Chapters Ponyville appeared abandoned. It had been nearly three months since the "outbreak" and Luna didn't know if anypony was even still alive. Luna had no idea if she was the last pony in all of Equestria. She pushed these thoughts behind her; she had to find a cure. She had promised her sister.
The shops were all looted, the windows and doors broken, and bodies littered the streets. The moonlight shone brightly, illuminating the chaotic footprint the plague had left in its wake. The air was still as Luna slowly walked through the silent streets, looking for any sign of life. She heard the shuffling of undead hooves walking in the distance. Luna knew the zombies were mindless, feral beasts that had no concept of sight or mobility, but if they heard sound, they would move in that direction, never stopping until they found a new sign of food. Luna carefully walked in the opposite direction of the sounds. Where there is one undead pony, there are likely a dozen more lurking around.
She recognized the library where Twilight lived; she refused to move out, despite having become a princess. Twilight couldn't stand leaving her friends after her inauguration, so Luna knew there was no way she would abandon Equestria to this disease. Everything seemed clear, but Luna knew better than to assume. She waited outside the locked door, listening for any possible sound indicating danger. She then closed her eyes, and using her magic to detect movement, decided it was safe. She picked the lock and slowly creaked the old, wooden door open, checking the inside of the building for danger. She carefully shut the door, created a light sphere to dimly illuminate the room, and began searching the library for any sign of the purple alicorn.
The main room, bedroom, and closet were all empty. The only place left that she hadn't searched yet was the basement/science room. Twilight had always been obsessed with understanding everything, so there was no question in Luna's mind as to why Celestia believed Twilight would be able to find a cure. She unlocked the metal door, and slowly headed down the stairs.
"Twilight", she called quietly, "Twilight, are you there. It is us. Celestia asked us to find you. We believe you might be able to find a cure. Are you there Twilight?"
She came to the bottom of the stairs. The entire room was dark, except for the pale blue light flickering at the back of the room. Each flicker briefly illuminated the wall of machines, and an eerie chill ran up Luna's spine. A quiet hum came from one machine located next to a filing cabinet. She hesitantly walked over to the cabinet and opened the drawers, where she found every bit of research, information, and test results Twilight had gathered on the zombie plague, which was next to nothing. Luna was puzzled and concerned when she discovered that Twilight had no idea what was going on, how to handle it, or how to cure it. She was lost in thought when she heard a stirring from behind one of the machines.
Luna had put what appeared to be slightly valuable information into her bag and headed toward the sound, her pistol out and cocked, ready to fire. She approached the dull, grey machine with trepidation. With her gun flying in front of her, she slowly turned the corner and faced the source of the noise. There was a large blob lying on the ground. Knowing full well how dangerous this could be, and expecting the worst, Luna nudged the blob with the point of her gun. A snarl arose from the blob, and it slowly began to rise. Luna aimed at what appeared to be the head, and prepared to fire. The figure stood up, and as Luna was about to unload the round, it flung the blanket off.
"SPIKE?!"
There before her stood Spike the Dragon, perfectly fine and a little drowsy. "Lu-Luna? Wha-what's going on?"
"Spike, what are you doing? Where is Twilight?"
Spike's eyes widened when he heard that name, and tears began to flood his eyes. He fell to the ground, his face buried in his claws. Luna knew exactly what this meant; she had seen this exact reaction too many times before. This was what happened when somepony knew that their loved one was lost forever, transformed into a hellish abomination of their past self. Spike ceased crying, unable to form anymore tears due to days of doing nothing but weeping for Twilight.
"Lu-Luna, they, the-the-they came out o-of nowh-where. They ju-just...and then Twi-Twilight, she... she..." he covered his face again and let out a quiet scream. Luna looked away, closing her eyes and fighting back her tears. She turned back to the baby dragon.
"Listen to us Spike, we must get going. It is only a matter of time before they find out that we're in here. Twilight would... Twilight wouldn't want anything to happen to you. She would want you to be safe, and to keep moving on." The baby dragon looked up at the Princess through his claws, sniffling, "Come on Spike, we must leave." Spike slowly got to his feet, grabbed the blue blanket he was wrapped in, and climbed onto Luna's back, burying his face in her mane. She took one last look around the room before heading back up the stairs, out of the library, and into the night.
The night was coming to an end. Luna knew that, even in this apocalyptic wasteland, she still had responsibilities. And now that Celestia was gone, she had to do what her sister had once done, control the moon AND the sun. She'd risen the sun before, after her sister had... after she had to take responsibility, but it was tough, and she was exhausted. She needed to find somewhere to hole-up and figure out what to do without Twilight.
"How are you doing Spike?"
"Alright I guess." The young dragon hadn't said a word since they left the library, and Luna was saddened knowing there was nothing she could do to ease the pain of loosing the most important pony (or one of the two most important ponies) in his life. "I just wish there was something we could do..."
He trailed off, and Luna turned her head forward again. What could they do? The only advice her sister could give was to find Twilight, but Twilight was... lost, too. Where could she possibly go from here?!
A blood-curdling scream shook the near-bye trees. Spike quickly snapped out of his daze.
"Did you hear that? It sounded like it came from over there." He pointed his claw towards a large apple orchard; Sweet Apple Acres. "It might be one of the Apples!"
Luna swiftly ran along the trail to Sweet Apple Acres, where she could see who was screaming. There was a large horde of zombiefied ponies surrounding the barn. "NO GRANNY SMITH!" Apple Bloom's voice could be heard through the mindless moaning of the pony horde.
"QUICKLY LUNA, WE HAVE TO HELP THEM!"
"We know." She looked through the horde, trying to identify any threat. Luckily, it was mostly Earth ponies. There were three unicorns, two of which had broken horns, and a Pegasus missing a wing. Luna let out a sigh of relief, "Ahhhhh, thank Celest.... the stars, that it is mostly earth ponies." Luna quickly unveiled her shotgun, spread her wings, and took off in flight towards the roof of the barn.
~~~~~~~~~~
"NOOOOOOOpe!" The thing that had once been Granny Smith pulled her head back, taking with it a large chunk of warm, bloody flesh from Big Macintosh's rear leg.
"Quickly Big Mac," Apple Jack screamed, "Get in here!"
Big Mac galloped into the kitchen, and Apple Bloom slammed and locked the door. The sound of Granny Smith and a few other zombie ponies could be heard bashing on the door.
"No, Big Mac." AJ's face was cold and grave as she grabbed a towel from the sink. She wrapped it around Big Mac's leg, knowing that it would do nothing more then slow the bleeding. He had been bit, and nothing could help him now. Granny Smith had been bit, and while at first she seemed to be fine, it was only a matter of time before she...succumbed to the infection. And now Big Mac was bit. She could see the sorrow in his eyes.
"You've been, uh...bit."
"Eeyup," he said slowly.
Apple Jack tried to say something, something comforting, something to make it not real, something to stop her from having to face the truth. Tears started rolling down her eyes, and Big Mac nuzzled his head against hers. Apple Bloom was sitting nearby, fighting back her tears. Big Mac looked at her, and she ran to him. They all sat there sobbing, knowing this was the end, when something rattled in the chimney.
"NO, NOT A PEGASUS" Apple Jack shouted.
A large cloud of black ash poofed out of the chimney as Spike and Luna came tumbling down.
"Pri-Princess? Princess Luna and... Spike?!" Apple Bloom dashed off of her brother and over to the Princess. "Spike, Princess Luna, have ya come to help? Can ya help us? Can ya save my brother?!
