Chapter 1: Spread (PILOT)
Ponies crowded the streets of Canterlot in a vast riot charging the palace gate being protected by royal guards, the citizens of Equestria were in outrage for the previous actions of the Equestrian Military for declaring Martial Law. Unicorns ued their magic to throw various objects at the guards protecting the gates while Earth Ponies kicked at the guards and the gate hoping to bring damage but with no avail as the stronger and armored royal guards merely kicked and pushed them away.
"WE WANT CELESTIA AND LUNA TO FIX THIS FUCKING MESS!" Some screamed and cursed at the guards as Pegasus guards began to fly in as well to help herd the crowd away from the palace. But suddenly thing went south very quickly, the bulk of the crowd suddenly pushed harder than anytime before, smashing the guards against the gate and walls and climbing overtop of each other. Screams could be heard through the crowd as many were trmapled in the panic of something that had encouraged them to push harder than before.
There they were, the infected, mindless ponies charging down the street at the crowd of ponies trying to climb the walls and gate of the palace were coming and were attacking the crowd as ponies poured over the wall and into the huge plaza of the palaca trying to run to the building but being shot down on sight by the Royal Guards. those left outside were being tackled and bitten, chewed up or torn apart by the Zombie ponies were trying to sway off their attackers and climb over the walls, though it was evident they would not survive. Parents of children tried throwing their kids over the walls hoping they would be safer inside with the princesses as they were brutally bitten and ripped right infront of their own kids. Their cries of agony and fear could be heard from everywhere as they infection spread through relentlessly through Canterlot, not discriminating between it's victims.
**AT CLOUDSDAYLE**
The situation was bad. More than half of the population of the entire floating city had become infected, and nothing was worse than flying zombies. Cloudsdayle guards tried to quell the outbreak and had prevented it's spread for a short time, until infected Pegasi had been making their way to the floating city.
When the outbreak came to the city, it was impossible to stop it. Infected Pegasi flew frantically chasing after ones who had not been infected yet, ganging up on them from all directions. And in less than two hours, Cloudsdayle's surviving, non infected population ceased to exist. Creating a new breed of flying, corpses that would cause hell upon the land below for decades to come.
**AT THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM**
Screams could be heard all around as fires raged and ponies panicked stealing all the supplies they could from stores or other ponies not giving a care for the lives of others. The outbreak caused so much chaos that many ponies were seperated form each other as zombies spread throughout the city in hordes, moving down streets like a wave and sucking in anypony unlucky enough to be in their path. Gunfire was everywhere as ponies tried to fend off the waves of zombie ponies, but were easily picked off by the flying Pegasi zombies dived down from the skies making survivors easy prey.
Princess Cadence and Shining Armor only watched as their kingdom was in ruins, as ponies scrambled below being killed easily by the hordes of zombies, many gather under the Castle hoping it would protect them. There was just too chaos for the couple to even control the crowd as guards fluttered around or ran below trying to regain control of the wild Crystal ponies. But unfortunately, to o avail.
Cadence and Shining Armor looked to each other, sadness in their eyes that they just could not bear to see. They went into a final kiss as a zombie pegasus flew down and tackled Cadence, and began to relentlessly bite her until she simply became a convulsion corpse. Shining Armor attempted to avenge his wife by kicked off the pegasus and crushing it's head, but was tackled by more and more zombie pegasi. Then was ultimately defeated under a pile of zombies. The Crystal Empire, had fallen.
**AT PONYVILLE**
Disease didn't spread as quickly in Ponyvillie until well into the sixth year since Canterlot and every other major city had stopped checking in. Refugees from other cities were scarce but we're still flowing into the so called 'safezone.' From the Ponyvillie Library, Princess Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the elements of harmony had ensured that a magical barricade had been erected around the city's walls to prevent flying zombies and other unwanted infected ponies from entering. Even old enemies of ponyville, like Trixie and even the Flim Flam Brothers knew what was at stake and helped Twilight and her friends in an attempt to prevent the infection. Once infected ponies were sent away from Ponyvillie and the defenses were created, Ponyvillie had been known as a Infection Free Settlement. Possibly the only Settlement.
