To Die Another Day

(A few hours later)

Twilight woke up in her bed as she looked around before she was tackled by a pink blur followed by a green and purple one.

"OH TWILIGHT I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE REALLY HURT!"

"Yeah Spike came to get us as soon as he got you up here." Rainbow said as the others sighed.

(hours ago)

The rest of the elements were hanging out in the park as the saw Spike come running over the bridge.

"HELP! TWILIGHT. MAGIC. DRAGON. BLOOD. DOCTOR. BLACK OUT!"

The elements just looked at each other before they followed Spike.

(Present)

"Didnt really get much but as soon as we heard dragon and blood we came as fast as we could." Rainbow said as Applejack walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Dont scare us like that again Twi. When ah heard about the dragon we thought the worst had happened. Dont scare us again like that sugarcube." She said as Twilight nodded.

"Sorry guys I was working on a new spell that would let me see into a alternate Equestria. But something went wrong and the next thing I know is that I just pulled a dragon soul out of another Equestria." She said as the others gasped.

"Wait wont that like effect our world with that dragon being here?"

"No Rainbow Dash it wont." A voice said as they all turned around to see Princess Celestia as well as Luna, Cadence, and Shinning Armor all at the doorway as all the girls bowed.

"Hello Twilight how are you feeling?" She asked as they stood back up and smiled.

"Im fine Princess just tired and my head hurts a little." She said as Celestia grinned.

"I would think so after such a powerful spell. As for your question Rainbow the spell that Twilight used was ment to be used as a looking glass of a mirror world if you will of our world. When the spell backfired it didnt leave a ripple in the time-space continum. So who ever that dragon is his purpose was done in his world and when the spell backfired it just simple took him." She said as the girls just stared at her.

"So theres nothing to worry about?"

"None what so ever my dear."

"Works for me." Rainbow said as they turned back to Twilight as the others came around to her other bedside.

"Well Twilight how bout we go check on your guest shall we?" Luna said as everyone in the room nodded as they walked down stairs to see Nurse Redheart looking over her patient. He was hooked up to a IV bag as well as a breathing tube down his throat and his wing and upper body was wrapped in gauze. They could see his chest rise and fall as they heard the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

As the girls came up to the side of the dragon they were shocked as they looked at his body. It had scars all over it as well as what looked like bite marks across his back, legs, and arms.

Nurse Redheart looked up and bowed at the princesses before she turned and grabbed something off the ground. It was a bag that was torn and dirty and it had what looked like blood all over it. But it couldnt be his blood since it wasnt fresh it was stained into the fabric and looked old. She also brought over a straight sword with a black blade.

"Princesses I think your gonna want to see this." She said as she flipped the flap open on the pack making the ponies gasp as they looked at six bloodstained elements of harmony.

"How is this possible!" Celestia as she picked up the elements and pulled the ones in Twilights hollowed book out only to find them still there.

"Theres two sets of elements?" But how?" Luna said as Twilight just gapped at the bloodstained elements.

"That dragon must have stolen them from our other selves!" Rainbow said as she shot in the air above the dragon glaring at him.

"Rainbow Dash! You leave my patient alone cant you see he's been gravely injured." Redheart said as she yanked the pegasus down as she glared at her.

"I believe this is a waiting game then. Until he wakes up there's nothing we can do. Nurse Redheart please let us know when he wakes up." Cadence said as she looked at her aunts who nodded.

"Well Twiliy Ill see you when it wakes up unless you want me to stay here incase it becomes violent." He said as Twilight smiled and shook her head.

"No Ill be fine Shining. Ill see you guys when it wakes up ok?" She said as they nodded and flashed away. Twilight smiled as she looked back at her friends.

"Well nI guess Ill call you guys if it wakes up." She said as they nodded.

"Ok sugarcube be sure to come get us if anything happen ok?" Applejack said as she walked out the door followed closely by Fluttershy and Rairty as they waved to her.

"YEAH! THEN WE CAN THROW HIM A WELCOME TO THIS WORLD AND STILL BEING ALIVE PARTY!" Pinkie yelled as they other mares smiled at their friend.

"If you need anything Twilight just come get me ok?" Rainbow said as she hugged her friend.

"I will Dash I Pinkie Promise." She said going through the motions and remembering to close her eye. Dash smiled as she gave her friend another hug before looking back at the bloody elements in the blood soaked bag.

As the rest of the elements left she looked back at Nurse Redheart and smiled.

