Night of the Living Pies: Apinkalypse

Chapters

Prologue - Pinktient Zero
Chapter 1 - A Confession Written in Pink
Chapter 2 - Pinknic Down at the Farm
Chapter 3 - Pink in Concert

Prologue - Pinktient Zero

Night time... the witching hour, All Hallows Eve. Probably the scariest time of the year, besides perhaps midnight of the next coming day. The city of Canterlot sleeps soundly, children and adults all to excited to enact their plans upon waking for Halloween day.

Over the past month, the citizens of Canterlot had been busily preparing themselves for a magical Halloween Night. But as they put up their decorations and prepared their costumes, none of them knew that this of all Hallows would be much more magical than they’d planned for. Equestrian magic was at work this night. And tonight, it would make their frightening flights of fantasy all too real.

Trudging down the sidewalk with a large trench coat slewed over his back and empty bottle of liquor in his hand, a man with dark green skin and blond hair stumbled home after a night of drunken debauchery at one of the city's local bars. He had been enjoying an early Halloween celebration being held there, which had been offering its customers half-off drinks to anyone who showed up in a costume. They were probably expecting people not to jump on the offer, seeing as most people would not want to be seen in their costumes the day before Halloween. But luckily for the drunken patron, now nearly tripping over himself, his blue-suited work attire and jacket resembled enough of a costume that the bar staff mistook him for a popular character from some sci-fi series he hadn't heard of. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, the man decided to drink his fill, and deal with the expert scolding his wife would most likely give him upon his return.

His walk from downtown to uptown was not relatively long, most things of note in the area being only an extended walking distance away from the upper town suburbs. All that was left for him to pass was the entrance to the Canterlot High School, from there he'd then be able to turn the corner on the next block and walk strait towards his home, where his screaming banshee of wife more then likely sat waiting for him.

Stumbling slightly as he took his next step, he cantered unevenly towards his right, soon finding himself between the entrance to the school and the statue podium that stood in front of it. Without thinking, the man lifted the empty bottle to his lips trying to take a swig of the liquid he only thought was there. When he found it empty, he slammed the bottle down on the school's front stairs in frustration. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glowered hateful at the school doors in front of him. With an exasperated sigh, he stated, "I need ta pee."

He turned away from the stairs and walked over towards a couple of bushes lying near the left side of the school. With a quick unzip of his fly, he... relieved himself.

A bright flash of light suddenly appeared behind him, then disappeared just as quickly, like someone had just mistakenly taken his picture. With a low growl, the man finished relieving himself, gave a few shakes, and turned around abruptly to shout angrily at the person who had so foolhardily taken his picture. "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK-"

His eyes widened upon seeing something different then what he expected laying on the ground just a few feet from the mirror-covered bottom of the statue. Instead of some jackass teenage boy... it was a girl. A pink-skinned girl with absolutely no clothes on her whatsoever. She picked herself up slightly and sat in an unintentionally seductive pose, her perky pink breasts bouncing slightly with the movement. The man smiled. She was definitely a lot prettier then his wife.

With an excited chuckle, the man licked his palm and ran it through his hair, as to flatten any "cowlicks" or "drunk-hobo-crazy-hair" he may have collected before he made his move. He walked towards her with a confident strut, as she turned her gaze towards him with a feeling of curiosity. The man crotched down to look the girl in the eyes, it was at this closer distance that he finally noticed the girl was actually a teenager, with baby blue eyes and pink frizzy hair. His smile grew wider as his eyes rolled over her form. He always did like them young.

"Hi, there." The man greeted. The girl seemed to perk up at his statement. "My name's Shots-a-Plenty, what's yours?"

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, it's super-duper nice to meet you." She replied. She was bubbly, probably a ditz, he could work with this.

"What's a girl like you doing out here in the middle of the cold, cold night?~" He asked, trying his best to sound as seductive as his drunken slurred voice would allow. She didn't answer immediately. "Your going to get yourself in trouble out here with no clothes on." He said taking her hand and leading her up into a stand.

"Really?" She asked, genuinely confused. "Because where I come from it's normal to be dressed like this. Ponies don't normally wear clothes." She looked down at her body, and realized she didn't have fur or hooves anymore. "But I guess I'm not really a pony anymore, am I?"

The man smirked at her statement, figuring it to be some kind of innuendo. "Well you can still be a pony if you wanna. Maybe I could show you to someplace warm, and you can show me how fun it is to ride you.~"

Pinkie cocked a brow at him for a moment, before realization suddenly hit her. "Wait a sugar-shaking minute here... are you, hitting on me?" She questioned.

Shots rolled his eyes playful. "Well..."

Pinkie began to smile widely, before waggling her brows suggestively at the man. "Oh! Well then Mr. Flirty-Pants, maybe we can have some fun. After all, I know a good time when I see it, I am a party planner." She seemed to scrunch up her nose at her last statement. "Well, not technically I guess, but I am-Mmpf." She was cut off as the older man's lips met hers, she moaned contently as they shared the kiss.

He broke the kiss after a few short minutes, and stared longingly at the naked girl he had just met. She only stared happily back at him, like a child would their own parent, or an adult they particularly liked.

"You like that?~" He said, lidding his eyes as if trying to excite the girl even more.

"Your breath is sorta stinky, but yeah!" She said with chipper smile. "That was pretty fun. I hope you don't dislike this next part too much though."

Shots-a-Plenty shot her a confused gaze. "What do ya mean, next part..." His eyes shot open. All of a sudden, a burning yet sweet sensation began to envelop the man's lips and the inside of his mouth. Like he had just downed an entire bottle of hot sauce stuffed inside a cupcake, the burning sensation traveled down his throat and into his stomach, completely enveloping his body as it moved outwards from his center to the very top layers of his skin. He let go of the girl and backed up, as he began to feel his bones contracting and changing shape. His every appendage shot about in random movement, until he finally felt himself fall backwards onto pavement as he began to convulse. His skin began to change from dark green to light pink, and his short blond hair began to grow wilder and more frazzled. The girl only stared at him happily as the seizure-like convulsions began to settle, and the man was left lying flat on his back again, completely unmoving.

Shots-a-Plenty picked himself up until he was standing back on his feet. His skin resembled that of the pink-skinned girl, in fact his entire appearance resembled that of the pink-skinned girl, save for their heights, his blond hair color, and the fact he... she was still wearing clothes.

The taller pink-skinned girl stared down at the smaller with similar-looking baby blue eyes. She blinked at her. "What just happened..?" She asked in similar voice.

"What happened?" The smaller girl shot her arms upwards in an excited gestured. "You've just been added to the collective... Shots-a-Pinkie!" She explained, giggling slightly at her own joke.

Shots-a-Pinkie brought her finger up to her chin and asked curiously. "What's a collective..?"

"Its a big word I heard Twilight use once. I don't know what it actually means, but basically it like being invited to the biggest, bestest party of one ever!"

The taller girl smiled, and clasped her fingers in her palms excitedly. "Really?!" She exclaimed.

"Yeppers! And if I work really hard and fast, we could seriously have enough Pinkies to form are own one Pie conga line!"

Shots-a-Pinkie gasped at the implications.

"Do you want to help me add more ponies, err... people to collective?!" The smaller Pinkie ask excitedly.

"Yes!" The other Pinkie answered without hesitation. Without another word, the two locked arms and began skipping merrily into the night. The town sleeping, blissful unaware of the horror that would be unleashed come the morning. When the Apinkalypse would begin.

Author's Note

A slightly rehashed version of my original first chapter, thanks to the suggest given to me by my new editor. I hope you guys and girls enjoy the new direction we're taking.

Chapter 1 - A Confession Written in Pink

Sunset Shimmer awoke to the sounds of her alarm going off, as the sun slowly grew farther away from the horizon. She turned onto her side to see the time, the clock on her bedside table reading 11:30 am. It was later then she usually tended to get up, but with today being a holiday, it didn't bother her all to much.

Sunset got up from her bed and shuffled over to her window while stifling a yawn. With groggy eyes, she looked over the newly illuminated streets of Canterlot from her higher vantage, and noticed a distinct lack of people and traffic covering the streets. She had not yet had a chance to visit many other locations around the human world she now called home, but of the few she had seen, Canterlot City definitely was the most populated. No matter what day it was, she tended to see people walking down the sidewalks in groups or in pairs, or at least could note a car or two driving down the road on slower days. But today the streets just seemed... barren, like nobody had touched them since the city went to sleep the night before.

Sunset considered this uneasy feeling for a moment, but ultimately shrugged it off as that usual creepy Halloween vibe. It probably wasn't anything she really needed to be worried about anyways. She turned from her window and walked towards her bathroom, stripping off her purple pajamas as she did so for a shower. Little did she know, something pink and highly spastic was darting across the street as she turned away. It leapfrogged over a parked car as it reached the side the of the street her apartment was located on and quickly ran to her door.

Sunset, meanwhile, was running her fingers through her hair as the hot water from her shower began to cascade over her body, partially waking her from the confines of her tired stupor. She had found over the last couple months that her morning showers had become her favorite part the day. The hot water and steam rushing over her body and kissing her skin made the ex-unicorn feel relaxed, and allowed her to think more clearly then in any other place she found in her daily life. It was this, coupled with a hot cup coffee with cream and sugar, that woke her up completely every morning, and she made it a rule to never miss doing these things when going about her daily routine.

A sudden slamming echoed loudly from Sunset's front door, alerting the fiery-haired teenager that someone had come to visit. She sighed and slowly turned off the water. Apparently, not everyone fully respected her rules of routine.

She wrapped herself in a white bath towel, drying herself off just enough so she wouldn't drip across the carpet as she made her way to the front door. Upon reaching the door, she brought her eye up to its peephole to see if her visitor was anyone she cared to address. As she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, Sunset asked, "who is-" only to have the question die in her throat, as her eyes widened in shock. "PINKIE!" On the other side of the door stood Pinkie Pie, looking as naked as the day she was birthed into this world.

"Hi there, Mr. talking door." Pinkie stated in reply. Sunset slammed her door open, tightened her towel around her midsection as to make sure it didn't fall off, and franticly pulled Pinkie Pie into her house by the bicep of her arm. She then, just as quickly, slammed the door shut.

