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                    The Science Project                    
                       -by Rahludan-                       
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                         Chapter 1                         
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Chapter 1
It was a Wednesday afternoon. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were having an awesome time inside their clubhouse. Every day after school, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo always headed on over to their clubhouse to spend the day with each other, trying to figure out ways to earn their cutie marks. Since they have formed their own alliance, they have been unsuccessful in finding their true special talents. They have tried everything from school talent shows to pulling taffy. They have even tried to write newspaper articles. But every time, nothing.. Their flanks were still bare, and their special talents, left undiscovered. The CMC have been put through disappointment many different times. But one thing is for certain! They never gave up! They always had the same, adventurous spirit, and willing to do anything it took to find out their destinies in ponyville!
It was about five after six, and the CMC were in their clubhouse. They were playing with the loop-de-hoop that Applejack had presented to Apple Bloom a little while back. Neither of them were really good at it, but they all sure had a great time goofing off with their friends. Noticing the time, Sweetie Belle speaks up. "Hey girls, don't you think we ought to get started on our homework? It is getting kind of late." Applebloom and Scootaloo had looked at the clock on their wall, and looked at each other and groaned.  
"Ugh. Is it after six already? The day went by too fast!" Scootaloo exclaimed.  
"Yeah, not nearly enough time in the day to get all the fun out of our systems!" stated Applebloom.
Applebloom began to spin the hoop around her neck again while Scootaloo watched, and cheered her on. Sweetie Belle then used her magic to bring the hoop to a half, and then levitated it off of her neck. Throwing it down on the wooden floor, Sweetie Belle began to speak. "I know girls, I am not ready to hit the books either, but we REALLY need to get this project done, or else we are going to get a bad mark!"  
They all looked rather worried. Then Applebloom finally spoke up. "Oh no, Granny Smith won't be too happy with me if I bring home another bad grade! I won't be able to see you guys for like an entire week!"
"Or worse, what if we get giant F's as cutie marks?! That would be soo embarrassing!" Scootaloo spoke as she began to shudder. Although it seemed like a very unlikable possibility, but they knew from all of Twilights lectures, that anything was possible .For that reason, they decided not to chance it, and they all reach in their saddlebags, and pull out their books. They all open their books to the assigned page for today.  
"A science project? Boring!" Exclaimed Scootaloo.
"Yeah. Who would want a 'sciencey' cutie mark anyways?" Applebloom asked to the group. They seemed rather disappointed about having to do a group project, and even worse, have only once day to do it.
"So.." Started Sweetie Belle. "What should we do?"
"How about a rocket ship!" Scootaloo cheerfully suggested. She seemed to be daydreaming again. This time, she must have been imagining she was inside of a rocket ship.
"Rockets are cool and all, but I don't think we have all the materials to build one of those things! Not to mention our very short time limit! It just can't be done!" Sweetie Belle had a pretty valid argument. Where on Equestria would they find everything they need to make a rocket?! Scootaloo seemed to drop back into reality as she gave a disappointed "hmph." Applebloom had given the next suggestion.
"Why don't we make a volcano? Everypony is sure to enjoy that! Heck, our grade would be pretty neat too! We would get the highest mark in the whole class!" That was not a half bad suggestion.
"That's not a bad idea, but.." started Sweetie Belle. "Those things are incredibly messy! Don't you remember when Minty made one of those? The whole classroom had all this red goo everywhere. Everywhere!" Sweetie Belle began to speak in a more concerned tone. "Would you girls really want to have that responsibility of cleaning up the classroom if it managed to turn into a disaster?"
Applebloom hadn't thought of that, but she did recall stories of the "Huge Volcanic Eruption in the Classroom" a couple years back. Of course it seemed funny at the time, but She would have hated to be the young filly to scrub the entire classroom even for a little while.  
"Yeah, I s'pose yer right Sweetie Belle" Applebloom had admitted. "Any other ideas?"  
After pondering to themselves for a bit, Sweetie Belle jumped up in excitement as she got an idea.
"Ooh! I know! How about a potato light?" Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at each other awkwardly.
"What's that Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo quickly asked.
"It's when you connect wires to a light bulb, and put them inside a potato. Then once the wires go into the potato, the light turns on!" Sweetie Belle said in a proud manner. Scootaloo thought to herself, that was actually pretty cool. Not as cool as a rocket ship, but still, pretty cool.
