The Spread

by Radioactive Cheese

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Adventure, Tragedy, Doctor Whooves, Sad, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 10935

A zombie apocalypse in Equestria? How will the ponies survive with scarce food, weapons, and shelter?

3 months have passed since the zombie apocalypse in Equestria started. Friends and family have either died or have been turned into ravenous zombies. Only few survived the spread in Ponyville. Celestia and Luna are unfit to perform their royal duties, making it twilight every day. Twilight Sparkle is nowhere to be found and no one knows how the Crystal Empire is doing. Can Rarity and her small group of survivors find a cure before it's too late?

Published 2014-01-29 00:10:08 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-29 00:10:08 UTC

Prologue: The silence of a bell

It was a bright, sunny day in Ponyville. The school bell rang and the children came out running. At the door came out the Cutie Mark Crusaders: Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. “Today was tiring.” said Apple Bloom, a bright yellow Earth Pony with a red mane and a big pink bow in her hair.

“I think we should just skip the clubhouse and go to our homes.” said Scootaloo, a bright orange Pegasus with a spikey, boyish, magenta mane.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” said Sweetie Belle, a white Unicorn with a bouncy purple and pink mane.

“See y’all tomorrow.” said Apple Bloom, as she started walking towards her family’s farm.

Scootaloo turned around and started digging through her saddle bag. She soon pulled out a solid blue scooter and a purple helmet with I white stripe going down the center. “So, we’re doing the usual tomorrow?” asked Scootaloo.

“Of course!” replied Sweetie Belle, her high pitched voice having a slight crack in it. “We wouldn’t be the Cutie Mark Crusaders if we don’t go crusading, would we?”

Scootaloo gave a small smirk and replied, “All right. Well, I guess we can think of what we’re gonna do tomorrow.” Scootaloo started propelling her wings like a motor and rode off on her Scooter. “See ya tomorrow!” she said, off in the distance.

Sweetie Belle turned around, tightened her saddle bag, and headed towards home. It takes a good 10 minutes from the school to Rarity’s and back. As she walked for her first few minutes, she felt like something was wrong, as if someone was following her. Sweetie Belle turned around to see nothing but the road leading to the school. She soon turned back around and continued walking. As she walked, she thought about today’s class. It was very tiring compared to every other day. “Miss Cheerilee (a magenta Earth Pony with a flat, bouncy light pink mane) was acting strange. She seemed both panicked and worried. She had the class perform strange things today, like she was preparing them for a bombing. What is it that got her so worked up?” As Sweetie Belle dwelled in her thoughts, she stopped with that strange feeling again. She looked behind to, again, see nothing but the road. As she turned back around, she heard a screaming coming towards her. She looked in the direction it came from and saw an orange stallion with a black mane tackle her. She tried to get up, but the pony kept attacking her. Sweetie Belle’s first intention was that this pony came from the bad side of town and is trying to mug her. As she struggled, the strange pony bit Sweetie Belle’s front right leg. She soon earned the strength to push him off and start running. She ran the rest of the way home for 2 minutes. She looked back and saw nothing but the road. “The coast is clear” Sweetie Belle mumbled to herself. She saw Rarity’s house up ahead and did a final sprint towards it. She stopped at the front door, trying to catch her breath from all of the running. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Scootaloo was on her Scooter, riding her way to Rainbow Dash’s (a cyan Pegasus with a flat, rainbow colored mane) house. 6 months have passed since Rainbow Dash adopted her. They’ve had a good relationship. While they’ve had a couple of fights, they still get along well. Scootaloo saw the house and rode to the back. After the first week of living with her, Rainbow Dash set up a ramp in the back of the house to let Scootaloo get up without having to fly, due to her disability. Scootaloo stopped the scooter. She tightened her grip on the handles, fastened her helmet until it was skin tight, and readied her wings. Her wings propelled so fast that if she could fly, she’d break the sound barrier. Her scooter accelerated at top speed and hit the ramp. The amount of speed gave her a large enough jump to make it onto the cloud mansion. Scootaloo took off her helmet and placed it back in her saddle bag, along with her scooter. She went around the front and knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, strangely hesitant.

“It’s me, Scootaloo.” Rainbow Dash opened the door as fast as lightning and brought Scootaloo in. “Dash, wha-“ Before she could finish her sentence, Rainbow Dash brought Scootaloo in for a hug that lasted longer than you’d expect to come from her.

“Scoot, did anyone, or anything, bite you on your way here?” The cyan Pegasus asked, concern in her magenta eyes.

“No… why?” Scootaloo replied. Rainbow Dash sighed and pointed her hoof at the couch in the living room.

“Sit down, Scoot. We need to talk.”

Apple Bloom was at the front of Sweet Apple Acres, her family’s apple orchard. As she started heading to the farm, she noticed that things were quieter than usual. She knocked on the front door, but didn’t receive a response. She knocked again. Still no response. She pulled on the handle and was surprised to see that it was unlocked. She opened the door to receive the nozzle of a double barrel shotgun in her face. “Sis, what’re you doin’?” Apple Bloom asked. Holding the shotgun was Applejack, an orange Earth Pony with a blonde ponytail and her father’s cowboy hat.

“Apple Bloom,” Applejack started, a tear rolling down her cheek, “Please tell me no one, or nothin’, bit you on yer way here.”

“Of course not” The young filly replied, “Why would anypony bite me?” Applejack gave a sigh of relief and put the shotgun down. She then went up to her little sister and gave her a hug. “Applejack, why are you actin’ like this? Yer never this worried!” Apple Bloom said, as she struggled to get air from how tight her sister was hugging her.

Applejack looked Apple Bloom in the eyes and said, “It’s about Granny Smith.”

Apple Bloom knew something had happened, and she fears that it’s what she thinks it is. “You don’t mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

The orange cowgirl nodded in relpy. “There was nothin’ I could do.”

“But, how did she die?” asked the little filly. Applejack let go of her sister and signaled her to sit on the couch. Their older brother Big Mac (a big, red Earth Pony with a flat, orange mane) walked in covered in a bit of blood. “Wha- What’s goin’ on?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You’re sister will now explain.” replied Big Mac.

“Sis, I’m home!” Yelled Sweetie Belle, loud enough to make sure Rarity heard her. Rarity (a beautiful white Unicorn with a curly, violet mane) came running towards her. As she looked at her little sister, she saw some blood coming out of her hoof.

“Sweetie Belle, what happened to your hoof?” Rarity asked, showing concern in her voice.

