Equestria: The Trotting Dead

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Prologue

“Date; April 15, 2042. Location; Equestrian Resistance Headquarters, Palomino Desert. Time; 0900 hours. Name; Braveheart. Log Number 450. My daughter, Velvet Remedy, has led a great many battles against Starnet’s forces. The battles she’s fought in have all been victories, and Starnet has been pushed back, all the way to their main defense grid in Canterlot. Remedy is commanding the final strike against the machines at 1200 hours. A small reconnaissance team has reported back from their scouting mission, and Starnet is on the full defensive. Going in will not be easy, nor will getting out. But Remedy’s plan isn’t to get out. Her plan is to destroy each and every machine in Starnet’s base. I can only hope and pray to Celestia that we all survive this final attack. May Celestia and Luna guide us.” I pressed the STOP button on my recorder and put it away. I stepped outside my quarters and walked into the main hangar. Pony soldiers were loading ammunition and ordinance into helicopters and jet planes, as well as rifles and other firearms. As I walked through the hangar, soldiers saluted me, for I was second in command to Velvet.

Velvet Remedy was helping Littlepip with her aim in the training room. I walked into the room and stood behind Remedy. Velvet’s wounds from the T-800 factory had healed, leaving scars running down her face. She had matured into a strong leader, and I was always there for her. Pip fired off a few shots in quick succession, blowing away the wooden targets.

“Nice shot, kid,” I said. Pip turned around and saw me.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “General Remedy says that I’ve really improved.”

“She certainly has,” Velvet said. “I say that she’s ready for the final test. Would you like to do the honors of judging the test?”

“Of course,” I agreed. “I’d love to.” Remedy walked Pip into a small room, and I walked into the judge’s booth. Remedy walked out of the room and lit up her horn. A large training course spawned in, complete with broken environment, rigged Terminators, and a final capture point in the center. A hidden camera rigged to each Terminator showed that there was a night sky illusion. Pip and three other trainees rose up from a platform underground.

“The final test consists of three sections,” Velvet announced. “Infiltrate, capture, and maintain. You must infiltrate the Starnet base, capture the specified point, and finally maintain that point for a certain amount of time. The Terminators are set to full Starnet programming level, and their weapons are illegitimate. The weapons will injure, but they will not kill, because we cannot risk death in something as simple as a test. If even one of you is hit in a fatal area, you fail the test. You will be given three chances to pass the test, with each chance being scored by Captain Braveheart. The scores will be averaged, and your final score will determine your promoted rank.” Remedy looked up at me in the booth, and I gave her a nod, signaling that I was ready. The training stage lit up, and the test began.

Pip and the other trainees snuck through the Starnet camp, staying as quiet as possible. I watched intently and carefully, judging each trainee’s score. One of the trainee’s was noticed by a Terminator, but the trainee quickly shut down the machine. The noise of the trainee’s weapon alerted the other Terminators in the area, opening up the path for Pip and the others. The compromised trainee slipped around the incoming Terminators, and joined back up with the group. The small team dashed over to the capture point, as specified with a red glow. The glow slowly morphed to a blue, and a bell sounded when the glow changed completely. Terminators started coming in from all directions, and they fired on Pip and the other trainees. The trainees pulled out their shields and planted them around the point. Many, many plasma rounds were fired off for 5 long minutes before a long, loud buzz sounded, signaling the end of the first section of the test. The test dissipated, and Pip and the other trainees returned to the start, while I scored them on a sheet of paper. I noticed Remedy check the time on a sundial nearby. I glanced at the sundial as well, and saw that it read 1000 hours. 2 hours left until the final attack on Starnet. Remedy looked up at me, and saw the same concern and anxiousness in my face. She nodded and created the next section of the test.

After the last two tests, the trainees were awaiting their scores. There were 30 minutes left until the attack, but Velvet kept her cool. I finished up with the scores, and flew down to Remedy and the waiting trainees. I whispered my calculations into Remedy’s ear, and she nodded. She turned to the trainees.

“Congratulations,” she said. “You have all been promoted to the rank of Corporal. You are all being moved to the front lines. And not a moment too soon. The attack will begin in 30 minutes. Prepare yourselves as necessary. Dismissed.” The newly promoted Corporals hurried out of the room, but I had to speak with Pip for a moment.

“Pip!” I called. Pip stopped and turned around. I waved her over, and she jogged to me.

“Captain?” she asked, standing straight.

“At ease, soldier,” I said. Pip relaxed her form. “Listen, Pip,” I said. “I’m not sure if I’ve said this before, but you have no idea how important you are in this war, and how important you will become. Pip, I’ve seen things not meant to be seen by pony eyes. Things that only Tartarus could come up with. This war before it even began, a truly evil side to one of my closest friends, who is now no longer with us, and a factory as black as the hearts of most changelings.”

“I don’t understand, Braveheart,” Pip said.

“Well, none of that matters now,” I said. “Pip, will you promise me something? Promise me something that would mean the world to me?” Pip nodded, clearly convinced that this promise must be important.

“I will,” Pip agreed.

“Pip,” I said. “If anything should happen to me, whether it be death, capture by the machines, or even if I go MIA. Promise me that you’ll take care of my daughter? Keep her safe?”

“I promise,” Pip nodded. I put a hoof on Pip’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” I said. “Now go get ready for the attack.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Pip cried. She ran off to get ready, and so did I. Before I did, I took a glance at the sundial. 20 minutes until the attack.

I put on a suit of body armor, a bandolier of plasma grenades, and a plasma pistol in my belt. I loaded my plasma rifle and stretched out my mechanical wings. This was the final battle, and we couldn’t lose. I walked out with the rest of the soldiers and flew up next to Remedy, who was preparing to give one last speech. When everypony was present, Velvet began.

“We have been fighting since Braveheart led us into the fallout shelters,” she said. “Fighting for survival, and preparing ourselves for this day. From the first attack on a small Starnet outpost to the strike on the T-800 factory, we have all come a long way. We have all gained something, but we have all lost just as much, if not more. Loved ones, comrades, and even the Resistance Council. But these losses will not stand in our way of victory against these wretched machines!” The crowd cheered loudly, and Remedy continued.

“This battle will mark the end of this war!” she cried. “The war against the machines will finally come to a close, and we can start life anew in Equestria! Fillies and gentlecolts, I pray that you will stand with me when I say, down with Starnet, and down with the machines!” The Resistance gave a loud roar, ready to fight.

“Then let us fight!” Remedy shouted. “Right down to the bitter end!” The crowd cheered and ran over to their designated vehicles. I flew into the lead helicopter and strapped myself down. Remedy climbed into the chopper as well and sat across from me, rifle in hoof. She strapped in as the vehicles took off for Starnet.

“Great speech, Velvet,” I said to her. “The troops seem motivated.”

“I tried,” Remedy simply said.

“No, you didn’t,” I said. “You achieved. I have no doubt we’ll win this war.” Velvet smiled at me, and I smiled back.

After about 15 minutes, the red lights came on in the hull of the helicopter. The loudspeaker rang and the pilot came online.

“Prepare for skydive jump,” the pilot said. “Approaching destination, 500 meters.” Remedy and I stood up and attached our suits. Mine was a negatively charged electromagnet, and Velvet’s was positively charged. We felt the helicopter come to a stop and hover in the air. The copilot stepped into the cargo bay and open up the door. The air was flashing with laser fire and explosions.

“This is your stop, General!” the copilot yelled over the war noise. “Good luck! You too, Captain!”

“We’ll see you back at the base!” I yelled.

“INCOMING!!!” the pilot cried. A large Hunter Killer flew in from the sky, and fired a blast of plasma. I tackled Remedy, immediately linking our suits. The helicopter exploded as we fell, and the HK flew through the fire. I spread my wings and rocketed down, Remedy in tow. My golden rainboom blasted us downward, closer to the battle. Lasers flew past us as we fell, and Remedy took out any HK drones in sight. As we neared the ground, I flapped hard to slow our decent, and disengaged the magnets. Remedy dropped onto her hooves and ducked for cover behind a tipped truck. I landed and dove behind the truck as well.

“Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, do you copy?” I called on my earpiece. “I repeat, do you copy? Over.”

“I copy,” Rainbow Dash responded. “Identify yourself. Over.”

“Captain Braveheart,” I said. “General Remedy and I are on the ground.” I ducked to avoid a laser blast. “We require assistance. Now!”

“Copy,” Rainbow Dash said. “Mark your position, over.”

“West Starnet Perimeter,” I replied. “We’re pinned down behind one of our fallen armored trucks.”

“Copy,” Rainbow Dash said. “Pegasi squad coming in for a bombing run. Over.” I heard the blast of the Pegasi squad flying overhead, and I hit the dirt as the bombs fell. The explosions destroyed the Hunter Killer Tanks, Terminators, and the western wall of the Starnet base that stood in our way.

