An evening with Survivors
An evening with Survivors
It had been three months since Celestia bartered for Louis's and Loner's lives in the afterlife, and, while the two would never understand the magic of this world, they didn't question it, as long as it brought them back to the people, or ponies, they cared about. It had been a wild reunion for Louis and his friends, who upon seeing him return, were either floored, or in one bikers case, a bit teary eyed, although, he tried to play it off as 'allergies'.
While Francis, Zoey and Louis had a nice, easy time adjusting to life in Ponyville, Loner had to adjust to life in a castle, full of guards to protect him, servants to wait on him, and a feeling of a most uncomfortable kind. After being in a kill or be killed world for so long, adjusting to a peaceful life was incredibly difficult and frustrating.
Tonight, though, Loner was now busy getting ready for a date with Princess Celestia, their first actual date together since they had started their relationship. To say Loner was nervous was an understatement. Looking at himself in the suit he wore, which had been sewn by the finest seamstresses in Equestria, was like looking at a totally different person. He thought he had buried Loner and put his past as a Zombie killer to rest, but just looking at himself, he could only see a man who had done some pretty horrible things, no matter what guise he tried to make himself.
A knocking at his door roused him from his thoughts. It opened, and one of the castle's staff poked their head in, smiling. "Sir? The Princess is waiting for you in the ball room. Would you like an escort to accompany you there?" the mare asked.
Loner smiled and shook his head. "No. Thank you. I'll be able to get there myself." He reasoned, leaving the room and heading down the massive halls towards the ball room.
Living in the Castle for over three months had its perks, however, as it made you really good at mazes. almost every corridor led to three others and branched off like the limbs of a tree. It reminded Loner of his high school days, trying to find his classes in those seemingly endless halls. Although, the Castle did have much more to see than a school. Ancient tapestries, decorated stained glass windows, depicting battles old and new. Looking at them, Loner could see nearly all of them had Celestia in some battle or another. Loner wondered how the old him would do in a war like that.
When Loner arrived at the large, decorative doors of the ball room, all thoughts of war left his mind, and were replaced by a nervous knot in his stomach. He had been around Celestia for a long time now, but most of the time she was busy running a kingdom, or attending royal court sessions. Not a place for someone as gruff a person as Loner was.
When the man approached, the Guards by the door bowed their heads and opened the way inside, which was lit only by the moon, and candlelight at one particular table by the large windows.
Loner looked at the woman sitting there with a smile. Celestia, when in their private time, would take the human form she took when the two first met. She wore a tight fitting black dress, accentuating her curves perfectly. Her makeup, which ponies didn't usually wear, was applied to her face just as delicately and precisely as it could be, showing Celestia was holding no bars with this date. Her hair was still cropped short, and in a simple bun, which still looked splendid on her. When she saw Loner enter, an excited smile quickly adorned her face, which she quickly hid with a sultry smile as he approached and sat across from her.
"Hello, William." She said sweetly, leaning across the table and planting a kiss on his lips. "It's been a while since we had a moment to ourselves." She added, placing her chin on the back of her hands as she leaned on the table.
Loner smiled and nodded. "It has, and you look... amazing, Tia!" He gushed, the smile never leaving his face as he looked over the woman he had come to love. Celestia blushed and, with a clap of her hands, two finely dressed Stallions came over, one pushing a cart with two trays atop it, while the other brought over a bottle of wine and two champagne bottles. Loner took an inhale of the food and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Is that-" Before he could finish, the lid was lifted off the two trays, and on his, sat a massive steak, and by the smell of it, cooked medium-rare, his favorite. On Celestia's tray was a salad and some fish, the only meat she ate, but the gesture to him and his pallet was something he was most grateful for.
"I wanted to treat you to a perfect evening." Celestia said as Loner poured her a glass of wine, which she took in her slender hands and took a sip. "After all, I never thought that you and I could do this again. It's not everyday you have dinner with someone who died for you"
Loner chuckled at that as he poured his own glass and took a sip. "No, it's not, is it? What can I say, you changed me for the better, Tia. If you hadn't shown up, I'd still be neck deep in a zombie hell, maybe end up like... the others." He sighed, thinking about Allen and Cho, one man being long dead, and the other God knows where. Celestia sighed and placed a hand on his, rubbing the back of it with her fingers.
"Let's not think about it." She said quietly, locking eyes with him. "Tonight, we celebrate us. The past is the past, and I want us to look forward to our future. I miss them, too, but dwelling on the pain won't help anything. You know that, right?" She asked, to which the man nodded. "Anyways, let's eat. I have more planned for us after dinner." She said with a hint of desire in her voice, which was not lost on Loner.
"Oh, you want to..." To which Celestia nodded. "Well, then I guess dinner is going to be a quick affair." He said as he cut a big chunk of his stake away and shoved it into his mouth. This got Celestia to giggle as she, too, began to eat rather quickly.
Once the two completed dinner, and had partaken in a healthy amount of wine, they made their way back to the Princess's chambers. Celestia had herself wrapped around Loner in a loving embrace, but the man suspected she needed the support of him to keep her walking in a straight line.
