Land Of Confusion

Chapter 1: Falling To Pieces

The warmth of Celestia’s morning sun enveloped the purple unicorn and her dragon assistant as the two made their way through Ponyville. With a piece of parchment in one of his claws and a quill in the other, the dragon was going over the checklist that the pony had complied for the day’s activities.

“So, remind me of what we have again today, Spike?” the pony asked as she turned to look at him.

“First on your list is breakfast at Sugar Cube Corner with Pinkie Pie, then you have your dress to pick up from Rarity, and lastly, we need to pick up some groceries,” Spike read the list aloud, “Got all that, Twilight?”

She nodded, “Breakfast, dress, groceries, got it. And we wouldn’t need to worry about the groceries if you didn’t go through the entire kitchen yesterday, eating everything in sight.”

“Hey, I’m a growing dragon! I need to eat!” Spike defended himself.

“Well, let’s just get some breakfast at the bakery,” Twilight giggled slightly at Spike’s reaction, “I have a good feeling about today. It seems so full of promise.”

Spike nodded in silence as the two made their way to Sugar Cube Corner. As they entered the establishment, they were greeted not only the ring of the door opening, but also by none other than the pink party pony herself, Pinkie Pie.

“Hiya Twilight and Spike! Come in, come in! What can I get ya?” Pinkie Pie greeted her friends with her bubbly voice from behind the counter.

Pinkie’s energy rubbed off onto Twilight, causing her to smile, “Hello, Pinkie. I would like a blueberry scone and Spike will a ruby muffin.”

“Make sure it’s extra big!” Spike added, “I’m really hungry!”

The pink earth pony giggled at the dragon’s comment, “Okie dokie! Please take a seat and I’ll get your order out as soon as possible!”

Twilight Sparkle and Spike did just that. The two found a small table amongst the busy bakery and sat down. Spike pulled the list and quill out again to look it over carefully. He spoke, “So, what kind of groceries should we get while we’re out today?”

“Well, some fruits and vegetables are definitely something we need around the library, and maybe some oats,” Twilight listed out a few items.

Spike scribbled Twilight’s words down on the parchment, “What about some baked goods? We can always get some muffins or cupcakes for later right here.”

The purple pony thought for a moment before replying, “Maybe later on after the rest of our errands.”

“I’ll make a note of it,” Spike said as he continued to write.

The ring of the front door caused both Twilight and Spike to look up to see who had entered. The figure who had just entered, however looked unusual to the two of them. It was a pale grey earth mare. Their coat, mane, and tail all seemed to be the same shade of color. Her eyes looked sunken into her head, cold and devoid of emotion, and one of her ears seemed to be missing half, as if it was torn off. Her movement seemed ridged and sluggish, almost as if dragging herself from one point to another.

“Hey Twilight, are you freaked out by that pony over there? Cause she’s really creepy looking….” Spike stated in a hushed whisper.

“Spike, that’s very rude to say. Still, I can understand why you said that….something about her seems….off….” Twilight scolded her dragon.

“That’s putting it lightly….”

Behind the counter, Pinkie Pie noticed the grey pony was approaching the counter. With her boundless enthusiasm, the pony welcomed her, “Hello! I’ve never seen you around Ponyville before! My name’s Pinkie Pie and I work her at Sugar Cube Corner! What can I get ya?”

The grey pony was silent. Her eyes were fixated on Pinkie Pie. She continued to move herself forward. Placing her hoof on the counter, she mumbled something incoherent.

Smiling, Pinkie Pie leaned forward, “What was that? I didn’t quite hear ya.”

She spoke the same unintelligible phrase, but this time it was louder, and seemed far more aggressive. In one fluid motion, the grey pony lunged herself forward and opened her mouth. Her teeth clamped down violently on to Pinkie Pie’s neck.

From afar, Twilight and Spike were watching the event unfold. “Pinkie!” the both shouted as they watched the grey mare bite down. Quickly rushing over to the scene, Spike tackled the grey earth pony, who released her jaw from the pink pony's neck. Twilight, on the other hoof, went to her fallen friend’s side.

“Pinkie Pie, are you alright?” Twilight Sparkle asked, moving her poofy pink mane so she could get a look at the bite mark on Pinkie’s neck.

“I’m fine….” the earth pony was breathing heavily from her position on the wooden floor. It was obvious she was lying. The wound was severe and it bothered the unicorn to just look at it.

“Let me get some bandages and wrap the wound. We’ll get you to Nurse Redheart right away,” looking around her, Twilight tried to find something that would help, “Spike, go find some bandages, quick!”

“Can do!” the dragon answered, leaving the grey pony he had just tackled.

“Twilight?” Pinkie mumbled, trying to lift her head up.

“I’m right here, Pinkie.”

“Twilight….I feel funny. Not ‘ha-ha’ funny, but ‘sicky’ funny….”

The purple pony swallowed nervously at what she just heard, “It’ll be okay….we’ll get you the help you need right away. I need those bandages, Spike!”

As if on cue, Spike appeared with the item in his claw, “Here you go. How is she doing?”

