Friendship is Infectious

Chapters

Chapter 1 Sunrise
Chapter 2 Sacrifice
Chapter 3 United
Chapter 4 Encounter
Chapter 5 Coincidence
Chapter 6 Despair
Chapter 7 Fallen
Chapter 8 Origin
Chapter 9 Loss
Chapter 10 Rememberance
Chapter 11 Recuited

Chapter 1 Sunrise

“COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!”
The bantam, unsatisfied that one crow would fulfill the task of waking the residents of Sweet Apple Acres, inhaled deeply and prepared to crow again when a brown leather boot came flying from an upstairs window of the nearby farmhouse. Startled, the rooster lost his balance, tumbling from the henhouse roof to the muddy yard below. With no injuries - save perhaps his wounded pride - the rooster stalked back inside the coop, all the while grumbling to himself. “The cheek! I’m only trying to do my job. Somepony is obviously on the wrong side of the bed this morning...”

Inside the house, an orange earth pony turned away from the window, stifling a yawn behind one hoof. She knew she’d have to get that boot later, but at the moment she didn’t care. Why, wondered Applejack, had the rooster woken her up so early? It couldn’t be more than six o’clock in the morning... Just then her eye caught the luminous dials of her beside clock. She blinked to clear her foggy vision and looked again. But she had seen it right the first time. The dials clearly showed that it was seven thirty on the dot.

“What the hey?” said Applejack. Scrubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she called across the hall to her brother. “Say Big Macintosh? Yer clock say seven thirty?” A sleepy voice answered her. “Eeeyup.” “Well why in the hay is it still so dark out? Rainbow Dash should‘a cleared the clouds away by now.” said Applejack. “Well mebbe she forgot ‘cuz today be her first day of flyin’ with them fancy new Wonderbolts.” Macintosh replied.

Applejack smacked her forehead. Of course! How could she have forgotten? Today Rainbow Dash was living her greatest dream; joining the team of fantastic flyers known as the Wonderbolts! This had been Rainbow’s biggest dream ever since Applejack had known the blue pegasus pony. “Ah guess that makes sense. She probably got so ‘cited she done fergot ‘bout clearin’ the clouds this mornin’.”

Applejack glanced back out the the overcast sky. Was it her imagination, or were some of the clouds actually... moving? “Oh yer bein’ a silly filly Applejack” she said out loud to herself. “Clouds don’ move, ‘cept in the Everfree Forest.”

With that reasoning, Applejack trotted down the hall to the bathroom, where she was greeted by a cheerful “good mornin’ sis” from her little sister Applebloom. “Oh sis? Ah was wonderin’ if Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could be comin’ over today? Scootaloo said somethin’ ‘bout us bein’ ‘Cutie Mark Crusader tree climbers’.” Applejack noticed that her little sister could look especially pitiful when she wanted something. “Sure. But remember that me and Macintosh’ll be buckin’ the west orchard today. So don’ be climbin’ in those trees. It’d be a sorry day if we bucked down three little fillies along with all the apples. Yeh understan’?”

Applebloom grinned from ear to ear. “Surethingsisthanksgottagotellthembye!” The little yellow filly bolted out of the room, her red tail whipping around the corner. “Careful Applebloom!” Applejack called. “Slow down, yer gonna...” There came the sound of a loud thump from downstairs. “...hurt yerself...”
*****

After applying a cold ice pack to her sister’s bruised forehead, Applejack turned to Old Granny Smith. “Say Granny? Would it be alright if’n ah ran into town fer a spell? Ahm supposed to be helpin’ Pinkie Pie with some of her bakin’.” The elderly mare smiled at the orange earth pony. “Of course dearie! Jus’ be back in time fer lunch.” “Ah certainly will Granny.” Said Applejack. “Thank yeh!”
*****

As Applejack entered the outskirts of Ponyville the first thing she noticed was the silence. Where was everypony? “Ah ain’t seen the town this quiet since Zecora visited.” Applejack chuckled. “But that don’ make a lick o’ sense. Everypony loves Zecora now. So why are all the shops closed then?” As Applejack continued through the town she began to get worried. There wasn’t even a whisper, any sound whatsoever, just the oppressive quiet. And the grey clouds overhead. Applejack gasped. They were moving! “What be goin’ on here?” she wondered aloud.

As she turned yet another corner she finally spotted somepony. Two ponies. One appeared to be sleeping, the other standing over the first. “Oh thank goodness! There is somepony here. I was getting a little...scared...” The earth pony’s voice died in her throat as she took in the horror of what she was seeing.

The first thing she saw was the blood. It was everywhere. And most of it was coming from a gaping hole that was being torn in the side of the second filly. A shocked gasp escaped from Applejack’s lips as one of the...things snapped it’s head around to stare at her with empty bloodshot eyes. As it staggered toward her, Applejack noticed that one of the pony’s front legs dangled limply, held by a single bloody tendon. Its mouth was stretched in an impossibly large grin. It was a grin that looked...hungry.

Pure, untamed fear clutched at the heart of the little pony as she turned and tore away from the carnage as fast as she could gallop. A bestial scream and the sound of dragging hooves told Applejack that the thing was chasing her. She put on an extra burst of speed, but whatever this thing was, even with only three legs, it was fast. Fast enough to keep up with her. Applejack glanced over her shoulder. It looked like she might be able to outrun this creature.

She turned her gaze forward and saw a dead end blocking her path. It looked like somepony had cobbled together a makeshift barricade. Unfortunately, she was on the wrong side. She had to get over, and fast.

A low growl and heavy breathing on the nape of her neck told her the other pony was right behind her. She reacted on pure instinct. Whipping her hindquarters around she took quick aim and bucked. The kick caught the other pony on the flank, snapping the spine and sending it sprawling. But the creature continued to try and get and Applejack, dragging at the ground with one front hoof, literally clawing it’s way towards the horrified earth pony.
She had to stop this thing. This time the full force of her buck hit the other pony in the face, crushing the skull, and spraying Applejack with blood and brain matter. The other pony jerked and rolled over where it twitched briefly, then lay still.

As the adrenaline wore off, the full shock of what she had done hit Applejack. She had just killed another pony. In cold blood. “No!” She argued with herself. “It was self-defense. She was gonna kill meh. Ah had no choice.” Looking down at the remains she realized that she knew the pony she had brutally mangled. While the face was unrecognizable, the harp-shaped cutie mark told her all she needed to know about the turquoise pony’s identity.

Sinking down beside the body of Lyra, she tenderly cradled the other pony, stroking her mane. Tears streamed down her face and all the while she repeated the same words over and over: “Ahm sorry Lyra. I had to. I had to...”

Chapter 2 Sacrifice

Rainbow Dash hadn’t slept all night. She was far too excited. Tomorrow morning, her fillyhood dreams were being realized. All those bruises, those endless hours of training. All of it had finally paid off. Rainbow rolled over and smiled. Hanging in the nearby closet was the blue uniform and flying goggles that Spitfire had given her when she had told Rainbow that she was the newest member of her favorite flying team.

Rainbow sat up in bed, and whispered across the room. “Hey Gilda. You awake?”

“Yes Dash. I’m still awake, same as I was two hours ago. Same as I was thirty minutes ago. Do you have any idea what time it is? I’ll tell you what time it is. It’s five AM, that’s what time it is! You know I have to be up early. I am taking your old job after all.”

Rainbow switched on a light and grinned and the disheveled griffon. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’m just so excited! This is a big day for both of us after all! Your first day on the job, my first day with the Wonderbolts. I’m really glad Mayor Mare was able to convince you to be chief weather officer. It’ll be totally awesome to have you around again. Just like old times.”

Though the griffon was clearly cranky for not being able to get any sleep, she still gave Rainbow a small smile. “Yeah, it’s cool or whatever.” Gilda face grew sober. “I’m just glad she and everypony actually want me here. I mean, I did kinda blow up that one time...”

Her voiced trailed off. They both remembered the incident at Sugarcube Corner. After being the victim of numerous pranks, Gilda had lost her temper at the assumed prankster Pinkie Pie, only to find out that Rainbow Dash had been the coordinator of most of the pranks.

