It was dawn when he got a letter from a friend to meet him at a cafe somewhere north of Ponyville. He would reject it at first but if it's important, then he had no choice but to go and find out why he was needed.

That is why Thunderlane is inside the said Cafe. It was surprising to see there are a lot of ponies despite there are only a few outside but it doesn't matter for him cause it wasn't his concern.

His concern is why she hasn't arrived yet.

“Sir, are you going to order?” he didn't even notice the waitress approached him.

“Nope, just waiting for a meeting to start,” he told her casually.

“Okay, sir” the mare went back to her job. Thunderlane was about to go back to have a staring contest with the table when he heard the bell of the door rang. He glanced behind him, hoping it's the pony he was waiting for. saw his friend and- oh...

Behind his friend is the one in charge of a squad of pegasi, one famous for their acrobatics.

“Hey, Thundy” his friend smiled at him in amusement.

“Windy, can you explain why in the hay is the captain of the Wonderbolts is standing BEHIND you?” Thunderlane asked, standing up from his seat.

The captain of the Wonderbolts chuckled “You don't really understand why I'm here” she approached him and smiled “congratulations, Thunderlane, you are now an official member of the Wonderbolts” she said, offering him her yellow wing. He glanced at his friend, who was stifling a laugh due to his expression. He looked back at the authority in front of him.

“Did I heard that properly?” Spitfire snorted in amusement.

“Yes, and you're not dreaming. Do you need a slap as evidence? It's very effective these days” Thunderlane stared at the pegasus. His smile appeared and in a blink of an eye, he quickly hugged Spitfire.

“Thank you so much, Ms. SPITFIRE!” He swore he almost cried.

Everyone in the Cafe stood up from their seats or stopped doing their jobs to stomp their hooves in applause, smiling at Thunderlane. His friend decided to add it into the hug.

“Okay that's enough, can you two please let go of me?” the two let go of her and broke the hug “Are you ready to meet your new teammates, Thunderlane?”

“Sure!” he said with a bright smile.

Spitfire chuckled “Good, and make sure you remember all the procedures, we don't want to have a second 'Rainbow Crash' in our academy” she then turns to his friend “And Windy Breeze, thank you for helping me meet him”

Windy blushed “It's nothing, Spitfire, I don't want you to look for him all over Ponyville”

This was one of the moments, Thunderlane considered one of the best moments in his life, all of those training as a trainee, all of those sweat, he was glad they didn't go to waste. For Windy, she was happy to see her friend happy, and for Spitfire, well she was amused to see a trainee's reaction when she told him they are now officially a Wonderbolt.

Everyone in the Cafe, customers, and the staff of the Cafe stomp their hooves in applause, congratulating him. Thunderlane felt proud, his dreams have come true.

However, all the good atmosphere changed drastically when they heard an ear-piercing scream. Everyone, including Thunderlane, Spitfire, and Windy jumped in surprise.

“what was that?” Windy exclaimed.

“It's coming from outside!” Spitfire immediately ran up to the glass window. Everyone near the wall of glass was already looking. “Oh Celestia”

“What is it? What's wrong, Captain?” Thunderlane and Windy approach Spitfire and see what made her terrified.

Ponies outside are panicking, galloping in random directions, a house was lit on fire, a pegasus stallion sprawled on the ground unmoving, and an earth pony sinking her teeth into the neck of a unicorn mare as she stood frozen, her mouth hung open in pain, several are screaming, and a few jumped out of their house, a few even had wounds; bite marks.

This was very new to Thunderlane; every weird event that had happened in his town are just was far different than this one, this one was bloody, evidence by the pool of blood and a few bloody hoofprints on the street, fires rarely took place during chaotic incidents (not to mention the Parasprite Infestation which devastated both the town and a city named Fillydelphia).

He was snapped out of his mind when they heard someone slammed the door. Everyone glanced at the entrance to see a yellow earth pony filly who was missing a part of her neck, she was bleeding from her nose and she let out a moan.

