Warframe: Rebirth

Nabarus.

Or also known as Nightmare Night to many. A day of fun and frights, parties and insanity. A night for children to dress up and go out into their towns to extort candy from the neighbors while adults use it as an excuse to go and party and drink on a weekday. But on this spooky night of fun and chaos, at a certain castle in a certain town, a wild party was right in the swing of things. Canterlot Castle was decorated to the nines for the yearly party. Carved pumpkins and candles lined the halls while fake webs and spiders hung from the ceiling. The distant sound of children and the occasional adult screaming in fear could be heard from the garden maze while ponies from all around enjoyed the festivities.

Others used the chaos to escape said chaos for a much needed break away from all the chaos.

Raven and Copper stepped out from one of the castle's many bathrooms, one of which they knew was well hidden and unguarded. A perfect place for a secret celebration of their own. As a testament to their fun, the former of the two pulled her hands from under her black dress, giving her underwear a tug of adjustment while Copper tugged at his belt before both of them gave themselves a brief once over, checking for wrinkles and stray hairs.

Hey, they were never told you had to celebrate a certain way.

But it was time to rejoin the main celebration.

Dressed as a skeleton in a tattered back dress, Raven led the way as her tuxedo skeleton lover followed close behind. It only took them a couple of minutes before they were quick to rejoin in on the main event and festivities in the main ballroom. They mingled and cheered, hugging, and masquerading amongst the masses. Games and prizes were abundant and well received. All around there was merriment and fun.

But those who fear the shadows, are right to do so...

For tonight was a night that would be not like any other...

For a monster approached from deep within the recesses of the castle hallways.

It stumbled and moaned, gagging, teeth dripping with saliva as its limbs twitched uncontrollably. With matted fur, skin discolored, eyes glazed over, it dragged its hooves with each step, scraping across the stone floor. It headed towards the sounds of the living, drawn by their merriment and fear. Once it was close enough to the door, it clumsily thumped against the wood, meeting a bit of resistance before the door creaked open.

Inside the room, Raven and Copper were co-mingling with a visiting husband and wife, barely even noticing the newest visitor to the ballroom. The committed mare stumbled into the room, barely finding balance on her hooves. Her mane covered her face as she stood with a hunch, arms dangling low.

"Wow! That's an amazing costume!"

The mare cocked her head to the left, slowly shuffling towards the pony that complimented her. A cute little angel pegasus stood nearby, smiling with great excitement. The hunched mare moaned softly, waving an arm at the little angel in an attempt to grab her.

"Ah ha! You're really committed aren't you!" the angel giggled as she played her part as the hapless victim. "Hey Star? Check out this costume!"

The first mare finally grasped her prey, pulling her in close and opening her mouth.

A blood curdling scream filled the air, grabbing everyone's attention and causing them to turn towards the door. Raven and Copper turned towards the noise, looking through the crowd to see a couple of mares laying on the ground.

"Help me! Help! Please! AHHHHHH! OWWWWW!" a little angel screamed at the top of her lungs, frantically trying to flail about to force the mare on top of her off of her smaller form. The mare on top, dressed like a zombie, bit into her neck, dowsing both of them in blood. "HELP ME!"

But no creature moved, laughing and wooting, finding the entire event amazing and silly. These two were very committed to the bit. It got even better when the zombie peeled a large chunk of flesh from the mare's neck, chewing on it as she stood. The poor mare on the ground, grasped at her wound, trying to keep the blood in her body before she began shaking violently as she desperately tried to keep her life blood in her body before she became too weak and let go.

That was… very convincing…

While ponies were focused on the convincing performance of the zombie, Raven was concentrated on the victim on the floor. That acting… looked a little too convincing. Especially the way her eyes had glazed over and how well she was holding her breath. Even that arterial bleed was a little too accurate to be fake. Raven spared the zombie a glance, finally seeing the mare's face as she ate. A good chunk of her cheek was missing, allowing the human to see within her muzzle.

Another quick glance towards the victim, Raven stared at the body, and deeply into her eyes.

They were cold and lifeless…

Raven had witnessed death enough times to know that you couldn't fake that…

Without a second thought, the warrior princess spun and grabbed a sharp cake knife from the confections table, flipping it once and catching it by the blade. She spun back around, knife held high while she calculated her trajectory, finding the zombie in the crowd as she reached for another clueless victim. With a grunt, Raven heaved the weapon, catching the creature in the side of the head with a sickening crunch and a yelp from the mare.

"Woah!" the stallion that was about to take a picture with the zombie yelped, staring at the mare on the floor before trying to find who threw the knife.

Raven pushed her way through the shocked crowd and towards the body. The head wound oozed a thick black tar and blood covered her muzzle. Kneeling, Raven rested her hand against the body, finding her skin clammy and temperature through the roof. The wound on her cheek was clearly not fake or even magic in nature and another examination showed a bit mark on the mare's arm.

This wasn't the Infested, but this was bad.

Especially when the initial victim of this monster gargled, making everyone glance at it in shock. Raven slowly stood, watching as the poor little angel gagged and coughed up a mouthful of blood, her back arching violently as she flailed upon the floor as if she was having a seizure. Bones creaked and cracked, a strange force over taking her form before the mare quickly rolled onto her stomach and latched her hand onto a poor stallion and dragging him to the floor with a yelp, biting into his exposed calf and tearing a substantial chunk of flesh from his leg.

All hell broke loose.

This was the real deal…

Ponies screamed in absolute, unbridled terror, the entire room breaking into a frantic panic as they tried to run for the door. All it did was bottleneck the main door, causing many to fall and either get trampled or be attacked by the ever growing swarm. Raven on the other hand, grabbed Copper by the wrist and dragged him towards the back of the ballroom, heading for a secret hallway she knew about.

"Raven!"

The princess paused, turning just as she opened the secret entrance way, finding Twilight and most of her friends running towards them. The princess didn't say a word, despite her feelings towards them all, as she ushered them all into the passageway, getting ready to slam the door shut when she heard a blood curdling scream not too far away. She quickly searched the tattered room, immediately finding a poor filly that lay frozen in fear on the floor as one of the infected hobbled towards her. Without a second thought, Raven stormed out of the hallway, charging the pair as fast as she could. She clenched her fist and held it high and with a single punch that had enough energy to break bone, she struck the monster in the jaw, sending it to the floor with a yelp before scooping up the poor filly in the same motion.

Copper slammed the door shut once they were close enough and locking it, the muffled screams of the dying still permeating through the walls. All of them stood panting, staring at the door while Raven comforted the little filly.

"You hurt sweetie?" Raven calmly asked the little filly in her arms. The little pink filly was dressed as Princess Celestia, shook her head side to side frantically before tightening grip on Raven's dress. "You weren't bitten or scratched?" Another silently no in the form of a head shake was her response. "Okay… is everyone else okay?" she asked the rest of the group. All of them looked around at one another, but no pony spoke up.

"What the buck was that!?" Rainbow Dash, the team's head astronaut shouted. "Are we not going to address the zombie attack that just happened!?"

Before the two skeletons and the princess was a mermare, a royal guard, the astronaut, a vampire, and a scarecrow, all of which were just as confused as the rest. Of course all of them were frightened to death.

"We need to find my mother, hopefully she'll know what is going on and how to stop it," Raven stated before she leaned back to give the filly in her arms a gentle affirming smile. "Hey precious, what's your name?"

The little princess rubbed her runny nose with the back of her sleeve. "Sunshine… Rose…"

"That's a pretty name," Raven complimented before she noticed and adjusted the fillies fake horn.

Sunshine sniffled as fresh tears appeared. "W-Where's my mommy?"

Raven opened her mouth, but hesitated as she feared the worst. It was a loaded question and no answer was right. But a memory flashed into the forefront of her mind, putting this filly with the angel that was the first victim of the night.

Oh no…

"I… I don't know where your mommy is," Raven lied. "But I'll take care of you until we find her okay?" Raven hoped that it was just coincidence, an older sister maybe or an aunt. But that too felt like a lie. Sunshine sniffled, prompting Raven to pull her in close, hugging the distraught filly. "Come on, we need to get to the throne room." Raven pushed past the others and took the lead. She knew these passages like the back of her hand and they were only accessible to a select few.

"Raven?" Twilight, dressed as a royal guard captain, whispered. "Can we talk?"

Raven spared the mare a glance, then Sunshine before she set the filly down. "Sunshine? I need to talk to my friend here. I'm going to hand you off to my boyfriend, Copper, okay? He's really nice!" Copper stepped forward and offered his hand with a smile. Sunshine hesitated, glancing up at him, but she clearly wanted to be with Raven. "I'll be close okay? Nothing is going to happen to you."

"Promise?" she sniffled.

"Promise," Raven smiled before she wiped away the tears with her thumb. Sunshine took Copper's hand while she led him away, asking simple questions to keep the filly occupied. "Yes?"

"You know it's not polite to lie to children," Twilight stated as the two walked along.

"It's okay when it's a life or death situation."

"No it's not!" Twilight gasped.

"Cadance lied to us all the time when we were kids," Raven counted with her ace.

"She did not!"

Just then, the muffled sound of a body hitting the wall next to them brought their conversation to a halt. "Help me! Somepony help me! No… stay away! Stay away-HUW-ACK!" Some poor mare just met her fate right next to them, her screams and pleas for help muffled by the stone wall. The two females spared one another a look of concern.

It was getting worse.

"Come on, we can discuss ethical morals in life threatening situations later, " Raven ushered, leading Twilight back towards the group. "The throne room is just up ahead!" Raven pointed out as she once again took the lead. Sunshine grasped her hand, holding onto both Copper and her now. The silence was killing them all, but thankfully the walk was short as they came to the throne room exit.