"We could even use it as a night light whenever the three of us have our sleep overs at the clubhouse!" Applebloom Suggested.
"Yeah!" Exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "It's quick, easy to do, and if we leave right now, we could probably make it back before dark!"
"It's settled then! Let's head down to the shop with our allowance, and get everything we need!" Scootaloo stated as she throws her saddlebags on her back, and starts to head off the door. They both follow suit, and grab their saddlebags as well, and head out the clubhouse. "Next stop, Ponyville!"
On their way to Ponyville, they notice the sun beginning to drop. They realize that they do not have a whole lot of time left. "C'mon girls, let’s pick of the pace!" suggested Scootaloo. The three fillies begin to trot down the path faster when they realize they are getting close. About three minutes later, they began approach the front door of the "Ponyville General Store". The three fillies realize that they are making good time.
The three of them rush into the store, and grab a potato, a light bulb, and a few snips of wires. Once they realize that they have everything they need, they make their way up toward the check-out line. The cheerful clerk checks the merchandise that the young girls are trying to purchase. Then finally says "Alright girls, that will be 6 bits total." The CMC decide upon themselves that they would each pay 2 bits to the clerk, since it was all of their project. They begin to reach inside their saddlebags. Sweetie Belle pulls out 2 bits. Applebloom does the same. Scootaloo, on the other hand, was a bit too short.
"Scootaloo, that's not enough. You need two bits silly. That's only one!" Sweetie Belle stated in an annoyed tone.
"Heh.. Yeah.. I know" Replied Scootaloo. "I kinda spent my other bit yesterday while at Sugar Cube Corner. I saw this really yummy looking cupcake, and..." Scootaloo stopped explaining as the other two began to shake their heads.
"Well, I don't have any more money. What are we going to do?" Sweetie Belle asked. She was beginning to sound a little worried. If they could not afford everything they needed, there was NO WAY they were going to get a good mark! Even though they all agreed they did not want a science cutie mark, they decided it would be a lot better than a giant F on their flanks!
Applebloom drew a long sigh as she reached into her saddlebags once more, and threw out an extra bit onto the counter. "Ah guess ah will have to save the day this time."  
Sweetie Belle sighed as well, but instead, drew a sigh of relief. That was a close one. She may have saved them from a bad grade, and a embarrassing looking cutie mark."Thanks Applebloom. You really saved our flanks."
Scootaloo agreed. "Yeah, thanks Applebloom! I will pay you back later! Honest!"
"Don't sweat it! We just need to hurry back to the clubhouse, and get this done!" Applebloom spoke her point as the others realized she was right. At the clerk bagged their items, and took their cash and placed it into the register, they swoop the bag into their own saddlebags, and rush out the door while simultaneously shouting "Thanks!" On their way out the door.  
The Three of them began to head back to the clubhouse. They notice the sun beginning to fall lower down. "Oh no girls, we need to hoof it!" shouted Applebloom. The three of them begin to run faster down along the path, as they all trip, and tumble down at the same time. As they pick themselves up, and brushing the dust off their coats, they turn around to see what exactly it was they tripped on.
"Oh no!" Shrieked Sweetie Belle. The other ponies began to look back as well, and see something terrible. Mrs. Cherilee, their teacher, was laying down on the ground, not moving an inch. As they trot slowly to their teacher, they all begin to apologize at the same time, at a rate so fast, that it almost seemed impossible to understand. All their fallen teacher could reply with, was a long, blood curdling, spine tingling groan.
The three ponies feared the worst. Their teacher could be seriously hurt! The project could wait, this was an emergency! Sweetie Belle began to slowly approach their fallen teacher, and began to shriek in terror.
"Aiee!!!! Where are her legs?!"
Scootaloo and Applebloom jumped at the sound of their friends screams, and trot over to the both of them. It was true. Her legs were, gone... Nothing but little stubs of bone, sticking out the end of the opening of flesh, on all four sides of her body. After noticing the terrible sight, they all began to shriek together, in the loudest scream possible.
"S..s..somepony c...CALL A DOCTOR!" Applebloom commanded in a very shaky voice. Just as soon as she finished that sentence, Cherilee rolled over. She had the most palest look on her face that she had ever seen. And.. Her eyes.. What was up with her eyes? There were no pupils! There was something terribly wrong with their teacher!