Gilda and Dash had something of a falling out that day, and hadn’t spoke to each other for several months afterwards.

“Dash, I wanted to say thanks. Thanks for helping me get this job, for being willing to forgive me, putting up with my temper and giving me a place to stay. I don’t have many friends willing to stand by me lately. They all think I’m some sort of angry angst-y filly-fooler...”

Dash was surprised. She had never seen the big tough griffon this emotional. She had always been the confident, cocky, sometimes arrogant loudmouth, even in flight school. Seeing her this open was rather unnerving for the pegasus pony.

“Gilda.” said Dash “That’s the good thing about the ponies here. Sure, they can be a pain sometimes. But they’re always there for you. No matter what. And they are also totally willing to forgive and resolve any stuff that happens. and more importantly, I’m always here for you. Sure, we have fights. What friends don’t? The key thing is that we stick together, and-”

“Dude, keep it up with the sappy stuff and I’m gonna be sick.” The confident griffon was back, and any hint of vulnerability had been locked away. Dash giggled. “You started it.” “Did not!” “Did...wait. Did you hear that?” They both stopped talking and listened. the sound had been growing the whole time they had been talking, but only now did they realize what sound they actually heard.

It was the sound of screams.

Rainbow and Gilda rushed to the window and peered through the blinds, just in time to see the colt Hoops, one of the three ponies that had bullied Dash in flight school, go galloping by, a small green filly sinking her teeth deep into Hoops’ wings.

Similar acts of violence were everywhere. Across the street, two colts attacked a small screaming filly, tearing at her small frail body until she grew still. “Oh my gosh.” Whispered a horrified Dash. “They...they killed her. They just...” The filly outside twitched, wrenching her neck around at an impossible angle. Her look of terror had been replaced by a terrifying hungry grin, that stretched from ear to ear. With an ungainly bound, the filly leapt at another nearby pony, and the grisly scene was repeated.

“Whatever’s goin’ on,” said Gilda, “It looks like ponies go crazy when they get bitten. It must be some sort of illness.”

“We gotta get to Canterlot!” Said Rainbow, almost hysterical. “We gotta tell somepony! We gotta!...” She was practically screaming now. “HUSH.” snapped Gilda. “Look.” They both looked through the blinds.

The scene outside had grown quiet, but it was obvious that something was very wrong. They realized that every one of those things, their once friends and neighbors, were staring at Dash’s house, every one of them wore the same wide grin. Cursing, Gilda quickly turned off the light and shoved a dresser in front of the door. But the damage was done. Those things knew they were there.

A wave of groans, shrieks, and primal growls hit Rainbow and Gilda’s ears. At almost exactly the same moment the door shook as the first wave of creatures hit against it. “There’s too many of them!” Yelled Gilda. “You gotta go out the back door, fly to Canterlot, let somepony know what’s happened here!” Dash didn’t move. “Dash! You gotta go!”

“What about you?” Dash spoke barely above a whisper. “I’m not leaving you.” “Dash!” screamed Gilda “We don’t have time for this! One of us has to hold ‘em off! You’re the fastest flier in Equestria. You can get there way faster than I can. Besides, I’m stronger anyways. I stand a better chance against these things. GO!”

Rainbow Dash was shocked out of her stupor. Running to the back door, she flung it open. Turning back, she made one final plea. “Last chance Gilda. We can make it together!”

At that moment, the front door burst open, and a horde of creatures poured into the room. Gilda looked at Dash one last time. She looked resigned and almost peaceful. “Don’t forget me.”

With a roar, Gilda charged into the seething mass. Clawing, tearing and doing everything she could to take out as many of the things as possible. But she was horribly outnumbered.

Rainbow caught one last glimpse of the griffon being attacked by at least twenty of the beasts before she pulled the back door shut, throwing the bolts home.

As she sped away from the now-destroyed Cloudsdale, she had no tears. All she had now was a burning determination. “I won’t forget you Gilda. I promise. I’ll tell the princess what happened here. I’ll come back for you. I’ll come back for you.”

Chapter 3 United

Chapter 3
United

Dear mother and father. It was so nice to finally hear from you. I know it’s been a while since I moved to Ponyville, and I’ve been very busy with my studies. But recently I’ve had less going on, and I must say your invitation to visit could not have come at a better time! Me and Spike would be delighted to stay for a couple days.
See you soon!
Lots of love,
Twilight Sparkle
Satisfied with her letter, Twilight glanced briefly out the window. Cloudy. “Good thing I have that umbrella hat that Pinkie gave me.” Twilight then called up the stairs to the still-sleeping dragon. “Spiiike! Time to get up!” A muffled voice answered her. “mmfff. Go ‘wayyy. Lemmesleep.” “Spike,” Said Twilight. “I know it’s early, but we need the early start. We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, and I want to pick up some more quills and ink this morning too. We need them if we want to make a ‘cleaning the library’ checklist. Come on, rise and shine, number one assistant.” Her words had no effect. The unicorn decided to change up her tactics. “OK Spike, you rest up. I’ll just get Owlowiscious to help me...”

THUMP THUMP THUMP. The small purple dragon now sat on the bottom step as he glared at Twilight. “That’s not fair.” “I’m sorry Spike, but I couldn’t think of any other way to get you up.” “You coulda tried ‘please’...”
*****

Half an hour later both pony and dragon left the treehouse library and began heading in the direction of the post office. Twilight was wearing her umbrella hat, and spike was so wrapped up in the endless checklist that he looked like a tiny dragon mummy.

As they neared the post office, Twilight noticed that the blinds were still drawn and the sign that hung in one window clearly read ‘closed’.

“Hmm...” said Twilight. “I wonder why it’s not open. I also haven’t hardly seen anypony today.” “Maybe...it’s a holiday?” Twilight shook her head. “It can’t be, none of my three calenders have today listed as any sort of holiday.” Spike looked taken aback. “Why do you have three-” “Well, what if one’s wrong? It doesn’t hurt to be cautious Spike.” “Fair enough. It’s probably just Ditzy Doo forgetting what time it is again. That pony can be such a loopy filly sometimes.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “So what do we do until the post office opens?” They both thought for a moment. Then Twilight had an idea. “I know! Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner. I could use a treat or two.”
*****

As they headed towards Sugarcube Corner, Twilight began seeing ponies here and there. Most of them looked disheveled and tired. “Gee, it looks like a lot of ponies are sick around here,” she mused. “Wonder what’s going around?” “Ponies?” Spike finally managed to unwrap himself from the miles of checklist.

He took one look at all the ponies following them, and with a tiny shriek, latched himself to Twilight’s leg. “T-t-t-Twilight? Do you have any idea where we are?” “Uhh, Ponyville? Why? What’s gotten into you Spike?” “No, I mean yes, we are. But, we’re also in the middle of a horde of ZOMBIE PONIES!” “Spike, we’ve been over this before. There’s no such thing as-AH!”

The breath was forced from her body as one of the nearby ponies charged, knocking her to the ground. The colt was on top of her in seconds. Spike dove towards the two writhing ponies, looping his arms around the attacker’s neck. “Spike!” Yelled Twilight. “Get this thing off of me!” “I’m trying! It’s too strong.” He was pulling with all his might, but despite his best efforts, the pony’s snapping, gnashing teeth were slowly drawing closer towards Twilight’s exposed neck...He couldn’t stop it, it was going to bite Twilight...

A loud explosion almost deafened pony and dragon. Spike felt the pony grow still. “Twilight?” “I’m OK. What happened to the other pony?” They looked down at the perfectly round hole in the pony’s cranium. “TWILIGHT! SPIKE! GET THE HEY IN HERE!” They both turned to see Pinkie Pie, still clutching the smoking magnum in both hooves. “ARE YOU DEAF?!” She screamed as the rest of the ponies began stumbling towards them. “I SAID GET IN HERE!” Twilight and Spike didn’t stop to argue, both rushing inside Sugarcube Corner. “Use your magic! Help me block the door!”