He didn’t get a response; Twilight was just focused on dressing the bite wound on Pinkie’s neck.

Pinkie mumbled, “I’m….I’m scared….” Her voice was detached and distressing.

Spike whispered into Twilight’s ear, “Has Pinkie Pie’s color always been that pale?”

The unicorn froze. Her assistant was right. Pinkie’s entire body color was changing. “Oh, no….this looks worse than I thought….”

A noise escaped from Pinkie’s mouth, something that neither Spike nor Twilight could understand.

“What was that, Pinkie?” Spike asked, looking over her.

Closing her eyes slowly, Pinkie Pie mumbled her statement again, “I said….I’m….sorr….” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Quietly looking over the pink pony, both Twilight and Spike were at a loss for words.

After a few moments of silence, Spike spoke, “Is she….is she….”

Twilight coldly answered, “I don’t feel a heartbeat.”

The two continued to look over their fallen friend in both sadness and confusion. However, both of them were badly startled as they saw her eyes open wide, causing them to jump back.

“Pi-Pinkie?” Twilight asked as she stood back up onto all four of her legs.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she slowly struggled to stand up. Her movement was stiff and clumsy.

Twilight repeated, “Pinkie Pie?”

Finally, opening her mouth, a moan escaped from Pinkie Pie. It was almost identical to what the grey pony had spoken.

“Uh….Twilight? I think we have a problem here….” Spike spoke as he tugged onto the purple pony’s tail.

“What do you mean?” Twilight didn’t take her eyes off Pinkie Pie.

“Remember that grey mare that bit Pinkie Pie? It looks like she’s biting everypony else….”

Twilight turned around to see a massive panic. Other ponies were being bitten by not only the same pony that bit Pinkie, but by others who seemed to have turned a pale color similar to what happened to Pinkie Pie.

“Oh no….no, no-no, no, no….” Twilight repeated over and over the same word as she was taking the scene in, “Spike, we need to go. Now.”

“Go where?”

“The library. And move fast, don’t stop for a second,” her words were heavy and full of authority.

“Right,” Spike hurried toward the door with Twilight right behind him.

As Spike opened the door for both him and Twilight, the unicorn turned around and looked at her friend Pinkie Pie, who appeared to be trying to follow them at her sluggish pace. She quietly spoke, “I’m so sorry….”

Pinkie seemed to groan something in response, but Twilight was already gone with Spike.

Twilight galloped quickly through Ponyville with Spike on her back. As they hurried home, they noticed that the occurrence they had witnessed in Sugar Cube Corner was not an isolated incident. In fact, it seemed as if there were more than just that one grey mare that seemed to be unusual. No matter where they looked, they noticed that the citizens of Ponyville were all being plagued by this strange event. The screams and cries for help only caused Twilight to gallop faster to the library.

Arriving home to the library, Twilight opened the door with her magic and closed it quickly behind her. “Lock the doors, Spike, I’ll get the windows. We can’t let anypony in, lest we suffer the same fate.”

Spike didn’t question the order, but he did question something else, “What exactly happened over there?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted in a panicky tone, “I don’t want to know. All I do know is that we are going to be safe from whatever this is….” She used her magic to lock each window she had in the main room of the library.

Spike went around to lock the doors, “It almost seems like that grey pony was a-“

“Don’t say that word,” the purple pony’s voice was firm and full of anger as her glare to the dragon was the same. She didn’t want to hear it.

Spike didn’t finish his statement. Instead, a frantic knocking at the front door broke the silence. Looking through the hole, Spike saw an orange mare with a red stallion. “It’s Applejack and Big Mac. Should I let them in?”

Twilight hesitated to answer. On her face, it could be easily told that she was weighing a number of options and outcomes in her head. She was interrupted, however by the loud voice of her friend, “Twilight, if yer in there, it’d be mighty neighborly of ya ta let us in!” Twilight then nodded to Spike to open the door.

Unlocking and opening up the door, Spike motioned to have the brother and sister hurry inside. The second that they made their way through the threshold, the dragon slammed the door shut and locked the door, almost catching Applejack’s tail between the gap.

Trotting up to the Apple siblings, Twilight noticed how they looked. Both of their hooves were coated in mud and on their backs were saddlebags that seemed to be stuffed. In one of their front hooves, they where both carrying something; in Applejack’s hoof was a shovel and in her brother’s hoof was a firearm.

Still panting, Applejack started to speak, “Thank ya, Twi and Spike….it seems we got ourselves a problem ‘round these parts. An’ here ah was hopin’ that Ponyville would be different than what happened on the farm.”

“On the farm?” Spike was curious.

Big Mac nodded, “Eeyup….some strange stuff happened.”

“Was it a grey pony biting others?” Twilight asked.

Applejack nodded, “How’d ya know? Don’t tell me it happened here too.” She got her answer from their expressions, “Oh mah….this is really bad….”

Twilight spoke up, “What happened on the farm?”

