They come at night... Mostly

I think I'll journey out some day to wondrous lands afar, Or even chart a journey to a distant blazing star. But rest assured that when my journey begs to take its cue, Always know that when I go, this journey takes you too.

~Journey to Be - Mark R Slaughter~

~Scootaloo~

After scaring everypony, we stayed at Rainbow Dash's home for a further three days. The food they'd brought up with them was enough to keep us fed for that long. The main reason we stayed was because it was the safest place to wait until Jaeger got his magic back. I didn't know what was so special about the magic he used, but I did know that I owed my life to it and him. I wasn't in any hurry to leave, though the memory of this place and what I'd attempted to do was weighing on my heart. The walls reminded me of the fact that I'd chosen the easy way out and left Rainbow Dash alone in this scary world. She was awesome, but not enough for this. Leaving her in this world without me felt like a sin, and it hurt.

But distractions, I learned came in many shapes and sizes. My new hero, whenever I would look at him, brought about some sort of emotion I'd only ever felt when around Rainbow Dash. I asked Twilight bout it and she called it 'infatuation'. From what I could understand of her explanation, I was infatuated with Jaeger because of some sort of heroine complex. He was for all intents and purposes, a knight in shining armour through my eyes. It made sense to me that because he saved me, I'd be grateful, but this was something more. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt as though I wanted him to be around me. Like I needed him to be there with me.

Trixie told me it was a little crush, but I knew it wasn't. I wasn't in love with him, but I did love him. It was the same feeling I got around Rainbow Dash. To my surprise, Spike had the answer. He'd felt it around Twilight many times. It was the desire to be a part of their family. Of course Spike would understand. He was like a little brother to Twilight, but ultimately wasn't. Like him, I wanted Rainbow Dash to be my big sister, but it was only in spirit. Now I wanted Jaeger as my Big Brother. I couldn't help but wonder to myself: 'Could things get any more complicated?'

~Rainbow Dash~

So the squirt wanted Jaeger to be her big bro. I could understand that. I told Winona I wanted him to be my 'Daddy', if she knew what I meant... Why I thought she would actually talk back, I don't know, but at least she could keep a secret. That stallion was a miracle worker. Like a Male Twilight, only cooler. What I wouldn't give to have him spank me repeatedly, asking me over and over again: 'Who's your Daddy?!' And I wouldn't answer, just to be naughty and get more spankings-.

"Ready to go, Rainbow Dash?" a voice brought me out of my fantasy. Twilight had peeked her head into the bedroom doorway where I'd been resting for the past few hours in preparation for the long trip ahead of us.

'I was, then you killed the mood for me!!!' I thought to myself. "Sure thing, Twi!" I said, hopping up off of the bed. As I followed her into the main room, I spotted Scootaloo sitting next to Spike, both of whom were keeping very close to Jaeger. Even though it would be another four days before he got his magic back, he radiated an aura of safety that just couldn't be suppressed after his death-defying feat earlier that week. If anypony could protect Scootaloo, it'd be him.

~Trixie~

It all seemed like a dream when I found Twilight at the Library. Since then, the greatest things had happened, veiled in some of the worst things. My past sins towards this town were forgiven and forgotten. I'd helped in my own small way to find Rainbow Dash, and again with Scootaloo. I discovered, along with Twilight and Rainbow Dash that there was at least more than one type of Shade.

I had friends now, and was a part of the team. Spike had woken me up much the same way he would Twilight. Were I not his friend, I doubt he would have bothered. But he did, all the same. Not only that, but both Twilight and Rainbow Dash greeted me warmly. It was as though I'd awoken from a three month long nightmare, and into a paradise the likes of which overshadowed my life before. I belonged, I was loved and I loved back.

Of course the veil returned as I realised that despite my new life with others, we were under a constant threat of danger. Shades and Zombies were simply the immediate threat. The secondary threats were hunger and thirst. With Equestria in a panic, the production of foods would have been put to a halt. The Apple Orchard in Ponyville was such an example. The trees were wilted and the apples rotten with time. With production halted, food would become scarcer and scarcer as time went on, and no doubt we were not the only survivors.

Jaeger had mentioned that Canterlot and the Crystal Empire were still going strong in a constant power struggle against the Shades. Some local factories may still be running, but distribution would have been limited to mere food scraps in order to feed everypony.

Then there was the issue regarding water. With the Pegasi out of commission, the lakes would no doubt dry up within the year. Ocean water would not quench our thirst, but make us even thirstier. Time was not on our side. My new life with my new friends would be very short-lived.

~Twilight~

I knew there were concerns to be addressed. Trixie had made our food and water situation aware to us the previous night. I hadn't even thought about that. Every apocalyptic book I'd read suggested that food would be hard to find, but not depleted entirely over the course of time. We could of course resort to eating the grass on the ground, however, the possibility of infection would be raised substantially.

My concerns did not lie in that subject however. Having labelled Jaeger as the Pony with all the answers, I felt I may have placed too much pressure on him. Given how thin he was when I first met him, it must have been difficult enough for him to fend for himself. Though there were more of us around to help him out, that also meant we needed to gather six times as much as he used to if we were all to make it.

'If we were all to make it'. Make it where? Jaeger himself claimed to be a wanderer, meaning he had no specific destination. I couldn't help but wonder if there was a place we could go that was truly safe. Were the Gryphons suffering the same fate as us? What about the Dragons, or our Saddle Arabian brothers and sisters. Was anyone still safe? Was there anywhere the Shades wouldn't go?

