Beating an Undead Pony

“You got to be somewhere under here!”

Pinkie’s hooves started to ache. She had been digging at the mountain of rubble that used to be the train station all night. She twisted her neck to face the Cake Twins keeping watch. “Anything yet?”

“No zombie!”

“Ponies here!”

Pinkie wiped the sweat from her forehead. “You’re doing great. Just keep looking.” Pinkie resumed digging. “I’ll have our friends out in no time.” Pinkie muttered, her voice quivering from exhaustion. Gotta get you out of there. Gotta get you out of here.

Pinkie stopped herself. A sharp pain ran down the scar on her neck. The Cake Twins, noticing Pinkie’s pain, crawled over to her side. “Its ok. Mommy and Daddy Pinkie is a-ok. Don’t you worry.” She managed to babble out. Pinkie’s vision began to blur. She didn’t want to stop, she was determined to continue, but her body was aching all over. Finally Pinkie’s legs gave out, making her slump onto her belly.

“Pinkie.”

“Pie.”

Pinkie struggled with all her strength to stay awake. “I’m ok. Just. Need…” Pinkie tried to say more, but ultimately couldn’t hold back her sleepyness any longer, and passed out. Pound and Pumpkin exchanged worried glances before crawling over to Pinkie. Pound started pushing Pinkie’s side with his forehooves.”

“Wake up.”

“Pinkie Pie.”

Pumpkin looked up at the zombie dragon still buried up to its neck in the rubble. Bits of rock around its neck began to slide downward. Pumkin reached out with her still volatile foal magic, stopping the rocks in place. “Yay!”

The zombie dragon now had a good look at the Cake Twins, it began to stir. More debris began to fall. “No!” Pound held up his hooves, catching a rock that was easily four times bigger than he was. “Pumpkin.”

Pumpkin reached out with her magic again, lifting the boulder so her brother could move. The zombie dragon’s struggle started to pay off, as it managed to get one of its giant claws free. Fear filled the Cake Twins as rocks tumbled towards them. Pound flapped his wings to get airborne, but dust filled his little foal lungs, making him hesitate. The little pegasus foal coughed loudly, which only hastened the zombie dragon’s urge.

“Pinkie.”

“Wake up!”

But Pinkie wouldn’t budge. The zombie dragon pulled on its buried claw again, tearing it off from the elbow down. Using its remaining claw, the zombie dragon started to drag itself towards the Cake Twins. Pound held his forehooves against his eyes, his young mind trying to form more than two words at a time. “Pinkie. Help.” He managed to blurt out.

Terrified, Pumpkin pushed against Pinkie’s side. Her plan was to roll Pinkie along the ground to get her out of the way. Seeing what his sister was doing, Pound landed next to her and helped push. His near super strength was enough to get Pinkie's unconscious form to start moving.

"Pound stop!"

Pound did as he was told. Pumpkin pointed to Pinkie's neck. Pushing her along the ground had reopened Pinkie's neck wound. "Push?"

Pumpkin shook her head. "Pull."

Pound hovered into the air, still holding onto Pinkie's side. Using Pound's strength and Pumpkin's magic, the Cake Twins found moving Pinkie was now a lot easier. "Should have."

"Thought of.....this...." Pumpkin scrunched her little filly face, struggling to form the words.

"Before?"

"Yeah."

The Cake Twins were feeling confident as they brought Pinkie towards a near by building, a motel that looked like it had been run down long before any zombie pony appeared in Equestria. Unfortunately they had little understanding of how to be gentle, and ended up slamming Pinkie against the entry way. Pumpkin crawled into the lobby, eager to find somepony else inside. The receptionist was still sitting at her desk, her back facing away from the entrance. "Help." Pumpkin squeaked. The receptionist turned her head, and collapsed behind her desk. "Lady?"

Pound flew to his sister's side. His lip quivered as the receptionist crawled out from behind the counter, revealing the lower half of her body was missing. The Cake Twins simply couldn't help themselves as they started crying. Their high pitched wails rang through Pinkie's ears, the familiar sounds of their cries reaching her brain.