"Pinkie?! What do you think your doing?!" Sunset shouted at the confused-looking pink girl. "You can't be wandering around town without clothes on! It's indecent! And illegal!"

Pinkie only blinked at her friend. "It is?"

"YES!" She restated earnestly.

"Well that doesn't seem fair?" She pouted. "I'm always naked around this time of day. It's fun, and I like having the breeze on me. It tickles!" She exclaimed joyfully.

Sunset whispered in astonishment. "Your always..." She then sighed and placed her head in her hand. "Well sometimes it is fun for some people, but you can't do it here..." Sunset explained like she had somehow become Pinkie's scolding mother. With another hushed whisper she continued, "...trust me I already know."

Sunset looked back up at her friend, now fixing her with a more curious expression. "What are you even doing down here anyways, Pinkie?" Sunset asked. "Your house is an awfully long ways away from mine, and I really doubt you'd run all the way down here in your birthday suit." She paused for a second as a new scenario popped into her head. "Wait... Did Rainbow Dash dare you to make it through the park unseen again? Celestia-dammit, I thought we already warned her to stop taking advantage of you!"

Sunset groaned, before exhaling an annoyed sigh. She turned away from Pinkie and began heading towards her bedroom. "Wait here a minute Pinkie." She commanded more then she asked. "I'm going to go get dressed and grab you some clothes while I'm at it. Then I'll drive you home..." Sunset soon felt a sudden pressure squeeze around her left hand as Pinkie shot to grab it. She turned around and gave her friend a confused look.

"Someone seems awfully cranky today.~" Pinkie batted her eyes flirtatiously at Sunset. "Maybe joining the collective will help put a smile on that face."

"Pinkie what-" Pinkie's hands suddenly shot upwards away from Sunset's, and cupped her face by the cheeks. Now unable to un-pucker her lips, Sunset finally noticed Pinkie slowly beginning to lean in. Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinheads as she desperately tried to pull her head out of her friends surprisingly vice-like grip. Pinkie's eyes closed as she grew closer, and Sunset found herself unable to protest with her face currently scrunched up. She was almost about to give in and submit, when suddenly... the door slammed open.

*BANG* "GET BACK HERE CLONE!"

Pinkie's hands let go of Sunset's cheeks in an instant, and she turned in surprise to see another girl standing in the doorway. "Jeepers! It's the fuzz!"

The girl leap for Pinkie like a linebacker leaps for the player holding the ball, but Pinkie was quicker and ducked under her before sprinting towards the door. The girl ended up tackling Sunset to the floor as Pinkie managed to run out into street. "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE! AHHH!"

"STOP!" The girl tried to pick herself up, only to have her ankle be grabbed as she tried to give chase. She soon fell face forward, bumping her head again the door causing it to close.

Sunset screamed in frustration. "Oh no you don't! Who do you think you are breaking into my-" Her eyes widened upon recognizing another one of her friends from Equestria. "Starlight?!"

Starlight looked back, and too recognized her ex-unicorn friend. "Sunset?"

"What are you doing out of Equestria?" Sunset asked.

"Why aren't you wearing any cloths?" Starlight asked curiously. Upon being asked the question, Sunset looked down and noticed that, indeed yes, her towel had come undone in the slight scuffle. She shrieked loudly before quickly bolting back into her room.

She started shouting through the door. "Why in Tartarus, are you and Pinkie Pie barging into my house!" A second question soon popped into her head. "...And why was she naked!"

"It will take more time then I have to explain, I'll tell you later." Starlight exclaimed as she bolted for the door. "Right now, I need to focus on catching her."

"Good luck!" Starlight thought her last comment must have amused her, because she could have sworn she heard Sunset just laugh. "You know as well as I do, what Pinkie Pie is capable of doing... or lack there of. She'll probably be gone by the time you open up that door." As if to test her theory, Starlight opened Sunset's front door to check for Pinkie, and like she had guessed, the pink party thrower was nowhere to be seen.

Embarrassedly, Starlight began to search for a reply. "I... Umm... Well..." She didn't find one.

"Exactly..." Sunset said as she continued to snark through the door. "So just sit your caboose down in one of those chairs out there and wait for me. Your not getting out here without giving me a full explanation." Starlight, still finding no reason to argue, decided to take a seat at her host's behest.

Within a few minutes, Sunset Shimmer exited her room now fully clothed. Surprisingly, she found that Starlight had followed her orders and was still occupying her living room instead of chasing Pinkie like she was so adamant on doing before. She looked up at Sunset and gave her a slight giggle snort. "What the hay are you wearing?" She giggled.

Sunset scoffed. Her new outfit was something that looked like it had come straight out of a military movie, complete with shoulder pads, lock pics, an insignia cap, and a pair of black belt bags. Starlight didn't recognize any of it.

Sunset huffed indignantly. "This is my Halloween Costume. A homage to a main character of an awesome game series."

Starlight chuckled. "So... like what nerdy foals do on Nightmare Night?"

Sunset blushed in frustration. "That's not important right now!" She shouted. "Why are you chasing Pinkie Pie through Canterlot City, and more to the point... WHY WAS SHE NAKED?!" She nearly blew out her voice at the end of her question to give it more emphasis.

"She's not your type, I assume?" Starlight shot back mockingly.

"Of course not!" Sunset said beginning to hug herself. She shuttered in discomfort as she whispered, "...dear Celestia, I actually though she was going to kiss me."

Starlight chuckled, but a sudden forlorn expression enveloping her face dissuaded any further sense of mirth she may have felt at the moment. She sighed and began rubbing her eyebrows beneath her index finger and thumb. "I'm sorry. Things have been really crazy in Equestria recently, and I needed something to lift my spirits a bit."

Sunset noticed the pure sorrowful look that permeated through Starlight's once boisterous mood. She quickly adopted a concerned expression and asked her friend with the utmost trepidation, "Starlight... what exactly is going on?"

Starlight looked up at her and took in a deep breath. "It all started a few days ago... ironically enough, on Nightmare Night." She expressed somberly. "It was your usual sort of celebration. Fillies and colts were dressed up in costume, adult ponies where handing out candy and playing carnival games... generally everypony was just enjoying the festivities and treats." She paused. "But me and my friend Trixie... well, I guess you could say, we were feeling a bit more 'tricky' then 'treaty' this year."

Sunset grimaced. Starlight took this as a voiceless cue to continue.

"She convinced me to help her pull a prank on the citizens of Ponyville. Something based on another prank the citizens played on Rainbow Dash using some dyed filly scout cookies. We decided to bake a huge batch of cupcakes, enough so everypony in town would get one, but used a special potion that made the cupcakes' cream filling taste like hot sauce."

Sunset raised an eyebrow and asked curiously. "I'm gonna guess that was your idea?"

Starlight nodded. "I thought it would be funnier if the ponies being pranked didn't know where the burning sensation was coming from." She inhaled again, using the the brief moment of silence to remember were she left off in the story. "The first pony we decided to test the cupcakes on was Pinkie Pie. At first, she seemed like the logical first choice. She's fun, crazy, always enjoys a good practical joke. Of course the prank turned out to be a failure anyways, because Pinkie Pie apparently puts hot sauce on everything."

Sunset nodded in agreement. "You don't have to tell me twice, I've see how she eats. Did you know she puts peanut butter and prunes on her pizza?"

Starlight snickered, if only slightly. "Anyways... when we went to test the cupcakes on Pinkie we found that potion we used in the cream had a strange effect on her. As it turned out, the Pinkie we tested the cupcake on first wasn't the actual Pinkie, but clone of her from another earlier incident in Ponyville involving something called the mirror pool."

She waited for Sunset to ask her another question, assuming she didn't already know about the magical pond. When no further questions came and the somber silence only continued, Starlight decided to continue her story.

"The clone didn't act any differently at first..." She admitted. "But then she suddenly began kissing ponies for no reason. Like she had somehow spontaneously grown an innate urge to lip lock with everypony she came across. Which was only weird in the beginning, and I guess partially arousing to some ponies involved..." She mumbled only loud enough so Sunset wouldn't hear her completely. "But then those ponies she kissed started turning into Pinkie Pies themselves."

"What?" Sunset asked bewilderedly. "They turned into Pinkies?"

"Yeah, I was confused too." She admitted poignantly. "What's worse was that the ponies that were turned into Pinkies started kissing other ponies as well, and before you knew it, the entire town was completely overrun." Her voice seemed to hitch as she admitted that. Whatever had happened during the Pinkie clone's outbreak clearly had left an effect on her. Starlight began to rake her fingers through her hair. "Using their unique abilities, the Pinkies were able to infect almost the whole of Equestria within only a few weeks. Eventually the only ponies left unaffected where me, Princess Twilight, and a few other survivors." She proclaimed nervously. "When we had finally gotten cornered, Twilight gave me Star Swirl's time travel scroll and told me to go back in time and stop the clone before she could infect her first victim." Starlight sounded like she wanted to cry. "I did what she asked, and ended up chasing the clone through the magic mirror to your world."

Sunset was struck silent. Her friend was in obvious turmoil, and she barely knew how to approach the situation. How was she supposed to react? A Pinkie Pie clone was running around her city naked, and apparently her kiss turned you into a Pinkie Pie too. She couldn't help but think about some horror films she had enjoyed watching with her friends from Canterlot High, that had similar premises. But none of what she had seen could have prepared her for something this... ridiculous.

Sunset soon noticed that Starlight was holding her head in her hands, and quickly pulled herself out of her own thoughts to comfort her. She placed her hand gently on Starlight's shoulder drawing the other ex-unicorn's attention. "It's okay Starlight." She expressed soothingly. "You didn't know this would happen. No pony could have know."

Starlight only seemed to glower at her. "How can you say that!" She shot back. "I'm the cause of all this, and I'm also the reason she got into your world in the first place! If she isn't stopped, what happened in Equestria could happen here! HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS!" She shouted, tears flowing down her cheeks from the guilt.

"Because you're my friend, and I forgive you." Sunset admitted. The tears in Starlight's eyes almost immediately seemed to stop flowing. "And I'm going to help you fix this before it gets too out-of-hand. I'm assuming you have a plan?"

