Equestria Girls: Left For Dead

As the sun started to set behind the buildings of Canterlot, the sounds of infected people chasing the small group of survivors through the streets grew louder as more and more joined the pursuit. Even though three of them were still worn out from their earlier encounter, the group stuck as close to each other as possible, with Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, Soarin, and Twilight in the front of the group while Bull, Sunset, and Applejack followed behind. The role of those three in particular was to make sure that any pursuing infected that posed a threat was dealt with before they got too close.

But there was one infected that just didn't seem to be affected at all. That one, of course, being Bulk Biceps. Every time he was shot at, the bullets didn't seem to phase him at all as he just kept on coming.

"How many times has that guy been shot?!" Bull called out while reloading his shotgun.

"I've lost track!" Sunset replied. "He's like a freaking tank or something!"

"Just keep shooting!" Applejack yelled. "He's gotta go down eventually!"

As the trio defended the rear, Twilight and the others kept their attention focused on what was in front of them, making sure that no horde was approaching from head on. So far, at least, the path looked clear aside from abandoned cars and downed street lights. Twilight knew that Rainbow and the others could not go for much longer, judging by how she could easily keep pace with them. Under normal circumstances, she was sure that the three members of Scavenger One could easily outrun her.

"We need to find somewhere to stop!" Twilight said. "I don't know how much longer we can keep going at this pace!"

"She's right!" Spitfire replied while wiping sweat off of her forehead. "We need to find someplace to regroup!"

"That sounds good to me!" Sunset yelled before firing her AK at Bulk, which still didn't phase him. "But we can't do that with Ultra Bulk breathing down our necks!"

Looking back, Twilight realized that her friend was right. Bulk was now at the front of the pack of pursuing infected, now shielding the others from incoming fire, and she could see that the distance between them and the ends of each gun firing was slowly beginning to close. Turning back around, she soon found that they were coming up to Canterlot High. The memory of what transpired earlier that day with Ms. Cheerilee started to flood her mind. If she was in there, who knows if there were more. But the chance of losing the horde in there was worth the risk of running into more infected. Plus, this time she was prepared.

"Maybe we could hide in there!" She called out before pointing at the school. Sunset turned her head while still firing at Bulk to see what Twilight was talking about.

"It's worth a shot!" She replied before they all started running toward the main doors. As they ran, Applejack tripped while going up the steps and fell down.

"Applejack!" Bull cried out while turning around. The infected were closing in fast as he ran back outside to her side.

"Just go on without me!" She yelled.

"No way!" He replied before he reached into a pocket and pulled a small device out. He then pressed a button on it, making a small red light begin flashing. "Fire in the hole!" He called out before hurling it at the infected. Surprisingly, they all turned their respective attentions away from the duo on the steps and ran after the device as it bounced out toward the street, passing the statue. "Come on." He said while offering a hand to Applejack.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked before taking his hand.

"I already lost one friend to these bastards." He replied while helping her up. "I ain't losing another if I can still help it." As soon as she got back onto her feet, the device that Bull had thrown detonated in the street, taking out a good portion of the infected that had chosen to swarm around it. Seeing their numbers suddenly dwindle, the remaining infected just looked at them for a moment before they decided to withdraw. "That's right! Run!" Bull called out. "Plenty more where that came from!" He then started looking around the now vacated courtyard. "Wait a minute." He said. "Where's the big guy?" This made Applejack look around as well, only to confirm what her friend was asking. Bulk Biceps was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know, pardner." She replied. "But lets not stick around and wait for him to show up."

"Good idea." He replied before the two of them made their way inside. Once in, they found the others waiting for them by the demolished trophy case that was now empty.

"You guys alright?" Rainbow asked as they walked over.

"Yeah. We're fine." Applejack replied. "Just tripped on the steps and Bull used a pipe bomb to drive off the infected."

"Pipe bomb?" Twilight asked. "What's that?"

"A small explosive device that seems to gain any infected's attention." Sunset replied before pulling one out of her jacket's pocket to show to her. "Just press and hold the button here down for a bit and it'll detonate in roughly ten seconds. Just make sure to throw it away as hard as you can though. We usually use them as a last resort or in an emergency." She then turned to look at Applejack and Bull. "You guys take Bulk out with that too?"

"No. He just disappeared." Bull replied. "I have no idea where he went to."

"Huh." She said. "Must've taken too much damage for his liking and gone off to avoid dying then."

"I guess so."

"I'm gonna try and see about getting us a ride back to base." She said before pulling out her walkie. "But while we're waiting, we might as well make sure that no other infected are here. Who knows how long we'll be here for." The rest of the group nodded before Sunset brought the walkie up to her lips. "Phoenix to Base. Come in, Base. Over."

"I hope that Sunset and the others are alright." Fluttershy said as she, Pinkie, and Rarity all stood on the elevated walkway that encircled the factory. "They've been gone for quite a while now."

"I'm sure they're fine, darling." Rarity replied. "If something was wrong, I'm sure we'd have heard something over the walkie by now."

"Indeed." A voice said from behind. Turning around, the trio found Principal Celestia and Adagio Dazzle standing on the walkway.