"So is it going to be ok?"

"Yes it is. It was a little hard going for a while since we know so little about dragons but he should pull through in a matter of days." She said as Twilight yawned and nodded as she headed up the stairs for bed giving one last wave to Redheart after she pointed her in the direction of where the blankets were.

As she walked into her room she saw Spike fast asleep. She smiled as she covered him up more making him snuggle into his bed. She gave him a kiss on his head as she headed for bed.

She layed down on her bed and pulled the blankets over her before she was out like a light.

(Midnight)

Twilight woke up feeling hungrey as she stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen. She saw Redheart had removed the breathing tube and had pulled over the couch and was now fast asleep. Twilight looked back at the dragon and could see tears coming out of its eyes.

She could see its mouth moving making her lean in to hear him.

"Im sorry Twilight."

Its what it kept saying over and over as the mare stepped back in shock tripping over her hooves and slamming into door jam moaning out in pain.

It was like a switch flipped on as she saw the dragon sit up straight and look at her her with wide eyes while his pupils shrank to pin pricks as Twilight turned the light on behind her as she walked towards the dragon moaning a little.

"NO!" It screamed as it jumped up looking around franticly before spotting Redheart looking at him in shock as he jumped back pulling out the IV and monitoring equipment.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" It said as it jumped out of a nearby window bolting off towards Applejacks farm.

"Shit! Redheart get Spike up and have him grab the others!" She said as the nurse ran upstairs as Twilight went to get Rainbow.

Spike ran as fast as he could down the street through the town he hadnt seen in so long. He did know how he got here but he wasnt about to be zombie food. He dodged the other walkers that he almost ran into. He watched the sky for flyers as he left the town. He ran to the apple farm to the only place that was the safest in this hell hole.

The apple family celar, it also had a storm shelter inside and was the place he hid during the begining of the outbreak when he was younger.

As he ran he could hear the sound of running hooves behind him making him panic as he kicked it into high speed. If these things were running now he knew they wouldnt stop anytime soon until they got him.

He smiled as he saw the cellar ahead as he pushed himself to go faster. He made it to the cellar only to have time to pull the door close and lock them. He turned and shot down the narrow hall that led to the Storm Shelter.

As he made it inside he turned and closed the heavy oak door and slid the heavy dead bolt into place. He sighed as he looked around the dimly lit room and saw to his shock there was a pony in there with him. He began to breath harder as they pony trotted into the moonlight.

He gasped as he looked at the mare he saw die in front of him all those years ago.

Applejack

"What in tarnation is goin -Oh" She said as she started to shake as she stared at the dragon from Twilights house.

"Look partner ah aint lookin for trouble but yall cant stay here."

"AJ?"

Applejack took a step back as the dragon took a step forward.

"Is it really you or am I going crazy?" He asked as he continued to walk towards the mare before she ran into a wall. He got closer to her enough to touch her sitting there for a minute just staring at her.

She looked at him and watched in terror as he leaned in and sniffed her mane. There was a short pause as he pulled back looking at her as tears poured from his face.

"Please answer me. Is your name Applejack?"

"Um yeah." Thats all it took as she was swept up in a bone crushing hug as the dragon broke down holding the mare Applejack was totally confused as he just sat down and tightly held her as if she would disappear.

They sat there for quite a while before he loosened his hold only slightly as he pulled back and smiled at her before he let go of the mare as she looked at him confused.

"Do ah know you partner?" She asked asked as he looked down a little disapponited.

"Aw come on AJ who's the only dragon in Equestria that you know?" He asked

"Spike."

"Thats right! So who do you think I am? Spike the dragon Twilights number one assistant!" He said as he stood and bowed as the mare looked shocked at the tall dragon.

"You cant be Spike! Spikes a little feller that dont come no higher than mah shoulder!" She said as Spike sighed.

" Well I did hit a growth spurt before the outbreak AJ. For Celestia's sake Im as tall as she was." He said as AJ looked at him confused making him sigh.

"I guess I am going crazy. Being back here is really starting to get to me." He said as he walked away from AJ and sat down in a corner.

"Ugh! You know AJ when you were alive I remember coming down here late at night after a hard day at work and drink cider with you and Mac. Hmm I dont remember him during the panic. But I guess Dash must have gotten him before she got you." He said as the mare came and sat down in front of him.

"Sugarcube yall aint makin any sence." She said as he sighed.