Starlight smiled thankfully and began to rub the tears out of the corners of her eyes. "Sort of..." She admitted. "I think I can synthesize an antidote from the Prime Pinkie if she has already begun infecting people. Otherwise, we just need to find her and bring her back to Equestria, where I can perform a spell that will send straight back to the mirror pool."

Sunset nodded understandingly. But then a quick question popped into her head. "Say Starlight, why didn't you just go back in time and stop yourself from making those cupcakes in the first place?" Sunset asked curiously.

Starlight looked down guiltily. "I damaged the time travel scroll back when I used it to get revenge on Princess Twilight. It can take a pony back farther in time then a normal time spell would, but only a certain distance. This was the best I could do." She admitted somberly.

Sunset shrugged. "Well, I guess I can't argue with an explanation like that." She admitted. "Anything else I should know before we start searching?"

"I've found that the infected people who turned into Pinkies are extremely susceptible to sugars and sweeteners due to the potions unique reaction with the sugar in the cupcakes. Any extra sugar placed into their systems will cause them to crash like foals after a sugar high."

Sunset nodded. "Okay..." She began to think. "I have a bit the soda still left in my fridge and a few Nerf super soakers from my last trip to the beach. Maybe if we put those together we could-"

Sunset was cut off as her cellphone began to ring. Judging by the country music that was playing, she assumed it was Applejack who was calling her.

She picked up the phone. "Applejack? Is that you?"

"Sunset! Thank goodness ya picked up!" The farm girl exclaimed with clear exhaustion in her voice. "We got some kind of magical who-ha going on over here at the farm, and we could really use your help!"

"Applejack, calm down." Sunset asked. "What's going on?"

"Pinkie Pies, loads of 'em." She explained. "A whole mob of 'em dressed in different outfits, just showed up an hour ago and snogged our mailman. Now they and him are tryin to break into our house and snog us! Ah was hopin' you may have a way to fix this before that happened."

Sunset eyes widened with worry. "I'll be there as soon as I can!" Sunset exclaimed. "I have a friend who can possibly help us fix this. Just try to keep them outside as long as you can!"

Sunset couldn't tell for sure, but she imagined Applejack nodded. "Will do!"

Sunset ended the call and quickly turned to Starlight. "We'll need to fill those super soakers faster then I thought. Applejack needs our help!"

Chapter 2 - Pinknic Down at the Farm

Sunset's motorcycle roared as she and Starlight raced from Canterlot to Sweet Apple Acres. Starlight was clinging to Sunset's midsection for dear life as they rode. On their backs were a pair of water guns, filled to bursting with diet cola and only getting fizzier with each bounce of the bike.

Starlight glanced back at her gun and frowned. If it exploded from all the shaking, she wouldn't just be left defenseless, it would also ruin the only pair of clothes she currently had.

"Are you sure there wasn't another way we could have gotten to Applejack's farm?" Starlight asked.

"WHAT!" Sunset shouted over the roar of the engine.

"ISN'T THERE ANOTHER WAY WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO APPLEJACK'S FARM WITHOUT TAKING YOUR MOTORCYCLE!" She repeated. "THE NOISE IT'S MAKING IS BOUND TO ATTRACT THE PINKIES!"

Sunset turned her head. "IT'S THE ONLY VEHICLE I OWN! BESIDES, WALKING OR BIKING THERE WOULD TAKE US AN HOUR, AND THAT'S EXTRA TIME APPLEJACK DOESN'T HAVE!"

"WATCH THE ROAD!"

Sunset turned back around and finally noticed a Pinkie Pie standing in the center of the road with a black cat costume on.

"Hi Sunset!~" She cheered as she waved, somehow completely oblivious to the fast moving vehicle currently barreling towards her.

Both girls screamed as Sunset swerved around her, barely avoiding a crash. The Pinkie only smiled and waved after them.

"Okay, see ya later!"

The girls' hearts were beating against their chests. Sunset clutched the handlebars until her knuckles turned white. Their near brush with death sent them both into shock, and they remained that way all the way to Applejack's farm to avoid any further accidents.

A couple kilometers further and the motorcycle found itself parked at the front entrance of the only apple orchard within driving distance of the city, and Sunset and Starlight were in shock at what they saw. Pinkies... just as Applejack had described, loads of them. A small horde, roughly the size of a moderately large flash mob, were swinging and hanging from the Sweet Apple Acers apple trees, giggling and eating their fill of fruit, while others joyously played tag and hide-n-seek on the ground. They were all dressed in different Halloween costumes and causal clothing, but what drew the two teens' attention the most was the small group of them currently pounding on the boarded up walls of the Apple Family farmhouse.

Sunset killed the engine, thankful that they hadn't been spotted yet. "Looks like we're not too late." She peered towards the farmhouse. "Unless I miss my guess, I'll bet Applejack and her family are in there."

"It's what the pony version of her did." Starlight added. "And it was able to keep them safe for a good few weeks. Assuming they have a good stock of food and water in there."

Relief flooded Sunset. "Then they survived?"

"Well..." Starlight didn't want to answer the question.

"That's all I needed to hear." Sunset exclaimed, cutting her off. "We need to figure out a way to get in there and safely get them out. Preferably without letting the Pinkie Pies know we're here."

"Right." Starlight nodded.

"Hi Sunset!" A sudden new voice broke the two girls away from their own thoughts and caused them to jump up in surprise. They both screamed and fell off the bike. Before them stood another Pinkie Pie, this one slightly taller then the original and dressed in a postal worker's uniform. Flashing them a smile, she reached into the bag on her shoulder and pulled out a letter. "It's for you.~" She sang.

Immediately, Starlight pulled out her squirt gun. "DELIVER YOUR LETTERS IN YOUR DREAMS!" She shouted before shooting a blast of soda into Pinkie's widely grinning mouth. The Pinkie's eyes rolled in their sockets before she collapsed to the ground with an exaggerated snore.

"So much for being quiet..." Sunset groaned.

"Well at least we know the soda works." Starlight giggled as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of her forehead.

"Hey!" A sudden cry caught both girls' attention. "Those girls are giving out free soda!~" The Pinkies paused, and each turned there heads towards Sunset and Starlight. Both girls felt their hearts stop.

"But I don't think we have enough for all of them..." Starlight whimpered.

"SODA!~" The Pinkie Pies charged from the orchard, the Pinkies in the trees diving from their branches into the crowd like musicians at a rock concert. The entire horde was now rushing towards Sunset and Starlight.

"RUN!" Starlight leaped from the back of Sunset's motorcycle and ran towards an open end of the orchard the Pinkie Pies weren't currently occupying. She vaulted the small fence boarding the farm, only to briefly stop in surprise when she found that Sunset wasn't following her.

"WHAT ABOUT MY BIKE!" Sunset shouted, still firmly planted on the motorcycle's seat.

"LEAVE IT! IT ISN'T WORTH YOUR LIFE!" Sunset briefly weighed her options as she shot her gaze between Starlight, her motorcycle, and the approaching horde of Pinkies. Hesitantly, she jumped from her bike and began sprinting after her friend, silently cursing herself for abandoning a device she had put so much care into and had spent so much money to afford.

The two sprinted across the orchard in a straight line towards the farmhouse. The Pinkies noticed this, and quickly changed direction. They charged towards them forcing Sunset and Starlight to run faster. The girls quickly began to approach the house, but Pinkies were growing closer as well. They didn't see any open doors or un-boarded windows, but the girls hoped to all higher powers that existed in the human world that there would be a way inside once they arrived.

"APPLEJACK!" Sunset shouted. The house was now completely bare of Pinkies, for all that had been banging on its walls were now chasing behind them. Hopefully, thanks to the minor calm, the Apple family would be more willing to open up their barricade for them to enter. "APPLEJACK!"

"SUNSET!" Both girls heard a new voice call out from the east most wall of the farmhouse. From the only non-boarded open window on the house, Applejack leaned halfway outside. "OVER HERE!"

Sunset and Starlight didn't need to wait for a second invitation, they bolted in the direction of the window, confusing the Pinkies and allowing them more time to get safely inside. Starlight hooked her hands with Applejack's and was quickly pulled in through the window. Sunset followed right behind, and dived through the open sill with a surprising grace that would normally only be seen done by a professional gymnast. Applejack then slammed the window shut, just before one of the Pinkies was able to jump through the window and instead hit her face on the glass.

Rather than pull herself off of it, she squished her face against the glass, making several weird expressions as she did so. Applejack saw all she needed to see, and quickly called in Big Macintosh. "Big Mac we need some more boards in here! There tryin' to brake in through another window!" Mac ran into the room within seconds, carrying a load 2x4s under one arm and a box of nails and a hammer under the other.

"Nope!" He exclaimed, slamming the boards against the window frame before nailing them into place with the hammer.

"Sunset! Boy howdy, am Ah glad to see you!" Applejack greeted. She turned her attention to Starlight. "...And, you brought Starlight Glimmer with ya too? If Ah knew you were both comin' I'd have baked a pie."

"That would have actually helped us greatly, if you did." Starlight snickered.

The sound of shattering glass suddenly caught everybody's attention, as multiple sets of pink arms broke through the window and snaked between the already nailed up boards. Big Macintosh backed up defensively as the cries of the multiple Pinkies rang through the room. "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"

Applejack's eyes widened in shock. "Granny!" She cried. "Get in here! We need the broccoli!"

Granny Smith rushed into the room with a single piece of bushy green vegetable clenched tightly in her fist. She noticed the hands sticking out of the window and rushed towards it. The hands seemed to immediately retreat as she approached, like the were afraid of the old woman for some reason. Upon reaching the window, Granny pulled her arm back and threw the broccoli out through one of the spaces between boards. Hissing, like that of multiple agitated cats, soon rang out from outside before the sounds of thundering feet grew farther away. The Pinkies had left them, for the time being at least.

Silence filled the room, no one feeling fully calm enough to come up with something to say. Without further thinking, Mac quickly went back to nailing the rest of the boards into place. Upon hearing the noise, Starlight was able to regain her senses. She asked the obvious question. "What the hay just happened?"