With a soft click, Raven opened the door and peered through the crack. No sounds of the damned or sights of walking corpses appeared, so she slowly and cautiously opened the door all the way. However, Raven quickly froze, staring at three blood soaked spear tips aimed right at her head.

"Princess!" the center guard, a mare gasped as she lowered her weapon. "Are you alright?"

"Could be better," Raven replied as the other guards lowered their weapons.

"Thank goodness you are okay," Celestia said with a sigh of relief as she stood from her throne. The others soon appeared behind Raven, bringing even more relief to the solar mare as she smiled softly. "And Twilight and her friends as well."

A guard closed the door with a click, sealing them all inside. Only Princess Celestia and four guards had sought refuge in the throne room. This brought the total number of occupants to a measly twelve. Both Spike and Pinkie Pie were unaccounted for. Hopefully they were safe and untouched.

"Where is Pinkie Pie?" Celestia inquired.

"We got separated just before the ballroom was attacked. And Spike was doing the haunted hallway at the same time," Twilight explained before her head hung low in despair. Fluttershy and Applejack rested their hands on her shoulders to try and comfort her.

"Mom, how did this happen?" Raven asked as she approached the dais.

Celestia turned towards the fourth guard in the room, the only one not possessing any weapon. "Our runner here was just about to tell us."

The poor guard glanced around the room like a child that had just been busted by his parents for doing something he shouldn't have. The poor lad let out a forlorn sigh, slumping against the wall and slowly sliding down it. He spoke softly with his head hung low.

"About thirty six hours ago at oh-two-hundred hours my partner and I were guarding the artifact room when we heard a strange thumping coming from the door. Confused and unsure what was making the noise, we decided to investigate with my partner opening the door first. To our shock, a stallion pushed the door out of the way and took my partner to the ground. In the ensuing tussle my partner was scratched and bitten several times by the intruder before I decided to take lethal action and speared the aggressor to death. After confirming the threat was neutralized, I stabilized my injured friend before hailing for medical treatment whereupon my partner was further treated at the scene before being medevaced to Canterlot General.

"I went to visit him that night, only to learn that he had taken a rapid deterioration and was not allowed to see visitors at that time. A day passed before I wanted to go see him again. So then, several hours ago, me and several friends of our squad mates went to go check up on him again, only to find the hospital locked down and no pony around."

"So this is your fault?" Dash hissed under her breath.

"Dash, hush!" Applejack snapped with a hiss of her own.

But the damage was done, the guard heard and winced, but continued, head hung low. He sniffled, holding back tears.

"We decided to investigate the situation and figure out why the hospital was under lock down. But by that point… the damage was done. We were attacked by… zombies! They overwhelmed us and pretty soon I was the only one left. I decided to come to the castle, hoping we could contain them before they attacked further. But by the time I had even made it out the door, ponies were dying left and right. And because Nightmare Night was already starting, ponies thought it was a show, not truly realizing the horror that had befallen us all. I tried to warn as many as I could, but they just thought it was a game…"

He held up his left arm, revealing a nasty looking bite mark on his wrist that made the survivors jump back in shock.

"Why is he even here!?" Dash screamed furiously. "He'll kill us all!"

Raven held out a hand to hold the mare back as she stepped between him and the others. "How long until the illness takes effect?" the human asked in a much calmer tone.

"Don't know," the guard replied as he lowered his arm. "Between twelve and thirty six hours. I don't know how long the hospital had been closed."

"And how do you feel?"

"I'll… I'm running a fever and I feel rather weak."

Raven pondered that for a moment. "Huh… because that one mare changed in what?" she paused, turning towards Twilight in thought. "A minute?"

"Probably less," Twilight added.

"But she had died from blood loss."

"Look I'm sorry for being here but the princess had to know!" the guard defended.

A tear slipped from his eye, tinted red with blood.

"He found us in the maze, " Celestia cut in as the poor tormented soul finished his explanation and began to sob softly. "But before I could even give an order for lock down…" Celestia trailed off, her gaze drifting towards a bloody rag tied to her arm that everyone had just noticed.

They gasped in shock.

Dash was first to respond, throwing up a fist to attack the poor guard, who flinched and threw his arms up in defense. Yet again, Applejack wrangled her in with a firm hand to the shoulder and a harsh glare.

"We were attacked in the maze, I got bitten because I was protecting those around me," Celestia continued with a sigh as she idly rubbed her wound. "It was in vain though…"

All the guards lowered their heads and averted their eyes. At first, the costumed survivors thought it was out of respect, but the stallion Raven was looking at, noticed her gaze and bladed away from her before he pushed his breastplate forward, revealing a bloody bite wound to the side. Her attention then snapped towards the other stallion, who lifted his arm to reveal a wound to the back of his bicep. Lastly, the female guard lifted her pant leg to show a wound to the leg.

They were all infected…

Everyone but Raven slowly gulped in fear.

A soft sobbing filled the room and drowned out the uncomfortable silence. Confused, everyone turned to see poor little Sunshine standing next to Copper, sobbing her poor little heart out into his pant leg. With a frown, Raven approached the poor little dear, gingerly scooping her into her arms.

"Sunshine? Would you like to meet my Mommy before we… uh… leave?" Raven asked in a gentle, loving tone. Sunshine gave Celestia a nervous look. The mare, ever loving, simply smiled as if there was nothing wrong. With the tiniest of nods, Sunshine complied. "Mom, you do realize this is an apocalyptic event of monumental proportions… right?"

Celestia nodded. "Which is why I have a shield that is currently encapsulating Canterlot to prevent any of the infected from spreading. I have also contacted your Aunt Luna in Ponyville. She has locked down the town and has seen no signs of any infected."

"But what about you? The shield won't last when-" Raven silenced herself there, not wanting to acknowledge the inevitable.

"Which is why I'll be using my connection to the sun to torch Canterlot when the time arises," Celestia finished before she greeted the filly with a smile. "Hello sweetie, what's your name?"

"Sunshine…"

Celestia gasped playfully. "My friends call me Sunshine! Now we both can't be called that, can we?" The princess playfully rested her hands on her hips as if she was insulted.

Sunshine giggled as she seemed to forget about the world and the devastation happening outside. While filly and mare giggled happily, the other survivors spared the outside world a glance. True to the princesses word, a golden shield encapsulated the capital city while fires raged in the distance, the streets littered with the walking dead.

"At least they can't fly."

Thunk.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity recoiled back from the window, watching in horror as an infected pegasus mare had just collided and deflected off the tempered glass before she went crashing to the ground below.

Rarity promptly smacked Dash across the back of the head before walking away with a huff.

"Me and my big mouth…" Dash muttered as she rubbed the back of her head.

Back with mother and daughter, Princess Celestia passed Sunshine off to her daughter. "It's getting late and each passing second is a death sentence," Celestia told her child with a serious look. But that softened when she cupped Sunshine's cheek, rubbing it tenderly with her thumb. "Anything you want to say before you leave?"

"You're really pretty…"

"And so are you!" Celestia replied playfully, booping Sunshine on the tip of her snoot, making her giggle. "You'll take care of her," she addressed her daughter.

Raven nodded.

Wasn't a question either.

"Princess?"

Celestia glanced down at Sunshine before she leaned forward in her throne. "Yes, my little pony?"

"When I grow up, I want to be like you," Sunshine said rather softly, almost embarrassed at the declaration.

"Well…" Celestia spared her daughter a smile and a wink. "With my daughter guiding you. You'll be an amazing mare. I guarantee it."

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

Both filly and mare shared one last departing hug and a nuzzle before Raven passed off Sunshine to her boyfriend. "You'd make an amazing mother," Celestia whispered as red tears streamed down her cheeks. "I love you. Now and forever more."

"I love you too, Mom…"

As the two parted ways and wiped away tears, Twilight stepped forward. "How do we get out of here? If you're going to do what you say you will, won't we be caught in the blast?"

A genuine concern that garnered a lot of head nodding.

"What about the armory?" the unicorn mare guard spoke up. "There are plenty of weapons and armor that you could pretty much just walk out the front door without issue."

"Except the armory only has two entrances and one door, not including the fact it is located one level below the main floor," one of the stallions added. He was starting to look a little red in the eyes.

"B-But you all got bit…" Fluttershy whimpered out, referring to how their armor did little to protect them.

"We're not in our full protective gear, just our castle post armor. It's more ceremonial than anything," the same stallion replied while simultaneously, the female guard started to cough into her forearm. She gave it a quick inspection before sticking a finger in her mouth and removing it just as quickly. It was soaked in blood. "But they still have to fight through what? Ten plus floors before they even get close to the armory?"

"They'll never make it," the runner, who was still sitting on the floor, stated. As if to accentuate his point, the sounds of moaning, thumping, and scratching came from the barred main doors to the room.

"Here," Celestia said as she stood near the back of the throne room, another hidden door was propped open as an escape route. "This passage will take you to the main floor. From there, you just need to make it one floor down. You remember how to get there, Honey?"

"I do," Raven nodded as she adjusted her grip on Sunshine. "But what about getting out of the city?"

"The royal train is located just a few blocks from here in a secured facility. If you can get there and get the train going, I'll make sure you get out of the containment shield." Celestia coughed once before she gave the corner of her mouth a rub with her thumb.

More blood.

It was spreading through her system faster than she thought.

"Time is of the essence, the faster you can get to the train the farther you'll all be from the blast," Celestia continued grimly. "Sweetie, link up with your Aunt and do your best to make sure this doesn't spread any further than it already has. Hopefully I can kill everything before that."

With a plan in mind, they all bid their last farewells. Teacher and student, mother and daughter all shared their last hug and exchanged their last 'I love you's' before they all piled into the secret passageway. Both Raven and Twilight watched with tears in their eyes as the door slowly closed. But just before it closed, a word of warning was shouted from the guards.