"I guess you didnt get the whole zombie outbreak 10 years ago being dead and all huh?" He said as she looked at him in disbelief.

"Ugh! Look 10 years ago a strange virus came from the EverFree forrest. Anypony that came in contact with the virus died within a few weeks." He said as she looked at him shocked.

"But the thing is was that those infected didnt stay dead they would come back to feed on the living. When it came to Ponyville there was already a panic going on in Canterlot. Since even if you didnt have the virus you could still get it from the walkers. But anyway when it came to Ponyville everypony was getting sick even the wild life. I was immune to the virus since I was a dragon." He said as he leaned his head back as he fell into his memories.

"You know Twilight was the first to go besides Dash? I woke up to Twilight at the doorway with the light on. When I looked at her she lunged at me trying to bite into my face. I got away but she was relentless, never stopping, never tiring, she just kept coming. I found a baseball bat that we used just in case somepony tried to break in." He said as AJ just listened still in shock.

"I smashed her skull in AJ. I hit her with everything I could when she lunged at me again. All I could see was her dead eyes looking at me afterward as she tried to get up. So I hit her again and again till she stopped moving." He said as he let the tears flow free. After all these years he could finally talk about it. He could get it off his chest.

"I ran from the library when Peewee attacked me to. I hit him with the bat to but he didnt get up. I dont know where that owl was but I ran as fast as I could to sugar cube corner. I saw Cup Cake and the twins werent in the shop. I remember hearing a thump upstairs so I ran as fast as I could but stopped when I saw the twins room." He said as he broke down. AJ didnt know what to do as she got closer and rubbed his back.

"Its ok sugarcube. Aint nothin gonna get you now." She said as he shook his head.

"You dont understand AJ, the twins were torn apart and the room was covered in blood. I closed their door and went to find Cup Cake, I wish I never found her." He said as AJ looked at him. He needed to get this out she could see it was killing him slowly.

"Why sugarcube? Why is Mrs Cake so special to yall?" She asked as he smiled.

"Come on now AJ you know me and Cup Cake were fixing to get married before the outbreak." He said as her eyes went wide as he cocked an eyebrow.

"But why didnt you want to see her sugarcube?" She asked as he sighed.

"She was eating Pinkie." He said as Applejack gagged.

"Yeah I just closed the door and ran to Rarity's but I found her being eaten by Opal and Sweetie Belle and the other crusaders." He said in a dead tone as Applejack started to cry as they heard the cellar door be broken in.

"When I went to Fluttershys cottage she was torn apart by her animals. I barely made it out of there alive." He said as she pulled him into a hug.

"When I came to get you..." He paused as she looked up at him.

"What? Tell me sugarcube." She said as he sighed as he heard banging on the oak door.

"You were at the entrance to the cellar and waving at me to hurry and just when I got to you Rainbow tackled you and bit into your arm. You told me to run and that you would be right behind me and to not worry about you. I saw you kick Rainbow off you before you came up to me and gave me a hug and went with me till we came in here. You told me that you were gonna find some more survivors and to close and lock the door and not to open the door for anypony till you got back." He said as he looked at her.

"As soon a I locked the door I heard a crash and you scream and that was it. After that I stayed in here for at least a week. By the time I came out I saw you but you had already turned. I made it as quick as I could AJ." He said as the mare looked at him in shock.

"You sacrificed yourself for me." He said as he pulled her into a hug as the door was blown off the hinges. Applejack looked and saw Spike smile she could see that he accepted his fate.

"The one thing Im proud of AJ is I was able to give the cure to the last standing nation in all the world before I died." He said as he looked at the five mares that stared at them.

"Twilight whats going on did the other dragon hurt anypony?"

Spike snapped his head to the direction of the voice as his eyes shot open as a younger him. He looked at Applejack who nodded towards Twilight.

"Sorry partner but she's gonna have all your answers and there aint no zombie ponies here." She said as he looked at the mare he saw his as he mother.

"Um Im sorry if I startled you but my name is-

"Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria." Spike finished for her as she looked at him in shock.

"How did-

"I know what you were gonna say? Well I lived with you to the last 13 years of my life. My name is Spike the Dragon number one assistant and was future husband of Cup Cake and am the savior of the griffon empire as of recently." He said as he smiled at Twilight and his younger self. It was funny how he had to look at them now as he crouched down and stuck his claw out.

"Its a pleasure to meet you Ms Twilight." He said as she just stared at him as well as the other elements and Spike.

