AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

“Twilight, are you almost done with your potion?” Spike asked from the bottom of the spiral staircase.

Twilight bit her tongue as she ground up minerals with her pestle and mortar. “Almost Spike!” She yelled back keeping her eyes on her work. “I need to add a few more ingredients to the mix!” Using her magic, she poured the grounded-up minerals into a beaker containing a corrosive substance. Humming a giddy tune, she picked up the beaker closed it shut with a cork and gave it a shake.

“You know Ponyville’s science fair isn’t until next week!” Spike looked out the round-shaped window beside the front door. He watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. “You can come back and work on it after the dance!” He fidgeted with his bowtie. “I mean you’re not even ready!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Can’t wait to see your special somepony?”

Spike blushed, kicking the bottom step. “Uh, sort of…”

“I’m sure your ‘special somepony will understand.” Twilight watched the mixture sizzle. “I just need a few more minutes…”

A loud bang rang in Twilight’s ears. Smoke filled the room enveloping her in its embrace. Her ears rang as she lay on her carpeted floor. Her head throbbed as she stared up at her ceiling fan spinning slowly. She tried to take a breath but she found it quite difficult to do so. She coughed violently and gagged at the taste of iron in her mouth.

“Twilight?” Spike called out. “Are you okay?” He asked as he ascended the stairs.

Twilight hissed as she felt her stomach twist itself into a knot. She tried once more to stand but fell on her stomach. She groaned, staring off into space. Double vision causing her world to twist and turn into itself.

“Twilight, can you hear me…. Twilight!” Spike shouted in a panic as he saw his sister lying in a pool of her own blood.

Twilight stared at Spike standing over her with drunken eyes. “There’s…. Two of…. You?”

Spike scanned over the burn and gash on her neck. Shivering at the amount of blood, he quickly grabbed one of her blankets on her bed and wrapped it tight around her wound. Finished with his impromptu first-aid, Spike ran out of her room. “Hold on Twilight! I’m going to get help!” He looked back once more and saw her reaching out with her front hooves. He looked away and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Just hold on….”

The world was muffled for Twilight, but she could make out her front door slamming open and Spike’s frantic cries for help from her bedroom’s opened window. As time passed, Twilight felt her surroundings beginning to feel cold and foreign to her. Darkness crept into her vision. Tears swelled around her eyes. A million horrid thoughts danced in her head. Her breathing became cumbersome as she tried to take a breath. Exhaling sharply, her world went black….

Piercing silence filled Twilight’s mind. Her ear rang sharply, aggravating her migraine. She stared numbly at the plain white ceiling above her with bloodshot eyes. The sheets that lay over her were itchy and uncomfortable as they clung to her sweat-soaked fur.

Twilight tried to sit up with a moan, but her body felt like a ton of bricks. She let out a sigh as she laid back on the medical bed. Breathing slowly, she turned her head to the left and looked out the window. She saw that it was an overcast day. The clouds slowly moved across the sky, mixing and rolling into one another. Letting out a sigh she looked to her right and saw a stand with an IV bag. Confused she forced herself to sit up. She hissed out her discomfort and painfully looked around from her perch.

Seeing that she had woken up in one of the recovery rooms of Ponyville’s Medical Center, she looked at her lap and stared at the rough fibers of her bed’s blanket. “What happened?” She mumbled to herself as she ran a hoof along her neck. She hissed and pulled her hoof away from her neck. “Oh….” She moaned as she remembered her accident. “I should’ve been more careful with that potion.” She placed her hoof on the wound. Feeling a bandage covering it she let out a moan as she slouched forward.

Her ears flicked at the silence. It was deafening. Twilight looked out the window once more at the clouds overhead. The ringing in her ears filled her mind once more as she rubbed her forehead. Her horn sparked from her frustration. She stared at the IV once more and followed the line to her right foreleg.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the IV bag and looked at the date on the bag. ‘The twelfth day of the fifth month of nineteen-twenty-three.’ She rubbed her head. “I’ve been in the hospital for two weeks?” She touched her neck. ‘I could’ve died….’ She looked back at the IV bag. ‘Why is it empty?” She stared at the door to her room and saw that it was shut.

Looking at the call button beside her, she pressed it, but no sound was made. Huffing her frustrations, she looked at the door. “Nurse….” She choked on her words. Her throat felt like a barren desert. She gritted her teeth. “Nurse!” A coughing fit overcame her. Taking back control, Twilight stared at the door with tear-filled eyes. “Why is no one coming?”

