Beating an Undead Pony

Where is that little filly? Why does she make herself so hard to find? Applejack thought to herself. She must have searched high and low all over the Town Hall but their wasn’t a trace of Applebloom to be found. Applejack trotted over to the latter leading to the observatory on the top floor. She pulled the rope down with her mouth and climbed up. Once inside she found Rainbow Dash standing at the end of the room looking out a telescope. “Dash, what do ya see?” Taken by surprise, Rainbow Dash banged her head against the telescope.

“Hey Applejack. Pony feathers.” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. Applejack tilted her head. Rainbow Dash was hiding something, she could tell. She looked at the telescope, which Rainbow Dash slammed to the ground. “Nothing to see out there. Nothing living that’s for sure.” She gave a very toothy grin, which only made Applejack more suspicious.

“Not nothing is that it?” Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash nodded. The farm pony took a deep breath. “I know which direction Sweet Apple Acres is from here.” Rainbow Dash looked back at the telescope. She started to speak before being interrupted. “Show me. Ah want to see it.”

“I won’t let you.” Rainbow Dash snapped. Applejack stepped closer getting right into Rainbow Dash’s face.

“Ah suggest ya get out of mah way, Rainbow.” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash didn’t move a muscle. Applejack’s face turned red with anger. “Alright. Ya asked for it.” Applejack lifted her hoof, but it was Rainbow Dash who struck first, knocking Applejack to the ground.

“There’s nothing out there.” Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth. “Now stop asking me.” Having finally lost her patience, Applejack tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground, and then sprinted towards the telescope. In desperation Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Applejack’s left hind leg. “No. You. Don’t!” She stammered as she jumped onto Applejack’s back.

“Oh that’s how you want to play?” Applejack muttered. It suddenly occurred to Rainbow Dash just what she meant. However before she could act, Applejack started leaping around the room attempting to shake Rainbow Dash off. Feeling nauseous, Rainbow Dash started to flap her wings and hovered out of Applejack’s reach. She put a hoof to her face still feeling dizzy.

“That was not a good idea…. Applejack no!” Rainbow Dash cried. Applejack was about to pick up the telescope. In a burst of speed, Rainbow Dash flew downwards and smashed it. “Whew. No need to look outside now, right Applejack? Applejack?”

“The barn.” Rainbow Dash turned to face Applejack. Even without the telescope she could still see her home, Sweet Apple Acres, in the distance. The orchard was swarmed with zombie ponies and the barn doors were wide open.

“Applejack don’t look.” Rainbow Dash argued, but to no avail. Applejack sat on her haunches with a thud.

“Applebloom. Big Mac. Granny.” Rainbow Dash sat next to her friend.

“Hey now. Blame the zombies, not yourself. Besides it’s your family we’re talking about. They’re probably fine.” Rainbow Dash reassured. Applejack looked back out the window. “I said don’t do this to yourself!” Rainbow screamed pulling her away from the window.

“Ah need to see!”

“No you don’t!” Finally losing her patience, Rainbow Dash slapped Applejack hard across the face. Applejack looked back in surprise.

‘What am Ah doing?’ she thought to herself. “Ah deserved that. Ah’ll only grieve if it is true. Mah family’s out there. And Ah’ll find em.” Applejack defiantly stated.

“Exactly. Moping isn’t like you.” Rainbow Dash replied. Applejack smiled back. “We’ll find out what happened, promise.”

“Much appreciated.” Applejack replied. She looked back at Rainbow Dash, and could tell something was wrong. Her eyes didn’t have the same confident aura to them as usual. Then it occurred to her that Rainbow Dash was avoiding something. “And what about yerself? Ya worried about Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash turned away from Applejack.

“Of course not. She’s out there. Looking for me probably….” Rainbow Dash lowered her head. Applejack took a step forward before Rainbow Dash spun around. “But I’ll see her eventually. Scoot’s knows how to handle her self. She had a great role model after all.” Applejack raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Well, we’ll find her too. Don’t ya worry about that.” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash responded almost immediately.

“I’m not worried.” She looked confident, but Applejack wasn’t convinced.

Twilight was pacing back and forth at the top of the stairs. The townsponies on the ground floor were no doubt waiting for a response. Spike touched her right hind leg.

“They have to be told eventually.” He mentioned. Twilight groaned.

“And what am I supposed to tell them? That I just killed the Mayor and now I’m in charge? How do you think they’re going to react to that?” Twilight looked at her fore hooves. She had washed the Mayor’s blood off but in her mind she could still see it drying on her hooves.

“Given what’s going on outside I think they’ll understand.” Spike said. But then he tilted his head sideways. “I think Trixie put the idea in their heads anyway.” Spike slammed his claws over his mouth as he realized just how bad that sounded. Twilight sighed.