"We, uhhh..." Luna looked over at Big Mac, and he knew there was no helping him. He silently nodded towards Apple Bloom, and Luna knew what he meant. "We have come to get you out of here, far away from...danger."
"Ya mean it? Your gonna get us to safety, all of us?!" A cold tear ran down her seemingly ecstatic face.
"Uh, yes. We must get you out of here first, so we can drop you and Spike off and then get the bigger ponies out." Luna glanced at Big Mac and put on a fake smile.
"And you'll come back for ma sister and brother, right? Okay then." Apple Bloom climbed up onto Luna's flank, and held tightly around Spike. Luna got back into the chimney and bolted out into the night just as the zombies gave one last "Wham" and busted the door off of its hinges.
~~~~~~~~~~
Apple Bloom and Spike jumped off Luna and onto the large branch that stuck out of one of the apple trees. Luna said she would be right back with Apple Jack, and quickly dashed back to the barn. Apple Bloom and Spike sat on the branch, watching the Princess fly into the chimney and disappear. They both sat there, waiting... watching... hoping everything would be okay. It felt like hours they were there, motionless, to fearful to talk. They just sat and waited... waited until the moon had begun to touch the horizon, and a bright light had filled the darkness. But it wasn't the sun.
"FIRE!"
View Online
3. The Princess, The Dragon, And The Crusader
Her trembling hoof was pointing at the large inferno that was consuming the barn she called home. The red paint was pealing off as the timbers snapped under the incredible heat. The glass shattered and melted in the window panes, and every part of the once lovely barn was turning black. Apple Bloom quickly covered her eyes, wishing that what she was seeing was just her imagination playing tricks on her. They had to be at least a quarter mile away, but heat was strong enough to make them start sweating. The filly and the dragon watched with horror as the walls burned away, reveling the sad skeleton of the barn. Through the endless flames, they could both see a dark blue figure spiral upwards, out of the blaze.
"LUNA!" they both shouted.
The alicorn princess, with an unconscious orange mare on her back, began directing her flight toward the tree where the two little ones were waiting, but she found it surprisingly difficult. A dark trail of smoke followed the alicorn, and her right wing suddenly burst into flames. Spike and Apple Bloom screamed in horror as the Princess fell into a nose dive from a great distance above them and crashed into the soft earth. They both hopped out of the tree and ran to the crater the Princess had formed.
"Luna, are ya okay?" Apple Bloom asked nervously
Luna's head popped up, eyes rolling around in her head. With a quick shake, she freed herself from the grounds and got back on her legs. "We, have had better landings."
"Luna, what happened to your wings?!"
"Luna, what happened to ma family?!"
The Princess quickly grew shocked. "Where is Apple Jack? Do you see her anywhere?"
Spike quickly ran along the path Luna had flown while the two ponies looked around the crater and the tree.
"Ah don't see her. Ah just don't see her anywhere." Apple Bloom fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes.
"Do not worry little one, we WILL find her."
"What about ma brother?" Luna hesitated when Apple Bloom looked at her. Knowing the answer, that she could only carry one at a time, she knew Luna had no choice but to leave Big Mac behind...in the fire.
"APPLE JACK?!" Spike hastily ran back to the two ponies. "Girls, I think I found her!" He pointed his claw up to the tree where Spike and Apple Bloom had waited. Out of the green foliage stuck an orange hoof, and golden hair was shimmering in the moon light.
~~~~~~~~~~
Apple Jack was bent and twisted in the branches, but they finally got her down, despite Luna's now useless wing being burned clean of feathers. AJ hadn't made a single sound during the struggle of getting her down, and darkness flooded the young filly's heart. They lay her on her back, making sure to be careful of the large branch jutting out of Apple Jack's ribcage.
Apple Bloom slowly nudged next to her sister's face. Fighting tears, she asked, "A-A-Apple J-Jack? P-P-Please t-tell me that y-your o-okay. Please be okay Apple J-Jack." Tears poured down Apple Bloom's face, and her voice was quiet as she gasped for short, ragged breathes. "P-P-Please Apple Jack, a-ah don't know w-what ah'd do without ya." Apple Jack's head moved slightly, and her eyelid lightly lifted open. "..a...A...Apple Jack?" The broken mare gently smiled at her sister. Spike buried his face in his claws to weep as Apple Jack looked right into her sisters eyes, despite her own eyes slowly filling with blood. Apple Bloom's face dropped, and Apple Jack began coughing, spitting blood and mucus into the air. Apple Bloom's face filled with terror as her sister violently shook about, blood covering her face. Apple Bloom fell back as her sister lunged upwards and slammed back to the cold ground. Her head rolled towards the young filly, and Apple Jack forced words out, despite the extraordinary pain.
"A(*cough)A-App(*cough)Apple Blo-om........."
AJ's eyes closed and her body grew still. A small pool of blood formed under the mare's head, and her chest slowly dropped, releasing any remaining air. Apple Bloom froze...
"n-no...no, no, NO! NO, YOU CAN'T DIE APPLE JACK! AH NEED YA! YOU CAN'T DIE!!!"
The filly flew forward onto AJ's chest and began pounding as hard as she could. She hit again and again, harder and harder, doing everything to restart her heart and bring her back. She pounded her chest. 1. 2. 3... 1. 2. 3... 1. 2. 3...
"Apple Bloom" Luna said. 1. 2. 3... "Apple Bloom" 1. 2. 3... "APPLE BLOOM!" The filly turned towards the Princess of the night, eyes red and puffy and face covered in her sisters blood. "There's nothing more you can do. She's...she's gone..."
"Don't you dare say that." Apple Bloom fell to the ground, curled up as small as she could get, and her eyes squeezed close as she tried to block out the world. Silver rivers of tears flowed down her cheeks, and she struggled to gasp for air in between sobs. Luna did not know what to do. This filly made everything too real: the deaths, the misery,... and the hopelessness. Luna struggled to think of something to say; to calm the filly who now had nothing.
"Apple Jack..." she paused, "...was an incredibly special pony. She was honest, kind, and true. There was hardly a pony as loved as she was; by her family and by everypony she met." Apple Bloom's sobs grew slower, and her curious eyes eventually raised towards Luna. "The world will be a little darker without somepony as wonderful as Apple Jack, but please believe us when we tell you that she wanted only the best for you, and she would have wanted you to move on, to save yourself, to SURVIVE. There was hardly anything more important to her than you, and she would want you to be strong." Apple Bloom's eyes grew softer listening to the Princess's kind words, and she began crying a new kind of tears. Not tears of fear or hopelessness or loss, but tears of acceptance. She knew the Princess's words were true, and she had to accept that.
Apple Bloom brought herself to her hooves and turned towards her sister. Apple Jack, lying awkwardly on the rough earth, wore a bit of a smile, as if to confirm Luna's words. The filly leaned forward and gently kissed her sisters cold, bloody forehead. Apple Bloom couldn't get her sister back, no matter how much she wished she could, but she could certainly remember her. Apple Jack would live on in her mind and in her heart, and Big Macintosh and Granny Smith too. Her family was gone, and she was alone, but she would move on, and keep living, for them.
