Those Monsters

     Twilight was first. Obviously she would be. She was always curious and always trying to discover new things. Twilight will never know what that decision would cost her.

     She found it in the Everfree forest, while taking DNA samples (or something like that). Twilight said it was a virus and it was remarkable, and very helpful. She said it could be used to take hold of somepony's DNA and change it. The pony could be smarter, stronger, and healthier. It would be a great advantage in medical sciences, and cure some of the diseases we have today. Twilight tried to show me, but I didn't trust it. Thankfully, I did the right choice.

     Somehow, even Twilight didn't know how or why, the virus mutated. It changed her. She became a hideous monster. Twilight became three times bigger than me. Her hooves changed into long bony appendages that could grab and crush. She stood up on two legs while she lost her color. No longer was Twilight's fur a beautiful lavender, but a very dark brown.

     It took five days to happen. First her cutie mark disappeared. When I asked her what happened, she replied, "Oh Spike, it was just a Poison Joke patch I might have gone through  while walking through the forest." Then it got worse. Then it was her horn and wings. They shrank slowly into her body before completely disappearing.

     The horn. Twilight loved her horn more than anything. It's what made her special, and what her cutie mark implied: magic. There were also only three cutie marks throught the whole history of Equestria that implied magic, other than Starswirl the Bearded and Trixie. But what scared me most of all was her voice. It was scrambled and completely incomprehensible. It sounded like she was moaning in pain while drinking acidic mouthwash.

     Soon, the virus spread. Rainbow Dash was next. Soon Pinkie Pie. Then everypony else in Ponyville. I was so scared. I sent a private message to Princess Celestia for help, but she didn't reply. She never replies. If she did ever reach us, we would be long gone.

     I don't even know if I can call them everypony. They weren't zombies or aliens... just Them. They are in pain. I want to stop their suffering, but I can't. Even Rarity, the gorgeous unicorn who I had a crush on, became one of Them.

     Twilight seemed scared when the transformation was halfway through. She called me up to her room one day. She was crying in pain as the bony appendages burst from her hooves, showering her bed in droplets of blood. "Please Spike. This hurts... I want it to stop." Her screams then became warped. Those were her last words I could understand, "I want it to stop."

     I ran to Sweet Apple Acres. The farm has supplies. Maybe I could get away. I ran to their cellar. Inside was cider and food for the winter. Hopefully I could make it to another town before the virus spread. Before I could take some and rush out, footsteps were heard, not hoof steps. Right outside the cellar was a monster Big Macintosh and Applejack walking slowly towards me, a creepy smile plastered on their faces. Before they could get to close to me I burnt them with fire.

     "PLEASE! Go away!" I slammed the doors on their howling faces. Suddenly a scared gasp was right behind me. "Oh no... oh Celestia God no... not you too Applebloom." She shrank back into a corner, trying to make herself smaller while muttering incomprehensible phrases.

     "I'm sorry. I don't want to do this." Applebloom held her hands up in defense, but it was no use.

     I said a silent prayer as my fire quickly coated the monster as she flailed around screaming. "I-I just want to help you. Don't make this worse. I promise you will be better soon!" The charred and blistered body of the pale monster collapsed on the ground, still smoldering. That's when it hit me. Applebloom died a blank flank.

     "You never found your special talent..." I still had the slightest hope in me that Applebloom was still alive, and then everything would be better again, so I began shaking one of her weird circular ears. An eye slowly propped open, staring blankly at the cellar roof, before closing again. I never wanted to do this, I just murdered a creature that was originally an innocent filly.

     Hard thumps that echoed from upstairs snapped me out of my grief. AJ and Mac are back... and they want revenge. Is it possible for me to go through them? Would I have to...

     A crack appeared on the cellar door. Then another. And another. By the tenth hit I was surprised the door didn't crack by now. I guess I do have to, and besides, my time is running out. Suddenly the door cracked into hundreds of tiny pieces as the monsters lumbered downstairs.

     "Forgive me... anypony that still might be alive." Taking a sharp hook from one of the counters, I slashed their tall lanky legs. What I did not expect was that the hook sliced COMPLETELY through their legs. A crimson liquid sprayed my face as AJ and Mac lost twelve inches of bone and tissue.

     They fell on the ground silently writhing in pain before Big Macintosh grabbed my leg. Panicking, I sliced his face many times with the hook before he bit me. Hard. A jolt of agony shot up my leg as I finally managed to slice open his skull and hack his brains to pieces.