“Bombing run successful,” Rainbow Dash stated. “Returning to designated position now. Over.”

“Copy that,” I nodded. “Much appreciated, Lieutenant.” Remedy and I advanced inside Starnet. Terminators were falling left and right, but HK Tanks were pinning down our troops. I flew into the air and made a radio call.

“Napalm strike inbound,” I said. “Stand clear of the tanks. Over.”

“Copy that,” I heard multiple of. I spawned in a napalm bomb and let it drop. The bomb erupted in a glorious flash of flame, incinerating the HK Tanks and the main Starnet entrance. I heard a roar, and I turned to see an Aerial HK approaching fast. I snapped my wings shut and fell as the HK fired a blast. The plasma attack just barely missed the top of my head as I plummeted. I opened my wings back up and glided back down to Remedy.

“What’s the status?!” I cried over the noise.

“Demolitions team just breached the main server room,” Remedy replied. “Accompanied by one of the Unicorn squads, they’re placing charges now.”

“Captain!” I heard a voice cry over my radio.

“Identify!” I cried.

“Spitfire, sir!” Spitfire cried. “We need a medic at the East Starnet wall, stat! Lieutenant Rainbow Dash has been hit! I repeat, Rainbow Dash has been hit! We need a medic here immediately!”

“Copy that!” I yelled. I turned to Remedy. “Call for a medical team to the east wall!” I cried. Remedy nodded and radioed in a medical team.

“Medical Unicorn Team inbound to your location!” I called to Spitfire. “Tell Rainbow Dash to hang in there, help is on the way!”

“Yes, sir!” Spitfire cried.

“Demo team just set the last charge!” Remedy cried.

“Tell them to get the hell out of there!” I ordered. “Get a Pegasi Squad to pick them up at the main entrance!” Remedy relayed the orders to the Demo team, and returned to the fighting. A laser blast shot through my left wing, putting a clean hole through the endoskeleton. I pulled out my laser pistol and downed the Terminator that shot me. A Hunter Killer Tank rolled into view, and I loaded my last plasma grenade into the rifle mounted grenade launcher. I took aim and fired. The grenade struck the HK Tank in the pivotal section of the turret head, and the top of the tank blew off.

“Demo team has escaped!” Remedy cried, smiling.

“Blow it!” I yelled. Remedy ducked behind a fallen Aerial HK and pulled out her detonator. She pressed the button, and the central Starnet Spire exploded. Fire and rubble flew through the air, striking several of our choppers and planes. Terminators and HKs alike all shut down, falling to the ground in a crash. When everything was silent, the Resistance gave out a loud cheer. We had done it. It was finally over. The war against the machines had finally ended.

“We did it,” Remedy gasped. “We finally did it.” She ran up to me, and we embraced, glad that this war was over.”

“Captain,” I heard on my radio. “This is Major Spitfire. Lieutenant Rainbow Dash is recovering. The shot entered through her chest, but luckily missed her heart. None of her vital organs sustained damage.”

“Thank Celestia,” I breathed. “Tell her I’ll be at the medical station soon.” As I signed off, Littlepip ran up to Velvet Remedy.

“General Remedy,” Pip gasped, nearly out of breath. “I regret to inform you that before Starnet was destroyed, they managed to send a Terminator through a small time displacement field.” Remedy and I exchanged troubled glances. We followed Pip to the time displacement equipment.

~~~

Inside a small, underground chamber, a Tech team had set up lights around a large time displacement machine. Remedy, Littlepip and I were standing at the foot of the machine.

“The Terminator was sent back to 2023,” Pip said. That was the exact year the Terminator attacked me.

“Braveheart?” Remedy asked. I looked at her. “I’m going through.”

“You can’t,” I said. “You’re needed here.”

“Dad,” Remedy stopped me. “The war is over. We shut down Starnet and restored peace to Equestria. There’s no use for Velvet Remedy anymore. My time here has passed, and now I have to protect you in the past.” Velvet seemed serious that she was going to do this, so I nodded.

“Then do it,” I said. “Protect Equestria’s future.”

“You can’t go through with anything on,” Pip explained. “The displacement field won’t accept non-living organisms. We’ll be sending you back about a day earlier than the Terminator, so you can get prepared.” Remedy nodded and removed her armor and clothing. She stepped onto the platform of the displacement machine, and Pip turned it on. The time displacement equipment lit up, and a ball of energy started to surround Remedy. She started to rise into the air, and she looked down at me.

“Take care of me!” I called to her.

“I will!” Velvet cried back. A blinding flash erupted from the time displacement field, and Velvet Remedy was gone. I only hoped that she could stop the Terminator and prevent this whole ordeal.

~~~

May 20, 2023. Canterlot. 4:17 AM. I woke up around dawn and felt like taking a walk. I tried not to wake anypony up as I left the apartment. I walked throughout the darkness of Canterlot, stretching out my broken leg. It felt much better. As I neared a lookout area, I noticed some punk stallions over by the telescope. I ignored them and walked on. I leaned on a lamppost to rest. All of a sudden, the lamppost flickered and buzzed out. I looked up at it and pounded a hoof on the pole. The light didn't come back on.

“Blasted piece of shit,” I mumbled. I looked over at the punks. Their light was still on. In fact, my lamppost was the only one knocked out. I was confused.

“Must be a frayed wire or something,” I said to myself. Just then, electricity started to surge through the air. I looked around in confusion. Remembering basic safety on electricity, I ran to a nearby car. I dove inside and watched the light show unfold. The electricity got stronger and stronger, then a large ball of energy formed at the heart of it. A brief flash temporarily blinded me. When I recovered, the lighting was starting to subside. I looked where the energy ball was and found that the heat from the energy had melted away some of the concrete, leaving a rounded indention. I saw a pony crouched in the indention through the smoke. The smoke started to dissipate as the lightning stopped. The pony stood upright and looked around. I hid myself in the vehicle. The pony was a Unicorn mare that looked exactly like Twilight, only it had a white fur color and a bright pink mane. In fact, I nearly mistook the mare for Twilight's mother, because the mare looked exactly like her. The mare walked over to the punks and started to talk to them. I quietly teleported closer, but not too close, so I could hear the conversation.

“Your clothes,” I heard the mare say. “Give them to me. Now.” The punk leader pulled out a knife.

“Fuck you, asshole!” he said. The other two stallions pulled out knives as well.

“You won’t be needing any clothes,” I heard a voice say. We all turned to see another mare in a cloak walking toward us. She removed her hood, revealing her white, messy mane with streaks of red and orange. She was holding a shotgun with a suppressor on it.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” the unicorn mare growled. The mare that looked like Twilight’s mother charged at the cloaked mare, who raised her shotgun and squeezed off a shot. The silent blast struck the charging mare in the face, and she was sent sprawling back. The punk stallions ran off, terrified. I looked at the fallen mare, and saw a robotic skull underneath the destroyed flesh. The machine got right back up and charged again. The cloaked mare fired off another blast, which struck the machine in the chest, exposing more robot skeleton. One side of me wanted to run, but another side convinced me to stay. This was fascinating. The cloaked mare threw down her shotgun and jumped on top of the charging machine. She pulled something out of cloak with her magic, and stabbed it into the machine’s skull. The red eyes of the machine went out, and it fell to the concrete with a crash. The unicorn mare stepped off the wreckage and tore the head off the machine. I stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching the cloaked mare. She walked over to her shotgun and picked it up. She slid it into her cloak and turned around, noticing me.

“Braveheart?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, confused. “How do you know my name?”

“I’ll explain in a bit,” the mare said. “I’m Velvet Remedy.” Remedy extended a hoof, and I shook it. I walked over to the fallen machine.

“What is this thing?” I asked.

“It’s a Terminator,” Remedy explained. “Cybernetic Organism, Crystal Systems Model 101.”

“Crystal Systems?” I asked. “As in the Crystal Empire?”

“Former Crystal Empire,” Remedy corrected. “8 years from now, the Crystal Empire finishes development on a worldwide security software, and it becomes self-aware. It fires off nuclear warheads on Equestria with the goal to wipe out the Equestrian race.”

“Who’s the one that starts the software?” I asked.

“You are,” Remedy said. I couldn’t believe this. I looked back down at the Terminator.

“What are we going to do with this?” I asked.

“Present it to the Princesses,” Remedy said. “Tell them what happens in the future.”

“They’ve never met you,” I said. “They won’t believe you.”

“Maybe not,” Remedy said. “But they’ll believe you. You have a connection with Princess Luna, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “She saved me from the streets at a young age.”

“Then let’s go,” Remedy said. She picked up the Termiinator and walked to Canterlot Castle. When we reached the castle, two of the alicorn guards stopped us.

“Who goes there?” one of them asked.

“I’m here to speak with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” I told them.

“Do you have an appointment?” the other guard asked.

“No,” I said.

