Between Life and Death

“My hooves are killing me,” Apple Jack complained as she continued walking through the thick brush of the Everfree. “Can’t we just stop for a second-“

“No,” Red interrupted. “It’s my job to escort the royals to safety-“

“First of all, you’re not escorting me; I’m escorting all of you,” Monochrome added. “Second; you are the worst body guard I’ve ever met.”

“He’s not that bad.” Nyx replied.

“Yeah, he might be seriously annoying, but he’s really good.” Agony added. Red held his head up smugly, and Monochrome sighed with irritation.

“Ok mister high and mighty, why don’t you lead the way since I have no idea where we’re going-“

“Gladly.” Red interrupted as he shoved him out of the way.

“Oi, watch it! I can still kill you whenever I want you know.”

“Yes, yes, but without me you’d be lost-“

“Without you I’d be sane.” Monochrome added with a laugh.

“You know what,” Red stopped and faced him. “When I first met you I thought you’d be cool, but instead it turns out you’re a complete jack ass-“

“Watch what you’re saying before I kick Your ass-“

“Both of you shut-up!” Twilight yelled. The two faced her in shock. “The two of you are giving me a headache with all your arguing. So here’s what we’re going to do, from now on until we’re safe, you two are not to argue with each other-“

“But-“ the two said at once.

“You two are not allowed to say anything mean about each other, and you’re not allowed to come into contact with each other unless it’s 100% required that you do.” The two stared at her for a moment.

“Yes you’re majesty-“

“Whatever,” Monochrome interrupted as he flipped his hand and walked off. Red looked at him angrily, he took a deep breath then sighed and continued walking with the others.

“Hey Red?” Twilight attempted to talk to him, he faced her. “Do you have any idea how this started?”

“Afraid not, all I know is how it spreads.”

“How?”

“Depends on the species, if a unicorn uses magic the virus can find them and infect them.”

“What do you mean “Find them”?”

“It has a mind of its own, and it uses that mind to infect people. As I was saying, it will find them and infect them, if they use magic while infected it spreads faster. For Pegasus, if they fly to high the disease is air born, if they fly to high they become infected, after that the higher they fly, the faster it spreads. For normal people, it spreads through bites and stuff, the disease is air born at the moment, if they get a cut or and open wound big enough for blood to flow through, they become infected.”

“And for alicorns?”

“Don’t know, Celestia and Luna died while they were carrying the disease, so they didn’t really tell me, Monochrome is immune to all magic based diseases, these two are extremely cautious so they have next to no chance of getting it, and you’re in perfect health.”

“And how do you tell if you’re infected?”

“Muscles in one’s body start to contract and tighten, constant bleeding from nose, eyes, and mouth, hearing loss, constant craving for meat of any type, increased salivation, and the list goes on even farther.”

“Oh,” Twilight quietly whispered. Everyone was quite for a few minutes until Twilight spoke up to ask Red something.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Excuse me-?”

“What happened to the Red we all knew and loved, that little boy filled with excitement and happiness? That brave soldier that loved his family and his friends?” Twilight looked at him with worry and sadness, and he looked at her in the same way.

“I have to act like this when I’m on duty.”

“Well then go off duty, you don’t have to protect anyone any more, we have to learn to protect ourselves.” Red began smiling, he then raced past every one and up to Monochrome, he ran past him and stopped in front of him.

“What is it color boy-“ Red held out his hand and offered to shake it with Monochrome’s, he looked at him with confusion. “What are you-“

“I want to apologize for everything ive done to you, I have to keep focused when I’m on duty so that’s why I’ve been acting like…like a…-“

“Like a jack ass?”

“Jack ass yes” Monochrome smiled and shook hands with him.

“I’d also like to apologize for killing you…twice”

“To be honest, the first time was necessary.” They both started laughing.

“So are you two done fighting with each other?” Apple jack asked

“Yup,” Monochrome replied.

“Now we’re fighting them,” Red added.