'Keep them safe,' her mother told her.

"Princess look-"

Boom…

The door sealed, cutting them off from the throne room as the sounds of shouting and spell fire were muffled by the stone between them. The survivors were all too stunned to speak, flinching only briefly when something hit the wall and was obliterated by spell fire before an eerie silence filled the air.

"Come on y'all, we need to keep moving," Applejack stated, leading the others away.

One by one they trickled away until only Raven and Sunshine remained. Eventually, even they left and fell in with the others. They were all silent for sometime as they traversed the dimly lit, cramped passageway. This time, it was the silence that was getting to them all as they made turn after blind turn and padded down stairways until they all came to their inevitable end.

Before eventually, they reached a dead end on the main floor of the castle. Just like before, Raven gently unlocked the door, opening it just enough for her to peek through.

She flinched, when a demonic moan gurgled nearby. The princess watched as a walker lumbered by, shuffling along on unsteady hooves as it wandered aimlessly and without purpose. All it was after was its next victim to devour. It wandered away and around the corner and out of sight. Once she was sure they were in the clear, Raven opened the door further.

"Okay… I think were-"

Chomp…

Raven screamed in agony, reflexively grabbing at the mutilated face of the abomination that just sank its teeth into her forearm. She grit her teeth to fight back the pain while she pried at its clenched jaw, slicing her fingers open in the process as she desperately pried its maw open before it could take a chunk out of her arm. When that failed to work, she manifested a ball of red energy in her grasp, blasting it with reckless abandon. Brain, skin, and a bone was obliterated in an instant, leaving nothing but the lower half of the skull and jaw on a limp body. With a shove, she pushed the corpse away and stumbled back into the passageway.

Copper slammed the door shut while Raven hissed in pain, holding her arm with her free hand as she examined her wound. A fresh bite mark scared her flesh as a black ooze traversed through her veins.

"F-Fuck that hurt…" She hissed through her teeth and stomped her foot in anger at her carelessness.

Everyone could only stare in disbelief at the bit mark on her arm. Black tar oozed down her arm and clung to her skin. But the worst wasn't over, not yet at least.

"Grrrr-AH!" Raven screamed in agony as she threw her head back, her back slamming against the wall while she kicked the wall to fight through the pain. Everyone else jumped back in horror, watching as their leader died right in front of them.

But that wasn't what was actually happening.

In her bloodstream, a mutation was at work. It detected a foreign body, scanned it, and determined it to be extremely deadly. The virus worked on overdrive, protecting both her red and white blood cells while it isolated, contained, and consolidated the pathogen. It worked hard to remove it from the injured area, pushing it out the same way it came in. While very effective, the body was now on overdrive to prevent the illness from spreading and worked hard to purge it from within. A painful process indeed.

That… was why Raven was screaming.

A thick black tar was purged from her fingers and bite wound, oozing down her skin until fresh blood was purged as well to prevent further infection. The entire process was over in less than ten seconds as her blood ran dry and halted her bleeding.

Raven panted, the painful process now over, but it left her lightheaded and exhausted. Her arms felt heavy as she grasped the edge of her dress with shaky hands, giving it a jerk, tearing a good piece of fabric from her costume. With a shaky hand, she wiped up the blood, soaking the makeshift rag.

"So that's what that feels like…" Raven moaned as she held the rag. She knew about how her blood could do that, but she never had to experience it until now. "Anypony have a lighter?"

Rarity reached into her bra, removing a lighter and tossing it towards the human. Raven caught it before opening it with a click. A couple of strikes later, a gentle flame flickered from the lighter before Raven set the rag alight, before she tossed it to the floor, letting it burn before she waved her fingers over the flame, killing any infection left on her skin.

"Rarity, I thought you stopped smoking!?" Twilight gasped.

"Just because I stopped smoking, doesn't mean I have to give up my lighter," Rarity shot back, catching her lighter when Raven tossed it back before she stuffed it back down the front of her costume. "Although I could greatly use a smoke right now…" she muttered under her breath.

"That's what you're focusing on here!? Not the mare that just got infected!?" Dash gasped in disbelief. "Am I alone here on this!?"

"I'm immune," Raven panted as she forced herself to her feet. "I have a virus in my blood that prevents infection. Guh… I'm probably the only creature on the planet that can't get infected." Raven paused, watching as her boyfriend wrapped her wound with a handkerchief he had in his pocket. Once it was tied, he hugged her, so glad that she was alive. "You I'm worried about," she told him, prodding his chest with a finger.

"So that's why you never got sick as a kid," Twilight mused as she held a finger to her chin.

"A product of the experiments," Raven further explained. "Okay. I'm good. Round two."

Yet again, Raven carefully opened the door, making sure to check near her feet this time. Nothing, confirmed nothing this time. Opening the door further, she went to step out but pulled back when she heard the clicking of something on the stone. She watched and waited, seeing as a shadow appeared along the wall, the precursor to…

"Spike?" she whispered.

True to her word, a terrified Spike rounded the corner, shaking violently in his Humdrum costume. His head whipped from side to side as he held his claws close to his chest. He looked… untouched, just scared out of his mind. Raven opened the door further, just about to call out to him when a shadow loomed over him.

"Spike, look out!"

Spike froze at the warning, failing to notice the monster looming behind him. But it was too late, when the flesh eating monster grabbed the drake by the shoulders and sank its teeth into Spike's neck.

Or… well it tried to, at least.

Spike yelped as he was marehandled, flung all around the hallway as the monster attempted to bite into his skin, failing each and every time to do so. "R-Raven! Woah! H-Hel-ap!" Spike was jerked and flung around, finding out first hand what Winona's squeaky toy must feel like when she played with it.

Raven damn near tore the hidden door off its hinges when she shot out into the hallway, charging forward for the second time that night, charging a ball of energy in her open palm and taking the shot. The zombie gagged as it was sliced right in half, releasing Spike in the process. He frantically back pedaled, but the corpse didn't relent, a hunger that only flesh could satisfy as it came crawling towards him before Raven finished it off with another blast of her power.

Panting, Raven and Spike waited several tense seconds, hoping the body fared not to move further. Raven and Spike embraced one another both awash with relief at being able to reunite with each other.

"Good to see you, Spike." Raven squeezed him a bit tighter, even more afraid that he would disappear if she ever let go.

His claws tightened as he grasped the frill of her dress. "What's going on?" he whimpered. The poor boy was shaking now that he was with someone he trusted. He whimpered, sniffling as his emotions finally got the best of him. "What happened to everypony?" he sobbed.

"You don't want to know…"

The two pulled apart as she held him by a claw. "Come on, the others are-" Raven said as she turned around, freezing when she failed to spot the others that were just behind her. "Oh no…"

Spike began to shake even more violently, holding onto Raven's dress and hand even tighter, lest they get separated should he let go. They were so lost in their own fears that both failed to notice as a pair of clammy arms reached out for them, slowly and menacingly revealing themselves from the shadows before it was too late.

"Raven!" Spike screamed at the top of his lungs, his claws shredding her dress in the process and being jerked from her hand. He was dragged into the shadows and out of sight.

"Spike!"

She called after him, running after her friend in an attempt to save him, but before she could even make it two steps, another pair of arms wrapped around her head, blinding her. She pawed at her aggressor, desperately trying to fight the creature holding her hostage. She kicked and flailed about, causing her to drop to the floor before she was dragged away to who knows where. Were there multiple of them fighting over her? Or were the dead evolving and becoming smarter? She didn't know, she didn't want to find out either!

A bite mark was survivable, being eaten en masse was not!

She struggled but it was to no avail. She couldn't die, not like this!

"Will you stop -ngh- struggling!"

Raven froze, she knew that voice. It was the missing element bearer. Now granted she didn't like the girl, but this was neither the time or the place to be in conflict with other survivors. But that didn't mean she was a fan of being dragged along the floor. So she still struggled to pull her face free, getting enough of her eye to peek through the entrapment of limbs to glare up at the mare. Raven could barely see Pinkie in the dim light, but she glared up at her nonetheless as she was dragged a couple more meters before a door was kicked shut by Pinkie's hoof.

"You're heavier than you look!" Pinkie panted as she wiped some sweat from her brow while she released the human. "Hi guys! I saved you from the horrible monsters!"

Raven quickly scrambled to her feet, just in time for Sunshine to slam into her legs and nearly take her back to the ground, hugging them tightly as she openly cried into the human's dress. Any anger and hatred that Raven had in that moment melted away at the need to comfort her little friend. So she scooped up the poor girl, holding her close as she spoke tender words of encouragement into her ear. Raven turned to face the room, seeing that everyone was safe.

Spike and Twilight embraced one another while the others sat around the room in different states of unease. Copper was the only other one to embrace Raven and Sunshine, ecstatic that they were okay. A quick glance confirmed that they were in one of the main floors, many smaller dining halls, which was connected to a small kitchen. As Raven calmed down, she looked out over the crowd before her gaze lingered on the very pony that saved her.

Her eye went wide.

Pinkie stood nearby, her eyes were bloodshot and blood dripped from her left nostril. Her fur color was faded and dull, fur itself matted and clammy. Her stomach rumbled out of a need to feed and further examination showed a bloody spot on her white roller derby outfit. She had been bitten and was in a far worse state than the other guards they had come in contact with.

“You’re infected….”

“Huh?” Pinkie replied dumbly as she cocked her head to the right slightly. A quick glance down at her body made her seem to remember how she ended up like this. “Oh! Yeah, I turned a while ago. No big thang!” Leave it to Pinkie to take something so serious with such a light hearted nature as she dismissed Raven’s claim with a wave. “I’m doing fine! Despite the never ending hunger for pony flesh! But, I’m always hungry, so it's what ev’s.”