Twilight acted quickly, using her powers to nail empty box slats over the widows while Spike and Pinkie shoved furniture in front of the doors. Once they were sure all entrances were secure, all three slumped against the wall, completely exhausted.

“Thanks Twilight,” said Pinkie, blowing strands of mane out of her eyes. Twilight had so many questions. “What on earth is happening here? Where did you get that weapon? And where are Mr. and Mrs. Cake?”

Pinkie’s hair deflated instantly. “Well, I’m not sure. These zombie ponies started showing up early this morning. Mr. Cake went out to get the milk, and the milk pony bit him.”

“Told you they were zombies.” Said Spike. “Quiet Spike. So where are the Cake’s now?”

Getting up, Pinkie walked to the back window. “Out there.” Twilight looked where she was pointing, and saw the two freshly dug graves. “Oh Pinkie...” “I know. I didn’t see it coming either. We thought Mr. Cake was going to be fine. But after about ten minutes he started complaining about a stomach ache. I should’ve seen it coming. But before I could do anything, he’d already attacked and...eaten Mrs. Cake. I...I had to kill him.”

“And...the weapon?” “Oh, the gun? Well, about a week ago I got wiggly-nose/cross-eyes/knee-knock combo. I’d never had that twitch before. I knew something really bad was going to happen. Something dangerous. Something...evil. I always try to be prepared. But, how do you prepare for something like...like...this?!” Tears streamed down Pinkie’s face.

“Pinkie. You did what you had to do. Now, I’m not saying I believe that these are zombie ponies, but IF they are, then we need to stick together to survive. Now, it looks like you could use come cheering up. How about we all go into the kitchen and have some cupcakes?”

Pinkie gave Twilight a small smile as some of the curl returned to the tip of her mane. “I’d like that a lot. Oh, and Twilight?” “Yes Pinkie?”

“Thanks.”

Chapter 4 Encounter

Chapter 4
Encounter

The dull whirr of the sewing machine was accompanied by the joyful hummings of the white unicorn who operated it. Rarity was in a very good mood this morning. Just last night, she had struck a fashion goldmine. Not only had she come up with a brilliant new line of dresses, but she had also gotten the perfect model.

“Oh darling,” She said casually over her shoulder as she worked. “I’m just delighted that you agreed to help me on such short notice. I couldn’t have done it without you.” The other pony smiled shyly, clearly embarrassed. “I’m just glad you think I’m helpful.” “Helpful?”

The unicorn turned toward her model, mildly indignant. “Fluttershy, you have been more than just helpful! Without your very keen insight, I wouldn’t have thought to use layered silks to achieve that flowing, liquid look in the skirt that is perfect for my ‘Creeks and Streams’ line. And don’t get me started on how you look in the outfits. Two words: Simply divine!”

Fluttershy blushed, and her pink hair went even pinker. “Oh Rarity, you’re just saying that.” Rarity sighed. She had forgotten how hard it was for Fluttershy to accept compliments. As Rarity turned back towards her sewing machine the front doorbell jingled as a pony entered the shop. “Hold that thought, dear. I’ll be right back.”

Rarity stepped through the curtain that separated her studio from the rest of the store. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique. What can I interest you in...I beg your pardon, but are you feeling well miss?”

The filly she addressed turned towards her, its mouth spread in a wide grin. “Oh good! You’re alright! Anyways, as I was saying, there are some charming and fabulous items here that I think would be perfect with your color...”

The green pony leapt, but missed as Rarity turned to wave a hoof at a nearby rack packed with vibrant outfits. Rarity gasped as the other pony crashed into the far wall. “Good heavens! Are you sure you are OK?”

She stopped in horror as with the sound of snapping bones the filly twisted its head completely around, so that while its front hooves were still rammed against the wall, it was once again facing Rarity with that strange grin. It began to walk backwards towards her, drool and blood now dribbling from a corner of the grin that seemed to split the ponies face in half.

Shrieking in a pitch usually reserved for calling dogs and shattering windows, Rarity bolted back into the studio, grabbed a confused Fluttershy and dragged her into the bedroom, where she slammed the door shut, turning the key in the lock.

“Um, Rarity. What is going on?” “No time to explain dear. We must go. Come Fluttershy, out the window!” “W-w-window?” Gasped Fluttershy. “But why can’t we just talk to her? Maybe she’s just lonely.” “Fluttershy, I know you want to be kind to everypony, but trust me! Something is very wrong here, and the only pony I know who can figure this out is Twilight.”

They both screamed as something hit the door with a loud bang. The sound of an unearthly groan came from the other side. Fluttershy gulped nervously. “M-maybe y-you’re right Rarity. We should go to Twilight’s house.” She squeaked in terror as whatever it was hit the door again. Rarity saw the hinges beginning to give way. “Follow me Fluttershy, and do hurry!”

Summoning up her courage, Rarity dove through the open window, landing awkwardly on the muddy ground below. Fluttershy floated down with a concerned expression. “Rarity. Your mane. it’s all...” “Pish-posh my dear. Mud washes out. Besides, it’s good for my skin.”

There was the sound of splintering wood as the thing finally forced its way into the room. There was a moment of silence, then a body tumbled from the window with a gurgle, crunching face-first onto the rock that had for a short time been known as Tom.

Fluttershy stood rooted to the spot, gazing at the carnage and splattered remains of the lime green filly. Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. “Fluttershy,” she said with unnatural calm. “we need to go. There might be more of these unsightly creatures nearby, and I don’t want any of them to hurt you. Twilight will know what to do, remember? She always knows what do to.”

Tenderly, she began guiding a silent, shaking Fluttershy towards the library. Fluttershy’s expressed concern for Rarity’s mane would be the last words the yellow pegasus would utter.

Chapter 5 Coincidence

Chapter 5
Coincidence

With a gasp, Scootaloo sat bolt upright in her bed. Panic clawed upwards in her chest. For she was hearing a sound that ponies everywhere had learned to fear. “Oh no.” She gasped. “I’m late!” Reaching over, she tapped the snooze button of her alarm clock, causing its frantic ringing to slowly die away.
Tumbling out of bed, she hurriedly scampered around her room, collecting books, pens, pencils and note paper and shoving all of them willy-nilly into her school bag.

Sliding down the banister, she rushed into the kitchen, where she grabbed a banana and bid a hasty “See ya!” to whomever might have been in the kitchen at the time. She powered her way out the front door to her waiting scooter. Leaping onboard, she unfolded her wings, and shot off in the direction of the schoolhouse.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t see the small white unicorn in her path until it was too late. She and the white filly collided, tumbling over and over, finally rolling to a stop just in front of the school.

“I’m sorry, didn’t see you there...” Scootaloo was interrupted by the gigglings of the other pony. The white unicorn was none other than Sweetie Belle, the third and final member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“When you say you run into ponies, you take it seriously!” she laughed. Scootaloo tried to look annoyed, but the humor of the situation was too much for her, and she eventually succumbed to the laughter welling inside her.

After both fillies had settled down, Sweetie Belle clambered to her feet and dusted herself off. “So, you overslept too, huh?” Scootaloo shuffled embarrassedly from one hoof to the other. “mmhmm.” “Great timing isn’t it? Miss Cheerilee is giving a test on Chapter seven of Equestria: a History, and now we’re both going to get tardy slips.” Scootaloo blanched at the words ‘tardy slips’. Sweetie Belle smiled reassuringly. “C’mon Scoot, maybe we can just slip in without anypony noticing.” Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s worth a try.”

As they trotted down the long, empty halls of Ponyville Elementary, both fillies noticed how quiet everything was. “Is every class testing today?” Whispered Scootaloo. “I hope not. That would mean that this is a BIG test, and we’ll be in even more trouble for being late!” Both ponies sped up, quickly trotting to Miss Cheerilee’s classroom.

Slowly pushing open the door, Scootaloo was thankful the door didn’t creak. Looking into the room, she was surprised to see...nopony? “what the...” They both tiphoofed into the room, looking about nervously for somepony to jump out, or for Miss Cheerilee to cough her disapproval in their direction. Scootaloo was baffled. “Why is nopony here yet?”