Luna and Apple Jack had taken care of a lot of the zombies, and the fire took care of the rest, so there was time. There was time to dig a grave and mourn. They would mourn Apple Jack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Twilight, Celestia, and all the other ponies who had been taken by the plague; ponies who should never have been taken at all. They stood there, the Princess, the Dragon, and the Crusader; three souls who had suffered great heartache, but would continue on. Continue on for all those they had lost, and in hopes to stop anymore from being lost too. The sun rose, shining vibrant rays of yellow and pink and green throughout the sky, but even through the sunrise the three kept standing around the grave, remembering.....
"Yes, this spot will work." Luna tossed the duffel bag into the corner of the room. It made a loud thud when the guns and ammo boxes hit the floor. "Yes, this will do fine. The windows are already boarded up, there's multiple ways to make a quick escape, and we will have shelter."
Spike and Apple Bloom trudged into the room, heads hanging low. She knew those two had been through a lot, but Spike had seemed to be doing better...until Apple Acres. Everything had gone downhill, and now their will was close to breaking. "We have to find something to boost their spirits" Luna thought aloud. The wooden floor creaked as they walked about, trying to find somewhere comfortable to sleep. They had spent their day returning to Ponyville and exploring some of the nearby stores. Most everything had been looted long ago, but they were able to find a couple knives and cloth napkins at the restaurant, and some mild pain killers at the clinic. They would explore the remaining stores, look for supplies, and try to come up with a plan.
Apple Bloom started silently sobbing, and Spike ran his claws through her mane to comfort her. It broke Luna's heart to think of these two, who were still so young, having to go through this. Luna felt her resolve beginning to break, but she snapped out of it. Even if she felt it was hopeless, she had to be strong for the little ones. They were one more responsibility that she could not abandon.
The room was pretty basic; probably a filly's room. There were pictures and drawings of a young colt with a propeller cap, and there were various video games scattered through the room. Luna remembered how much she loved to play video games. Celestia would raise the sun, and Luna was relieved of duty. Instead of sleeping like she should have, she spent hours playing games with other ponies around Equestria. Her favorite competitor was a young, white unicorn who lived here in Ponyville. How she wished she could return to the careless days of pre-appocalyptic Equestria, back when she had almost no responsibilities or problems. Her right wing began to hurt, so Luna had to readjust it in the sling Spike made from a table cloth.
"Alright you two, we should be hitting the hay soon. We have a long day ahead of use tomorrow, and we need to keep up our strength. We have a few apples and some cans of fruit. We'll have a small dinner, and in the morning well go and find more food, alright?"
Apple Bloom didn't raise her head. She was lying on her stomach, legs crossed, and her head on the floor starring at the wall. Spike just nodded, took one of the apples, and went over to a comfy spot on the ground. Luna wondered if they would ever be like their old selves again. In a world like this, nopony ever seemed the same as they were before. A wonderfully kind pony could turn cold and heartless, a generous pony could become greedy and evil, and some of your best friends would just as soon shot ya as talk to ya. This world had a funny way of changing everything you once knew into nothing but pain and misery. And that's the world these two had to grow up in now. Luna knew it was tough, but she hoped it wasn't impossible.
~~~~~~~~~~
Luna had dropped the sun into the horizon, and cool night had replaced it. It had only been one day, but this small group had seen enough death and destruction to last them the rest of their lives. Sleep did not come easily, to any of them, but eventually they all found their way to unconsciousness...
A cold chill swept through the dead street. A figure walked through, unfazed but the cold. It slowly, mindlessly trotted along the dirt path, looking, listening for anything to sustain its endless hunger. The corpse had heard sounds from this direction, and it kept walking toward the house with boarded windows. There was a small *snap* from a twig near the Everfree Forest. The figure stopped, raised its light blue wings, and launched into flight towards the new sound.
Luna walked away from the window, and lay her pistol on the ground near her sleeping area. That was the first one she had seen in Ponyville. A sharp shutter shot up through her spine, and she stopped thinking about the zombies. She just lied her head down, closed her eyes, and drifted away...
5. Mystery On Mane Street
She tried to be positive, to find the bright side to things, but she couldn't. She wanted to keep going, for her, but it felt impossible to find the strength. Every step she took was one more without her sister, and it broke her heart. What was the point of continuing on if her family wasn't with her? She had left everything on that apple orchard. Everypony she ever loved. For what?
"Apple Bloom." Apple Bloom hadn't realized that she fell so far back. She quickly trotted back to Spike and Luna. "Are you alright little one?
"Yeah Luna, fine..." she trailed off. "Just thinkin'."
"If there is anything we can do to help..."
"Nah, ah'm alright, really. It just hurts."
Luna knew what the filly was feeling. She herself had felt the pain of losing one's family not one week ago. The only reason she had kept going was to fulfill her sisters last request: to find Twilight Sparkle and save Equestria. That promise could not be kept, but she now had a new reason to keep going. She had to save these two; to protect them from certain death. All Apple Bloom needed was her own purpose, her own reason to live.
"Listen, over there!" Spike was pointing to a large, white building off of the street. The two ponies turned to look where he was pointing, and they heard what sounded like a door being slammed shut. "It's coming from Rarity's Boutique" he said quietly. They all quickly ran into an alleyway to avoid being noticed.
"Do ya think it could be a zombie?"
"We do not know Apple Bloom. It could have been anything: a survivor, a zombie, even a wild animal. We just don't know."
Spike crept his head around the corner, trying to see through the window of the boutique. A dark shape passed in front of it, and he jumped back to Apple Bloom and Luna.
"There is definitely something in there" he said. They all grew really still, trying to decide what to do now.
"We could go in there. Ah bet we could take it"
"No, we do not know how many are in there, and too much noise could attract a horde."
"We could try and sneak in; get the drop on whatever is in there."
"Possible, but we don't know if it'll notice us. It could get really dangerous."
"Ya could fly in and.... no, never mind. Ah forgot about yer wing."
Luna looked out towards the boutique. She made sure there weren't any zombies nearby before saying, "Alright, let us go and check it out."
They sneaked past the street and through the field leading up to the boutique. The street was littered with debris, wreckage, and bodies, but the boutique was clean, tidy, and the grass even looked mowed. Luna was puzzled, but she kept the current task on mind. The pressed up against the building, and Luna peered through the window. She didn't see anything, and moved to the front door. She put her ear to the door, but didn't hear anything but silence. With Spike and Apple Bloom close behind, and her shotgun out and loaded, she began opening the door. The door easily swung open without so much as a creak, and Luna leaned her head out. A loud *BANG* sounded, and a bullet flew into the ground just beneath Luna's head. Luna whipped her head back into cover, heart racing. She took a second to catch her breath before turning back and firing three shots into the dark building. She regained cover and reloaded just before the nearby window exploded and a bullet flew through Luna's front leg. She fell to the ground, writhing in pain, when a voice called out.
"Who the hell is out there? SHOW YOURSELVES!" Spike rushed over to Luna and grabbed a towel out of the duffel bag. Apple Bloom was pressing herself against the boutique as hard as she could when three more shots blasted through the thin wall. "GET THE HELL OUT HERE! SHOW YOURSELVES NOW!"
Spike finished wrapping the towel around the unconscious Luna's front right leg. He stood up, took a big gulp, and walked into the empty door frame with his claws in the air.
He stood there, trembling in terror, knowing that he could be killed at any moment. It seemed like an eternity that he stood there, and it only ended when a loud, fabulous voice cried out, "SPIKY!"
Everything was spinning. Light was starting to creep back into her eyes, and blurry shapes were beginning to form. She raised her hoof to wipe her eyes, but pain shot through it like a lightening bolt. It came into focus, and she could tell that it was bandaged up in a splint. Her head was groggy and she couldn't remember what had happened. She turned her head to view her surroundings, and was startled by the little red-haired filly standing near her.
