do you think we are facing, doesn't the idea of undead, seem a bit. Wrong, out of place? Unnatural? There must be something different, they can't just simply be, undead. That's impossible.'
That's what I thought at first. Until that boss pony came at me. Now I am not a pony to be scared, but when the air smells of blood and death, ponies are screaming out in pain one minute, then groaning hungry for fresh pony meat the next. Then when one of these things comes at you. That takes a piece out of a stallion. But moving on, yes, I didn't believe they could be undead. I didn't know what they were. But when this creature came at me and I pushed it, hard. Onto a dropped spear and the tip slashed through its stomach and poked out the other end. Well, those spears are deadly, that would have most certainly killed him. But no, it stood up, ignoring the blood and flesh dripping down from it's stomach. And on it came. Still wanting to attack me. So I ran. I ran and didn't look back, the screams fading away and the city falling behind me. On my exit I found these five and we flew here together. They think me a saviour, I didn't save anypony that day. Just left them to die back there.
'But you saved those five.'
Five? Five are nothing, those undead will kill us without mercy, they don't know any kind of emotion anymore. Just food.
'Yes, but now we have five, seven more than we would have done because of all your acts. Yes many lives could have been saved, but that is what I plan to do in my travels, find a way to defeat this plague.'
There isn't a cure, or a winning team. Either they bit the last mare or stallion on Equestria, or we fight back and lose thousands more.
'Or. We could find their weaknesses, a way to hid ourselves. Bring in Total War.'
Fine. Try what you want princess. I saved five ponies and the deaths of those I left will be on my shoulders forever.
Princess Celestia looked the the pony, his head sunk down and his hooves twitching. The princess decided to thank them all and go to the others with what she had found out. There were still questions unanswered, but she wouldn't get much else from these ponies. As the princess left and walked down the street, that stallion was already tying a rope around his neck. The other six just watched. A few joining him with their own rope. This was Equestria's darkest hour. And it had only just begun.
The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Six: Spliting roads {Twilight Sparkle}
It had been three days since four of the seven Manehatten survivors had hung themselves. No pony had particularly slept well since then, but they were more rested since when they arrived. The unicorns and Earth ponies had been put in a big wooden inn, one of the few buildings in Cloudsdale in where they could stand without a cloud walking spell. A few of the unicorns of the group had been given that spell just in case of needing to go out onto the cloud layer. Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight were standing together at the gates of the city ready to leave. Twilight's friends were standing a bit further behind. AJ, Pinkie and Rarity all in one of those wagons, so that they could travel together and help build a defensive location for ponies. Applejack was really the only one who knew anything about building, but Rarity's and Twilight's magic would certainly come in handy, and the others were there to help build when they learned, and also to keep watch from the dead. The group was weary to leave the city but had either been convinced, or convinced themselves that this mission could save countless lives and the fight back against the dead. It was still early in the infection and no pony knew what was happening, but that was what Celestia's mission was for. Go from town to town, talking to wandering survivors and finding out what had happened and where it had begun. She was also there to warn ponies where to go in case of attack. According to the map the Cloudsdale soldiers had given Twilight, the group had a two or three day flight to Ponyton. None of the ponies had ever gone to the town, but knew roughly where it was. They had two months worth of food piled on the wagon, so would need to plant seeds as soon as they arrived. As well as basic defences and the more basic side to taking back Ponyton. If it had indeed fallen yet.
"Are we ready yet?" Twilight asked the group. Everypony nodded and they looked to Celestia.
"I will meet up with you as soon as I am done. Should take around a month to get from town to town, give or take a few days. And anyway, I could find an answer to all this before then. Either way, I will see you in Ponyton." Celestia said and flew off. Two saddle bags of food strapped to her sides.
"Okay girls. Lets go. And captain." Twilight said, she was strapped to the wagon, along with Rainbow and Fluttershy, they had no ponies in reserve since whenever they needed rest they could all stop and wait on a cloud. Twilight looked to the Cloudsdale captain. "Thank you for keeping them safe." Twilight added.
"It will be our pleasure, just one question. When should we bring them to you?" The Captain replied.
"Two weeks. Whether we are done or not. We will need all the help we can get." Twilight answered. The captain nodded and saluted. The group flew off eastwards. Toward safety.
The group traveller in silence, even Pinkie Pie sat in silent sorrow, her mane losing its 'poofyness' and slowly going straight. She was already losing colour. Her mane gathering dust quickly and going grey already. To think it had only been a few days since the start of all this, but it had taken its toll on everypony. They flow and sat in silence, each thinking back on the days just over a week ago. Rarity, playing with her little sister Sweetie Belle and designing dresses and helping out her friends. Fluttershy, she would tend to her animals and try to stay away from everypony in her shy state. Twilight, she was now spending a lot of time up at the castle being a Princess. She was down in Ponyville for her birthday, that was yesterday. No pony celebrated, no pony had the heart of energy. Shining Armor was meant to come down with Cadence. He was dead and she was missing. Applejack and Pinkie had been planning Twilight's birthday, they had set the barn up already and everything was perfect for the day, now AJ was alone. She had no family anymore. They were with those creatures, those, zombies. AJ had watched her entire family turn. Big Mac went first, he bit into Applebloom, practically ripping her leg off. The little filly had died screaming and crying. She rose up, just before anypony could target Granny Smith to teleport her to safety. Derpy Hooves' little sister, Dinky had jumped on her. Applejack was unsure what actually happened to Derpy, she didn't go looking for her, she could have survived or died. Applejack didn't notice anypony anymore. Just stared at the ground or out into the cloud line not saying a word. Rainbow Dash had lost somepony too. Scootaloo had tried to save Sweetie Belle, the little Pegasus filly didn't know what was happening and went to her friend with open arms, calling for Rainbow to pick them up. The undead unicorn growled and bit the orange filly. She then continued to shout out for Rainbow Dash until her throat was bitten into and her voice box ripped apart. Rainbow was meant to be the fastest pony alive, and yet she had failed her sister. She failed so many ponies that day. They all had, but no pony was prepared for this. An undead army rising up? That is just something to get fillies and colts to sleep. 'Go to sleep now little one, or the zombie will eat your brains up'. But here they were. They don't discriminate, unicorn. Pegasi. Mare, Stallion. Young, old. Everypony is a threat and everypony is food to them. Their bodies trapped on Equestria to feast on the living and slowly rot away, if the dead did rot here. There was so much no pony knew yet. But that was what Celestia was looking for. That was her job.
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The Great Equestrian Virus
Day Seven to Eight: Ponyton {Twilight Sparkle}
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. The Great Equestrian Virus
Now I am not American, nor did anyone I know of die in the attacks on the World Trade Centre but it always hurts me whenever this day comes around. This chapter will be on all my fictions new and old so you will be seeing it a lot, those following me anyway.
I would like to thank those who saved survivors from the rubble of the twin towers that day and would like us all to remember everybody who died that day, civilians, firemen and police. Everybody who was killed and affected by the attack twelve years ago today. My thoughts go out to all those who died in the tower, planes and those killed in the aftermath of the bombings.
Thank you.