Sweetie Belle was the first to glance at the calendar hanging on the wall. She sighed in relief as she realized why nopony was in school. “Scoot. Do you know what special day today is?” Scootaloo was confused by the random question. “What? Oh I dunno, Pinkie Pie Party Day? I give up. Tell me?” “Saturday!” “So, that means that we’re not twenty minutes late we’re...two days early? What?”

Scootaloo quirked an eyebrow at the calender, as if she expected it to apologize for the inconvenience. “Oh gosh! Applebloom will be waiting for us! We’re supposed to go to Sweet Apple Acres today. We’re gonna be Cutie Mark Crusader Tree Climbers! Come on, let’s go!” She leapt out of her seat and sped out the door.

Sweetie Belle sighed and followed. “Why is it that almost everything we do manages to involve trees?” she mumbled under her breath.

Just then they heard the sound of galloping hooves. Both fillies peered out the window to see Applejack to come careening around a nearby bend. Sweetie Belle was about to call out to her when they saw the animated corpse that had been Lrya stumble around the corner.

They shrank against the windowsill as the watched the gory and brutal scene unfold in the alley outside. As it once again grew quiet, save for the muffled sobs of Applejack, Sweetie Belle made a decision. “I’m going out there.” “Are you crazy?! Did you see what happened? They just had some kinda crazy-pony deathmatch!” “I don’t care. Applejack needs our help. Come on, let’s go.”
*****

Scootaloo held open the side door as Sweetie Belle slowly trotted up to the crying earth pony. Applejack rocked back and forth, and kept speaking the same words over and over. “Ah had to...Ah had to.” Sweetie Belle reached out a hoof, and Scootaloo hissed. “Bad idea!” Sweetie Belle ignored her, and tenderly placed her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

Applejack jerked, finally looking at the two fillies for the first time. “What are yew two fillies doin’ here? Don’tcha know today is Saturday?” “We got the days confused.” Said Sweetie Belle. “What’s going on here? Why did you hurt Lyra?” Scootaloo was trying to look brave and confident, but she shook as she addressed the earth pony.

Applejack looked down at the mangled corpse she had been cradling, finally seeming to return to normal. “Fillies, now Ah want ya to listen to meh carefully. Somethin’ is happenin’ ta the ponies here in Ponyville. somthin’ that turns em inta...inta evil critters. Lyra was tryin’ ta kill meh, the only way Ah could stop her was to kill her, unnerstand?”

Scootaloo was backing slowly into the school, but Sweetie Belle hugged the bruised and worn out earth pony. “Well then,” she said, “we should probably hide inside the school until we figure out exactly what’s going on.” Both Applejack and Scootaloo had to agree this was a good plan. Sweetie Belle was sounding very grown up and practical for a filly her age.

After blocking all the doors and windows, all three ponies huddled together in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom. the silence pressed in on them, trying to smother them. They found it hard to breathe in the still air.

A new problem arose when Scootaloo’s stomach gave a hungry gurgle. “What are we gonna eat?” She moaned. “No food in the school.” “Nothing for it,” said Sweetie Belle. “We’ll have to go to Sugarcube Corner. There will be food there, and who know? Maybe some other ponies will be there, and we can ask them what been happening.”

Applejack nodded. “It’s settled, then. We’ll head fer Sugarcube Corner this evenin’. Dark’ll help us get there without bein’ noticed.”

With the plan in place, they each took a deep breath, drew closer together and waited for the coming dark.

Chapter 6 Despair

Chapter 6
Despair

She had been flying for hours. Her wings burned, every muscle screamed for rest and relief. But Rainbow Dash ignored the pain and pushed forward with all her might, focusing her agony and using it to fuel her determination to reach Canterlot. “Gotta make it...” She gasped. “Must warn the princess...she’ll...what to do...”

As she crested another ridge she finally saw the shining walls and looming towers of Canterlot. Hope sprung to life like a fire in her chest and she surged forward. But as she drew nearer that spark of hope faded out of its brief existence as she saw the smoke rising from the city.

She landed in front of the main entrance and saw that both gates had been torn off their hinges. “What did this?” she wondered.

As Dash wandered through the empty city there was no sound, save the eerie whisperings of the wind as it rushed unimpeded down the narrow corridors of buildings.

She made her way towards the palace itself. If there were any survivors in the city, they would most likely be there, she told herself.

Creeping into the throne room she was almost bowled over by the solid wall of stench. There was blood everywhere, and whatever survivors had been here were strewn all over the walls and floor. Bile rose in Dash’s mouth and she ran back outside, where she retched for several minutes.

She didn’t want to spend another second in this horrible city, but the sun was nearing the horizon, and screeching cries from the middle of the city told her that there were still some of those things in Canterlot.

“They must come out at night...” Dash realized. She needed to find shelter, and soon.
She slipped stealthily back down the abandoned streets, looking for somewhere, anywhere to hole up for the night.

Dash was about to give up hope and attempt the long flight back to Ponyville when she spotted the Canterlot theater. She noticed with a feeling of irony the Now Showing film was called Invasion of the Pony Snatchers. It looked as good a place as any. Quickly trotting up to the door she tried the handle. It turned easily, allowing her entrance into the darkened cinema.

It looked empty. All the front windows were boarded up, and the thin beams of light drifting through the cracks illuminated the candy packets and empty paper cups that were strewn all over the maroon patterned carpet. Dash had time to take in all of this in a brief instant before something collided with her temple. Stars exploded in her vision, and the world around her faded to black.
*****

Dash awoke with ringing in her ears and a splitting pain. She put her hoof to her head and felt something warm and sticky. She pulled her hoof away and saw it stained red with blood. It was a small cut, and would heal in a couple days. But more importantly, who had hit her in the first place?

She looked up at the two figures standing over her. It was hard to be sure in the dim light, but one of them looked like he was wearing a Wonderbolt uniform. The other figure was a earth mare by her stature. She advanced menacingly towards Rainbow Dash, the broken neck of a cello grasped in her hooves.

“Have you been bitten?” She growled in a low hushed tone.

“Huh?” Dash was still dazed and was having trouble understanding the question.

The blue pegasus tried to intervene, coming between Dash and the rearing earth mare. “Tavi, relax. She’s cool. I know her. C’mon, just put the weapon down...”

“You do not know that Soarin. She could be turning. You witnessed what happened to Spitfire. She refused to be careful, and now she is deceased. Do you wish to join her?” The pegasus stallion said nothing, merely stepping back into a corner of the room.

The grey mare returned her gaze to Rainbow Dash. “I am not going to ask you again, mare. if you refuse to answer I am going to bash your head in. Now, have you been bitten?” Dash shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

“Nope, I’m clean. You can check. I got out of Cloudsdale without a scratch and flew here. I was hoping to get help from the princess. But you are the first two ponies I’ve seen since I left.”

The gray mare approached warily and gave Dash a quick once-over. “She appears to be clean.” Dash heard an sigh of relief from the blue stallion.
A few seconds later a dim lamp had been switched on, lighting the room and casting sharp shadows on the walls. Rainbow let out a gasp as she recognized the pegasus.

“Soarin? What are you doing here?”

“Same thing as you Dash, surviving.” Dash’s head was in a whirl.

“But, you guys were supposed to be at Cloudsdale. I was joining your team, remember?” There was a snort from the grey mare.

“...More important matters now...” she muttered.

Soarin shushed her. “We were. But when we saw what was going on with the ponies in Cloudsdale we had the same idea as you did. Only half of us made it here. the rest were killed or bitten. Finally it was just me and Spitfire. We were looking for somewhere to hole up when we came across a small filly. Poor girl. Whole family had been killed, and she had been bitten. I knew we couldn’t afford to bring her with us, but Spitfire was insistent. I know I should have argued the point more, but Spitfire’s always been persuasive. There was nothing I could do to save her, the little filly turned on us to fast. I would have been killed too if not for Octavia here...”

He gestured to the mare, who was still clutching the broken neck of her shattered instrument. “Since then we’ve been hiding here, waiting for everything to blow over for these things to go away-”

“They are not going to go away.” Said Octavia. “Who are we trying to fool? These unsightly creatures feed off of the living, so as long as there are any of us left alive, they will hunt us. Hunt us to extinction. There is nothing we can do to prolong the inevitable. we are all going to die. We are already dead! We are...”