“Are you okay?” Spitfire immediately rushed to help the filly. The captain of the Wonderbolts glance at Thunderlane and Windy “This filly needs to be brought to the hospital immediately, she might go into a shock!” before anyone could even react, the filly suddenly bit Spitfire, the latter screaming in pain at the sudden attack and piercing of the filly's teeth.

“Captain!” Windy ran past Thunderlane and went to Spitfire's aid “Sweet Tomato, please stop! You're hurting Spitfire!” she took hold the filly's waist, attempting to pry her off from Spitfire, however, to Windy's surprise and horror, the filly was more strong than an adult earth pony and completely ignored Windy as she savored Spitfire's blood and chewing the meat inside her mouth.

Windy glanced back at Thunderlane and yelled “Thunderlane, help us!”

“Huh!?” the stallion blinked and quickly went to help “O-Okay!” he went for Sweet's neck and tries to pull her “Whoa, she's strong like a fully grown adult earth pony!”

The only reply was Spitfire's scream.

“O-O-Okay, okay! Take the filly, then talk later!” one of the customers, a cream earth pony mare decided to help them. With the help of two pegasi combined with the strength of the earth pony, they're able to slowly pull the filly away from Spitfire, albeit painful, as orange skin which was still attached to Sweet's mouth was forcibly ripped from Spitfire's neck.

“Hold on, Spitfire. Thunderlane, and you, pull harder!” Windy commanded them. Thunderlane was reluctant, seeing the damage they caused to Spitfire's neck, he decided to put a hoof to Sweet's mouth, intending to cut the skin from the teeth of the filly.

When they are successfully pulling the filly off her, Spitfire gasped in pain and stumbled backward, hitting the table Thunderlane used earlier. She was slack-jawed and quickly put a hoof to her wound as she felt searing pain from it.

Like Spitfire, Thunderlane, Windy, stumbled backward, while the earth pony ends up falling to the ground, hugging Sweet.

“Urgh, stop struggling you spoiled bra-Ah!” Sweet bit the mare's hoof, causing her to let go of the filly. Sweet shambles towards Spitfire and lunged at her, the latter had no time to dodge. Spitfire yelped when the filly lurched to her neck, making stumble and crash into the glass window. Panic sets in quickly as a mare nearest to them scream.

“NOOO!” Windy shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hooves, attempting to block off the screams.

“Oh, Horseapples!” the earth pony mare gasped out. She looked to where once a glass window. The earth pony looked down at the bite mark on her left hoof, she decided to ignore the pain to help.

Meanwhile, Thunderlane stood frozen, thinking of his current situation.

What caused Sweet Tomato to attack the captain of the Wonderbolts? Is she under the influence of a mind-control spell? he snapped back to reality as the filly, Sweet Tomato jumped and lurched into the earth pony mare's neck, a young mare was sprayed in blood as she stood watching, completely paralyzed by fear.

“Let go of me!” as if Sweet didn't hear her victim yell at her, she opened her mouth and took a small chunk of the mare's neck.

In the midst of chaos and the screams of Sweet's second victim. Spitfire stood up, much to everyone's surprise, including Thunderlane and Windy.

“Captain Spitfire!” 'Spitfire' snapped her eyes open, staring at the one who called out her name. Windy slowly approach the said 'Spitfire' despite the fact a filly is making lunch on another pony “Captain, you don't know how much I was-”

That was all she could say when all the words she was going to say next was forever forgotten when 'Spitfire' bit her jaw.

“Windy!” Thunderlane approaches his friend but bumped into a ziggurat blue Pegasus mare wearing a white shirt.

“Hey, watch where you are go- AH!” the mare was tackled by the same filly, having finished eating the neck of her second victim. Thunderlane stared at filly and her kicking third victim, witnessing a small innocent filly pull out a chunk of flesh using her mouth. He then heard a growl and glanced at the source.