Sunset exhaled out the rest of her anxiety. "The Pinkie Pie of this world hates eating her vegetables." She explained. "She'll do almost anything to avoid them. It only makes sense that clones of her would do the same thing."

Starlight nodded. "Good to know." She proclaimed. "This should make it easier for us to get everyone out safely."

Granny Smith raised her hand placed it behind her head. "One problem there youngin'..." Granny expressed timidly. "That was the last piece of veggie left in the house. We needed the rest of um to keep them pink varmints at bay while we forted up the walls."

Sunset's brows fell in annoyance. "Great..." She expressed lividly.

"Now don't be gettin' like that." Applejack stated. She reached her hand down and helped Sunset back to her feet while Big Mac did the same for Starlight. "Yer alive aren't ya?" She asked. "T'ain't gonna help us none if y'all start gettin' down in the dumps already. Ah'm sure we'll come up with somethin'."

Applejack quickly made her way over towards Starlight and wrapped her arm around the ex-unicorn's shoulder. "Till then, Ah can introduce Starlight to the rest of the family, and we can show you two how we plan to wade this thin' out for the time bein'."

Sunset cocked her brow in confusion. "It sounds like you've already planned for this?" She asked sarcastically.

"Sure did!" Applejack replied with enthusiasm. Sunset wasn't sure how she felt about her friend's answer. "We Apples ain't stupid. We've watched them apocalypse films on the TV, we know to stay prepared in case of the fall of modern society."

As the farm girl tugged her along, Starlight shot her a quizzical glance. "Weird..." She admitted. "The Applejack back in my world said something similar." Sweat trickled down the back of her neck as she realized something didn't quite add up. Considering the threats and dangerous wildlife that Equestria had to deal with on a regular basis, the fact that pony Applejack was prepared for any and all emergencies made her seem wise and capable. The fact that human Applejack was so prepared for something as unthinkable as the apocalypse however brought her mental state into question, as well as the states of those around her. So much so that Starlight was beginning to become concerned that she was possibly being manhandled by a crazy person.

Applejack led the group into the farmhouse living room only to find two more Apples waiting for them, Apple Bloom and an older Apple neither Starlight nor Sunset recognized. It was only now that Sunset and Starlight realized the Apple family were also dressed in costumes. Apple Bloom was wearing a small, cute, blue checkered dress with glittery slippers; Big Mac was wearing a two-toned, grey, striped shirt with khaki pants and an old cabby hat; Granny Smith was keeping it simple with just a classic witch's hat; and Applejack was wearing a thick fuzzy collared jacket with a county sheriff's uniform on underneath, and on her favorite hat, a sheriff's badge was also pinned that had her named engraved on it.

The fifth Apple in the room looked like he had dressed up as a cowboy, which was cute enough... if a little childish. Sunset was the first to greet him. "Hello, my name is Sunset Shimmer. I don't believe we met before?" She said extending her hand in greeting.

The boy smiled and took it without hesitation. He then shook it, and her, quite violently. "Howdy there ma'am!" He exclaimed. "Ah'm darn near happy as a pig in mud to meet ya! My name's Braeburn, but some people call me Brae. But Ah really do prefer Braeburn ’cause Brae kinda sounds like a girl’s name. But if you prefer to call me Brae, Ah guess you can." Sunset wasn't listening in the slightest to the teen's excessive jabber, and was instead now focused on a single thought that had suddenly just popped into head.

"Oh dear Celestia, he's not wearing a costume."

"So how long have you guys been held up in here?" Starlight asked.

"About since this mornin', Ah guess..." Applejack explained. "At first, we didn't think much of it. Ah woke up this mornin' at the rooster's cry, just like every other day, and saw Big Mac and Braeburn workin' the fields. So Ah threw somethin' on and went out to help 'em." Her face contorted as the memories seeped back in. "We saw Pinkie Pie runnin' around a couple times in fields, but at the time we thought nothin' of it. She comes by here a lot ya see... she says she likes visitin' her favorite maybe cousins."

"O' course, that was when the mailman arrived..." Braeburn added. "Then thins started goin' to heck in a hand basket."

"She kissed the mailman and turned him into one of herself. Then a butch of 'em started jumpin' out of the trees like they'd been waitin' for us!" Applejack continued. "Nearly didn't make it back to the house with 'em tryin' to grab at us and give us some sugar."

"Them Pinkies ripped Big Mac's shirt clean off, before everybody got back inside..." Granny Smith stated. Sunset blushed somewhat at the mental imagery. "...And smooched him almost all over his body. Figurin' they we're clearly zombies of some sort, we told Mac to take a shower while AJ and Braeburn burned the cloths they were wearin' to prevent further spread of infection. It's the reason most of us are dressed so festive right now."

Sunset and Starlight, after hearing the family's story, quickly shot each other some befuddled looks before turning back towards their friends. "The Pinkie's infection can only be spread through contact of the lips." Starlight explained. "You didn't need to burn your cloths..."

The Apple Family shot back at the two Equestrians their own quizzical looks. "We didn't?" Applejack asked, now feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Braeburn shouted in frustration. "Ah shoot! Ah wasted a perfectly good pair of spare duds because of them Pies!"

"That's probably a good thing." Sunset mumbled. Rarity she was not, but even she (an ex-pony who normally only wore cloths on a whim) knew when a tacky outfit deserved to be burned.

"How did you learn that vegetables would scare them off?" Sunset decided to ask.

"Ah splashed one with a can of green beans while we were boardin' up the back windows." Applejack explained. "The Pinkie in the skeleton costume was so dang near scared of the thin's, that she nearly jumped out of her skin to get away from 'em."

Sunset decided to take that information stow it away for later. She began to ponder. "So sugar puts them to sleep, and vegetables scare them away." She stated aloud. "If we're going to make it through this then, we're going to need plenty of both in bulk."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Beg yer pardon?"

"We'll explain fully later." Starlight exclaimed. "For now we're going to need to think someplace that has a lot of vegetables and sugar for us to use against the Pinkies."

Still confused, but feeling in no position to argue, Applejack began to brainstorm alongside her friends, her family quickly followed suit. Then suddenly it struck her... like a crack of thunder. The Pinkies outside playing with the Apple family's extra sheet metal giggled at the noise it produced.

"AUNTIE ORANGE SMOOTHIES!" She exclaimed.

"What?" The others asked in unison.

"Auntie Orange Smoothies," Applejack repeated. "The drink stand Ah work at in the mall! We have plenty of stocked vegetables and artificial sugars stored in the back!"

"Ah thought yer work's slogan was: 'everythin made naturally'?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

"It's a lie." Applejack replied back rather bluntly. "Hey don't give me that look! Ah didn't say Ah condone their practices!"

"False advertising aside, we at least now know where we should head to next." Sunset exclaimed, regaining everyone's attention. "With a better stock of supplies, we'll be able to more easily fight our way through hordes of Pinkies that are probably already running through Canterlot." She fixed her friends with a curious expression as she continued her statement. "But first things first, we need to figure out a way to get out of here."

"Ah was hopin' we'd get to this part sooner of later." Granny Smith chuckled. "What's the plan youngin's?"

Sunset placed her hand on her chin in thought. "Well, first we'll need a vehicle. The Pinkies stole my bike, and are more then likely going to catch us if we try to get out of here on foot." She turned to Applejack. "Do you still have Granny Smith's old pickup truck parked out in the barn?"

"Eeyup!" Applejack replied. "She's in there, parked, fixed, and fully gassed." She led her friend over to the window on the opposite end of the room. Through the boards, Sunset could see an old, faded, red barn she remembered from when Applejack and Granny Smith helped her pass her driving test. "What's even better yet, is that Ah haven't seen even one of them Pinkies goin' anywhere near our barn. So we might have an even better chance of it runnin'!"

Sunset smiled. "Perfect!" She proclaimed. She and Applejack ran back over towards the others. "Now all we need is something to distract the Pinkies while we make a run for the barn."

Starlight began to smile, she was happy a plan was coming together so quickly. "You guys got any sugar in the house?" She asked the Apple family. "The more you can provide, the better."

The Apples closed their eyes and began to think, mentally running over what they all knew they had in their stock. Apple Bloom's eyes suddenly shot open. "Cider!" She realized. "We've got barrels of apple cider down in the cellar!"

Granny Smith smiled, but then began shaking her head a bit more dourly. "That's our cider season stock, Apple Bloom." She explained. "T'ain't been treated yet for drinkin'. At most it'll taste more like normal apple juice, rather then sweet apple cider."

Starlight considered this. "Maybe we don't need it to?" She stated. "The Pinkies outside are mowing down your apples as we speak. If what you say is true, then it tasting like apple juice shouldn't be a issue. It should still be more then enough to keep them distracted long enough for us to make it to the barn."

"...And our Pinkie does love cider. Treated or otherwise." Applejack admitted. "It's a bit of a risk, but Ah say we go for it if it means we can get out of here and stop this apocalypse from continuin'." She turned towards Sunset. "That is what we're plannin' on doin' right?"

Sunset nodded. "Yes, it is. Starlight and I are planning on getting back to that as soon we're done here." She turned her attention to Big Macintosh. "Big Mac can you get those cider barrels out of the cellar and into the backyard without making a sound?"

Big Mac stared blankly at her for a good few minutes before finally answering with a slow and affirming, "eeyup."

Braeburn quickly followed after him as the largest Apple in the family left the room. "Hold on cuz, Ah'll help ya!"

While everyone else was distracted, no one noticed Sunset and Starlight being pulled aside by Applejack. She whispered at them in a much more irritated tone then she had been using earlier. "Ma family might be alright with bein' kept in the dark for now, but Ah ain't." She threatened. "This is some kind of magical thin', and Ah known at least one of ya had a hand in it..." She folded her arms crossly. "...So spill it."

Warily, but seeing no other alternative, Starlight told the farm girl the story of how the Prime Pinkie got to their world and how much of a threat she presented. Applejack lowered her head and closed her eyes as she contemplated. "We need to find the others." She concluded. "We're all the closest to Pinkie and we all know what she's like. If we put our heads together, we should be able to catch this Prime Pinkie right fast before she can cause any real damage."

Sunset nodded. "I agree, but first we need to stock up on weapons and supplies. If we don't those hordes outside will transform us for sure."