The silence of the halls at night was punctuated by Celestia's high heels clacking against the marble floor, setting the lonely tone for the seemingly endless walk back to the room. After what felt like a long while of silence, Celestia finally broke it, saying, "I must say, human bodies cannot handle the same level of alcohol that a pony's can. I don't think I've been this drunk since my drinking match with the Emperor of Gryphonia. Now there's a species that can handle the drink." She chuckled, stumbling a bit, only to be kept upright by Loner.
"You know, Tia. You worry me sometimes." He chuckled, stopping them in the middle of a long corridor. Celestia took this moment to fall back into the wall and, pulling him by the tie, tug Loner in for a long, passionate kiss. Celestia wrapped her slender arms around the back of his neck as she drove the kiss deeper, becoming more and more wanting as the seconds passed.
"You know what worries me, William?" She asked between kissing. "That we still... aren't in my chambers."
With new purpose, Loner picked up Celestia in his arms, causing her to giggle happily, and carried her the rest of the distance to the bedroom. It was only one corridor away, and when the two arrived, the Guards outside gave each other puzzled looks, but Celestia's flick of the head told them that they were no longer required. With a bow, the duo left and Loner practically burst into the bedroom, jumping into the gigantic king sized mattress.
Celestia laughed and rolled atop Loner, straddling him at the hip as her bun came undone, draping her hair messily over her face. Loner watched as Celestia slowly pulled the dress above her head, and was left in nothing but a corset and some dangerously lewd underwear.
"I see you didn't hold anything back for tonight." He said as Celestia began removing the articles of his clothing with haste. The drunken woman tisked as she removed his shirt, remembering the gruesome tally chart he kept on himself during his troubled times. It was all still there, in perfect clarity; every Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, Tank, Witch, Charger, Spitter, and Jockey he killed was listed, and it reminded Celestia of their first encounter. He was such a brutish man when they first met. Now, he was kind and gentle, holding her in a lovers embrace as they prepared to consummate their love.
"You know, It's funny how far we've come together. I never thought this is where we'd end up..." She admitted, smiling down at the man on her mattress. "I'm glad it is though..." She smiled, leaning down as she planted kiss after kiss on Loner, trailing across his face, down to his torso.
Loner smiled and shut his eyes as each kiss sent a little shock of ecstasy through his body. Tonight would be a night he would surely not forget, nor would it be a night Celestia would forget either. Loner took one last look down as Celestia removed his pants, and prepared himself for a very wild ride.
"UGH! Just get OUT, Mac!"
Big Mac ducked as another item from Zoey's room was chucked straight at the door Big Mac had to quickly shut in his exit. Zoey was six months along with his child, and remembering the night, it was pretty awkward for both of them. Now, however Zoey was going through the stages of her pregnancy rather... roughly. She was constantly sick, her mood would go from happy one minute, to "I'm going to level you with a shotgun" the next.
Big Mac slid down the door with a sigh as Zoey continued her triad inside. Applejack came trotting forward and, with a chuckle, sat by her brothers side. He acknowledged her with a simple nod of the head, too beat to do anything else.
"She gettin' the better of you, Mac?" Applejack asked with a smile on her lips, knowing full well the chaos that had been ensuing throughout their home for quite some time.
"Just about..." He admitted, running a tired hoof through his mane.
"What is it this time? Y'all finally agreed on names, right?" She asked.
Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup. She wanted to go with names from her kind. Lisa if it's a filly, and, honerin' her old friend, Bill if it's a colt. Good names, Ah admit. That ain't why we're fighting. Truth is, Ah don't know what it is. Ah assume Ah did somethin' wrong, but she ain't givin' me any clues as to what." He admitted, standing from his seated position. "Ah'm gonna go cook her some dinner, see if that lightens her mood."
Applejack watched her brother trudge down the stairs and, with a smile, knocked on Zoey's door a couple times. An angry "Go away!" came from inside, but Applejack was having none of that.
"It's me, Sugar Cube. Ah wanna see how you're doin'." She said, opening the door to see Zoey laying in her bed, the lump in her stomach now quite large. "Ah. You in a bit of pain today with the little'un?" she asked, getting a glare from Zoey.
"You think? Ugh... Why did I have to do it? This sucks worse than Boomer puke." She sighed explosively as she wrapped her forelegs around her midsection and groaned in pain. "Should name it asshole with all the pain it's putting me through."
"Now, Ah know you don't mean that." Applejack assured, taking a seat at the end of Zoey's bed. "Granny Smith'll tell ya that birthin' is probably the hardest thing a pony'll ever have to go through, but it's worth it to hold that little bundle of joy in the end. Trust me, when this is all over, Ah'm sure you and I will be lookin' back at this moment and laughing about it."
Zoey let a very faint smile cross her lips and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so... Only three more months to go, right?" She asked, getting a confused look from Applejack.
"What? Only nine months? Sugar Cube, Ponies go through eleven."
And at that moment, practically all of Ponyville was able to hear the explosive "WHAT?!" that echoed across the countryside.
