Soarin stepped towards Dash and hooked his hoof around the barrel of the rifle. Dash looked up at Soarin, with tears in her eyes and a confused look on her face.

"What are you...?" Dash started to ask.

"You're shaking, you might miss, or hit something else. She shouldn't suffer anymore than she has." Soarin said as softly and compassionately as possible. Rainbow nodded slightly before looking back into her scope.

Pinkie looked, confused, like she was looking for something. Her expression was confused, yet her eyes were blank, and she had blood around her muzzle. Dash tried to imagine the blood as the rainbow color, but couldn't bring herself to. Dash sucked in a lungful before lining the sight up directly.

"I love you Pinkie." Dash said softly before pulling the trigger. The sound rang out and Dash felt the harsh recoil.

It was a direct hit.

Pinkie fell to the ground, the strange grayish red blood beginning to pool around her.

Dash put down the rifle and immediately turned and embraced Soarin, and began to let it all out. Soarin returned the embrace, stroking Dash's head and whispering to her.

"It's okay, she's in a better place now, you'll be okay." Soarin said softly. Rainbow buried her muzzle into Soarin's shoulder and sobbed.

Nothing was going to be the same without her...

Elsewhere in the city, at an Apartment building by Saddle Row, Applejack and Sugar Belle sat on the fire escape waiting patiently for somepony to return.

Sugar Belle smugly slammed a card down in front of her.

"Go Fish." Sugar Belle said happily, finally securing a win for the first time that day. Applejack was a little bummed, but put on a small smile for Sugar Belle.

"Nice job." Applejack praised as Sugar Belle used her magic to restock and reshuffle the cards. Before they could start a new game however, the window beside them opened and Swift Justice stepped out onto the fire escape.

"Hey, is Big Mac and Rarity back yet?" Swift asked. Applejack looked back at the alley beneath them and saw nothing.

"Nope, still out scavenging I presume." Applejack said.

"Well, when they get back, I've got something everypony needs to hear." Swift explained before climbing back inside and shutting the window. Applejack and Sugar Belle went back to their game.

"What do you think he wants to show us?" Sugar Belle asked as she dealt the cards. Applejack chuckled.

"He'll probably tell us about the conversations he's been having with Connie, I've heard him talking to her through the radio lately." Applejack said. Sugar Belle smiled.

"I think he likes her." Sugar Belle added.

"Well, yeah, I figured that much, with them being partners and all.." Applejack started.

"I mean in a romantic way, like special someponies." Sugar Belle specified. Applejack nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he does seem that way, I know I'd probably be giddy for any chance to talk to a special somepony if we were separated." Applejack said. Sugar Belle's smile suddenly faded.

"Yeah, I'm glad I decided to join you guys for the trip, because if I was still in Ponyville while Big Mac and the rest of you were stuck here, I don't know what I would do." Sugar Belle said. Applejack put a reassuring hoof on Sugar Belle's shoulder.

"Well, thank you for lookin out for him. Big Mac's really found himself a great special somepony." Applejack said with a smile. Sugar Belle leaned forward and gave Applejack a small hug, and she hugged back.

Just before they could get back to the game of cards, they heard the sound of hooves approaching. They turned and saw Big Mac and Rarity rushing into the alley with saddlebags full of supplies.

Applejack and Sugar Belle worked together to lower the makeshift ladder down to the other two so they could climb up to the fire escape. After the two reached the balcony and withdrew the ladder, Big Mac and Sugar Belle shared a hug.

"Looks like you two hit the jackpot." Applejack commented, noticing how bulgy their saddlebags were.

"Eeeyup." Big Mac said as he and Sugar Belle opened the window and stepped into the apartment.

"We traveled a few blocks north and found the Breadbasket Supermart, it still had some food and supplies that weren't taken." Rarity explained as she followed Applejack in.

The apartment was a little messier than it was when the group got there, but the group made an effort to make it feel like home, despite the circumstances. As the ponies from outside made their way in, Swift Justice peaked his head out of the doorway to the kitchen.