"Yer awake! Ah thought you'd be asleep fer'ever. Ah'm so glad yer awake."
Luna was surprised. Apple Bloom was...smiling. She hadn't smiled since the farm, but here she was, excited. What was going on? "Ah, Apple Bloom. It is good to see you, but what happened? All we remember is sneaking up to the boutique, and then darkness. Do you know what happened?"
"Oh yeah, about that. Rarity's awful sorry about shootin' ya. She said that she couldn't be too careful. Some ponies have gone completely bonkers and formed Raidin' Parties and such. They'll do just 'bout anything ta survive; even murder other ponies."
This news disturbed her. First of all, she had been SHOT! Secondly, kind and good-hearted ponies had fallen so far into desperation that they were murdering each other for supplies. How had everything gone so wrong?! Celestia had trusted her to take care of Equestria, to save it from collapse, and she was failing. Things were getting worse, and she could do nothing to stop it. Luna's stomach growled. The world was ending, and she was hungry?! She didn't know why, but that angered her. How could she want food when everything was flying down a highway to hell?!
"Ya sound hungry. Ah brought ya some food. Rarity says you should eat some food and then get some rest. Rest'll make your leg and wing heal faster."
The kindness of Apple Bloom was enough to snap Luna out of her mental rage, and she smiled at the filly. If this pony could still be this cheery and kind, even in these dark circumstances, maybe there was hope for the rest of Equestria. Luna began to eat the hot soup and alfalfa sandwich, and Apple Bloom left her to herself. Apple Bloom rejoined Rarity and Spike in the Boutique's main room, where they were both sitting and eating sandwiches too.
"How is she?" Spike asked nervously.
"She's alright. She's gonna get some rest and regain her strength"
"I really am VERY sorry about that. You just can never be too careful these days. To think, I SHOT PRINCESS LUNA. That has to be the worse possible thing I've ever done. I really do hope she can forgive me."
"Ah'm sure she will. She understands what it's like now, and she knows you were just being safe." Apple Bloom sat by her plate, completing the circle. She began munching on her sandwich. It was nice to have a meal amongst friends with decent food again. The Apple's had been eating canned food for the past few weeks, so Apple Bloom was excited to have a normal sandwich again, even though she didn't much care for alfalfa. She chewed for a while, swallowed, and asked, "So what did ya do after Twilight declared we use Operation:18 Rarity?"
"After we all retreated, I did what everypony else did: seal myself inside. Let's see, that was about two months ago, right? I kept myself busy making new outfits, such as the survival gear I was wearing when you all showed up." Rarity, true to her nature, had spent a majority of the apocalypse keeping her self busy with her favorite hobby: creating new outfits for the everyday pony. Unlike her usual style, however, her more recent creations were more about functionality rather than excessive fabulousness. Her favorite outfit was a "Zombie Survival" suit of light and stylish body armor. It was effective for stopping bites, bullets, and even had a matching helmet. All of the armor plates were sewn into what resembled a trench-coat, made out of a strange fabric that neither Spike nor Apple Bloom had seen before. Rarity had said that it was a very rare material, and had refused to say what it was called. "Company Secret" she had said with a grin.
"What happened to Sweetie Belle when Twilight gave the order?"
"Oh, she uh... was evacuated, after the "Town Hall" incident. She refused to leave. She wanted to stay and help us defend, but I told her it would be safer if she evacuated with our parents. We were finally able to get her to agree, on the promise that I join her once they send in the next airship. I've been waiting here for them to send another, but as you know, there hasn't been one in almost two months."
Apple Bloom's eyes dropped to the floor. Knowing that Sweetie, while in a safe location, was SO far away really depressed her. It wouldn't make everything better, but having the peppy young unicorn around would certainly brighten up her life. Someday she would see her again. She promised herself that. Apple Bloom would find some way to reunite with Sweetie and Scootaloo, and then everything would be better.
"Does anypony hear that?" Apple Bloom snapped out of her thoughts after Spike's question. Hear what? She didn't hear anything.
"Yes, I...I think so." Rarity rose to her hooves and wandered over to the window. She starred out at the darkening sky. Under the pale moonlight, she could see bumpy shapes on the horizon. She leaned closer to the window, when a flash of dull colors flew past her. Rarity jumped back, and Spike and Apple Bloom quickly stood up. There was a tapping on the roof, almost as if somepony was trotting around up there. Rarity looked back out the window, and she could see the slow, staggering figures of ponies. But not living ponies.
*tap tap tap*. The roof echoed the sounds of somepony trying to break their way inside. Rarity quickly threw on her survival outfit and magically picked up her scooped hunting rifle. Spike grabbed a large kitchen knife while Apple Bloom raced out of the room to go and rouse Luna. Rarity went about locking every door and window she could, and then her and Spike headed up the stairs t get to the balcony. They galloped through the hall to get to the door that opened to the balcony, but a large explosion of glass pounded into them. The both got back up, and saw that the cause of the broken window was a blue pegasus standing in the debris. It was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane...
"RAINBOW DASH!"
"What's up?"
"Thank the princess your here. We need your help. There is a massive horde trying to break through our defenses."
"On it. Don't worry Twi, I wont leave you guys hangin."
Rainbow Dash burst into flight, and swiftly made her way to the outer barricade near the edge of town. The air was cold and still, but full of the sounds of screaming and gun-fire. She swopped down into the midst of the confusion, and with a show of great skill and ability, she flew straight through the middle of the horde. With her knifes in hoof, she sliced nearly twenty zombies before pulling up back into the safety of the clouds. There was a visible line through the horde that she had cut down, and she hovered there briefly, admiring her handiwork and preparing her next attack, when a loud screech shot out from directly over her. With incredible finesse, she easily dodged the red pegasus zombie who plunged to the ground. "This is too easy" she thought aloud, and flew back to dispose of more of the horde.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Citizens of Ponyville. We are currently safe from danger, but not permanently. Today's attack cost us many valuable lives, and we are now below 10% of our pre-plague population. It is with a heavy heart that I say that it is time we activate Operation:18. I realize that nopony wants this to happen, but it unfortunately is not safe anymore. I've gotten confirmation from Canterlot, and an airship will arrive here first thing tomorrow. It wont be large enough to accommodate us all, so I ask that all fillies and those who don't wish to fight get on board. They will send more ships on later dates, and we will evacuate all of Ponyville to the Hanger. Again, I wish we didn't have to make this call, but we no longer have any other choice. Please return to your homes and begin the preparation."
~~~~~~~~~~
"HOW CAN WE LEAVE?!"
The blue pegasus was enraged about having to abandon Ponyville. She had already had to abandon Cloudsdale, which was one of the first towns hit by the zombie plague. The though of leaving her home, and every citizens home made Rainbow Dash so mad that she felt that her head would explode. And the pony incharge of the order, Twilight Sparkle, was only making it worse.
"I did what I had to do" she said. "We can't hold off for much longer. We can barely hold off against small groups. I can only imagine how long we'd last if a large horde came. They'd be through the wall in moments, and nopony would survive. This is the only option we have."
"Yeah, well, it's the wrong one. I know we could defend ourselves if everypony was trained to.."
"NO! Those ponies who have chosen not to fight have the right to do so. I wish no pony had to fight, so I'm not going to force those who choose to remain innocent into that kind of hell."