"Good evening, Principal Celestia." Rarity said. "And to you as well, Adagio. How is your ankle doing?"

"It has felt better." The former siren replied. "But for now, it's alright. I just wanted to come out and see if Bull made it back yet."

"Not yet, I'm afraid." She replied. "Though I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Where did they go to?" Celestia asked.

"They went to go save Scavenger One out at Canterlot Grocery." Pinkie replied.

"Huh. Bull and I were there a week ago and came back with no trouble at all." Adagio said. "Guess we were just lucky then."

"But they haven't said anything on the walkie yet though." Celestia said while unhooking her walkie from her pants. "So that should mean that everything is-"

"Phoenix to Base. Come in, Base. Over." Sunset's voice said from the walkie, cutting off Celestia's voice. As soon as her voice was heard, all eyes were glued to it as Celestia brought the walkie up to her lips.

"This is Base, Sunset." She replied. "What do you need?"

"We have a problem." Sunset's voice replied.

"What kind of problem?"

"Both our vehicle and Scavenger One's vehicle have been destroyed, along with all of the food that Rainbow and the others had gathered. We're all now taking shelter at Canterlot High, but we need a lift back."

"How many are with you?"

"Just me, Applejack, Bull, Twilight, Rainbow, Spitfire, and Soarin."

"Did you say Twilight was with you too?" She asked, seemingly confused as she could see Twilight standing by one of the power generators with Big Mac.

"Yes. Not this world's, but Equestria's." Celestia's face suddenly acquired a surprised expression when she heard that as she looked at the three girls in front of her. All of them just nodded to confirm what their friend had said.

"Understood." Celestia said. "I'll have the Lifeboat deployed to your location right away."

"Sounds good." Sunset replied. "Phoenix out." With that said, Celestia hooked the walkie back onto the edge of her pants and started to make her way toward the staircase that she and Adagio had climbed up just minutes earlier with Adagio, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all in tow.

"So that pony Princess has come back?" Adagio asked. "Its been quite a long time since the last time I saw her."

"Yes." Rarity replied. "Though she was wanting to see you earlier. I guess she wanted to see how much you've changed since the Battle of the Bands."

"I see." She said. "Then what better way to show her how much I've changed than to come along and help save not only her royal skin but my partner as well."

"You do seem to care about Bull quite a lot, don't you."

"Yeah? So what. He's my partner."

"In more ways than just one?" Rarity asked, making the former siren stop before turning to look at her.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Well I was just wondering is all." She replied. "You do seem to be much nicer whenever he's around."

Adagio sighed as she moved with the group toward the building. "It's because when I first came here, he and his friend were the first two that I encountered. I told them about how me and my sisters were attacked by a small group of the infected. How I was the only one able to get away while my sisters fell and became the very things that we have to stay away from." Rarity and the others remained quiet as she continued. "They brought me to Sunset and Bull offered to have me sleep in his cot while he slept somewhere else, just so I had a safe place to rest my head."

"Aww." Pinkie said, interrupting the moment. Adagio and Rarity simply stared at her for a bit as they walked until she moved her thumb and index finger across her lips.

"Anyways....." Adagio continued. "He and his friend treated me like they knew me their whole lives. They taught me how to use a gun, took me to an abandoned gun store for target practice, and even let me pick out my own weapon. And..... for the first time since my sisters became infected, I was..... happy." Rarity couldn't help but smile when she heard Adagio say that. "But then the day came when he and his friend went out to that supermarket for food. I was looking forward to when they would come back. We were gonna go out for target practice later on. But when the truck came back and only Bull was in it with his friend's sword, it was like looking in a mirror of how I was."

"I remember that day very well." Rarity replied. "Bull hasn't really recovered from it yet, has he."

"When you lose someone close to you, whether it's a family member or a close friend, the pain never really goes away." She replied. "He kept to himself for a few days or so afterwards. I don't blame him for doing so. But after a while, he started to come around. One day, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to go out for target practice. Naturally, I agreed. But when we got to the place where we practice, a few infected people attacked us."

"Oh my! What happened?"

"Well.... I was still kinda learning how to use my gun." She replied. "Trial by fire isn't exactly the best way for me to learn something. But when I was about to be bitten, Bull saved me by jamming the stock of his shotgun right into the side of the infected's head, sending him to the ground, before turning it around and firing at point blank range, blowing the head clean off." Rarity's eyes widened when she heard that. "Afterward, he told me that if he was going to lose another friend, the infected would have to go through him first."

"So he's your protector?"

"Not just mine." She replied. "He'd protect any one of us, even if it put himself at risk. That's how much Steel's death changed him."

"I see." Rarity replied. "But I've also seen the way that he's been looking at you lately too." This made Adagio raise an eyebrow at her. "It's almost like he's got...."

"A crush on me?"

"Yeah."

Adagio laughed for a bit after that. "I know exactly what you're talking about. I've caught him looking at me that way quite a few times." She said. "And to be honest, after all we've been through together, I wouldn't mind having him as a boyfriend."

"Oh really." Rarity replied in a playful tone.