"Cupcake Butt... I'm hunnnngry!" Pinkie whined as she and Francis laid in bed, the latter flicking through channels on the television on the nightstand.
"Yeah, and?" Francis asked as he found quite a lovely show on Gryphon gladiator fights. Pinkie leaned against Francis's gray body and tugged at his vest, giving him the pleading puppy dog eyes.
"Can you make me and little Cupcake Butt Jr. some cupcakes please?" she asked, rubbing the bump on her stomach. "I love it when you cook for me."
Francis sighed through his nostrils and rolled his eyes. "You're lucky you're so goddamn cute, otherwise I'd say no." He stated, begrudgingly getting up from the bed and trotting down the stairs into the bakery, passing Mr. Cake who was grabbing some bottles for the twins.
"Oh! hi, Francis!" Mr. Cake greeted the stallion as he entered the kitchen. "I see Pinkie Pie has you cooking up some more of your special cupcakes?" He asked, getting a chuckle and nod from Francis as he pulled out the required supplies from the pantry and fridge.
"Yup. Third time today I had to make these damn things. I don't even like cooking! It's boring!" He grunted, expertly whipping the ingredients up into a bowl, getting Mr. Cake to laugh.
"You know, pardon my Prance, but your pretty damn good at cooking. And that is your job here, I might add. What's so bad about it?" He asked curiously as Francis began to pour the batter into the trays, making extras to prepare for Pinkie's ravenous hunger, just in case.
"It's just so... unmanly. No offense, but it just isn't something I saw myself doing as a profession. Back home, before the vampires attacked, I was just a thief, and it was fun! Now? I have a stable job, a knocked up girl, and everything just seems so..."
"Together?" Mr. Cake asked, to which a surprised Francis nodded. "Look, making a change is hard, and I won't pretend to know what your life was like before you came to Equestria, but you shouldn't complain about how good you have it. You should be happy that you don't have to go back to that life again. You're gonna be a daddy, and that changes a heck of a lot."
A sudden calling from Mrs. Cake roused the Mr. Cake from the conversation. "Whoops. Gotta feed the twins. We'll continue this conversation tomorrow. Go enjoy your evening with Pinkie Pie. I've never seen a mare more content in pregnancy than her when she's around you. Count yourself lucky you found your nitch so quickly here. You're part of the family now." And with that, Mr. Cake left the kitchen, leaving Francis with new, mushy feelings to mull around with.
Twilight sat on the couch in her living room under the candle light, reading a good book on Quantum Physics, while Louis sat across from her, reading one on the history of Equestria. While Louis was engrossed in his novel, Twilight was not so much.
What Louis didn't know, was that Twilight was hiding a second book inside the Quantum Physics one. This book was titled, 'Getting to Know Stallions: Showing Them Signs of Affection'. Louis was also unaware that Twilight was occasionally sneaking quick glances over at him as she read quietly to herself. The silence of the Library was suddenly shattered as Spike burst in the front door, having been out all day helping Rarity on a project.
"Heya, Twilight, Louis. What's up?" He asked as the two turned to him with a smile.
"Not much, little man. It's been just a quiet evening here. How was the boutique?" Louis asked, smiling down at Spike as he walked over. "Did you finally tell Rarity how you feel about her?"
Spike mock laughed and blushed slightly. "Ha ha, very funny... And, no, I didn't..." Spike grumbled, hopping up on the couch next to Twilight, leaning over to see the hidden book within the one he thought she was reading. With a lightning quick claw, Spike reached out and grabbed it, getting a startled "EEP!" from Twilight.
"What the hay is this? Getting to know Stalli-" Twilight quickly wrapped a magical band around Spike's mouth and simultaneously ripped the book out of his claws and high up onto a shelf. Louis watched the exchanged with a raised brow, curious as to what all the fuss was.
Twilight turned to him and blushed as she released Spike. "Heh heh... Sorry about that, Louis... Um, it's nothing. Spike here was just saying how tired he was, right Spike?" She asked the little dragon, glaring down at him with hard eyes. Spike gulped and nodded.
"Y-Yup! Super pooped! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" He said quickly, running out of the living room and up the stairs to his room. Louis never took his eyes off Twilight as her glare followed the little dragon up the stairs, and only stopped when she heard his door close. When she turned back around, she was met with the odd look Louis was giving her and smiled impishly.
"Again... Sorry. Um... I think I'm gonna hit the hay, too. See you tomorrow!" She said quickly, bolting up the stairs into her room. Louis knew Twilight could have strange behavior. He was warned plenty of times by her friends. This, however, was behavior he had never seen before.
Now that he was alone, curiosity got the better of him. Getting up from the couch, he grabbed the ladder in the corner that Spike used to reach the shelves, and climbed it to the top where Twilight had placed the book. When he grabbed it, he read over the title, eyes widening at what was written.
"Getting to Know Stallions: Showing Them Signs of Affection..." He read aloud, slowly, just to make sure he was reading it correctly. Did this mean that Twilight... had a thing for him?! Louis quickly put the book back where it was and slid down the ladder. "Ho-lee shit... I gotta... I can't belive I'm saying this... I gotta talk to Francis about this one."