Pinkie turned towards her friends, making them flinch as she eyed them all. “Boy would I love to eat you guys, if you know what I mean?” she added a naughty look and a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

“I don’t know if I should be scared that she’s a zombie or that that statement felt more sexual than it needed to be,” Twilight commented as she shielded Spike with her body.

“Leave it to Pinkie to be a zombie and not change at all,” Dash added with a bit of dry sarcasm.

“I know right!” Pinkie replied joyously as she threw her arms into the air. “Kinda neat huh? Who needs a costume when you are a monster!”

An awkward silence befell the room as Pinkie slowly lowered her arms as she realized that her joke fell on deaf ears. Despite her happy attitude, it could not change the fact that she was a lost cause. For the second time that night, the uninfected found themselves in the graces of an infected individual. As much as they would prefer to be in an entirely different situation, the world was ending around them, it wasn’t a time for fun.

“Pinkie… how did you get bitten?” Twilight spoke softly, causing the mare to turn around and face her friend.

“Oh! Well I found this really cute colt and we started talking then started walking then he asked me if I wanted to find somewhere for a boink and I was like ‘totally’ cause I needed to burn off so steam you know? So we found a place nice and quiet and I boinked him then he boinked me and it felt amazing!” Pinkie paused, her tone because a little more depressed. “But then somepony busted us and I was like ‘hey! We’re having fun in here!’ but then they were like ‘bluh’ and I was like ‘bleh’ and he went like ‘ugh’ and I was like ‘nuh-uh’ and then he bit me and I bit him, then he bit my cute friend and then next thing I knew I was a zombie with an unyielding hunger for pony flesh!” Pinkie smiled, but her smile was rather unsettling with the bits of flesh stuck in her teeth and the red saliva that covered them. A rather long winded explanation that was a bit way too much for everyone to hear. So much that Copper had covered Sunshine’s ears to protect what little innocence she had left.

“It was a ton of fun until the whole zombie attack. I was really enjoying myself, yah know?” Pinkie continued before she gasped excitedly. “Twilight I could totally help you get some D! Because you clearly need it. I know a cute colt down in Ponyville who could-”

“Alright! Certain acts aside with certain individuals, we can’t lollygag around here. We need to get out of here and to the armory,” Raven cut in as she cut off the zombie mares rant. They were running on borrowed time here. If they wanted to live they needed to get moving.

“Oh the armory!” Pinkie jumped in, her previous conversation completely forgotten. “If you go through the kitchen there, it’ll take you right towards the west access hallway. Go down the stairs and it's the third door on the right!” Pinkie explained as she pointed and waved her arms around like wild as if she was making an invisible map. “The east access is too far away and guarded by a lot of mean looking ponies. They’ll actually eat you guys.”

With a nod, Raven waved them all towards the kitchen, passing off Sunshine to her boyfriend yet again, who led the filly away with a scared look. Copper eased her along, prompting her to glance up at him.

"What does boink mean?" she asked innocently.

"Uhhh… I'll tell you when you're older," Copper dismissed with a small blush.

Raven turned to follow them, just about to speak before a hand landed on her shoulder. She froze, turning to face the zom…

The mare that had helped them.

Pinkie wasn’t hostile or ravenous, she was saddened and worried. Bloody tears streamed down her matted cheeks as she openly cried. Raven slowly turned to face the mare as Pinkie lowered her arm. “I’m sorry… for… all the mean things I said about you. Just… promise me that you’ll keep them all safe?” Pinkie held her mangled hands to her chest, nervously rubbing her knuckles as she gave the princess her best puppy dog eyes.

Raven’s gaze drifted to the floor before she spared the kitchen door a glance from over her shoulder. They had all been looking towards her for guidance. They were her responsibility despite the conflicts she had with them all. They were the future, after all.

“I’ll do it to the best of my ability,” Raven promised.

That brought an appreciative smile to Pinkie’s lips before she pulled Raven in close for one last hug. Raven returned it, consoling the distraught mare one last time before she died.

“You smell really nice!”

Raven shoved Pinkie back and took a defensive stance as Pinkie playfully giggled into her hand. After a second, Raven let out a sigh, her heart racing from the horrible spike it just had a moment ago. Embarrassed, the princess relaxed her stance and rubbed her arm with equal embarrassment.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Pinkie admitted sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s Nightmare Night after all.” With a tilt of her head and a point of her thumb towards the other door, Pinkie spoke as she walked away. “I’ll distract them as best as I can. You guys just get to the armory. Okay?”

“Got it!” Raven nodded as they parted ways.

Stepping through the kitchen doors, Raven was greeted by the others who had been waiting. She scooped up a knife, it was flimsy, but a weapon was a weapon as she headed for the locked back door, peeking out the window and into the hallway.

“You killed her… didn't you?”

“Dash!”

Raven slowly turned around, eyeing the blue pegasus that glared her into the ground. Rainbow pushed her way past Rarity and Applejack, only freezing when Raven pressed her knife against Dash’s throat.

“You did, didn’t you?” Dash hissed as she ground her teeth together angrily. “She was cognitive but that didn’t matter because she was infected, right? So you killed her!”

“I didn’t kill her…” Raven hissed back defensively.

“Yes you did!”

“Hey you guys! Over here!”

Dash blinked, shoving Raven out of the way and pressing her face against the glass on the door. Just down the hallway to the left, Pinkie stood on the tips of her hooves and waved her hand over her head excitedly. The infected in the middle and opposing end of the hallway, turned and shuffled to face the mare.

“I found some poor schmuck that’s realllllly tasty! Just down this hallway!” Pinkie hollered with a point of her finger down the hallway next to her. The responding infected either took her words to heart… or what was probably more accurate, were simply drawn to the sound she made. Numerous different walking corpses shuffled and moaned, slowly meandering their way down the hallway and towards Pinkie. Dash watched in awe as the first zombie lifted its shaky arms, reaching out towards the mare. It tripped on its own hooves, landing right in Pinkie’s arms. True to her word, Pinkie was indeed infected, as the mare she caught pawed and pushed at the mare holding her.

Whap.

“Ow!” Dash hissed, rubbing the back of her head and turning around to face an angry looking Twilight who had just thwacked her on the back of the head. “What?”

“Pinkie’s distracting them for us!” Twilight hissed before she gestured towards the door with a tilt of her head. “Come on! We can’t let this go to waste.” Twilight was first to open the door, checking for any lingering dead before she took Spike by the hand and led him along. Copper and Sunshine were next, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. Raven spared Dash a ‘told you so’ glare before she left the room, knife at the ready as she gave Pinkie an appreciative thumbs up. Dash was last, leaving the room but hesitating as she stared down the hallway and towards her friend.

Pinkie felt a gaze on her, turned her head and smiled at her friend with a gentle wave of her hand. Dash’s face became somber and wrinkled as her emotions got the best of her. Pinkie, despite being annoying sometimes, was still her friend and this would be the last time she saw her. So without a word and a weak wave, Dash buried her face in her elbow as she ran off and out of sight.

Pinkie stood there, giving her own moist eyes a wipe of her sleeve before turning her head towards the dead she had gathered. They were almost like a bunch of drunks, lost in their own little realm as they stumbled into walls, decorations, or one another.

Thump…

Pinkie blinked, turning her head back towards the hallway her friends had left through. Her decrepit ear twitched when she heard another heavy thumping. Followed by another and another. It was getting louder and heavier, all from the same place just down the hallway.She took off in a trot, heading towards the sound, following her ears as she rounded corners and down a few hallways. The banging was becoming louder and more frequent, as if somepony was trying to open something. Thump… thump… thump… ever closer she came before she rounded one last corner and found where the banging was coming from.

The main castle doors.

They banged and buckled, the locking beam barely holding firm, cracking further with each heavy strike. The moans of the damned were loud and ferocious, bleeding through the cracks and the walls. They knew there was food within and they desired that flesh for their own good. Pinkie's eyes went wide, but before Pinkie could even take another step, the support beam shattered, the doors smashing open as dozens of the dead tumbled inside the main entrance way. They tripped and trampled over one another, shuffling into the castle, sniffing out the deliciousness of living tissue.

“Oh boy…” Pinkie muttered before she took a deep breath in preparation for what she was about to scream.

“EVERYPONY RUN!”

The survivors froze in the hallway, turning around towards where the shout came from. They could barely make out the words, but the warning was there. Something wicked this way comes and it was after them all.

Moans and gags, hisses and gargling echoed off the hallways, looming shadows of the damned painted on the walls. Eyes went wide and gasps filled their lungs as hundreds of the dead poured into the hallway like a wave. They smelled the living and were eager to feed their never ending hunger. They pushed and bumped into one another, their weak muscles pushing them along at a faster pace than before.

“Go!” Raven ordered, knocking everyone from their frozen states. She struck a creature that got too close, busting her knife in the process before shoving the still living corpse away and briefly creating a speed bump in the flow. Copper frantically scooped up Sunshine and made a run for it while Twilight grabbed Spike by the wrist and dragged him along. Dash was next in line, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack grabbed Raven by the back of her dress, shoving her forward before the larger mare pushed past the others and towards the front of the group, taking the lead.

They ran for their lives with the dead hot on their heels. They dared not look back knowing that doing so could bring them certain doom.

At the head of the pack, Applejack followed the signs and arrows, each pointing and guiding them towards the armory. When they came to the first door, she practically tore it off its hinges, waving everyone down the steps. They skipped and shuffled their hooves and feet down the steps, knowing that a fall would be more than fatal. Being the last one through, Raven tried to slam the door shut, but to no avail as the dead were already too close, nearly catching her in the process as they clawed at the door. She skipped down the steps while the infected, being very uncoordinated, tripped and fell. Raven damn near rode the wave of the damned with how fast they fell down the stairs.