“Then you’re not permitted here,” the first guard said, Luna suddenly came flying down.

“What in Equestria is going on here?” she inquired. She turned and saw me. “Ah, Braveheart,” she said. “What an unexpected surprise. Who is this with you?”

“Her name is Velvet Remedy,” I said.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Remedy,” Luna said. “Perhaps we should speak inside with my sister.” The three of us walked inside the throne room, where Celestia was waiting.

“Hello Braveheart,” she said. “So good to see you again.” I bowed for a moment.

“And you as well,” I responded. “May I ask you something in private?”

“Of course,” Celestia agreed. The royal guards left the throne room. “What’s your concern?” Celestia asked.

“I was anxious to know if the Rainbow Factory was dealt with,” I told Celestia.

“Ah,” Celestia nodded. “I meant to speak to you about that as well. To shut down the factory completely, we had to take…” Celstia paused. “…extreme measures.”

“What measures?” I asked.

“Murder,” Celestia said. I saw Luna shiver for a moment. I winced myself. That seemed a bit drastic.

“When the workers would not quit, we had to start killing them off,” Luna explained. “The only escapee was a mare in a black cloak, and she has been placed at the very top of the wanted list.”

“Good,” I nodded. “There was something else, though. Remedy and I need to show you something.” I motioned to Velvet, and she laid down the remains of the Terminator on the floor. Luna didn’t see the machinery right away, and she lit up her horn in a fury.

“What is this?!” she cried, ready to attack.

“Calm down, sister,” Celestia said. “Surely this is not Twilight’s mother.”

“It’s not,” Remedy assured. “It’s a cyborg. A cybernetic organism from the year 2042. Crystal Systems Model 101.”

“Wait a minute,” Luna said, calmed. “Crystal Systems from the year 2042? As in the future?”

“Correct,” Remedy said. “8 years from now, the Crystal Empire develops a defense network of supercomputers, and those computers become self-aware. They nearly wipe out the entire Equestrian race, but Braveheart saves everyone by getting them into underground fallout shelters.”

“How do these computers become self-aware?” Luna asked.

“Nopony knew,” Remedy shrugged. “21 years from now, the system sent this Terminator back to this year, with the goal of killing Braveheart. I was sent back to stop it.” Luna gave me a look that said, “Is this mare crazy?” so I shrugged, giving a look that said, “I have no idea.”

“We will go speak to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor immediately,” Celestia said.

“If you’ll excuse me, Princess,” I stopped her. “I’m not sure that they’ll believe you. Let me and Remedy tell them ourselves. They’ll most likely believe a primary source.”

“Very well,” Celestia agreed. “Do you need an escort?”

“I’ll escort her myself, but she’ll need a chariot to get there,” I said. “And don’t ask me to pull it, because I can’t do that.” Celestia nodded and motioned for Luna to go get two of her guards.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” Celestia said.

“Of course,” Remedy said. She and I walked out of the throne room to the waiting chariot, pulled by 2 lunar guards. Remedy climbed into the chariot, and the guards and I took off.

Upon reaching the Crystal Empire, Velvet Remedy and I went straight to the Crystal Tower. Remedy teleported up to the throne room as I flew up. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were waiting for us.

“Princess Celestia said you were coming,” Shining Armor said. “Who are you again?”

“My name is Braveheart,” I said. “This is Velvet Remedy. Celestia sent us here to discuss something with you. Do you have any intention to create a global protection network?” Cadence and Shining Armor gave each other surprised looks.

“We were thinking about starting something like that in the next few years,” Cadence said. “How did you know?”

“I’ll let Velvet Remedy explain,” I said. Remedy stepped up and told her story about the future. Cadence and Shining Armor listened, confused as they were. Remedy even showed them the Terminator as proof. When she finished, Cadence and Shining Armor looked sick.

“I’m in shock,” Cadence said. “You’re judging us on things we haven’t even done yet. How were we supposed to know?”

“You weren’t,” I said. “None of us were.”

“Well, thank you for telling us about this,” Shining Armor said. “Both you and Remedy have done Equestria a huge favor.”

“Of course,” Remedy nodded. We left the Crystal Empire and returned to Canterlot. When I reached the hotel, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Mane 6 were waiting for us.

“Where have you been?” Rainbow Dash scolded. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you?”

“I had to go speak with Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Shining Armor,” I said. “My accomplice had some important things to say.”

“Like what?” Princess Twilight Sparkle asked.

“I’ll let Velvet Remedy explain,” I said. Remedy told the Mane 6 exactly what she told Cadence and Shining Armor. Rainbow Dash was in doubt the entire time.

“What a bunch of bullshit!” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Terminators? Starnet? A computer program becoming self-aware? Show me some proof.” I grabbed the Terminator remains with my magic and laid it in front of my friends. Twilight gasped.

“My mom’s a machine!?” she gasped.

“No,” I said, facehoofing. “They only based the 101 model off of her.” I turned to Remedy. “Right?”

“That is correct,” Remedy nodded. “Starnet would choose a random pony for each model, then use that pony’s appearance to its advantage for the Terminators’ infiltrations. This is how much of the resistance was killed. From these very T-800 machines.” I opened up my wings and made a cut on the Terminator’s right hoof. The flesh peeled off with a squelch and squirts of blood. The flesh tore away, revealing a complex mechanical leg. The hydraulics were drenched with blood.

“They used real flesh and blood?” Twilight asked.

“Right,” Velvet said. “Starnet would capture living ponies and replicate their flesh and blood for the T-800s.”

“Please, Miss Remedy,” Rarity pleaded. “Could we cease with this nasty talk? I’m starting to get nauseous.”

“What are we going to do with this machine?” Fluttershy asked.

“Destroy it,” Remedy simply said. “We can’t risk anypony else replicating the work of Starnet. The only thing that can destroy the Terminator is a substance with an extremely high temperature.”

“I know that there’s a steel mill in Canterlot,” Twilight pointed out.

“That’ll do,” I said. “Could you point us there?”

“West side of Canterlot,” Twilight said, pointing west. “It’s got two tall smokestacks. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Remedy said. She picked up the Terminator remains and we started walking in the direction Twilight directed us.

When the deed was done, Remedy and I returned to Canterlot.

“So what now?” I asked her. “You going to go home?”

“I can’t,” Remedy said, with regret. “My dad said that once I went through, the Demo team was going to blow the place.”

“So you can’t get back?” I asked.

“No,” Remedy said. “Nopony goes home, nopony else goes through. Now, it’s just you and me.” Remedy blushed as she said that, and I caught the hint that she liked me. I smiled.

“Come on,” I said. “I live up with Rainbow Dash. I’m sure she can offer you a place for a while. Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan for you to walk on the clouds.” Remedy smiled back, and I flew her up to Rainbow Dash’s home. I would help Velvet Remedy until death to live a life better than that of a ruined future.

Chapter 1

About 15 years after Remedy’s arrival in Canterlot in 2023, we were happily married and had a six year old daughter. She was a Pegasus with a dark blue coat and a dirty blonde mane and tail, and we decided to name her Midnight Skies. We taught her what we knew on magic spells, and she grew very adept in spellcasting. She had earned her cutie mark as special talent in machines, and her mark was a piston and a gear. Remedy and I had purchased a small house in Ponyville, and we started a life there. No bombs fell, no computer systems became self-aware hell-bent on wiping out all of ponykind, no machines tried to take over. Life was all I had hoped for it to be.

I was sitting in the castle waiting room, talking with Rainbow Dash, who had joined the royal guard. I had applied for a job in the royal guard as well, and Celestia was happy to let me join.

“So I slapped Soarin across the face, and yelled, ‘Go sleep on the couch!’” Rainbow finished, laughing. I laughed with her as I finished up my doughnut and took another drink of my coffee.

“That’s awesome,” I said, shaking my head.

“So how’s Remedy and Midnight been?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They’ve been fine,” I replied. “Midnight’s eight now.” The captain suddenly burst into the room.

“We’ve got an issue down near the Everfree!” he cried. “Grab your guns and let’s go!” Rainbow Dash and I grabbed our pistol and shotgun and bolted off to the Everfree Forest with the rest of our squad.

When we reached our location, we set up our barriers and prepared for the incoming vehicle. I laid out road spikes and flew back to the guard cars and propped up my shotgun on the door.

“What do you think these guys are going to be armed with?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the road. “But if the road spikes don’t stop them, we will.” We heard a distant roar of an engine, and saw a car in the distance.

“Get ready,” the captain called, rifle in hoof. The fast approaching car ran over the spikes, flipping the car over onto the road. The car rolled into a tree before lying still on its top. I cocked my SPAS-12, loading a shell into the chamber. The driver side door opened, and a unicorn stallion carrying an AK-47 crawled out.

“Drop your weapon!” the captain cried over a megaphone. The stallion took aim and fired. We ducked as a volley of shots struck the doors of our cars.