I didn't have the stomach to ask Jaeger these questions, for I feared what the answer might be. After all, what sense would there be in a seemingly unbiased predatory race only targeting a single race? Short of mind control, it made no sense that the Shades wouldn't be viral world-wide. Besides, the zombies showed no signs of being directed, by the Shades or any other external influence. It was all just so wrong. The entire world was wrong.

~Jaeger~

They all seemed so frail. Aside from the viral outbreak of bed-head, they seemed normal, as though they'd grown up with it their whole lives, or rather as though it hadn't really happened. The last three months were torture for me. I'd lost so much to the Shades, and these ponies were taking every day as it came. I envied them their charisma. I'd been broken by the events, but I managed to put myself back together, but there were gaps; gaps I found were being filled by the love surrounding these girls and Spike. Even Winny was becoming a stabilising element for me.

I never would have thought that they could be of so much help to me in the long run. It was only days ago when I first met them, but something about them all just resonated the old life. The life before everything died and burned. I loved the feeling I got from being around them all. And if their remaining friends could bring this kind of feeling to me, then I would scour the seven seas to find them. Twilight and her friends were my chance at redemption.

"Applejack's letter mentioned that they were going to Apple Loosa next to see if they could save any more of the Apple Family. After that's Manehattan, where Rarity's family is." Twilight stated as everypony sat down for the morning report.

"Applejack said that some of her relatives live in Manehattan. Apparently she got her Cutie Mark while she stayed with them. I remember that story because all of them seemed to revolve around Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom." Scootaloo chimed in.

"Ah yes, I remember it well." Dash added, looking back on fond memories. Depending on how she was feeling, she might have been reliving the memory in her head at that moment.

I sighed and went over my mental map of Equestria. "That's two days away without access to a train. With my magic out of action for twice as long, we'll be in that much danger. Not only are Shades and Zombies between here and there, but the Everfree Forest is as well, and that place was dangerous before the Incursion." I said, addressing another issue.

"Be that as it may, we've got little choice. Ponyville has been picked clean of food and water. One way or another, we have to leave. We might as well leave in the direction our friends went." Twilight retorted.

"If we're going through the Everfree Forest, we can get food at Zecora's hut. Nopony besides us went there before, and the wildlife doesn't go near the hut. If anywhere's safe for us to wait for Jaeger's magic to return, it'd be there." Scootaloo offered.

Twilight seemed to pause for consideration. "Nice work, Squirt! Way to use the noggin." praised Dash. Scootaloo let a blush form on her cheeks.

"Is Zecora somepony I should know about?" I asked.

"She's a Zebra Shaman who lives in the middle of the Everfree. She's as kind as Fluttershy, and as talented in potions as Twilight is in magic. She even speaks in rhymes which is pretty cool, though hard to do. I tried it once, hoping to get a Cutie Mark in that area, but it was just too stressful." said Scootaloo.

With this new information, I considered the overall threat to our lives. If this Zecora was able to fend off even the Shades, then her home would surely be the safest place to be until I got my magic back. "What do you think, Twilight?" I asked. Judging by the look on her face, I could tell she wasn't expecting to make the final decision for me. Nevertheless, she rose to the challenge.

"Zecora is a good friend of ours. She's helped us on a number of occasions. If anywhere in the Everfree is safe, it's at her hut." she replied. With my decision to trust her judgement, I steeled myself to venture essentially unarmed into the Tartarus Equestria had become.

"Lead the way, Twilight." I said.

It was a short trip from Rainbow's home to the borders of the Everfree Forest. Just another one of the benefits of a small town like Ponyville. Even though it was early morning, no light made it past the first few meters within the treeline. I instructed Twilight and Trixie to ignite their horns to light the way. An obvious idea to be sure, but better to address any ideas rather than expect others to come up with the same conclusion. I felt Scootaloo hugging me tightly as she stared into the forest. She too could feel the increase in the air the forest gave off. It was as though the forest itself was warning us not to venture in. But we had no choice. The trail to Twilight's friends lay beyond there, and the only chance of survival we had was through the forest, even if a slim chance it was.

"The forest seems more menacing than before, like its infected with the same virus that reanimates the dead." Twilight commented. Winona whimpered in agreement, her tail hanging between her hind legs.

"Like it has a cold or something?" asked Scootaloo.

"Simply put." Twilight confirmed.

"No." I retorted, looking at the trees more closely. "It's more like it's realized something has happened and it's on the defensive. It's warning us not to come in. Threatening us. It's quarantined itself and we're walking into a hazardous zone. It doesn't want any more intruders." I explained, reaching forward to touch one of the trees. As if in response, the wind sounded from within, sounding like a low and menacing growl.

"We can't go back. Our friends might still be in Apple Loosa. I won't cut corners with this." Twilight declared. I looked around to the others and their expressions were each ones of determination. Twilight's dedication to her friends gave them all the will to move forward, to follow her. Twilight was a Natural leader, yet for some reason, she was following my guidance as if I were some sort of messiah in this never-ending desert of pain and suffering.

I found myself not wanting to disappoint. I hadn't done so yet. I'd just brought a foal back from the clutches of death, potentially endangering us all in the process, yet they felt safe around me. If only I could feel safe around them. If only my friends were here with me. If only.