With hearts near bursting capacity and lungs burning, the survivors all hit the floor in a trot, sprinting towards the vault that was the armory.

At the back of the pack, Rarity’s hoof clipped the edge of the second to last step, twisting her ankle painfully as her momentum took her to the floor with a grunt and a yelp. Fluttershy had been right behind her, which caused her to inadvertently kick Rarity in the stomach as she tripped over her friend, sending her tumbling down the hallway with a roll. Unbeknownst to what was happening at the base of the stairs, Raven was full race down the stairs, her eyes going wide as she too, tumbled over Rarity and smashing right into Fluttershy, taking her to the ground a second time. Both of them groaned in pain, propping themselves up and looking at one another before they turned back towards Rarity.

It was too late.

Rarity let out a blood curdling scream as mutilated hands pawed at the tail of her costume, dragging her into a feeding frenzy as they piled around her flailing form. She begged and screamed for help and mercy, but there were just too many of them as they swarmed around her. They bit into her and ate her alive, tearing chunks of flesh from her body and prying her guts from her abdomen. A truly gruesome way to die. It was like watching Kubrowdons on the Vallis.

“RARITY!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs. The desperate mare went to stand in a desperate attempt to go and try to help her friend, but Raven grabbed the pegasus by the scruff of her collar and dragged her the opposite way.

“She’s already dead! At least her suffering is over!” Raven shouted as she forced the pegasus forward. Unfortunately, her words were nothing but lies as Rarity's voice and gargling could still be heard over the feasting. They still weren't out of the woods yet as many more infected streamed around the feeding pile, still on the hunt for more victims.

At the front of the survivors group, Copper could see the door to the armory, but as he tried to come to a sliding halt, his hooves lost traction, sending both him and Sunshine to the floor, the latter sliding from his grasp. The poor filly whimpered painfully, sitting up and slowly opening her eyes.

She screamed in horror as a zombie reached out for her, it’s jagged maw dripping with black tar.

“Hng-guh!” A grunt resonated deep within Applejack’s chest as she punched the monster with such force that it dislocated its jaw. She didn't have time to throw another strike when another infected came after her, pinning her to the wall as she held the creature back with an arm to the neck and a hand to the head, trying to push it back while simultaneously attempting to not get bit. Applejack grit her teeth, seeing as the previous corpse rose out of the corner of her eye.

Copper sent it toppling to the floor with a firm kick to the gut before grabbing the back of the shirt on the other and throwing it off Applejack before scooping up Sunshine yet again and shoving open the armory door. Rainbow Dash was the first to slip inside, followed quickly by Spike and Twilight. They shouted at Raven and Fluttershy, waving them inside before slamming the door shut. Both Copper and Applejack were a flurry as they engaged the many locks with a series of clicks and thumping before Applejack finished it all off by slamming the thick, cedar lock bar into place before she rested her hands on the door, just making sure that if the door didn't hold, she would be there to keep it sealed.

Panting and exhausted, but safe, they all turned to face one another with relieving smiles.

"Consarnit…" Everyone turned to face the scarecrow, watching as she slowly turned around, grasping her right hand as she pressed her back to the door, sliding down it and onto the floor. Everyone gasped in horror, a fresh bite wound on the webbing between her thumb and pointer finger. "And ah was doin' so good too."

A quick glance around and Raven pulled a semi clean rag that was resting on the tip of a spear, gently rolling it up before rendering aid to her wounded companion, wrapping her hand before tying it off. Applejack hissed at the pain, but powered through it.

"Wait…"

Everyone turned towards a distraught Rainbow, who was frantically looking around the room as though she had lost something.

"Where's Rarity?"

Raven slowly stood, the only other creature in the room that didn't try to find their missing friend. All eyes soon fell on Raven, who lowered her head, silently informing them about the loss of their friend. She didn't want to be the one to say it, but they had a right to know…

"She tripped…"

Spike fell backwards, hitting the floor as he sat there in a state of utter shock. Applejack lowered her head as well while the others processed the information they had just been told. Dash seemed to be taking it the hardest. She shook violently in anger, clenching her fists in rage. Dash was losing it and this was the tipping point.

"You whore!" Dash screamed at the top of her lungs as she lifted her head. Her face was red with rage, tears streaming down her face. She was in emotional agony, her heart finally breaking. "You tripped her, didn't you! To save your own damn hide!"

Dash charged the princess, fist held high with illicit intent and making Raven go wide eyed. But before Raven could even move to counter or dodge, a yellow and pink blur stepped between the two. Dash didn't have time to pull back, striking the mare with all her strength. Poor Rainbow gasped at what she just did, pulling her hands back and covering her muzzle in utter disbelief as Fluttershy lay on the floor just to the right, propping herself up on shaky arms as blood dripped onto the floor beneath her.

No pony dared to speak.

"Rarity… tripped… Rainbow," Fluttershy whimpered out with her head hung low and mane hiding her face. "I was right behind her, Dashie… she slipped on the last step… the princess was right behind her and tripped too…"

Dash tried to respond, she really did, but everything was too much for her to handle right now. From the loss of her friends, to this entire night being a massive disaster. She just couldn't take it emotionally anymore as she finally broke, staring at nothing as tears streamed down her cheeks. Applejack continued to sit there, staring at her downed friend before she pushed herself to her hooves and gently moved Raven out of the way.

"Dash?" she asked softly.

Dash's thousand meter stare slowly drifted over and up at the apple farmer as the two locked eyes for just a moment…

"Oof!"

Dash grunted and coughed, the wind being knocked from her lungs when Applejack's closed fist socked her friend square in the sternum. Dash landed in a painful heap on the floor as Applejack slammed her hoof down next to Rainbow, looking over her like a kid that just struck their bully.

"Will yah stop blaming everypony!" Applejack snapped down at the pegasus. "That's all yah done all night! Yah blamed the princess, yah blamed the hospital, yah blamed that poor guard fer doing his job! I'm sick of it, Dash!"

"But… you got bit…" Dash moaned in one last attempt to defend her actions.

"Tryin' ta save that filly!" Applejack shot back, leveling a finger towards Sunshine, who was sobbing into Cooper's shirt. "Everything taday has been out of our control. Accept it!"

"H-How can I?" Dash wheezed.

"Because it's the world we live in…" Applejack admitted. "I couldn't do nothin' when my parents died and you could do nothin' when Rarity did too. The sooner you accept that the sooner yah can move on with yur life…"

Rainbow shuddered as a couple of errand, remorseful tears hit the floor beneath her. Perhaps it was her hatred, or more likely her means to cope through this tragic situation. The princess, her friends, innocent ponies all killed on a night that was supposed to be fun and exciting. Applejack was right too. The guards didn't know, they wanted to see their friend and subsequently opened an investigation, they had that authority. She was also right about death being out of her control. She was so focused on escaping that she never saw Rarity fall, she just assumes the princess did it. It was unfortunate that it had to happen on a night where ponies dress up as monsters and take things as jokes. Dash shuddered once again, slamming her fist against the floor.

"Come on y'all, yah don't have time ta doddle," Applejack reminded them. "Find some armor and weapons that fit."

All around them were racks and racks of weapons such as spears, swords, and many other weapons while sets and sets of armor rested on lines of racks that went deep into the mountainside. All of the survivors helped one another to find protective gear that fit. They all stripped out of their costumes, the boys helping each other while the girls helped themselves.

"You know…" Spike started softly as he turned his head away from the mares. They had all opted to stay in eyesight of one another despite undressing as far as they all did. "I never thought I'd see a mare naked like this…."

"Enjoy it while you can dude," Copper replied as he pulled his protective shirt over his head before pulling his chainmail shirt over his head. "Who knows when you'll get to see it again."

Spike sighed remorsefully before he rested his hand on his shoulder, trying to see the spot where he had been bitten. But there wasn't even a mark on his scales.

"You got a thick hide."

Spike nodded dully as he went back to putting on his armor. Towards the back of the room, Twilight had a helmet in her magic that she had just finished altering before she caught it in her hands and slipped it over Sunshine's little head. Raven knelt with a gentle clattering of her armor before she grabbed the chin straps on the helmet and tightened it.

"You okay in there sweetie?"

"Yeah," came the muffled reply.

Sunshine looked really cute in her tiny set of armor. "Okay." Raven smiled as she stood, patting Sunshine on the head. "Alright! I want all gear tight and locked down!" Raven addressed. Rainbow was in the process of fitting Fluttershy with wing guards while Copper helped Spike protect his tail. "Straps taught, necks and extremities covered, no exposed skin anywhere! Grab a shield, grab a spear, and a sword. You two!" Raven pointed at Dash and Fluttershy. "I want you guys to be our drones from the air, take crossbows and cover us!"

Dash nodded, tightening Fluttershy's armor before stepping away and grabbing a pair of cross bows and quivers.

"I'll take point, Twilight watch the rear, Copper, stay with the kids. We're going to move fast and hard. The royal engine is located about six blocks due east of the castle," Raven finished.

"I'll try ta distract them for ya. Clear you all a path while I'm at it," Applejack cut in as she tightened the straps on one of her wrist guards. Once that was tight, she slammed her armored fists together with a bang. "Toss me that hammer."

Raven grabbed the war hammer in question, tossing it to the mare. "Want the other one?"

"Sure."

Applejack caught the second one, one in each hand.

An awkwardness befell them all. Fluttershy, with her pink mane poking out from the top of her helmet, was the first to step forward and embraced her friend in one last fateful hug, her sobbing muffled by her helmet. Twilight was next, who was joined in by Spike as they hugged their larger friend. Rainbow was last, hugging her best friend as well. She wanted to make some witty remark or one last bet, but her heart couldn't take it.

