Light Up the Darkness

     As the driver stepped out of the car she could see the outline of a pony, but couldn’t make out its face. The unknown pony then walked around the door and to the front of the car. Fluttershy’s mouth was agape, at what stood before her. It was just impossible. As Fluttershy stared at the pony, she began to have a flashback to the last time she had seen her.

Four Years Earlier

Two Days Before the Fall of Ponyville

     Fluttershy quickly walked into Twilight’s house while carrying a small box. Twilight heard the Pegasus enter, and quickly looked up to her. She was wearing a white face mask and seemed to be trembling, as she held the box in her hooves. “Fluttershy, what is it that you wanted us all hear for?” asked Twilight. Fluttershy looked around to see Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight sitting in a circle. All were curiously looking over at her. “Well” began Fluttershy, “I’ve been really worried about this virus and thought you should all have these.” She then opened the box, she was holding, and walked over to Twilight. Fluttershy reached her hoof into the box and pulled out a mask like the one she was wearing. “They’re P100 grade respirators. Otherwise known as HEPA filters,” Fluttershy informed them. Twilight just stared at the mask in her hoof and looked up to Fluttershy, who was handing another mask to Rarity, and asked, “How did you get these? All of the stores are even sold out of the N95 respirators.” As Twilight finished speaking Fluttershy handed the last mask to Pinkie, who didn’t look too well.

     Fluttershy just sighed and looked over to her. “There’s something you all should know. I’ve been working with the EDC since day one. I was called out because it was a zoonotic disease outbreak. I actually know a lot about animal diseases, like rabies.” Her friends were just flabbergasted; they didn’t have a clue of what to say. “Well, go ahead and put your masks on,” instructed Fluttershy, as she pointed a hoof to Rarity’s mask. All of her friends had almost forgotten that they had them after hearing that. “Oh, of course,” said, a still dazed, Rarity. Everyone else seemed to snap out of it and raised their masks to their face as they fastened the straps; everyone except for Pinkie.

     Suddenly Pinkie fell onto her side, and seconds later the pony began to convulse. “Oh my god!” exclaimed Rarity as she quickly moved to her friend’s side. Everypony in the room gasped and moved over to where pinkie laid. “Pinkie!” Rarity yelled as she placed her hooves onto the convulsing Earth pony. As Pinkie rocked her head and torso back and forth, a white foam began to seep from her mouth. With each thrust of her head, the foam smeared across the wooden floor. “Jesus Christ!” screamed Rarity.

     Fluttershy stood near the back of the group, watching in horror. She knew what was happening to Pinkie, but she couldn’t believe it. It just couldn’t be her. How would she have gotten infected to begin with?

     “Get away from her, now!” screamed Fluttershy. Rarity instantly jerked her head in her direction and replied, in a fearful voice, “Why!?” Suddenly Pinkie’s eyes flew open; they were blood shot and heavily dilated. Foam still poured from her mouth, but that didn’t hinder her from doing what she did next. Within less than a second Pinkie lunged over to one of Rarity’s legs and sank her teeth into it. Blood began to pour from her wound as Pinkie continued to tear deeper and deeper into her flesh. Rarity let out a scream in pain and was quickly pulled back by Rainbow Dash. Pinkie’s jaw broke free from her leg as a blood foam mix poured from her mouth. Everypony was screaming, especially Rarity. The entire group ran away from their friend as quickly as possible, trying not to become her next meal.

     Suddenly Pinkie jumped up to her hooves and looked straight at Apple Jack with a crazed, infected look in her eyes. Apple Jack noticed this and quickly backed away from the insane pony, but it was no use; Pinkie lunged forward and landed atop the tan furred Earth pony, which instantly sent her tumbling to the ground. When she hit the wooden floor the saddle pack she was wearing slid just out of her reach. The infected Pinkie snapped her jaws at Apple Jack’s face, but she managed to hold the crazed pony back. However this was no easy task at all, it seemed almost as if the virus gave the, typically weak, Pinkie a great amount of strength, probably from the adrenalin. Apple jack turned her snout away from her friend to see something she thought she’d never see; there before her were Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, whose element was loyalty, fleeing the horrific scene; they had left her to die.