Pound Cake? Pumpkin Cake? Pinkie's mind began racing. Her eyelids felt heavy, she wanted to open them. "G-gum-gummy." Pinkie struggled to mutter. She could feel her mane moving on its own, followed by the distinct feeling of a baby alligator crawling down her body. Go get em, Gummy.

Pinkie tried to move her legs, slowly but surely managing to get a hoof up to her neck. She could tell that the warm liquid she was feeling around her neck was her own blood. Must have had another accident.

"YAY!" Two tiny voices rang out. Two voices that Pinkie loved hearing. "P-pound. Pumpkin."

"Pinkie!"

"Pie!"

Pinkie mustered all her strength to open her eyes. The Cake Twins were cuddled up beside her. "Your ok." Pinkie put her forelegs around the Cake Twins, giving them a big hug. At least to the best of her abilities given her lack of stamina at the moment. As the Cake Twins nuzzled up against Pinkie's belly, she turned her attention to Gummy. The big eyed alligator baby was standing still by the receptionist zombie pony's severed head. "Good boy, Gummy." Pinkie closed her eyes, feeling as proud of her faithful pet. Until she felt a familiar twitch in her tail. "Uh oh."

"Pinkie clutched onto the Cake Twins and forced herself away from the entryway. Which she was really happy about because after a second passed, debris from the giant pile of rocks and dirt started pouring into the hotel lobby.

"That. Was...."

"Too. Close...."

Pinkie took a deep breath. "Tell me about it." Pinkie rested her head against the receptionist's desk. As it shook, something fell off the desk and onto Gummy. Pinkie's jaw dropped as she got a good look. It was a golden toupee, the same one she had given to her friend Cranky some time ago. The Cake Twins laughed at the sight of Gummy wearing the hair piece, but Pinkie was filled with dread. No. Not Cranky too. Please not him too.

Woosh!

A gust of wind blew through the entry way, blowing dirt into Pinkie's face. She and the Cake Twins started coughing for a full minute before stopping. Pinkie rubbed her eyes before smiling once again. "Rainbow! Fluttershy!"

Rainbow Dash was standing tall and proud in the entry way, with Fluttershy clinging to her side. "See? Told you a Sonic Rainboom would get us out of there." Rainbow Dash boasted. Fluttershy barely had any time to react before Pinkie leapt forward, giving the two a big hug, her eyes watery from both joy and the dust.

"Your alive!" Pinkie cried. "I knew you'd be ok! I just knew it!" Fluttershy simply smiled back, though Rainbow Dash felt the need to speak up.

"Of course. We couldn't leave you like that." feeling Pinkie's grip becoming tighter, Rainbow Dash let out a little cough. "Pinkie. Your doing that thing again." Pinkie quickly leapt backwards.

"Opsie. Got carried away there."

Fluttershy examined Pinkie's neck wound. "Oh dear. We should bandage that." Before Fluttershy could do anything, a loud "Thump" came from outside. The zombie dragon was mostly free from the rubble, only its legs were still buried. It's remaining claw reached through the walls of the motel, its head blocking the entry way. The Cake Twins started crying again.

"Move! Now!" Rainbow Dash ordered, pushing Fluttershy and Pinkie away from the entrance. Unfortunately the zombie dragon's arm was now fully in the lobby, its claw reaching downward towards the group. "Not on my watch!" Rainbow Dash said with defiance. She flapped her wings as hard as she positioning herself directly towards the zombie dragon's face.

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy called out. The zombie dragon lifted its upper jaw, unable to bite down on Rainbow Dash as her wings picked up speed.