Octavia broke off into quiet sobs. Soarin walked over and put a hoof around the earth mare. “Now now, Tavi. We’ll make it outta here. We can’t be the only ponies left alive. Dash, you got any suggestions?”
Dash thought for a moment.

“We need to go back to Ponyville. I know it’s dangerous, but I need to know if my friends are still alive. I’ve already lost one friend today, I’m not losing the rest of them too.” Soarin nodded.

“No reason to stick around here any longer anyways. Those monsters have been going by every few minutes now. It’s not long ‘til they find us here.”

Octavia gulped and sniffed, but regained her composure and nodded. “Very well. What is the plan for getting out of this accursed city?” Dash grinned.

“Same plan I always use... we’ll improvise.”

Chapter 7 Fallen

Chapter 7
Fallen

“Lift those boxes higher! Hurry! We don’t know when they’ll come back. Everypony lift!”

Mayor Mare was hurrying from one blockade to another, offering encouragement and support nonstop.

The chill night air made Lyra shiver as she strained to drag a broken wooden cart into the alley, in an effort to create a temporary defense against attack.
She felt another pony join her and turning, she saw Miss Cheerilee give her a comforting smile. With their combined efforts, they managed to pull the cart into the alley and pile boxes all around it. “Those creatures will certainly have trouble getting in now.” Sighed Lyra with satisfaction as she took a quick drink from the flask given her by Berry Punch.

Lyra wasn’t much for spirits, but at this time of night, she needed anything to get her blood flowing. She also wanted to wash away the pain and horror this night had brought upon the sleepy community of Ponyville.

It had been just after three in the morning when the Blanks had first attacked. They had an unnatural ability to move without a sound. If not for Ditzy Doo and her persistent insomnia, they wouldn’t have had any warning. As it was, they had lost many ponies in the first attack, including her roommate Bon-Bon. All of these had joined the ranks of the undead, adding to their numbers.

The Blanks had entirely cut off this part of the village. Lyra and the other ponies had tried to get to the schoolhouse to raise the alarm, but to no avail. The rest of Ponyville was now either dead or sleeping on in peace, unaware of what terror the night held. Lyra didn’t know which.

A hoof on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to look at the grey pegasus. “Muffin?” Asked Ditzy quietly. “It’s still warm.”

Most of the Ponyville knew the grey pony as ‘Derpy Hooves’, but on this night, Lyra decided that childish nicknames were a thing of the past. “Thank you Ditzy.” Lyra took the lightly steaming muffin and popped it into her mouth. Ditzy gave a small smile. “Hey Lyra? Do you think we’ll be OK?” Lyra gave Ditzy a large hug. “I’m positive we’ll be OK. Mayor Mare knows what to do. She’ll get us out of this.”

Lyra knew this wasn’t true, but she didn’t want to scare the pegasus. It wouldn’t be OK. How could you win against an enemy that used your own friends against you?

A cry came from the right side of the bowling arcade. “They’re over here! They’re comi-”

As Lyra and Ditzy hastily grabbed weapons and galloped towards the arcade, they heard sounds that told them that the Blanks and their undead neighbors had breached the outer defenses. The few ponies that had been holding the arcade were already completely overwhelmed, and an unending wave of creatures now poured through the hole.

Lyra and the rest of the defenders began to retreat slowly, using tactics to allow an organized fallback, rather than a complete rout.

Cheerilee went down battling three of the beasts off to Lyra’s right, and other ponies were falling left and right.

Lyra made a judgement call. Grabbing Ditzy’s hoof, the two of them split off to the side, and ran for the town hall. She had seen the Blanks and their undead minions beginning to surround the survivors, and running was the only was she could see as an escape.

They were near the town hall now, and Lyra could see ponies at every window holding various weapons, some holding brooms, others candlesticks. All were ready to fight. She screamed in pain as teeth sunk into her back leg. She turned and kicked at the attacker with her free hoof.

Ditzy began to run back to help, but Lyra yelled at her. “Get away! It’s too late! Get to the hall! You’ll be safe there!” The Blank smiled around her leg clutched in its wide bite. “Jooiiiinn ussss..” it whispered. “Never...” She retorted.

But already red fog was creeping in on her vision. With one last effort she smashed Berry Punch’s ceramic flask on the Blank’s grinning maw. Grabbing a nearby torch, she thrust it into the skeletal colt’s alcohol-soaked face. “Gotta cook your meat before you eat it!” She snarled. Fire burst out on the Blank’s face, and it shrieked, dropping her leg and running off into the night.

She lay back, almost peacefully, ignoring the chaos and battle around her. “We’ll be together again soon, Bon-Bon...” She whispered. She took a final breath and closed her eyes. “...soon...” Then the monster inside took over, and the pony known as Lyra was no more.

Chapter 8 Origin

Chapter 8
Origin

“Hush sasa, utulivu sasa, ni wakati wa kuweka kichwa yako usingizi...”
The flickering light from her cauldron illuminated Zecora in a dim half-light. She trotted from shelf to shelf, picking ingredients and carefully measuring amounts into the pot in the center of the room. Twilight had requested this creation specially. Pyrotechnics were not Zecora’s strong point, but for Twilight the zebra was willing to give firework crafting a shot.

As Zecora continued mixing, she was unaware of a small creature watching her from a high shelf. The little parasprite was curious about the colorful bubbling pot, and wanted to look closer. Who knew, maybe it was tasty. Good to eat.

The small insect squirmed closer and as it did, a wingtip bumped a nearby jar, and both parasprite and jar toppled, landing directly into the cauldron. The concoction immediately began to froth, the rainbow colored steam turning jet black. Zecora noticed the change and hurried over, intent on fixing the issue. As she drew closer, the acrid smell from the cauldron hit her senses. She inhaled the new scent and began to cough. The zebra trotted towards the window to clear the room, when she felt a twinge in her stomach. She was hungry. But for what, exactly?

“Meat...” Whispered a guttural voice.

Zecora realized the words were coming from her own lips. Something was very wrong. She was changing into...into what?

Her mind began to swim. Nothing was making sense, just a red fog tunneling her vision, and the now oppressive hunger making logical thought almost impossible.
“What is this voice speaking inside? The hunger that won’t be denied? I must discover what went wrong, before the hunger gets too strong.”

Zecora turned and began wobbling back towards the cauldron, fighting the screaming inside her head, the thirst for blood. But she could feel herself succumbing to the sheer force of the attack. She began summoning images in her head. Of Ponyville. Of Twilight. Of Applebloom. She used these images to focus her remaining will towards her goal. But the monster inside her was stripping these images from her mind almost as fast as she could generate them. Soon there would be nothing left. Nothing but hunger and pain.

She began adding more items to the pot, trying to counter the poisonous gases. Almost done...Zecora told herself. Almost won... Wait. Zecora. Was that her name? Why was she here? She was wasting time when she could be eating. NO. I AM ZECORA.

Are you sure? Asked another voice in her mind. Could we not be something...better? Of what do you speak? What is it that you seek? Join me. let me dwell inside you. We can do great things together. Never. I would rather live in endless strife, then surrender to you my only life. Then you shall serve me unwillingly, but serve me you shall. Pain split the zebra’s skull. An endless screaming, piercing her mind...

The zebra twitched, dragging herself upright. A smell was on the air. The smell of food. And another scent. Danger. She turned as five black skeletal ponies came crashing into the room. She reacted with a new instinct, leaping on one of the attackers and biting down on his throat. She held on until his twitching ceased. Almost immediately she sensed a new presence in her mind. That colt was like her now. Stronger. Better. Hungry.