Nervous she looked at the IV stand and swallowed a lump in her throat. She used what strength she had and grabbed the stand with her front hooves. With a heavy sigh, she slipped out of her bed. Placing a hind hoof onto the cold tile floor, she let gravity take over allowing the limb to take all her weight. Her actions gave her a short burst of Nirvana before gravity overtook her, sending her crashing to the floor.

Lying on the ground completely frustrated with her current situation she yelled out with a tired sigh. “NURSE!”

Still receiving no reply, Twilight lifted herself up off the floor and slowly made her way to her recovery room’s restroom. Stepping into the small space, she looked into the mirror hanging over the sink. She stared numbly at herself. Her dark lavender mane was fizzled and undone. Her bright purple eyes were dull and tired. Her light purple fur coat was unkept and knotted. As her friend Rarity would put it, ‘She was a hot mess.’

Huffing out a sigh she turned on the faucet. A low groan thumped through the pipes before a puff of air huffed out of the mouth of the faucet. Twilight stared at the waterless faucet. “No….” She felt a shiver run down her back. Stepping out of the bathroom she stared out the window and saw the clouds parting revealing the afternoon sun.

“What’s going on?” Twilight walked up to her door. She tried to use her magic to turn the knob, but a sharp sensation danced across her skull. Frustrated she pushed against the door with her body. The door opened slowly as whatever was blocking it squeaked along the floor. With a gap big enough for her she slipped through and stared at the medical gurney with a raised brow.

“What the?” Twilight mumbled as she tore her eyes from the object to the hall, she stood in.

Wires hung from the exposed ceiling tiles. The laminated floor was coated with splintered wood, plaster, glass, and blood. Office and medical supplies littered the floor haphazardly. Bullet holes, arrows, and magic residue scared the walls. The rest of the hall further down was bathed in darkness, while the other half behind her was lit except for a single light bulb that flickered on and off sporadically.

“What happened?” Tears came to Twilight’s eyes while she slowly walked up to a desk across from her. Dust covered its surface like a thick sheet. Lifting herself up, she peaked over the countertop. Her vision is greeted with papers and knick-knacks lying randomly about, covered in dust and soaking in blood. Seeing said blood, her body shivered as she followed its trail to the corpse of a mare.

The mare stared back at her with milky-colored eyes. Fear overwhelmed Twilight as she jumped back from the desk. Her trembling legs caused her to trip over herself. Shivering she used her forearms to drag herself away from the desk until she butted up against a wall. “What the….” She looked to her left at the hall and its dark abyss. A chill ran down her spine as she feared the unknowns. Swallowing the lump in her throat she moved to the other end of the hall.

Finding the hall ended in a ‘T’ section, she stood under the flickering light thinking of what she should do next. Restudying her surroundings, she noticed a metal door behind her, and straight ahead was a hallway leading to the cafeteria.

The soft buzzing of the dying lightbulb overhead unnerved her. She looked back at the mare and stared at her milky white eyes. Shivers danced down her spine as she imagined what awful things the mare must’ve experienced.

Pulling herself from her mindless fog, she looked at the door behind her and gave the handle a nudge with her hoof. It gave in, only a little then stayed firm. ‘Locked...’ She felt her despair grow as she turned her attention to the cafeteria’s doors at the end of the hall. Shivering, she let out a sigh and made her way to them.

Having made her way past the scatterings of debris, she examined the doors. Jammed through the handles was a broken two-by-four. “Why would they lock the doors so crudely?”

Summing her magic to the best of her ability, she pushed the beam through the handles, all be it, very clumsily. With a huff, she threw open the doors. “Oh, dear sweet Celestia!” Twilight choked on her words at the horrid smells of decay entering her nostrils.

Within the cafeteria walls stood several ponies of all ages and races, showing different states of bodily harm, strange growths, and bodily decay. Other bodies lay on the ground their flesh torn from their bones. One of the dead, a young mare with a red cross as her ‘cutie mark’ on her flank turned her head to face Twilight, her milky eyes glaring at her.

Twilight’s eyes stay fixated on the mare. She knew this mare. She was one of her go-to nurses…. Her friend. “Redheart? It’s me…. Twilight…. Redheart?”

Redheart tilted her head, trotting slowly toward Twilight. Moans of pain escaped her lips with each step she took.

Twilight noticed other ponies making their way toward her. Their movements sent chills down her spine. They looked sick…. Lost…. Dead…. Feeling her stomach twisting itself into a knot, she backed away from the approaching group. “Please stay back you don’t look well….”

Redheart lunged at Twilight.

Twilight threw up her front hooves preventing Redheart from sinking her teeth into her neck. “Get off of me!” What do you think you are doing!” Twilight hissed as she held the mare back. “What’s wrong with you!”

Redheart’s response was the gnashing of her teeth.