"Ah love you all," Applejack said with a proud smile. "Don't you ever forget that." She then turned towards Twilight, making the armored unicorn perk up. "Watch after Applebloom for me."

"I will," Twilight nodded.

"Be safe y'all!" With that, Applejack turned towards the door, cracking her neck loudly before she stuck her right leg out, leaning on it to stretch her mighty muscles. She did the same with her other leg before standing and giving each arm a tug too. "Oh princess?" Applejack asked as she turned to face the human. "Take care of them. They're family, yah hear? I'll also be seein' you in Tartarus. Got that?"

Raven nodded.

Applejack acknowledged it with one of her own before turning and facing the door once more. Spike and Copper took up position, slowly and methodically unlocking the door.

"Hey Thunder Thighs!"

Applejack turned back yet again to see over her shoulder, watching the princess intently.

"Heroes never die. They just go to hell and regroup." Raven lifted an armored hand and pointed it right at Applejack. "Save me a spot. We'll meet up and fight our way out!"

That brought smirk to the apple farmer's muzzle before she turned and gave the warrior princess an approving thumbs up.

"Ready?" Copper asked.

No, she wasn't.

Just before she went to reply, a strange thought entered her mind. Well, more of a memory of when she was a teen with her childhood friend. They had been in the fields, working the harvest one year. When they were on break, her friend sang a line, a parody of a famous song.

These thighs were made for bucki'... and that's just what they'll do! These thighs are gonna buck all over, you!

It made her smile.

"Ready!"

Spike and Copper shared a nod, pulling the door open.

The first infected didn't even make it past the threshold as Applejack let out a throaty grunt, kicking the creature with such force that it cracked the stone on the opposing wall upon impact. The farm mare came out swinging as the two boys slammed the door shut behind her, locking her out fully. Applejack swung and kicked, shattering bone and skulls, soaking her once amazing fur in blood and gore. She strewn out bodies as each moaning victim perished at her hand.

If ahm gonna die… I'm goin' out swingin!

"Come on you undead varmints! There's a whole buffet right here!" She accentuated her point by giving her ass a slap, urging them to come and try to take a bite out of her.

Applejack grabbed a bloody collar of one large stallion, pinning its throat while its jaws clapped, gnashing teeth mere inches from her face. She used him as a makeshift shield, bulldozing her way into the crowd. She tossed the poor sod with all her might, bludgeoning several more in the process.

"Ah!" Applejack grit her teeth when one snuck up behind her, biting into her shoulder. "Let… go… of… me!" She demanded between ruthless strikes, pounding in the monsters skull further and further before it let go. Panting, she held the wound with a hand, blood trickling between her fingers.

Just then, a high pitched and familiar groan and gargle grabbed the mare's attention. Applejack watched as the familiar mermaid costume of what used to be her friend shuffled along the hallway. Rarity was almost mutilated beyond recognition. Most of the flesh on her arms was missing, revealing the bone underneath. Her right leg was twisted and mangled, guts dangling from the hole in her abdomen. She was missing an eye and an ear and a good chunk out of her cheek. Lastly, her once pristine fur was soaked in blood.

Sure wasn't going to win any beauty pageants looking like that…

"Yah know, Rarity?" Applejack said as she addressed the corpse, releasing her injury and tightening her grip on her weapons. Zombie Rarity only responded with a gargling wail as Applejack gave her neck another loud crack. "A part of me always wanted ta kill ya after that botched underwear shoot you made me do!

"Het-guh!"

With a grunt, AJ lifted her weapons over her head, swinging at the walking corpse before her…

The sounds of fighting trickled through the door as Applejack made her final stand. The dead moaned and gurgled as they were struck down, nothing but roadblocks to the titan. But pretty soon, the fighting trickled off down the hallway and out of ear shot. The survivors had waited in silence, not wanting to address the elephant in the room.

"Hey Raven?" Spike whispered as he poked his friend with an armored claw. "Where is your fancy suit?"

"He… is with Harrow and the others. They wanted to do something with him," Raven admitted before she grabbed her metal helmet and slid it over. "Otherwise I would be using him."

"Can't you teleport him to you?"

"Not from this distance," she admitted. "Even I have limits." With a sigh, Raven slipped her helmet over her head, strapping it down before giving it a few taps as she stood. "Come on. We're on borrowed time."

Everyone shuffled about as they took their positions and weapons. Copper and Raven took the lead, opening the door and stepping out, each facing the opposite direction. When they saw that no infected were after them, they relaxed a little bit.

"Applejack did this?" Copper commented as he looked out over the carnage. Bodies upon bodies lay unmoving on the floor, piled high and all beaten to death. Fully to death this time.

"It's amazing what you can do when you're mad," Raven added before she gestured towards the same direction they had come from "Come on!"

They all clattered along, stepping over and even on bodies as they worked their way down the hallway. They followed the clear pathway to the stairs, where even more dead lay in crumpled heaps on the stairs. They were all so distracted that they didn't even notice that they stepped past a familiar mare…

The squad came back out onto the main floor, more bodies acting as gruesome bread crumbs all the way to the main doors of the castle. Dash was really happy now that she didn't make a bet, she would have lost! Applejack had given them a great opportunity that would not go to.waste of be forgotten.

Raven brought the group to a halt just before the main entrance, peeking out into the courtyard. Some infected still lingered and even trickled in through the front gate. A glance at the floor found a pool of blood at her feet. She stuck her armored glove it, rubbing the tar with her fingers. She had a theory and it just might work. Raven smeared the gunk along her breastplate. She smeared more and more on before she felt like she had a good enough coating applied.

"What are you doing? That wreaks!" Twilight hissed.

"Camouflage," Raven countered. "Here goes something."

Much to the behest and complaints of the others, Raven stepped out and approached a walker. The poor stallion shuffled along, heading towards her direction. The princess froze, tightening her grip.on her spear and shield just in case as she waited with bated breath as he got ever closer…

And walked right past her.

She let out the breath she had been holding, moving her head just enough to see over her shoulder to make sure he didn't come back. As soon as she felt as though the walker was far enough away, she waved for the other to do the same. With a bit of hesitation, they smothered themselves in blood.

"Ew… it's stinky! Why do we need to do this?" Sunshine whimpered while Copper rubbed down her armor.

"To hide from the monsters," he whispered. "Now stay with Miss Twilight and Mister Spike okay? They'll keep you safe." Twilight offered her hand, which Sunshine took before they all trotted out into the courtyard. Quickly and quietly, they moved past a feeding pile that was munching on some poor soul. Most of them spared it a glance and nothing more, but Dash noticed something protruding out between a pair of legs.

A lone, gauntlet protected hand.

"Applejack…" Dash muttered. Her face contorted into tears and rage before she took two steps towards the pile, ready to shout.

There was a soft tinking when a spear shaft hit her chest, halting her.

"You alert the horde and we all die," Raven whisper-shouted as she gave her weapon a circle wave.

"I can't just let them disrespect her like that!" Dash shot back.

"You want to fight that?" Raven questioned with a gesture of her spear at the numerous walkers gathered around the body. "Or them?" She pointed at the many that still roamed the courtyard. Dash lowered her head out of spite, knowing that Raven was right. She would be putting them all at risk. "Even in death she's saving our lives. It's impressive she made it this far. Let her have her death."

"Girls!" "Twilight hissed.

Raven was the first to go, followed shortly by Dash, leaving the apple farmer behind for the last time. Sticking to the plan, Dash and Fluttershy -the latter struggling under the weight of her armor- took to the air while the others moved through the streets. Sure enough, Raven's theory was working, the blood masking their scent. From up above, the pegasi could really see the destruction. Buildings burned while the dead roamed the streets. Many feasted on those that were alive before being caught while many windows were silhouetted within walkers.

What a mess…

It took the group a bit longer than they had liked to finally reach the royal train station, slipping past the protective fence and into the building itself. Sure enough, the train engine and many attached cars waited inside. They all quickly ran for the engine, climbing the ladders and boarding the first passenger car via a short ladder. Once the pride of the train fleet, the sleek and elegant white and gold trim train was now their saving grace.

"Twi, help me with the engine. I'm not exactly sure how to start it," Raven ordered as she set her weapon down and made a beeline for the forward door.

"Got it!" Twilight followed the human, turning around and addressing her other friends before exiting the car. "Dash, Fluttershy? Could you please get on the roof and watch our backs?"

Dash nodded before slapping her pegasus friend on the chest with the back of her glove, making Flutter's squeak. "Come on 'Shy, let's make sure nothing sneaks up on us."

"O-Okay…"

While they did that, Raven opened the door to the engine room and stepped inside. She looked around the room before grabbing a book and sparing it a curious glance.

"Here," she tossed it to Twilight, who caught it and turned it around. "Maybe you can tell me how to start this behemoth."

Twilight thumbed to the first page reading the manual before pointing at a red lever. "Pull that, then press the red button over there."

While they worked to get the train online, Raven glanced back out the window at the many cars behind them. She took a deep breath and whistled to those on top of the first car, grabbing their attention.

"How many cars are attached!?"

Dash stepped over before taking to the air and hovering overhead. "A lot! Why!?"

"We only need one! No point in taking the whole train!"

"W-What should we do then?" Fluttershy responded as Dash hovered over her.

"There should be a lever or a handle that keeps them connected! Pull on it to disconnect the train!" Raven hollered back.

"Flutters?" Fluttershy turned to face her still hovering friend. "Go get the pin."

"W-Why me!?" Fluttershy gasped.

"Because I can protect you better than you could protect me, " Dash replied as she scanned the train yard. "I won't hesitate to kill something if it gets too close."

It was… sound logic and Fluttershy didn't like it.

"O-Okay…"

With a bit of hesitancy, Fluttershy glided down to the lower platform, then hopped onto the locking mechanism. Sure enough, there was a handle for her to pull on. So, with a shaky hand, she grasped the handle with her right, then her left. Getting her hoofing right, she tugged with all her might.

