“If becoming an undead monster does not require a bite, then it seems our survival has become a greater fight.”

The crowd of ponies had gathered on the platform around the caboose. Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash had taken a step back to let Zecora examine Jubiliee’s body. Rainbow Dash looked back and forth between the crowd and Zecora. “Now hold up, since when? Zombies spread by biting ponies. Every boo…um zombie movie I’ve seen does that.”

Twilight’s eyes finally moved away from Jubiliee’s body. “Yes, but the thing is, Rainbow, those were all fictional. We’ve never had a real zombie to compare them to.” Twilight explained. Twilight turned her attention to the crowd. I have to say something.

Spike folded his arms. “That probably explains why there are so many of them.” He uttered. Zecora reached over and closed Jubiliee’s eyes. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as Zecora started muttering something to herself in her native language.

“She really doesn’t deserve what ever you’re doing.” Rainbow Dash noted. Zecora looked back with a stoic expression. “She did some pretty bad things.”

“Perhaps. Though your argument assumes she did not feel guilt. Ending her own life reveals what she felt.” Zecora lifted Jubiliee’s body onto her back. “As with any lost life this pony deserves to be buried.” She turned to face Twilight. “As for the townsponies, your long absence has left many worried.”

Twilight nodded. “Me too.” Twilight and Spike stepped out of the caboose to address the crowd. However before Twilight could even open her mouth to speak, Flitter burst forth from the crowd, giving Twilight a big hug. “Um, Flitter? What are you…”

Flitter started to cry. “Thank you, princess.”

Thank you? Twilight asked herself. She glanced over at Rarity, who was still clutching Sweetie Belle close. Rarity simply shrugged. Twilight turned her attention back to Flitter. “I’m not sure what you mean. I know we were gone longer than planned but I’m not sure what we did since we left.”

Flitter raised her head, revealing eyes filled with tears. “You put my sister out of her misery. Thank you, thank you.” Flitter let go of Twilight and began kissing her hooves. Twilight’s face turned bright red.

Oh, right. Cloudchaser. Twilight thought to herself. “Um, Flitter, you don’t need to do this.” Twilight said. Within seconds of speaking, Flitter rose to her hooves, her face inches from Twilight’s.

“Of course I do! Cloudchaser died because of me! I had to make things right and you saved her! Please, your majesty, let me make it up to you!” Flitter begged. Twilight swallowed hard. This kind of behavior was exactly what she was afraid would happen ever since she gained her wings. She looked at the dozens of ponies on the platform. Their eyes all fixated on her.

“I understand you are all scared. I am too. I’m sure all of us could use a respite after everything that has happened over this week.” Twilight turned her attention to Rarity. “Rarity, do you think you can get the spa working again?” She asked. Rarity smiled.

“Absolutely. Give me a few hours and everypony in town will be in heaven.” Rarity boasted.

“Good. Take a team of ponies with you. There might still be some zombies in the area.” Twilight ordered. Trixie emerged from the crowd, her head held high.

“We have been removing these undead monsters for the past few days. Trixie can continue to so while your friend does her sweep of the spa area.” Trixie explained. Twilight approached, making Trixie feel a knot in her stomach. What is this feeling? She thought to herself.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Trixie.” Twilight replied.

“There’s something I never thought I’d hear.” Spike muttered to himself. His attention quickly shifted to Rarity as she gently pulled him close.

“I’d like you come with me, Spikey-wikey. Would you like that?” Rarity asked. Spike felt himself become tongue tied as he struggled to say something, anything coherent. “Great.” Rarity turned her attention back to Twilight. “We will be back soon.”

Rarity glanced around the area. The spa was a couple dozen yards away, but something stopped her.

“What are we waiting for?”

Rarity looked back at the small group that had joined her. Spike, Trixie and Thunderlane were uneasy, though Pinkie didn’t’ look worried at all. Rarity groaned at the sight of the Cake Twins in her saddlebag.

“Pinkie Pie, darling. You should not have come with the twins. This is too dangerous for babies.” Rarity argued.

“That’s what I said.” Thunderlane added. Pinkie glanced back at him, which made Thunderlane shut up immediately.

“Don’t you worry. I’ve taken good care of Pound and Pumpkin before and that isn’t going to change.” Pinkie reassured. Spike was more convinced that it was simply good luck on Pinkie’s part that nothing had happened to the Cake Twins yet, but arguing with Pinkie never went well in the past, so he just shrugged and accepted it.

“Oh very well. We better go.” Rarity noted. Slowly the group started trotting towards the spa. A single zombie pegasus was flying around the windows. It turned its head to snarl at the group just long enough to get a firework to the face fired at it by Trixie. Rarity reached out with her magic, slowly opening the door. She screamed as several zombie ponies started pouring out of the spa.