     Wasting no time, I threw the hook pretty deep into Applejack's left eye, who was just about to grab me. I kicked her left eye, hard, which caused the hook to burst out of the other side, covered in brain matter and blood. I sprinted up the stairs for what my whole life was worth (it was actually very hard, considering the bite mark.) and slammed the door. I placed my ear on the door, just to see if Applejack was still alive, but nothing.

     I still placed some locks and heavy equipment before checking my injury. The bite wound stung to the touch, but it wasn't as deep as I thought it was. (And thank Celestia that dragons are immune to diseases and viruses) Since the previous owners passed away, (obvious reasons) i ransacked the house, looking for any supplies. After fitting as many apples as I could into a satchel I found, I crept around Ponyville, looking for any survivors.

     Not to be cliche, but all was silent in the barren town. Too silent for my tastes. I chuckled softly that this is the perfect place for a zombie attack to happen. Dodging a couple of Them laying on the bench, I walked towards the edge of Ponyvile, where the Everfree Forest resides.

     A moss covered cottage caught my attention for a moment. "Fluttershy's house." A couple of brown ferrets waddled up to me, apparently unaffected by the epidemic. "Is-is Fluttershy in there?" The ferrets nodded their heads. "Is she one of..." They both let out some happy dooks while hopping up and down.

     "Yes! She's okay!" The only sound I could hear were some nearly quiet sobbing. I tentivey pushed open the door, only to slightly recoil at the sight. A yellow pink maned pegasus had tears streaming down her face as she stroaked the mane of a frothing Sweetie Belle, or what was left of her.

     "I've been staying with her the whole time. Today, Sweetie doesn't even remember me anymore. I have been wearing this mask and gloves to protect myself, and so far, it's been working great." Her eyes trailed to the rapidly growing unicorn filly. "There is nothing I could do now. She's in her finial stage."

     "It's going to be okay Fluttershy. I-"

     "Where's Applejack Spike? I haven't seen her around for a while." That was the finial straw. I threw myself into Fluttershy's soft shoulders as I cried my heart out.

     "Sh-She's g-gone... and-and I had to...to... Fluttershy, I just want everything to go back to normal. Why did I, and especially Twilight, have to go through this?"

     "I'm not sure if I can answer that Spike. How about you make some tea? You always love lemon lime." I nodded my head as I walked into the kitchen. As soon as I poured hot water into two pink mugs, a muffled squeak sounded from the living room. "Fl-Fluttershy?"

     "Why me?" Fluttershy was being whipped back and forth by Sweetie Bell's sharp teeth. Quickly I burnt the now turned monster. As soon as Sweetie died, I pried the body off of Fluttershy.

     "Thanks Spike."

     "Did she bite you?"

     "Just a couple of scratches, but I'm okay." As soon as she said that, her cutie mark, three pink butterflies, started to fade.

     "Why did you lie to me Fluttershy?"

     "Spike, I'm going to need you to tie me up."

     "Why?"

     "Because what you're going to do to me is very difficult. Please go into the kitchen and bring back the biggest knife you can find."

    I unfortunately obeyed. I tied her up with beds sheets in my claws. I gripped the knife handle so tightly that my purple claws turned white.

     Fluttershy's wings were getting smaller by the minute. "Spike, make this fast as you can."

     "But... But I don't want to!"

     My friend looked at me with pleading eyes. "I would rather die a pony than one of those monsters."

     I held the knife right up to her neck. "It was nice knowing you Fluttershy." It was over just as soon as it started. She died imminently as soon as she hit the ground. Now... there was no pony left still normal in Ponyville. Without a doubt the virus spread to neighboring cities.

     With the last sliver of hope I wrote a message.

Nearly everypony is dead, please send help.

Spike

     I used my magic fire as it consumed the letter and sent it to Celestia. For the next few days I laid around the cottage. Those monsters long figured out I was hiding and regularly tried to break down the door. Thankfully, it was strong. After all, it was built to withstand Timberwollf attacks.

     I was forced to eat Fluttershy's and Sweetie's rotten remains. One in a while the infected would crawl through a window, and I burn them. More food for me. Yay. I just really wanted to kill myself; just stab the knife in my neck or let Them consume me alive. Then everything would be better. Maybe someday, Celestia would come to me, and I would be saved. She would use her magic to heal, and to protect. But she never came.

      One day, the attacks stopped. Did they move on to another victim? They probrualy thought I died. Suddenly I heard a loud knock. Could it be her? I peeked out of the window to see a white tall body outside. It was her!

     I eagerly opened the door. "Princess Cel-" Before I could react, she pounced on me with blood dripping from her maw.

     "You're... you're one of them."