My Little Zombie: The Virus is Magic

Fluttershy's Cottage

Saturday, March 2001 (Before RD)

8:56 p.m.

Ever since she fell out of Cloudsdale, Fluttershy had lived with the animals, occasionally heading into town for supplies. She lived inside a cottage on the edge of the Everfree, which had seemed abandoned.

Fluttershy's pink mane was flowing behind her, wind beating at her until she reached the cottage. The kind Pegasi had been helping some baby ducks into her cottage, but when she turned around, Fluttershy had seen a shape dash off to the left, dropping a massive piece of timber onto the ground.

As the filly examined it in the cold rain, which had recently started pouring down, she gasped...it was part  of a Timber Wolf, but how did it lose this? Wait...that Timber Wolf must have taken the ducklings! Fluttershy ignored her massive urge to run and hide, and followed the Timber Wolf's tracks.

As she approached the Everfree, completely soaked to the bone now, the filly heard grunts of effort, and then a massive thud beside her, splashing mud on her and the ground around. Inside the hole that was made was a colt, who was struggling to get up. When the lightning flashed, she got a quick look at him.

The colt was an earth pony, who had large scratch marks on his body with blood oozing out of it, a disheveled black mane which had faded blue streaks, no Cutie mark, a soaked tan-ish gray coat, and slightly glowing eyes. Groaning, the colt got up as the lightning flash went away.

Fluttershy's nerves were frayed from the thud the colt had made, so she just whimpered as she cowered down until she heard...

"I'm going to get those ducks back...can't...let em die...ugh..."

Fluttershy peeked out from underneath one of her hooves, and saw the colt treading back into the Everfree. Finally her nerve snapped, and the Pegasus ran back to her cottage, slamming the door shut behind her...

10:48 p.m.

Fluttershy knew she should be in bed by now, being a filly and all, but...the Pegasus felt horrible... She had left a poor colt to his fate, as well as her duckling, not to mention she was still filthy, dragging mud all over the mostly barren house. Thunder rolled across the sky, sending it's booms of terror out into the open.

Eventually, Fluttershy heard a slight knock at her door, and paused, surprised. Doing a quick shake to make herself, at the very least, presentable, she opened the door

In front of her were the ducklings from before, all straining to be near another pony's leg. When Fluttershy looked up, she saw the colt from before, more cuts and bruises, a *huge** gash on his side, and a limp in his step, standing over the ducklings. The colt smiled weakly, blood smearing his teeth.*

"Uh...h-hi...um...c-come in, little ducklings..." Fluttershy said timidly, as the babies did just that, wanting to get out of the rain.

The colt that was smiling suddenly stopped and groaned, before looking at the yellow Pegasus before him. "Got..any bandages? Ugh..." With that, he passed out...

~~***~~

Fluttershy's Cottage

Sunday, March 2001

4:54 p.m.

Fluttershy rubbed her now clean coat, sighing as she looked over at the colt next to her, who was out cold. She shivered as she remembered patching up his wounds...a filly shouldn't have to do that...but... The Pegasus looked over at the sleeping colt, smiling warmly. Anypony who would go through this for animals, was a good pony in her book.

The colt lying beside her groaned, opening his eyes slightly, then let out a weak yawn.

"Ow...what...happened? ...oh yeah...that.."

With a deadpan look, he examined Fluttershy.

"O-oh, hi t-there..." The Pegasus said shyly.

"My name is Neo Scratch, and i presume you're Fluttershy? Thanks for helping me with the wounds...quick question though...how long have i been out?"

"Oh, about a day. N-not long at all..." Fluttershy said quietly.

Neo sighed and sat up, rubbing where one of the deeper scratches were.

"So...you take care of animals, correct?"

"Y-yes..."

"Well, i was hoping my kindness would pay off. Are the ducklings safe?" Neo Scratch asked.

"Yes.." The timid filly replied.

"Well, good, i have to go now...again, thanks..." The colt complemented as he stood up, heading to the door with a limp.

"W-will you be OK?" Fluttershy asked.

"I will. I'm also pretty sure i'll be seeing you again a while from now. Thank you for your hospitality, Fluttershy..." Neo said, leaving behind a, slight confused, but happy filly...

~~***~~

Ponyville School

Monday, July 2015

10:54 a.m.

Princess Twilight stared at the ground, thinking about what had just been said. She had been expecting something of a happy reaction, but not that...