"Hang on Mrs. Cherilee!" Started Sweetie Belle. "I..I'm gonna go get nurse Redheart, and she is gonna fix you a--" That was the last of Sweetie Belle's sentence. The end of her sentence was quickly replaced with an "Argh!!!" The not so cheerful anymore Cherilee had sank her sharp teeth into Sweetie Belles front leg. "Ow! Waah! Somepony get her off of me! Please! It hurts so bad!"
Scootaloo and Applebloom had no idea what to do. They began screaming at their teacher to back off of their friend.
"Hey!" Shouted Scootaloo. "Get your maw off of our friends leg!" The teacher shown no signs of paying attention, or stopping munching on the white filly unicorns leg. Trying to react in a desperate measure, she then grabs onto Sweetie Belle, attempting to pull her out of their teachers grasp. "Help me out Applebloom! " Scootaloo screams over to her other friend who was just standing there.
Snapping out of her state of shock, Applebloom rushes over to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and then tug on her to get her away from their maniac teacher. After about three tugs later, they finally manage to break her free from their teachers grasp, tearing off a large portion of flesh from Sweetie Belles leg in the process. Screaming and crying in pain, she begins to limp away from the crazy pony.
"What in Equestria is the matter with you?!" Screamed Sweetie Belle from the top of her lungs.   
"You were always such a nice pony, and to think we--" What happened next was a huge "Boom." No, more like a pop really. The next thing you could hear was a loud, god awful shriek of terror.
"Oh sweet Celestia! Sweetie Belle! Your leg! What happened to your leg?!" Scootaloo shouted as she, herself began to go into a state of shock. Shortly after, another "pop" happened, and the white unicorn fell down, as both of her front legs were no longer connected to her body. Nothing else could be heard over Scootaloo and Appleblooms shrieks, and Sweetie Belles sobs.
"Help me girls! Please! I am so scared!" Sweetie Belle began to beg. Applebloom and Scootaloo had no idea what to do. They have never been through a more terrifying time in their life. neither of them knew how to handle this situation.
"We could rush her to the hospital! They might know what to do!" Frantically suggested Applebloom.
"That seems like the best thing to do." Admitted Scootaloo. "Now c'mon! Help me out! You grab one side, I will grab the other!" Applebloom does as she is told, and picks up the sobbing Sweetie Belle in pain. The sun had almost fallen completely as they begin to head back down to Ponyville, they hear two more "pops". And, sure enough, the other two remaining legs had popped off of Sweetie Belle, leaving spots of blood all over the ground, and all over her friends.
"Ow! Oh Celestia.. Help me!" Sweetie Belle cried out in agony. Trying to rush down to the medical center, they both trip and fall, and they all go tumbling to the ground. As Applebloom and Scootaloo go back to check on their legless friend, They heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not a scream, not a sob, it was totally quiet. Applebloom and Scootaloo realize it was way too quiet. Maybe she had fainted due to all of the pain, or maybe... What if, what if shes... Dead?
"C'mon Sweetie Belle, let's go!" Scootaloo shouted trying to support her friend. But then, what she saw next, was surely to be the most terrifying thing she would ever remember in her life. Sweetie Belle had a look on her face that was totally expressionless. She had no pupils, alike Cheerilee, and at around the same time she had realized this, a wretched groan could be heard from Sweetie Belles, lovely voice.
"Gah! No! SWEETIE BELLE!!" Scootaloo Screamed as she began to back up away from the newborn monster. "Not you too!" Applebloom just stood there in horror. She was totally motionless, and could not believe what was going on. All she could do was stare. It was too late for their friend. They had failed her. She was now changed, and no longer the same Sweetie Belle they had known, and loved.
"Applebloom, we need to get out of here NOW! We need to get a doctor!" Scootaloo proclaimed with a bit of fear in her voice. It was now dark. The street lights of Ponyville was not working, and there was no one around. They were all alone. In the distance, they could both hear groans. Very familiar sounding groans. Not one, or even two, but many, blood curdling, soul crushing, sour sounding groans.
Applebloom and Scootaloo begin to hold each other in their clutches, scared for life, not sure of what to expect next. Actually, they knew what to expect. They just did not want to believe it. It was in the horror stories all the time, but as stated earlier, anything was possible, and the worst possible thing, had begun.