“It ain’t pretty….” the orange pony warned, “but long story short, some unicorn came outta nowhere while we were all workin’ an’ started bitin’ everypony on the farm. First a few of our farm helpers, then Applebloom….an’ ah woulda got bitten if it weren’t fer Caramel pushin’ me outta the way….” Applejack took her brown hat off her head as she thought about the incident.

“We were the only ones t’ get away….” Big Mac summed it up.

Spike pointed with his claw, “What’s with the firearm?”

Big Mac and Applejack both looked at each other in silence. Neither wanted to explain.

“We….we had ta fight back. After what they did….we had ta defend ourselves….” Applejack’s words were sorrowful as she tried to justify the actions taken, “We didn’t wanna hurt nopony….”

Big Mac placed a comforting hoof onto Applejack’s back.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened, “Did you….did you have to….to your family….?”

Neither of the siblings spoke.

Spike broken the silence, “Please, have a seat. I’ll go get some tea.”

Trying her best to keep her composure, Applejack nodded, “Thank ya kindly….do ya know what’s happenin’ here, Twi?”

Twilight guided the two to the sofa where they sat. She shook her head, “I can’t say I understand this myself.”

Spike returned to the ponies with a metal tray holding some tea, “We saw it happen at Sugar Cube Corner. Some grey mare bit Pinkie Pie right on her neck.” The dragon pointed to the spot on his neck.

“Pinkie?” Big Mac spoke.

Twilight sadly nodded, “I felt her heart stop….and then her eyes opened. It….was surreal. I literally saw Pinkie Pie come back to life. But it wasn’t her….it was more of a shell of her former self.”

“Same thing happened ta us….” Applejack thought aloud.

The stillness of the entire library was broken by a heavy pounding on the window. This caused everypony to jump a little.

“We’re you followed by them?” Twilight’s tone was full of panic.

“Ah don’t think we were….” Applejack stated.

The pounding continued, this time accompanied with a muffled voice, “Twilight! Up here, you egghead!”

All of the heads turned to the balcony window on the second floor of the library. A blue pegasus was on the other side. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Let me in, it’s getting really weird out here!” her voice was loud and troubling.

Without wasting time, Twilight used her magic to unlock and open the window to let the pegasus in. She closed and locked it as soon as Dash got through. The blue pony then joined the others.

“Anypony wanna tell me what’s going on out there? It’s insane!” Rainbow Dash almost shouted her statement, obviously bothered by the unfolding event.

“Are you okay? Did somepony bite you?” Spike asked, looking all over Rainbow Dash’s body for evidence of attack.

This bothered Rainbow Dash, “Hey, what are ya doing?” The pegasus shoved Spike away, “Please, no pony can catch me, much less bite me. Besides, even if one of those weirdos wanted to dance with me, I have this to protect me!” Rainbow pulled out a metal pipe to show the others.

“Have ya hadta use it?” Big Mac asked, looking at the two feet of metal on the pegasus’ hoof.

“Not yet, but I’ll be ready. So it’s happening here too? I thought it was only in Cloudsdale,” Dash asked.

“It happened at Sugar Cube Corner and Sweet Apple Acres as far as we know, but whatever it is, it looks like it’s spreading….” Twilight explained.

Applejack added on, “It got all the farm….got Pinkie Pie….”

“Well, it’s obvious we need some back up!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “Twilight, can’t ya ask Princess Celestia to help us out?”

“That’s a great idea….Spike, take a letter,” Twilight instructed.

“Already on it,” the dragon stated as he scribbled quickly onto a piece of parchment. He wrote out the predicament that seemed to be engulfing Ponyville. In no time, he had finished his letter and lit it on fire to send it off.

“An’ now ta wait….” Applejack spoke in a very bleak tone. This created an uneasy atmosphere between the five in the library.

“Does anyone know about Rarity, Fluttershy, or anypony else?” Twilight asked aloud. She honestly didn’t want to know the answer if it was grim.

Rainbow Dash sighed, “When I flew by, I saw the Carousel Boutique, and….the door was left open.”

“Goodness….” the unicorn uttered as she imagined what might have happened.

“What ‘bout Miss Fluttershy?” Big Mac asked out.

Dash shrugged, “I haven’t seen her.” Everypony else had the same answer.

“Ah would guess she would have the same response as us right ‘bout now,” Applejack stated.

“Let’s hope….” Spike muttered quietly, not wanting to think of the worse case scenarios.

“The Ponyville Sqaure is full of them….I saw it when I flew over here. It seems everything is falling to pieces,” Rainbow Dash stated, immediately regretting that she had said it.

No one responded to Dash. Instead, each one was lost in their own thoughts, trying to piece together what was happening during this strange day. However, they were all brought back to reality with a reply to the letter that Spike had sent. Burping out the scroll, Spike opened the letter up to read it.

“What does it say, Spike?” Twilight asked, edging on and with a prayer for hope written on her face.

The dragon was silent as he looked at the parchment.

The orange pony called out, “Spike, what’s on it?”

Spike turned the letter around to show the ponies. On the parchment, there was only a fresh red patch of liquid. It dripped off the letter and onto the floor.

“No….this can’t be….this can’t be happening….”