Nothing…

"Oh I hate this…" she whimpered.

But her friends needed her to do this. So the little pegasus that could tugged and tugged, twisting and jerking with everything she had. The handle barely budged the first couple of times, but after so good elbow grease and a lot of whimpering, the pin pulled free. But her momentum caused her hoof to slip, falling between the two locking mechanisms. Now free, both cars on the train came loose, but then just as quickly as they popped free, they settled back into place.

Crushing Fluttershy's hoof and shin in the process.

The poor mare screamed in agony at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face at the horrible agony that was coming from her leg. She whined and whimpered, biting her lower lip as she tried to pull her mangled hoof free.

Then, came the gargle…

Fluttershy's eyes went wide as a mutilated hand grasped the bottom edge of the train, followed by a second as a walker, gagging on blood and wearing a tattered train workers uniform pulled himself out from under the train.

"DASH! DASHIE PLEASE! HE-E-ELP M-E-HE-HEEEE!" Poor Fluttershy could move despite how hard she tried. The creature crawled out from under the train, slowly climbing to its feet and grasping at her leg. It's hands grasped her calf, opening its jagged muzzle before biting down on her calf.

Or, it would have if it's teeth didn't harmlessly click on her bronze shinguard.

Letting out a grunt of confusion, the monster bit again and again, breaking teeth off in the process as it failed to get at the soft insides. But it didn't keep Fluttershy from screaming any further. The monster continued, failing more and more with each bite, only accomplishing in smearing blood on the guard. As it pulled away to get an even harder bite, the thwack of a string and crunch of an arrow filled the air as the monster jerked to its right, hitting its head on the train car's locking mechanism.

Dash landed a moment later, apologizing profusely. "Flutter's I'm so sorry! The bow wouldn't shoot and I could release the string!" But Fluttershy didn't care as she grasped at her friend's armor, sobbing into her chest uncontrollably. "SOMEPONY MOVE THE TRAIN!" Dash screamed at the top of her lungs as she consoled her friend.

"What?" Copper asked as he opened the door, finding both mares stuck between the cars. "Raven move the train!"

The two sat there for what felt like an eternity before the train car finally moved forward. Fluttershy pulled her leg free with a gasp and a wail, Dash supporting her while they limped into the car. Dash grunted as she dropped Fluttershy into the closest seat, quickly removing her helmet before pulling off Fluttershy's.

"You're okay, Flutter's, alright? You're a big girl. Stay strong alright!" Dash consoled her friend while Copper started rendering aid. "We're gonna get you to Ponyville General and they're going to patch you up good as new!"

That felt like a bit of a stretch as Fluttershy's hoof was up horribly and her metal guards were dented into her skin. Copper held his dressing in place with a hand before he pointed down the aisle.

"Spike, there's a roll of duct tape towards the front, bring it here!"

"On it!"

"This is going to hurt," Copper warned Fluttershy. The poor girl held a hand to her muzzle, gritting her teeth in preparation.

"MHPH!"

Copper pulled his knot tight around the wound, making her scream into her knuckles and slam her other fist on the bench. Copper caught the roll of tape Spike had tossed to him before pulling a good strip free with a rip before he wrapped her wound.

At the front of the train, Raven and Twilight got the engines started. "Okay… I think we're good, we just need to get the gates open."

"Uh… not going to be that easy…" Twilight muttered before she pointed out the passenger window. Confused, Raven stood and peered out as well. Sure enough, numerous infected corpses appeared to be shuffling around the train yard. "They look like the train crew."

"They are the train crew," Raven answered. "Damn… we need that gate open."

Just then, the door to the engine propped open. "Hey? What's our ETA? Fluttershy's hurt and we need to get out of here!" Dash said as she stepped inside.

Both Twilight and Raven looked at one another as their answer literally just walked in the door.

"Hey ten second to cum, guess what you get to do!" Raven pointed with a finger gun towards the front gate and past the lumbering walkers. "We need that gate open and you get to do it!"

"What did you just call me?" Dash narrowed her eyes in anger. "Better yet, why do I have to do it? Why can't you!"

Twilight groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because it would be easier and safer for you to fly over to the gate and unlock it and fly back. Honestly you would be done by know if you just did it…"

"But-"

"Just go Dash!" Twilight snapped. Her exasperation had finally boiled over as she let her friend have it. "I swear! You are the worst on the best of days and unbearable on the worst!" Twilight sighed exhaustively as she slumped back into the engineers seat. "We'll distract the dead, just get the gate unlocked and open…"

With a huff, Dash exited the engine car and climbed onto the roof, thumping her way to the front.

"She reminds me of you," Twilight commented.

"I don't blame ponies for actions out of my control," Raven countered as they rose from their seats and stepped out into the engines walkway. "Aim for those barrels," Raven pointed.

Twilight manifested a small ball of magic in her palm, firing it across the platform, striking a series of stacked barrels. They toppled and banged, clattering and rolling across the ground. That seemed to do the trick, causing the infected to lift their heads and moan, shuffling towards the noises to investigate. Meanwhile, at the front of the engine, Dash watched for an opening waiting patiently until the gate was clear. Then with a single flap of her wings, she landed before the gate, grumbling under her breath before unlocking the slide lock before pushing the doors open just enough for momentum to take over. Dash made a quick retreat back for the train, landing back on the engine walkway with a huff.

Raven threw the engine into drive, slowly causing the beast to lumber forward. A resonating bang filled the air as the engines plow struck the iron gates, causing them to crash against the fence.

"Should we be worried about infected climbing aboard?" Twilight questioned.

"They don't seem coordinated enough to do such a thing," Raven replied before shifting the train into second gear. "They probably would have done it by now if they were after us." Raven leaned forward to better see out the window when she spotted something problematic. "Damn…"

"What?"

"We need to change the tracks to get her on the mains," Raven explained. A glance out the window towards the back of the train confirmed that they had gathered a bit of a following. They must have been drawn by the engine and the gates smashing about.

"I'll deal with it!" Rainbow growled as she stepped past the open window with her crossbow in hand. The mare took her stance and leveled her bow, taking aim down the weapons sights. She spotted the transfer lever, slowly closing her left eye…

She took the shot.

With a whistle the arrow rapidly accelerated from the weapon, flexing and bending as it flew over the land.

Only to miss and stick in the ground several meters past the target.

"Ah!" Dash's eye twitched in utter disbelief. That was impossible! Her aim was tried and true and this always worked in the Daring Do books! There was no way she missed! It was a joke, she could hit it again. Practice shot!

But before Dash could even reload, the lever was encased in a violet aura, tilting with a low rumble as it transferred the tracks onto the main line.

"This isn't some hero moment Dash, just let it go," Twilight spoke softly from inside the cab as her magic dissipated. Rainbow grit her teeth, storming off and back into the first cabin car.

Twilight and Raven remained in the engine, bringing the train up to speed. It rumbled along, easily out pacing the crowd it had gathered while it ran over those that couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Now that they were on the main, Raven let out a sigh of relief, setting the train to a good coasting speed. They spiraled their way down the tracks and off the mountain.

But they still weren't out of the woods yet…

The quarantine shield was creeping up very quickly.

"Come on Mom, open the shield…" Raven prayed as they got dangerously close to crashing.

But just as they thought they were about to meet their demise in a fiery explosion, a hole, just big enough for the train to fit through opened, letting the locomotive to race on through before the shield closed before anything more could escape.

Both Raven and Twilight let out a sigh of relief, sharing relieving smiles with one another. Now free, Raven gave the horn a tug, signaling their clean escape and move to freedom.

They did it.

But at what cost?

However, they still needed to get off the mountain. So, Raven and Twilight stood, facing one another awkwardly before they embraced one another in a much needed hug.

Twilight sniffled as she finally lost her composure. "I'm sorry…" she whimpered.

"Me too," Raven replied softly, remorsefully.

Without a word, they headed towards the passenger car, Raven closing the door in the process while the others stood to greet them. They shared hugs and kisses, tears too as they embraced one another.

"You okay back there Fluttershy?" Twilight called out to her friend. Fluttershy still sat at the back of the car, only her pink mane and ears poking out over the top of the seats. She waved a shaky hand, indicating that she was still with them.

Round and round they went down the slope as the train rumbled along the tracks before it eventually hit the valley floor and headed towards Ponyville. While the survivors talked and made plans for the future, Copper winced when a blinding light hit him in the eye. He threw up a hand to shield his eyes as he and the others stood. Moving towards the right side of the train, they watched as the sun rose in the east, rapidly ascending into the sky at a dangerously fast pace.

"Why is the sun rising? It's only two a.m!" Dash gasped in disbelief.

"Mom probably can't take the infection any longer," Raven theorized as they watched the sun take heed over the capital city.

Then, it happened.

A blinding white beam of energy, brighter than even the sun, shot from the sun and towards the castle.

Standing on the main balcony of the castle, Celestia stood, her horn ignited with a white hue. Blood dripped from her eyes as she openly cried. Strewn out in the throne room, her once trusted guards laid un-moving, the infection having consumed their minds, turning them into ravenous monsters. Much to her dismay, Celestia had been forced to put them all down lest her plan fail.

Deep in the castle bowels, Rarity lay un-moving, what remained of her body was nothing but a mangled mess of blood and gore where she had been struck down.

In the courtyard, Pinkie wandered out past her dead companions, heading for one body in particular. Slowly she sat, grabbing the mutilated upper torso that had been crawling along, flipping it over and hugging her friend. Applejack, poor Applejack had been dismembered from her lower half, leaving her guts strewn out behind her while her upper torso was ravaged with bite marks and missing flesh. She gargled and gagged, waving her bone exposed arms around while Pinkie just sat there, stroking what remained of her friend's mane while she stared up at the sky and awaited the sweet release of death.