     Foam from Pinkies snout poured onto Apple Jack’s chest and face, as she held her back with all of her might. Apple Jack prayed to god that she couldn’t get infected by contact with saliva; she couldn’t bear the thought of ending up like her friend.

     As Apple Jack fought to hold the pony back she realized that her last chance for survival lay in her saddle bag. Fore in that bag was a small revolver pistol. Apple Jack frantically reached for the bag as she held the pony’s snout back with all of her strength. As she reached for it her hoof grazed the handle, but she couldn’t grasp the bag. So, she attempted the proses once more, but this time, when she reached for it, she almost popped her arm out of socket she stretched so far. Thankfully she was able to reach the cotton bag, and quickly pulled it in. Her hoof slid into the bag as Pinkies snout inched closer and closer to hers. As she grasped the pistol, she looked back to Pinkies face one more time, which was a mistake; fore when she did this a small drop of the foam that gushed from, the rabid, Pinkie’s mouth dripped into her eye. Despite this Apple Jack took the pistol, pressed it against the chest of her friend, and fired one shot.

     Pinkie’s blood shot eyes rolled back as a red liquid poured from her wound, onto Apple Jack’s fur. The pony had stopped snapping at her and slowly fell onto her friend. Apple Jack then lifted Pinkie’s lifeless body and tossed it off of her. When she did this it revealed an injured Rarity sitting in the corner of the room. Blood was still pouring from her wound and pooled by her hoof. Rarity looked over at Apple Jack with an exhausted look on her face and said “Give me the gun. I’m not ending up like that.” Apple Jack would have normally greatly protested such a request, but she didn’t wish that to be her fate either. She just looked down at the gun and walked over to Rarity. As she handed her the pistol Rarity looked up into her eyes and said “God forgives us.”

     As Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew through the dim light, of the sunset they heard a shot. The second its sound reached the two Pegasi, they immediately stopped, in midair and just flapped their wings to remain stationary. “Maybe it wasn’t them,” suggested Rainbow Dash, but as soon as she said that, a second shot rang out. It was clear where the noise had come from this time; Twilight’s home. They stared at the ground with tears beginning to well in their eyes when suddenly there was a third, and final shot. The silence that followed seemed to sound louder than any of the shots ever could.

     “They’re dead, aren’t they?” asked Fluttershy with tears streaming down her face. “You don’t know that!” exclaimed an emotional Rainbow Dash. The two Pegasi just stared at each other, in silence, with tears falling off their faces. They knew what had happened, but neither wanted to admit it.

Four Years Later

     Fluttershy quickly snapped out of her flashback; fore what happened after that was far too unbearable to relive. It was the most horrific day of her life.

     The pony that still stood in front of her then spoke up; “Hi, Fluttershy.” The purple unicorn approached the Pegasus, who had completely released her grip on the pistol, and said “Long time no see.” Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There was just no way it was her. Fluttershy then quickly reached her hoof around the gun and pointed it straight at Twilight’s head. “Are you real!” she screamed, “Answer me!” Twilight quickly jumped back and put her hooves up. “It’s ok Fluttershy. I’m really here. Please don’t do anything stupid.”

     As the two spoke, unknown to Fluttershy, Spike, who was much older, was positioning the crosshairs of a hunting rifle onto her forehead. He was fully prepared to shoot his former friend dead; fore this world had changed him, and he was going to let nothing happen to Twilight. Spike moved his finger onto the trigger and was only seconds away from shooting the yellow Pegasus, before she finally dropped the gun. Though she had lowered her weapon, Spike would not lower his until he was sure that she could be trusted, because like I’ve said, Time changes people.

     “Twilight?” asked Fluttershy. “Yes, it’s me. It’s ok Fluttershy,” she replied. “H-How are you?” stuttered Fluttershy. “Trust me I’m wondering the same thing Shy.”

