Land Of Confusion

Chapter 3: Necrophobic

“You have a point, Applejack,” Twilight acknowledged the problem they faced, “We barely have enough food to last us the day.”

“So what’s the plan?” Spike asked, staring at the few items of food that laid on the table.

Twilight didn’t reply. She started off blankly, trying her hardest to think of an answer. The expression on her face was bitter as she continued to form ideas in her head. Each idea in her head, however, failed quickly. The unicorn finally admitted to the others, “I don’t know….”

“Beg pardon?” Big Mac asked with surprise.

Spike added, “What? I know you have a plan, Twilight. You gotta have one, you always do.”

“Well, I don’t for once!” the purple pony angrily announced as her hoof slammed down onto the table. She shot a venomous glare at her dragon assistant. When she realized what she was doing, her expression returned it’s calm and collected state. “I don’t have a plan,” she restated with soft words.

Applejack spoke, “So we’re jus’ gonna wait it out in here til we starve? Not exactly the way ah was expectin’ to go out….”

There was no reply to the orange mare’s statement. Instead, a grim silence rested between the five survivors that were stationed around the table. The only audible sound was a faint moaning of a few infected ponies outside.

Raising her head up, the blue pegasus spoke up, “Wait, I got it!”

This sudden statement caught the other’s attention. “Got what?” Spike inquired.

“Hello? I got these babies!” Rainbow Dash pointed to her outspreaded wings as they moved, “I can go out to get us food.”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s reckless and dangerous,” Twilight was sounding like a mother.

“Two things, egghead. First off, I’m the fast pony in Ponyville. No pony can catch me. And two, it’s not like I plan on staying out there forever. I just go out get a few things for food and come right back in. Piece of cake.”

Applejack nodded, “She’s got herself a point, an’ a darned good one at that.”

“Ah second that,” the stallion agreed.

“Are you really sure about this, Rainbow?” Twilight fixed her eyesight on the pegasus.

“Totally. What have we got to lose?” her reply was nonchalant and almost carefree.

“Well, your life for one! And what if something happens to you, Celestia forbid, or if you're bit?” Twilight started to list out concerns.

Rainbow Dash stared right back at the purple mare, “And what if I don’t go? You think those apples and oats will last us? If you ask me, we have to do something.”

Twilight quickly replied “But we are safe in here.”

“Yeah, safe and hungry. Don’t think I haven’t heard your gut. I’m hungry, you’re hungry, all of us are. If we don’t do something, we might as well be sealing our fate.”

The unicorn was silent. Taking a deep breath, she realized that her friend was right. “There’s no talking you out of this, is there, Rainbow Dash?”

A smirk appeared on the blue pony’s face, “My mind’s made up.”

“Then we need to prepare for this properly,” Twilight explained.

After about an hour of planning out the task, the five gathered around the central table yet again to review.

“Okay, let’s go over this again from the top,” Twilight Sparkle spoke, “Spike?”

“Right. I start off by unlocking and opening the balcony window for Rainbow to fly out of. As soon as she’s out, I close the window and lock it up.”

“Which means it’s up to me to fly out and find food,” Rainbow Dash continued along, “I go to the market square, Sugar Cube Corner, whatever.”

Twilight nodded, “Correct. Just get what you can and put it in the saddlebag. Don’t be picky or anything like that, we don’t have that luxury.”

“Then I fly back as soon as I can, letting you know I’m on my way,” Dash continued, “this time to the side window over there.” She raised a hoof to point to the smaller first-story window on the opposite side of the balcony.

“Right, because they’ll realize they can get in from up there,” Spike spoke up.

“Which is why we are blocking that window with the mattress right away,” Twilight added.

“If ya can’t get in through that window fer whatever reason, let us know Rainbow, so Big Mac and ah can get another open an’ close it up right away,” Applejack stated.

“Right,” the pegasus nodded.

Twilight got Rainbow’s attention, “Are you sure I can’t convince you to wear something protective just in case? We can give you some sort of armor to protect you.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, “No can do. If you want me to be quick, I can’t go around and have something weighing me down.” She stood up onto all fours as she started to trot over, “Besides, I told ya, those things won’t be able to catch me.”