With that, Louis made his way for his room in the back of the library. He doubted he'd get much sleep after that revelation, though, and knew that he'd have to do something about it sooner or later. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go through with it, but, it would be addressed sooner or later. He wanted to at least be prepared for whatever he decided.
Loner laid in the plush bed, blanketed in the comfiest comforter he had ever felt, with an actual Princess cuddled up against him, sleeping peacefully after their love making. Loner had to say, it was the greatest experience of his life, and probably nothing that happened to him could top. Not even coming back from the dead was higher than what he was feeling right now.
Although, he did have mixed feelings, involving the wife he lost to the Green Flu. It had almost been a year since it happened, but he felt like he was moving on to quickly. However, when he died, it wasn't like he ever saw her. That was one thing that he could say never happened when you die. Loved ones weren't there to meet you. It was you, alone, as you prepared for another journey.
No, he shouldn't feel that way. He had a life, with a beautiful woman, and there was no going back after what they had just done. No, Loner was happy with this, no matter what his conscious said. He'd be damned if thoughts of his old life stopped him from a happiness that he could never have before.
With a sigh, he pulled Celestia closer, who sighed happily in her sleep as she draped an arm across his torso and laced a leg around his. With a smile, he slowly shut his eyes and held his Tia close as he drifted off to sleep, happy that this dream had come true.
However, his sleeping dreams seemed like they would forever be a nightmare...
Author's Note
Hey! I did it! It may be 11, but I said I'd get it out tonight, not when! First chapter, done! Second Chapter will contain a dream, containing back story to Loner William man! I might actually not get bored with this because I have a direction and it seems like a good one, so... Hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the first.
PS: My writing is improving! Can you tell? :3
5 days after first infection
5:33pm
Dr. William Branton sat at the nurses station with a bottle of water, enjoying the only five minute break he could get in the past twenty-three hours. The Green Flu that was running rampant across the country was claiming more and more people every minute, and the Hospital was already full to capacity, as people were crammed into hallways, yelling and moaning at the pain the Flu caused them.
"Dr. Branton? Please report to ER room twelve! Dr. Branton, report to ER room twelve!"
William craned his head at the speakers and sighed, downing the rest of his water as he made a dash for the ER. Inside were many, many more sever cases of the Green Flu. Some people were in a crazed frenzy caused by the Flu, tied down to their beds to prevent them from hurting themselves or anyone else. Some Doctors stood by, nursing what appeared to be bite wounds from some of the crazed patients.
William tried his best to ignore it as he rushed into room 12, where he saw a sight that was so appalling, he nearly almost left the room if not for the fact his wife was in there. When Emily saw him, she let out a sigh and quickly pulled him inside.
"Emily! What the hell happened to this woman?!" He asked, going over to the screaming, bloating woman. Her stomach was distended way beyond what he would consider to be the breaking point. Skin was tearing and showing the fat and muscle beneath, and in some spots, intestines poked their way through. Her arms and face were covered in gigantic pustules, some bursting and oozing a foul smelling green liquid.
"I don't know, Bill! We gave her the vaccine, and when we came back, she was just... like this!" Emily explained, holding her husbands arm tightly in fear as he went over to the woman to examine her.
Taking out his small flashlight, he opened her eyes, only to see them hazed over with a thick, white film. "Ma'am? I'm Dr. Branton. Can you tell me your name?" William asked, only to get nothing but gurgling in response. William decided to examine inside her mouth, but when he opened it, he got quite the surprise.
As soon as her mouth opened, a spray of the most foul smelling liquid burst out, accompanied by chunks of whatever she had eaten prior. As this happened, the woman sat up quickly and sprayed the medical staff before her, only to be shoved down on the table by William and the others, who all were quite disgusted.
"Alright! Restrain her and everyone get to decontamination! No telling how contagious this stuff is!" William ordered, strapping the woman down, who thrashed about and snapped her Jaw at William. This Flu was getting worse and worse by the second...
William guided his wife out of the room and led her to the showers down the hall, where the two of them quickly removed their scrubs and hopped under the frigid stream of water.
"What the hell do you think caused that?" Emily asked William from across the way, leaning against the tiled wall. William did the same and shook his head, sighing.
"I don't know... Hopefully we're okay though." He said, leaving the conversation to die as they finished washing the green slime off their bodies.
As the two finished and got into fresh pairs of scrubs, they headed back out into the hospital, only to be met by dozens of armed military personnel, forcing patients into rooms, and guiding Doctors away. Both of them were startled when they heard gunfire echoing across the hospital.
Before the two of them could react, a soldier came running over to them, asking, "Have you two been bitten?" To which they both replied. "No." The soldier nodded. "Alright, we're asking all medical personnel to evacuate the premises. Go home, pack your things, and head to the nearest military outpost. We're going to need all the Doctors we can get to help work on a cure. Every one of you counts. Now, go!" He ordered. William held his wife's had as he went to take her home, but her feet were rooted in place. Turning to here, he could see the determination on her face.