"They'll Die If They Don't Fight!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"No, they wont. Not if we get everypony to the shelter of the Hanger. They'll survive and not be forced to kill. It's the best option, and our only option." Twilight had always been good at lecturing, and Rainbow Dash found it impossible to find any argument against her. Rainbow Dash, with a hateful look, took off into the sky and flew out of town.
~~~~~~~~~~
She sat there, on the edge of the steep cliff, until the moon had risen into the sky. She was starring out at the small, dark town that she would soon have to leave. So peaceful and Serene, it broke her heart to imagine leaving. "Oh, if only we could use the Elements of Harmony" she wished aloud. The Elements would no doubt save Ponyville and Equestria from this plague, and then she wouldn't have to leave Ponyville and relocate to...*she gulped*...the Hanger. How nice it would be to end this damned plague, but she knew there was nothing the Elements could do. They needed all six wielders to activate the Elements, and they were down two. All that remained were herself, Twilight, Apple Jack, and Rarity. The four ponies couldn't, strong as they were, couldn't use them alone...
Rainbow Dash let out a long, quiet sigh, thinking about how wrong everything had gone, and how there was almost nothing she could do about it. Somehow, through her deep thought, she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. The sound of hoofsteps were very clear and careful. No zombie would walk with such finesse. They all just slam their hooves down carelessly.
"Twilight, I'm not in the mood for an apology" she said, still sitting and starring out at Ponyville.
She heard the hoofsteps draw closer, but nothing else. Twilight would have answered by now. Rainbow's heart began to race. She stood up, and cautiously turned around. There was a silhouette standing amongst the trees; a pegasus. It was hard to see in the dim moonlight, but Rainbow Dash could barely make the pegasus's pink hair and yellow colt.
"F-Fluttershy?"
The figure quickly leaped forward, and Rainbow Dash's world grew black.
8. (Probably) All In The Mind
She was exhausted, and her back hurt terribly. They had barely escaped the boutique alive, let alone un-bitten. Everything had happened, and Luna couldn't remember anything. All she was sure of was that she flew everyone out, and now she couldn't even feel her right wing. She was amazed it had healed as much as it had, feathers had even started to grow back, but now she feared for what kind of damage she could have done to it. You never, ever fly on a broken wing, let alone while carrying a filly, baby dragon, and full grown mare. Her back was burning from the pain, yet her wing itself was numb, lying limply at her side. She kept walking, carrying the unconscious ponies and dragon on her back. Her leg kept screaming in pain with every step she took, but Luna had to keep walking. There was no doubt that the zombies had heard their escape, and while they were a few miles behind them, zombies were relentless. They would follow the direction of a noise to the edge of the world. Her head was pounding and her vision was beginning to fade, but she had to keep moving... "We must keep going. There is no time to rest." Her head sunk and she began to loose balance. "We must...keep going. Can't rest, on-only walk...... m-must keep mo-ovin..g....." She couldn't raise her hoof high enough to avoid the rock, and Luna tumbled to the ground, unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ce-Celestia? Wha-what art thou doing here?"
"I am here to see you."
But...But you aren't real, thou can'st be real. We laid your body to rest after you... after..." Tears began to fill the princesses eyes. Everything around her was out of focus, and it was very bright. Not uncomfortably bright, but enough to illuminate her sister .
"You are correct Luna."
"Then how art thou here? And where are we? We do not understand."
"Isn't it obvious Luna?" The Princess of the Night's heart began to drop. She feared what her sister was about to say. "You failed..."
"Wha-what?"
"You failed me Luna, and you have failed all of Equestria. You messed up Luna, and now everypony is dead."
Luna staggered backward, trying to not fall over. Her pupils shrunk as fear filled her soul. All she could do was whisper no as she tried to disbelieve it.
"You did not do as I asked..."
"..no.."
"...And you were unable to find Twilight..."
"..no, no..."
"You let the Apple Family DIE..."
"..no, please no...we tried.."
"...And you were unable to stop the plague..."
"...please sister, please. We tried..."
"...And now Equestria is DEAD..."
"..we did our best. we..."
"...AND SO ARE YOU!"
"...NO Sister, Please no. We did all we could..."
The warm light around her had turned into a dark red hell. She was being suffocated by the hate and death pouring out through her sisters eyes. Luna's body was melting under her own fear and failure.
"Luna, you tried?!"
"Luna, you did your best?!"
"Luna, you FAILED!"
"Luna, you FAILED!"
"Luna, you..."
"Luna, y..."
"Luna..."
"Luna..?"
"Luna?"
"LUNA?!"
~~~~~~~~~~
A cold bucket of water was thrown on the princess's head, and she lunged up. Her heart was about ready to explode through her chest, and she was frantically kicking her hooves. It took a few seconds before she was able to calm down and observe her surroundings. The dark, smoky environment with her sister had been replaced by the gentle and serene woodland of the Everfree Forest. The sunlight gently shown through the canopy, illuminating the young dragon standing over her. He set the bucket down and through his arms around the princess's long neck.
"I was so worried. You were screaming and flailing around. You looked like you were going to die !"
Luna was still terrified from what she had just experienced, but she was able to give Spike a reassuring smile.
"Princess!" Rarity trotted over, wearing her survival suit without the helmet. "Oh, Princess, we were so worried. You were having such a Nightmare..."
Luna quickly jumped to her feet, despite the pain in her leg. She felt like she was going to vomit, and briskly ran out to the woods. She found a small, clear stream, and sat beside it. Luna was able to quell her stomach, but her real pain lived in her heart. She starred at the stream, observing her reflection. Rarity had called it a nightmare. Luna knew what a nightmare was better than anypony, and this was different. "What happened?" she asked aloud. The sun's reflection shone brighter, but it did not burn Luna's eyes. She looked at the reflection, tears filling her eyes. She knew what had happened. She wished it wasn't true, but she knew there was no other answer. She was losing her mind. The stress of her sister, finding a cure, and saving Equestria was all to much for her to handle. Her psyche was beginning to snap, and she was afraid. There was nothing she could do, so she just sat there and cried silently. She was thankful no one wandered over to check on her because she didn't want anypony to see her like this. The Brave and Noble Princess of the Night, the hope for all of Equestria, sitting by a stream crying. She sat there until the light began to fade, drowning in her own fear and misery...
9. Last Tales Of Ponyville
5 Months Later...
Early Spring...
Total 8 Months Since Outbreak...
Winter... Winter had been, uneventful. There were a few attacks, a few close calls, but the cold had seemed to stop the plague, or at least slow the corpses down. They had even encountered a few corpses that had frozen while standing. It had looked frozen to the core and no longer "alive", until it moved its eye to "look" at Apple Bloom. There was no stopping them, less you put a bullet deep in its skull. Winter had brought temporary relief, but winter was ending. Spring was coming to do what it did best: make it warmer, and melt everything once frozen in time. And still, through this hiatus of danger, they were no closer to saving Equestria, and with not seeing a single survivor in months, time was running out.
They had spent most of winter in a hut once inhabited by Apple Bloom's friend Zecora the Zebra. To their dismay, Zecora had been bit long ago, but had chosen to not turn. It was not a pretty sight.
The freezing cold had made in near impossible to venture out for to long. Despite Rarity creating makeshift winter-wear, this seemed to be one of the coldest winters in Equestrian history. It was as if the Windigos were feeding off of the death and misery and creating an Ice Age. They suffered through however, and were able to survive the long cold. But now with Spring here, this hut in the Everfree Forest was no longer safe. Attacks were becoming more frequent, and they got closer and closer to being overrun.
