Dead Equestria

Blue Wings suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and felt the urge to empty her stomach. She immediately got off from Rumble's bed, the colt didn't even squirm when the mare moves the bed or when she opened the door loudly as she went for the bathroom.

When she went inside the bathroom, she quickly went for the sink and emptied her stomach, coughing and wheezing as she let out heavy breaths “What is happening to me?” she asked herself in between coughs and breathes while looking at her reflection on the mirror “I didn't get sick, did I?” she looked down at her vomit and felt both disgusted and terrified at the sight of her blood mixed along with her digested dinner on the sink. She began to hyperventilate at the thought of getting the same illness which is now spreading in the northern Equestria region. She back away from the sink “Oh, Celestia, not now, oh, please, I don't wanna go-”

An ear-piercing scream from outside interrupted her from her panic. Like would a normal, average pony would do, she went out to investigate.

She gazes at Rumble's bedroom in thought, amazed the fact the colt didn't even wake up from the scream He must be a heavy sleeper she cautiously closed the door and went downstairs. She heard another scream Somepony is in trouble! she thought. Just as she approached the door, she glances at the kitchen and looks at a kitchen knife. She thought about this for a few seconds You don't really need a knife for this, retaliation is only needed to stop the attacker she looks back at the door and slowly opens it, allowing her to peek.

“Ah, stop it!”

Outside, an earth pony mare is being attacked by a stallion, who was forcefully pushed back by the said mare. Blue squinted and gasped at the mare's neck; a piece of skin was missing.

Blue didn't even think twice, she quickly opens the door, spread her wings, and tackle the stallion. As she stood up from the incapacitated pony, the earth pony mare from before approaching her.

“Oh, thank you miss for saving me!” the earth pony mare said. She clutched her neck injury with one hoof.

“It's nothing. It's a Wonderbolt's responsibility to protect” Blue smiled, receiving a gasp from the mare.

“You're a Wonderbolt!?” the mare exclaimed, however, her enthusiasm quickly disappear as it was replaced by a solemn expression “Listen to me, whoever is with you in the house, wake them up and take the to Canterlot with me” Blue gave her a look of confusion, having no idea why the mare, who was recently attack suddenly made her leave Ponyville. Noticing this look, the earth pony groaned in frustration “Look, just do what I want you to do: go back inside the house and get your family out and head with me to Canterlot!” the mare's face twisted into a look of fear “Behind you!”

Inside, a bloodcurdling woke Thunderlane. He heard something bang loudly on the front door of his house. Thinking there's an intruder inside, he cautiously went out of the bedroom and into the corridor. He decided to check Rumble and Blue first.

To his surprise, the door was slightly open but he didn't hear anything inside the bedroom. He assumed Blue probably forgot to close the door.

However when he went inside, Blue was nowhere to be found.

He suddenly remembers the scream which woke him “Blue Wings!” he rushed out of the bedroom and into the living room. He went out of his house to investigate what's going on.

Just in front of a house is Blue Wings being attacked by a stallion, a mare can be sitting nearby, shaking in fear with one of her hooves in her neck as Blue screamed as the stallion tear the flesh on her neck though it didn't seem too deep. He also noticed that the bystander's neck was also covered in blood too.

“Blue!” Thunderlane didn't wait for the earth pony near Blue and her attacker to make a move. Said the earth pony turn around and went inside her house as Thunderlane charged and slammed into Blue's attacker. They crashed into the same house of the earth pony through the window, shattering the glass and crashing into the living room, receiving a scream from the owner, who immediately ran to the kitchen.

Thunderlane immediately grabs a hold of the stallion's forelegs in an attempt to restrain him “Stop moving for Celestia's sake!”

As he was too busy arresting the stallion, Blue slowly stood up, moaning as she clutched her bleeding neck.

In the distance, she could see an earth pony, a mare ran towards her, screaming for help. Blue ignored her as she moves her head sluggishly at the broken window where Thunderlane and her attacker used to crash into the house.

“T-Thunderlane...” she moaned as she approaches the broken window, looking at Thunderlane who was restraining her attacker. The mare she had rescued earlier ran back into the living her with a knife on her mouth.