"Just what I wanted." Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. Once the zombie dragon's jaw was high enough, she took off, becoming a streak of rainbow light, flying straight through the zombie dragon's head. The zombie dragon's claw stopped moving as the massive undead beast's brain finally stopped working. Picking up the Cake Twins, Pinkie slowly climbed up the zombie dragon's snout, and out of the motel. Fluttershy didn't want to be scared. She knew the dragon was dead, it simply couldn't hurt her or anypony else. But that didn't stop her from hesitating. She noticed Gummy following her master outside, which helped her muster her courage.

I can do this.

Fluttershy lifted herself off the ground, hovering a few inches in the air as she followed Pinkie outside. Once outdoors, she could see Rainbow Dash, covered in the zombie dragon's blood and gore, flying in circles.

"And that is how you take out a dragon! Boom!" The thrill of victory had gotten to Rainbow Dash's head, and she knew it. Eh, a little pride every once in a while.

"I'm just glad we made it out of there in one piece." Fluttershy noted. "I just hope Twilight and the others are safe."

Rainbow Dash shook her mane, getting dragon blood on Fluttershy and Pinkie, though only the former seemed to care. "Your not the only one." Rainbow Dash replied. The three friends glanced back at the remains of the train station. Wordless, they approached the stairway to the lower levels, which were still blocked off by rocks and debris. "They better be safe."

Hot water never bothered Spike. It was always a good indicator for him that he would be taking a shower first whenever the water was too hot for Twilight. So the shower in nursing station he and the others discovered having only hot water wasn't an issue. Though he couldn't tell what was louder; the rushing water, or the clattering of loose scales falling off his body. He opened his eyes. Through the steam he could see Twilight and Applejack tending to Rarity on the nearby bed.

"Let me see her." Spike grumbled. Twilight glanced back over at her friend.

"We can't have you shedding scales all over Rarity while she recovers." Twilight nodded to Applejack, who was applying disinfectant to Rarity's stump. She nodded, giving Twilight the incentive to speak up again. "Don't worry, Spike. We'll take good care of her."

Spike looked at his raw, scaleless arms. They seemed a bit longer than they usually were, which would certainly take some getting used to. "I'm ok. Really." Spike reassured.

Applejack finished wrapping bandages around Rarity's stump, tying them as tightly as she could. "Not that we don't believe ya, Spike. But that ain't best for Rarity at the moment."

"I can help!"

Twilight pushed the shower curtain open. Spike's new skin was a much darker shade of purple than his old one, the loose scales now filled the shower up to the young dragon's knees. "Yes you can. In a minute. You still got a little left." Twilight explained. Spike groaned, slamming his back against the shower. The remaining scales on his back broke with a loud "Crunch" His raw skin hurt as he touched the shower walls, but he didn't care. "Spike..."

"I said I'm fine!" He lied. "I want to see Rarity!" Tired after a very long night, Twilight let out a big sigh.

"Ok." Instinctively Twilight reached out with her magic as Spike tried to get out of the shower, stopping him from moving. "But after you get the last of the scales out. You still have some around your... um...."

"I see it." Spike said. He slammed his fist between his legs, the remaining scales breaking instantly. He bit his tongue hard to keep himself from screaming.

Applejack crossed her hind legs. "Wow. Ah felt that. And Ah ain't even a stallion."

Spike coughed "Glad Someone else shares the pain." Spike stood upright, revealing that he was now as tall as Twilight. His new wings were at least two feet long, and his snout was longer than a mare's but not quite as long as a stallion's. "Can I see Rarity now?"

Twilight wordlessly turned off the shower and gave Spike a towel with her magic. Normally Spike had no problem with towels, he loved how soft they came out after laundry day. But the touch against his new skin made him go slower than he normally would. Once he was done, he stretched his wings and stepped out of the shower. The hard floor was cold, which made him walk even slower. Eventually he reached Rarity's side. "Rarity. Rarity? It's me. Spike."

"Ah don't think she can hear ya, Spike. Rare's out cold." Applejack noted. Spike looked at Rarity's stump.

"I don't care what his excuse is. When I find Fancy Pants, I'm burning him alive!" Spike growled. He reached a claw out to touch Rarity's face, but stopped short. "AGH! I can't even touch her! Why did I have to molt NOW of all times!"