“I know. Come on. Your right the townsponies deserve to know the truth.” The two started walking down the stairs. “Spike, do you know how long I was up there?” Twilight asked. Spike shrugged.

“Maybe an hour. Another reason they are probably wondering what’s going on.” He replied. Twilight thought for a minute. It was a little after midnight when she had her run in with Cloudchaser. How long had it been since then? Usually she was better at keeping track of time, but for whatever reason be it stress, adrenaline or lack of sleep Twilight was having remembering.

Twilight and Spike reached the main hall and found everypony asleep on the floor, most of whom were covered by very warm, very welcoming blankets. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tempting I have to say.” Spike muttered. Twilight wanted to nod in agreement but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She trotted through the sleeping ponies until reaching Pinkie Pie, who was reading a book to the Cake twins and a group of foals.

“What else can you be when the world can only see you as a monster? Oh hi Twilight!” Pinkie put the book down. The foals all turned to Twilight. “How did it…” However Pinkie couldn’t bring herself to ask. The look on Twilight’s face said it all. One of the foals, a chubby grey colt pulled his blanket over his head. “Truffle Shuffle its ok.” Pinkie reassured. Truffle Shuffle tossed and turned. Pina Colada, a light red unicorn filly bit her lip.

“He almost got attacked earlier.” She explained. “I think he wants to be alone.” Pina Colada sat back down. Twilight looked back at Pinkie.

“Just reading a bed time story. Got to keep smiling somehow.” Pinkie explained. Pinkie was always trying to get a smile out of other ponies. Twilight was just glad that even after everything that had happened throughout the night she was still doing it.

“Um, Princess Twilight?” Twilight looked down to see a white colt with brown spots.

“I remember you. Pipsqueak right?” Twilight asked. Pipsqueak nodded. Twilight first met the young colt on the previous Nightmare Night, and true to his name, Pipsqueak was still smaller than most foals in Ponyville.

“That’s me. Um, I was wondering how you were going to deal with the zombie ponies outside?” he asked. Spike stepped forward.

“Spike has already sent a letter to Princess Celestia. She will know what to do.” Twilight said. However something in her gut told Twilight that probably wasn’t the best thing she could have said. She herself was a princess now and the townsponies no doubt were going to be looking to her for advice, not Celestia.

“I’m sure she’ll respond soon.” Spike mentioned. “Trust me, I’ll be the first to know.” Pipsqueak looked at Spike.

“What about Princess Luna?” Pipsqueak chirped. Twilight thought for a moment. Celestia’s younger sister Luna was known to appear in ponies’ dreams. Right on cue Pipsqueak spoke up again. “I bet you can talk to her right away in your sleep. She’ll listen to you.”

“Pipsqueak, I’m sure she would appear in anypony’s dreams not just mine.” Twilight said. “Still I suppose that is the best way I can get in contact with her at the moment.”

“Um, Twilight?” Spike asked. Twilight spun around and gulped at the sight of the Doctor, Minuette and Derpy approaching.

“Pinkie I better…” Twilight started to say but Pinkie raised her fore hoof.

“Not a problem, Twilight. You go right ahead.” Pinkie opened the book again and resumed reading to the foals. Twilight and Spike walked over to the Doctor’s group, meeting them half way among the sleeping ponies.

“Princess Twilight? Is-is it over?” Minuette muttered. Twilight shifted around uncomfortably before looking at Spike who shared the awkward feeling. “I’ll take care of her body.” Minuette trotted up the stairs past Twilight.

“Your majesty, there is something else you should know.” The Doctor glanced at Derpy before facing Twilight again. “If you will follow me.” The Doctor and Derpy trotted down the hallway. The Doctor looked back expecting Twilight wasn’t following. She was, though was walking much slower than him.

The chamber the Doctor and Derpy took Twilight and Spike was unlike the rest of town hall. Almost as if it came from a completely different building. It actually looked more like a large metal bunker with clocks strung up all over the wall and a giant golden hourglass in the center of the room. Derpy giggled at the mess. The Doctor shook his head.

“Yes my apologies, Princess Twilight. Normally my office is neater than this.” The Doctor reassured. Spike slid off Twilight’s back and stepped right into a clock.

“Yeah I kind of expected the town’s time keeper wouldn’t be this obsessed with clocks.” Spike said. The Doctor picked up the broken clock and started putting the pieces of glass back onto it.

“I’m more than just a time keeper. Fixing clocks is something of a hobby of mine.” He put the clock down and faced Twilight. “But that isn’t why I asked you to come here. Your majesty, it is not supposed to be nighttime. Twilight looked at the giant hourglass.

“Oh no your right.” Twilight started to think it through in her head. Surely Princess Luna would have lowered the moon and Princess Celestia would have raised the sun by now. “How long has night lasted?”