Applejack grimaced, but agreed. "We should at least text 'em." She admitted. "Tell our friends what's goin' on, and let 'em know what we're doin'."

Sunset pulled out her phone. "I can take care of that. You should go help your brother and Braeburn with the barrels. The sooner we're on the road, the sooner we can start looking for our friends."

Applejack furrowed her brows and nodded determinedly. She bolted out of the room and towards the cellar before another word could even be uttered.

Within the next twenty minutes, Big Mac had successfully carried two barrels at a time out of the cellar and onto the back lawn. With a little help from Applejack and Braeburn, the group had placed a good fifteen full barrels of cider out in front of the back wall behind the farmhouse. All that was left to do now was open them.

"Hold on, I'll go get a hammer. Then we can-" *SLAM*

Sunset was cut off before she could finish as the sound of splintering wood hit her eardrums. She turned back around in surprise to see that Applejack had punctured her fist straight through the lid of one of the barrels, and was currently lifting her soaked hand out of the cider. Both Sunset and Starlight were shocked to say the least, but what shocked them even more was the fact that Applejack wasn't currently wearing her magic geode.

"There's no time for that!" Applejack exclaimed. "If we're gonna do this, we're doin' it now! Before them Pinkies have time ta figure out what we're up to!"

With agreeing nods, the other Apples began setting to work with Big Macintosh and Braeburn both slammed their fists into two other barrels down the line. Surprisingly, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith were even getting into it, and before long all the barrels had been smashed open.

Sunset and Starlight found themselves at a loss for words after seeing the family's incredible feats of strength. Eventually they both settled on the simply phase, "Whoa", as Apple family walked past them and into the house. Applejack smirked cockily while trailing behind, and tipped her hat at the two girls with pride. "Better learn to keep them traps shut." She stated. "That's a good way of catching flies."

She walked passed her friends and through the doorway, allowing them to continue gaping in disbelief. Sunset immediately decided she would not tease, taunt, or even breath wrongly in Applejack's direction ever again. She imagined a punch from the farm girl, after seeing what she saw, would really hurt.

Clearing her throat, Starlight then decided to clear the air. "So..." She paused. "Now that that's done. How are we supposed to get the Pinkies' attention?"

"Excuse me youngins..." Granny Smith pleasantly asked as she walked past Starlight. She stood behind the line of barrels and held in her hands a silver rod and metal triangle. Both Starlight and Sunset's eyes widened.

"Get inside the house now!" Sunset warned, before both girls immediately booked it back through the farmhouse's back door.

Granny Smith slammed the metal rod around the middle of the triangle, producing a loud rhythmic sound one would associate with the traditional chuckwagon. "COME AND GIT IT!" And as a stampede of petite pink feet thundered behind her, she dashed back into the house.

Granny Smith ran as fast as her elderly legs could carry her as the loud noise of pig-like suckling, and funnily enough oinking, came roaring out from behind the door she had just slammed shut. She eventually reached her family back near the front of the house as Applejack placed her hand on the front door's doorknob.

"Okay everyone remember, the cider is only goin' ta keep them distracted for so long, so we have to rush to the barn as fast as we can, no stoppin'!" Applejack explained. "If ya stop, trip, or fall, than yer gonna get grab by a Pinkie. Now normally, if that were to happen, the rule would be to 'not look back and leave ya behind', but bein' me, Ah don't think Ah can rightly do that. So, for the love of everythin' decent and holy in this world, don't stop, trip, or fall." She banged her fist down to get the point across. "Ah'd really like to keep my face the way it's currently lookin'."

Applejack braced herself against the door and got ready to run. The others behind her did the same. "Alright on three. One... Two... Three!" The door slammed open and the group made a b-line for the barn located a few yards away.

So far so good, there weren't any Pinkies in sight. But even so, they stayed alert for any potential stragglers.

"Hey! You guys came out to play after all!" A small group of Pinkies wandered out from behind the house with sticky lips and hair soaked with apple juice. "Come on gang! Let's go party with our maybe cousins!"

The Pinkies began to sprint after the group, as the barn began to grew ever closer. Applejack chanced a glance behind her, seeing her friends and family thankfully still close by, but they still had a lot of ground to cover and the Pinkies were already beginning to encroach upon them. The other Pinkies must have heard what the first had said, because the rest of the horde were beginning to remove themselves from behind the house and join the chase.

"RUN FASTER!" Applejack shouted, causing the others to look back and see the growing number of Pinkies behind them.

Apple Bloom was beginning to heave through strained breaths. Though she was the youngest of the group, and probably the one who could last the most time running for their life, her costume wasn't doing her any favors. They seemed like a good idea at first, her red glittery slippers that perfectly completed her costume, but were now fighting against her as she struggled to keep balanced while running in heels.

Apple Bloom suddenly felt her right leg buckle, as her shoe slide to the left on the grass. She screamed as she fell, unattractively faceplanting the dirt as she rolled forward.

Applejack immediately stopped upon hearing Apple Bloom's scream. Her friends and family members ran past her, only looking back quizzically wondering why their current leader had stopped. "Dang it, Apple Bloom!" They watched as she ran back towards Apple Bloom while they continued to run forward.

Applejack slide to a stop at Apple Bloom's side quickly scooping her up unceremoniously onto her shoulder, all the while all the cries of "Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun," continued to ring out behind her. She sprinted as fast as she could back towards the others, as least as much as the extra unbalanced weight she was carrying would allow her to.

Big Macintosh was the first to reach the barn with the others trailing only a short distance behind him. He grasped the handles to the large barn doors, and opened them relatively easily, almost as if he was pulling open a pair of cabinet doors in the kitchen. The others ran past him and under his arms as he opened the doors, Applejack being the last and actually sliding to get inside like a runner trying to steal home plate. Big Mac followed them inside and quickly closed the doors behind him. He held the inside handles to the barn doors close to his chest as to make sure the Pinkies didn't get inside before they were situated.

Applejack placed Apple Bloom on the ground and turned towards the others. "Everybody get in. Ah'm driving!" The others didn't hesitate and they all scrambled inside Granny Smith's old, beat up, pickup truck. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom jumped into the passenger seat and Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn started to fill the hatch in the back. Sunset and Starlight stood with their guns at the ready while Braeburn braced them up against the back driver's window for when they actually started moving.

Applejack took out the keys from the glove compartment and quickly started up on the truck. With a roar of the engine, Applejack shifted the stick shift into drive and rolled down the window. Pinkies were beginning to pound and pull on the door, and Big Mac was already beginning to lose his grip.

"We can't go this way!" Sunset shouted. "There are way to many Pinkies out there. We could end up running somebody over!"

Applejack growled in annoyance and beat her fist against the steering wheel. She looked behind her and took note of the rotting back wall of the barn. "Then we'll go out the back way!" She shifted the gear shift into reverse.

"This barn only has one door!" Granny Smith exclaimed.

"Not anymore!" Applejack punched the gas, sending the truck, as well as it's screaming occupants, backwards through the barn's back wooden wall. The barn shook a little from the impact, but somehow was able to remain standing.

Now back outside in the free air, Applejack yanked right on the stirring wheel, performing a impressive maneuver that sent the truck swerving in a perfect circle until the back hatch was pointed perfectly at the opening she had just created. Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn nearly felt themselves get thrown from the truck during the spin, but thankfully were able to grip the sides of the back before flying off. They were all dazed and slightly nauseous after going through the experience.

Applejack shifted back to drive and honked the horn of the truck to get Big Macintosh's attention. "Come on Mac! Let's get out of here!"

Big Mac briefly turned his attention away from the barn doors to see the pick-up waiting for him. The pounding and pulling on the front of the barn he felt early was beginning to lessen, and the Pinkies' cries he was hearing were softening and moving away towards the sides of the barn. His eyes widened in horror, the Pinkies were going after the others.

With a quick burst of rage, Big Mac lifted his leg and kicked the barn doors forward, knocking the few Pinkies still pulling on the doors backwards and onto their bums. He then turned and quickly sprinted towards the truck waiting behind him. Within seconds, the doors flew open and the Pinkies that had been pulling and pounding rushed inside. Big Mac ran through opening in the back of the barn and took a running leap onto the hatchback of the truck, his hands catching on the rim while his feet caught the bumper.

Big Macintosh hoisted himself up and over the rim just enough so his chest could rest upon it. He shouted, "DRIVE!"

Applejack slammed the gas pedal, the truck wheels sputtering in the grass before launching the vehicle forward into the orchards. She yanked on the wheel again, swerving around a bend of trees into a open field where the Sweet Apple Acres boarder fence was in view.

Applejack clenched her fists around the steering wheel, while the others grabbed onto whatever they could hold on to in order to keep from falling off the truck. The truck shot forward heading for the fence... only to immediately stop were it stood only a few feet away.

Apple Bloom's, Applejack's, and Granny Smith's eyes widened in surprise. They could still hear the wheels spinning, and a quick look outside told her the truck' back tires were still kicking up dirt, but they still weren't moving an inch. Applejack chanced a glance at the rear view mirror and gasped in terror.

Somehow, a human chain of Pinkie Pies had tethered themselves to a distant apple tree and had wrapped themselves around Big Macintosh's waist. Braeburn was stretched over the back end of the truck trying desperately to pry the lead Pinkie in the chain off while Starlight and Sunset took aim with their squirt guns to try and put some of them to sleep.

But then, the truck suddenly began to shake, causing Starlight and Sunset to nearly fall over. The rest of the horde had caught up to them, and were beginning to congregate on both sides of the vehicle. They pushed on both side of the truck, rocking it this way and that. Some even tried to climb on top only to be shot back into the horde by Starlight and Sunset.

The Pinkies started rushing for the driver's seat. "Lock the doors!" Applejack shouted, as she and Granny Smith both shot for the manual locks. Applejack hit her door with resounding force and slammed her palm against the locking switch right beneath the window, Granny Smith wasn't as quick it however. The door to the passenger's side of the truck was yanked open, and three Pinkie Pies began to crawl inside. They chanted, "Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun," as they pulled themselves across the upholstery before grabbing onto the Apple grandmother's arms and waist. The Pinkies still outside the car soon grabbed onto the three other Pinkies' legs and started to pull them all out the door.

