Dead Rising : Equestria

Authors note: I mentioned in a recent blog post that I would update this story, so here it is.

Frank sat out on a hill on Sweet Apple Acres, watching the sun setting, slowly passing by.

He took it all in, Carlito’s words, the deaths of innocent survivors, the military trying to cover up what they had caused. It was an overwhelming memory, haunting him, making him wonder why his life had to be the one that survived, compared to the others that had to suffer, slow, horrible, deaths.

He remembered he originally went to Willamette to get a story, originally it was ‘if people die, not my problem’, but when he saw people dying, that was not the case, he did anything in his power to help survivors, and ended up killing some that were insane.

He was a selfish bastard when he first went to Willamette, it was his selfish ass goal to just get his shoe onto the red carpet. That was all he cared about, meanwhile there were others fighting for their lives, others who lost their families to zombies and military personnel, others who didn’t care whether or not they died, as long as their loved ones made it out alive.  Yet again he began to ponder why he was the one who got to live.

“Man, why me, why was I the one who lived, it could have been Brad or Jesse, but instead it had to be the hot shot paparazzi.” He thought aloud, unaware of the pony that was behind him.

“Y’know, if y’all need something to talk about, it is nice to have somepony else with you.”, he heard Applejack from behind him.

“Kid, leave me alone, if you knew what I’ve been through, you’d know how guilty I feel.” Frank replied, before getting up to move locations.

“Listen, that’s what Ah want to know. What was with the tear?” Applejack smirked.

“Whatever, if you need me, I am going to go kick zombie ass.” Frank smirked back before grabbing his spiked bat, he was hoping this would change the subject to something less revealing.

“Mind if we have this discussion over that?”. Applejacks smirk turned into a more determined one as she put what appeared to be a vest on, the vest was a light shade of brown with the image of an apple on the back, it appeared to be pure leather.

“What can I say, I dress for success.”, she said, her smirk now turned into a toothy grin. She looked at the street, the zombies were shambling and moaning

As Frank and Applejack ran, taking down zombie after zombie, they were talking about Frank’s overwhelming guilt and the Willamette incident.

“So let me get this straight, you were a photojournalist trying to uncover what you thought was a riot, and it turned out to be zombies!?”  Applejack couldn’t believe her ears, Frank obviously from day 1 had a dark past, but THAT dark, that was unexpected.

“Yep, every....last....word...is..true!”, he replied in between punching a zombie.  Applejack bucked a zombie straight in the face before noticing a hill overhead.

“Hey, Frank, what are those things!?” she said, pointing to zombies that looked much more intimidating that the last batch.

“Those would be gas zombies.” Frank calmly said before grabbing her and running back into the barn.

Frank walked up to Chuck, and slowly put his hand on Chucks shoulder.

“Well, the gas zombies are here, and we both know that means the harvest has started.” Frank sighed.

Chuck looked behind himself to see Franks expression, one questioning how the Gas zombies got here so early, and why the Phenotrans would start the harvest as early as the second day, usually they would start the harvest on the 3rd day, and end it when the military interrupted.

“Well, it appears so. Me, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash were collecting food for the group when they were encountered.”

Frank chuckled.

“You seriously memorized their names?”

Chuck shrugged.

“Well yeah, haven’t you?”

“NO! I’m still kinda stuck on the part where we are talking to multi-colored horses.”  Frank laughed.

“Well, I saw you talking to one of those ‘multi-colored horses’ and she seemed to take a liking to you.”, Chuck lightly  punched him in the shoulder.

“Oh really,well at least I don’t return feelings and then hide em  like you and that Stacey chick.” Frank chuckled.

“How do you know anything!?”, Chuck sternly talked back.

“THAT is how I know everything, besides Chuck, I wouldn’t date a horse in a million years.” Frank laughed.

Applejack overheard the conversation, but the words that completely destroyed her were Frank’s. She hated to admit it but she took a liking to the photojournalist. He was heroic, brave, caring yet still a bit rough on the edges, and knew how to hold himself in a fight. Everything she liked in a stallion, was in the human that she had just earlier hated.

It was breaking her, his looks weren’t the best, but unlike Rarity, she had been raised better than to judge a guy by his looks.

And this guy, had way more redeeming qualities than his looks.

“So why did you 2 call us all here?”, Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Frank  and Chuck who both had worried expressions.

“Gas zombies.”