She now understood that while food was necessary, one little bite and others would join her cause. Here was a way to live forever. She must share this gift with others. But not everypony would be worthy of such a gift. That pony in the corner. She was...unworthy. An excellent feast however. By now the rest of the Blanks had been turned, and only one remained. The lone mare snarled defiantly, but the zebra knew this would be a short struggle.
*****

They finished their meal, but all were still hungry.
Must find more food. thought Zecora. The others nodded, understanding without words. They knew where to find food. And lots of it. The nearby town of Ponyville. From there they would spread the power across all of Equestria. They would live forever. Rule, forever. Zecora knew that Equestria would not be enough, however. She had heard tales of another realm.

With enough unicorns combining their powers, plus the new power that she would give them, they would go to this place, this Earth, and feast on the creatures that lived there. So much food. They thought.
But we must pace ourselves. Tonight, we will begin with Ponyville.

Chapter 9 Loss

Chapter 9
Loss

As they approached the library, Rarity noticed with dismay that the front door swung back and forth, ajar. “Fluttershy, get behind me. Nothing to worry about, just merely being cautious.”
Fluttershy was still silent. A tiny nod was the only sign that she had even heard Rarity at all. They warily entered the quiet and tiny home of Twilight, ready for any attack. But they met nopony or zombie inside.

Once Rarity was positive that no infected were within, she began barring windows and doors. A light hum escaped her lips, which caused her to stop with surprise. Was she feeling...happy? Did she feel so uncomfortable with herself and with what was normal that she gladly accepted any opportunity for an escape, even if it meant the death of other ponies?

She was so lost in conflicted thought that she stood in the open doorway for several minutes until Fluttershy brushed a wing against her, gently leading her mind back to the importance of the task on hand. Rarity blinked and looked at Fluttershy. The yellow pony gave a tender smile and nodded. Rarity dragged her mind back to reality.

No. She was happiest when working, that’s all. It was when she felt calmest. She needed something to calm her down, considering what had happened this morning. With these thoughts and some effort, she dragged Twilight’s desk in front of the door. It seemed to serve as an effective barricade.

The unicorn sighed with relief. Now they could could breathe easy for a while. Maybe find something to eat. Rarity trotted down into the basement where Twilight kept most of her electronics and canned food. Rarity was in luck. Nothing had been touched, and row upon row of shiny cans greeted her searching gaze.
*****

The yellow pegasus had never been a fan of green beans, but now they were the best thing she’d seen all day. She was a dainty eater, but even Rarity was shocked as the yellow pony tore into the casserole that had just come out of the oven. Within seconds the entire tray was empty.
“Oh Fluttershy! You must have been famished! Give me a few minutes, I’ll whip up some dessert and cocoa.”

A gentle whisper of a snore was the only reply she got. Rarity turned to gaze at the sleeping pegasus. Poor thing. So stressed. This must have been the worst day of her life. Rarity reached out a hoof and brushed Fluttershy’s mane out of her face.
“You’ve been so brave, my dear. If only we knew where the others were. Especially Spike...”

She stopped as she remembered that day Spike had rampaged through the town. So much had happened that day. Greed. Anger. Generosity. Forgiveness. A kiss...

Rarity sighed. If somepony had told her two years ago that she would have feelings for a young dragon, she would have dismissed the idea as mere whimsy, the random ramblings of Pinkie Pie perhaps. She would have said she was destined for Prince Blueblood, the stallion of her dreams. But now, Spike was the only thing in this world that Rarity truly cared about. Well, cared about in that special way. She couldn't imagine a world without his practicality and charming innocence.

With thoughts of Spike still happily swimming through her head, Rarity finally drifted off into exhausted slumber...

Fluttershy cracked open an eyelid. Finally Rarity was asleep. Now was her only chance. She didn’t mind Rarity’s company, but this was something she needed to do alone.

Quietly Fluttershy got up and went upstairs to the balcony. Rarity hadn’t barred any of the upstairs windows, so a pegasus like Fluttershy could easily come and go as she pleased. But Fluttershy wasn’t just needing to stretch her wings. She was worried for her animals.

They hadn’t been fed since this morning. They must be starving! Or at least have the hungry rumbles, and that just wouldn’t do! Also Angel. How was he handling being home alone for so long? Well, he had other animals, but this was the longest he’d been without mama Fluttershy. She had to make sure he was OK.

With this reasoning, she carefully opened the window, spread her wings and leapt, promptly spiraling to the ground, where she trotted off towards home. Don’t worry Angel, thought Fluttershy. Mama’s coming...
*****

Rarity was re-awoken by a cold breeze down her back. The unicorn was afraid to move. A breeze meant a window was open. She had closed all the downstairs windows.

Rarity mentally cursed as she realized she hadn’t bothered to check the upstairs windows. These things were once ponies. Some of them probably remembered how to fly. Only one way to find out who had come in. Rarity tensed, bracing herself. Then she jumped up and looked around the room. Empty. She sighed in relief, wait. Empty? Where was... “Fluttershy...” Whispered Rarity.

The unicorn galloped to the door, flinging the bookcase aside and tearing the door open. Outside a few feet away a set of tracks started and led in the direction of Fluttershy’s house. The street was deserted and no infected seemed to be anywhere nearby.

Rarity blocked the door behind her, and began the slow, laborious task of slipping from cover to cover, dodging infected and making her way towards Fluttershy’s woodland cottage home.

As she got within sight of the cottage, she began seeing bits of fur and feathers and she knew in her heart what she would find inside.

Rarity pushed open the remains of the door and the room grew lighter. Blood was everywhere, and skeletons of small animals were strewn about the room. Rarity saw Fluttershy sitting on the floor, cradling a small white object. Rarity entered the room and the yellow pegasus looked up. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at Rarity. The look she gave was full of bewilderment and utter sorrow.

Held in her hooves was a small, lifeless body. It was Angel, a rabbit that Fluttershy had found years ago. They had had their disagreements in the past, but they had an understanding and a closeness that Fluttershy didn’t have with anypony else.

Even Rarity understood how much this broke the pegasus’ heart. For once, all her eloquence failed her. She sat down next to the sobbing Fluttershy and held her close as the yellow pony cried silently.

Rarity wondered how much more they could take. Fluttershy was such a tender and loving pony. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. How long until they all snapped, or lost the will to live? What would it take to survive all of this? What would they have to do to live? Would it be worth it?
Was any of this worth living for?

This time Rarity managed to jar herself out of the line of thought on her own. Applejack would call it, “Stinkin’ Thinkin’”. The unicorn smiled as she remembered how many times she and A.J. had tip-hoofed the line in the past, about so many trivial things. But despite all their differences, they were still friends.

Wait a minute...Friends.

Now that was something worth living for.

Chapter 10 Rememberance

Chapter 10
Remembrance

Pinkie enjoyed making cupcakes more than any other hobby. A cup of flour, a pinch of salt. Maybe some vanilla. Add a little more and you never...
Cupcakes were impossible to make with Twilight, however. Pinkie respected the unicorn’s enthusiasm, but Twilight was far too perfection oriented. Every measurement had to be mind-numbingly exact, down to the last drop or grain. Pinkie took a deep breath and tried to explain again.

“Twilight?”

“Yes Pinkie?”

“You know it doesn’t have to be exact. The cupcakes will still taste great!”

“But maybe they’ll taste even better if we make sure everything is just right!”

Pinkie sighed and decided to just go along with it. Neatness and accuracy were Twilight’s method of coping with stress, and considering how many undead were milling about outside of Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie could understand why tensions were running high. She herself was feeling rather down, but she decided to hide her true feeling as best she could. Twilight seemed to be having such a good time, and Pinkie didn’t want to bring Twilight down.

Pinkie turned her attention back to the finally completed set of cupcakes. Perfect. And it only took three hours. Not bad, considering how many times they had started over because of as Twilight put it; “inaccurate measurements.” They slid the batch of cupcakes into the oven, and after a few minutes a pleasant smell began to waft through the little store.

Twilight was glad to see that Pinkie was back to her old self. But Twilight was worried that the earth pony’s natural boisterous and bubbling mood was being forced. Killing the Cakes had to have been hard on her, but the bouncy earth pony was acting like it was just a normal day. Twilight wanted to ask her how she was doing, but decided it was too soon. Better to just let the pink pony enjoy herself for now.

A sigh from the corner of the room turned the lilac mares’ attention to the dragon sitting in the small plaid armchair once belonging to Mr. Cake.