“Watch out!” Spike screamed, spitting out a volley of fire from his mouth. The zombie ponies were quickly caught ablaze, but showed no reaction to it whatsoever. Thunderlane hovered into the air to get a better view.

“You stay down here and help Trixie!” Trixie roared, setting off another firework in a zombie unicorn’s mouth.

“Just trust me. I got this.” Thunderlane promised. He then flew downward, slamming down onto a zombie Earth Pony’s back, snapping its spine. A pair of zombie ponies bit down on Pinkie’s skirt.

“Not for you!” Pinkie called out, leaping backward, squishing the zombie ponies flat against the ground. One of the zombie ponies snarled at Pound. The baby pegasus laughed as he jabbed his hoof into its skull. That’s my boy. Pinkie thought to herself.

Spike jammed his claws into the skull of another zombie pony, spurting blood all over the young dragon. “For crying out loud. How did they even get in there?” He asked, trying to pull his claws free. A zombie unicorn trotted slowly towards Spike.

“Spike!” Rarity cried out. Spike held his free claw to his chin, remembering when the zombie pony in Dodge Junction seemed to ignore him.

This is going to get nasty. Spike thought to himself. “Hang on Rarity, I got an idea.” Spike called out. He took a breath before stabbing his free claw into the zombie pony’s stomach, pulling its guts out, letting it blood and intestines spill out all over him.

“Spike that is disqusting.” Rarity uttered. The approaching zombie pony finally reached Spike. He felt his heart race as fast as it could.

Come on! Please work!

SPLAT!

Spike opened his eyes. Thunderlane was standing on top of the zombie pony, having landed on top of its head from above.

“You really shouldn’t just stand around.” Thunderlane noted. Spike facepalmed.

“I was trying something.” Spike said. He looked around. Pinkie and Trixie had killed the remaining zombie ponies, save one, though it was floating higher and higher into the air, several balloons tied to its forelegs. “Well so much for my idea.”

“You! The little dragon!” Trixie pointed a hoof at Spike. “Were you bitten!”

Spike stumbled back. “What! No! I did this to myself!” He cried. Rarity shuttered at all the guts lathered all over Spike.

“If you didn’t need a spa treatment before you certainly need one now, Spikey.” Rarity muttered.

“Yeah. I know.” Spike replied. “It’s just, back in Dodge Junction, a zombie didn’t notice me when I was covered in blood. It was like it thought I was a zombie too.”

“Makes sense to me.” Pinkie chimed in. Somehow Spike wasn’t surprised. Trixie pushed her way past Spike, magically pulled some guts out of a zombie, and lathered it all over her face.

“Goodness gracious, Trixie! You don’t need to do that too!” Rarity exclaimed. Trixie raised an eyebrow.

“There might be more in there. I am not taking that chance.” Trixie argued. Pinkie put a hoof to her shoulder before a lit candle appeared over her head.

“Oh! Acting like zombies to fool them! Lets try it. Pass me that zombie’s liver please.” Pinkie said with excitement in her voice. Rarity groaned.

“Come on Rarity. We have to at least try.” Spike argued.

My kingdom for a nice hot bath.

Ew. I don’t think this pony’s food was fully digested. Rarity thought to herself. She opened her eyes, looking at the rest of the group, who likewise were covered in the blood and gore of the zombie ponies. “Ok. Lets just do this. For the town.” Rarity uttered. She took a huge breath before taking a step into the Spa. A zombie pony was hanging over the information desk. Pinkie trotted further into the spa. A fallen zombie opened its mouth, but otherwise showed no reaction to her.

“I think its working.” Pinkie whispered. The rest of the group spread out through the building. Spike opened the door leading to the sauna. A week’s worth of steam burst forth from the door. Spike had to wave his claws to see through the steam. A pair of badly burned zombie ponies were lying on the wooden benches.

Here goes nothing. Spike stepped into the sauna. The blood all over him started to steam as well. But the zombie ponies didn’t notice Spike’s arrival. He took a huge gulp before approaching one of the zombie ponies, staring it right in the face. Its head was slightly moving, but other wise didn’t seem to notice Spike. The young dragon smiled with pride. I think its working. He quickly stabbed his claw into its skull, killing the zombie. The other one moved its head towards Spike. Quickly thinking he stabbed it in the head with his other claw.

“Spike! What’s going on in there!” Rarity called out from outside.

“Nothing, Rarity! I just know its working!”

Rarity approached a linen closet. The door was shaking. She couldn’t make out the words, but Rarity was able to make out that it wasn’t the snarls and groans of a zombie pony.

“Is some pony there?”

“Go away!”

“Please! We don’t want any trouble!”

Rarity recognized those voices anywere. “Aloe? Lotus? Is that you?”