"Don't be a pooper!~" One of the Pinkies sang. "Yeah! Come on out and join the party!" Another proclaimed.

"Granny!" Apple Bloom and Applejack shouted as they each shot for her body before she was pulled outside. The two sisters hooked their hands around the top and bottom knots that held the apron she wore onto her back and neck.

Outside, Big Mac watched with nervous breath as he saw his little sisters play a game of tug-of-war with the hoard of Pinkies, the girls surprising the Pies with an impressively fierce fight despite their higher numbers. His breath soon caught in his throat as he watched the apron knots come undone, sending his sisters flying backwards with the apron still in hand and flipping Granny Smith around and into the arms of the Pinkies still trying to pull her out.

Applejack's eyes widened as she shook off her shock and watch as Granny Smith was finally pulled out through the passenger door. She pushed past Apple Bloom, who was still trying to pick herself up, and launched for the door, only have it suddenly get slammed in her face. She shot upwards and looked out the window, and saw Granny Smith riding across the horde like a person surfing the crowd. She shook her head knowingly, telling Applejack to not even think of opening the door again. A random Pinkie suddenly jumped out of the crowd and landed on Granny. She hugged her tightly, with all four extremities, and planted her lips firmly on Granny Smith's. The two began to sink into the crowd, just as Granny Smith's skin started to turn pink and her hair began to frizz out. Applejack almost felt ready to cry.

With Granny's transformation, they were down one Apple; and if they didn't do something soon, the rest would be joining her. Big Mac's brows suddenly furrowed with righteous indignation. He turned towards the Pinkies wrapped around his waist, then to teens fighting and losing in the back of his family's truck. He knew what he had to do.

He shouted at Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn. "Get down and hold onto somethin'!" The three teens briefly turned their attention towards him.

"What?!" Starlight asked as if he was crazy.

"Just do it!" He shouted again, more forceful this time.

They each glanced towards each other worriedly, before hesitantly doing what he asked. They each sat down and grabbed a hold of a side of the hatchback for security. Applejack looked at the rear view mirror again and noticed her friends had stopped fighting, and instead were now sitting. She had heard Big Mac shouting his demands over the cries of the Pinkies, but was unsure of what he was planning. She caught the determined look in his eye, it confused her.

"Big Mac..?" She mumbled questioningly.

Her big brother let go of the truck and immediately flew backwards like he was tied to the end of a stretched out spring. He collided with the distant apple tree along with the chain of Pinkies.

"NO!" The truck shot forward away from the Pinkies, across the distance of the field and through the fence onto the road. In a quick moment of realization, Applejack yanked on the wheel in order to keep them from crashing on the other side. She immediately hit the brake and stopped the truck. She unlocked the truck, pulled the handle, and kicked open the door, before running out onto the street.

The Pinkies didn't follow them, they were to preoccupied going after Big Macintosh. She fell to her knees and felt some tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Behind her she heard Apple Bloom was also crying, she must have seen what Big Macintosh did too. She had lost him... She had lost Granny... She had lost them both.

Sunset stood up from the floor of the truck, and noticed Applejack crouched down in the street. She, like the others, had seen what Big Macintosh had done for them. But, she could not begin to fathom how Applejack currently was feeling.

"Applejack..?" She called to her. She didn't reply.

Sunset began to search for something better to say, given this moment of grief. Starlight and Braeburn stood up from the back of the truck and noticed Applejack, however they decided to remain silent.

"Applejack..." Sunset restated, having found her words. "...What Big Mac did, was for the good of everybody." She paused letting those words sink in. "...Granny Smith too." She continued. "They protected us. I promise we'll get them back."

Applejack, once again, didn't answer. She simply stood, turned, and got back in the driver's seat. Once there she wrapped her arm around the crying Apple Bloom in a comforting motion. Apple Bloom leaned her head on her shoulder.

"You better sit down y'all." She stated somberly. "Its gonna be a long drive before we get ta the Canterlot mall."

The truck began to roll, forcing the people standing in it's hatchback to take a seat or risk falling off. They decided to all keep quite for the time being, until Applejack felt like talking again.

Chapter 3 - Pink in Concert

The return to Canterlot felt as long as it was silent. With the losses they’d suffered, Applejack and Apple Bloom had kept quiet. No one else could find a way to start any conversations either.

Neither Sunset nor Starlight would ever admit to knowing either Granny Smith or Big Macintosh as well as other people, but seeing them get dragged away by a horde laughing, doe-eyed Pinkies... well, neither could say they weren't feeling misty-eyed. They both looked to Braeburn, whom of all the passengers in Granny Smith's truck seemed to be acting the most stoic. He hadn't said a word since their little band of survivors had escaped Sweet Apple Acres, and of all of them his expression was the hardest to read.

Sunset decided to take a chance at causing an awkward moment. "I know I already said this to Applejack, but if you’re feeling sad because of what happened to Big Mac and Granny Smith-"

Braeburn held up a finger causing Sunset to pause. He inhaled through his nose, before stating a reply, "Ah'm not from here, as Ah'm sure you can tell. I come from a town in the west, by the name of Appleloosa." He turned his gaze towards Sunset and Starlight, making them both sink with guilt from his penetrating glare. "Ah don't know either of you, at least not on the personal level that ma cousin does. But she's told me stories about the things you've been able to do together. Sirens... plant people... magic mirrors... you and Applejack have made it through a lot."

He looked away, and the air grew quite again for a brief moment, as if the boy in the stetson was gathering his thoughts. "Big Mac is the helpful sort, he would have let go of this here jalopy to save just about anybody. But, I saw somethin' different in his eyes when he made that decision this time. He looked like... he knew he was making the right choice."

He turned back towards them, his glower now replaced with a determined stare. "Ah don't know ya, and Ah doubt Ah'm even a little bit prepared for all this magic stuff that's gonna be coming down on us tonight. But, Ah trust ya... and Ah expect ya ta fix this mess before the entire world ends up like a screamin’ crowd at a Featherbangs concert."

Sunset looked at Starlight, before both started smiling at each other. Sunset held out her hand towards Braeburn. "You have my word, this will all be fixed by the end of the day."

"Sooner, if I have anything to say about it." Starlight added.

The right corner of Braeburn's mouth curved upwards, and he spat into his hand before clamping it on Sunset's. The wet yet warm sensation sent a uncomfortable shiver down her spine. "Ah'm gonna hold ya to that, ya hear?"

The sound of Applejack's window rolling down caught the three's attention. "We're comin' up on the city, so grab them soda guns and have them at the ready. We don't know how far them Pinkies spread while we were gone."

Applejack's voice sounded grim, enough so that Sunset and Starlight took heed of her command as quick as they assumed possible. They took aim on either side of the pick-up and watched the sidewalks as Applejack drove down the middle of the street. Canterlot City looked like a ghost town. Cars were left parked and unattended on both sides of the street as if they’d been abandoned in a hurry; windows and doors were opened and closed at random, even though they looked like they hadn't been touched since this morning; but worst of all, the entire street they drove on was completely barren of life... no people, no animals, not even a breeze.

Sunset felt her finger trigger twitch as the growing silence made her stomach tighten. It was just like how she remembered the view from her window after she had gotten out of bed. It made her sick to think that an epidemic like this could be going on while she was sleeping in.

"I'm not usually a betting mare, but it's at times like this in horror stories where the monster jumps out and attacks the plucky young protagonists."

"Don't even joke about something like that, Starlight. Not right now, and not for the rest of the night."

To the surprise of everyone, and despite Pinkie Pie's inherent love of horror movie cliches, the group of five survivors were able to make it across the city without any deterrence. They ended up on the road overlooking the Canterlot Mall, and once again found no Pinkies in sight.

"Something isn't right." Sunset grimaced. "It's been too quiet, especially considering we've been on the look out for clones for the last hour."

Applejack stepped on the brake and parked the truck just before the incline that lead past the mall's parking lot. With their vehicle now at a complete stop, Applejack and her friends thought it best to exit the truck and scope out their surroundings.

Applejack opened the driver seat door to the truck and helped Apple Bloom out. "Maybe they're all inside?" Apple Bloom asked.

"If so, then that's gonna make our job a whole hell of a lot harder." Applejack replied. Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn joined the Apple siblings around the front of the truck as they looked over the mall's front entrance.

"So Auntie Orange Smoothies is in the food court on the other side of the mall. If we drive around and enter on the south side, we might only have to deal with a little bit of resistance." Sunset deduced. Applejack nodded in agreement.

"Does sound like the safer bet. What do y'all think?"

Before Braeburn could answer, he quirked up his brow in confusion. "Do any y'all hear music?" The others blinked at the question, but then turned their ears to listen for what Braeburn was hearing. The song was faint, but without a doubt there was something coming the other side of Canterlot mall... the south side.

Applejack's brows furrowed. "C'mon, we better check this out." The others nodded before filing into the truck with Applejack at the wheel. The group sneaked their vehicle around the side of the building, only peaking it out far enough to see what was causing the mysterious music. The song they were hearing grew louder.

"Guys, I think things are getting worse..."

"What make you say that, Sunset?"

"...the Pinkies got to Vinyl Scratch."

Three flatbed truck, which by most probable standard were used for shipping to and from the mall, had been parked close together in a organized manner in order to create a impromptu stage for the performer spinning records on top of it. Vinyl Scratch, like so many other transformed people, had her skin changed from its usual ivory color to a new shade of bright pink, and her once spiky, electric blue hair had been blow into a fluffy disorganized mess of unmanageable curls.

A veritable concert-sized mass of Pinkies were bouncing and dancing like ravers at a nightclub before her stage while their pink DJ continued to blare her tracks. If Sunset and her group could see the back of the stage, they would have noticed a projector at the front shining a still image on onto a large sheet draped over the cabins of the three parked trucks. The image read in big, bold, pink letters... DJ PINK-3.

"How's every-pinkie doing tonight!" The Pink Vinyl cried as she strutted to the front of the stage. She sounded like Pinkie Pie, not that any of the survivors had ever heard Vinyl Scratch speak before, but her tone had a certain energy to it that seemed natural for an entertainer of Vinyl's profession. She sounded like she was trying to rev up a mosh pit, rather then pump up a party like the happy-go-lucky Pinkie Pie they knew tended to do.