Thunderlane glanced back at Blue “Blue, go back inside the house and you'll find some bandages the- ARGHK!” the stallion he had tried to restrain somehow manages to lift his head and bite the wings of the Pegasus “Agh, let me go!” Thunderlane grimaced in pain trying his best not to let go of his attacker's forelegs.

Responding to his distress, owner of the house hesitantly went to his aid by trying to pry him off the earth pony stallion who decided to take a small chunk of his flesh from his left wing, taking a few feathers with it. Thunderlane gritted his teeth in pain as he tried his best not to scream. He didn't want more ponies to wake up and be involved.

With the mare attempting to pull him away from the crazed attacker. The mare was successful but it cost him a small part of his left wing.

“Ow! AHH...! w-wy wing!” he yelled as he stares at his injured wing. The wings are what the pegasi are proud of. Having an injured wing or losing them brings great shame and humiliation to the winged ponies, so powerful that it could even bring down Rainbow Dash and Spitfire to fit of sobbing or anger. Thunderlane was no different, he was just an average pony in a big world and he could feel pain just like any other breathing equines.

Blue came to his side, pulling him away as their attacker slowly stood up after the assaults. The earth pony mare who had helped him was now slowly backing away from them with fear, whimpering as the attacker stared at the two Wonderbolts. He decided to ignore the earth pony mare to face Blue and Thunderlane, reveling several stab wounds on his chest, hinting the earth pony mare actually used the knife. The said knife was laying on the floor not too far from its owner, its blade now covered in blood.

The attack moaned and tried to reach the duo when the earth pony mare quickly pulled him from behind by his mane “Stay away from them!” she yelled. The stallion reached out his hooves in an attempt to grab Thunderlane.

“Get away from me!” Thunderlane recognizes her. She's Roseluck. She sells flowers alongside Lily Valley and Daisy. She went inside Thunderlane's house and quickly slammed the door.

“Roseluck!” Thunderlane went out of the house with Blue behind his tail. To his horror, Roseluck had locked the door of his house “Roseluck, open the door!” he yelled. He heard a growl behind them. He and Blue turn around to see a stallion about to bite the pegasus, only for Blue to violently push the attacker to the ground. Thunderlane immediately returns his attention to the door in front of him and begins to beg for Roseluck to open the door. Meanwhile, Blue watched as a dozen ponies nearing them and menacingly staring at her with hunger in their eyes. She could feel the pain on her neck but she ignored it.

“T-Thunderlane!?” she yelled, getting the attention of Thunderlane, who turns around to see how close the crowd are.

“Blue!” he shouted. He ran up to her and pushed another pony who is too close to his friend “Roseluck shutted us out”

“What? L-let's get out of here” Blue turned glanced, only to find more ponies in a similar state like the others “What the- where did they come from?”

They heard screams behind them. They turn around to see that the stallion they left inside the other house was now attacking the mare.

“Miss!” Blue and flew towards the house to help the mare.

“Blue Wings!” Thunderlane shouted before turning to the door “Roseluck, open the door!” there was no response from inside the house “Roseluck, open the door!”

“Thunderlane, help us!” he saw Blue, now with the earth pony mare laying on her back is being surrounded.

He quickly ran towards them, knocking down a unicorn stallion in the process “Come on!” he led them to the door and begin knocking again “Roseluck, open the door!” he heard a shriek behind him. He glances to behind him to see Blue buck a pony on the face, making them stumble. He was about to yell something to the mare when he felt a hoof suddenly pull him grab his chest.

He hit the ground with a thud, no, a wooden floor. He could see Blue's hooves move to pass him and something woody concealing the crazy ponies from his vision.

“Need a hoof, Thunderlane?” he looked up to where the source is and saw Roseluck, offering a hoof. He grabs hold of her hoof and stood up.

“Yeah, I do need help, thanks,” he said but his appreciation is soon thrown out of the window by his frown “Why did you lock the door on me and Blue?”

“I was scared!” Roseluck replied. They heard banging on the front door behind him, causing both of them to jump, and scream for Blue's case. They turn their heads to look at the wooden door. “T-They're not going to get inside r-right, Thunderlane?”