"Spike. We know what your going through...." Twilight began to say, but Spike was quick to interrupt.

"Understand? Understand! How! You want to go ahead and touch somepony, you are able to go right ahead and do it! You want a pony ride from Rainbow's dad, nothing's stopping you!" Spike sat down hard on the floor, his new, longer tail stinging from the impact. "But.... can't be with Rarity. I never could. I love her, but...she's a beautiful, grown mare. I'm just a dragon. A baby dragon. And now I can't even be by her side while she's hurt. All because of this!" Spike ranted, holding up his sharp claws. "Part of me always knew it was pointless. Hoping Rarity could feel the same way about me that I do about her. Just....never really sank in until now."

Twilight and Applejack sat down next to Spike. "Don't say thing's like that." Applejack said. "Ya care about her. She knows ya care. That's all that matters."

"Exactly. Spike, Rarity still sees you as a good friend." Twilight added. "Just like I do. And Applejack. And Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. Right?"

"Right." Applejack took off her hat. "Spike. Ya ain't the only one worried about Rarity's well bein'. We don't know what's gonna happen to her." Applejack looked up at Rarity. "Best we can do now is wait until she's well enough to travel. And hope Rainbow and the others made it out ok."

Spike felt his stomach turn. He had been so fixated on Rarity loosing her leg that he completely forgot about the others. "Whatever." Spike stood up. I'll stay here. Watch over Rarity."

"You don't have to do that by yourself, Spike." Twilight reassured. "We can take care of her together." Twilight got back up so she could talk to Spike eye-to-eye. "You don't have to blame yourself for what happened."

Spike shook his head. "Don't worry. I don't. I blame Fancy Pants." Spike continued gazing at Rarity. "He's going to pay."

"That isn't what Rarity would have wanted." Twilight reminded. Spike swallowed hard.

"I know. I just.... I don't know....Grah!" Spike punched the floor, breaking the tiles and hurting his hand. Applejack picked her hat back up, but didn't put it on her head.

"Twi. Can Ah talk to ya for a sec?"

While Spike's attention was turned fully to Rarity's unconscious form, Applejack pulled Twilight out of the nursing station, and into the mall outside. "What do ya really think?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't go playin' no pronoun game with me, Twi. Ya'll were holdin' back. Think Ah can't tell?" Applejack looked over Twilight's shoulder to get a better view of Rarity. "About her recoverin'. Not what Spike wanted to hear."

Twilight scratched her mane. "I-I think she'll be ok."

"Twilight."

Twilight lowered her head. "She lost a lot of blood. I mean, cutting her leg off might have worked but..."

"Yeah that's what I thought." Applejack said. "Look here, Twilight. Ah'll tell it to ya straight. We ain't goin' anywhere until we know what is gonna happen. But Ah don't want to see Rarity turn into a trotter." Applejack closed her eyes. "A'm not gonna see it. If it happens.....Ah don't think Ah'll be able to do it."

Well that wasn't the reaction I was expecting. Twilight thought to herself. "I don't think I could bring myself to do it either."

"Exactly what Ah was thinkin'. And Ah know Spike certainly won't go through with it. So what do ya want to do?" Applejack asked. "If it was me in thar, I'd hope ya'll would put me down without a second thought."

"Applejack! How could you say that!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Better dead than undead. But that's me. We're talking about Rarity. If we can't go through with it, and we don't want to see her turn into a trotter, than what does that leave us with?"

"I don't know." Twilight looked away. Applejack grinded her teeth in frustration.

"Ya gotta know! Yer the smart one! Yer the princess! Yer the one who put down Mayor Mare...."

"THAT WAS DIFFERENT!" Twilight roared, her voice sounding like booming thunder, and her eyes glowing with magical energy. Twilight rubbed her eyes, trying to cancel out her spell. "Lets just....wait and see." Twilight spun around to go back into the nursing station. She felt disheartened when she saw Spike glaring at her. "How much of that did you hear?"