They had decided to move to the Crystal Empire. Celestia had done everything in her power to defend the Empire and manufacture a cure. It was now their best and only hope for saving Equestria. The others had been cautious of Luna's plan, but she was eventually able to convince everypony to leave. Last preparations needed to occur. Apple Bloom had said that she did not want to ever see the farm again, but she did need to stop by the clubhouse. Although there wasn't anything particularly important or valuable there, there were a few sentimental things she couldn't leave without. Spike wanted to follow Rarity back to the boutique, but she was very insistent that she go alone. Either do to emotional feelings about the boutique, or the thought about abandoning all of her hopes and dreams made them agree to let her go alone, so Spike tagged along with Apple Bloom. Luna needed to visit Canterlot one more time, and with her wing fully healed (despite her fears after flying on it with three passengers) she could make the trip in no time. They all agreed to meet at the train station in 24 hours, and then head to the Crystal Empire. When the sun had risen on the first day of spring, the three groups left the small hut that they had taken shelter in, and set out to say their last goodbyes.
~~~~~~~~~~
Apple Bloom & Spike:
They were at the Tree-House in no time. A warm, clear memory filled Apple Bloom's mind. It felt like Thirty years since Apple Jack first showed her little sister the clubhouse for the first time. Apple Bloom had personally replaced the broken boards and cracked glass with her own two hooves, and it had made the best HQ she could possibly want. Over the winter, it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The roof was once again leaking, the paint on the walls was beginning to peel, and there were even a few bullet holes in the windows and door. Apple Bloom's heart sank when she saw that it was nearly empty, and it appeared somepony had actually lived in there over winter.
"Oh no, there's nothin' left. Who would have stolen from a fillies treehouse?!"
"Death makes some ponies do crazy things. Twilight was always talking about how nervous she was getting about the morality of some ponies. They would act rude and cruel, and even attack innocent ponies."
Apple Bloom wandered to the middle of the room, where the faint lines of a square were barely visible. When she was fixing the clubhouse, she had found an empty space between the tree and the floor. The tree made a kind of bowl, so it was completely sealed, and Apple Bloom figured it the best place it keep any REALLY important things, so she made a secret door over it. She now opened this, and saw that it had been undisturbed. She grabbed out her Cutie Mark Crusader cape, her trusty hammer, and a photo of the Crusaders: Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Babs, and herself, along with Apple Jack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash in the background. Tears filled her eyes when she gathered her things, and she was just about to put the secret door back, when she saw a small bit of paper sticking out of the bottom of the tree.
"What's that?" Spike asked curiously.
"Ah don't know. Ah didn't put it there."
Spike bent over and grabbed the folded piece of paper. Apple Bloom went over to him, and Spike unfolded it. It was an envelope that said "Apple Bloom" on it. They exchanged worried glances, and Spike opened the envelope. He took out the piece of tan, wrinkled paper, and they both began to read...
~~~~~~~~~~
Rarity:
How happy she had been. A little pony, fresh out of college, ready to take on the world. Anypony in her shoes wouldn't have lasted a day, but Rarity had keen senses for fashion. Taking a part-time job at a thrift shop, she had accumulated enough bits to buy her very own Boutique, and then her life really began. Her boss had agreed to let her borrow a manikin, some fabric, and some sewing supplies. Rarity would never forget how generous that old colt had been, and she didn't let him down. Now, so many years later, it all had been meaningless. Rarity's eyes were swollen and red from tears that would not stop. Her once fabulous boutique, her home and future, was dull and grey, and foreign to her. The signs of the attack were still very visible, and nothing was the same. She slowly wandered through her untenable and cold house, reached the stairs, and moped all the way up them.
Her sewing room was disorganized and cluttered, and there was blood splattered on the walls and floor. Rarity's eyes quivered as she picked up her sewing box and a few rolls of fabric, which she placed in her saddle bags. The then headed over to the closet, and slowly turned the handle. She was about to retrieve the only thing left that she truly cared for, but she didn't see it.
Fear filled her heart, and she stepped back. "No...no,no,no. Not gone, cant be gone. NO, YOU CAN'T BE GONE! Did somepony take you?!" She began frantically looking around the room for it. She checked every room, every place, and even searched every corpse, but it was gone. She nearly tore the Boutique apart looking for it, and then looked at the clock. She had to meet at the Train Station in four minutes! She took a hard swallow, forced herself to accept that it was gone, and then flew out and into the dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~
Luna:
She lighted down on the balcony conjoined to her room. Luna was filled with memories. She had never told her sister how she really felt in their fillyhood, she never told her how sorry she was for loosing control, and she never told her that she betrayed her order to not build her own kingdom. Luna had never been one for following instructions to the letter, but there was a lot of regret she felt in not doing so, and she only wished she could tell that to her sister. But she couldn't. Celestia was gone, and Luna had to prove that to herself. The mare strolled into her room, and found her display. It had been a long time since she had needed to dawn her warriors suit, but she wouldn't start again now. Instead, she only grabbed her simplistic helm and her bound sword. There was an eerie comfort she felt in wielding them once again, but she knew she had to. Luna left the room and began wandering down the hall.
The castle was empty and inhabited only by corpses slowly decomposing. Flashes of emotion shocked her mind: misery, anger, desolation, hopelessness. The destructive romance of zombie ponies and living flesh had turned the castle into a graveyard. Luna's stomach twitched.
She was finally able to walk to the closed oak door of her late sisters room. Luna took a deep sigh, closed her eyes, and slowly creaked the door open. Upon opening her eyes, she saw that everything was the same: the window was still open, the room still a mess, and the bed still empty...
"EMPTY?!" Luna's heart began racing when she confirmed that the location her dead sister was placed was now uninhabited. "NO, it cant be... There's no way you could have turned! It's Impossible!" Luna flew out into the halls, terrified and in shock, desperately searching for her dear sister...
"FLUTTERSHY! PLEASE, DO NOT DIE!"
The zebra's face was covered in tears and blood as she held the yellow pegasus. She knew there was no way she would survive, but that didn't stop her from wishing for anything but the opposite. The look in Fluttershy's eyes was soft and accepting, which broke Zecora's heart. How could she not fight?! How could she just accept death?! Zecora had been raised in a culture where death was in a sense beautiful; a time for a pony to escape their body and let their soul join their ancestors, but there was nothing peaceful or natural about this. Fluttershy was being torn from life, and she couldn't stop it.
Lying in a pool of what had once made up part of Fluttershy's digestive system, she gazed unblinking into Fluttershy's eyes. Fluttershy managed to twitch a slight smile upon her face, which only destroyed Zecora even more. Her eyes slowly fluttered smaller and smaller as her last thoughts ran through her brain...
~~~~~~~~~~
"The ground is so beautiful! Had I only known, I would have come down much sooner!"
"A BABY DRAGON?! Aw, he's so cute! He talks?! I didn't know dragons could talk..."
"Sometimes you just need to show a little Kindness..."
"There you go Angel Bunny, all better."
"Of course I know it's his fault. Do you think I'm stupid? I think maybe he just needs a friend."
"I'm so lucky to have friends like you....
friends..lik..e.....you........
like...you......."
Fluttershy, YOUR Friendship is Magic!