“Something wrong, Spike?”

“I’m worried about Rarity. We need to go see if she’s OK.”

“Spike, we’ve been over this. There are too many of those creatures outside, we’ll have to wait until nightfall.”

The dragon sighed and went back to gazing at the photograph he held in his small claw. The image showed the Ponyville carnival from a few months ago. A large ferris wheel took up most of the background and brightly colored tents filled in the gaps. In the foreground of the shot stood a pony and young dragon, arm and hoof wrapped around each others shoulders. Rarity was drenched and her usually tightly curled violet mane hung limp and straight. Tucked under one arm was a stuffed yellow cat that was almost larger than Spike. She wore a cheesy lime green fedora, and the plastic hat was tilted rakishly at an angle. She also wore a orange bandana, and a smile that outshone the stars in the night sky behind her and Spike. That had been a night to remember...

Spike was so nervous. This was a big moment in his life. While Twilight and the rest of the gang would be there, Spike still considered taking Rarity to the Ponyville carnival to be their first official date. But he was getting ahead of himself. First, he had to ask her.

His heart was in his small throat as he lifted a trembling claw and knocked at the door of Carousel Boutique. He heard trotting hooves approaching the door and he straightened, preparing himself for the big speech. But it wasn’t Rarity who answered the door. It was her younger sister, Sweetie Belle.

“Oh hey Spike!”

“Hiya, Sweetie Belle. Is your big sister here?”

“Yup, one second. RARITY!!!”
As Spike waited for his hearing to return he saw the flawless white form of Rarity come out of the back room. She was cute when she was angry. She appeared to tell Sweetie Belle off for something and after a heated discussion, Sweetie Belle headed upstairs to her room and Rarity came to the door.

“.......?”

Spike vigorously dug a finger in his ear, trying to regain hearing. After a moment the soft lilting voice of Rarity drifted into his ears.

“...sure you’re alright Spike?”

“Rarity, I wanted to ask, that is...I was hoping you would accompany me...I mean, there’s a carnival and...”

The unicorn said nothing, merely smiling kindly as she waited for Spike to convey his message.

“Would you like to go to the carnival with me? It wouldn’t be a date date, that is unless you want it to be, I mean, the others will be there, but they wouldn’t be part of the date. Just you and me, and all the other ponies at the carnival...wait, that didn’t sound right...”

Rarity mercifully cut him off.

“Oh Spike, I would be delighted indeed to accompany you! How thoughtful an offer. Shall we meet here at, say five o’clock? I need a few hours to get ready.”
*****

So far it had been an enjoyable evening. Spike had been saving his bits for months, so he and Rarity were able to enjoy most of the attractions. They even managed to win several prizes, including a bandana, some paper flowers, a plastic hat, a large stuffed cat, and a paper clip which Spike promptly lost. They had been walking down the path towards the rose garden when a large balloon full of water had collided with Rarity, flung from the orange hooves of Scootaloo.

“Yes! Direct hit!”

Scootaloo and the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders sat in a nearby tree, a full bucket of water balloons at their disposal. All three were dressed in black costumes, and they looked eagerly at the pegasus’ flank. But no cutie mark appeared, and all three were disappointed.

“Drat.” Said Scootaloo.

“Thought fer sure we were Cutie Mark Crusader Water Balloon Ninjas.” Sighed Applebloom.

“Oh well.” Said Sweetie Belle. “Any other ideas?”

Spike was mortified. Rarity had worked so hard getting ready for tonight, she had to be furious...
A hysterical giggle burst from the unicorn’s lips and she used her magic to levitate the bucket of water balloons over the heads of the three fillies in the tree. All three were so lost in thought that none of them noticed the impeding retaliation strike until it was too late. The attack was super effective, and the Crusaders were drenched head to hoof.

Spike had not expected this reaction. Rarity was a bit of a tight-flank, and all her hard work dressing up for tonight being obliterated in one balloon strike should have reduced her to a dripping pile of tears. But instead there was this dripping wet giggling rambunctious filly.
Seeing Spike’s shocked expression Rarity laughed again.

“Rarity? Aren’t you devastated?”

“Not at all! This outfit is machine washable. I’m just glad to be spending time with you, Spikey-Wikey. Think fast!”

She grabbed another balloon and hurled it with deadly accuracy at the small dragon.
They spent several minutes flinging water balloons to and fro, until all were used. Then they sat in the cool grass and watched the stars come out one by one. It was Rarity who broke the silence first.

“Thank you Spike.”

“For what?”

“For showing me how to enjoy myself again.”

“Aww, it was nothin. I’m just glad you have had fun tonight.”

“I really have. You know how to show a lady a good time. This has been an very wonderful date...”
Spike blushed. Wait. Did she say?...

“So, does that mean this was a-”

The dragon was cut off as Rarity turned and kissed him. This was no light kiss on the cheek. This was a deep kiss on the lips, full of passion.

After a moment they broke apart. Spike was giddy, his smile overwhelming his face.

“What was that for?”

“Well, let’s just say it’s an answer.”

“To what?”

“Your declarations of love, of course.”

“But Twilight and Pinkie promised not to tell you! They Pinkie Pie swore!”

“Oh they didn’t say a word. But you weren’t exactly subtle with your affections, Spike.”
Spike smiled.

“I know. I’ve never been good at cards either.”

They both had a chuckle. They were interrupted by a maroon Pegasus with a camera.

“Photo for the happy couple?”

Behind the photographer, Spike saw Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack watching through some bushes. They were all grinning at him and Rarity. Pinkie gave Spike a hooves-up, and made a kissy face at him.
Spike winced, thoroughly embarrassed now.

“Absolutely, dear sir.”

Rarity put a hoof about Spike’s shoulders.

“After all, we are a couple now. We need something to remember this night by...”

Spike was pulled out his reverie by the sound of splintering wood as a grey stallion forced its way into the shop. Nopony had time to react as the stallion let out a howl and sunk it teeth into spike’s arm. Pinkie fired a shotgun, blasting the beast back out the window, but already more creatures were trying to force their way into the room. Twilight scooped up the injured and bleeding Spike and galloped out the back door, followed by Pinkie, who stopped long enough to set a small trip mine. The resulting explosion knocked all three off their feet, and collapsed Sugarcube Corner, killing all the infected inside.

Spike’s head began spinning and his vision began fading into a red mist. He felt himself set gently on the ground, then the sound of hooves galloping away. He understood. They couldn’t take him with them. He was turning. He could feel it. He chose not to fight the monster, instead embracing it peacefully. As his world went black, he heard Rarity’s voice inside his head.

“I love you, Spike.”

Chapter 11 Recuited

Big Macintosh was worried. Applejack should have come back to the farm several hours ago. When he expressed his concern to Granny Smith, she just smiled at him.

“Oh Mac, yer jus’ bein’ a nervous nelly again. She’s probably just kickin’ up her hooves a bit. Enjoyin’ herself, ya know? She’s been workin’ so hard o’ late. Give her time. She’ll be back.”

Macintosh didn’t share her enthusiasm. Something seemed off. He sensed it as he walked through the orchard. The trees, the grass, even the sky above was clouded. The very air around screamed a silent message of unease. And fear. Every hair on his body stood erect, straining as if to escape the coming terror. The last time Mac had felt something like this, he and A.J. had lost their parents. Tragic story really. The papers listed it as an unfortunate zap apple accident. Applejack hadn’t smiled or even spoken for almost a full year afterwards.

Macintosh heard Applebloom trotting up behind him, and he did his best to hurriedly dry the tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

“Big Macintosh! Come quick!”

Mac heard the panic in little Applebloom’s voice, and he turned quickly.

“What’s wrong half-pint?”

“Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara are plum outta their minds! Said somethin’ ‘bout crazy ponies in Ponyville!”

“Where are they now?”

“Granny’s lookin’ after ‘em. They’re both fine, ‘cept Mr. Rich got a bite on his neck. Granny bandanged it up right away. Tiara don’t got a scratch on her, but now her pa keeps complain about a tummy ache.”