“Return fire!” the captain ordered. The squad raised up and fired off their weapons. Pellets and bullets whizzed through the air, one of them catching me in the shoulder. Ignoring the wound, I took careful aim and fired. The shotgun blast struck the attacker, knocking him down dead.

“He’s down!” I cried. I flew over our barriers and picked up the road spikes. As I did so, I heard a roar, and then an explosion near me. I saw another attacker with an RPG, and I fired, killing him.

“Braveheart! Behind you!” I heard Rainbow Dash yell. I looked to see a falling tree, then it crashed on top of me and everything went black.

~~~

“Braveheart, I’m so sorry. I should have come with you to help. Remedy and Midnight are worried sick. I’ve told them that you’re OK, but Remedy won’t believe it until she sees you. I haven’t told you this before, but I quit the Wonderbolts for you. When Luna brought you to me, you meant the world to me, just as much as Tank. But, I also need to share a secret with you. I was the cloaked mare you saw at the Rainbow Factory. I worked there, and when I heard that they cut off your wings, I quit in rage. I was actually happy when Celestia and Luna shut it down. I had told them to leave you alone after Luna brought you here, but they must not have listened. I didn’t want this to happen. Any of this. Just, please get better. But if you do die, just, goodbye Braveheart. I’ll see you on the other side.”

~~~

I slowly woke up, everything hurting.

“Rainbow Dash?” I whispered. “Tell Remedy that I’m getting better.” There was no response. “Rainbow?” I quietly called again. Nothing. I looked over at a vase of flowers Rainbow Dash had put there. They were brown and falling apart. I touched the petals, and they cracked and fell at the touch. How long had I been out for?

“Doctor?” I called, a bit louder. I heard nothing. Not even the heart rate meter. Looking around, the IV bag was empty, and the needle was still in my hoof. I used my magic to carefully remove it. I sat up, and noticed the bandage around my shoulder and my midsection. They were bloody and the joints were sore. I removed an oxygen mask over my face. There was a cord going into my chest. I removed it as well and put a bandage over the hole. I must have been on life support. The machines were turned off, and nothing seemed to be on.

“Doctor?” I called again. Still no answer. I climbed out of the bed, and nearly fell over. I eventually was able to stand up, and hobble out of the room. When I opened the door, I saw a spare hospital bed rolled up against the doorframe. I moved it out of the way and started to walk around, looking for somepony. I hobbled through the halls, the lights flickering and buzzing. There was blood on the walls and on the floor. Upon rounding a corner, I saw two large doors, locked from the outside with a chain. Painted onto the doors were words that read “DEAD INSIDE STAY OUT”. I was confused. A decaying hoof suddenly reached out from the break in the doors. Horrified, I ran off in the opposite direction. I reached the main entrance of the hospital, and I opened up the doors. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw dead bodies wrapped in bandages, spread out among the lawn. I was terrified. What in Celestia’s name happened here? I suddenly remembered my family. I spread my wings and took off for Canterlot, since I was in the Ponyville Hospital.

When I reached Canterlot, I walked immediately into my house, and found it deserted.

“Remedy?” I called. “Midnight?” There was no answer, and I started to panic. “Remedy?! Midnight?!” I cried again. Still no response. I was furious and crying at the same time. I looked on the mantle, and saw that the family pictures and photo albums were gone. My family must still be alive if they took the photo albums. I burst out the door, and was immediately smacked upside the head with something hard. I did a complete flip before landing on my back. My vision was blurred, and my nose was bleeding. I could hear faint speech, but then I blacked out.

~~~

I woke up restrained to a bed. I struggled to get out of the chains, but I heard a cock of a pistol. I turned to see a pale pony with a dark red mane holding a 9mm Beretta to my head.

“Were you bit?” the mare asked.

“What?” I asked.

“Were. You. Bit?” the mare repeated.

“Bit?” I questioned.

“Answer the question, or I’ll put a bullet in your skull,” the mare threatened. “Were you bit?” I looked down and remembered the bandages.

“No,” I said.

“Then how did you get the bandages?” the mare inquired.

“I was shot in the shoulder and a tree fell on me,” I said. The mare nodded and put away her gun. She undid my restraints and led me into the living room of her home. The windows were covered with thick sheets, and the door was locked and barred.

“Where is everypony?” I asked.

“Dead,” the mare said. “But alive.”

“How is that possible?” I wondered, confused.

“I don’t know,” the mare said. “The trotters just suddenly started coming.”

“Trotters?” I asked.

“What, you’ve never seen one?” the mare asked, surprised. “The undead, walking Equestria once more. We call them trotters. Even the Pegasus ones, since they can’t fly anymore. They’re not strong enough for that. The Unicorn trotters can’t use their magic, since they can’t remember how. They’ve all become trotters on the ground.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.

“Well, you’ll need to,” the mare said. “Otherwise, you won’t survive.”

“Survive?” I asked nervously.

“The trotters don’t know anything but hunt, kill, and feed,” the mare explained. “The only way to kill them is by destroying the brain. Just like you and me, they can’t function without one.” I looked toward the window.

“I have to go,” I said.

“You can’t go after dark,” the mare said. “Or at least I would not recommend it. They’ll catch you by surprise at night, when you can’t see.”

“I have to find my family,” I said.

“Chances are, they’re as good as dead,” the mare disagreed.

“The family photo albums were missing,” I explained. “They have to be alive.”

“Anypony could have taken a photo album,” the mare said. “But if you insist, go ahead. But at least wait until morning, and after I’ve had a chance to teach you a few things.” I nodded in agreement.

“All right,” I said.

“Good,” the mare nodded. “Try to get some sleep. You’ve got a long day ahead.” The mare left the room and gave me some privacy. I rolled over onto an inflatable mattress and closed my eyes. I heard a doorknob being turned, but the door didn’t open. I fell asleep, afraid as I was.

~~~

The next morning, the mare took me outside with an axe. She directed me to a lone trotter in the street.

“Aim for the side of the head, where the skull isn’t as thick,” the mare instructed. I approached the trotter, who had started to walk closer. I swung the axe into the side of its head, and the trotter fell limp. I dislodged the axe and looked back at the mare.

“Good,” she said. “Guns may make for a quicker kill, but the noise attracts them. That’s another thing. Light and sound attract the trotters. I would only recommend using a gun if you have no other option.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Now go, before it’s too late,” the mare advised. “I’ve heard that Fillydelphia is safe. Void of trotters. Try looking for your family there.” She gave me a pack with some food and supplies in it, and sent me on my way. I stepped out into the world, and started my journey to Fillydelphia.

I had gone to Canterlot Castle to see if anypony survived, and all I found were the guns from the royal guard. After I had taken them and a bag to keep them in, I kept walking. At a small section of land, I saw a wreck of cars on the street. I walked through them, hoping to maybe find somepony else. As I scavenged through cars for more supplies, I saw a small filly walking through the wreck with her teddy on her back.

“Little filly?” I called. “I’m a member of the royal guard. It’s OK. You don’t have to be afraid.” The filly stopped, and turned around, revealing her decaying jaw and flesh. She started to run at me, and I pulled out my pistol. I fired, and the bullet went clean through the filly’s skull. She fell dead, and I slowly lowered my pistol, shocked at what Equestria had become.

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Chapter 2

I walked into Fillydelphia, seeing nothing but overturned vehicles and dead bodies. I stayed wary of trotters, since I had no idea where they’d be. The city was a wreck. Windows shattered, buildings falling apart, and ruined streets. I passed a massive tank as I stepped through the streets. As I rounded the next corner, a huge horde of trotters met my gaze. They started to pursue me. I quickly whipped around and ran the other way. Another horde blocked my path. I dove underneath the tank and crawled inside from the bottom. I sealed the hatch shut and breathed a sigh of relief. I turned my head and saw the dead tank operator look at me, growling. I yanked out my pistol and fired into the trotter’s jaw. The shot rang through the confined tank, making my ears ring. Once I recovered, I started to hear voices.

“Damn it, Braveheart,” I heard a voice say. “You’ve sure gone and done yourself in this time. What the hell were you thinking coming out here?” I looked toward the tank radio. I crawled over and picked up the mic.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“The name’s Vinyl,” the voice said. “Now listen closely. Those trotters have surrounded that tank you’re in. However, I’ve managed to sound off a continuous air horn, so a good chunk of the trotters have wandered off. But there are still some there. Exit the tank from the upper hatch, then run to a yellow marked ladder to the right of the tank. Got that?”

“I think so,” I nodded, engulfing my magic around the hatch handle.

“Great,” Vinyl said. “Go!” I opened up the hatch and emerged from the tank. The trotters were snarling and growling, trying to get me. I saw the yellow marked ladder and jumped off the tank. I bolted for the ladder and climbed up. When I reached the top, an orange mare with a purple mane helped me up.

“Thanks,” I said, gun bag in tow. I set it down on the roof of the building.