“The door is made of wood. As long as there are no 6 to 10 earth ponies pushing against the door, it won't fall from its hinges” he told them “Blue, carry Fair Fare into my bedroom” Blue nodded and slowly went upstairs.

“Thunderlane, how about the door?” Roseluck glanced at the door.

“Block it with anything sturdy and heavy as a makeshift barricade. You're the only available earth pony here so you have to do it by yourself while I barricade the windows” Roseluck whimpered. The last time she was nearby from those ponies, she almost lost her eye but she reluctantly obeyed.

Thunderlane went to the kitchen and open one of the floor cabinets containing several wooden planks that are used for repairing. He seizes the planks with his wing and went back to the living room, though one fell while he was cantering. He immediately went for the one near Roseluck, who was now blocking the front door with a couch. He could hear mostly growls, banging, and a few screams outside, probably from a few ponies who woke up and went out to investigate.

As he was about to put a plank to the window in front of him, a hoof hit the glass, causing some cracks to appear. He shrieked but he immediately recovered and placed the plank on the window.

While Roseluck and Thunderlane are busy fortifying the living room, Blue Wings was busy binding Fair. She had no time to cleanse her wound, so she was forced to endure her pain.

“W-Wonderbolt... my neck, it hurts...” the earth pony mare, Fair Fare grimaced.

“Don't worry, the pain will go away. I promise” Blue assured her, though it came out a little muffled since the surgical tape is still on her mouth (she found it on a shelf in Thunderlane's room)

After she was done cutting the bandage tape which she used to wrap up Fair's neck wound, she decided to take care of herself now, after all, she is done with the earth pony laying on his friend's bed. She went out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. She stared at her wound. How was strong and sharp was the stallion's teeth? She took a scissor from the shelf rack.

“Ugh, why do I feel like I'm about to vomit..?” her vision began to blur as she dresses her wound. She absent-mindedly wrapped her neck with a bandage, her eyes were partially closed, and she began to moan as if tired from a training session. She put her scissor where she assumed where the tape is and began cutting but not the tape, but her skin. She didn't seem to notice as she continued to cut through her own skin, blood began to slowly come out of her wound. She began to mumble incoherently as she stared at the mirror with a blank look. Then she heard that voice.

“Sweetheart, why would you want to join that squadron? You'll get yourself injured!”

“I-I-I wanted to sh-show h-how g-good we are, mom” Blue spoke to her reflection. She wasn't speaking to herself, nor to her reflection.

But to her 'mom'.

“Look what happened to you! You're hurt! You should have stayed in Richville with me and your father!”

Blue's blank face contorted into a snarl, still ignoring the fact she was bleeding “This isn't my fault, mom. T-This isn't my fault” she said.

“Then, why are you bleeding?” she finally noticed the blood flowing from the long cut on her neck “Tell me my daughter: why do you blee-”

“It doesn't matter to you, you idiot!” Blue punched the mirror with one hoof; forming a huge crack on the glass “You are always against my decisions when I was living with you and father. Why would you have to be so AGAINST ME!?” she stared intensely at the now broken mirror with her eyes narrowed. Her gaze suddenly softens “I know why...” she smiled “You just didn't want me to be happy. That's why you never listen to me” she let out a chuckle and moved her head away from the mirror “You are here to tease and mock me, aren't you? Well, I won't let that happen”

As Thunderlane blocked the last openings of the now barricaded window, he went for the other one while Roseluck watches.

“Hey, did you hear that?” Roseluck asked.

Thunderlane listens for the sound. He heard it. Blue is indeed, laughing “That must be Blue”

“Was that her name?”

“Yes, she's a newbie to the Wonderbolts,” he told her “Why is she laughing?”

As they were talking, one of the windows was shattered. They glanced as ponies began entering through the broken window, growling at them.

“I forgot to fortify that!” Thunderlane immediately drops the plank he's holding went and pushed one of the ponies out of the house while Roseluck helps him. As they are too busy dealing with the others, a stallion quickly took the opportunity to launch itself into one of the defenders. Thunderlane had no time to react when the stallion chomps down to his left wing. Again. He yelled in pain. Roseluck, who saw him get attacked by the stallion gasped.

“Oh my Celestia!” She went and bucked the stallion before pulling Thunderlane away from the window. She helps him stand up. They retreated from the ponies entering through the window.