     No one had seen it, but during their little talk the skies had grown much dimmer, and though they didn’t notice it someone, or something, else did.  Suddenly, as the two just stared at each other, there was a loud howl from a nearby building, and seconds later an infected pony came darting out. Fluttershy raised her gun to shoot it and placed her hoof on the trigger. Shortly after, a loud shot emanated throughout the streets, but it wasn’t from her gun. She looked over to see the barrel of Spike’s gun sticking just out of the window, of the car. Twilight started running back to the vehicle when she looked to Fluttershy and screamed “Come on! Let’s go!” Fluttershy didn’t think twice and quickly made her way to the car. As she approached it she realized that this vehicle wasn’t a car, but it was instead a truck. The moment she jumped into the back seat Twilight jumped into the driver’s seat and quickly put the truck into drive. Fluttershy barely had time to close the door before the unicorn gassed it. “Fluttershy!” snapped Twilight, “Look on the floor and find a brown bag, there’s a G-36 in it! Shoot anything that comes near us!” As Fluttershy leaned over to the bag Twilight flicked a switch, on the dashboard, and several lights, mounted to the truck turned on. They were blindingly bright.

     Fluttershy looked up momentarily after seeing this, but quickly reached for the bag once more. She unzipped it to see an arsenal of guns. There were more sniper rifles in the bag than anything else. “Looks like Twilight paid a visit to the abandoned army camps too,” Fluttershy thought to herself as she pulled out the G-36. She quickly flicked the safety to automatic and aimed it out of the open window.

     As she did this, two infected ponies came out of another, seemingly vacant, building and started in their direction. She quickly aligned the sites of her gun onto one of their heads. Even though they couldn’t possibly keep up with their vehicle, she didn’t want them following her, so she fired two shots at the pony. One hit just above its eye and the second hit it in the chest. Fluttershy then positioned her sites onto the second pony and fired two shots, as well. Both of the shots struck it in the chest.

     It was quite a bloody mess, but Fluttershy honestly liked it. These things had taken everything away from her; her town, her family, her animals, and her friends. This was her way of leveling the playing field, one bullet at a time.

     Twilight looked over at Fluttershy’s work and said “Good shot Shy!” She then returned her gaze to the road ahead and saw two infected ponies in front of her. “Spike,” Twilight called, “Get the one on the left. I’ll run the other one down.” Spike nodded to her and lifted his rifle. The purple dragon stretched his torso out of the window and aligned the sights. After a second there was a loud, almost deafening shot. The, unfortunate, pony that the bullet struck instantly had a gaping hole through its head. Blood was spraying everywhere. “Holy crap!” yelled Fluttershy, “What was that?!” Twilight smiled a little and replied “50 Cal. The Canterlot guards had some pretty good stuff lying around.” As she finished talking Twilight gave the engine a little more gas and ran down the infected pony before her. As it, or what remained of it, went under the truck a thick red liquid splattered across the grill and hood. “Yeah!” That’s how we do it!” shouted a very satisfied Twilight.

     “Hey Shy!” yelled Twilight, “Where do you live?” “Same place.” She replied. Spike then opened the glove box and pulled out a small brown bag. It was just a few inches long and cylindrical in shape. He pulled at the top of the bag and opened it, to reveal two rod shaped objects. Twilight looked over at Spike and placed her hoof onto the switch, which turned the lights on. “Ready?” she asked. Spike grasped the rods in both hands and nodded. Twilight looked back to the road and quickly turned off all of the lights on the car, including the headlights. When she did this Fluttershy heard a crack and saw two bright lights get tossed out the window. “Spike and I came up with a way to escape situations like this. These things are stupid so all you need is a brighter light and a fast car,” Twilight explained to Fluttershy.

     As they drove through the darkness Twilight gradually lifted her hoof off of the gas pedal. It was a perpetual darkness with only the stars’ light to guide them; not even the moon was up on this night, which may have been a blessing. As Fluttershy peered out the open window, with the cool October air brushing her face, she just couldn’t help but think of how lucky she was. She was lucky because she not only survived a car crash; she was saved by someone she had long believed was dead.