"And let me ask you a question, Princess Twilight...does "safe" even exist?"

Those words still rang around in her head...

"Er...you okay sugarcube?" The familiar voice of Applejack, snapping Twilight back to attention.

"Yeah..." Then she looked back at Storm Scratch, and said. "Trust us, it's safe."

Scratch snorted. "This place has lasted a month before they dug under. They're smarter than you think...no place is truly safe, Twilight."

Vinyl stepped forward. "You're different somehow...I've got my eyes on you...But are you coming with us or not-ow!"

Applejack had elbowed her in the side, sending a wave of pain into it. "Be nice... anyway...are ya?"

Scratch sighed and thought for a moment, before nodding, and walking inside. After a moment, he came out with Scootaloo, and a few unknown colts and fillies.

"Ready..." He said as Ms. Cheerilee gathered up the rest of them.

Storm Scratch waltzed over to the, still open, gates of iron, and waited until everypony was out, following behind Twilight.

"We should hurry, darkness comes sooner than one might think..."

~~***~~

Canterlot Castle

Tuesday, May 2001 (after RD, before last AJ)

7:47 p.m.

A lavender unicorn filly, by the name of Twilight, was lying on a massive bed, inside Canterlot Castle. She was reading one of her most favorite books about magic...at least thats what the case was until a voice came from a corner of her room.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle..."

The unicorn in question looked up from her book, examining the room, until her vision came to rest on a pair of, slightly green, glowing eyes.

"Er...hi? H-how do you know m-my name? What is yours?" Twilight questioned.

"My name is Neo Scratch. I know a lot about you, and some...what was the word? ... soon to be acquaintances of yours..." The voice said as a shape moved and stepped out from the shadows.

The voice belonged to a colt, no bigger than her, who had a pitch black mane with faded blue streaks, a tan-ish gray coat, and no Cutie mark. The colt's eyes were violent green, but in different lighting seemed to go from green to red, to even violet. He was also smiling a toothy smile that, Neo as far as Twilight knew, had normal teeth, but they were slightly pointed.

Neo smiled warmly. "I hear you like books..." the colt said, pulling a book from his bags.

The unicorn was confused, somepony she just met was giving her a book?

When Neo Scratch finished getting it out, he gently set  a book on the bed. Twilight looked over, and read the title.

Unknown Species, Considered Extinct

"What am i supposed to do with this?" The lavender unicorn filly asked.

"Read it. Never tell anyone about it." Neo replied simply, walking over to the window. "I'll see you around, Twilight Sparkle..."

"Er...bye?" The filly in question said, not used to many people talking to her.

Neo leaped out the window, and hooves could be heard through the garden...

~~***~~

Ponyville Square

Monday, July 2015

11:43 a.m.

Applejack looked at Twilight. "Are ya'll sure he's alright? That stallion looks like he just saw somethin traumatizing..."

Rainbow flew down next to her. "You're right..."

The orange mare beside her glared at her. "Where in the hay have you been, Rainbow? We could'a used the help..."

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. "I totally didn't sneak into Sugarcube Corner..."

"Rainbow..." Twilight said in exasperation, face hoofing in the process.

"Sorry Twi, but i got a stomach that needed satisfied...hey, that rhymed! Er...sort of..." The rainbow maned Pegasus replied.

Vinyl was keeping close eyes on Storm Scratch, when a colt came up to the group of four. The colt was fairly tall for his age, and his blonde mane stuck out like a dandelion in a weed field. He had no Cutie mark, but his eyes were blue, and filled with determination.

"I'd be grateful he's even alive. Do you know what state we found him in? Scratch should be dead right now. When we found him, a lot of his bones were sticking out, there was blood everywhere, and whatever did that to him, was no where to be seen. Think about what he's been through. It's been much worse than all of us. Probably worse than all of you. I'd think about that." The colt said, beginning to trot away, clearly satisfied.

All four of the mares were speechless. Never before had a colt stepped up to them like that...

"He's right..." Twilight said quietly, glancing over at Storm Scratch, who was off in his own little world...

~~***~~

Storm Scratch has been through a lot, but never, ever, has he been through something like that before...it still haunted him to this day...

~~***~~

Ponyville Hospital Grounds

Tuesday, June 2015

10:22 a.m.