~~~~~~~~~~
For seemingly hours, she sat there. Fluttershy had grown still and cold, but Zecora couldn't force herself to move. Her body just couldn't. Her body was stiff, and her entire being hurt. Under her breath, and in between silent sobs, Zecora forced herself to say, "It is terrible that you had to leave because of this, but I promise to remember your song of Kindness..." Zecora forced a bitter smile, and felt her right ear twitch. Amongst the silence of her hut in the Everfree Forest, a small shuffling emanated from near a wall. Zecora slowly turned her head, only to find a small pile of maybe 4-5 corpses of ponyville residents. Twilight had sent a small group to Zecora's hut to investigate the strange plants that called the Everfree Forest their home, but now all that remained were disembodied pieces and empty husks. Nothing besides her was left alive... but then why was that hoof moving?
It began moving towards Zecora, slowly pulling the remains of a blue pony with an hourglass cutie mark out of the pile. Fear filled Zecora's heart. The pony was covered in bites and gnawed off pieces of flesh. Everything made sense. It was the BITES that turned ponies into those ravenous creatures. Zecora gulped as she looked down at her still bleeding leg. The massive bite mark was turning the flesh around it a sickly green color, and she nearly passed out. This was the end, no way around it. Soon she would turn as well. She glanced back up at the crawling pony who was nearly upon her now, and a few other corpses worked their way to a standing position. Terrified, she swung her head around to the corner of the room where her hoof gun lay waiting. With every ounce of strength she forced herself upward, only to buckle and fall under her own weight. She was officially dead from the hips down. The blue pony reached her and took a large bite out of her leg. Zecora pushed her away and began crawling toward the gun as fast as she could. She reached the gun and unleashed the four remaining bullets into the skull of the blue mare.
Her rest was brief, because nearly a half dozen other zombies had pulled themselves out of the pile and were headed right for her. Panicking, she searched around the room for something, ANYTHING to help her, when a flash caught her eye. Zecora crawled her way into a closet where she found a single bullet lying on the clay floor. Her heart sank when she turned around and saw the half dozen zombified corpses heading toward her, and she did the only thing that came t mind. She shut the door, locking herself in the closet.
Zecora wept there for a long time; the bashing on the door from mindless zombies only confirming that this was the end of her. In complete darkness, she took the bullet, loaded it in the chamber of her gun, and sat very still. Her entire body was burning, and she knew the zombie's poision was working through her body and would soon shut it down. She knew she was going to die, of that she was certain, but death only brought about a new kind of hell. Zecora didn't want to become a mindless beast scouring the land for the flesh of living ponies. She couldn't. So she cocked the gun, let out a slow breath, and counted to three...
~~~~~~~~
The sound of gunfire alerted Rainbow Dash, who was out on a scouting mission. Concerned, she swooped down to the small hut. She flew right up to a brightly lite window and peered inside.
"N-NO...."
In the middle of the room, away from the horde at the closet door, stood a yellow pegasus. The sound of a living creature alerted the corpse, and it slowly turned it's head toward the window. A rainbow reflected off of its' eyes from the blue pegasus taking off as fast as she possibly could. She flew faster than she ever had before; her tears forming rain behind her. All the way to ponyville she flew, her head flooded with depression, regret, and the memory of Fluttershy's song of Kindness...
"SHE HATH TURNED?! How is that even possible?"
"It does not matter if you are bitten, mam. We are all infected. If you die, you come back."
Luna stared at him, horrified. She trusted him completely, but this was too much. Her stomach clenched and she feared she might be sick. Closing her eyes and lowering her head, Luna slowly tried accepting the new situation. She opened her eyes and looked again at the Bat-Pony standing in front of her. Raven Night had been her most trusted guard for a very long time: before this apocalypse, before she became accepted by Equestria again, and even before Nightmare Moon . He was trustworthy, loyal, and had helped her through the best and worst times. And he was a natural guard, symbolized by the shield and moon cutie mark on his flank. Just seeing him again, even despite the new horrors, warmed her heart and made her think more clearly.
"Alright, we are better. Our sister left Canterlot you said?"
"Yes, mam."
"Then so must we. We must return to Ponyville. There are survivors there that we must take care of, but you must return to the Kingdom. We hate to send you away, but you must ready those who remain."
"Ready? For what mam?"
"For our final solution. We hope it will not be necessary, but if we are unable to find a cure in the Crystal Empire, it may be our last chance."
"Of course mam."
Luna placed a gentle kiss on the top of his muzzle. "Please, Rave, be careful. Please look after yourself and our kingdom."
Tears filled his eyes. "Of course mam. But look after yourself as well."
"Thou are the best guard and friend we could ever ask for." Luna wandered over to the open bedroom window, turned back with tears streaming down her eyes, and took off into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright, yer clear" she whispered.
Spike carefully made his way around the counter of the Train Station, clenching the blade tightly in his claws. Looking around the corner at the corpse roaming through the backroom, Spike took a deep breath, and began creeping up on it. He drew nearer and nearer until he was arms distance from it. He raised the knife as the zombie turned around, fixing him in its' gaze. Panicking, he jabbed at it, sinking the blade into its' soft, grey eye. It stepped back, the knife jerking around as it moved its' eyes, and it began moving in on Spike.
It pounced onto of him and was preparing to take a bite when a small hoof struck its jaw. Apple Bloom had bucked its' head with all her might, and managed to break its' jaw. Spike scrambled away as the undead colt fell to the ground.
"That was a close one" Apple Bloom said, panting for breath. Spike exchanged a grateful glance, but his attention quickly turned back to the zombie attempting to get back on its' hooves. Blood was squirting from its' mouth, its' eye was sliced in two from the knife, and it crawled toward the filly and dragon. Apple Bloom attempted another kick to the skull, but she missed and hit its' shoulder. Before she had time to pull back, the zombie bit deep into her flank. Blood began pouring from her side, and she screamed in pain. Spike quickly reacted, grabbing the knife from its' eye and burying it deep into the middle of the zombie's skull. Its' mangled jaws unclenched, releasing the young filly, and it fell limp on the floor.
"Apple Bloom, are you alright?!"
"Yeah, ah think so."
"Your bit!"
"Ah know. Quickly, grab some of the alcohol and bandages." Spike rushed off to Luna's duffel bag and grabbed the medical kit. He cleaned her wound, disinfected it, bandaged her up, and hoped it was enough. He hoped she could be saved.
"we can't tell."
"What?!"
"Spike, please... We can't tell them"
"This is something they should know about!"
"No Spike, please. I'll just cover the bandages underneath ma cape and well pretend nothing ever happened.
"But they'll know when..." He paused, staring into Apple Bloom's eyes. He couldn't bring himself to say what he knew would happen. He had seen it with Twilight, and he knew there was no stopping it.
"We'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, please just don't tell, alright?"
"Alright Apple Bloom, I promise not to tell until your ready."
"Thank ya Spike." Tears streamed down her face. She knew full well what this meant, but she had to be strong. For Apple Jack, she had to be strong...
12. Old Friends/Bookends pt. 1
The sky was grey. Clouds blocked out even the smallest ray of sunshine, and a dense fog had formed. It was midday, yet it felt as dusk. Faded shadows filled the streets, a wheel from an overturned cart creaked slowly, and all color had been wiped from the town. A slow, cold breeze blew through the empty streets, swaying old shop signs and ripped pieces of cloth. There was no movement; just eerie silence.
