The Last of Us: Equestria
Prologue
"Death is the only absolute."
10:00. Bedtime.
"Mom, I don't want to go to bed!", I said, with my striking green eyes staring up at her, and my horn poking at her side while we laid on the couch. I was always an impatient and stubborn little foal, never listening to what my parents or teachers said without rebelling. Whatever 'rebelling' consisted of for a foal, that is.
The smell of charcoal still lingered in the air from the barbeque earlier that day. It smelled delicious. I loved veggieburgers. On the counter in the kitchen laid some books. Among them, a Daring Do novel. I loved the series.
"I know you don't. But you have school tomorrow! We don't want you to miss school, do we?", she said, in a kind and endearing voice. Smooth as silk, with a gorgeous white coat, flowing pink mane, and, oddly enough, an eagle for a cutie mark. I imagined it meant she was as brave as an eagle, but I didn't understand at the time. She wasn't a dazzling flier nor a gifted magician, but it didn't,t matter. My mother was the type of pony that everybody loved, and, hell, everybody wanted as their own mother. Though she could be stubborn at times, she truly cared and loved ones. Something I was unable to do. She loved to sing and dance, and read to me, and cook. Nothing would separate her from me.
The sweet spring air was flowing in. It smelled absolutely intoxicating. Birds chirped in the air, getting ready to start families. It reminded me of mine.
"But....but....oh fine. I'll go to bed.", I caved, in an exasperated tone.
A kiss on the cheek, loving and pure. I passed a guitar that sat in the corner of the living room. I loved when Lightning played it. My mother would sing while he played, and the enchanting music would simply entice me into its heartfelt embrace. I missed their songs.
As I trotted up the stairs of our quaint little home, I passed a picture of me and all my friends who I had known at school. I wasn't very popular and often bullied for my less than acceptable magic skills. Even at my age, I should've been mildly proficient. I wasn't. I was, by all accounts, a failure before I had even reached proper adulthood. Of all the ponies who were closest to me, a peculiar filly named Silk Rose always had my back.
"Leave him alone!" she would say, stomping her hoof on the ground valiantly. She always looked wonderful with her cream colored coat contrasted with her deep yellow eyes and subdued red mane, no matter what she was doing. I could've felt the tension in the air.
"Why is a pegasus like yourself defending a weak little unicorn, huh?" snapped Sparks. Black-mane, I liked to call him. I didn't remember much from school, but I did remember that that asshole of a earth pony was all black, eyes included. I wish those days would've come back.
I couldn't reminisce for long though. I had school tomorrow and needed my sleep. Before going to sleep, however, I gazed in my mirror in my room, as part of my nightly and morning routine. My green eyes had stood out, of course, against the backdrop of my pure white coat and plain black mane. I had no cutie mark. The bright lights of other cities sat upon dark horizon like ocean liners out at sea. Too tired to do anything else, I jumped right into bed.
... ... ...
3:00 AM was boldly displayed on my alarm clock when I was awoken.
Aurora, in a mix of confusion and terror, burst into my room. Streaks of crimson ruined her mane, and rose spots dotted her face.
"Come on! We've got to go!" I could sense the fear in her voice. She wasn't normally like this. I was aware the she had a stressful job as a security guard or policeman of some sort. She knew how to hold a gun and handle herself. It was something I had always admired.
"Why? What's going on?" I was so naive. Why did it have to happen then?
She stayed silent and simply got me out of bed. I had no time to pack a single thing. I had noticed the colt revolver sitting snug within the holster on her leg.
As we ran outside, my father had just arrived from work. Night shifts. He hated them, but it was better than nothing. My father, Lightning Dust, was a bold, if not angry stallion. With a golden coat, sunset colored mane, and a freaking star for a cutie mark, he stood out wherever he went. It was he who I had inherited my magical abilities. What was existent at the time, at least. He pushed me as hard as he could to improve. I hated every second of it.
"Aurora! Wait....why are you covered in blood?" Never had I seen my father go from elation from returning home to horror in such a short time. He had a temper, and that started to show too. He was more than visibly shaken. I don't quite remember if I've seen him scared before. While I was the disappointment, at least in his eyes and mine, he was always one to be the first one out of the gate. The brave one, the strong one. I hadn't lived up to him. Not by a long shot.
"No, no, no!" he would exclaim. "You're doing it all wrong. I could levatate chairs by the time I was your age. You can't even lift a fucking plate? Are you kidding me?" in that overbearing brashness that exhumed superiority. But, in the end, I knew he was just trying to live up to his own mistakes as a parent as well. At least, I'd hoped he was.
"I've no time to explain. We've just got to get out of here. To the castle. Canterlot.", she implored. This was no time to argue with her. Once she had an idea on her mind, she wouldn't drop it. Ever the stubborn one, if not the cautious one.
He gruffed, "Fine. But I'm getting answers on the way there."