THUD!

Windy's limp body fell to the floor as Spitfire stared at Thunderlane with a bloody mouth with flesh hanging before falling to the floor. She stared at him as if waiting for him to do something but then she charged at him.

“Ahh!” Thunderlane quickly galloped for the door, he quickly shut it as soon as he got outside, blocking another scream from inside the Cafe.

“Oh, Celestia”

Ponies ran around the town, escaping whatever is chasing them, the unicorn mare before was now being eaten by the same attacker he saw when he inside the Cafe earlier, taking out what seems to be a kidney, which almost made him retch and throw up his lunch.

He heard a groan behind, only to see Spitfire bust through the door and breaking it as if made out of the sand. Thunderlane spread his wings and quickly soared upwards.

He was terrified of what he was seeing.

Ponyville was in chaos.

“Rumble!” he didn't see Rumble but instead remembered him. His brother was at school. He didn't want to let his little brother get hurt.

He flew to the direction which leads to the school, determined to which his little brother.

It will be my fault if something happens to him he thought as he watched ponies running on the streets. He could identify most of them but they're not important. He had to get his little brother out of the school and quickly get out of Ponyville are his mission.

Something heavy fell on Thunderlane's back. He looks behind him to see what fell on his back.

Laying limply on his back was Strawberry Sunrise.

“Hey, Strawberry, wake up!” he said but to his horror, he was greeted by snarl “Not you too!” she got hold of his right wing and bit down. Thunderlane began to squirm as his focus on flying was now focused on the mare “Strawberry, stop it, please. Ow, it hurts!” with his right wing under the assault, he began to lose altitude. He glanced back at his front to see he was about to crash to a roof of a house “Hay no!” he tried to avoid the roof but failed. He felt his body hit the roof headfirst before falling into a second-floor hallway.

“Owww...” he moaned, holding his head with his left hoof. He heard a nearby door open followed by a mare's alarmed voice.

“What in the hay happened here!? Thunderlane is that you!?” he looked up to see an earth pony mare and a Pegasus Stallion looking down at him with concern.

“Rough landing, Dusty,” he told her, rolling into his back, making him face the sky from the hole of the roof.

“We are just mating in our bedroom when we heard you crash!” said the stallion, kneeling to check for any wounds “I'm might not be a doctor but you probably broke some of your bones”

“Oh, thanks for telling me, Zephyr” he said with sarcasm dripping out from his voice.

Zephyr looks back at Dusty, who stood behind him “Dusty, call for help, quickly!”

Dusty nodded and was about to leave when Thunderlane yelled.

“Stop!” Thunderlane raised his hoof “Don't leave!”

“Thunderlane, don't pressure yourself!” Zephyr told him.

“Don't go outside!” Thunderlane told them.

Zephyr raised an eyebrow “What do you mean?”

They heard a crash coming from behind the door behind Dusty. All three heads glanced at the door, hearing the sound wood hitting the floor. Dusty decided to investigate it, reaching a hoof to hold the doorknob.

Thunderlane knew Strawberry Sunrise fell with him when he crashed into the house, she acts just like Sweet Tomato, and Spitfire; ravenous for flesh and blood for unknown reasons, he doesn't want another life to end in front of him.

“Dusty, don't!” he tried to stop her however she just paused to give a confused look before going for the knob “Stop, Dusty, stop! Zephyr, stop her!”

“You don't need to worry about her, Thunderlane. She's just going to check whatever happened inside the bathroom” Zephyr explained.

“You guys don't understand! S-Sunrise wanted to hurt me and she's inside the room!” Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

“You mean Strawberry Sunrise? Did you hit your head hard, Thunderlane? Sunrise wouldn't hurt a fly, so why does she have any reason to hurt you?”

“She lost her mind, Zephyr! She's going to kill us!”

Dusty put her hoof on the doorknob.