The unicorn still wasn’t convinced, but she trusted her friend’s judgment.

Spike made his way up to the balcony window. Looking out of the glass, he saw a larger number of infected ponies. He shivered greatly at the sight. “Ready?”

After adjusting the saddlebag on her back to fit with more comfort, the blue pegasus nodded, “Let’s do this.”

“Celestiaspeed out there,” was the last thing Spike said before he unlocked the window.

With it open, Rainbow Dash bolted off and flew towards the town. She flew quickly past a few infected pegasi ponies. They turned their attention to where she had come from and started to move toward the library.

“Spike, close it now!” Twilight ordered. The dragon was quick to oblige. He moved away from the window as the unicorn was using her magic to place he mattress up against the window. “There, that’ll help keep them out. Let’s just hope Rainbow Dash makes it back unharmed.”

The purple and green dragon was visibly shaken, “There were so many of them….so many of those z-”

“Don’t say it,” the unicorn’s voice was firm. She quickly turned here attention to the Apple siblings, “Alright, let’s get ready to open the window and drop the bookcase in front of it as soon as Rainbow gets back.”

“Can do, Twilight,” Applejack nodded as she and her brother hurried over to the planned window.

The remaining four waited in a tense atmosphere for the pegasus to return.

“It’s the waitin’ that kills….” the orange mare thought aloud.

Her brother nodded in agreement, “Eeyup.”

Silence encompassed the entire library. The only sound was the faint sound of moaning again, but it sounded louder now.

“Please tell me I’m just imagining that the moaning from outside is getting louder….” Spike pleaded.

“Ah wish ah could, Spike, but ah hear it, too….they’re getting closer….” Applejack carefully peered out the window, in an effort to not be seen. The infected seemed to be informing each other about the hiding place of the four ponies and the dragon.

Twilight was starting to breathe heavily, panicking with each breath. However, she refused to let her words reflect it, “We’ll be safe. The second Rainbow Dash returns, we’ll seal the library up and none of the infected will get to us.”

The stillness returned to the library. Each waited uncomfortably for a sign of Rainbow Dash’s return. They exchanged uncertain glances to each other, silently trying to reassure one another. However, the sound of the hordes outside did not help.

Thankfully to those in the library, a familiar voice called out, “I’m back!”

“Rainbow! Can you get in through the window?” Twilight shouted out, hoping her friend could hear.

“Yeah, I should be able to get through. But I should tell ya, there’s a lot of these zombie ponies around the tree,” Rainbow called back.

This caught Spike’s attention, “R-Really? How many?”

“Nuts if I know. Math was never my best subject, shorty. Alright, heading to the window, ready?” the pegasus asked.

“Window’s unlocked, ready when you are, Rainbow!” Applejack shouted.

Dash shouted one last time, “Going in-OUCH!”

The scream of pain grabbed everypony’s attention. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight called.

The response the unicorn received was a statement of profanity followed by a curse at herself, “Dang it, we got a problem.”

“Never mind that now, just get back inside!” Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs to Rainbow Dash.

A few seconds later, Rainbow Dash did return in, but instead of flying through the planned window where Big Mac and Applejack were ready to seal it off, she flew through a window next to it. She crashed through the window, shattering the glass and the wooden pane and landing on the floor. Glass and wounds covered her front limbs as well as her head. She grunted a few times as she tried to pull herself up off the floor and onto her own hooves.

Twilight rushed to the blue pony’s side, “Rainbow Dash! What happened?” Instead of waiting for a response, the unicorn started to bark orders, “Applejack, Big Mac, seal up the window with anything you can! Spike, help me get Rainbow Dash someplace else.”

The Apple siblings quickly stacked a few pieces of furniture in front of the open window. A few pale colored hooves tried to reach in at both of them. However, Applejack shouted angrily at them as she hit them with whatever she had in their hooves. They quickly got it up before any of the infected could enter.

As Twilight and Spike were pulling Rainbow away from the window, they noticed the saddlebag was missing from off her back. They set her down on the floor near the central table.

“What happened?” Spike asked as looked down at the pegasus.