A figure swiftly and silently moved through the dead streets, careful to not make a sound. It wore a dark cloak with a hood that covered its' face. It had saddle bags filled with tools and supplies, lightly jingling as it trotted down the road towards the train house. It arrived at the large, wooden doors, quickly looked around, checking to see if it had been followed, and then grabbed the handle in its' teeth and pulled the door open. The hinges silently screamed from the motion of the old door, and musty air poured out from the building. The figure made its way inside, took one last glance outside at the somber husk of Ponyville, and sealed itself inside.
~~~~~~~~~~
She arrived at the front doors of the Train Station. She couldn't believe that it had gone missing, but she had to force herself to move past it. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. It was gone; there was no changing that. Rarity took a deep breath, cleared her mind of her grief, and slowly turned the handle leading inside. The inside of the waiting room looked the same as it always had: cold and empty, baggage near the walls, and scraps of paper littering the creaky floor boards. With her pistol ready, she inched forward to the ticket counter. She cautiously looked over the counter where she saw a corpse with a broken jaw and sliced eye. She flinched back a bit, but hesitantly whispered, "Hello?"
"..."
"Hello?" she called out a little louder.
"...Rarity?"
She let down her guard when she heard Spike's voice. The little dragon came out from behind a counter, followed by Apple Bloom. Spike smiled when he saw her calm, charismatic face, but Apple Bloom cringed a little. She looked hard at Rarity's face, observing it. When Rarity began noticing how she was being looked at by this filly, Apple Bloom looked away. Spike opened the door leading to the ticket office and wandered out towards Rarity. Apple Bloom emerged, and noticed a blue head looking through the open doors. It smiled when it saw the filly, and then began to move forward, reveling Princess Luna.
"Well, it appears we've all made it here safely."
"Yeah Princess," Apple Bloom hesitantly smiled, "were all here, nice and safe."
"Good. We grew worried when we saw the sky."
"What's worrying about the sky?" Spike asked curiously.
Could she tell them? Could she bring herself to say that her sister had turned and was on the loose? That now the balance of life was in peril, not only because of the zombies but because her sister still had control of the sun? Could she bring herself to tell the grim news that sunlight may never again touch Equestria? No, she couldn't...not yet. She had to lie.
"It's just a bad omen. It's midday, yet there is no sun and fog covering the ground. It just made us feel...uneasy. "
"Alright, well, clearly it's nothing, so what is our plan?" Rarity asked inquisitively.
"We are...unsure. We must get to the Crystal Empire, yet we have not yet planed on how. "
"Well, we're at a Train Station , so how about a Train? "
"Unfortunately it is not that simple Apple Bloom. We thought it would be good to follow the tracks to find our way, but using a train might not be possible. The trains were all used for evacuating the citizens, and it doesn't appear any have returned for a long time. And if we found one, there is no telling if it is even working ."
"Hey, everypony," Spike said nervously. "There's a light flickering over there."
Everypony went over to the loading platform and looked to where Spike was pointing. There indeed was a white light rapidly flashing from inside a wooden building, almost as if somepony was using a welding torch. They all gazed at it, curious.
"What could it be?" asked Spike.
"Ah don't know. Maybe there's somepony over there."
"Should we investigate?"
"We are unsure. Whoever is over there could be hostile."
"Ah think we should check it out."
They waited for a while, but eventually all agreed to go see what it was. Creeping through the tall, dry wild-grass that surrounded the train tracks, they made their way over to the old train house. Everypony had their weapons raised and ready for anything. Luna flew up to the window on what appeared to be the second story of the building. Cautiously, she looked through the dirty glass, and into the middle of the dark room. The light continued flickering, briefly illuminating the interior. She could see that the window was next to a loft that contained a vast number of spare railroad tracks, and beneath that was the silhouette of a Train Engine with the shape of a pony along side it. It was welding a part of the large, iron wheel on the train, until it glanced up at Luna. The welding light turned off, and all was still. Luna was curious as to what was going on. Distracted by her thoughts, she could not react to the brittle window exploding outwards at her, flinging broken glass and balls from a shotgun shell into the field. Luna plummeted to the ground, landing directly next to Apple Bloom. Rarity magically flung the large doors open and fired a few shots into the darkness. The sound of gunfire filled the air, and Spike noticed a few zombies in the field making their way towards the train house. Apple Bloom helped Luna to her hooves, who quickly ran to Rarity. The gunfire had ceased, and all was silent. It felt like an eternity had passed before a voice called out.
"WHO IS OUT THERE?!"
She hesitated before replying, "Luna, Princess of the Night. Who are thou?"
The voice did not reply, and the growling, snarling sounds of zombies slowly became louder. Finally the voice called out again.
"Luna? Is that really you?"
"Yes, and who are thou?"
"It's me, Ember!"
Blood splattered on the white wall, and the corpse of the guard slowly slid to the floor. Nausea took effect when she realized what she had done, but she knew it was for the best. It was a fate worse than death to leave him the was he was; everypony knew that. She pushed her feelings behind her, and continued down the hallway.
The castle couldn't even be considered a shadow of its former self; bullets riddled the walls, blood was smeared along the walls and floor, and the foul odor of death filled the air. It was a miracle they had been able to defend against the hordes that had tried to force their way to them. Somehow, Celestia had kept Canterlot secure and the ponies safe; until just recently. Now the castle was the only place not over-run with flesh-eating corpses that used to be kind and friendly ponies. It hurt too much to think about who these ponies used to be, so she didn't, she only thought about survival. Survival, and her sisters dying words. Celestia had done everything in her power to save Equestria, but she had failed. Now it was up to Luna to try and bring an end to the epidemic that plagued the once peaceful land. With her sisters death, Luna was on her own. She had no plan, no support, and no idea what she was going to do. The only thing she could do was obey her sisters last request: to find Twilight Sparkle and try to find a cure.
Luna walked to the end of the hall and slowly opened her sisters room. It took her a few moments before she could force herself to enter. She didn't look at the bed in the middle of the room, where a thick sheet covered her sisters body. Luna walked along the wall to a closet where Celestia kept her emergency supplies. She had plans for every kind of disaster that she could possibly think would ever happen: plague, natural disasters, being attacked by another empire, and even a plan in case of living dead. Celestia had tried her last defense plan, but it had failed. Now all that remained was a room full of the ideas of a dead pony, and guns... lots of guns. It didn't take her long to pack up everything she could into her duffel-bag: hoof guns, shotguns, rifles, and boxes and boxes of ammo. She returned to her sisters room. Luna allowed herself one glance at the bed that her sisters body lie on. A single tear emerged from her quivering eye.
"We're sorry", she whispered.
Luna opened the large window near Celestia's bed. The blanket covering the fallen princess rustled quietly in the wind. Luna gazed up to the moon, spread her wings, and took off into the cold and lonely night, leaving everything she loved behind in the dead kingdom.
13. Old Friends/Bookends pt. 2
She stood there at the top of the hill, watching. How pathetic they were, taking refuge in a train house. She could not actually believe they thought they could escape this. The orange mare who had been there had said she was repairing the train so she could escape. She didn't know where, but with the Night Princess's information about the Crystal Empire, they were to set out soon. She still couldn't stop laughing at the thought. The group of four ponies and a dragon would surely die; it's just about when.
She turned away from the train house, and caste her gaze at the midnight field, glowing under the luminescent moon. Celestia was no longer in the picture, and her clueless sister would not last much longer. This world was going to be her's, and nopony could stop it. She chuckled again, her fangs glimmering in the moonlight. With a quick flapping of her insect-like wings, she took off into the night. "Soon," she thought to her self, "I will be the Queen of this pathetic land."