The door opened, and a pair of earth ponies mares, one with a pink coat and blue mane, and the other with a blue coat and pink mane, tumbled out of the closet, their limbs still tangled together. “Rarity? What happened to you?” The blue pony, Lotus, asked.

“You look like you took a bath in blood.” The pinky pony, Aloe, added. Rarity looked down at her blood soaked coat.

“That’s not too far off.” Rarity waved her hoof at Thunderlane on the other side of the room. “Thunderlane, could you give me a hoof over here? These two need a respite and fast.” Rarity ordered. Thunderlane approached. Lotus had to leap back into the closet at the sight of the bloody stallion.

“Why do mares always look at me like that?” Thunderlane asked. Rarity eyed up the stallion.

“Darling, I believe it may have something to do with the blood. Because I don’t think it’s because of your stature.” Rarity commented.

She thinks I look good? Thunderlane asked himself. He turned his attention to the Spa ponies. “You haven’t been in there all week have you?”

Aloe felt up her shoulders, her lip trembling. Lotus hugged her sister, hoping to comfort her. “We got scared. There were so many of them out there.” Aloe muttered. Soft enough that Rarity could barely hear her.

“Please. Forgive us.” Lotus said. Rarity wanted to put a hoof on her shoulder, but hesitated because of the blood. “When this all started, we took cover and…after a couple hours we heard hooves banging on the walls outside.”

Aloe slammed her eyes shut. “It was those monsters!” She screamed. “Not ponies!”

“Well we did make a break from Town Hall to the Castle. You might have heard us.” Thunderlane rationalized. Lotus shook her head.

“Its not that. We heard ponies. Ponies who wanted in.” Lotus started to shake.

“NO! IT WAS THE MONSTERS!” Aloe roared. Rarity put a hoof to her mouth.

They wouldn’t have… no! Not Aloe and Lotus. They would never just ignore cries for help. Rarity thought to herself. “Darlings don’t think about it. Lets just open up the Spa. The townsponies could use it. I wouldn’t mind a nice bath myself.” She explained.

“I-its safe?” Aloe asked.

Rarity gave a warm smile. “It is safe.” She reassured.

“Oooooohhhh. I didn’t think a hot tub could be this comfortable.” Twilight leaned her head against the side of the tub. Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were likewise in relaxing in the tub as well.

“Feels good doesn’t it?” Scootaloo noted, waving a hoof in the air. Her wings sprung open.

“Ops.” Sweetie Belle said with a smirk. Scootaloo scrunched up her face in embaressment. Rainbow Dash pulled the young pegasus closer.

“Ah, you’ll get used to it.” Rainbow Dash looked back over at Twilight. “After all, it didn’t’ take long before your wings popped out too.”

“Not all of us have had wings their whole life.” Twilight snapped, sinking deeper into the water. Spike reached his claws around his back, feeling an itch.

“Give it some time.” He muttered, hoping nopony would hear him. Rarity however, did notice his words.

“Time for what, Spikey?” She asked. Spik snapped his head up in response.

“Oh nothing. Nothing. Just thinking about…well, I’m going to have wings too. Someday.” Spike replied. Scootaloo looked back at her own wings.

Me too. Real wings.

Aloe climbed up the steps to the tub, carrying a large bucket of hot water in her mouth. “Would any pony care for more?” She asked. Rarity’s eyes widened.

“Absolutely.” Rarity noted. Slowly Aloe poured the hot water onto Rarity’s head. Rarity let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Finally. No undead monsters. No crazy ponies. We can just relax.” Rarity said. Twilight nodded.

At least for now. She thought. She knew they would need to leave and find more survivors, but at least for now things seemed calm. “Perhaps this will give Applejack the time she needs.” Twilight suggested.

“What’s she up to anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Sweetie Belle emerged from the water, brushing her mane out of her eyes. “Applebloom said she and the rest of the Apples are going to the steam room.” She looked up at her older sister. “What happened to Applejack while you were gone? She was so quiet.”

Rarity didn’t answer. Explaining what happened in Dodge Junction was something she was hoping she wouldn’t need to repeat. Sweetie is innocent. She doesn’t need to know.

Of course not everypony was relaxing in one of the hot tubs, mud baths, or saunas. Trixie felt severe guilt as she watched Twilight and her friends bathe. Of course Twilight was the only one she was actually focusing on.

“Checking out the princess are we?”

Trixie lept back in surprise, bumping into Cloud Kicker. “What are you doing?” Trixie snapped.

“Hey, don’t mind me, I won’t judge. She’s cute in her own, bookworm kind of way.” Cloud Kicker insisted. Trixie gritted her teeth.

“That isn’t what Trixie was doing. I was simply…. on the look out. You never know when more of those creatures are going to appear.” Trixie argued. Cloud Kicker raised an eyebrow and smirked. “It. Is. True.”