“On my way home, some crazy stallion tried to mug me. He pinned me to the ground and bit my hoof, but I managed to break free and ran all the way here.” The filly replied. “Don’t worry, I’m oka-“

“Sweetie Belle, go to your room.” Rarity ordered.

“Wha- What?” Sweetie Belle replied, confused. “You heard me, go to your room. Now, that’s an order.” Sweetie Belle walked past her sister and headed towards the stairs.

She turned around to the mare and tried to plead, “But-“

She was interrupted again, “I said now, Sweetie!” Rarity demanded. The little filly walked up the stairs towards her room. Rarity watched, a tear rolling down her cheek. She walked towards her sewing machine and continued her new piece of clothing. Her horn started glowing blue, along with a drawer nearby. She opened the drawer with her magic, and out came a pistol.

“Say what now?” Scootaloo replied to Rainbow Dash’s story.

“I know it sounds stupid, but it’s true, there really is a zombie outbreak. That’s why I was worried about you.” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“But, how did this start? In every zombie story I’ve read, there’s always a source of the outbreak. A patient zero.” Scootaloo stated.

“I don’t know.” Rainbow Dash turned around and headed for the front door. She turned her head to her sister and said “Hop on.” Scootaloo just stared in confusion, but she followed her orders instead of arguing with her guardian. The orange filly climbed onto the cyan ponies back. She opened the front door, spread her wings, and took off.

“Where are we going, Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo asked.

“We’re going to Sweet Apple Acres. I want to check on Applejack and make sure that she’s alright.”

“YOU SHOT HER!?!?” Apple Bloom replied to Applejack’s story.

“I had no choice! She had already turned. Would you want to come home with me and Big Mac as zombies? Is that what you want?” Applejack answered.

Apple Bloom looked down and replied “No, but I didn’t want to lose granny either.”

“Sugercube, there was nothin’ I could do. It was too late. I’m sorry, I really am.” said Applejack. As she went to comfort her sister, there was knock on the door. “Big Mac, get the gun.” Ordered the orange pony.

“Eeyup!” replied Big Mac. He holstered the gun on his shoulder and aimed at the door. His hoof had a tight grip on the trigger. Outside the door was the voice a very close friend.

“Yo, AJ! Are ya home?” Applejack opened the door, relieved to see that it was only Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.

“Thank Celestia that it’s you two. What’re you doin’ here? Shouldn’t you be home sheltering yourself until this whole epidemic passes?” asked Applejack.

Rainbow Dash replied, “We came here to see how you were doing and if you needed any help. Also, I was hoping me and Scootaloo can stay with you. I don’t really feel secure at my house if there are any zombie pegasi.”

Scootaloo came to realization as to what Rainbow Dash said and responded, “But Rainbow Dash, we didn’t bring Tank. He’s still at home.”

The cyan Pegasus looked at her sister and replied “I asked Fluttershy to take care of him. Don’t worry, he’s fine.” It was quiet for a little bit until Apple Bloom broke the silence.

“Well what are y’all waitin’ for? Let’s start barricadin’ the house.”

5 hours have passed and Rarity was still working on her new piece of clothing. As she was about to finish a section of it, she heard a banging noise from upstairs. Rarity stopped what she was doing and listened closely. The banging happened again. “That’s coming from Sweetie Belle’s room” Rarity mumbled to herself. She moved away from her sewing machine and walked towards the stairs. The banging occurred again. Rarity was right in front of Sweetie Belle’s door. She readied herself for what was about to happen. She opened the door and out came a ravenous white Unicorn. Rarity struggled to keep what used to be her sister from biting her. Rarity ran down the stairs and waited for the filly to follow. As Sweetie Belle tried to tackle Rarity, the older Unicorn grabbed her and held her in a position that would prevent her from attacking. “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head.” Rarity began to sing. As she sung, she picked up the pistol with her magic. “Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed.” The gun was positioned against the struggling zombie’s head. Rarity looked at her sister one last time, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m so, so sorry.” She whispered. She pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang, then silence. Rarity let go and looked down upon the corpse of her little sister. She got down to her hind knees and grieved for her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. “She was too young.” Rarity choked up. She picked up the corpse and held it against her. “She was too young.” she repeated. She looked up to the sky and yelled, “She was only 8!” She looked back down with even more tears in her eyes. She then choked up the same sentence, but in a lower, sad voice. “She was only 8.”

Chapter 1: Survivors (Rainbow Dash)

3 months have passed since that whole Sweetie Belle ordeal. It’s been terrible these past few months. We’ve lost many close friends and family. When I say we, I mean our small group of survivors. For these past few months, we’ve been hiding in Mayor Mare’s bomb shelter. Speaking of the mayor, she’s gone. She was bitten when trying to get us here. Our group consists of me, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Applejack, Big Mac, Octavia, Time Turner, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. Rarity is pretty much the leader of the group. She told us that we should keep a journal on everything that goes on. While she’s the leader, she doesn’t do much leading. She’s always working on the same piece of clothing every day for hours. I don’t know what it is she’s working on, but she says that it will help us survive if she can get it right. I don’t know how a piece of clothing is going to help us. Anyways, I’m pretty much second in command. If Rarity can’t perform her duties, I become temporary leader.

“So what are you working on there, Rarity?” I asked her.

“I’ve told you plenty of times, Rainbow Dash. It’s a secret. All I can tell you is-“

“-Yeah, yeah” I interrupted her. “You keep telling me that it will help us survive, but what is it? You’ve been working on that thing for 3 months. There’s no way that it’ just a piece of clothing. There’s something you’re not telling us. What is it?” Rarity didn’t bother to look up. Instead, she just kept looking at her work. It was silent for a moment until we heard the door open. The big piece of titanium opened up to reveal Applejack and Big Mac entering. Big Mac closed the door and made sure it was locked. “Well?” I asked, “Did you guys get the food?” Applejack placed her saddle bag onto the floor and sat down next to it. She then opened its flap and started digging through it. As she did this, the rest of the group started walking towards her. Applejack took out a few cans, 3 bottles of water, and a loaf of bread.

“This is all we could get.” She said.

“That’s all? Are you joking? That isn’t enough to last us 2 days!” said Scootaloo. I’ve got to admit, my sister has a point. This isn’t enough to last us long.

“I’m sorry sugarcube, but this is all we could get. Just be glad we made it back without being infected.” replied Applejack.