“Does this also mean you’re done protecting us?” Nyx asked. Red looked away from them for a second then back at them.

“Yup.” The two started cheering. “What are you two doing?”

“Sorry, were just happy that you’re finally done following us around everywhere.” Agony replied.

“You could have told me that you were capable of fending for your selves.”

“To be honest, we thought you wouldn't listen.” Nyx added. Red opened his mouth in an attempt to speak but shut it after he figured out he had nothing to say.

“Yeah you’re right, I wouldn't have.” He started laughing.

“Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but uh, where are we even heading?” Monochrome stopped his laughing.

“Right sorry, we’re heading to the old castle actually, Ankh said he hired a watchman to protect the checkpoint there, once we arrive he’ll guide us to the safe haven in Ce’Dal”

“Did he say who the watchman was?” Twilight asked.

“No, but he did say he was a power house.” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black cylinder that turned onto one of his swords. He then started making marks in the dirt. “So right now we’re here, I know a short cut to the castle that will only take us about half a day, so if we go that way we’ll make it before sun down. Got it?” The others spoke up in agreement and Red put away his sword then started leading them. A while later along the path the reached a thin road on the side of a hill and they crossed it in a single-file line, and as Twilight began crossing it part of the ledge gave way and she fell and tumbled down the steep hill, when she reach the bottom she slowed down.

“Twilight, are you ok?!” Monochrome yelled.

“I’m fine, just keep going I’ll find another way around!”

“Twilight I can fly down there and get you-“

“NO it’s ok, just keep going!” Twilight ended, and even though the others didn't want to leave her they made and acceptation. She didn't want to leave them, but she didn't want them to attract the virus with magic or flying. She got up and brushed some of the dirt off her pants and shirt then continued moving. As she moved through the brush the light started to fade away beneath the canopy. She wandered aimlessly in the faded dark until she made it to the path that leads straight to the castle, she followed it and in less than an hour she made to the old bridge and crossed it one baby step at a time. She made it across and approached the gateway of the old stone ruins.

“Hello!? Is anyone here?!” she shouted as she wandered in. She looked around and saw nothing but cobwebs and moss. “Hello?!” she shouted again. She approached the old stone sculptor in the center of the room. She looked behind it and saw nothing but an empty door way leading to the upper level. She walked around the sculptor and cautiously approached the stair-well. As she approached it she heard a faint moaning from the main entry-way. She turned around and saw something past the sculptor, she leaned to the side and saw and infected Pegasus standing there, she covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming then started moving to the upper floor to get away from it. She made it up a few steps but the Pegasus saw her and started screeching at her, she screamed and raced up the stairs. She got to the upper floor but was surprised to see that it was empty, she turned around and saw a shadow walking up the stair-well. She raced to the back of the chamber, she started looking around to see if there was a secret switch or something to free her, but it was just an empty chamber. She turned around and saw the Pegasus standing there watching her. She stood there watching it. She started sliding to the side but he screeched again and started rushing towards her, and as she screamed there was a loud bang and everything above its shoulders exploded and it flipped onto it’s back and she stopped screaming.

“Twilight!” she heard all the others scream from the lower level. She started walking forward until she saw Nyx, and after her one-by-one the others entered the chamber.

“Twilight are you ok?!” Monochrome shouted from the other side of the chamber. Twilight stood their unable to move from shock, but she nodded her head.

“I didn’t shoot any of you did I?!” a voice shouted from above, they all looked up and saw a shadowy figure standing there. “The hell am I saying?! If I shot any of you, you’d be dead.” The man was standing on the roof of the castle, he jumped through one of the many holes and landed on the headless body and crushed it spreading blood everywhere.

“Wait a minute…Clockwork!? Damn it I thought it might actually be someone-“

“You finish that sentence I swear to Celestia I’ll shove my boot up your ass.” Clockwork yelled at him as he pulled his boots out of the corpse’s back. “So, let me guess, you’re here for the evac, right?”

“How’d you-“

“I’m the watchman jack ass,”