Raising a hoof up to her head to brush against her mane, she gave a weak laugh, “I screwed up, big time….”

Twilight was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“There were a lot. A ton of those zombie ponies out there….surrounding the library,” Rainbow explained, “Unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi, even some griffins and donkeys. This thing is spreading to every species….”

“Did ya get food?” Applejack asked.

Again, she gave a laugh, “I got it, that wasn’t the problem….”

“Then what was?” Spike edged on.

Sitting up, Rainbow Dash spread opened her wings. On the top of her left wing, a bite mark was visible. Each viewer of her wing winced as they saw her wound. “I was bit….hard, by one of those pegasus out there. It messed up my focus and, well….it’s obvious that this is my bad,” she winced in pain.

“You’ve….been bitten….” Twilight mumbled repeatedly, “you’ve been bitten, Rainbow….”

“Don’t worry….I’ll be fine….” she lied.

“But you’re going to turn into one of them! A-And you’ll….” the dragon couldn’t finish the statement.

“I’ll die, I know….” Rainbow added softly as she laid back down on the floor. Despite her predicament, she still had a content smile on her face, “Ya know, I’ve always been afraid of one thing….and that was dying. Yet, I can’t help but laugh.”

“But….why are ya? Ya’ve been bitten, an’ ya know that means you’ll end up like one of them,” Applejack asked, stressing the urgency of what has happened.

The blue pony took a deep breath, “I know, but….it’s weird. With all of this stuff going on, I guess I kind am at peace with dying. Ya know, like I’m accepting it or whatever.”

“Miss Rainbow Dash, that’s a really grim thing ta say,” Big Mac remarked.

“Heh, I know it is,” a smile was still on Rainbow’ face, despite the pain she was in, “Can I ask for one last request?”

Twilight was the one speak up, “Of course, what is it?”

“I would like one of you to stop me from becoming one of those zombies.”

This statement shocked the others.

“You can’t be serious about this, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight’s voice was one of horror.

“That’s just wrong! You can’t ask that!” Spike shouted.

Rainbow Dash sat up again, her coat was beginning to turn pale, “Why not? I’m going to die soon anyway….why not have it on my terms?”

The unicorn was surprised with this response, “I never thought of it like that. But….but I can’t imagine doing anything like that, Rainbow….even as a last request….”

A voice interrupted, “Ah’ll do it….”

All the heads turned to see where the voice came from. It was from the orange mare whose eyes were hidden by her brown hat.

“A-Applejack?” the red stallion looked at his sister.

“Ah’ll do it, if that’s what ya really want, Rainbow….” she restated.

Dash smiled a bit, her coat continuing to change color, “Thanks, AJ. I knew I could rely on you to do it….”

“You sure about this, Dash?” Spike asked, still in disbelief.

“Don’t got much of a choice. And I’m sure none of us want me to come back and hurt ya all,” Dash confirmed.

Applejack grabbed the firearm from off the table. Loading a round inside the chamber in silence, she looked at Rainbow sitting before her. The weapon was shaking in her hooves. While wanting to fulfill her friend’s wish, it wasn’t easy for her to come to terms with it.

Bring her hoof up to her forehead, Rainbow Dash pointed, “Aim it right here….one clean shot should do it, just like it those old zombie films….” The dark words were accompanied with a sly smirk on her face.

Spike moved away towards Twilight, who wrapped her hooves around him. Big Mac also backed away, giving the two plenty of space.

The earth pony raised the weapon up, aiming it at Rainbow’s head. Steadying the gun, she spoke, “Alright….here it goes….”

“Thanks, everypony….” the pegasus struggled to speak, “it’s been fun….” Rainbow finally closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped and her body sat motionless on the library floor.

Despite seeing Dash pass away before her eyes, Applejack couldn’t pull the trigger, “Ah….can’t do it….”

The second she stopped talking, the eyes of the pegasus opened again. Devoid of emotion and life, they stared down the barrel of the rifle. The jaw opened and a sound came forth: a tired and detached moan.

Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, Applejack pulled the trigger. The bullet struck directly in the pegasus’ head, causing the body to fall lifelessly to the wooden floor with a thud.