***
Gradually the rate of the infections slowed, and with less ponies in major cities zombies began to spread out becoming more scarce to see rather than in the large unending hordes of ponies that had overwhelmed the world before. The spread out into the land which was now gray, and ugly. As plants were unattended to the grass grew widlyly covering paths, but because of the Pegasi not controlling the weather, drought quickly set in and ravaged the lands. Entire species began to die off because of the disruption, and the gloomy cloud cover had created a sort of grayness that to which many ponies had fallen into a depression over. It has been over fifty eight years since the outbreak, this is the land you were brought into. Welcome, to Equestria.
***
"Run honey run they're right on our flank!" A pony screamed.
"I can't! I can't run anymore! We might drop her!" A mare yelled back.
"Come on honey, run faster!" The first voice yelled again, hissing a growls could be heard nearby as you suddenly flew into the air and landed on the ground and rolled.
"NOO! HONEY... I'm sorry..." He said quietly and you were picked up again, running again. Then a weird feeling overcame you as went through a type of substance.
"Safe at last..." The voice panted.
"HALT!" Came a stern voice.
Author's Note
So uh, the day I was writing the chapter sirens began to blare. I was afraid I'd done it and the zombie apocalypse began. ;-;
Hope you enjoyed the explanation of how Equestria fell, I kind of rushed it in my opinion and trust me, chapters will be MUCH longer than I had ever written before. I'm trying new things huh.
Thanks, love you all!
ACT TWO: SURVIVIAL
MONDAY, DAY ONE.
_______________________________________
I yawned, early morning I presumed, I didn't really want to wake up. I was warm and it was a cool morning like the other. The ceiling of the room was blurry, but what do you expect when you're waking up from a good night's sleep? I just didn't want to get up, but I knew I had work to do around town. But couldn't I just stay in bed a little longer? A soft knock on the door of my room interrupted this thought. My eyesight suddenly adjusted to my surroundings again, looking at the dresser with the mirror, then to the drawyer with some cloths inside of it, I yawned a second yawn and began to stir under my covers to try and get up and out of bed until I was from under my covers, my mane a total mess from sleep. Who cared anyways, not like fashion really matters anymore.
My eyes were still showing how tired I was, not that anypony cares how tired I am, I slowly lumbered over to the door and opened it to see my little brother, a small, bright green coated Earth Pony with beautiful light green eyes that would sparkle in the light. He stood close to my door, looking like he was about to softly knock again.
"Hello Zephyr." He said in his soft, young voice, most likely just woke up too. He yawned a little so it confirmed my thoughts of him just waking up, that and the tired look he had in his eyes. I patted his head a little and allowed him inside of my room and sat with him on my bed.
"What you coming here for, Emerald?" I asked him, running my hoof up and down his back with a slight hug. The rest of my family is Earth Pony, but I'm a Pegasus. I've learned how to fly but I'm told not to fly for some reason. I still don't know why, adult ponies just don't tell me why I can't fly.
"Well, I came here to wake you up and tell you to go over to the mail house and help Dinky Doo." He said to her perking up a little now, I think he's truly awake now. Emerald had a huge smile on his face now and pretty much exploded in joy, he was always the happy one I guess.
"Alright, can you tell her I'll be right there? Just need to get dressed." I nodded and giggled at him hopping around my room in excitement of a new day, he gets joy from the smallest things, huh? Nice kid, glad to be his brother despite a lot of differences between him and I.