“The sun was supposed to rise an hour and a forty three minutes ago.” The Doctor sighed dejectedly. Twilight and Spike’s eyes widened. “We thought you would know anything about it. We were wrong, weren’t we?” He asked. Twilight took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. After a raised eyebrow from The Doctor she spoke up.

“Everything is going to be fine. I will find out what is happening. In the meantime make sure the townsponies are calm. Panicking won’t help anything.” She bit her tongue hoping the Doctor wouldn’t notice the uncertainty in her voice. If he did than he didn’t say. The Doctor bowed.

“As you wish.” The Doctor replied. “Derpy, we better get to work.” Derpy smiled before picking up several clocks with her fore hooves. As Twilight and Spike headed out of the office, Spike let out a loud, deep yawn. He had to hold his claw in front of his mouth to prevent embers from flying out.

“Well I always did want to stay up all night. This isn’t what I had in mind though.” He said. Twilight looked down at her dragon companion. She knew that Spike was still a growing young man, and that deeper pitch to his yawn and cracks in his voice was proving it.

“Really? Because I seem to recall you prefer sleeping in.” Twilight mentioned. Spike scoffed. “Remember how you wanted to sleep through Winter Wrap Up last year?” Spike looked up at Twilight.

“Remember how I was able to stay up late last Nightmare Night?” Spike reminded. “Cause I was planning on doing so again.” Of course as he said that it occurred to Spike that Ponyville might not be able to celebrate this year. The two arrived back in the main hall where Pinkie and the foals had finally fallen asleep.

“Well, we better give it a try.” Twilight said. Spike collapsed where he stood, almost immediately in a deep sleep. Twilight laid down on an unoccupied blanket and closed her eyes.

“Princess Luna?” Twilight called out. The starry void she found herself in certainly felt like a dream. She started to wonder if Princess Luna was in somepony else’s dream. If that was true then Twilight was probably going to be here for a while. Then she heard a groan. “Is anypony there?” Twilight asked. A figure was hovering towards her. Twilight squinted her eyes to get a better look. The figure looked like Rainbow Dash, however her entire body looked like it had been severely burned.

“Twilight….” She groaned. Twilight flapped her wings as hard as she could in a desperate attempt to get away.

“ I already know this is a dream! I’m not falling for it, Rainbow!” Twilight started to panic as a yellow hoof touched her left wing. She turned her head and saw a blank eyed Fluttershy with a cracked skull staring at her.

“Twilight…”

“GET BACK!” Twilight screamed. Her horn started to glow before she unleashed a burst of purple energy, engulfing her vision. “What have I done?”

“Ya'll know exactly what ya did, sugarcube.”

The purple color started to fade away. Twilight rubbed her eyes. Rather than the void, she now found herself underwater. Holding a deep breath Twilight tried to swim upwards when she felt a strong grip around her tail. She looked back to see Applejack, blood seeping from many cuts across her body. Twilight screamed, not expecting she would actually be able to underwater.

“Ya let us all die.”

“No I didn’t!” Twilight screamed. She resisted as hard as she could, eventually breaking the surface of the water.

Of course it wasn’t water once she could breath again. Instead Twilight found herself buried up to her neck in mud. And yet she was still spitting up water.

“How is anypony supposed to understand dreams in the first place?” Twilight thought to herself. A shovel materialized over Twilight starting to dig her out of the mud on its own. Though she wasn’t going to question it.

“Satisfied, deary?” Twilight struggled to get out of the mud faster as Rarity approached, one of her legs having been severed.

“Yes. With the real Rarity.” Twilight raised her head, preparing to blast the dream with magic. What happened next probably shouldn’t have surprised Twilight but never the less her horn didn’t produce a magic spell, but rather made Pinkie appear in the sky above her. However the sight of a gaping cut across Pinkie's throat didn't help things, especially once the blood from her neck wound started spilling out onto Twilight.

“Dream. Dream. It is a dream.” Twilight stammered. Pinkie’s blood dripped off Twilight’s head and started pooling around her. Twilight started to run again as the blood mixed with the mud. Twilight looked back at Rarity and Pinkie getting smaller in the distance but not because Twilight was getting farther away, but because they were shrinking.

Twilight collapsed into the mud having run out of breath.

“Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Applejack. Rarity. Pinkie Pie.” She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “No. Those things were not my friends.”

“It is good that you see that.” A stern, somewhat dramatic voice rang out. Twilight opened her eyes. Purple smoke had appeared around Twilight. And out of the smoke stepped Princess Luna, the dark blue alicorn with a corporeal mane and tail resembling the night sky.

“It worked!” Twilight exclaimed, leaping to her hooves in excitement. “Princess Luna I’m so glad you found my dream.” Luna touched Twilight’s mane.