Cloud Kicker couldn’t help but laugh. “Funny, but I know that look when I see it.”

“Yes. You no doubt gave it to every pony in this town.”

“Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. I imagine a lot of ponies are having that particular brand of fun right now.” Cloud Kicker shrugged. “Heck, I was planning on joining Blossomforth in one of those hot tubs for a pony ride later on.” Trixie rubbed her eyes in disgust.

“Uh, why did you feel the need to bring that up?” Trixie took her hat off, shaking her head.

“Because you want to get a pony ride from Princess Twilight. If you were really wanted to ‘be on the look out’ you’d be outside on guard duty with Bulk Biceps.” Cloud Kicker noted. Trixie felt her heart racing and her cheeks flushing.

“Fine. That is exactly what I am going to do.” Trixie snapped, stomping towards the door.

“Whatever. I still ain’t convinced.” Cloud Kicker muttered. She thought that she should just go join Blossomforth, but Cloud Kicker’s curiousity got the better of her. Surely enough she flapped her wings once before following Trixie outside.

“Ok, that wasn’t what I was expecting.” Cloud Kicker uttered to herself. A Group of rugged looking ponies were surrounding Bulk Biceps, pointing sharpened pieces of wood at the massive stallion. Eight mares, and seven stallions, mostly pegasi in striped jumpsuits.

“You just need to stand back. Nopony needs to get hurt.” The lone earth pony stallion among the group muttered. Trixie stomped her hoof down.

“What is the meaning of this!” She cried. One of the mares looked over at Trixie. Before Trixie or Cloud Kicker could react, she tossed her ball and chain, whacking Cloud Kicker across the face with the ball, and striking Trixie with the chain. The Earth pony stallion raised his hoof.

“Easy now. We’re already considered neighsayers before. We can still be civil.” He argued. Cloud Kicker flew a few feet into the air.

“You want to explain what a bunch of neighsayers are doing here?” She asked. The earth pony stallion, the one she assumed was the leader, calmly trotted over to her.

“Well, being in a dungeon is hardly the best place to be in any situation. Much less when there are undead trotting around Equestria. We figured we have to find a place to stay. And I have to say, Ponyville here is quite tempting.” He turned back to his fellow Neighsayers. “Am I right?”

“Aye!” They called out in unison.

“I see. Any reason you have your weapons pointed at our friend?” Cloud Kicker asked. The Lead Neighsayer ruffled a hoof through his short mane.

“Well, here’s the thing. We have a lot of friends ourselves. More than that you see here. Obviously this town isn’t big enough to hold both our friends, and your friends.” Cloud Kicker heard a wizing sound. She instinctively flew out of the way as another spear wized past her. Bulk Biceps punched four of the Neighsayers in a row before feeling a shape pain in his side. One of the pegasi had stabbed him between his ribs. Trixie lept back as two of the Neighsayers flew towards her. Cloud Kicker punched a Neighsayer with all her might in between his hindlegs, flooring him instantly.

“Hey, hey!” The Lead Neighsayer called out, trying to calm his followers. Before he could continue, Trixie grabbed him from behind, shoving a firework in his mouth.

“Stop!” One of the Neighsayer mares cried. The fighting stopped, as all eyes turned to Trixie.

“We just need a place to stay. Let him go.” Another Neighsayer explained. Trixie looked at the Lead Neighsayer. He nodded back.

“Is that so? ” Trixie stated. Her horn starting to glow. Cloud Kicker got back to her hooves.

“Let him go, and we’ll find somewhere else. Please lady. He’s the only one keeping us together.” A third Neighsayer explained. Trixie eyed up the Neighsayer. Several scars on his hooves and face made her doubtful.

“If she lets your man go, you’ll leave?” Cloud Kicker asked. One of the Neighsayers nodded. Trixie looked down at the Lead Neighsayer. He wasn’t scared. She turned her attention to the other Neighsayers, all of whom were looking on with fear.

I have a good thing going in Ponyville. And I’m not going to let some Neighsayers ruin it now. Trixie lit the firework.

“Liar.”

Twilight emerged fromt the spa with Spike and Fluttershy in tow.

“Well that was nice…. OH MY GOODNESS!” Fluttershy exclaimed. Right outside the spa, all of the Neighsayers laid dead on the ground, surrounding Trixie. Cloud Kicker and Bulk Biceps were still picking themselves up from the fight.

“Wha-what happened here?” Twilight asked. Cloud Kicker wiped some blood off her face.

“Trixie happened.” She replied. Twilight approached Trixie, careful to step over the bodies.

“Trixie. What did you do?”

Trixie slowly turned her head to face Twilight. “I protected Ponyville.”

Author's Note

And to think, when I started this chapter I intended it to be a breather chapter.