The beam of energy connected with Celestia's horn, before she was engulfed by a lethal flash of white energy.

The survivors watched in horror as Canter Mountain vanished in a blinding light, forcing them all to shield their eyes. First came the rumble, a deafening roar of energy that shook the train, threatening to derail them in the process. Then came the heat, so hot that it melted the paint right off the side of the train and caused the survivors to sweat in their armor, the car acting like a makeshift oven. But just as soon as it had started, it was over.

Panting, the living slowly opened their eyes, peering out over the landscape and watching with bated breath as Canter Mountain burned. Flames roared as black smoke billowed into the heavens. What remained of Canterlot's support structure buckled before collapsing onto the mountain side. At the mountains peak was nothing but a smoldering crater that weakened the rest of the mountain, causing the ground to collapse in on itself before a wave of molten lava exploded out the top, showering the land below in fire.

The survivors all ran to the back of the train to get a better look, opening the door and stepping out onto the platform.

It was gone.

It was done.

"No way anything could have survived that," Raven commented.

"At least we can confirm that this is all finally over," Twilight added as she spotted Fluttershy's mane rising from behind them all. She must be curious as to what they were looking at.

Copper pulled his helmet from his head and held it under his arm. "Now we just need to-MHPH!"

Copper was cut off when a pair of hands wrapped around his head, jerking him back through the door. He screamed into his aggressors lethal grip, eyes widening in horror at the sight. With a hiss, Fluttershy threw her head back, eyes filled with hunger as she sank her teeth into his exposed face, tearing a chunk of skin from his cheek.

"Copper!"

"What!?"

Raven winced, immediately shuttering her eye when a light blinded her vision. The poor woman whimpered as she rubbed her eye with her elbow.

"What? Baby what happened?" Copper asked as she felt a hand land on her knee. Then another rested on her shoulder before pulling away. "Ugh! You're soaked in sweat!"

Raven peeked out from over her arm and took in her surroundings. Okay… she was in her room, more specifically her bed. Stardust was watching her from his perch in the corner too. Next to her, Copper held out his hand in disgust before he turned back to look at her with a worried expression. Indeed, she was soaking wet with sweat and clearly had a very intense night of sleep. That nightmare was way too fresh in her mind.

"Why don't you go take a shower while I see about getting the sheets changed?" Copper offered.

Raven nodded lethargically, slowly tossing the sheets over her legs before climbing out of bed and heading for her bathroom. Copper watched her as she went before she disappeared into the bathroom. The shower started a moment later, which prompted him to reach over and pat her side of the bed. He let out a wince of disgust at the wet feeling of the mattress being soaked in sweat.

"Definitely not sleeping there again tonight," he commented before getting out of bed as well. The cool air was a bit rough on his bare legs and upper torso, but he would manage. Heading for the door, he propped it open just enough to poke his head out and find one of his girl's guards.

"Yes, Sir Copper?" the left guard addressed.

"Uhm… could we possibly get a change of bed sheets? Raven kind of ruined these ones," he paused as many thoughts ran through his head. "We didn't do anything like that and she didn't pee the bed or anything… uhm… Raven had a nightmare…" he sheepishly admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Of course, Sir!" the guard nodded. "I can have a maid clean it post haste!"

"Uhh… could you maybe just have them leave a spread just inside the door?" he requested. "I'll deal with the bed."

"Understood, Sir!" the guard nodded.

"Thank you."

With a weary sigh, Copper closed the door and rubbed the back of his head, somewhat unsure as to what he should do. With an errand glance, he headed for the bathroom.

With water streaming down her body, Raven stood, propped up against the wall with both hands, her soaked hair making a U shaped tunnel around her head. It all felt so real and it scared her. Everything she had, had been killed one by one. She felt exhausted emotionally and miserable. So much so that the princess hadn't even bothered to clean her body, just opting to stand there under the water. Her hair was also getting a bit longer than she liked.

The sound of the door opening and closing, causing her to cock her head to listen over her shoulder. A pair of furry arms wrapped around her sides as her boyfriend hugged her from behind. Raven let him ease her back, resting her back on his chest while her head rested on his right shoulder. With his left hand, he tenderly rubbed the side of her neck with the back of his fingers. She always loved that, made her feel loved and relaxed.

"Wanna talk about?"

Raven opened her eye and sighed. "There were zombies…"

"Alright, never mind! You can stop right there!"

Raven couldn't help but crack a smile as she rolled her shoulders and adjusted her head so that he could access more of her soft skin. Copper let out a breathy laugh in her ear. "I've always hated Nightmare Night."

"That's why I didn't want to talk to you about it," Raven admitted. "So anyway, zombies attacked during the party."

"Okay I get it."

"And we had to run away."

"You can stop now!"

"And a lot of ponies turned into zombies."

"Alright, stop! I get the picture!" Copper stated as he spun his giggling girl around and held her by the shoulders. His serious tone was betrayed by the playful smile he wore. "Sheesh you're going to give me nightmares now." His hardened gaze softened as he pulled her in for a much needed hug. "Feel better?"

"Yeah…" she replied softly, snuggling his moist chest fur as she wrapped her arms around his back. "I… I just don't want to lose you… I've lost too many up until now…"

"Is that what happened?"

She nodded weakly, sniffling as tears threatened to escape the corners of her eyes. Copper tightened his grip around her, squeezing her and assuring Raven that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Well I don't plan on leaving just yet," he affirmed.

With an appreciative and loving smile, she locked her gaze with his own before leaning in for a brief kiss before once again resting her head on his chest with a pleasant sigh.

"I can hear your heartbeat."

They stayed like that for some time, simply enjoying the comfort one another created for themselves.

"What time is it?" she eventually asked.

"I think the clock read a quarter to three or something," Copper replied.

"Ugh…" I'm never going back to bed now…" Raven groaned. She released him and took a step back, pinching the bridge of her nose and giving her eyes a rub before she took a deep breath and sighed yet again. "Well, might as well get clean." She spared her boyfriend another thankful and loving smile. So she took another step forward and stood on the tips of her toes, resting her hands on his chest before pressing her lips against his own.

"Mhm…"

They deepened their kiss, Copper's hands finding her sides. He pulled her in close with a squeak. They moaned into one another's mouths, their tongues wrestling for dominance. Then, without warning, Copper hooked a hand under her right knee, lifting her leg and holding her close. He did the same with her other leg, lifting her into the air while she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. With a couple of broad steps forward, he pinned her to the wall and forcing her to break the kiss with a gasp.

"Let's take our time.. " she suggested with a steamy gaze.

Eventually, the two lovers would once again return to bed after a quick change of the bedding. But even as the morning came, Raven still had this lingering thought of paranoia. Tonight was Nightmare Night and the castle party. But she remembered her nightmare thoroughly. So she went and checked on the guards that guarded the artifact room and was a bit unsettled when she learned those that guarded the location were not on duty. After that, she headed to the hospital and was relieved to find that they were open and welcoming. A couple of questions confirmed that no pony had been brought in with bite wounds and definitely no guards were there either.

Later that night, Raven had security increased and even went as far as changing her costume from her original skeleton couple to a pair of angels. During the party, Raven tried, she really did too, to relax and have fun, but she always found her gaze drifting towards the doors.

"Wow… that's an amazing costume!"

Raven inhaled sharply, her attention snapping towards the door. There… stood another cute little angel before…

"I know right!?" the little zombie mare beamed with pride as she gave her shirt a tug to let others see her costume. "I have a friend going to art school and she was eager to do my costume!"

Raven let out the biggest sigh of relief she ever had.

"You okay, Sweetie?" Copper whispered as he rested a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head nervously, pointing towards the door as she lowered her head to try and catch her breath. Copper followed her finger, noticing the zombie and angel giggling and laughing with one another before they turned and struck a playful pose for a photo.

"U-huh-m… P-Princess?"

Raven blinked, lifting her head slightly. She stared in awe at what stood before her. A cute little pink filly, wearing a little black dress and an eye-patch over her eye stood nervously before the human.

I know her…

This… is what Raven needed.

So she put on her best, loving smile as she knelt before the cute little filly. "Well hello there, Princess. What's your name?"

"S-Sunshine Rose…"

"Well that's a pretty name!" Raven complimented before she scooped up the filly, making her giggle in the process.

Seemingly forgetting the nightmares of that morning, human and filly giggled and played the night away.

Watching from the outside, a dark figure peered through the window with her glowing cat like eyes. Her fur was black and mane flowing in an invisible breeze, Nightshine, the former corrupted entity known as Nightmare Moon, watched her niece as she smiled and played with Sunshine Rose.

"Sometimes we all need a little nightmare in our lives. Especially on a night such as this," the mare said with a wicked smile. "Perhaps she will learn that I don't like pranks that much." She shrugged, crossing her arms while she pulled away and into a hover, looking longingly to the moon.

"Nightmare Night, Nabarus, no matter the name, we must all be aware. Sometimes the monsters are fake, sometimes they're real, but no matter what they are, remember, watch the shadows. For you may never know what lurks deep within~" her smile became wicked as she stared at something. To the naked eye, there was nothing there. But she knew, she had that power.

"Isn't that right, esteemed reader?"

Yes, I know you are there. Please, I do hope you enjoyed my wicked little tale~

Nightmare Moon flashed a dark blue, fading into nothing but particles of glittering light that twinkled in the moonlight.

Nightmare Night, Nabarus, whatever you call it, I do hope you enjoy yourselves on this night of scares, laughs, and treats. But please remember. whatever you do on this fateful night, be safe, have fun, watch the shadows and more importantly…

"Have a happy Halloween!"

As a faint cackle echoed through the frigid night air…