“No doubt you have questions about the undead.” Luna stopped and looked away. “Questions that we do not have the answers to.” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“But if there’s anypony who should know about dark magic…” Twilight’s voice lowered as she spoke until finally stopping. Luna’s past was considered a horror story unto itself to Equestria. If she thought Twilight was making an accusation based on that… “That came out wrong! I’m not blaming you or anything like that!” Twilight ran right into Luna’s face. “I was just… Princess Celestia showed me dark magic once! I thought the zombies would have been caused by it. That is what happened isn’t it?” Luna shook her head.

“I apologize, but I do not know. The undead have never risen in Equestia in this number. But there is one thing you must see.” Luna spun around and started walking away. The moon rose before her larger than Twilight had ever seen it. She looked back at Twilight before walking into the moon.

“Princess Luna! Wait up!” Twilight galloped towards the moon, running straight through it.

“I know this place.”

Twilight recognized the chamber she was standing in. She had been here before in the castle in Canterlot. This was Princess Celestia’s bedchamber. Twilight trotted further in, noticing Princess Celestia’s bed, with the covers thrown over a figure. Luna appeared behind Twilight, startling her.

“I know this is not what you want to see. But you must.” Luna said. Twilight slowly approached the bed. She almost didn’t want to see what was underneath. Twilight took a huge gulp before moving the covers with her magic. Her mentor, the ruler of Equestia, Princess Celestia, was lying comatose under the covers. Her white coat was almost grey, her face had sunk in, and unlike her sister’s mane, Celestia’s was no longer corporeal, instead it was just as static as every other pony’s. Twilight screamed before stumbling back into Luna’s for hooves. “She has been like this for hours. And will not awaken.” Twilight looked up at Princess Luna. “I am sorry.” Twilight’s eyes started to water.

“Me too.” Twilight said. Not once in her life had she seen Princess Celestia sick. On the contrary Twilight always assumed her immortality prevented her from getting sick in the first place. Twilight looked back at Princess Luna before having an epiphany. “If Princess Celestia is sick, could you perhaps raise the sun?” Princess Luna let out a big sigh.

“It will not be easy.” Luna’s eyes glew brightly, engulfing Twilight’s vision once again, this time in bright white light. She called out to the Princess of the night but received no answer. Twilight took a step forward feeling incredible heat under her hoof. She looked down to see the ground around her ablaze, with bursts of fire erupting around her. Twilight flapped her wings and hovered over the fire though the intense heat was leaving her drenched in sweat.

“Equestria?” Twilight muttered as she looked up. Above her was an upside down view of the Everfree Forest, Ponyville, and the surrounding farmlands.

“A beautiful view. Isn’t it?”

Twilight gasped in surprise. Luna appeared by her side in a poof of purple smoke.

“Is this the sun?” Twilight asked.

“Indeed. My sister has had many centuries of practice raising and lowering it. During my… exile, having to do the same for the moon took its toll on her.” Luna lowered herself onto the sun’s surface; her touch slowly turned it solid, making it resemble the moon. “It took her decades to truly master being able to move the sun and moon on her own. It can be done, but with my own magic with no aid from her own, it will not be easy.”

It’s hard enough with the magic of just one alicorn. Twilight thought to herself, remembering the brief time she held the magic of both the Royal Sisters as well as Cadence, Princess of Love and her sister in law. It took Twilight a moment to realize Luna was in pain herself.

“Princess Luna? Are you feeling alright?” Twilight felt stupid for asking, expecting a booming response. Instead Luna was smiling.

“I cannot say how I truly feel. I am not ill if that is your question.” The area around Luna started to melt away. Twilight looked all around.

“Not again.” Twilight muttered. Luna shook her head.

“It is not what you think, Twilight Sparkle. You are merely awakening.” Luna explained. The princess of the night flew back up to Twilight’s level. “I will do what I can about raising the sun. And calm as many ponies as possible. I trust you can do the same.” Luna started to fade away. Twilight tried to move but found her legs and wings feeling heavy.

“I’ll take care of Ponyville! Princess Luna!” Twilight cried. Luna was getting further and further away. With all her might Twilight tried to move, but it was to no avail. Luna stopped though the voice that emerged from her mouth was not her own, but Rarity’s.

“Twilight, wake up!”

Twilight groaned before rubbing her face with her hoof. She opened her eyes finding Rarity standing over her. The normally elegant unicorn was frazzled with her mane and coat being as unkempt as can be.

“Thank goodness your awake. Twilight, we can’t stay here. No pony deserves the hard floor of town hall. Or have to listen to the noises coming from the undead outside. Something has to be done!” Rarity fell on all fours. Her mouth was shaking. “Sweetie Belle doesn’t deserve it.” Twilight had to take another deep breath; similar to the one she had done earlier in the Doctor’s office.

“Your right, Rarity. This isn’t the Ponyville I know. And I want it back as much as anypony else.” Twilight stated defiantly. “But it will come back. I promise.”