Saddle Row, Day One, 3:00pm

The boutique had grown quiet and still as the day went on. The windows were covered with fabric and the doors in the front and back of the store had been barricaded, and the bodies of the dead ponies had been put out in the alley out back.

Everypony involved managed to retain their composure for most of the clean up process, especially Rarity. The crusaders however, were scared the second it all started, and now were still cowering behind the counter. After removing the bodies, Rarity entered the back room and could be heard crying, finally losing her composure.

Big Mac and Sugar Belle sat down in one corner of the boutique and snuggled next to eachother. While Applejack kept watch at the front door.

For the first hour or so, there was a lot of panic and screaming in the streets, as well as gunshots. Now, it was almost entirely silent, apart from faraway gunshots and some sounds of sirens.

Applejack eventually stepped away from the door to check on everyone else. She saw Big Mac and Sugar Belle, who were now asleep next to eachother on the floor, the crusaders were still behind the counter, also asleep, and Rarity was now standing next to the counter, staring at the gun in her hooves, she looked up when Applejack walked over.

"Anything happening out there?" Rarity asked in a quiet voice.

"Nope, it's rather quiet right now, but there's still some of those zombies walking around out there." Applejack responded. She looked at the gun again. "You're a pretty good shot with that, I didn't think you were."

"Oh, thank you darling, I took some lessons a few months ago when one of the shops down the street here was robbed." Rarity explained. "I'll never get used to it though." she said, shedding a tear.

Applejack thought back to Blue Bobbin, and how quickly she became one of them after she was bitten.

"It's okay sugarcube, we'll get through this, we just gotta keep our heads up." Applejack said reassuringly. Rarity wiped the tears from her eyes and gave Applejack a small smile.

Suddenly, several loud bangs emitted through the boutique, startling the sleeping ponies from their sleep. Then a voice echoed from the back door.

"Hello, anypony in there? Help!" the voice shouted from the alley behind the boutique. Rarity and Applejack quickly ran to see what was happening, followed by Big Mac.

Rarity was about to open the door for the pony, when Applejack stopped her. Applejack stepped forward towards the door and shouted through it.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Applejack asked.

"Please, let me in, these things out here are gonna kill me!" the voice said frantically. The ponies inside could hear the voice as being masculine, so they were probably a stallion.

"Are you bitten?" Rarity asked.

"What? No, no I'm not, I promise, just please let me in, they're getting closer!" the stallion shouted.

Applejack and Rarity exchanged glances, Rarity readied her gun while Applejack prepared to open the door.

"One, Two, Three!" Applejack counted before flinging open the door, letting the stallion fall in. He quickly stood up and got all the way inside. There were zombies following him closely, but Applejack and Big Mac managed to barricade the door again before the zombies could get too close.

After barricading the door, Applejack turned to the stallion, who was facing Rarity, who was aiming the gun at him.

"Listen ma'am, please just calm down and lower the gun, I'm not trying to hurt any of you." the stallion pleaded. Rarity kept aiming at him.

"Applejack, Big Mac, check him for bites, then we can see if he's trustworthy." Rarity said.

Applejack looked over the stallion, he was a pegasus with a blonde mane and a grey colored coat, he wore a navy blue police uniform, had a holster with a gun in it and a crowbar hung across his back.

"I think he's trustworthy enough Rarity, I think he's a cop." Applejack said.

"Yes, I am." the stallion said.

"That may be the case sir, but I still want my friends to check you for bites before I let you anywhere near me or my sister and her friends." Rarity argued.

Applejack sighed as she stepped over to the stallion and began to check him over, looking at his legs, neck, back, chest, and she saw no bites, though he looked disheveled and dirty.

"I don't see any bites Rarity, he's good." Applejack said. Rarity sighed and lowered the gun.

"I'm so sorry officer, but with what's happening out there right now, we can never be too careful." Rarity said apologetically.

"It's fine, it's nice to see other survivors out here, I haven't seen many others." the officer said as they all walked into the main room of the boutique.

Sugar Belle and the Crusaders emerged from behind the counter with confused looks on their faces.

"Who's this guy Applejack?" Applebloom asked.

"Yeah, what's your name officer?" Applejack asked.

"The names Swift Justice, deputy in the Manehattan Police Department, I was one of the first respondents after everything started to happen. Me and my partner, Connie Stable, were on Bridle Way when we were separated by a horde of them. I ended up getting lost, and ended up here in saddle row, but I ran out of ammo and tried to find help. Luckily you guys were here, or I'd probably be dead right now, thank you." Swift Justice explained.

"So, is the city overrun?" Rarity asked.

"It seems that way, from what I saw, Saddle Row and Bridle Way are overrun, and when I last had access to the police radio channel, I heard that the infected were crossing the bridges leading in and out of the city." Swift explained.

"So, Manehattan's Overrun? Is outside help coming?" Applejack asked.

"As far as I know, no, but I pray that somepony got word out to the Equestrian guard." Swift Justice said.

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

"My best suggestion, we should either hold up in someplace safe, or try to escape the city, and both options are risky." Applejack said.

"Well, either way, we need supplies, food, and weapons to defend ourselves." Swift Justice said as he walked toward the front door. He peered outside, he saw several zombies wandering in the street, abandoned cars, and even one of the buildings on fire. Eventually, he spotted something perfect.

"You see that police cruiser there?" He asked the others who were standing next to him. They all nodded in response. "If we can get to it, we can get some guns, ammo, and a map of Manehattan from it.

"Well, that's easier said than done." Rarity said as she looked at the infected wandering the street.

"I have a police car skeleton key, so I can open it, I just need somepony to come with me to watch my back." Swift Justice said. Big Mac stepped forward.

"I'll go." he said. Sugar Belle gave him a pleading look. "I'll be fine, I know how to defend myself." he said, trying to calm Sugar Belle.

"If you're goin, so am I." Applejack said. Big Mac was about to protest, but when he saw Sugar Belle's relief, he simply nodded.

"Okay, here, take this, Big Mac is it?" Swift said as he took the crowbar off his back and gave it to Big Mac.

"Eeeyup!" Big Mac said. Swift then turned to Applejack.

"I'd give you my gun, but I have no more ammo." Swift said. Rarity then stepped over to Applejack and offered her the gun.

"You better take this with you darling, you'll need it out there." Rarity said. Applejack nodded and took the gun.

"Alright, now, before we head out there, word of advice, let's try to keep the gunshots to a minimum, noise attracts the infected like a moth to a flame, okay?" Swift said. Applejack and Big Mac nodded.

"Okay, let's do this..." Swift said as he moved the table blocking the door out of the way.

To be continued in chapter 7...

Author's Note

Yeah, I know some people might not like how i'm splitting it up, but I'm doing this so that I can get chapters out faster and more frequent, rather than being one of those writers that only posts a chapter like once a month. :)