"I'm staying." She said, turning back to the soldier. "I have a duty to these people and our staff. I can't leave them now."
The soldier nodded and went about his business, but William turned Emily back towards him with pleading eyes. "Emily, you can't be serious! After what he just said, you want to stay?"
Emily nodded, smiling. "I do. Now, I want you to go home and pack our things. I'm going to help get everyone out. I'll call you and tell you which outpost their taking us to so you can meet me there." Emily promised, kissing William on the lips tightly. "Now, go. And don't forget the photo album, please?" She teased, walking back into the mass of people, where William lost sight of her.
With a frustrated sigh, William pushed his way back towards the main entrance and headed to the parking lot, where military personnel were setting up barricades with their vehicles and sand bags. This was clearly more than just a simple flu making its rounds across the country. This was on a scale William had never seen or heard of in history.
Once he finally got to his car, William made a quick beeline back into the depths of the city. Encountering little traffic on his way in, but noted that the bridge across the way was jam packed with cars trying to get out. The fear that gripped his heart at the sight made him drive just a bit faster back to his and his wife's apartment.
Once there, William headed to the fifth floor to his apartment. Once inside, he quickly began to pack up his and Emily's belongings. They would need clothing, of course. Some food wouldn't hurt, just in case. Bottled water was good, too. William found himself packing many odd things, but in a situation like he and the rest of the country were now facing, it didn't seem to far fetched to take them.
After packing the photo album in his bag, William remembered the one thing he never thought he'd have to remove from its box. Reaching into his nightstand, he pulled out the small, wooden box in question. Opening it revealed an M1911 handgun, something he had bought a while back for home protection. Racking a round into the chamber, William stuck the weapon in his waistband and proceeded to carry the luggage out to his vehicle.
Once everything was packed up and ready, William pulled his cellphone from his coat pocket and speed dialed Emily's number, hoping that reaching her would yield quicker results as to where to meet up. William listened to the phone ring, and ring, until finally, it went to voicemail. With a frustrated grunt, William tried again, only to get the same result. This wasn't like Emily. She always picked up the phone when he called, no matter what. Had something happened at the hospital?
With ice in his veins, William started the car and peeled out of the hotel driveway as fast as the car would take him. His mind was racing with thoughts of what could have happened, the rational ones like, "Maybe she's just busy helping get people out." or, "Maybe she couldn't hear the ringtone over all the noise."
He hoped that was the case.
Faster and faster, William sped his car through the city streets, avoiding the other cars and people as they, too, were fleeing as best they could, led by soldiers or running off on their own. Bodies were now littering the sidewalks and gutters, painting a scene straight out of what he'd expect to see in a warzone rather than Philly.
As William neared the hospital, who began to notice a smoke cloud billowing in the direction he was headed. He knew it could only be the hospital! What the hell could have happened in the thirty minutes he was gone?!
Pulling into the parking lot, William could see there were indeed fires raging, but not from the building itself. Military jeeps and civilian vehicles were engulfed in flames, some flipped and heavily dented on the sides, while some were flattened from above. There was spent brass everywhere around the entrance from the set up turret emplacements, and the crushed and mangled bodies of soldiers were strewn about, causing William to wretch at the sight. What on Gods green Earth could have done this?!
On the floor, William saw a shotgun in the arms of a soldier. Better safe than sorry, he plucked it up, checked to see that it was fully loaded, and took a few extra shells from the soldier's vest and put them in his jacket pocket, just in case.
Inside the lobby of the hospital revealed another brutal war zone. It was as if a Tank was driven through the building, crushing everything in its path. Walls were knocked down and people were crushed and mutilated on the floor, with blood splattered on every conceivable surface. Even dripping down from the ceiling, patting his jacket with wet thumps.
"E-Emily?!" William called out, only to have his voice echo through the eery building. "Emily? Where are you!" It seemed like a shot in the dark that she was still alive, but he wasn't going to give up until he knew. He needed to find her and bring her out safely.
William ventured further into the depths of the hospital until he once again reached the ER ward, the last place he saw Emily. Seeing all the dead around, William knew it'd be nearly impossible to find her in the mess. But, he remembered he still had his phone! If he just called her, maybe he'd hear hers! Maybe he'd find where she was hiding and she'd come out, knowing it was now safe from whatever happened here.
William flipped his phone open and pressed 1, speed dialing his wife once more. William held the phone down and listened as intently as he could in the eerily quiet building for the jingle of her ring tone.
After not hearing it, he tried again, walking further into the hospital as he did so. She had to be around here somewhere! With a desperate yell, William called out, "Emily?! Where are you?!"
Finally, William began to hear the musical tone down the hall, very faint, but he couldn't mistake it for anything else. William ran as fast as he could until he was outside one of the operating rooms. The window on the door was splattered with blood, causing William to pale as the phone continued to ring on the other side. Was he going to go in there and see his wife dead?
No! She was going to be inside, waiting for him! He knew it in his heart that she couldn't be dead! She was too strong! He'd go inside, she'd be sitting there, waiting for him, and the two would leave together and get out of this place! That would be the end of it!