“Roseluck, the window-!”

“It's too late. They're flooding into the house!” Roseluck interrupted him as they go upstairs “Tell your friend and your little brother that we have to get out of here!” she told him.

As they took their last step on the stairs, the bathroom door bust open. Stumbling out of the bathroom is Blue Wings. Thunderlane gasped at the sight of a long wound on her neck and the blood covered her chest. She turns to him and Roseluck with a crazed look, making Roseluck step back and Gasp at the grisly sight of her recent wound.

“Blue Wings, what happened to you?” Thunderlane rushed to Blue with large amounts of concern “What happened? How did you get this?”

“Mommy~!” Blue sang in a drunk tone as she smiled at him with a crazy look “aren't you proud of me? Are you proud of your daughter?” Thunderlane couldn't understand why she's calling him her mother, which is why he's confused.

“Blue, what are you talking about?” he lifted an eyebrow “Nevermind, we got to get out of here. Get Fair and go out through the windows safely as possible! I'll go get my little brother” he galloped past her but before he could open the door of his little brother's bedroom, he was stopped by Blue's answer.

“Aren't you proud of me, mom?” Thunderlane turns around to see Blue's face had contorted into anger “AREN'T YOU PROUD OF ME!?”

“Blue, I'm not your mom!” Thunderlane told her. Blue suddenly glanced at Roseluck, making the florist yelp in surprise.

“GAH!”

“Daddy, thank you for supporting me” Blue slowly approached Roseluck.

“W-What are you-” she heard a raspy moan beside her. She glanced just in time for a unicorn mare to snap her Jaws at her. Roseluck let out an Eeep'ed and went behind Thunderlane, whose eyes shrunk in the size of a pinpoints.

“Blue, look out!” he shouted. However, Blue pays no heed as she menacingly walks towards him, paying no mind to his warning as a pegasus stallion walk pass the unicorn mare, who was slowly standing up. Blue walked too slow than the stallion and has succumbed to whatever went inside her system.

“Mom, I don't want to break the rules of our town but this is enough” she unfolds her left wing, revealing a scissor clutched by her appendage. Before she could move closer to Thunderlane, the stallion dropped on top of her like a sack. She let out a groan and tried standing up. Thunderlane was going to approach her unfortunately, her attacker is much faster than both of them. He sank his teeth on her nape, earning a scream of horror from Roseluck.

“Blue!” Thunderlane yelled in terror. Blue simply put a hoof to her bleeding nape as the stallion continued munching on her. She let out a raspy chuckle before going limp.

Thunderlane heard a door open behind him followed by a shriek. He glanced just in time for Fair Fare to shamble out of his bedroom and attack Roseluck, who was forced to lean against the wall behind her.

“T-Thunderlane, help me!” He stared at the mare in distress before glancing back at Blue, who was now being swarmed by a group ponies, some took their attention away from their targets to make the dead Wonderbolt their meal while the rest focused on killing their remaining targets. Thunderlane cringed and decided to help Roseluck. He immediately rushed to her aid, turning around and bucked Fair from her. Fair growled and tried to go after Thunderlane but was pushed away by the stallion.

“Head to the bathroom, quickly!” He opens the door and pushed her in before he himself enter the bathroom. As he was going to shut the door, he heard an utter coming from one of the bedrooms.

“B-Brother!?” Rumble's voice was easy to break Thunderlane's courageous side. Realization struck as he saw his little brother looking from the slightly open door. Rumble glance away from him to look at the feast, one of the ponies tearing out the large long intestine from Blue. Rumble inadvertently gasped in horror, attracting several of the ponies to him. He immediately closed the door as soon as they shamble towards him.

“Rumble!” Thunderlane tried to go out to save his brother when Roseluck pulled him away from the door. He looked at her with anger “What are you doing? Can't you see my brother need our help?”

“He'll be fine as long as he hides under his bed. We can save him later!” Roseluck shut the door and quickly went to the only window in the bathroom. She opens the turn the curtains aside and opens the window “Get in here Thunderlaaaaane!” she yelled as she falls off the window. Thunderlane heard a snap followed by the mare's shriek. He was about to go the window when he heard pounding behind him and the sound of something cracking.