"Twi its rude to just leave the guy hangin." Applejack said as a flash went off and all the princesses and Shining Armor appeared.

"Um the pleasure is all mine Spike." She said awkwardly as they other elements shook their heads.

"Care to tell me how Im still alive Ms Sparkle when I was suppose to join my friends in the afterlife?" He asked as Shining stepped up beside her.

"Thats PRINCESS SPARKLE to you dragon." He said as he gave Shining a dead look before smirking.

"Shut up Shining Ill call Twi whatever I want or Ill let Cadence know about those dirty books you have under your bed." Spike threatend as Shinings lips sealed while he felt eyes borrowing into his head. Spike turned back to Twilight as he motioned for her to continued.

"Um well I was using a new spell when it backfired and must have brought you here." She said as he sighed before looking at her.

"You really need to talk to Celestia before you do high power spells Twilight I dont know how many times Ive told you that." He said scolding her as she looked down.

"I know its like talking to a wall sometimes." Young Spike said as the older dragon laughed as the mare glared at him.

"Im sorry I didnt mean to. I just wanted to see what could have been." She said as he shook his head and Applejack shuddered.

"Trust me Twilight you dont want to know about my Equestria." He said as he put a claw on her lips and looked at her.

"Because everypony we know is dead or is a walker Twilight. Everypony is dead. You, our friends, the princesses, everyone." He said as she looked at him wide eyed as well as the others besides Applejack as she just got a haunted look in her eyes.

"By the way I dont want to go back considering the circumstances. If youll allow it Princesses Id like to be a citizen of Equestria." He said as Celestia smiled.

"Of course Spike just go by the mayors office tomorrow and sign up Ill let the mayor know your coming." She said as Rainbow flew up to him only to be grabbed by the throat as he be began to reach for his sword only to find it gone. He stopped as he let go of the mare as she choked and gagged.

"What the hay is your problem!" She said as she crossed her hooves.

"Sorry Rainbow but you got to understand after all that Ive been through with EVERYTHING out to eat you, you kill first and just dont ask questions. You were the last of our friends to actually die and it was by my claws that you did." He while she looked at him in shock.

"You killed me?"

"YOU WERE ALREADY A FLYER RAINBOW SO YOU WERE ALREADY DEAD BUT YOUR BODY DIDNT KNOW IT! I killed all of our friends besides Fluttershy. Twi, you, Aj, Rarity, Pinkie, the crusaders, all the princesses, Shining, even Cup Cake." He said looking down.

"I dont believe this bull about zombie ponies! How do we know your not making this up." Dash said as he glared at her before reaching up and turing on the single light in the room.

The mares blinked as he turned and moved his left wing to show a deep scar as well as several more all over his arms and legs.

"This scar was made by you Rainbow Dash before me and Trixie could make it to the dragon lands." He said as he bent down so he could show one on his shoulder.

"This one is from when I came out of this very shelter after you killed Applejack and I had to put her body to rest. You ambushed me as soon as I came out of the cellar" He said as RD looked at AJ who looked away. He turned his left arm so they could see the bite on the back.

"This one was from Cup Cake. I couldnt bring myself to kill her even after Pinkie turned and came at me. I got a good bite from them both before I had to end them." He said as he showed the bite mark on his claw and saw Pinkies hair deflate as she came up to him and pulled him into a hug as he resisted the urge to shove her away.

"Im sorry Spike." Pinkie said as he kneeled down and pulled her into a hug running his claw through her mane.

"Its ok Pinkie I know you would never do that to me." He said as she sniffed while he looked at Rainbow.

"I have three major injuries from you Dash. The ones that I showed you and one on my calf muscle." He said as he stuck his right leg out and showed it to them making them gasp.

"Hell I have a injury from every last one of you except AJ and Fluttershy." He said as they all looked down.

"Look I know it wasnt you in particular since your not walkers or flyers. But just dont sneak up on my especilly if I have anything in my hands ok." He said as they nodded.

"Well its late so Im going to go find somewhere to sleep." He said as he walked past them making a point not to touch them as he walked out of the room and out the cellar.

"AJ Ill be by after I visit with the mayor to help with the doors." He said before he left so AJ couldnt say anything.

AJ looked at her friends and saw the look of confusion and disbelif making her sigh.

"He aint lyin yall. Every word he said was the honest truth." She said as they snapped their heads to her wide eyed. They didnt see a yellow pegasus sneak away.