In the distance, they could spot several ponies, rolling on the ground. Just like Cherilee and their dear friend, they had no legs. As a trail of blood follows them, they begin to dart off into the opposite direction. "What do we do now Scootaloo? They're gonna catch us!" Applebloom was now fearing the worst, and the same could be said about Scootaloo.
"Sugar Cube Corner!" Scootaloo shouted. "It's only a little bit away from here! Pinkie will protect us! She knows what to do about all these kinds of situations." Applebloom could only hope she was right. They rushed off to Sugar Cube Corner.
About two and a half minutes later, they arrive at their destination. It is completely dark inside, but the door was unlocked. The store was closed due to being after hours, but they did not think Pinkie and the Cakes would mind if they came in to shelter themselves. Noticing the rolling ponies behind them, then jumped, and then rushed through the door, and locked it tight.
It was dark. Too dark to see anything. After they re collected their thoughts, Applebloom finally spoke out into the darkness. "Pinkie? Is anyone here?" Scootaloo was searching around the place for a light switch, until, bingo! She finally found one. She gives it a flick.
The place quickly illuminates. Not only showing the shop in a well lit environment, but as well as many, legless ponies still on the floor. The two young fillies could not help but scream. And as they shriek, Many large, glaring eyeballs without pupils focused all their attention on the two fresh meat. With the same expressionless faces as their past encounters, they began to release a groan. All of them, at the same time.
Both fillies back up together, and then a sharp pain occurs on the back of Scootaloos leg. "Ouch! No!" Scootaloo and Applebloom looked down, and noticed a very....pink looking pony. She was trying to make a snack out of Scootaloo's leg. Scootaloo had shrieked once again, as they both looked down to the pony wrapped around the orange fillies leg. The poofy hair, the pink coat, and the balloons on her flank. It was undoubtedly, and ironically, Pinkie Pie. Pinkie stared, and started to smile as blood began to flow out from underneath her eyeballs.
"Applebloom, run! There is no hope for me!" About 3 seconds later, a loud "pop" was heard. And sure enough, down fell Scootaloo. She began to cry out in pain and agony as other changed ponies began to munch on Scootaloo's flesh. Applebloom could hear Scootaloo cry out her final word. "Run..." And then she was gone. She was no longer normal.
Frozen in fear, Applebloom did not have it in her to move. When she finally came to her senses, she finally turned around, and darted out the window, which was conveniently placed, and opened. As she began running down the road, she was trying to figure out a place she could get away from all this madness. She just kept on running.
Running, and running, and then it all came to a halt. Applebloom tripped, and fell. As she was about to pick herself back up, She felt razor sharp teeth sinking into her back leg. And then, she realized, she was done for. She had shown no resistance, no emotion, she knew it in the deepest part of her heart, and her heart, belonged to them now. They were zombies. A fillies worst nightmare. What seemed to be a fictional creature, was now as real as anything else in the world. Applejack would never allow her to watch those kinds of movies, and she could not finally understand. It was silly, really. What started out as an innocent science project with her friends, turned out to be an unforgettable experience. What had she learned, always to expect the unexpected. It can always happen, even whenever you least expect it..
As Applebloom heard a pop, flinched in pain, and she looked down. It was Sweetie Belle. She had been the one to end the life of the last surviving CMC member. A CMC must always be brave, no matter the situation. Applebloom always knew that. About 6 seconds later, she notices Scootaloo rolling along down the road, and stops next to the both of them.
"Hehe.." Faintly laughing Applebloom. "You don't know how happy I am for us to be together.." In unison, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle began to chomp away at Appleblooms flesh. In her last breath, she smiled, and spoke out in a barely audible tone, "Cutie Mark Crusaders zombie food... yy..yaa.ayyy..." Then it was silent. Applebloom was now, one of them.  
It was about 3 days after the apocalypse had broken out, when the CMC rolled over to their clubhouse together. It was a happy day indeed for all three of them. For today, they had all earned their cutie marks! Each one of them bounced up and down as the biohazard sign appeared on each one of their flanks. Today was definitely a day worth celebrating. They all agreed as they roll out of their clubhouse, searching for a celebratory dinner. After all, the three, very close friends deserved it. Bon appetit!