“No!”

And opens the bathroom door to find... Nothing.

“Nopony's here, just some bits of the ceiling” Dusty told them, going out of the bathroom

Thunderlane sighed. He felt Dusty was lucky.

Seeing that they are able to continue their talk, Zephyr returns to look at Thunderlane “So what's the Strawberry Sunrise's going to eat about? Is that a lie?” Zephyr narrowed his eyes at his fellow pegasus.

Just as Dusty was about to approach them, a yellow blur lunged and tackled her to the floor, causing her to yelp. Thunderlane's eyes shrank into pinpricks as he caught the sight of Strawberry, laying on top of Dusty now got a few nasty cuts from the crash earlier.

“Dusty!” Zephyr rushed towards the mares. Strawberry took the chance to bite Dusty's left hindlegs, earning an ear-piercing scream from the earth pony mare.

“Ah! It hurts, Sunrise, stop It! Spring, help me!” Thunderlane whimpered as he watched Zephyr holding Strawberry's head, attempting to make the mare let go of Dusty's bleeding hindleg. He was successful however, Strawberry lost interest with Dusty and decided to sink her teeth into his neck. Thunderlane quickly stood up, turn tail and ran to the stairs, going down to the first floor. He saw debris partially buried a sofa in the living room. He heard screams from the second floor as he went to the living room and ran out of the house through the front door.

Once again, Thunderlane made friends with the ground as he lay on his stomach, he hissed in pain, feeling every wound he received from the crash.

“Note to myself, crashing into a house is so painful,” he said to himself.

He heard a scream behind him. He saw Dusty went out of the house followed by Zephyr, each having their own bite marks. Zephyr quickly closed the door, only for Strawberry to bust through and shatter it.

Oh, Celestia not this again he quickly stood up as he realized she was now aggroed on him, hearing the roars and grunts behind him. Luckily for him, Dusty Shelf and Spring Zephyr live nearby the path which leads to the school, the path was empty.

Upon seeing the schoolhouse, he spread his and jumped the fence, his wings flapping a few times before he fell to the ground in pain, again. He quickly stood up and hobble for the building as Strawberry continued her pursuit.

ran faster, run faster! he thought, looking back to see Strawberry catching up to him. How she managed to keep up with him is unknown.

Pain erupted from his right hoof, one of the parts of his body that suffered the most in the crash. It was very unbearable and he began to think Zephyr was right about having fractured bones. He was forced to lay on the ground, groaning in pain. He heard a hoofsteps and moaning, getting louder, knowing Strawberry was just inches away, he began to drag himself against the green ground, he could hear the voices inside the schoolhouse.

“Who wants to answer the question?” he could hear Cheerilee asked the foals inside.

“Me, me!” he heard the voice of his little brother, Rumble.

Everypony in the school is so oblivious of the chaos happening outside Thunderlane glanced behind him to see Strawberry about to lunge at him. He closed his eyes, waiting for his imminent doom to come.

It never came.

He heard the sound of something involving electricity and a thud. He opened his eyes to see Strawberry laying on the ground.

“Get to the school and warn foa- AALS!” she glanced to see a mare standing in front of a house, her horn glowing with lavender Aura, showing an offensive spell ready. She was, however, didn't live long when a pony emerged from the tree behind her and grabbed a hold of her head. She screamed as the pony behind her began to eat the back of her head.

Thunderlane decided to stand up and try walking to the schoolhouse, having chosen to endure the pain. He immediately hobbled towards the school door. Strawberry was slowly getting back to her hooves, letting out a hoarse roar, her wings hung limp on her sides.

Thunderlane opens the door and quickly close it, then looks at the assembled foals and one teacher and yelled “Everypony, something's going on-”

The classroom was empty and was in total disarray, there are splats of blood on one of the tables while a pool of blood is seen on the floor. the foals and Cheerilee are nowhere to be found and the school was a little dark.