“Speaking of infected, how’s it looking out there?” Rarity asked, finally stopping from her and work and showing concern for us.

“Not too good.” Applejack responded. “Big Mac and I were lucky that we made it. It’s like there’s more of them every day. I don’t know how much longer we can survive? Ponyville isn’t that big to begin with, and having to get food for 3 months pretty much has cleared out just about every house. What’s left of them at least.”

Rarity walked up to her and put her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be leaving soon. I’ve come up with a plan, but it won’t be easy since all the train stations are down.” I knew exactly what plan she was talking about.

Every day is practically the same. Whenever we run out of food, we send someone into town to get some from abandoned homes. While retrieving the food, we have to be sure not to run into any zombies. Alert one and you alert them all. Since we’ve lost so many loved ones, we were able to calculate how long it takes somepony to turn after getting bitten. It takes, approximately, 5 hours. We can thank Rarity for this calculation. I really hope scientists find a cure soon. Because the princesses can’t perform their duties, I’ve completely lost track of time. The only time I can keep track of is the infection’s incubation period. Every day, it’s always the sun going down and the moon coming up.

When it’s time for us to sleep, we take shifts. While the rest of us are sleeping, 2 of us will have to keep watch to make sure nothing breaks in. The only exceptions for this are Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Most nights, if you can call it night, Scootaloo will come up to me and try sleeping with me. She says that she keeps having nightmares about all of us dying. I keep telling her that it’s just a dream and that we’re gonna make it out safe and sound. But tonight, I made a mistake. This time, I promised her that we will make it out alive. This is the only promise I won’t be able to keep.

After my little nap, it became my turn to keep an eye out for any zombies. My partner is usually Rarity, but this time I’ve been paired up with Time Turner. I have never talked to him before, to be honest. All I know is his name and that he lives inside a small, blue box. For a homeless pony, he’s pretty smart from what I’ve heard him talk about to Octavia.

As we kept watch, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to properly introduce myself. I turned to him and saw that he didn’t have a gun. Instead, he had some sort of metal bar with a blue tip. I looked up at him and started my introduction. “Hi,” I started, “I’m Rainbow Dash. I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. Your name's Time Turner, right?” He looked back at me and started staring at my body. He then looked back at the door. I looked back too. “Was it something I said?” I thought to myself.

“Doctor.” I heard a voice coming from Time Turner’s direction. “Sorry, did you say something?” I asked.

He then turned to me and replied, “I said ‘Doctor.’ You wanted to know my name, and now I’m telling you.”

I was puzzled, but this guy seemed interesting that I decided to continue asking him questions, starting with, “Doctor who?”

“Nothing,” he responded, “Just the Doctor.”

I looked back at the strange object in his hooves and decided to ask him another question. “So, uh, two questions. One, where’s your gun and two, what is that in your hooves?”

He stared at me for a few seconds, then answered, “I don’t use guns, I’m a pacifist. As for this,” he held the object up in front of my face, “this is a sonic screwdriver. It doesn’t maim, it doesn’t kill, but it is good with doors and electronics.”

I quickly burst out with, “If it doesn’t harm, then what’s the point of using it to guard the door against zombies? If you don’t like guns, fine. But use a knife or something!” The Doctor just looked at me and gave a small smirk along with a chuckle.

“You have a lot to learn about me, Miss Dash. I may not use weapons, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how. I only use them in extreme circumstances. Compared to other things I’ve faced, a simple zombie apocalypse is nothing.” He said to me. I had no idea what he was getting at, but I wasn’t about to ask. “Did you lose anyone close to you when this whole zombie thing started?” The Doctor then asked me.

I looked down, scared to remember. I’ve been trying my best to forget about her, but it’s just too hard. I then replied, “Yeah, I did. She was my oldest and closest friend. Her name was Fluttershy. One day, I decided to visit her to see if she was doing fine. When I knocked on the door, the only response I got was a low groan. I then burst the door open. When I saw her, I knew that she had been turned for some time now. About 2 days. There were dead animals all over her cottage.” It was silent for a bit. I then looked back at the Doctor and asked, “What about you? Did you lose anypony?”

His response was fast, yet hesitant. “Her name was Derpy. She was the only friend I ever had on this world, and now she’s gone, along with my home.”

Chapter 2: All the time in the universe (Doctor Whooves)

“So, what happened?” Rainbow Dash asked. I looked down, trying to remember. I looked back up into her magenta eyes.

“I was in my blue box.” I started, “Derpy was with me. Don’t let the look fool you, it’s bigger on the inside. It’s really a space ship that has infinite rooms. My ship is called the TARDIS. Now you’re probably confused, so let me sum it up for you. I am an alien from outer space. I’m a Time Lord from the planet Gallifey.”

Rainbow Dash began to speak, “Is that what you meant when you said that she was your only friend on this world?”

“Yes, well, also no. You see, I’m from another dimension where, instead of ponies being the prime species, humans are the prime species. If you want to know what a human is, in short, they’re hairless apes.” Rainbow Dash just kept looking at me with a puzzled look. I can’t blame her; everyone is puzzled when they meet me.

“So about Derpy, how did you lose her?” she finally asked. I just sat there thinking until the memory finally hit me.

“Ah, yes. Now I remember. We were in the TARDIS about to launch.

“So, where do you want to go Derpy?” I asked her. She ran up to me with excitement.

“I want to go somewhere fantastic. After all, today is my birthday!”

I looked up at her with awe. “Really now? Your birthday? Well then, happy birthday Derpy. Since you told me, I’ll take you somewhere extra special! How about Barcelona?” Just then, there was a loud banging at the door.

“Doctor, what was that?” Derpy asked. She started backing away from me and went to the big wibbly thingy. The banging continued and got louder each time.

“Derpy, stay back!” I ordered. The door burst open and out came a pony with dead looking eyes. He ran at me and knocked me down. As I struggled to get up, the pony kept trying to bite me. Derpy saw what was going on and pushed him off me. As I got up to my hooves, the pony then tackled Derpy. I tried to push him off her, but the pony was strong and pushed me out of the TARDIS. As I got up, the TARDIS started leaving. “No no no no no no!” I yelled. By the time I got to her, it was too late. The TARDIS vanished, and there was nothing I could do. “Huh. So that’s what it looks like when it leaves.”

“And that was the last I saw of her.”

Rainbow Dash looked at me with sorrow in her eyes.“I’m sorry for your loss, Doctor. But maybe Derpy is still alive? You never saw her get bitten. You only assumed that she died.” Rainbow Dash paused for a second. “So, why did your ‘TARDIS’ leave by itself?”