Spike walked around Rarity's bed side solely so he could have his back turned away from Twilight. "Everything." Twilight didn't need a mirror to tell that her face was now as white as Rarity's coat.

Sunlight peaked through the small window above. The sun's rays shined in Rarity's face. A groan emerged from her muzzle. Spike, who was slumped over Rarity's bed forced himself awake. He clutched onto Rarity's forehoof. "Rarity." He muttered under his breath.

Slowly, Rarity inhaled through her nose, and breathed out her mouth. Spike smiled with joy. "Yes. You made it. You made it through the night. I knew you would."

"Spikey-wikey."

Spike put his arms around Rarity, gently shaking her in the hopes of waking her up. "I'm here." Spike said softly. Rarity opened her eyes. Spike was enamored by her graceful gaze like never before. "I'll always be here for you." Spike started to cry.

"What's wrong, Spikey-wikey?" Rarity coyly asked. Spike wiped away his tears.

"Rarity. I-I love you." Spike then kissed Rarity. To his surprise, her free foreleg wrapped around his neck as she kissed back. Yes. Yes. "Rarity. Rar..." Spike felt a sharp pain in his mouth. Rarity was biting his tongue. Spike opened his eyes. Rarity's coat had rotted and turned grey. Like a zombie pony. "Rarity." Spike sputtered out. Her grip tightened as she bit down on his neck. Blood started spraying out, preventing Spike from being able to scream. Rarity dug her teeth into his neck deeper and deeper, each bite hurting less and less. But that was because Spike was feeling his body convulsing. Spike's arms dropped down as he lost all his strength. Rarity.

Spike.

Spike's weight made himself and Rarity fall off the bed. His vision was now completely red with his own blood as Rarity continued tearing at his neck with her teeth, moving down his body.

Spike.

Rarity took another bite, this one of Spike's chest. Though he could feel the pain growing, he couldn't resist any more. When Rarity finally reached his heart, Spike's eyes rolled into the back of his head. You might as well eat my heart. I can't give it any other way.

SPIKE!

Spike screamed as he opened his eyes. Twilight was standing over him, holding his sweaty shoulders.

"Goodness Spike. You scared me." Twilight let go of Spike, letting him sit upright. He reached out with his free claw and ran it against his neck and stomach. "You sounded like you were having a nightmare."

Spike covered his face in his hands. "The worst I've ever had." Twilight pushed Spike's claws out of the way and smiled.

"Well things are about to get a lot better." Twilight leaned out of the way. Spike's heart leapt with joy at the sight of Rarity alive and well. Forcing himself to his feet, Spike embraced Rarity.

"Thank Celestia you're ok!"

Applejack trotted over to Rarity's side, putting her hat on her friend's head. "Ain't we all glad ya made it through the night." Applejack glanced over at the chair leg she had tied to Rarity's stump. "Ya think ya'll be able to walk ok with that?"

Rarity examined the makeshift peg leg. "Well, it may not be the most attractive prosthetic but it will do for now." Rarity was certain that, with the right materials, she could fix it up so that it would suit her style better. "And Spike, I must say, you look very grown up."

"You think so!" Spike folded his arms, feeling proud. "I do like where this is going. I'll look even better once my mustache grows in."

Twilight shook her head. Same old Spike.

"This way!" A familiar voice called out. Twilight, Applejack and Rarity's ears perked up at the voice.

"Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked. Twilight nodded in agreement. Applejack poked her head out the nursing station.

"Well lookie here. Pin...." Applejack didn't get a chance to finish, as Pinkie came leaping towards her, giving her a surprise hug, the added weight of not just Pinkie, but the Cake Twins as well pinned Applejack to the ground. Another pony touching her made Applejack's skin crawl, but for now decided it was for the best to just suck it up. "Glad to see you too, Pinkie."

"I missed you all so much! I don't know what we would have done if you didn't...GAH!" Pinkie gasped at the sight of Rarity's peg leg. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew into the nursing station after her.