I watched as Emerald bounce his way out of my room giving a happy wave as the door slammed behind him and I could hear the constant, thump thump, from him hopping down the hallway and hopping down the stairs. I giggled again wondering how he could be so happy all the time. Well, I guess I have to get ready to go see Dinky, I feel bad about what happened to Ditzy, her mother. Too bad she was killed in Cloudsdayle delivering a letter, I truly felt bad for her. I hopped off my bed and flapped my wings a little to stretch out like I do every morning, it keeps you from hurting later on. I stretched my legs out, then my wings, then popped my neck a little and went to my mirror and looked at myself.
I looked into the old mirror and saw the young, paste blue pegasus mare in the reflection, her institutionally white, messed up mane and cobalt blue eyes. What a beautiful mare in my opinion, if I could just fix her hair. Oooh! There we go!
I began to brush my mane slowly with my brush, cleaning it up and making it look better. Now I'm not a pony that's too into fashion, but I do at least like to look somewhat presentable when around other ponies rather than looking like I was born in a gutter with no manners what so ever. That's what mom always says to me when getting me dressed up for town meetings, and I guess she's right when it comes to looking good, because she does work in the Spa with the older Spa mares.
After wasting acouple minutes of brushing my mane and tail, I polished my hooves a little even though walking in the dirt and dust to deliver letters would just get them dirty, didn't matter, I liked looking somewhat nice. I trotted over to my window and opened it up, I looked around to see if there was anypony walking down the streets then hopped out of the window, hovering in place. With my wings flapping quietly with small the only sound being the ruffle of my feathers and the small wisping of the air, I closed my window behind me and flew down to the ground below and stretch out my back one last time then began to gallop in the direction of the mail house.
As I galloped down the street I took note of how today was grayer than normal, clouds were covering the sky blocking a lot of sunlight out, I'd occasionally see something flying up high, moving cloud to cloud. I wish I could go up there, but that damn purple dome covering Ponyville wouldn't let me. As I looked up into the sky I noticed the magical bubble slightly flicker, interesting, this wasn't the first time I'd seen it do that, and sometimes I thought it was meant to do that, but this was the fourth time this week. Oh well, the bubble is not my concern, getting to the mail house is.
I kept looking at the quiet town I lived in, ponies didn't seem to talk much, they were quiet an always looked tired, a lot of times some were very depressed from what I've heard. I even once saw a pony jump from the town hall and commit suicide, though my mom tried turning my head away I saw it still. Poor colt, I guess he just couldn't stand the grayness, the whole world around us just seemed gray and boring. Just a lot of wild grass and dead or dying trees, though my favorite sight is Canterlot Castle, looking at it looks beautiful. The palace looks absolutely beautiful, I wish I could go there, ponies say it's 'untouched.' I guess nopony has touched it in awhile or something, but the rest of the city of Canterlot also looked gray and sad. Some buildings were tipping, some were smoking or broken. I think they should go back and fix it, but nopony is allowed to leave Ponyville except on some special trips. But those ponies either don't come back, or are really hurt and have to be killed for some reason. I don't know, strange world we live in now I guess.
It's kind of cold today, but then again everyday is a little cold in the mornings, well it's usually cold most of the day, the gravel below my hooves kind of gave me a slight chill as I trotted to the mail house on the far side of Ponyville, I never liked the gravel, it always was cold, but I don't want to walk in the dew that covers the grass because I don't feel like getting very wet before I even get to work. Fourteen and I already have a job, doesn't that sound like a childhood, huh?
After taking my sweet time on my walk to the mail house, I entered the building to be greeted by good old Dinky Doo, a very kind mare. "Hi Dinky." I said to her walking inside and she gave me a warm smile.
"Hello Zephyr, nice to see you again after a calm weekend. Are you ready to deliver the mail?" She asked as we walked over to a small room that had acouple lockers, I walked over to a locker and inserted a key then proceeded to open the locker and pull out my saddle bags. They were like any other saddle bag, brown, leather, had my cutie mark of a wispy cloud on them as a buckle, I set the saddle bags down onto my back and made sure to strap them on correctly, don't want to have the same mistake as on my first day of work when I didn't strap the saddlebag on correctly and mail kept sliding out of the bags.