"Yeah. I can easily see myself dating him, especially considering the number of times he's saved my life."

"I see." She said as the group entered the garage where Applejack kept all the vehicles. Parked beside Ol' Betsy was an old CHS school bus modified with bars on each window, made so they could still be opened, and a plow on the front. Principal Celestia walked toward the back to open the garage door while the others climbed aboard. Inside the bus, the first few rows of seats were stripped out and replaced with metal cabinets on each side that contained weapons, ammo, first aid, and rations of food.

Once the door was open, Celestia climbed on board herself before getting into the driver's seat and starting the engine. At first, it didn't want to start up right away. But after a few tries, the engine turned over.

"Lets go save our friends." She said as she started backing the modified bus out of the garage.

"Alright." Sunset said as she put her walkie back into her pocket. "Principal Celestia said that the Lifeboat is coming to get us."

"Lifeboat?" Twilight asked.

"It's a modified version of one of CHS' old school buses." Applejack replied. "Which means that they'll be here shortly."

"That's a relief." Rainbow replied. "I can't wait to get back to base."

"I think we all can agree on that." Sunset said. "But while we're waiting, we should see if there's anything that we can salvage from here."

"I suppose." Rainbow said. "But shouldn't someone stay here and watch for the bus?"

"Wouldn't hurt." She replied before looking at the people around her. "Any volunteers?"

"We'll stay." Spitfire replied. "I'm sure that Rainbow and Soarin are worn out, along with myself. Plus with no weapons, we'd be an easy target if there are any infected in here."

"Well where are they at?"

"We uh..... left them..... in the car." Sunset soon smacked herself in the face after hearing that.

"Fine." She replied. "Just be sure to call us on the walkie when the bus gets here."

"You got it."

"Excellent." Sunset said. "Now lets get moving." With that said, she, Twilight, Bull, and Applejack all started making their way down the corridor that led toward the lunch room. "We can start by seeing if there's any food left in here that we can salvage."

"Good thinking, Sunset." Bull replied. "Though I'm not so sure if there would be any left."

"It's worth a look at least." She said. "We're already down two vehicles, loads of ammunition, and whatever amount of food that Rainbow and the others had gathered. What else do we have to lose?"

"I suppose you have a point." He replied. As the group continued on, Sunset couldn't help but notice that Twilight was looking..... different. She wasn't exactly happy and cheerful, but then again none of them were. But she was definitely in a mood that Sunset had never seen her in before.

"You okay, Twi?" She asked before putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Not... really."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just... still trying to get over the fact that I killed someone today." She replied while looking down at the blood stains on her clothes and on the blade of her sword. "I've never had to do something like that before."

"Twilight." Sunset replied before making her stop. "If you didn't kill that infected, he could've gotten me. He could've gotten Bull. Or he could've gotten Applejack. You saved all of us by killing him."

"I know....."

"This world has changed drastically since the last time you were here." She said. "Now, it's kill or be killed."

"Bull said the same thing to me earlier." She replied. "But now I'll have to go back to Equestria and know that a life ended because of me."

"Twi. These infected people are basically as good as dead already." Sunset said. "What you did was end that guy's suffering."

"But what if there was a way to cure them?"

"I honestly don't think one exists, Twi." Sunset replied. "And even if there was, I don't think things here can go back to the way it used to be."

"You know.... things would be much easier if you guys just came with me back to Equestria. I'm sure that we could work out a system that would eliminate any confusion or chaos."

Sunset sighed when she heard what her friend said. "I'll tell you what Twi." She said. "Once we get back to base, how about we put it to a vote with everyone else there."

"On whether to go to Equestria or not?"

Sunset just nodded her head. "Of course, we'd have to speak with Princess Celestia though first. Maybe Spike could have her write to us."

"It's worth a try." Twilight replied before the sound of Bull yelling from several classrooms down the hallway made both of them jump. "What in Equestria?"

"Come on!" Sunset yelled before both of them started running toward the sound. Soon, they found Bull in the lunch room getting punched repeatedly in the body by an infected wearing a hooded sweater.

"Bull!" Twilight called out just as he started fighting back and began to punch the infected in the head as well.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Applejack asked as she walked in just as Bull managed to land a hard right hook to the side of the infected's head, making it fall to the floor. Bull then sat up and surprisingly started to chuckle as he looked at the person before getting up.

"Is he dead?" Sunset asked as Bull bent down to pick up his shotgun.

"No." He replied. "But he will be soon enough." As he started to load the gun, Twilight was able to see a bit of blue hair sticking out from underneath the hood of the sweater. "Nice try, you lousy infected." He said before aiming his shotgun right at the head.

"Wait!" Twilight called out. "Don't shoot!"

"Why not?" Bull asked.

"I.... just want to check something first." She replied before slowly walking over toward the infected. He was still breathing, so Bull must've just knocked him out with that shot to the head.

"What are you doing, Twilight?" Sunset asked. But Twilight didn't reply. With trembling hands, she slowly grabbed hold of the hood before pulling it away, revealing the head for her to see. It didn't even take a second for her to figure out who this infected person was.

"Flash!"