“Most likely, as Derpy was struggling, she must have accidentally started it. Who knows where she is.”

“Who, Derpy?”

“No, my TARDIS! She’s been with me since I was an old man and now she’s gone!” Rainbow Dash tilted her head in confusion. “Uh, it’s alien stuff. It’s complicated.”

“Right, well I think my shift is over? I’m gonna go wake up Octavia. You to can continue talking about… whatever it is you’ve been talking about these past few months.” Rainbow Dash walked away and went over to Octavia. I just stayed where I was… thinking. That’s all I really get to do now. I wish I could go on an adventure instead of being stuck in this shelter. Also, what was this plan I heard Rarity tell Applejack about? If there are secrets going around, I want to know them. I may not be able to go on an adventure, but I can still investigate.

Author's Note

Sorry that this chapter is short. I didn't really have anything else to write.

Chapter 3: Spotted (Octavia)

I was awoken by Rainbow Dash. Apparently, it's my turn to guard. I saw that my partner was the Doctor again. Last time we were together, he was talking about his fight with an army of Cybermen and Daleks. I always find his fantasies very entertaining and mysterious. Though, I do wish he'd quit the whole alien act. There's no way he can be out of this world. Either way, I find him very interesting. He's the only real friend I have here. It's been very lonely since I lost Vinyl. She was my best friend.

"Sleep well?" the Doctor asked me. I gazed upon him with tired eyes.

"Yes. Thank you for asking. So where were we when we last talked? Something about you and Rose pulling two levers?"

"Ah, yes, that. So..."

It was a long night, but the Doctor managed to keep me entertained with his stories. In the morning, I had to gather food along with Pinkie Pie. I hate being paired up with her, she is such a nuisance. She never shuts up and talks about 8 different things at once. Though, I will admit that she's able to keep everypony smiling under these dire circumstances. "So, Pinkie, which house are we going to check?" Pinkie Pie just looked around for a few seconds.

"Ooh, ooh! That one over there!" She pointed to a raggedy old hose that was practically falling apart. I recognized it very well. It was my old home before this infection started.

The door was unlocked. I opened it while Pinkie kept watch for any zombies coming. Inside was empty with nothing but moths flying around. I walked through the hallway and entered the kitchen. Pinkie jumped in front of me and went straight to opening the pantries, the drawers, the fridge, basically anything that might have food. "I'm going to go upstairs. I'm gonna see if I can find any medical supplies." I informed Pinkie.

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" she replied.

As I walked up the stairs, I entered another hallway. I walked forward and passed multiple rooms until I found mine. I opened the door and saw that everything was exactly the way I left it. I went up to my mirror and opened the drawer in front of it. Inside it was my emergency supplies. "Just the way I left it." I muttered to myself. I opened up my saddle bag and put the supplies in it. AS I walked out of my room, I noticed that one of the doors in the hallway was open. "I know that room." I walked closer and saw what I was afraid to see. "This is it. This is where I killed her." I looked down on the floor and saw that Vinyl's body, now decaying, was how it was before I left. When I saw her turn, I had no choice but to stop her. "I'm sorry it had to end like this."

I walked back downstairs and saw Pinkie Pie waiting for me. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes I am."

"Well we can't!"

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Because there's a pack of zombies coming from the front door." I looked and saw them coming.

"What lured them here?" I asked her.

"Well, I may have had a bit of fun while you were upstairs..."

"What kind of fun are we talking about here?"

Pinkie was silent for a moment, then finally answered. "I may have rattled some pots and pans to make a song." I looked at the kitchen and saw that it was a mess. I turned back to Pinkie.

"Come on." I said. "This way." I signaled Pinkie Pie to follow me out the back door. As we started, the zombies started running too. It seemed that the farther away we got from them, the faster they ran. As we ran, I knocked over some items to try slowing them down. When we made it out, I immediately closed the back door. I knew that it wouldn't do any good, but it would at least give us a few more seconds to run. As we ran, more and more zombies kept following us. "When we get back, I swear to Luna that I'm going to kill out Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie was silent after I said that. I saw tears coming out of Pinkie's eyes. I couldn't help but feel bad for her. "Look... I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't mean it." By Celestia, she acts just like a child.

"It's okay. That's not why I'm crying. It's just that..." she paused for a bit. "I-"

"Tell me later." I interrupted her. "We're here." Pinkie Pie opened the door and I ran in. She closed the door behind us and I made sure it was locked.

"How did it go?" Apple Bloom asked.

Chapter 4: Rarity's big plan (Apple Bloom)

"It went well. We had a minor set-back, but we're fine." Octavia told us.

"What kind of set-back are we talkin' 'bout here?" asked Applejack.

"Oh nothing much." Octavia turned to Pinkie, "Just that somepony wanted to have fun."

"Hey!" retorted Pinkie Pie, "In my defense, I haven't had any fun in months! Give me a break will you!" I couldn't help but be amazed. I've never seen Pinkie this upset before. "Is it a crime to have fun at a time like this? I'm pretty sure that under these circumstances, we all need a little fun. I've been trying to make you all smile, but I never had the chance to make me smile."

"ENOUGH!" Rarity yelled at them. "Let's just pay attention to the task at hand. Octavia, did you and Pinkie get food?"

"Yes, we did. I even got us some medical supplies."

"Good, keep them in your saddle bags." I was confused. Why would Rarity not want us to have food?

"I don't understand." Octavia said.

"We're going to be leaving soon. It's part of my big secret plan that I've been hiding from you all." Rarity brought in a map and placed it on a table.

"Here's the plan:" Rarity started, "We're going to be leaving the shelter and head to Canterlot. Before we entered this shelter, I heard rumors about scientists trying to find a cure there. I also heard that Twilight might be there, but we can worry about her later. The main goal is to find that cure. It won't be easy though. If ponies are still alive there, I'm sure that they'd have it guarded. We all know that the government likes to keep things hidden until the last minute."

"Hold on a sec Rarity." Applejack interrupted. "Awe, why'd ya stop her sis? it was gettin' good." I thought.

"How are we gon' get to Canterlot? In case ya haven't heard, all of the train stations are down."

"I know that, Applejack. That's why we're not going by train. We are going by hoof. It will be difficult, but it's not impossible."

"But it will take days to get there by hoof. We'd run out of food by the time we're halfway there." said Applejack.