"Good, you guys are back, and it looks like you got the motherlode." Swift said as he stepped into the living room. Rarity and Big Mac quickly took off their saddlebags and began to unload their contents onto the floor. The supplies they scavenged ranged from food, to toiletries, to even ammunition.

"With all this, we should be able to hold out another week, or at least until the military roll in." Sugar Belle said. The others agreed, but Swift Justice's smile faded.

"Yeah, about that, I have some bad news." Swift said as he moved to the kitchen to get the radio. As he did so, the door to one of the bedrooms opened and the CMC ran down the hallway to greet the others.

"Rarity! You made it back!" Sweetie exclaimed as she embraced her sister.

"You cam out just in time girls, Swift Justice has some bad news." Applejack said. The CMC's smiles quickly faded as Swift re-entered the room with the radio. He placed it down and tuned it to the emergency radio. The radio then turned on the tail end of the announcers words.

"-vacuation. I repeat, for those of you still in Manehattan, if you can, make your way to the Manehattan bridge for evacuation. We are sorry, we have taken too many casualties and must retreat to help smaller towns and cities that have been infected. Both Whinneapolis and Detrot have both been infected. I repeat, come to Manehattan bridge and cross it, a small military force is remaining on the other side to evacuate any survivors."

Each pony in the room was dead silent as the announcer repeated the statement again. Afterwards, Swift turned off the radio and let out a long sigh.

"So, looks like we can't just wait for the Military to do its thing." Swift said.

"So, what do we do now?" Sugar Belle asked.

"Now, we need a new plan, if we stay here we'll eventually run out of supplies, we need to do what he says, we need to go to the bridge." Rarity said.

"But, what about everypony else? Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie? We can't just leave without finding them, can we?" Applejack asked.

"They could be anywhere in this massive city, IF they're even alive." Swift Justice said. Applejack frowned at his pessimistic statement.

"Don't say things like that! My friends and I have helped Equestria many times, and if there's anypony in this world that could make it through a crisis like this, it's them!" Applejack said angrily. Rarity nodded, giving Swift an equally angry look.

"Well, if you want to waste your time finding them, then be my guest. I already have a plan. My partner, Connie is over in Bridleway and the group she's with managed to get a bus. All they need is fuel, and I'm going to help them. You can all come with me, but if you have a better plan with you, then make the choice now, because that's all I got." Swift said as he went into the kitchen and started to gather his things.

Applejack turned to the others, each of them with a dumbfounded look on their faces.

"He's really gonna abandon us, just like that?" Rarity whispered.

"Well, he's going to help his friend, so I can see why, but what do we do?" Applejack asked.

"We need to choose, like he said, either go with him, or find some other plan." Rarity said.

"What do you think Big Mac?" Sugar Belle asked. Big Mac furrowed his brow as he thought, then turned to Applejack.

"whatever you think is best sis." Big Mac said. Applejack felt a little anxious. She turned to Rarity with a questioning look.

"I don't know darling. Either choice could be good. Bridle Way is over by the Stadium where the Wonderbolts were supposed to play, and also not too far from the hotel we were staying at, so our friends could be over in that area." Rarity explained. Applejack nodded.

"I think we should go with him." Sweetie Bell suddenly added.

"Me too." Scootaloo added. Applejack smiled.

"Swift?" Applejack called.

"Yeah?" Swift responded from the kitchen.

"We're coming with you." Applejack said, the others all nodded.

Swift Justice walked back into the living room with an apologetic look.

"Sorry I was so, insensitive. I'm just so pissed that the military is just turning their backs on us." Swift said. Applejack stood up and walked over to Swift and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"It's okay Swift, we know you just want to see Connie again." Applejack said with a wink. Swift immediately blushed.

"So, when are we heading out?" Rarity asked. It was still midday.

"We can either pack up and leave while it's still daylight, or we can leave tonight, I'm good with either." Swift said. Applejack turned to Rarity, who had now stood up.

"When do you think we should leave darling?" Rarity asked. Applejack thought for a moment...

Author's Note

As Applejack, choose....

A. Leave now.

B. Leave at night.