The crowd of partying Pinkies all cheered and whooped in response. Pink Vinyl shot back with her own response. "Yeah! That's what I like to hear! Tell me who you love!"

The Pinkies began to chant. "PINKIE! PINKIE! PINKIE! PINKIE!"

"Lovin' the self-love here tonight, girls! Now, tell me what you love!"

"FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!"

"Doesn't everybody? Well we're about to have loads of fun, because the boss pie just came up with a plan to start up the biggest party ever... and the best part, everyone's invited!"

The Pinkie's cheered. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!"

"So without further ado, here she is... the top pie so high she touches the sky! Put your hands together for Pinkie Prime!"

The crowd of pinkies clapped and cheered like a stadium of fans after a winning touchdown in a football game. A completely bare Pinkie skipped out from the side of the stage until she stood before her crowd of followers, Sunset and Starlight recognized her as the Pinkie from earlier that morning.

Braeburn blushed and averted his gaze. "Ah'm just gonna look over here for the time being. You girls tell me what happens, okay?"

Applejack blanched at what she saw, and slapped her hand over Apple Bloom's eyes. "WHY THE HELL IS SHE NAKED?!"

"Hiya every-pinkie, how you all doing tonight? Oh wait, Pinkie Vinyl already asked that... forget that part okay." Pinkie Prime was just as perky as she was this morning. "Anyways, I've got a super great new idea on how to get more people to join our collective..." She reached her hands into her hair and pulled out something on a long, odd-shaped hanger. The survivors couldn't make out what it was until she stated her idea. "....Can anypony say, POOL PARTY!"

She was holding a striped, yellow and blue two-piece swimsuit with several cutesy bows scatter all over it. Some of the Pinkies cried out in delight, while others shouted catcalls and blew wolf whistles. One even found the confidence to shout, "Put it on!" Pinkie Prime giggled and bit her bottom lip. She obliged without giving any objection.

As she took the bikini bottoms off the hanger and step into them as she continued to explain her plan. "So I found out from this neato tourist guide from a mall magazine kiosk that the Canterlot water reservoir houses all the clean drinking water for the entire tri-state area." She snapped the bikini top off the hanger and slapped it onto her chest, somehow suction-cupping it to her bust without even having to tie it first. "So I'm thinking, if we swim in that water— and maybe spit in it a little bit—we'll be able to spread our happy smiles to everyone who drinks it." She tied the strings of the top of her bikini around the back of her neck and just under her shoulder blades. "So what do you guys think?" She struck a pose to better show off her body in the swimsuit.

"EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!" Pinkie Prime jumped back in surprise. She blinked and stared at the crowd, a bit taken aback.

"Wait... Do you think this plan is gross? Or that I look gross?"

"THE PLAN!" They all shouted. Then one Pinkie in the back added, "SORRY FOR NOT CLARIFYING! YOU LOOK ADORASEXY!"

"Oh, okay. Thank you me!"

"YOUR WELCOME!"

Pinkie Prime placed a hand over her mouth and folded her arm in front her chest as she began to rethink her plan. Then all of a sudden, an idea hit her. "What if I gave each of you a cupcake? Would you do it then?"

The others Pinkies looked at each other then back at the stage. Each individual shrugged their shoulders at the same time and gave her their answer. "SURE!"

"Wonderific!" Pinkie Prime cheered. "Now all we need is for all of you Pinkies to grab as many discounted swimsuits and pool toys as you can! We're loading up the trucks in one hour so make sure you grab everything you want to bring along." Pinkie Prime reached into her hair and pulled out an active microphone. "Pinkie Prime... out!" She dropped the mike before turning to head off stage. She then entered the mall as the music dimmed, the crowd of Pinkies and Vinyl Scratch followed close behind her.

Starlight tapped Braeburn on the back. "Alright you can look now, she's gone. Also she's clothed... granted it's skimpy clothing, but still future meetings with her should be less awkward."

"Thank the lord..." Braeburn mumbled.

The sound of AJ's window rolling down caught the three's attention. She leaned out her window and looked up at Sunset. "So they’re tryin’ to takeover the world now? Am Ah understandin' this correct?"

Sunset nodded. "Afraid so..."

"And I can tell you from experience, that it won't take long for their influence to spread across the country if they can manage to pull something like this off." Starlight added.

Applejack groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose in between her fingers. "Just another normal day in Canterlot..." She whispered.

Apple Bloom leaned out next to her sister. "Well what do we do know?" She asked. "They're all headin' into the food court like a herd o' cattle. We'll never be able to sneak in through this end now."

Sunset tapped her chin. "Maybe the west exit?" She suggested. "We're already on the west side and it's likely the Pinkies haven't spread-"

She was about to continue when her phone rang. The tone playing sounded like classic rock and started with a long and intrinsic guitar solo. There was no doubt in her mind who could be calling at this time.

"Flash..?" She asked after pulling out her phone.

"Sunset! Man is it great to hear your voice." Flash was sounding frantic, like he had just been running and only now had time to catch his breath. "Listen, I'm in a bit of a jam here and I need your help dealing with some magic shit."

She felt hesitant to ask. "Pinkies..?"

"I knew you were the right person to call, babe. Me and a friend are pinned down in a sports and supply shop on the north side of the mall. If you have a way to fight them off, come as quick as you can, if not, stay away!" The last part of his statement sounded more like an order then a request. "I don't want you anywhere near here if you haven't figured out how to fix this yet."

A loud cry echoed from the background of the phone call. It sounded like a deep-set Pinkie voice was shouting, "HUG!" Despite the absurdity of the cry, Sunset couldn't help but feel worried by the fact it was being shouted. Something broke in the background.

"Flash?!" Sunset shouted into the phone.

"I hope to see you soon." He hung up the phone before Sunset could get another word in.

Sunset dropped her arm to her side and blinked a few tears away from her eyes. She glanced around the truck, her friends were each staring up at her with looks of concern. She shook her head before shoving her phone back in her pocket. "Flash Sentry and somebody else are trapped on the north side of the mall. They need our help."

Applejack nodded before shifting the truck from reverse to drive. "Don't need to tell me twice. I like that boy..." she glanced back at Sunset through the side mirror, "...I mean probably not as much as you do, be still, he don't deserve to be turned."

Starlight lifted a curious brow and shot Sunset a brief look from the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure why Sunset was looking so distraught, but she could tell that this Flash Sentry guy was someone important to her. She decided to keep quiet about the matter, at least for now.

Driving forwards so they could turn in the open parking lot, the group of survivors headed back towards the north exit. If they were lucky enough, just lucky enough, they could get a few more members to their party before they headed to the reservoir tonight.

Inside the Champion Sporting Goods store, Flash Sentry and another boy found themselves sat up against an aisle shelf of tennis shoes while a group of four Pinkies played with the sporting equipment around the corner. One bounced a soccer ball above her head, two hit a volleyball between each other, all the while the fourth cheered them all on with a pair of pom-poms she found. They all looked so childlike and friendly, that it almost seemed impossible that the boys could be in any sort of danger... almost being the keyword.

"This is crazy." Flash stated, placing his forehead in his hand. "You'd think I be used to this kind of thing happening by now, but that was before an army of hot, hyper, party chicks decided to invade the city."

The teen sitting next to him wore a white collared t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a belt, and a pair of faded brown tennis shoes. Nothing about him seemed too out of the ordinary for the most part, except for the fact that he was also sporting a full fake beard, a metal pot on the top of his head, and a rubber chicken dressed to look like a potted sunflower that was clenched firmly in his hands.

This teen with an odd choice of dress only shrugged his shoulders at Flash's statement before giving one of his own. "Well at least that big guy isn't around here anymore..." He stated, before scrunching his face up in confusion. "...Or is it big girl? It's kinda hard to tell when you see full-grown men get turned into women by the powers of a makeout-session."

Flash nodded in agreement, before chancing a glance around the corner. The Pinkies were still playing, and to their fortune, hadn't seemed to notice them yet. He looked past them to see the snowboard display that had been left decimated by the Pinkie that had chased them in here. "If we can manage to never run into that thing again, it will still be too soon." He muttered.

He turned back and looked at his fellow survivor. "We should come up with a plan of escape just in case the backup I called for doesn't show up." The other teen didn't answer and only continued to stare out into the air in front of him. "Hey? Are you listening?"

The teen lifted his hand and placed it on top of Flash's head. He then turned it in the direction he was facing. "Hey, dude! Watch the ha-"

Flash's complaint died in his throat as they both noticed the Pinkie bouncing the soccer ball was now standing in full view in front of them. "Hi guys! What'cha doing? Playing hide and seek?"

Flash and the taller teen glanced at each other before turning back toward the Pinkie. "How did she get in front of us?" Flash thought, then he remembered it was Pinkie Pie.

The Pinkie smiled at them. "Well I guess I found you. That means I get a prize!" She leaned down in front of the white-shirted boy, while somehow still managing to bounce the soccer ball on her head with perfect rhythm. She grabbed onto the boy's beard. "Pucker up.~" She sang. The teen hated to admit it, but part of him wanted this to happen.

"Hey Pinkie!" A new voice shouted.

"Huh?" The Pinkie turned towards the sound of the voice to see a figure standing atop a display table at the end of the aisle. The damage caused by the big Pinkie who was here earlier must have included the lights a little bit, because the figure's face was completely covered in shadow.

"Lady, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store." The figure lifted up a weapon and pointed it at the Pinkie, it looked like a double-barrel shotgun.

"Who are you?"

"Name's Dash." Rainbow Dash hopped down from the table to land in the light. "Sporting goods."

Rainbow pumped the shotgun and fired two shots into the awaiting Pinkie's mouth. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards and skidding across the floor. This attracted the other Pinkies, who looked around the corner to see Rainbow Dash waiting for them with a cocky expression and a "come and get some" hand motion.

The Pinkies charged at her, screaming their battle cry. "FUN! FUN! FUN! FUN!"

Rainbow fired three more shots, sending each Pinkie falling face forward and sliding past her across the floor sound asleep.