Rarity just gave a small grin. "That won't be a problem." She took out a big box of ammo and two pistols and a machete. "I've been saving these for this day. You see Applejack, not all of us are leaving. Some of us will have to stay behind."

"Are you crazy? Who in their right mind would wanna stay behind?" asked Applejack.

"That's a good question, Applejack. But let me inform you that it's not a choice, it's an order. You and Big Mac are staying. I'll even add in Octavia as a bonus. The food you and your brother gathered yesterday will be all you'll get. So make it last. Octavia, I'm going to need your saddle bag for when we leave."

"Hold it right there!" I said. I didn't want to talk back to our leader, but this is just plain ridiculous. "There is no way I'm leaving without mah family! Either they go with us, or I'm not goin'!" Rarity just stared at me with disappointment in her blue eyes. She gave a sigh and walked towards the door. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"Alright, change of plan. Applejack can come with us. Time Turner, you take her place and stay with Big Mac and Octavia."

"Now hold on just a minute! When I said mah family, that includes Big Mac." I replied. Rarity stared at me for s a few seconds, then replied.

"Very well, Big Mac can come with us. Better yet, we'll all go. Now let's hurry up before anything-" There was a loud banging at the door. I backed up towards Applejack. She grabbed me in a tight grip to keep me secure. The banging continued.

"They've found us!" informed Octavia. Rarity picked up one of the pistols on the table with her magic and aimed it at the door.

"All of you, go! Except you two. Big Mac, Applejack, you stay with me and defend the perimeter. The rest of you, go out through the emergency exit." Rainbow Dash led us to the emergency exit. All it was, was a trap door that led underground. We all went down, one by one. As I went, I turned around and saw the door bust down. Applejack, Rarity, and Big Mac started firin'. That was the last I saw of them before Rainbow Dash closed the latch.

Chapter 5: The road to Canterlot (Rainbow Dash)

As I closed the latch, I saw tons of zombies all over Rarity, Applejack, and Big Mac. After I closed the latch, I walked ahead of everyone to take the lead. As of right now, I am our leader. We walked a few steps until we heard the door open. Down came Rarity and Applejack, but not Big Mac. AJ closed the latch and made sure it was locked. "Where is he?" I asked. "Where's Big Mac?" Applejack looked don with sorrow. When she moved her head back up, here were tears in her eyes.

"Gone." she replied. "They got him." She turned to her sister. "Ah'm sorry Apple Bloom. There was nothin' we could do to save him." Applejack went forward to go and comfort her little sister after what she just heard. Rarity got in front of me and resumed her position as leader.

The tunnel was dark and smelled of manure. As we continued walking, I saw something dangling out of her saddle bag. It looked like a piece of clothing. "Of course. She was more worried about saving her work than she was Big Mac."I thought to myself.

"Psst." I heard a whisper in my ear. I looked and saw that it was Pinkie.

"What do you want Pinkie?" I whispered back.

"Is it okay that I stay next to you for comfort? I'm actually really scared right now."

I stopped dead I my tracks, thinking. Because of this, me and Pinkie were all the way in the back. I finally looked her in the eye and said, "Sure you can. You're one of my best friends after al/ I don't know what I'd do without you?" Pinkie got really close to me as we walked. I could tell that she was terrified. I don't want to make her sad, so I let her stay as close as she seemed fit.

"We're here" Rarity said. She opened the door that led to the outside. It was nice to finally have some fresh air again, in a way. "Canterlot is that way. Just stay close to me and we should be fine." We followed her and didn't bother questioning her. The faster we get to Canterlot, the better.

It's been 5 hours and not a single zombie. Pinkie has stayed right next to this whole time. "How much longer, Rarity? You told us that we were taking a shortcut." Rarity looked at me.

"Just a few more minutes Rainbow Dash. Be patient. Why don't you talk to Pinkie Pie to kill some time?" I sighed and looked at Pinkie. She gave a weak smile to me.

"Alright Pinkie, what do you wanna talk about?"

Pinkie Pie just looked at me with sad, but serious eyes. "Shoot me."

"Wh-What?"

"You heard me. I want you to shoot me."

I just stopped walking and looked at her in awe. "What do you mean? Don't you want to survive? I mean, I know things haven't been good recently, but that doesn't mean it's too late. We're going to find a cu-" Before I finished, Pinkie pulled up her mane, revealing bite marks on her neck.

"Hey! What's holding you two back there?" asked the Doctor.

"Nothing! Just some girl talk!" I replied. I looked back at Pinkie. "How long? How long have you been infected?"

Pinkie didn't even hesitate, "5 hours. I only have a few minutes left until the exact time. 2 minutes to be exact. Please Dashie, shoot me now. I don't want to turn into one of those monsters. As my final wish, please shoot me now." I went through my saddle bag and pulled out my gun. I only had 1 bullet left. I aimed the weapon at her, but didn't have the guts to pull the trigger. I dropped my weapon to the ground.

"No, I'm not gonna do this. I'm not gonna shoot you. Not my best friend. I mean... what if you're actually immune? We don't have to go to Canterlot to get the cure. We can just extract it from you right here. Hold o a sec., I might have a syringe in my bag." I heard Pinkie pick up the gun. I turned to her. "No Pinkie, don't do it! Don't pull the trigger!"

As she had the gun at her head, she said her last words to me. "Good-bye Dashie. When you're struggling to survive and you've given up on hope, just remember me. I'll always be with you, no matter what happens." She tightened her grip on the trigger.

"Pinkie, please." I suddenly came to realization that it's been 2 minutes. "Wait! Pinkie, your 2 minutes are up. You haven't turned."

Pinkie Pie gave a weak smile. "Look again." She pointed to one of her eyes. It was completely white. "I'm holding it back, just to say good-bye. This is the end of the road for me, Rainbow Dash. If you find Twilight, tell her that her cupcakes were ready 3 months ago." Her grip on the trigger was even tighter than before now. "Take care, Dashie." There was a loud bang and a flash of light as blood splattered all over the dirt road. I just sat there, next to her still body.

"Take care... old pal." I turned around and ran to meet up with the others. I left my gun in Pinkie's hoof. I thought it could resemble my flowers for her.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?" Apple Bloom asked.

"She's gone kiddo." I replied. "She had been bitten. I'm sorry."

Apple Bloom grew furious, "First mah granny, then mah brother, and now mah cousin?!?! Why is it me that's sufferin' and nopony else?"