“No problem,” the mare said. “Name’s Scootaloo.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of you,” I said. “Rainbow Dash has said some great things about you.” Other ponies on the roof were Flitter, Vinyl Scratch, and Rarity.

“Braveheart?!” Rarity cried. “Thank Celestia you’re alive.”

“Same to you,” I happily sighed. We gave each other a quick hug before hearing a gunshot ring out. We whipped around to see Lightning Dust firing off a sniper rifle.

“Damn it!” Vinyl cursed. She stormed over to Lightning Dust. “We told you that you can’t be doing that!”

“Doing what?” Lightning Dust asked. “Killing off the horde? I gotta practice my aim.”

“We need to conserve ammo,” Scootaloo argued. “The shots also draw them closer.” Lightning Dust jumped down from her perch.

“It’s only a matter of time before we all die anyway,” she shrugged. “May as well get my kills in while I can. Unlike you, you chicken.” At that, Scootaloo raged. She tackled Lightning Dust and the two started fighting. Rarity and Vinyl tried to pull them apart, but to no avail. I suddenly saw Lightning Dust pick up a knife nearby, and I forcefully pulled her away, putting the muzzle of my revolver to her temple.

“We will not, I repeat, WILL NOT, kill the living,” I hissed. “As a member of the royal guard, I will not let harm come to innocent, but in this case, I will not let harm come to survivors.” I pulled out a pair of cuffs and clipped one end to Lightning Dust’s right hoof, and the other to a pipe.

“Hey, come on,” Lightning Dust reasoned. “She was asking for it. She hit me first. Why isn’t she the one in these damn cuffs?” I ignored her and walked back to the other survivors.

“Thanks,” Scootaloo said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Sure,” I nodded. “How long has she been a problem?”

“Since she’s joined our little group,” Rarity explained. “She’s become quite a bit of trouble since then.”

“That issue can wait,” Vinyl said. “The trotters are bound to break through soon, and we have no way to escape.”

“I’ll figure something out,” I said. I walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down. Trotters were converging on the building, and they were pounding on the doors and windows. I suddenly got an idea. I leapt off the building, much to the horror of Rarity and Vinyl.

“What are you doing?!” Vinyl cried as I fell. I spread my wings and swooped low, trotters following me with their dead gaze. I landed and pulled out my pistol.

“Come on, fuckers!” I taunted. “Fresh meat right here! Come and get some!” The trotter horde hobbled after me. I yelled to the top of the building.

“MAKE A BREAK FOR IT!!!” I screamed. I kept running, buying the others time to escape. I leapt into a car and started up the engine. Using my magic, I put a dent in the car, setting off the alarm. The horn sounded loudly, drawing in the horde. I looked through the rear view mirrors, and I saw the rooftop group gallop down the stairwell. I kept driving, alarm blaring, drawing the horde away.

After driving for a good half hour, I parked the car and got out. The horde was still on my ass, and they were closing in fast. I opened up the hood of the car and yanked a couple of cords, shutting off the alarm. I pulled out the gun bag, drew my pistol, and took a shot at the lead trotter. Blood spewed from the back of the rotting corpse’s head, and it went down. Quickly checking my ammo, I found that my recent shot was my final one in the chamber. I put my pistol away and jumped upward. I spread my wings and flew off, leaving the trotter horde behind. As I flew back to Fillydelphia, I saw a delivery truck driving into a section of woods. On the top of the truck, it read “Follow us, Braveheart”. The paint was still wet, since it must have just been painted on. I dove down to the truck, and it slowed down. The truck stopped, and the group got out.

“That was genius, Braveheart!” Vinyl cried, high hoofing me.

“You still had me scared when you jumped off the building without warning,” Rarity said. I noticed that Lightning Dust was missing.

“Where’s Lightning Dust?” I asked. Scootaloo looked to the ground.

“We tried to break her free, but we couldn’t,” she regretted. “But as we left, I chained up and locked the rooftop access door. No trotter is going to be able to bust through. So we can go back for her.”

“I’ll go do that,” I said. “Where can I find you once I’ve done so?”

“We’ll be at the top of that cliff,” Vinyl said, pointing to a mountain. “We’ve got a camp up there. Just look for the truck with our message on it.”

“Will do,” I nodded. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Please be safe out there,” Rarity requested.

“I will,” I said. “You should probably take these guns and ammo back to the camp. You may need them.” Scootaloo took the bag and tossed it into the back of the truck. The group got back into the truck and drove off, and I took flight back to Fillydelphia.

I landed on the roof of the building, and called out.

“Lightning Dust?” I called. I didn’t get a response. “Lightning Dust?” I called again. Still nothing. I looked around for her, and all I found was a bloody hacksaw and a severed teal hoof. My cuffs were bloody and still hanging on the pipe. I unlocked the cuffs from the pipe and cleaned them off. I slipped them back onto my belt and started following Lightning’s blood trail. I pulled out my pistol and reloaded it, keeping it at the ready. The blood trail ended two floors down, when I found a recently used iron. Lightning Dust must have stopped the bleeding by branding the wound. Discouraged that I didn’t find Lightning Dust, I jumped out a window and flew back to the camp. It wasn’t hard to find, since I could see the truck with the message. I flew down into the camp, and Vinyl met me there.

“Glad you made it back safe,” Vinyl said. “Where’s Lightning Dust?”

“She cut off her hoof with a hacksaw,” I explained. “She ironed the wound to keep herself from bleeding out. I don’t know where she is now.” Vinyl shuddered at a nagging thought.

“Rainbow’s gonna be pissed,” she muttered.

“Wait,” I stopped, upon hearing this. “Rainbow Dash is still alive?!”

“Yeah, she is,” Vinyl said. “She’s out on a hunt though. Won’t be back for who knows how long. Let me show you around the camp.” I followed Vinyl, and met lots of familiar faces. Fluttershy, Celestia, Sweetie Belle, and others. When Vinyl brought me to the tents, I saw somepony I thought I’d never see again. Velvet Remedy turned around, and nearly cried at the sight of me. We ran up to each other and embraced.

“I thought you were dead,” Remedy sobbed. “I thought…”

“Just…stop talking,” I said. Remedy cried, happy that her husband was alive. I looked up to see Midnight Skies come out of the family tent.

“Hey, mom?” she started to ask. Remedy let go of me and turned around. Midnight was in shock.

“Dad?” she asked in disbelief. Tears in my eyes, I nodded. Midnight ran up to me and jumped onto my neck. I kneeled down and hugged my daughter.

“Are you OK?” I asked her.

“I’ve been fine,” Midnight said. “I thought you died.”

“No,” I assured. “I couldn’t die. I had to find you.” I stood up and walked over to Celestia, who was stationed atop a camper van as lookout. Her mane and tail were no longer flowing, instead changed to a bright pink.

“It’s good to see you, Braveheart,” she said.

“Same to you, Princess,” I said.

“Regretfully, I’m no longer a princess,” Celestia said. “After Equestria fell victim to the trotters, royalty status fell, and my mane reverted to a normal state. Tragic, I know.”

“So where’s Luna?” I asked. “Is she alive?”

“I don’t know,” Celestia regretted. “I tried to convince her to come with me, but she refused. She left Canterlot to pursue her own way in the world. But I have a feeling she is still alive. Although I don’t know where.”

“All right,” I sighed. I walked off. Flitter was talking to Cloudchaser (no surprise there), Rarity and Sweetie Belle were doing laundry, and Remedy and Midnight were doing other chores. I decided to get a look of the scene from the cliff. The view was stunning, with green trees and Canterlot in the far distance. I took a deep breath and let it out. I took out my gun and twirled it in my magic a few times. I fancily slipped it back into its sheath and stood up. It was getting dark, and a small fire was being made. I sat down with Remedy and Midnight as we ate. There were small bits of rationed food, and we had to use it sparingly.

“We’re running a little low on food,” Celestia said. “Not sure how much longer we can stay here.”

“I can go make a run tomorrow,” Vinyl offered. “There were still packages of food in the building we left back in Fillydelphia.”

“Surely you don’t want to go back there,” Rarity reasoned. “We barely made it out as it is.”

“I’ll go with her,” I suggested. “Better not to go alone.”

“I’ll go too,” a voice said. We turned to see Pinkamena walk into the light of the fire. “Not like I have anything to do here.”

“Pinkie?” I asked.

“I don’t go by Pinkie Pie anymore,” Pinkamena said. “I go by my actual name. After Equestria went to shit, I stopped my partying ways, and decided to fight back against the trotters.”

“Watch your language, young lady,” Celestia scolded. “We have fillies here.”

“Speaking of which, it’s your bedtime Midnight,” Remedy said.

“Aw, can’t I stay up a bit longer?” Midnight pleaded. “Maybe help Celestia on watch?”