Mac stiffened. Bite marks? Stomach ache? Sounded like a story he’d heard from that explorer pony, what was his name? Dr...something? He talked about a mysterious illness that made ponies go crazy when they were bit. But why would it be here in Ponyville?

“Git on, young ‘un. It’s probably nothin’, but we’re better safe than sorry.”

Applebloom scrambled on, and Big Macintosh took off in the direction of the farmhouse. He stopped at the front door. It was open, and a trail of blood led around back, towards the woodshed. He tried to cover Applebloom’s eyes, but it was too late. She had seen it.

“M-M-Macintosh? W-W-What’s goin’ on?”

“Lissen little sis. Ah don’ have time to explain things. We need to get outta here, an’ fast.”

A low growl caused him to turn around. Filthy Rich stood there, but his eyes were completely white, and a bloody green foreleg was clutched in the teeth. He dropped it and advanced, mouth stretched agape, ready to devour Mac in one large gulp. But the stallion had no plans on being dinner to a crazy pony. Grabbing Applebloom’s bow in his teeth, he slung her through the open doorway, diving in behind and kicking the door shut. A pounding began on the other side of the large wooden door. Mac gave a small grin. He had built that door himself. He knew it could take a heak of a beating before it broke. But it would break. They had to get out of there.

He began to head towards the back door when more groans from that direction stopped him. Were there more of these things? Then he saw a sight that made his very soul grow cold. Granny Smith lay in front of the back door. She had been torn to pieces and shouldn’t be alive, but somehow she was. She growled and gnashed her teeth at Mac and Applebloom as she tried to drag her mangled corpse towards them. There was nothing they could do. She was one of them now. Mac began to gallop up the stairs. He looked back to see Applebloom standing perfectly still as Granny Smith inched closer and closer to the yellow earth filly. Behind Granny, many more creatures shambled their way towards the back door, and began pushing through it.

“Applebloom! Git away!”

She didn’t move. She just stood and watched the remains of Granny Smith draw nearer. Macintosh flew back down the stairs and pulled Applebloom back right as the green mare made a movement somewhere between a flop and a lunge, her teeth just barely missing the yellow filly’s flank. Applebloom was limp, her eyes staring at some unseen point in the distance. Mac carried her upstairs to the attic, where he gently set her against one wall. He then went back and closed the door, making sure both bolts were securely fastened.

He checked Applebloom’s vitals. She was in massive shock, but she’d be OK. That is, if they could get out of here. He looked around for some form of escape and his eyes landed on the old pulley system. They had used it to move stuff from the attic to the ground below without having to carry things up and down flights of stairs. That just might work. Then he realized he would have to stay behind to lower Applebloom down. In her condition she wouldn’t get far before those things got to her. He heard a pounding start on the attic door. They didn’t have much time...

“Please Mr. Mac sir!” Shrieked a small voice. “Please let me in!”

He ran over and wrenched the door open to see Diamond Tiara. She had lost her namesake crown and her carefully groomed mane unraveled in all directions. Macintosh had an idea. He guided the terrified little filly inside, closing and re-bolting the door.

“Take it easy, little filly. Ah’m gonna getcha outta here. But Ah need ya ta do exactly, what Ah say. Yeh unnerstand?”

She completely ignored him, continuing to cry and babble. “What’s wrong with my daddy? Why did he try to hurt me? What’s going on here? I want my daddy!...”

She was silenced by a small yellow hoof being gently pressed against her lips.

“Hold on now, mah big brother’s got a plan. So ya need to stop that ruckus and lissen to ‘im.”

Macintosh had to admire his little sister’s ability to get herself and other ponies under control. He gave her an approving nod, then turned his attention back to the now quiet but still trembling Diamond Tiara.

“Ah’m gonna get yeh filly’s outta here, no need to fret none. But Ah need ya to watch each other’s flank’s out there. Can ya promise me that?”

Applebloom couldn’t understand what she was hearing. “But Big Macintosh, we can’t leave ya here! Those thing’ll getcha! Ya gotta come with us!”

Big Macintosh shook is head. “Can’t come with ya sis, much as Ah might like to. Somepony gotta lower the basket, an’ it only makes sense that the job get done by the biggest an’ strongest of us. An’ unless either of ya fillies are stronger than me, Ah think we all know who’s stayin’ behind.”

Applebloom stomped her hoof. “We ain’t leavin’ ya!”

Macintosh gave her a sad smile. “You don’ got no choice, young ‘un. Yer both gettin’ in that basket if’n Ah have ta hog-tie ya mahself.”

A crashing against the attic door told Mac that time was short. Quickly he gathered both fillies into the basket, and gently began lowering it out the window. Once the basket was on the ground, Mac called to them.

“Alright fillies. Make fer Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie’ll know what ta do. An’ Applebloom?”

“Yeh Big Macintosh?”

“Ah love ya sis. I’ll see ya later.”

“Ah...Ah love ya too big brother.”

“Ya two need ta git movin’! Git!”

As he watched the two fillies gallop through the orchard towards Ponyville he sighed.
He knew he wouldn’t see little Applebloom again. Or Applejack. He wouldn’t even be able to tell the mare of his dreams how he felt about her. Oh Fluttershy. She was so kind to all. So understanding. So gentle. He loved everything about that beautiful mare. Her mane, the way it flowed about her face. Her eyes, the way their deep and penetrating gaze...

No. He was going to live to get out of here. Not only that, he was going to take every last one of those things down if that’s what it took to protect the ones he loved. This was his moment. He had to find something to use as a weapon. He grabbed a nearby axe, and used some rope to tie it to his hind leg. He also filled a duffel bag with a shovel, some nails, an extra length of rope, and a couple dried apples.

Finally setting a wooden bucket atop his head, he gripped a hoof scythe in his teeth and with a growling “Eeeyup”, he flung the door open to greet the oncoming creatures. It was a short battle. With one swing, Macintosh severed Filthy Rich’s head from his shoulders. He then proceeded to hack and slash through the rest of the teeming horde. He was a machine, one of the legendary War-Horses of old. Unstoppable. Part hurricane, part tank. He battled on, fueled by a determination to protect. Dozens of the infected went down before his wrath. The floor became a macabre lake of blood and gore. As he fought on, he began to grow tired. There were more of the things then he’d planned on. But he had to keep fighting. He tripped and went down. The creatures leapt eagerly upon his fallen body, sensing a feast.

Big Macintosh knew his end was upon him. He would never be able to tell Fluttershy he loved...

He rolled on his back and bucked, flinging the assailants into the far wall. Before they could recover he was on them again. He seemed to grow larger as he fought on towards the door. One filly sank it’s teeth into his shoulder. He felt no pain, merely annoyed that he had let his guard down. Macintosh shook the filly off and stomped down, crushing her skull under one hoof. Suddenly the rest of the creatures fell back, and he was left standing alone in the center of the room, surrounded by a pile of bodies and severed limbs. He wondered why they did not press their advantage. He was wounded. Then he saw the zebra standing in the open doorway.

“Zecora?” He gasped aloud.

The zebra gurgled, and he heard a voice in his head. It was his voice, though horribly distorted and mangled. Like somepony was speaking to him through a layer of water.

That is no longer our name. You no longer possess a name either.
He shook his head.
Of course Ah do. It’s Big Macin-
THAT IS NO LONGER YOUR NAME.
The earth stallion gave a small snort.
Beggin’ yer pardon, but it is.
No longer your name.
He must fight this evil. He began to repeat his name over and over in his head.
Mah name is Macintosh. Mah name is Macintosh.
You have no name.
Macintosh. Macintosh.
No name.
Ah...I have no name.
We have no name. But we have need of you. We have a plan to rule not just this world, but one beyond. We would make you our General, controlling our armies, leading them like an unstoppable tide over all worlds.
I would give my life for the honor.
Yes. You shall.

The Zebra gave a nod, welcoming this great warrior to her ranks. He would make an excellent leader. Maybe he might even rule by her side. But she would worry about that later. For once again, it was time to feast. There were still survivors in other villages. Plenty of recruits and food.
Her next target would be Trottingham.