I strapped the last strap and looked to Dinky Doo with a big smile on my face and nodded. "Yes I am!" I said happily and somewhat proudly, I loved delivering the mail. It was always a fun time, and I got to walk with friends while I go house to house and give ponies their mail, what's not to love? Dinky nodded and walked into the printing and storage room of the mail house and I followed, I stood ready with my saddlebags empty and open, ready for the mail as she slide letters and packages into my saddlebags. At first they were off balanced, but after Dinky filled the other bag with mail I could stand correctly and proceeded to close my saddle bags.
"I'm ready to go Dinky." I said walking to the door as she followed me and opened the door for me.
"Good, good. Come back quickily so you can get the second load of mail, good luck Zephyr!" She said and waved to me as I walked away from the building, I waved back as she closed the door and I was left alone in the cold, gravel streets of a gray Ponyville. I looked around at my surroundings and sighed, even the buildings looked sad. The once colorful town seemed to just be drowning in grayness, it was just a monotony, I wish somepony could just slap a new coat of paint onto a building, but it wasn't the paint, oh on. It was just the world itself, now a gray and ugly world.
I sighed again as I slowly began to walk down the street, looking at the first letter I pulled out of my saddlebag to find where it was meant to be delivered. I've always puzzled this, if we're not allowed out of this bubble, where does all this mail come from? Seriously, I've always wondered that, are we sending mail to each house? Because seriously, we're in a damn bubble and can't leave! You can't just walk to your friend or family's house, is it truthfully that hard to do?
I kept walking until I got to my destination and put the letter into the mailbox. This is the only boring day of the week, my friends were all off at their Monday jobs, so I truthfully had nopony to talk to, and this job could get annoying with how long it takes to walk from house to house. Why again am I not allowed to fly?
I heard a shimmering sound and looked up, the bubble flickered again. That's weird, I have never seen it flicker twice. Some other ponies who were in the streets also noticed it and acouple murmurs were going around, everypony was confused as of why the bubble shimmered twice. Some kind of got scared, but I've seen it shimmer before, I know it's completely safe, most likely just some magical pulse that is strengthening it. Weird thing is, the bubble almost seemed a lighter pinkish maroon than it alreadly was, like it got slightly, just barely more transparent. Eh, most likely nothing.
I continued on my work, I had delivered the mail to three more houses, one recieved a pretty heavy package for it's small, saddlebag size, and I even had to deliver a small pen looking thing to somepony in a Call Booth, interesting. He must be homeless, because I don't think I've ever met him, don't exactly know Who he is, but he had a nice bow tie, I'll give him that, so he must be a nice pony. I continued onto my third house, passing by the center of Ponyville, some ponies were going to the town hall, they looked pretty worried, I think I even say Ms. Applejack, one of our town leaders running into the town hall. She as well looked very worried, still wonder why but I think it has to do with the bubble flickering for a third time, this time the bubble seemed to of turned off for like, a second or two then turned back on. Interesting, don't think I've seen it do that before, is it a good thing or a bad thing? I guess a bad thing because ponies say there are a lot of zombies out in the lands around the town, you know, zombies? Those undead ponies in the movies and stories? I think Daring Doo had to fight a bunch in one of her stories, but I truthfully don't remember, been possibly a year since I read a Daring Doo book, I gave them all to my brother.
***
Applejack galloped at all her might, been years since she had ran so fast and her now older legs didn't seem to be able to run like they used to, but her iron pony legs wouldn't give up on her now, especially with the fate of the town in peril. She galloped through town, passing some ponies who began to look concerned by her urgent run in the direction of the town hall, she saw another flicker of the bubble as it went away for acouple seconds then returned, something must be wrong with Twilight, she had been keeping the bubble up for years!