Then, why was it so hard for him to open the door?
His hand was firmly planted on the handle, but his body refused to comply with the motion of opening it. He sat there for a long time, contemplating what to do, but a sudden roar further down the hallway snapped him out of his fear as he turned in the direction.
Down the hall he heard the thumping of something, almost impossibly large, heading in his direction, followed by deep, animalistic grunting. With new found courage, William quickly opened the door before him and jumped inside, shutting it behind him.
He leaned down against the wall, listening as the earth quaking thumps got closer and closer, until finally, stopping right outside the room he was in. He heard loud, deep sniffing from whatever it was on the other side, followed by a mighty roar as it quickly continued down the hall he once came from. Letting out a sigh of relief, William went to stand back up, but the sight before him caused him to freeze in place.
On the floor were dozens of bodies of Doctors who, unlike the ones in the halls, were slashed open in various manners, from chest, stomach, and even the throat, each person in the room had did in a horrific manner that William didn't want to think about. The horror scene was something straight out of a Jason movie.
William checked over each of the bodies, and confirmed that none of them were Emily. With a sigh, he took out his phone and called her again, waiting to hear exactly where it had come from.
William heard the ringing coming from the corner of the room, practically pitch black with the power out. Pulling out the light he used earlier on the bloated woman, he shined it into the corner, only to get a pair of red eyes snap back up at him.
William let out a shut of surprise as his flashlight hit the floor. The... thing in the corner began to growl menacingly as it slowly began to stand, spreading its arms wide, revealing dagger like nails protruding from its gnarled hands. William saw the face more clearly now, his stomach now feeling like a led weight at the realization that his worst fears had been confirmed.
Emily was infected.
"Emily! It's me, Honey!" He pleaded, placing the shotgun on the ground, hoping it would calm her down. It did not, as she continued to growl louder and louder at him. "Emily? I'm not afraid of you." He said, slowly approaching his deranged wife, only getting a louder growl from her. "I love you..."
But, it was far too late for that. Who Emily used to be was gone, replaced by the screaming nightmare now rushing towards William with incredible speed. William barely missed the swipe at him, it only just knicking into his skin. Even then, it caused an excessive amount of blood to flow from his midsection. Emily continued to scream and lash wildly out at the air as he backpedaled his way to the corner. Grabbing the Shotgun off the floor he aimed it high, and fired.
What was once Emily stumbled forward, now missing her midsection, and fell atop William in a bloody heap. He sat there, trying to register what he had done. The shotgun became heavier and heavier in his hands, until it finally slipped and fell to the floor with a clack. William could feel the blood of his wife pooling on him, warming his frozen body. The ice that had formed in his heart was crippling, making him unable to move from his same, shocked spot.
With tears, William held his head down and wrapped his in a tight embrace, sobbing louder and louder as the reality of the situation crashed down on him like a ton of bricks. He had just shot his wife. He had killed the woman he loved, had vowed in sickness and in health, and death do us part. Everything he had feared had played out before him in a beyond horrifying way. All William could do was sit against the wall and cry.
For hours, he sat in that room; a room full of death and decay, of lives taken too soon. Pain ripped into his heart like a knife twisted, and the thought that he was now alone was tearing through his mind. The world was now in chaos and anarchy. The infection was too much to control, and everyone was going to die. Why he hadn't caught it yet was a mystery that he couldn't quite solve. Why did he have to watch everyone he loved around him catch this monstrous illness? What purpose did he have that he didn't catch it?
With a heavy heart, William placed Emily's body back on the floor, stopping only to take her name tag with him. There was nothing left for him here anymore. This hospital belonged to the infected, and would now be his wife's mausoleum. Fitting, as the hospital was her life. She loved working there everyday, striving to make people better. To help those who needed it. That was one reason why William fell in love with her to begin with. She was so kind, and he would never forget that.
With one final kiss on her cold forehead, William got to his feet and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Now, his sadness was being replaced by feelings he rarely ever felt. Anger flooded his mind as he saw a few infected walking by. Revenge slapped him in the face, telling him to make sure every last one of these infected bastards wouldn't take anyone else.
Racking a round into the shotgun caught the attention of the few infected, who turned to William with angry, white eyes. All he did was stare them down through the sight of his weapon, and pulled the trigger.
In two shots, all five infected fell to the floor in bloody heaps. Their deaths filled him with a satisfaction that dissipated all too quickly he wanted more. He would never be satisfied until every single one of these animals was bloody and dead at his feet.
William was about to walk on, but the rapid thumping he heard from earlier rapidly came back down the hall. William stood there, refilling his gun as he waited, his heart rate never going up. He was content with death now, but he wanted to make sure it was busy with his mess first before taking him.
Finally, the thumping was practically on top of him, and when the beast rounded the corner, William was met with another sight that should have filled him with dread. The creature looked like one solid lump of muscle that consumed its body. It's chin was lost in the mass of flesh causing its tongue to dangle from its mouth limply. Grinning, William pumped his weapon and aimed it at the hulking beast as it charged towards him.