"Yes this is a new if unintended addition to look." Rarity noted. Rainbow dash couldn't help but smirk.

"But now you have a cool peg leg." Rainbow Dash argued.

Fluttershy pushed her mane out of her eyes. "What happened?"

"Rarity got bit." Applejack explained. "But we took care of it. Now yer no worse for ware. Right Rarity?"

"So it would seem." Rarity looked out the window. "Now what of the rest of Fillydephia?"

Rainbow Dash lowered herself to the ground. "It's a bust. Whole city's buried." She explained. "That mountain that buried us wasn't the only one. I did a quick check, all the mountains around Fillydelphia had their own little avalanche."

Twilight stepped forward. "We survived. Other ponies had to have made it too."

Rarity sighed. "As much as it behooves me to say this, we mustn't tarry here much longer. Manehattan is all that's left. We simply cannot allow Fancy Pants to destroy it too." She reminded.

"B-but what about other ponies? Somepony had to have survived the avalanches. Right?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Didn't we leave those two in the train?" Spike noted. Rarity placed a forehoof against her forehead.

"Oh my. How did I forget about Suri? She and Upper Crust must be absolutely terrified. Trapped in a train car with no air." Rarity shuttered at the thought.

"If there alive in there." Rainbow Dash added. Course Suri was on the brink of death before the avalanche. She thought to herself.

"Well, we shouldn't leave without being certain." Rarity stood her ground. "Leaving would be the kind of thing they would do. And we are not like Suri."

"Ok, Rarity. We'll go look." Twilight promised. "And then, you need to get some rest."

"Twilight, darling, if there is anypony who understands that time is of the essence, surely it would be you." Rarity suggested. Twilight blinked, not wanting to admit her own habit of keeping things on a tight schedule. "Shall I take your silence as agreement?"

"Wha? Oh right. Lets just go to the train for now. We will decide our next course of action there." Twilight stated.

Rarity and Spike stared at what was left of Upper Crust. Her body was crushed under several boulders that managed to burst through the side of the caboose. Spike lifted the rock covering her face. He and Rarity had to look away, as there wasn't much of Upper Crust's face left.

"Poor thing." Rarity muttered. Spike raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"But didn't you say she and her husband were real jerks to you during your Canterlot visit?" Spike asked. Rarity approached Upper Crust's broken form.

"Absolutely. But think about it. She stayed behind because she thought she would be safe." Rarity bent down to pick something up. Spike arched his neck to get a better look. Upper Crust's horn had broken off and was lying near an unused knapsack. "I can only hope she didn't suffer long."

"She didn't turn into a zombie. That's good enough for me." Spike said to himself. Applejack emerged from the caboose door leading to the end passenger car.

"Twi and Flutters are tryin' to salvage what's left of the engine. As far as Ah'm concerned though it's scrap metal now." Applejack trotted over to Upper Crust's remains. "Nasty."

"Applejack. You know what happened to Suri." Rarity uttered. Applejack bit her lip.

"Yeah. Listen. Ah know you and she didn't part on good terms. But if ya'd rather I put her down...."

Rarity pushed her forehoof into Applejack's mouth. "Say no more. Suri and I may have ended our friendship on a bitter note, but we were friends once. Where is she?"

Applejack sighed, and motioned for Rarity and Spike to follow.

Suri's broken legs prevented her from being able to move. She reached out to Rarity, who was standing over her broken, zombified form. Rarity sighed, and picked up a rock with her magic. She looked at Suri once more.

"I'm not going to lie to you Suri. When you stole my dress designs, I wanted to do this to you. I had most unladylike thoughts about what I would do to get my revenge. But I had my friends, they helped me move on, and I would like to think that I did." Rarity blinked once. "I know you cannot respond to what I am saying. But I would at least like to think that, maybe, things could have been different." Rarity knelt down, lowering the rock closer to Suri's head. "What I am trying to say is that I am sorry, darling."