“Nice try,” Remedy said, smirking. “You need your sleep. I think we’ll let your dad help Celestia on watch.”

“I’m fine with that,” I shrugged.

“Off to bed with you as well,” Rarity said to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Let’s go.”

“Good night, everypony,” Vinyl said, yawning. Everypony else walked off to their tents, and I flew up onto the camper with Celestia.

“Thank you for the help, Braveheart,” Celestia said.

“Anytime,” I nodded. Celestia gave me her rifle, and I looked it over. It was a DSR-50 bolt action, meant for destructive body shots on the living. Celestia had equipped it with a suppressor and a red dot scope for more precise and quiet shots on trotter heads. I looked down the scope at Fillydelphia below. The lenses were very clean, and the scope would magically focus.

“It’s a really nice gun,” I commented. “Where’d you get it?”

“It was given to me by a friend,” Celestia said. “I kept it hidden in the castle and never thought about it until the outbreak. When everything happened, I took it and fled the castle. Most of the royal guard escaped with me, and most of the lunar guards escaped with Luna. Some of the guards went their separate ways, leaving the service.”

“Well, if I wasn’t shot, I would have stayed in the guard,” I said. “No matter what.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Celestia nodded. “That guard armor you wore, adorned with both yellow and dark blue. I felt that it suited you. You were an influence to many of the guards, and they looked up to you. That’s why I gave you those colors in your armor. You would protect both during day and night.”

“It was quite tiring,” I remarked. I pulled out my revolver. A silver .357 Colt Python with my cutie mark engraved and painted on the wooden handle. I had named it The Liberator. “I’ve had this gun since my first day in the guard,” I remembered. “Luna gave it to me as a gift.”

“She thought very highly of you back when you were a colt,” Celestia recalled. “She often spoke of your potential as an alicorn in the guard. In fact, she would sing on her balcony at night, her lyrics describing you as a kind and wondrous colt.” I blushed.

“Did she really?” I wondered.

“She did,” Celestia confirmed. “I could hear her from my room. I think you were the one thing she truly cared for in a family sense.” I sighed.

“Did she say anything after my accident?” I asked.

“She was furious,” Celestia replied. “She’d go off and sit in your recovery room, hoping you’d wake up. In fact, when the outbreak first broke out, she put you on life support. She wanted to make sure you lived through the outbreak; that you wouldn’t die. And if you did wake up, that you might find her.” A cold breeze blew past, and I shivered. Celestia put a wing around me, and I smiled at her.

“Thanks,” I quietly said. I looked toward the fire. It had gone out from the gust of wind. As I turned back to the horizon, I saw a lone trotter hobbling up the trail to the camp. I flicked on the laser pointer and pointed it at the trotter’s head. The trotter looked up, and I smirked. I adjusted my aim into the trotter’s eye, and the laser pointed into its retina. The trotter’s eye caught on fire, and I took the shot. The bullet quietly whizzed through the air, and the trotter’s head exploded in a glorious splatter of blood. The trotter fell dead on the dirt, and bits of brain fell from the nearby trees. Blood spilled from the dead trotter’s throat, making a puddle on the ground. I hung out my tongue as I flipped of the laser.

“This weapon seems a bit overkill,” I remarked. “I like it.” Celestia smiled and rolled her eyes.

“I have a darker side,” she said. “Lookout gives me a chance to let it out.” I gave a small chuckle and continued watching for trotters through the night.

Chapter 3

As dawn broke the next morning, I checked the ammo in Celestia’s rifle. Only one shot was fired, my first shot on that one trotter. Celestia had fallen asleep as I took watch. I suddenly heard a loud curse.

“DAMN IT!!!” a female voice yelled. Celestia woke up with a jolt, and I gave her the rifle. I pulled out The Liberator as I jumped off the RV, and I ran off toward the sound of the yell. Vinyl and Pinkamena followed me, shotguns at the ready. At a section of trail, we found a dead trotter next to an animal corpse. A mare in a cloak was pounding its face in. I put The Liberator away as Vinyl and Pinkamena lowered their shotguns.

“Fuck you, you son of a bitch!” the mare cursed. “Don’t ever touch my kill again!”

“You OK, Rainbow?” Pinkamena asked.

“No, I’m not fucking OK!” Rainbow Dash shouted, removing her hood. “I found this damn trotter feasting on my kill. I was gonna bring it back to camp, get a fire started, and have some meat for a change.” Rainbow turned her head, and her furious expression faded as she saw me.

“Braveheart?” she gasped. “Is…is that actually you?”

“He walked into Fillydelphia yesterday,” Vinyl said. “I had to save his ass after he got trapped in a tank. We all escaped and he came back to camp with us.” Rainbow Dash dropped her crossbow and tackled me. She squeezed the air out of me in a tight hug, and I returned the embrace. Rainbow Dash was crying, much to the surprise of Vinyl and Pinkamena. When Rainbow Dash finally let go, I stood up and patted her shoulder.

“Good to see you too, Rainbow,” I said with a smile. Rainbow smiled back and picked up her crossbow.

“How’d you survive?” Rainbow Dash asked as we walked back to camp.

“Apparently, Luna put me on life support,” I said. “She wanted me to live until I woke up.”

“Well, I’m very happy that she did that,” Rainbow sighed. As we walked into the camp, Celestia and the others waved. Rainbow’s smile faded.

“Where’s Lightning Dust?” she asked. “Where is she!?”

“Darling, please don’t freak out,” Rarity pleaded. “But we lost her.”

“What do you mean, lost her?!” Rainbow Dash raged.

“Back in Fillydelphia, she was causing problems,” Vinyl said. “Braveheart had to cuff her to the roof.”

“You cuffed my friend to a damn roof?!” Rainbow Dash cried, advancing on me.

“I went back for her,” I stopped. “But all I found was a bloody hacksaw and her severed hoof. She branded the wound with an iron to stop the bleeding, and I lost her from there. I’m sorry, Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash was pissed, but she lowered her knife. I gave her a hard glare as she walked back to her tent. I sighed and shook my head. Remedy walked up to me.

“She’s always had an explosive temper,” she said. “Ever since you were hospitalized, she hasn’t been the same.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” I quietly said. I flew back up to Celestia and sat down.

“Has Rainbow done anything else that was rash?” I asked.

“She lashed out at Scootaloo a couple times, threatening to kill her,” Celestia said. “Called her handicapped and stupid.”

“She wasn’t drinking, was she?” I asked.

“Actually, she was,” Celestia said. “She was very drunk. We got rid of the alcohol after that.”

“Figures,” I muttered. I heard a knock on the RV. I looked down to see Vinyl and Pinkamena.

“Ready for that run?” Vinyl asked.

“Yeah,” I said. I hopped down off the RV and walked over to Remedy and Midnight.

“I’ll be back,” I assured.

“Be careful,” Remedy begged.

“I will,” I said. We kissed, and I got into the back of the delivery truck with Pinkamena. A hole had been made in the divider between the cab and the storage space, so the driver could see what was going on. Vinyl started up the engine, and we were on our way.

“You brought the shotguns, right?” Vinyl asked Pinkamena.

“They’re in the back,” Pinkamena said. I checked beside me, and sure enough, there were two shotguns on the floor with an ammo bag next to each one.

“So Vinyl,” I asked. “What were you doing when the outbreak hit?”

“Tavi and I were at home,” Vinyl said, a sad tone in her voice. “I was asleep on the couch when Tavi heard a pounding on the door, and she thought it was somepony knocking. She opened the door…” Vinyl paused. “…and the trotter attacked her. She screamed and I woke up. I turned to see the trotter tearing out flesh from her throat. I grabbed the knife I kept on hoof and stabbed that fucker in the face. I stabbed it so many times, when I was too tired to throw another swing, I lost track.” Vinyl sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“Tavi woke up again a few hours later, but she tried to attack me,” Vinyl continued. “I had no choice but to kill her.”

“All right, enough grim talk,” Pinkamena said. “We’re here.” I opened up the back of the truck and looked at where we were. In front of the truck was an abandoned supermarket.

“Grab whatever food, ammo, and medical supplies you can find,” Pinkamena said. “It goes in the bags. Anything personal stays with you. We meet back at the truck when your bags are full or you’ve checked every isle and there’s nothing left. If you see a trotter, don’t bother with your gun unless there’s a lot of them. If a gun is fired, run to the shot.” We split up and began searching the market. I stepped down the frozen food isle, hoping to find something. All the freezer doors were ajar, with little in them. I suddenly felt that frozen food would be useless. I walked into the next isle, and felt a muzzle put to my head.

“Don’t try anything,” a feminine voice threatened. “Just put your bag down and walk away.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said firmly, not moving. Since my magic was already engulfed around the bag, I quietly took hold of The Liberator.

“Put the bag down now,” the mare hissed. I stayed still. I suddenly felt the muzzle press against my head again, and I heard the cock of the hammer. My eyes widened.