     “Hey Twi?” asked Fluttershy, “How can you see?” Twilight smirked slightly and replied “When we were in Canterlot, we didn’t just steal guns. There were quite a few spells left lying around after the fall.” Spike finally decided to speak up and said “Twilight went a little crazy for a year, looking for a time travel spell or maybe a cure… There was nothing. But we did find a few interesting things in the Equestrian Defense section; like night vision” Spike’s voice sounded different; it was much deeper than the last time she had seen him. “Hey Spike, how old are you, now?” asked Fluttershy. “Seventeen or eighteen; I forget,” he answered. Fluttershy was astounded; she remembered the dragon as being only ten years old. “Shy, how did you live this long?” asked a blunt Twilight. “Knowledge of the virus, time to prepare, and immunity. What about you?” Twilight looked over to Spike and then back to the road, before replying “I guess immunity saved my rump, and since Spike’s a reptile he’s immune too, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

      Fluttershy just laid her head against the truck door and looked out into the blackness of night. It had been a long day for her and all she wanted right now was a hot shower and a warm bed. Spike looked over at Twilight and placed his hand onto her hoof, which she wasn’t driving with. He had become very good at seeing the signs that she was scared, despite how good she’d gotten at hiding it. Right now, she was sweating, had a slight nervous shake, and kept blinking quicker than normal. These were all telltale signs to him. “It’s ok,” he kindly said. Spike then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you,” he added. Twilight smiled, while trying not to blush, and replied “I love you too.”

     Fluttershy was at a loss of words. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen. “When did?… How the?… What the?...” said Fluttershy as she tried to proses what had just occurred. The couple laughed slightly and Spike began to explain. “Uh, well I’d had a little crush on Twi ever since this weird dream I had. Then three weeks after everything went to hell I told her.” Spike let out a laugh and added “You should have seen the look on her face.” After Spike said that there was a moment of silence. Fluttershy waited a second more and asked “And then?”

     “Ok, we’re here,” Twilight announced as she pulled into the driveway. Fluttershy just rolled her eyes and laid her head back. She was so involved with what had just occurred that she didn’t even notice where the truck was.

      Twilight leaned forward and killed the engine. Seconds after that the group exited the car, almost simultaneously. Twilight closed the door behind her and looked up at the house. “I can see you’ve done some redecorating,” she remarked. Fluttershy didn’t know what to say, she hadn’t been around other ponies in so long that she’d forgotten a few things. So she just closed the truck’s door and trotted over to the front door of her home. The steel was cold in the air, of the October night. As she extended her hoof to the metal handle, she could feel droplets of dew moisten her hoof. She pressed in and the large, vault like, door opened.

     Despite being alone for four long years, Fluttershy did remember a few things about being well mannered. So the yellow Pegasus moved out of the way, and let her two friends enter first. It was pitch black and cool inside the house. Even with Twilight’s night vision spell she could hardly see anything.

     Fluttershy stepped inside and closed the metal door behind her, as she reached over to the wall. There was a flick and the room was flooded with light. It hurt their eyes at first, but they soon adjusted. “I thought I’d left a light on for Angel. He’s probably scared to death.” A still squinting Twilight looked over at Fluttershy and asked “How do you have power!?” “Oh,” she replied, “I have a solar panel out back. It’s high enough so no infected will mess with it. Like I said, I had time to prepare.” Fluttershy turned away from the two and began walking towards her bathroom. “Now I’m going to take a shower. There’s a second bathroom, but go easy on the hot water; the water heater doesn’t have a very big tank.” Twilight and Spike’s eyes widened in astonishment, “D-Did you say hot water?” asked Twilight with a stutter in her voice. Fluttershy looked over to the two and nodded. “Dibs!” shouted Twilight as she shot past Spike, pushing him out of the way. “Screw you!” shouted Spike as he two started towards the bathroom. Fluttershy smiled and rolled her eyes at the site, and trotted off to a restroom of her own.