“I regret selling my cloud villa,” he said out loud as he quickly jumps through the window. He spread his wings and glide down at Roseluck. He lands behind her.

“Come on, we gotta go and get help Princess Twilight” she whispered to him. Thunderlane glanced at his house one more time which is occupied by the crazy ponies, Blue Wings, Fair Fare, and Rumble. He sighed, promising to his little brother he will come back to help him.

If he could really come back. Alive.

As they ran, they saw a figure of a pony standing in front of them. He easily recognized this pony as Berry Punch.

“Berryshine!” Thunderlane slowly approaches the earth pony, who turns to look at them “You gotta have to come with us” however when the said earth pony stepped out of the shadow of a house. A hungry look, along with a bloody mouth greeted them. Thunderlane steps away from her as she opens her mouth, revealing her bloodstained teeth.

“B-Berry, not you too!” Roseluck gasped. The two only sane ponies heard a growl around them. They glanced to see a dozen ponies, mostly refugees from Maneponia and Hoofside come out of the shadows, almost all of them have wounds on different parts of their body, mostly on the neck, or at there legs, or even both.

“We're trapped!” Thunderlane yelled to his companion as he and Roseluck stood back-to-back, their tails touching each other's tails as the ponies move closer to them. Thunderlane was horrified to see a mutilated pegasus mare shambling among them. Her lime green coat was coated in blood, an intestine hung from her stomach, the skin of her entire right side was gone, her right bloody mangled wing hung limply revealing the flesh, her glazed eyes stared at him, only her orange mane and tail was the only one untouched.

Thunderlane inadvertently called Roseluck, catching her attention. She immediately took notice of the hostile mangled pegasus and screamed.

5 blocks away from them, a pony stumbled out of her house, moaning as several other ponies turn around to go to where the source of the scream is.

In the northern part of Ponyville, the only dragon resident of the town woke up from his sleep, having been disturbed by the scream.

Thunderlane knew Roseluck's scream may have woke up several other ponies peacefully sleeping and also drawing unwanted attention to them. Chastising an earth pony mare working as a florist will gonna wait, escaping is their number one priority now. He looks around for an escape route.

However, he found none as he saw more of them showed up. He glared at his companion out of anger and frustration, to which the mare sheepishly smiled back. Thunderlane could just facehoof to himself if not for a snarl he heard in front him. He reared just in time for Berry to bite his neck.

“Whoa!” Thunderlane spread his wings and hovered, looking down at Berry, who was getting up from her failed attack. Roseluck chose to try to run from the ponies, only for her to halt as she met another of them, grunting at her. Thunderlane saw her situation and immediately bucked the pony away from her. She was shocked to see Thunderlane land and lay on his stomach “just climb onto my back!” finally understanding what he was doing, she sat on his back. Thunderlane stood up, dramatically spread his wings, and flew gently “I might be able to carry you right now but you're too heavy for me to reach the castle. I'm afraid I'm going to land you somewhere else”

“It's alright, Thunderlane, I understand. You have a brother to save” she smiled “and I'll take the mention to wake up the Princess of Friendship”

They smiled at each other until they heard a scream below them. They look down to see a unicorn mare, being assaulted by one of them. The terrified mare lay on the ground as her attacker struggled to take a bite through her mane

“No, stop, stop it!” she screamed once again as her attacker successfully chomp down her neck. It disgusted both the pegasus flying above the town with an earth pony mare trying her best not to vomit on the stallion.

Thunderlane landed somewhere on the town “Sorry, I feel too dizzy to fly, Roseluck”

“It's okay, Thunderlane, I appreciate your help” she smiled as she got off his back “If you are too tired to go back to your house stay here” Thunderlane nodded weakly “Good. Be careful, Thunderlane. We still don't know how many ponies had turn crazy tonight” she said one last time before galloping into the night. Thunderlane stood up, watching her. He went to a nearby house leaned. He tried to resist his eyes from closing it but it was too much. His eyes were disconnected from his brain, his head feel hot, and his wings, mostly the left felt limp, he felt more tired than normal.

He could see two figures at the distance, one of them was a foal following the adult silhouette. He swore he saw the adult turn it's head in his direction before he blacked out.