“OK, OK,” I agreed. I slowly put down the bag. Without warning, I whipped around and pulled out The Liberator while knocking the other gun away. I pointed the gun at the mare, and was shocked to find out who it was.

“Twilight?!” I cried.

“Braveheart?” Twilight gasped. “Is that you?”

“What the hell are you doing putting a gun to my head?!” I scolded.

“Sorry,” Twilight sheepishly said. “I’ve been pretty edgy since this all happened.” She picked up her pistol and put it back in her holster. Twilight looked quite different, but she still had the same eyes and mane, so I knew it was her. Twilight’s mane was spiked up, she wore a white bandage on her head, as well as an eyepatch on her left eye. Her back left hoof was mechanical, as was her horn. She wore a skintight black suit. I looked her over with worry.

“What the hell happened to you, Twilight?” I asked. “You look pretty messed up.”

“Magical mishaps,” Twilight simply said.

“Yeah, go figure,” I mumbled. “So, have you just been living here, in the supermarket?”

“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “It’s been really easy, what with all the food and supplies here.”

“And nopony’s noticed you until now?” I asked, shocked.

“No,” Twilight responded. “I’ve managed to stay pretty well hidden with some invisibility spells and whatnot.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re alive,” I said. “You should come back to camp with us.”

“What do you mean us?” Twilight wondered. We suddenly heard cocks of a shotgun. We whipped around to see Vinyl and Pinkamena pointing their shotguns at us.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I cried, standing up. “What are you doing?!”

“Did I not specifically tell you not to converge with other ponies?” Pinkamena demanded.

“No!” I said. “You said nothing of the sort. It’s Twilight Sparkle, for Celestia’s sake! Can’t you recognize a pony?” Pinkamena took a closer look, then lowered her weapon. Twilight stood up, a bit shaken.

“Sorry about that,” Vinyl said. “Pinkamena hasn’t been the same since the outbreak.” Pinkamena rolled her eyes and turned around.

“Come on, Braveheart,” she said. “We need to get back to camp. Bring Twilight if you want.” I silently growled at Pinkamena. I picked up my empty bag and walked back to the truck. Twilight and I hopped in the back, and Pinkamena took the wheel. Vinyl pulled a pair of expensive headphones from her personal bag.

“Damn, Vinyl,” I said. “Where’d you find those?”

“Near the back,” Vinyl said. “I lost my other headphones in my hurry to get out of Canterlot, so I decided to look for another pair.”

“Hope that decision didn’t interfere with your search for food and supplies,” Pinkamena grumbled. Vinyl shot Pinkamena a dirty look as I shut the cargo door. Pinkamena started up the truck and drove off to the camp.

“I never heard back from Princess Celestia after the outbreak,” Twilight said. “Is she OK?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “She’s fine. She’s at the camp as our watchpony. But she said when the outbreak hit, she lost her royal status. So she’s not a princess anymore.”

“But she’s OK?” Twilight asked again, excited.

“Yes,” I said. “Celestia’s fine.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Twilight sighed.

“You two lovebirds getting it on back there?” Pinkamena joked.

“You know what? Fuck you, Pinkamena,” I said. “Just because you quit partying doesn’t mean you can be an asshole. Geez.” Pinkamena slammed on the brakes, jolting Vinyl, Twilight and I forward.

“Who are you calling an asshole?” Pinkamena stormed.

“You,” I retorted. “There’s no need to be that way just because there’s nopony else to party with.” At that Pinkamena threw open her door and stomped to the back. She flung open the cargo door and threw me out of the truck. I hit the hard dirt road as Pinkamena got back into the truck and drove off.

“GET BACK HERE, BITCH!!!” I yelled after her. The truck didn’t stop. I swore at Pinkamena under my breath and took flight back to camp.

When I reached camp, Remedy was worried. I landed in a fury and stomped to my tent, not bothering to stop for Remedy or Midnight. I forcefully zipped the tent shut and flopped down, furious.

“Braveheart?” Remedy called.

“Go away,” I huffed.

“Are you OK?”

“I said to go away. Leave me alone.”

“Braveheart, please,” Remedy pleaded. “Let me talk to you.” I angrily unzipped the tent, and Remedy walked in. She zipped up the tent behind her, and sat down next to me.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Pinkamena’s being a little bitch,” I cursed.

“OK, for one, there’s no need to swear,” Remedy said. “Pinkamena’s just mad, that’s all.”

“Oh, mad enough to throw me out the back of the truck and leave me for the trotters?” I raged. “That’s what she did, Remedy!”

“Calm down, Braveheart,” Remedy soothed. “Just give Pinkamena her space.” Remedy left the tent as I rolled onto my side. I closed my eyes to try and get some rest.

Chapter 4

I must have dozed off, because I opened my eyes to the sound of screams. Remedy and Midnight woke up as well.

“What was that?” Midnight asked.

“Somepony screaming,” I said. I pulled out the Liberator and opened up the tent, only to have a trotter right in my face. I stuck the muzzle in the trotter’s eye and fired, spraying blood and brains all over the tent. I quickly got out of the tent, and I heard gunfire. I ran to the sound, right to Flitter and Cloudchaser’s tent. A dead trotter was near the tent as well as Cloudchaser’s corpse. A large bite mark was bleeding out on Cloudchaser’s neck, and Flitter was crying over her body. It was after dusk. Rainbow Dash pulled a crossbow bolt out of a trotter’s brain.

“What happened?” I asked, sheathing the Liberator.

“Trotter attack,” Rainbow Dash said. “Came in from behind the woods while we slept. Everypony except Cloudchaser survived.”

“We can’t stay here,” Twilight said. “Those shots were surely heard by other trotters.”

“She’s right,” Vinyl said. “If we stay, the trotters will swarm the area, killing us all.”

“We could leave immediately if the camper was in better shape,” Celestia stated.

“What’s wrong with the camper?” I asked.

“There’s a problem with the tube connecting the coolant to the radiator,” Celestia explained. “The engine would overheat within a few minutes if not fixed.”

“I’ll help,” Twilight said. “I managed to get these prosthetics on. I should be able to fix an old engine.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Celestia said, smiling. “The rest of you should get to work burning the bodies.”

“What about Flitter?” Pinkamena asked. “Are we just going to leave her here?”

“Nopony’s getting left behind,” I said. “Give Flitter her space, and hopefully she’ll be all right by the time we’re ready to leave.”

“Has anypony dealt with Cloudchaser yet?” Vinyl asked, hinting to the fact that her brain needed to be destroyed.

“No,” Celestia replied. “I think that should be Flitter’s job.”

“We should get to work,” I said, grabbing a trotter corpse with my magic. I set it on top of the fire pit, and Rainbow dash threw another on top. As we loaded bodies, I took quick glances at Flitter. She hadn’t moved, but neither had Cloudchaser. I wondered how long it would be until Cloudchaser turned. I saw a pistol and a knife on Flitter’s belt, so I knew that she’d be prepared once Cloudchaser did turn. When all the bodies were loaded, we heard a loud crack, and we whipped around to see Flitter with a gun to Cloudchaser’s head, and a hole through Cloudchaser’s brain. I charged up a fire spell and lit up the pile of corpses. A smell of burning flesh started to waft through the air, causing all of us to cover our muzzles.

“Ew,” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“That reeks,” Midnight added.

“No kidding,” Rarity agreed.

“Let’s go!” Pinkamena called. “The camper and truck are ready!” We loaded our equipment into the truck and got into our vehicles for the trip out. It was around dawn when we set out. We drove away from the area, leaving the burning corpses behind us. Twilight was with us in our car, sitting shotgun to me. Remedy was in the back with Midnight.

“Not to be rude, but what happened to you, Twilight?” Remedy asked. “Last time I saw you was when I traveled to Canterlot 2023 from Canterlot 2042. You looked fine before. What happened?”

“Too many magical mistakes,” Twilight said. “It first started with a spell-gone-wrong in my horn. The magic blew up within my horn, destroying it. I had to replace it with a magic infused machine, giving my magic an electric look and feel. After that, while I was still trying to control my new magic, stray sparks caught my back left hoof, lighting it on fire. That had to be replaced with a prosthetic leg. Some of my mane caught fire, I got a pretty bad cut on my head, and my eye got stabbed with a piece of glass.”

“Geez, Twilight” I winced. “Maybe you should consider taking a break from magic for a while.”

“That’s what I’ve done since the outbreak hit,” Twilight said. “I gave up on learning spells and decided to try and survive instead.”

“I never asked,” I said, remembering something. “Where’s Spike? He was always with you.” Twilight turned away, and I could hear her start to cry. I had a dark thought.

“He didn’t…turn…did he?” I asked. Twilight nodded. “I’m so sorry,” I said. I saw the camper and truck ahead of us stop, so I stopped as well. Everypony got out of their vehicles and walked up to Celestia, who was inspecting the camper. We were in the middle of a highway pileup.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

“Well, there’s the matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken radiator,” Celestia said. “It overheated again.”