"You call this suffering?" I asked. "Look here, squirt. You're alive, aren't you? Doesn't that count for something? As long as you're alive and have somepony to call family, you shouldn't complain." Those were my word of wisdom to her. Didn't think they'd be coming out of my mouth.

"Yeah, I guess yer right. Sorry fer not controllin' my anger."

I couldn't help but smile. "Hey, it's okay. We're all in this together, and it's almost over. Once we get to Canterlot, everything should be okay."

We made it to Canterlot, and boy is it quiet. There are few zombies around, so we were able to avoid them easily. When we got to the castle, we were surprised to see that there was nothing protecting it. We entered and it was completely deserted. "Let's split up into groups." I suggested. "We could cover more ground and find any survivors faster." Everyone nodded in agreement and split up. I got paired up with Scootaloo and Rarity. As we moved, we examined our surroundings. The walls were chiseled, carpet torn apart, and flags ruined. "Must have been a large outbreak here?" I stated.

Rarity looked at me and replied, "It would seem so. I doubt we'll find anyone here, but we should keep looking just in case." It was silent for a moment as we searched until I heard a voice off in the distance.

"Rarity, Rainbow Dash? Is that really you?" We all looked in the direction the voice came from. Let me tell you that I completely recognized that voice.

"T-Twilight?" I couldn't believe my eyes. We actually found her. We all thought she was dead, but here she is. Twilight survived!

"Twilight, thank goodness we found you." said Rarity. "Tell me, do you know where Princess Luna and Princess Celestia are?"

Twiight responded, "Yeah, I do. They went to the Crystal Empire for extra protection. Apparently, due to the crystal heart, no zombies can get in. But, enough of that, I'm just glad to see you guys. It's been so lonely with just me and Spike struggling to survive."

I looked at Twilight with a puzzled face. "Tell me, why can't you use your magic, or better yet, your wings, to get there?"

Twilight sighed and showed us one of her wings. It was bandaged and covered in blood. She then pointed her hoof towards her horn. I didn't think it was possible, but her horn was cracked. From what I've heard, a cracked horn prevents a unicorn from doing magic. "Well, are there any other survivors here?" I asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Other than Spike, I'm afraid not. But, since you guys are here, you can maybe help us get to the Crystal Empire?"

Rarity looked at me, then back to Twilight. "We'll have to get the others first."

Twilight gasped, "You mean there are more than just you three? How many more?"

"Four more. It's not much, but it's enough to survive."

"I'll go get them." I said. "Scootaloo, you stay here with Rarity and Twilight."

"Got it." she responded.

Chapter 6: Memories (Rarity)

It took Rainbow Dash about 5 minutes to gather the others. Twilight told us how she's been struggling to survive with only her and Spike here. She kept telling us about him, but we haven't seen him yet. My curiosity got the best of me and I had no choice but to ask, "Where is little Spikey-wikey, Twilight? You keep mentioning him, but we haven't seen him." Twilight looked down and turned around. She started walking and signaled us to follow. She led us to a room with some supplies on the floor. These supplies ranged from food, medical supplies, weapons, etc. We finally stopped at a cube-like object with a cover on it. "What's under that cover, Twilight?" I asked.

"It's best if I showed you." she replied. She pulled down the cover and we all gasped at what we saw. It was Spike, but it wasn't him. He had been turned. Twilight must have been keeping him here as a pet so she wouldn't feel so lonely. I can't blame her, it is very lonely at these times. "He was one if the first to get bitten." she said. "I didn't want to put him down, not yet at least. He was like a little brother to me, sometimes even like a son. I didn't want to lose him so soon." There was a moment of silence. None of us really knew what to think. It was a lot to take in.

"Twilight," I started, "I know that you didn't want to lose him, but that isn't Spike anymore. He's turned. The dragon you knew is gone. It may look like him, but it isn't. You need to let him go." As I talked, I felt tears coming out of my eyes. I knew what I was about to remember, and I feared it. "You need to put him down..." I paused for a second.. I didn't want to say it, but I didn't have a choice, "Just like I had to put down Sweetie Belle." I said it. I didn't want to, but it was necessary. It would help Twilight realize what she needs to do. Twilight just looked back at Spike. He was grabbing at the bars of the cage, trying to get out. She then looked back at me.

"You're right, Rarity. That isn't Spike anymore." She walked over to a table and picked up a small pistol. She came back and pointed it at Spike. "I'm sorry. I really am. I wish there was more time." She pulled the trigger, and just like that, Spike was down on the ground with a trail of blood leaking out of his head. I don't know why, but when Twilight said, "I wish there was more time,"Time Turner's ears perked up.

Twilight dropped the gun and fell to the floor on her hind knees. I walked up to comfort her. "It was the right thing to do. Come on, let's go find a way to get to the Crystal Empire."

Twilight got up to her hooves and said, "We can get there by train. Even though they're down, I have authority to re-activate them."

"If you could have activated them at any time, why didn't you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It's too dangerous to go out alone. The farthest I can get is a few houses. But with you guys by my side, It's safer."

Rainbow Dash gave a smile. This was the break she was hoping for. "Well what are we waiting for? Crystal Empire, here we come!"

When we got to the train station, it was very quiet. Not the usual quiet, but the quiet as in nothing. No zombies or animals anywhere. Twilight went to the train station entry and gave authorization. "All right." she started, "We're good to go. Now, do any of you know how to drive a train, because I sure as hay don't?"

Time Turner walked up. He went in a proud-like pose and said, "There's nothing I can't drive. Just leave it to your good friend, the Doctor. I'll get us out of here in no time. I might even be able to get us a boost with my special tool." He opened the door and went straight to the conductor's room. He put on the conductor's hat and had a bit of fun with it. "All aboard the new TARDIS!" he said. I didn't know what he meant by that, by I didn't bother asking.

During the train ride, I over-heard Scootaloo and Apple Bloom talking. "I sure wish Sweetie Belle was here. She would have enjoyed the Crystal Empire, even at a tine like this." said Scootaloo.

"Yeah, ah miss her too. We should've left school together that day instead of splitting up. That way, either we all turn, or we all survive. Not that one turned and two survived." Apple Bloom stated. As I heard them talking, I started to doze off. In my dream, it was a flashback from before this apocalypse started. It was from the last time I visited the Crystal Empire.

Sweetie Belle and her friends were waiting for us at the train station. I walked up to Sweetie and she ran up to me. "We just wanted to surprise you when you came back and to see if you brought back any of the crystal snow globes from the gift shop."