“What?” he exclaimed, “but I heard voices coming from here!”

In the corner of his eye, he could see a figure moving from the shadows.

“B-Brother?” Thunderlane's eyes become wide hearing a very familiar voice

“Rumble, is that you?” he was about to approach the figure.

“Stop!” He came to a halt “Why didn't you come sooner, brother? Many more lives would be saved”

“Ponyville was in chaos, Rumble, I've been chased all the way here just to get you,” Thunderlane told him.

“You fool, it's already late for that!” said the figure “Ms. Cheerilee and the other foals are gone because of you, now look what happened to me” the figure stepped out of the dark corner of the school.

It was not his Rumble, not anymore. The figure was still a pony, a foal but something's wrong with it. Half of its head was missing, blood coated almost every part of its body, the stomach had a gaping hole, and some of the internal organs aren't present, it's wing left still intact because of a skin still attached to its body.

He was looking at his little brother's body

“N-No” Thunderlane moaned in disbelief. Seeing his brother in this kind of state was the last thing he wanted to see. He took a step back and he fell on his rump, sitting like a dog “this can't be” the corpse shambles towards him, opening its mouth and letting out a ghostly moan which could give trauma to every pony with a soft heart. Thunderlane felt broken, and despair took over him as he cried loudly.

“R-R-R-Rumble!” he said in between sobs. He reaches out for his little brother and gave him a hug. Thunderlane closed his eyes as Rumble stared at his delicious shoulder “It's all my fault”

Rumble, his little brother ignored him, it just sank his teeth on his left shoulder and started chewing the flesh, making a crunching sound. A blood-curdling scream followed.

Thunderlane gasped in his bed. What he first saw was a green ceiling. That was not the ceiling of his house and he had somehow seen this ceiling from the past.

He quickly remembered all about the school and the... bloody encounter. He quickly looked to check his shoulder, only to find it wrapped with a white bandage. He clutched it with horror.

“You're awake!” Thunderlane glanced to where the source of the voice is, he was surprised to see it was Windy, well and fine, looking at him with a concerned look “I almost thought that accident put you into a coma”

“A-Accident?”

“You really hit your head hard on that rock, didn't you? It's a good thing your injuries aren't that bad that the nurses decided to release you today”

Thunderlane raised an eyebrow “How long am I here in the hospital?”

“4 hours, I guess” she shrugged “I'm not that kind of me who likes to look at the time” she added, looking at the clock just above the door, she looks back at him “Spitfire even had to dismiss me so I can visit your sorry flank”

“I'm glad you do” he mocked.

“I'm just worried about you and nopony was going to visit you anyway, so I decided to go and check up on you, I even hired somepony to take care of Rumble just in case you are in a coma,” she said.

“So it was just only a dream?” Thunderlane muttered to himself however, it was heard by Windy.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“No nothing. I was just asking you who you hired to babysit Rumble”

“Blue Wings” Thunderlane raised an eyebrow.

“Didn't hear that pony before” Windy rolled her eyes.

“I know that. She's from Richville”

“From Richville? I thought that town was in quarantine” he had heard the news of an outbreak which sparked a serious of unrest in the town and the nearby city of Maneponia. He didn't want to think a pony from Richville accidentally infecting his little brother with whatever disease spreading in the town.

“Don't worry about her, Thunderlane, she was out of town when the epidemic occurred” Windy assured him.

“Well that's good,” he said, “so my release?”

“Oh, I gotta tell the nurse first that you woke up, they'll tell you whether they're gonna release you or not,” she told him solemnly. She went and opened the door and gave Thunderlane one last look “Take some rest, they might not probably release you if you didn't calm your bones down. I'm going to have a little chat with somepony else” she shut the door, leaving Thunderlane with two other patients. He laid his head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling.

An accident he thought.

Author's Note

Dusty shelf and Spring Zephyr are Cainiam's OCs. I give credits to him.