... ... ...
Twenty miles from Canterlot to go. She was quiet for nearly the whole time we rode in the carriage. The spring air was still sweet and addictive. The birds were, for some reason, still chirping. As if nothing had happened and this was a normal spring night. At one point, we had got to a bridge. That fucking bridge.
Using some simple magic, he unhitched the carriage and had approached the grey pony in front of us, a unicorn who was the local barber, what the holdup was, but I couldn't make out the rest of the conversation. I didn't care, as a young foal.
I was getting impatient with Aurora at that point, and had inquired, "Mom, what's going on? Why are you covered in blood? Why couldn't I pack anything? Why are we going to Canterlot? Why-"
She hurriedly ended my monologuing with a brunt hoof to my snout.
In her soothing tones, she said "You'll find out when we make it to Canterlot, dear. I promise."
In his usual fashion, with the line of carriages still not moving, my father had struck up a conversation with the barber-pony. Sports, weather, whatever to calm their nerves I suppose.
The next moment hit me both literally and figuratively like a truck. It was mostly a blur due to being nearly knocked out at the time, the source of which was probably a runaway cart or something, but I distinctly remembered the barber-pony screaming, or rather, gurgling as best he could while a horribly disfigured mare lunged at him from some bushes at the side of the road and chewed his neck off. The blood was everywhere. The stallion's filly and mare were next. My father just stood there in shock. My mother nearly did as well, but she luckily shook me to lucididty while screaming at my father to snap out of it before those monsters snacked on him too.
In terror, she screamed, "We've got to run! We can't stay here! Let's get Midnight Moon and go!"
I simply preferred the name 'Midnight'.
And just as the attack came, we ran. I could hear the screams of other fillies and mares. We ran by a stallion who was fighting off one of those infected things, and just ignored him. Left him and his family to die.
I wondered about the rest of my family while we were running, to try to reach Canterlot for one reason or another. What about my cousin, Dust Storm? My uncle, Shining Light? What about my sister, Velvet Harmony? What about Silk Rose?
A nasty pony pounced on us, or rather, flew at us, while we all were trying to evade the horror show that was evolving around us. My father used some sort of 'wall spell' before it hit us with the infected pegasus dropping to the ground soon after. My mother had than kicked the bitch square in the head before it recuperated, smashing its' head in. I had never seen my parents fight before, but it was obvious they had some skills.
Another one had ran out of the bushes and was rushing towards not them, but me, and as I screamed at my impending death, my father rushed to intercept the horrid, white monstrosity with wings the size of butterflies.
It had slammed hard into him, and while he fought the thing off to try and protect me and buy some time, Aurora rushed in and kicked another one of those beasts directly in their skull. It was only fazed for a few moments. And, unfortunately, my father had a piece of his leg torn off in the preceding exchange.
"Take Midnight Moon and head to Canterlot, Aurora." I could hear the pain in his voice.
"I'm not leaving you, and I'm not letting my child grow up without a father!" Hers, even moreso.
"Dammit Aurora. This isn't up for debate. I'll hold all of us back with this leg. Take him and leave!"
She stood unflinchingly for what seemed like hours. Blood, guts, and gore were still horrifying me in the unfolding scene around us. I could see one of my classmates sitting, like stone, over their dead mothers. Nopony deserved that. A few patients from the nearby hospital were crawling around, trying to gnaw at anypony that carelessly walked by. Worst of all, I saw a bright orange stallion face-to-face with what looked to be their own infected foal. Bloodshot eyes, a moaning undertone, and horrid smell emanated from the little foal, while the stallion just sat there, with a revolver levatated.
I don't know if he'll-
What if we-
No, that would never happen. Not to any of us.
"Oh, fuck. Fine! I'll take him. I...."
She couldn't handle it. I had to drag her away as best I could, with both of them just staring at each other. I couldn't handle it either.
"C'mon mom! The castle isn't too far away! Leave him!" I tried yelling, trying to get her to start walking the other way. The nightmare scene around us didn't help the situation either.
Turning towards the castle, she hollowly replied "Alright. Let's get you somewhere safe, dear."
... ... ...
Only a mile away. We had escaped the attack on the bridge, and the lonely road on the way there was all but dead quiet, with not a single soul to be found.
Until another pegasus showed up. The howling creature was hurtling right towards me. Too fast for my mother to react. I was on the ground and kicking with my hooves as hard as I could to get the thing off of me. My mother jumped into the fray, and dragged the monstrosity off me only for it to.....
She told me to run to the castle, as fast as I could. More of those beasts would show up at any minute, and Canterlot was presumably the safest zone in all of Equestria.
It was only when I finally got past the gates did I realize that I was bitten.
And that was 30 years ago.
Author's Note
This is literally my first fic ever folks.
So, while criticism is wholly welcomed, please don't be a dick about it.
Thanks!