"How did you know about the snow globes?" I asked her.

Sweetie Belle paused for a second. "Uh, lucky guess?" she gave a weak smile after that sentence.

I couldn't help but smile back at her. "All right, tell you what? The next time I go to the Crystal Empire, I'll get you a snow globe. I promise." I watched as my sister jumped up and down around me in joy. This is a souvenir she was really looking forward to having.

I woke up and saw a sewing machine and a black garment on my lap. I must have been sewing I my sleep again. I decided to continue working. After all, I'm almost finished with my creation. As I finished another pocket, I heard a noise coming from the room cart. Applejack was in there so she could take a nap. The noise continued. It sounded like somepony was struggling. We all stayed back. There was soon a banging on the door leading to the room cart. The banging continued, more viciously as it continued. The door finally broke down and we saw Applejack pinning down a zombie. She kept beating its face with her hoof. Blood was splattering out all over the floor as she continued to punch it in the face. One final blow spread the monster's head all over the floor. I knew Applejack was strong, but I didn't think she was that strong. "Are you okay, Applejack?" Octavia asked.

Applejack just looked at her, panting. She finally spoke up, "The answer is both yes, an' no. Yeah, I ain't dead, you can see that. No, cuz I've been bit. Ah don' know how long ah've been bitten. How long was ah asleep?" she ended up asking.

Rainbow Dash answered, "About 3 hours."

Applejack sighed and looked at her sister. "You be a good girl, ya hear me?" She then turned to me. "Rarity, take care of mah sister, will ya?" I nodded. Apple Bloom ran up to her sister and hugged her for the last time. This was Applejack's farewell. "All right... shoot when ready." Apple Bloom picked up a gun and pointed it at her sister. Of all ponies, I didn't expect Apple Bloom to be the one to end her sister's life. "Make sure ya don' miss, little sis."

Apple Bloom started to cry. From hear strained voice, she managed to let out, "Ah'm going to miss you Applejack. You were all ah had left." The gun fired. A read mark was left on Applejack's forehead. Her body lay still on the ground as blood spilled from her head. Things are getting worse. We're losing more and more ponies. I don't think we're going to last much longer.

Chapter 7: The final task (Doctor Whooves)

As the train entered the Crystal Empire, I saw how nice and sunny it looked. The others noticed it too. It took me only a second to realize why it was so nice. "It's because of the Crystal Heart." I said. "It was made to prevent any evil forces from entering. Because zombies are technically an presence, they're blocked off. Anyone bitten on the other hand- I mean hoof, they can still enter. That's the only way any zombies can get in." I stopped the train at the train station and informed everyone that we're here. The crystal ponies looked at us funny as we stepped off of the train. "Okay," I started telling the group, "let me handle this. *Ahem* Hello! I'm the Doctor. We're a group of survivors from the zombie outbreak that started about 3 months ago. Don't worry, none of us are bitten. You might not want to go in the train, though, unless you've got the stomach. Anyways, we heard that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are here. If so, can you please lead us to their general direction?" The ponies told us that they were in the castle with Princess Cadence.

We walked up the steps and entered the castle. We were greeted by Cadence and Shining Armor. They talked more to Twilight and attended her to medical treatment. Rarity and I decided to talk to Luna and Celestia. "Hello. Um, we heard that you two might know about a cure for this outbreak."

"Yes." Celestia replied. "There is a cure. But, only alicorns have authority to open it. We were sent here before we could give it out. My sister and I have tried going back, but the guards won't let us leave. They insist that we stay here, where it's safe. Perhaps I can give you, Rarity, authority to open the vault containing the cure." Rarity nodded and accepted the honor. "Very well. I shall temporarily grant you my power. Only use this to open the vault. You can only use it once."

"I understand. So, where is the cure?" Rarity asked.

"Back at Canterlot." Luna replied. "It's in the throne room, behind the throne. I wouldn't recommend you to go alone. Take somepony to watch your back. I'd go, but my sister has already told you why I can't." Rarity and I nodded in understanding. We turned around and headed back to the others.

"Good luck my little ponies!" Celestia said to us.
"A new adventure awaits us Rarity. This is the last quest before we end this whole apocalypse. Let's get this done as fast as possible. Allons-y!" We ran out the door and into the sunlight. The others were waiting for us at the front of the castle. Rarity explained everything and what the plan was. Me and her were originally going to go alone, but Rainbow Dash insisted that she went with us. Scootaloo vowed to join as well. Well, here we go. We're about to end this whole epidemic. We can truly say that we survived.

During the train ride, I decided to check on the others. Rarity was telling the others about her accomplishment. Apparently, she finished her garment. I decided to get closer to see what was so special about it.

"It's zombie proof." she started. "It has pads inside the sleeves to protect you from getting bitten. Same with the neck area. This suit covers your whole body except for your face. Sort of like a scuba suit. The pockets here are for holding equipment. I have a couple of holsters on the waist section. This is the perfect zombie repellent. I'll wear it as we enter Canterlot. I want the rest of you to stay on the train."

Rainbow Dash stood up, "No way, I'm coming with you." She turned to me, "Doctor, you take care of Scootaloo." Rarity and Rainbow Dash started arguing as to who should go and who should stay. I just sat there and watched them. After a while, I became furious, "All right, listen up! Rainbow Dash, you stay with Scootaloo. I'll go with Rarity." I went and tore off the break lever to use as a sword. "We are getting that cure and we are going to save Equestria. Better yet, how about we all go? We can cover more ground that way. Any questions?" There was a moment of silence. "No? Good." I opened up the doors, "Allons-y!"

Chapter 8: Not too late (Rarity)

As we exited the train, I noticed that there were more zombies than before. I took the lead and signaled the group to follow me. We ran and tried our best not to alert any zombies. As we entered the castle, there was a loud clang. That one, simple sound alerted the majority of zombies on the street. We tried to barricade the doors as fast as we could. Rainbow Dash was pushing a shelf in front of the entrance until she got bit. I finished her job before attending to her wound. Once the entrance was sealed off, I went over to Rainbow Dash. "I guess this is how my life ends, huh? On the brink of saving Equestria and I end up getting bitten."

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo started. "The incubation period is 5 hours. We can easily get the cure before you turn. Right?" I nodded my head.

"She's right." I said. "All we have to do is find the throne room and open the vault." Rainbow Dash nodded and got up on her hooves.

"Let's go." she said.