The two teen boys could almost not fathom what they had just seen. Flash turned to Rainbow as she walked towards him. "Rainbow Dash?" He asked as her grasped her hand in order to get up.

Rainbow rested the shotgun on her shoulder. "How you doing Flash-man?"

Flash turned his shocked gaze towards the Pinkies she had just shot, before moving it back towards Rainbow. "You just killed all these people..." He stated in disbelief.

The pot-headed teen leaned down and picked up one of the fallen Pinkies before placing her head against his chest. He felt a tear run down his cheek from the corner of his eye. "You were too beautiful for this world." He admitted, then dropped her in a sudden fit of revolution. "Wait a minute, that one used to be a dude!"

Rainbow let out a brief chuckle. "I didn't kill anyone. All I did was feed them some sugar. Put's them all right to sleep. Figured it might be their weakness, after seeing one clonk out after guzzling down a milkshake."

"But the shotgun?" Flash questioned.

"It's a toy." Rainbow explained. She held it out in the light so the boys could see. "It's the Marshmallow Double-Shooter, fires up to thirty feet... and I have incredible aim."

The sounds of rapid footfalls hitting against the linoleum floor rang out as several pairs of feet grew closer towards the store's entry door. Sunset and her friends slide to a halt just outside the open doorway. "Flash?!"

"I'm here!" He replied. "I'm over here, Sunset!" He walked out in front of Rainbow and the other teen so she could see him better. Without a second thought, Sunset shot forward and tackled Flash, pulling him into a deep and affectionate standing hug.

"Thank Celestia you're alright!" She pushed herself back from Flash's chest, but refused to break the embrace. The taller teen wasn't complaining and smiled back down at her in response.

"I'm sorry I scared you. You know the last thing I'd ever want to do is make you worry, but I didn't know who else to call."

Sunset looked down, trying to avoid his gaze because of her bashful blush. Upon doing so, she noticed the peculiar outfit he had on. He was wearing a sky blue sleeveless shirt that showed off a small bit of his midriff, as well as a pair of grey jeans and a red belt with a gold ornate buckle. On his feet were a pair large leather boots that climbed almost all the way to his knees, and on his arms a pair of leather gauntlets that showed off his fingers and traveled up to his elbows.

Looking back up and seeing a pair of brown shoulder pads and two leather backpack straps hanging off his front caused her to break away from her sorrow and give a small chuckle. "Nice costume." She whispered while trying to stifle her giggles.

Flash looked down and began to laugh himself. "I know, right?" He agreed. "It was Scootaloo's idea. She said I looked like the main character of this anime she had been watching, and even went as far as to make a costume for me. I've never seen the show, but I’m pretty sure I need to be a bit buffer before I can ever make this look work."

Sunset smiled and trailed a slow finger down his crest. "I don't know... I kinda like it on you." She purred in a sultry tone.

"You two done flirting?" Rainbow Dash asked, walking up towards the pair. "Because the rest of us are here too."

Sunset and Flash backed away from each other. "Sorry." They both stated in unison.

Sunset turned towards Rainbow Dash and saw that she too was wearing a costume. This one she recognized as the main character from a comedy/horror series that she knew Rainbow Dash liked. She was wearing a jean button up shirt that had its right half ripped off saved for the shoulder. For the sake of modesty, she also wore a black sports bra to go with the skin revealed by the rip. The shirt was tucked into a pair of brown pants with a black belt, and a pair of thick brown shoes were covering her feet. Save for the chainsaw that was missing from the costume—that in canon replaced the main charatcter's right hand—Rainbow looked like the spitting image of what his female counterpart would look like.

She then looked towards the other teen and walked forward with her hand extended. "Hi, you must be Flash's friend." The boy pulled his fake beard off his chin and grasped Sunset's hand in his own.

"Cheese Sandwich..." He introduced. "...and to tell the truth, I only know him from this morning."

Applejack raised an eyebrow upon hearing his name. Somehow it sounded familiar... her eyes widen in realization not a few moments later. "Ah remember you. You’re the guy that Pinkie's been talkin' about all summer."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. "No way! You're Pinkie's Caneighdian boyfriend? I thought she was making you up!"

Cheese tapped his chin. "Well I'm not really from Caneighdia, and I'm pretty sure I’m real...” He pinched himself as to test this theory. “...but my family does travel a lot. So I must be this boyfriend of which you speak.”

"I met Cheese while looking for some extra candy for the trick-or-treaters coming tonight. He’s been giving me advice on what the best treats to buy for the kids are, and said he needed to stick around for the sake of 'plot convenience'?" Flash used air quotes to better explain the strangeness of the final words in his statement.

"That's also the reason I bought this fake beard." Cheese said before lifting it back onto his face. "No Pinkies will ever recognize me with this on!"

Starlight furrowed her brows at him. "Do you know something about what's going?"

"I don't think anymore then you do?" He replied. The fact that Starlight knew an awful lot about the situation did not help to relieve any of her foreboding feelings. "I've just seen enough zombie survival movies, and know enough about my girlfriend, that I know what I should do to better survive in this situation.” His hand shot outwards. “I'm Cheese Sandwich by the way!" He stated with another smile.

Starlight was hesitant, but shook his hand nevertheless. "...Starlight Glimmer."

Rainbow Dash walked forward and patted Cheese on the shoulder. "I'm Rainbow Dash, Pinkie's best friend."

Applejack waved alongside Apple Bloom. "I'm Applejack."

"Hi, I'm Apple Bloom, and this is our cousin Braeburn." Braeburn tipped his hat at Cheese.

"Howdy partner."

Flash tapped Sunset on the shoulder to regain her attention. She turned as he began to speak. “So Rainbow told us that sugar can put these things to sleep." Flash turned his gaze so he could see everyone in Sunset’s group. He hoped at least one of them could answer his questions. "Do any of you know how true that is?"

Applejack nodded. "It's true.” She stated. “Veggies also scare them away like a cats from a cucumber. We were plannin' to grab some vegetable and artificial fruit mix from Auntie Orange Smoothies before you called, but a stadium-sized band of Pinkies beat us to food court exit."

"That’s too bad..." Cheese stated.

"But the Prime Pinkie who started all this was there too.” Starlight added. “I need her to make the antidote that will turn everybody back to normal. If we can somehow manage to pull her from the crowd and get back to the portal, I can synthesize an antidote from her using the equipment and spells I have back in Equestria."

"That's good..."

"Okay, that’s all fine and dandy sure… but grabbin’ her ain’t gonna mean jack-squat if we don’t have a way to defend ourselves.” Applejack countered. “Plus she ain’t gonna be here much longer, ifin’ those trucks outside are any indication.”

"That's bad..."

"I’m just trying to look at the big picture here Applejack, but in all fairness, you’re right. Just knowing where she is isn’t going to help us if we don’t have a plan. Needless to say, we still need supplies, weapons, and maybe-"

"CAN WE JUST GET GOING ALREADY!" Rainbow shouted. "The longer we stand around talking, the less time we have to grab the Prime Pinkie or whatever it is you’re talking about..."

“Rainbow’s right.” Sunset stepped forward. “We need to stop talking, and start thinking.” She held up two fingers to act as her visual. “We need weapons, and we need the smoothie mix to fill those weapons. We also need to catch the Prime Pinkie while she’s here, if at all possible. We can’t go after the Prime Pinkie while she’s protected by that mob, so that means we need to get the weapons and smoothie mix first.”

Applejack folded her arms and shot her friend a grimace. “Sounds like yer suggestin’ we split up.”

Sunset gave a hesitant nod. “Just for a little bit.” She explained. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste with the Pinkies shipping out in less than hour. This is best way of using our time, if we want to stop this thing before it starts.”

Applejack shook her head in response, but agreed with her nevertheless. She turned her gaze until she noticed the marshmallow gun in Rainbow Dash’s hand. “Where’d ya get that from Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow looked at her gun before turning back towards Applejack. “A toy store, second floor a few windows down from here. Last I checked, it seemed pretty quite.”

“Then we have our headin’.” Applejack stated. “Those of us with weapons will head towards the food court and try to sneak out as many bags of smoothie mix as they can. The others will head to the toy store and stock themselves with a fair amount weapons.”

Sunset nodded. “You think you’ll be able to handle yourselves?”

“Yer the ones headin’ into the lion’s den. Ah’d save all the worry you’ve got for yourselves.” Applejack tipped her hat at Sunset, Starlight, and Rainbow before grabbing Apple Bloom by her wrist. “We’ll be fine. Come on Apple Bloom!”

Applejack rushed out of the store with Braeburn and Cheese Sandwich following behind her. Flash started to follow, before feeling something stop him by grasping onto his forearm. He turned to see Sunset staring up at him with a nervous expression.

She kissed him on the cheek. “Be careful, okay?”

He smiled, before leaning down and kissing her on the forehead. “Same to you.”

She let go of his arm as he sprinted out of the store. Words could not explain the worry she was feeling right now. Flash wasn’t involved in most of her crazy adventures, and even if he was, he was never a main target of the monsters she and her friends had to face. But with how widespread this epidemic had become, it scared her to think how easy it would be to lose him. To lose any of her friends, now that she thought about it further.

She turned around to face Rainbow Dash and Starlight, who both seemed to be waiting for her to lead the way. She raised her arm and rubbed it against her eyes as she started to feel tears pool on her lower lids. She swallowed her doubt and closed her eyes, before inhaling and hefting her water gun into both hands. She steeled her expression.

“Let’s go send some Pinkies to dreamland.”

Author's Note

Hey guys, Infernity Zero and I are back again with another chapter! Hope you aren't to upset about the long hiatus...

Anyways, I thought now would be a good time to explain some things you guys have probably been noticing in the last few chapters. This story was originally conceptualized to be a spoof of the zombie survival genre of movies and video games, before it was changed into a story about attacking Pinkie clones. As a result some ideas from that original concept are being implemented here, specifically most of the main cast characters being dressed as popular zombie killers and hunters from movies, video games, and comic books.

Also, like the Nerf Super Soakers and Marshmellow Double Shooter, the weapons the main characters are going to be using are actual toys that can be bought and sold in the real world.

Hope you guys like the chapter, I'll have more out as soon as I can. Enjoy, and have a great rest of your weekend everybody.