"Let's dance, you fucker!"
"William?"
"William, wake up. You're talking in your sleep..."
"William? Are you alright?"
Loner shot up from the mattress, causing Celestia to jump back in surprise. "William! Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep. You... were saying the name Emily a lot..." Celestia said quietly, looking at him with a glance.
Loner's breath was fast, sweat was beading down his face, and the pain of what transpired so long ago felt as fresh as the day it happened. Without a word to Celestia, Loner got up from the bed and walked out the doors to the balcony, his breathing heavy and his body covered in sweat.
The frigid, February air hit Loner's naked body like a freight train. He needed it. He wanted to wake up as much as possible from that horrid memory. A memory that had haunted him since day one of his decent into madness. "That isn't me anymore" he kept telling himself in his mind, over and over again. "You're William Branton... You're not Loner anymore..."
But, no matter how many times he told himself he wasn't Loner, it just made him feel more and more like the sociopathic killing machine that prowled the apocalyptic wastes of the Zombie Apocalypse, killing dozens, hundreds of infected for the sheer fun of it. For the thrill of avenging Emily.
"She's dead! Fucking accept it! She died like everyone else!" He mentally berrated himself, sliding down against the wall behind him as he watched the moon descend lower into the sky.
"William? Are... you alright?" Celestia asked, peaking out the door with the large comforter draped around her slender body. Loner remained silent, but Celestia didn't leave. She joined him on the ground and wrapped some of the large blanket around him, so that the two were now both warm beneath it. After a few minutes of silent star gazing, Celestia finally spoke.
"You never did tell me what made you become the way you did. What happened to Emily?" She asked, turning to face him. Loner didn't meet her look.
"What's there to tell?" He asked roughly, running a hand across his head. "Everyone lost someone they loved in that nightmare. I was no different. It's the past now. Like you said, let's focus on us. Let's just forget about this..."
Celestia tsked and ran a hand through Loner's hair smiling sweetly at him. "You know, when I lost you, I felt the same exact way." She admitted. At this Loner finally turned to Celestia, listening more intently. "I was brutish, and coarse, and horrible to everyone after we came back through without you. I even held a gun to Zoey's head." She admitted, causing Loner to arch a brow, but he remained silent as she went on.
"The Tank that was loose in Equestria... I wanted nothing more than to hunt it down and kill it with every fiber of my being... To make it feel the same why I felt. The lose it left in my heart. The Zombies took you from me, and I just wanted to kill every last one of them..."
Loner smiled and pulled Celestia closer to him, making her let out a sigh of happiness. "Seems like we rubbed off on each other pretty damn well, Tia."
Celestia remained silent, smiling as she leaned against Loner's body, her head raising and lowering against his shoulder with each breath he took. In her ear she could hear the rhythmic thumps of his heart, luxuries she thought she had lost for good. To have him back was a blessing, but knowing he was still in pain over his previous love still hurt her. Not that she was jealous, but because it still caused him such a degree of pain that he did not want burden on another.
"I love you, you know."
Celestia craned her head up as Loner looked down at her. With a smile, Celestia leaned up and planted a kiss oh Loner's cheek.
"I love you, too, William. Come. Why don't you get some rest. It's very nearly dawn and I have my duties to attend to. I think another evening for the two of us in order. There's an Opera I must attend tonight, so, if you're interested, you should come along." Celestia said smiling as she and Loner went back inside and sat on the bed.
"I guess so. I've never actually been to an Opera. Might be fun." Loner said with a shrug as he laid back down. Celestia laughed and leaned down, kissing him tightly on the lips before she threw a robe over her naked body.
"Sorry to say, you're going to be bored as hell! I'll see you later, Love!" She sang as she left the room, blowing a kiss to Loner who smiled and waved as she left. Laying back down in the bed, Loner sighed and shut his eyes, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep without a nightmare.
"That would be something..." He thought as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Celestia hummed a tune to herself as she walked down the castle halls, passing the staff, who smiled knowingly at their Princess. Everyone knew of her and Loner's relationship, and they knew what had happened last night. Heck, you don't hold an extravagant, private dinner with your coltfriend and not expect it to lead to a bit of the bed sheet tango.
With a skip in her step, Celestia made her way to Luna's tower, passing the Lunar Guards at the bottom of the stairs, who gave her an odd glance as she passed, but said nothing. Not many ponies saw Celestia in human form, but the hair and poise was unmistakable, even in that form.
Once at the top of the stairs, Celestia gave the bedroom door a few quick raps, getting an "Enter." from Luna on the other side. Celestia smiled and opened the door to see Luna standing at her window, her horn aglow as she lowered the moon.
"You know, you almost missed raising the sun... again. I thought I would have to do it this time. Clearly, William causes you to shirk your duties quite often." The younger Alicorn teased as Celestia raised a hand to the sky, replacing the moon with the sun, slowly lighting the vast land in its warm embrace. With a devilish grin, Luna added, "Judging by your attire, you two have finally gone hooves to Faust, as it were?"