Scratch's body groaned under his own weight, he's taken too many hits, and he knew it....so did Bulk Biceps. The tiny-winged Pegasus in question charged at the bloody form of Storm Scratch, connecting with him and sending him into the wall, with a *crunch.*

Bulk Biceps low out a series of growls that sounded like a demented chuckle. A dark figure stepped out from the shadows and spoke, with that voice, which sent familiar chills down Scratch's back.

"As i said...all will fall...now, that i am more powerful, i am willing to make a...deal...the safety of your friends for...the sanity of somepony else..." The Shadow said simply, making it not sound like a request.

Storm Scratch let out a small growl before replying with a weak, "fine..."

"Good. Bulk, you can continue your fun." The Shadow said disappearing back into the shadows.

Bulk Biceps stalked forward, and brought a hoof down at his head, and after that, everything was a blur...

~~***~~

Scratch jumped nearly eight feet in the air when he felt someone's hoof touch his shoulder. Looking over his saw Applejack staring at him with a concerned face.

"You okay, sugarcube?" The mare asked carefully, feeling like she was on thin ice.

Storm Scratch didn't answer, but he didn't need to...his eyes, which AJ just noticed seemed to change color in different lighting, gave off a broken look, as if something had been ripped from him.

"We thought not. Look, we're here for ya if you ever need anything. Ya got that?" Applejack asked seriously, though she gave him a warm smile.

Scratch nodded, then looked back at the ground, seeming even more down than normal. The farmer next to him sighed, and walked back over to her friends.

"I tried..."

Twilight sighed, shaking her head. "There's nothing we can do about it right now, we're nearly there anyways..."

~~***~~

Nearly an hour later they arrived at the farm, Scratch snorting at the gates of wooden doors.

"How exactly are wooden doors safe?" He challenged.

Princess Twilight looked away sheepishly. "Truth is...those creatures never get close enough to hit them..."

Storm Scratch sighed and walked in as the gates opened, looking around gloomily at the (mostly) happy environment around him. The first stop the group made, was at the farm house, so they could put up their things. Applejack, with much hesitance, went to check up on the others, while Rainbow Dash went to check for flyers. Twilight went to update her list, and Vinyl went back to her sentry post.

The fillies and Colts went to meet up with the others, and Ms. Cheerilee went to see what job she got. When the farm house went quiet, Scratch sighed and rubbed his wounds, looking around. He saw a shape standing in the doorway, which stumbled toward him, groaning and moaning in that horrible way only those zomponies could.

Storm Scratch's pupils shrunk to pinpoints as he lunged at the shadow, knocking it to the ground despite his pain, tearing into the shape with his bare hooves, spreading blood on them, wrapping his hooves in the muscle until the shape was nothing but a smear in the ground...Scratch felt a huge pain go through his head, so he shook it.

Suddenly the pain was gone, and Scratch looked down, seeing a horrible sight...

Below him was a mangled shape of a stallion. The stallion had strangely blue hair, with black streaks, which matched his tail. The coat on the stallion was a tan color with the barest hint of gray, red eyes open in terror.

Storm Scratch knew what he had to do...he had to hide the body...he had to do something...anything...

~~***~~

9:38 p.m.

Twilight and her friends walked into the farmhouse, only to see a...strange sight. The entire house was squeaky clean, top to bottom, and on the floor was the sleeping shape of Storm Scratch, who opened his eyes once he heard the others come in.

Sitting up, Scratch looked at his comrades with a nervous look, having an empty feeling in his mind...not heart...mind.

"Hi girls...ow...i figured i'd clean up a bit." He said with tired enthusiasm.

"Well, ya'll sure did a might fine job, don't ya think so girls?" Applejack said happily.

"Uh-huh..." They all replied, unused to seeing the house so clean.

Storm Scratch stood up shakily, then glanced over at Twilight. "So where do i sleep?"

"In here with us. Pick any room. if you choose a room that has another inhabitant, sleep on the floor. Spike's making Rarity's bed right now, before they hit the hay." The young Princess said with a bored tone.

Scratch nodded then raced upstairs, picking the first room he laid eyes on, lying down a blanket and pillow on the floor, then, just before falling asleep, he heard Applejack's tired voice speak quietly.

"Well, that was fast.  I'ma find out whats wrong with you if it's the last thing ah do..."

With that, he heard the creak of a bed, then a soft snore, before falling asleep himself...