We walked the castle for about an hour, looking for the throne room. It was a very big castle and had hundreds of rooms. Twists and turns everywhere, leading us on the wrong path. I was beginning to get worried. We might not be able to find the throne room in ti-

"Found it!" said the Doctor. I stand corrected. We walked up to the throne, then walked behind it. Rainbow Dash lifted up the curtain, revealing the vault. I concentrated on my magic and harnessed Celestia's power. I stuck my horn in the hole on the vault. The door started glowing with magic. In a few seconds, it opened up, revealing a stand holding a serum. I picked it up.

"All right." I said. "Now who has the syringe?" There was no answer. "You mean we left it on the train?" The others looked at me nervously.

Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, "You were the only one that brought a saddle bag. The rest of us left hours in the Crystal Empire." I stood there, socked. We came all this way, just to fail. Sure, we can go back to the train and travel to the Crystal Empire, but then we won't be able to save Rainbow Dash. We all just stood there, staring off into space. None of us knew how we'd be able to cure Rainbow Dash in time. Finally, she spoke up, "Just shoot me. Sacrifices need to be made to succeed in tragedies. I'll be the sacrifice. Shoot me now. I don't want to hold you back."

"NO!" Scootaloo revolted. "I won't let you die. We will save you. You promised me that we'd make it out alive. When you said 'we,' I knew you meant you and me. I won't let you give up so easily. You still have 4 more hours. We can figure out something." Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash just continued arguing while the Doctor and I were thinking. Suddenly, I felt something. Something powerful flowing through my head. Celestia's magic wasn't fully gone, there was still a little bit left.

"Guys! I can get us out of here! I still have a bit of Celestia's magic. Normally, I'd just teleport us to the train. But with Celestia's power, I can take us at least 5 miles away from the Crystal Empire."

"How long will it take us to run 5 miles?" Scootaloo asked.

"At least an hour or two. Enough time to cure Rainbow Dash. Now hold on to me, we're going for a bumpy ride!"

We ran towards the Crystal Empire. "There it I!" I said. "I can just barely see it! We're almost there!" We ran even faster than before. Once we entered the empire, I ran straight to the train station. That's where we dropped our saddle bags. But when I got there, they were gone. "Where are they?" I asked some ponies around and none of them knew what happened to them. I then headed to the castle and ran to the princesses. "I need a syringe!" I demanded. They just looked at me puzzled. "My friend's been bitten and I have the cure, but I don't have a syringe! Please, I need one!" One of the guards came up and informed me that I would need to go to the hospital if I needed a syringe. So, I ran out of the castle. I wasted at least 20 minutes trying to find the hospital. When I finally found it, I entered as fast as I could. I went up to the nurse and asked for a syringe. She asked why I needed one. I simply told her that it was an emergency. She gave me the syringe and I was off.

I ran though the streets for about 30 minutes, trying to find Rainbow Dash. I kept searching and didn't give up. Over at the train station is where I saw them. I ran and made it to them, in just mere minutes before she turns. I grabbed the syringe and extracted some of the cure. I then stabbed the needle into Rainbow Dash. "I know it hurts, dear, but just hang on." I told her. When the cure was fully injected into her bloodstream, I took the needle out of her. Rainbow Dash soon passed out. The Doctor carried her and reunited her with the others. I walked over to the castle to hand over the cure. Finally, this is over.

Alternate End (Happy Ending)

"I got you the snow globe, just like I promised." Were Rarity's last words before she heard someone behind her.

"This can all be fixed you know?" The unicorn turned around and saw a chestnut brown earth pony with a spiky mane and an hourglass for a cutie mark.

"Doctor? What are you doing here?" Rarity asked.

The Doctor just smiled and walked up to her. "Well, s you know, I am a-"

"You're a time traveler, yes I get that. You told me that story. If you're suggesting that we go back in time and prevent any of this from happening, forget it. I don't know as much as you about time, but I do know that the smallest change in the past can drastically change the future. Also, I thought your time machine left you?"

"Ah, yes. About that:

"Apparently, Derpy managed to bring it here just a few minutes ago. She never died, but she was bitten. What took us about 6 months took her only a couple of hours. When she got here, I gave her the cure and started taking back control of the TARDIS. She supposedly dropped the zombie off into space by accident. After that, she tried to pilot the TARDIS from what she's seen me do. It took her a couple of hours, but she made it. A bit late I might add, but she made it.

"And here I am. The TARDIS is right over there" He pointed to a big blue box,right outside the cemetery. "So why don't we go and change all of this. Just this once, Rarity, everypony lives." Rarity tried to take in all of this. Did she want to risk changing the future just to get her friends and family back?

"Let me ask you something." Rarity started, "What gives you the right to change this future and make everything better?"

The Doctor just smiled. "You know, you aren't the first one to ask that. Let me just answer your question as simply as possible. Whether you understand my answer or not is a different story." The Doctor's smile got even bigger. "I can change this part of history, because this isn't a fixed point in time."

Author's Note

You'll only understand what the Doctor means by "fixed point" if you watch Doctor Who. Sorry for the inconvenience of a happy ending for any non Whovians, but at least you have the sad ending.

Epilogue: The End

The cure has been given to ponies all over Equestria. Any remaining zombies were killed on sight. Everything was going well for everyone. Apple Bloom now lives with Rarity as her adopted sister. It's been hard adjusting for the two of them, but they've managed. It's like Apple Bloom sees Applejack in Rarity and Rarity sees Sweetie Belle in Apple Bloom.

It was a sunny day in Ponyville and everypony was either in school or at work. Rarity had different plans though. She was at a cemetery. "Where is it?" the white unicorn asked herself. She was searching for a certain grave. "I know it was somewhere over here." As she wandered, she saw the graves of many ponies that died during the outbreak. Rarity turned around and found what she was looking for. "Aha, there she is. You won this game of hide and seek yet again." She looked down at the grave. On it, read "Here lies Sweetie Belle. Died at age 8 and was a wonderful sister." Rarity couldn't help but tear up a little. While it had been 6 months since she last saw this grave, she never forgot about it. "Here, Sweetie, I got you some flowers." Rarity opened up her saddle bag and placed the flowers in front of the grave. She said some prayers for a few minutes. Before she left, she decided go though her bag again. "Oh, I almost forgot." She took out a shiny object. The white unicorn placed it right next to the flowers. The shiny object was a snow globe that had a miniature version of the Crystal Empire inside of it. "I got you the snow globe, just like I promised."