Celestia giggled and leaped into her sisters bed, laying down as Luna sat next to her. "Yes, we finally did. Oh, by my name, He made me feel like a woman!" She sighed, getting a giggle from Luna.
"Tis funny, since you are a mare, Sister. I believe this form has gotten the better of your mind. But, tis good to see you so happy. How... is William this morning anyway?" She asked, her words hinting hesitation.
Celestia turned to Luna with a knowing glance. "You went into his dream, didn't you?" She asked, to which Luna nodded with a somber expression. "I shouldn't pry, but he's being so distant about it. I want to know what happened. Fully."
Luna visibly shuddered as she turned away from her elder sister, causing Celestia's own expression to falter. "If I told you the things he did, Tia, you may never look upon him the same way again. I have seen plenty of nightmares, and helped ponies deal with them. Never once has a mortal soul's dreams frightened me, but what I witnessed were things that even chilled my heart to the very core. I do not know if this human can adjust the same way the others have..."
Celestia scoffed. "I have been through much of what he has, Luna. I have fought side by side with him, I have seen him change from cold and ruthless, to kind and gentle. I love him, Luna, and he loves me just as much. The man in those dreams died when he sacrificed himself for me. You know this, right?"
Luna shook her head. "Tia, darkness can consume anyone's heart and mind. It's nearly impossible to dispel it once it takes hold. That is why it took the Elements of Harmony to bring me out of my own. You say the Loner personality is gone, but that will always be a part of who he is. Violence and killing reside in him, and come just as naturally as breathing. What if one day he snaps and hurts, or worse, kills somepony?"
Celestia sat up from the bed, crossing her arms. "Luna, you do not think he's capable of-"
"Oh, but I do." Luna interrupted, silencing her sister. "A monster born in blood is a monster who must bathe in it to survive. That is the way of the beast, is it not? That monster inside him will fester and linger in pain. Suffocating it will only cause it desperation. If it does break loose, Mother forbid it's somepony we care about on the receiving end."
"What will you have me do, Tia? Do you remember what I became after I lost him? I was able to recover from that." She argued, getting nothing but a chuckle in response.
"Tia, you got him back. He will never see his Emily again. I know, and you know, he loves you, but the death of a first love would break anyone. I know, I have been there myself." Luna placed a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "Tia, I do not know if you can fix him. I warn you as your sister, as family. I do not wish to see this man hurt you or anypony else. Maybe my fears are unfounded, but I felt that I must share them with you. Whatever you decide about it, I will support one-hundred percent. Wiliam makes you happy, and you, too, make him happy. But, if he is to get better, then he must come to terms with what has happened. Get him to open up. Maybe the other survivors can aid you with this, as they have been through much of the same thing."
Celestia nodded and hung her head as she chewed her lip in thought. "You're right, Luna. Your council is the reason I came up here this morning, to be honest. I am worried about him, but I know time can heal even the deepest of wounds. I'll write to the others today and see if they will be willing to help aid William with this." Celestia remained quite for a moment before adding, "Do you truly believe he'd hurt anypony?"
Luna shrugged. "It depends if that pony is a considerable douche and gets on his worst side. Like I said, the beast is smothered, and will take much coaxing to break free. I speak from experience, so maybe just call me a worry wort." She giggled, getting Celestia to giggle back. "Now, it is nearly eight o'clock, and you have your duties to attend to."
"Oh, you're right!" Celestia gasped, snapping her fingers, returning to her alicorn state once again. "If you wish, you may have a talk with him today. It would be good for the two of you to bond. After all, he is going to become your future brother in law!" She said happily, leaving Luna's room.
"Tis a bit early to think about wedding bells!" Luna called out before her door closed. "However, speaking to him is a splendid idea. It is time to dispel this darkness, before it becomes too much for us to deal with."
With that, Luna fluttered down from her window and made her way to her sisters balcony, ready to find out if William was here to stay, or Loner was going to rise up again to take his place...
Author's Note
Okee doke, past 2 in the morning and I'm just writing and writing and writing. Haven't done this in such a damn long time. Kind of feels nice.
Getting in all the backstory and mushy stuff before we get to where the ark of the story comes in. Luna's distrust of William may be well founded, but it may not. I don't know, I just finished Ch. 2. we'll see where the hooha goes. Got some juicy ideas ready to plop themselves on the screen though.
Tis going to be a dark story indeed... ;)
I was going to release this chapter last night, but I really wanted to sit on it and think about the dream and what had happened to his past wife. There were a few iterations, one where she returned home with him and turned into a witch in her sleep, but I felt it was unrealistic the way I portrayed it. It was really hard to get the emotion of it written. When you think about how someone would feel, it's pretty easy, but trying to write it on a page is just... difficult. I hope I could accurately portray it. If I find ways to make it better, I'll update it in the future, but for now, that's the best I can do. There will be more backstory to Loner, and will bring back two people from the previous story. Hope that satisfies a lot of people. :) Now, I have to figure out what Luna will speak with him about, and how he will react to it. Luna is a hold no bars kind of a character, so this conversation might get brutal. ;) (not violent though)
Until next time!