"Twi! Twi!" She called out as she galloped past acouple more ponies and went straight into the town center heading for the door at full speed, she pretty much bucked open the door surprising some of the guards by her sudden entrance as she ran past them into the main room of the building. "Twi!" She called out again and saw Twilight up in her throne at a balcony, she looked tired, very tired. Unable to sleep, unable to rest, she had successfully held the bubble for sixity three years when Equestria fell apart, holding off zombie hordes as they spread out into the surroundings lands, only an occasional zombie pony would come close to the town, but now it seemed like there were more grouping around the area.
"Twilight! Are ya' a'right?" She asked quickly galloping up to to her good friend and kind of nudging her a little. Twilight didn't seem so good, she grumbled something and continued to close her eyes, which caused the magic radiating from her horn to flicker again.
"She hadn't eaten something in a week ma'am, I continued to try and get her to eat but she refuses." A voice came from nearby, Flash Sentry approached the two Elements.
"I know she's an Alicorn n' all, but should she'f eaten somethin'?" Applejack replied trying to help Twilight stay awake. "C'mon sugarcube, you're a'right. Aren't ya?" She asked Twilight worriedly. then looked to Flash. "What cn' we do?" She asked him and he shrugged, then a serious face dawned.
"Prepare..." He said simply.
"For h'wut?" Applejack asked as Twilight's horn flickered again, she understood immediantly. "Get them guards on around the town, wake up th' others, quickily! Alert everypony ya' can!" She ordered him and he made a quick salute and ran out of the town hall as Applejack stayed with her friend. "C'mon Twi... We're counting on you..."
Guards began running out of town all following Flash Sentry into the town, running around the town gathering ponies.
***
Zephyr was delivering another package to a pony as she saw acouple guards running by her, she looked confused as ponies we're yelling at each other. Guards were yelling at ponies to get inside, or grab their weapons, then it happened. The bubble made a loud shattering sound as it began to crack like glass and fade into oblivion, ponies began screaming and many began opening their doors and looking outside as the bubble designed to protect the town collapsed.
Run. That was my only instinct, run fast. I dropped the mail saddle bag and galloped as hard as I could down the road, gun fire began to ring out as zombie ponies began to run into the town through where the bubble had been. The flying figures I had seen jumping in the clouds began to appear, and fly down tackling ponies outside, gunfire became even more common as the zombified Pegasi flew down attacking ponies, some crashing through the windows of homes, screams would follow and occasionally a gun shot from inside buildings.
I kept running, not knowing if anything was following me or not, she ran in the direction of me home and now I decided something that I would've never decided before, I opened my wings and began flapping, as my wings flapped getting air under them, I began to hover off the ground as I lifted up my legs and flying down the road, now I finally looked back and saw acouple zombies had been chasing me down the street, maybe one or two, but now I was losing them.
I saw my house, seemed unharmed for now, I landed nearby the front door ducking when I heard a gunshot and a bullet pierced the wall nearby my head, I quickly got back up and ran inside the house seeing my mom and dad holding guns at me, I jumped a little, I admit.
"Zephyr!" They yelled and gasped in relief as they almost shot me. "What in the hell is going on?" They both asked worriedly running over to me, pulling me inside and slamming the door shut. They held onto me for a minute before looking seriously into my eyes. "Go get your brother, take this." Dad said giving me a pistol and pushing me up the stairs. "Go!" They pushed me and I quickly began to run upstairs.
"Emerald...?" I asked holding up the gun shakily. "Emerald!" I called out again walking down the hallway, slowly. I was almost to his door, and then I heard gun shots from below, my parents were firing at the zombies from below. "Emerald!" I called out once again, more unsure than before, I heard glass shatter and a scream from Emerald's room, so I sped up and bucked the door open and saw a Zombie charging at the cowering Emerald, an instinct kicked in, an instinct I had never before used, I raised the pistol and pointed at the oncoming Pegasus zombie, and fired at the zombie, unloading four bullets into the zombie until it fell limp, dead. I quickily ran over to Emerald and hugged him then looked into his eyes. "We have to go!, come on!" I said to him pulling on his leg as we quickily ran into the hall, the gunfire was still loud from downstairs as mom and dad held of the zombies that just kept coming because of the sound of gun shots. I was very scared, but that instinct kept allowing me to move.