“I’ll help get it fixed,” Twilight said.

“I’ll keep lookout,” I said. “The rest of you should look throughout these scattered cars for supplies. We could use them.”

“Who put you in charge?” Pinkamena said.

“What other option do we have?” I retorted. “We can’t go anywhere without the camper, not to mention we’re stuck in this pileup. Just go get to work.” Celestia gave me her sniper, and I flew up to the top of the camper. I watched the streets as our group searched the numerous cars for supplies. As I aimed the scope toward Phillydelphia, a horde of trotters met my gaze. My eyes widened with horror. I hit the floor of the roof.

“Celestia!” I whispered. She and Twilight looked up, and I pointed to Phillydelphia. They looked, and they quickly ran to each member of the group, telling them to hide underneath the vehicles. I looked down through one of the skylights, and saw Flitter cleaning her dismantled gun.

“Trotter horde incoming,” I whispered to her. “Stay there, and keep absolutely quiet.” Flitter nodded frantically. She picked up her gun pieces and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I laid back down on the camper and waited. I could hear the groans and moans of the trotters as they passed by. I silently pulled out the Liberator, just in case. I heard a small clang, and looked down to see Flitter trying to pick up her gun frame. I looked to see a trotter walk into the camper.

“Son of a bitch,” I whispered. Flitter didn’t see the trotter, but when she dropped another piece of her gun, the trotter started to push on the bathroom door. Flitter panicked and used her back hooves to hold back the door. The trotter pushed hard, hungry for flesh. I pulled out my knife and stabbed through the skylight screen.

“Flitter,” I quietly called. She looked up, fear in her eyes. I turned the knife over and dropped it down to her. She fumbled with it for a second before getting a firm grip on it. She let her back hooves drop, letting the trotter in. Flitter tackled the trotter and stabbed my knife into its brain. She stabbed the trotter a few more times before dropping my knife. I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked back up. The trotter horde had passed, and the group had started to come out of hiding. I hopped down and entered the camper, where Flitter was crying in fear next to the dead trotter. I took hold of the corpse with my magic and dragged it out. Blood trailed from the head, leaving a blood stream on the floor. I tossed the trotter into a nearby ditch and walked back inside.

“You OK?” I asked Flitter. She managed a nod. I walked back out to see Sweetie Belle running, trotters on her tail. I ran after them. As I caught up to Sweetie Belle, I picked her up. I ran to a small grove of tree roots. I set Sweetie Belle down inside.

“Stay there,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

“All right,” Sweetie Belle nodded. I stepped away from the hiding place and came into view of the trotters.

“Come on!” I cried. “You know you want me.” I lured the trotters away from Sweetie Belle. When I felt that I was far enough away. I took hold of a trotter’s head and grabbed a sharp stick. I drove the pointed end of the stick into the trotter, killing it. The other trotter growled and tried to get at me. I kicked it to the ground. Looking around, I found a large rock. I picked it up and bashed in the trotter’s head. When the head was nothing but mush, I threw the rock down and walked back to Sweetie Belle’s hiding place. When I reached the grove, Sweetie Belle was gone.

“Oh no,” I gasped. “Rarity’s gonna flip.” I trudged back to the highway, keeping a lookout for Sweetie Belle. Upon reaching the highway, I saw the group trying to calm Rarity down.

“Braveheart!” she cried. “Please tell me Sweetie Belle’s all right!”

“I lured a couple of trotters away from her,” I said. “But when I went back for her, she was gone. I’m sorry.” Rarity suddenly turned furious.

“This is your fault!” she raged at me. “You should have stayed with her!”

“How was I to know she would leave her hiding place?” I reasoned. “I told her to stay put, and that I’d come back.”

“Enough, both of you,” Celestia scolded. “We’re not leaving until we find Sweetie Belle. We’ll set up camp here for a while.”

“All right,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “I’ll go on a scouting run for Sweetie Belle. In fact, all of us should.”

“I can’t,” Scootaloo said. “I got a pretty severe cut in my hoof, and it bled pretty badly. I don’t want to risk dying and then turning.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Celestia offered. “Search the cars for antibiotics.”

“Good,” I said. “We’d better hurry if we’re going to have a chance to find her. It’s getting late.” We left the highway and into the woods, spreading out to cover more ground. I swore to myself that I would find Sweetie Belle again, no matter the cost.

Chapter 5

I stepped into the woods with Twilight as my partner. We kept our weapons at the ready, prepared for trotters.

“Where do you think she might have gone?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I told her to wait for me, and that I’d come back. I don’t know what could have compelled her to leave.”

“Maybe she got scared,” Twilight suggested. “For a filly her age, being out here alone could be terrifying.”

“Maybe,” I agreed. I heard a snap of a twig behind us. We whipped around, guns drawn. A lone trotter was hobbling toward us. I pulled out my knife and walked up to the trotter. It growled at me, but I quickly drove the blade into its skull, killing it. It dropped to the dirt, stomach up.

“Better check its stomach,” Twilight said.

“What?” I asked.

“We’ve got to make sure Sweetie Belle wasn’t bit and eaten,” Twilight explained. I sighed and kneeled down with Twilight next to the trotter corpse. Twilight pulled out her knife and stabbed it into the trotter’s stomach. She cut a hole in the trotter, then used her magic to grab its stomach contents. She carefully inspected the partially digested meat. After a moment, she dropped the gunk.

“Nothing,” she said. “She still might be alive.” We kept searching through the woods, but ultimately found nothing. When we returned to the highway, a car had been painted on and supplies had been laid out on the hood. The paint read “Sweetie Belle, we’ll come back every evening. Wait here for us.”

“Just in case she wanders back here,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Didn’t find her?” I assumed.

“No,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll go out together tomorrow.” I nodded and walked over to Celestia and Scootaloo.

“How’s the wound?” I asked.

“Bandaged it up,” Celestia said. “She got a fever once or twice, but it subsided with some antibiotics.”

“Good,” I said. “We don’t need another pony missing or dead.” I looked around the camp. Pinkamena and Vinyl were just coming back from their scout, and Fluttershy flew down from above.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “Not a trace of Sweetie Belle.”

“Damn it,” I muttered. “Where could she be?” I walked back to the camper and stepped inside. Flitter was still there, reassembling her pistol. She still seemed shaken from her recent trotter surprise. I didn’t blame her.

“You know how to put that thing together?” I asked. Flitter nodded a little.

“Pinkamena taught me,” she quietly replied. “Showed me how each part fits together.”

“You gonna be OK?” I asked. She nodded. “All right,” I said. “I guess I’ll leave you to it.” I walked back out into the dark, where a small fire was being made. I climbed up on top of the camper and Celestia gave me her gun.

“You make a better lookout than I do,” she said. We gave each other a smile and I got to work watching for trotters. The rest of the group were discussing Sweetie Belle.

“I do hope that my sister can take care of herself,” Rarity said, clearly worried. “I’d hate for something to happen to her.”

“Hell, I was younger than her, and I got lost once,” Rainbow Dash said. “Sprained my wings pretty badly, wandered around the Everfree for nine days, eating berries and wiping my ass with poison joke.” I winced at that.

“For real?” Fluttershy asked.

“For real,” Rainbow responded. “My wings finally healed, flew back home, went straight to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. My ass itched something awful, and my head was twice as large as it should be.” I stifled a laugh, and Rainbow gave me a light glare.

“Sorry,” I said. “I was imagining what you looked like, and your reaction when you looked into the mirror.”

“I flipped out,” Rainbow continued. “Flew straight to Zecora’s, and asked her to make some of that herbal bath. It fixed me right up. Felt great.”

“I bet,” Twilight agreed. “Poison joke is serious stuff.”

“You should know,” I said. “Shut down your magic the last time you encountered it. Pinkie wasn’t able to speak without mumbling and spitting everywhere, Rarity’s hair was a mess, and Fluttershy…” I stifled a laugh. “…had a deep stallion’s voice.” I saw Fluttershy’s face redden in the firelight. Pinkamena growled at me.

“That was quite an awful experience,” Rarity said, shuddering. “However, it was quite funny seeing Applejack a fifth of her size.”

“That was awesome to see,” Rainbow remembered. Everyone except Pinkamena laughed, who instead groaned in disgust.

“Oh, lighten up,” I said. Pinkamena simply rolled her eyes. I took a look through the scope, and spotted a trotter in the distance, heading toward the camp. I flicked on the laser and took aim. I focused the red dot on the trotter and fired. Celestia looked up.

“Another one?” she asked.

“Not anymore,” I said, reloading. I took another look, and found no other trotters. The fire went out, and the rest of the group went to bed. But I stayed up, watching, waiting, hoping Sweetie Belle was somewhere out there, and alive.