Run. I put Emerald onto my back and ran down the hallway and downstairs, more zombies, they kept coming. Mom was hurt, so I ran over to her and she pulled me close to her. "Zephyr, take Emerald. Run! Get... Out of here!" She groaned and yelled at me looking more serious than she'd ever looked in her life, I nodded to her feeling tears in my eyes as she gave me more magazines for the pistols and pulled her saddlebags to me. "Take it, we won't last long... Go! Now!" She yelled at me helping me get her saddle bags on and tying them to where it slightly fitted me, she helped Emerald get his saddle bags on and gave us some food then pushed us to the stairs. "Zephyr, fly! Take him." She pushed us.
I took Emerald onto my back as we ran back up stairs. "Hold on little bro." I said to him softly and opened my wings as we got to his room again passing the dead zombie and I hopped out the window and flew out into the sky with Emerald holding on tightly to my back. I flew as fast as I could, avoiding the flying zombies that crashed into the ground and watching as the undead ponies overtook the town, gruesomely tackling zombies and eating them, tearing them to pieces. I felt tears roll down my cheeks as we flew, I occasionally checked Emerald to see if he was okay as we flew away from the town into the surrounding world.
"Please be a dream... Please... Emerald, wake me up again..." I mumbled to myself feeling myself cry as we made a slow descent to the wild grass world below. I landed and trotted a little as I closed my wings and helped Emerald off my back then sat down for a minute, I looked around our surroundings and there was no zombies that I could see in the vast gray world around us. I looked to the ground sadly, I let tears fall as I sat there quietly sniffling. Emerald came up next to me and sat with me and leaned on me, he was crying a little too so I wrapped my hooves around him into a soft hug as we cried together.
After acouple minutes of our depressing hug, we broke the hug deciding we were still in danger, I stood up and looked around. Nothing but tall, wild grass and the occasional dead or overgrown tree. We looked around at our new, gray world around us, our new home. Gunfire was still evident even at the possibly, mile and a half we flew from the town and smoke could be seen from here. The last surviving town had fallen, and we didn't truly understand what that meant, but we could tell it was not good, not good at all.
"Come on. We need to keep moving." I said to him nudging him, then began to walk away from the direction of the town. Emerald nodded and solemnly followed me as we slowly hobbled away, both of us were still shaking from what he had just witnessed, adrinaline still coursing through us. I was shaky, and I hoped that we could find somepony, or some place to help us. I don't want to leave mom and dad behind! But right now, I need to protect Emerald... For all I know, he could be all that's left...
"Emerald, what did mom give you?" I asked him curiously as we walked, he stopped so I stopped next to him.
"Uh, two cans of food, some water, and a candy bar... And these things." Emerald said holding up two magazines for a gun. The magazines were obviously not for a pistol by their size, must be for a rifle. I took the magazines but let Emerald have the candy bar to hopefully calm him down a little.
REPORT:
DAY ONE: PONYVILLE HAS FALLEN.
OBJECTIVE: PROTECT BROTHER, FIND SAFE HAVEN.
Author's Note
So I accidentially turned in a file of this story to my online school's drop box, this might bite me in the ass... Or get me noticed by my teachers, curses why did I name the document File11!
In my opinion, the beginning chapter is kind of slow. I tried to do my best with descriptions and building up the character a little, but it was a slow type for me until I got into the action part where it completely is way too fast and unforgiving!
Hope you enjoyed this more than I did writing it, and I hope I did well being Applejack to those who want an authentic Applejack reactions and crap.
Once again, hope you enjoyed it. Love you all.