Fighting through her migraine, Twilight managed to summon enough magic to help push Redheart off of her. With a frightened gasp, she ran down the hall to the exit sign over the stairs. Seeing her meal escaping, Redheart gave chase and tackled Twilight.

Both mares tumbled down the stairs. Redheart fell headfirst, landing awkwardly on her neck. Her body weight and the force of the fall snapped her neck, twisting her head around in an ungodly manner. Twilight landed on Redheart’s body and bounced off crashing against the wall. Slowly getting up, Twilight let out a gasp as she saw the sight of Redheart’s mangled body. Redheart’s eyes lay still for a short second before darting over at the unicorn, her jaw snapping at her.

Twilight jumped back as adrenaline coursed through her veins as she bolted down the steps, slamming against the metal double doors. They opened violently sending her tumbling onto the pavement of the parking lot. Pain danced across her body as she stood up. “Ow….”

Hearing the muffled groans of the dead coming down the stairs, she took off her medical gown and jumped to the doors in a panic. She quickly tied the gown around the handles. She managed to get a second knot tied before the doors jerked from the dead slamming themselves into them.

She jumped back and butted up against a parked putter-wagon. Her body shook violently. She dared not open her eyes. But as the minutes passed, all remained quiet. Getting a hold of her nerves, her eyes opened and she stared at the doors. Her knot held firm, only allowing a small gap that the dead could fit their forelegs through.

Taking a shallow breath, Twilight studied her surroundings, ensuring that the parking structure was void of any dead. Seeing none, she slowly sat up, her gaze falling back on the doors. The dead glared at her with crazed eyes. She looked into those eyes of theirs. They held no soul. “What happened to them?” She stepped away from the doors. “They look sick…. Was there a pandemic? But how?” Her eyes went wide. “No! My family!” Twilight felt her heart slam against her chest. Thoughts of her family members as one of the dead swam through her mind.

Summoning what strength she had left she quickly made her way out of the parking lot structure to the main road that led to Ponyville’s town center.

Sunlight slammed Twilight’s vision as the path’s brick-and-mortar wall lowered into the ground as she ascended the incline. She held up a hoof, allowing her eyes to adjust to the sun’s light. Blinking several times, her eyes are greeted by the vast array of trees that surrounded the hospital swaying with the afternoon breeze. The winds calmed her as she took a deep breath. Letting out a sigh she shook her nervousness away and made her way to Ponyville proper.

As she walked, the parking structure fading behind her, the hospital itself came into view. Twilight’s pace slowed as she stared at the distressing scene of destruction and death before her. The longer she stared, the weaker her limbs became. Her stride faltered causing her to collapse on the grassy field that surrounded the hospital. “Oh, sweet, Luna….” Her pupils shrank.

Military and medical equipment lay across the grassy lot, battered and broken. Several putter wagons and cars of military and civilian make rested in silence, rusting away, some with broken, burnt interiors, and or covered in layers of dust. Among the disarray of equipment and vehicles bodies of military, hospital staff and civilian ponies lay resting in the positions of their final moments.

Her body shook and her teeth rattled. Her eyes watered once again. Tears rolled down her face as she collapsed onto the ground. “I… I need to get out of here…” Twilight looked over her shoulders. It seemed to her at least like the swaying trees were inviting her to leave to escape this horror. She followed their command. There was no sense in arguing with them.

Twilight walked slowly down the cobblestone road. The trees alongside the road danced with the winds. The feeling around her is calm. She welcomed this. After seeing what she had seen, she didn’t know if she could witness more of it…. “Uh?” Twilight came to a halt as she came up to the bridge that led into town. Her body shivered as she put a hoof up to her mouth. “Oh, no….”

Her eyes laid upon a wreck on the bridge blocking the path into town. A large putter wagon had crashed into the back of several putter cars and found itself hanging preciously over the edge. But what drew Twilight’s eye was one of the dead, a teenage colt, lying motionless pinned under the tire of a putter car.

Shivering, Twilight stepped up closer to him but stopped. The colt began to move as he felt her presence. He turned his gaze to her and let out a pained hiss as he reached out to her with his front limbs.

Sadness overcame her as Twilight stepped away. “Sweet Celestia….” She looked past the wreckage and saw her home in the distance. Not seeing a safe path over the heap of vehicles, she looked down at the creek. The water was flowing softly along its path to the lake a few miles to the town’s west. Giving the colt a quick glance, she jumped down the embankment and crossed the algae-covered rocks to the other side.

Taking a deep breath Twilight made a mad dash toward her home.

Getting to the back door, she rummaged through the rocks lining the overgrown garden until she found the phony rock containing a hidden key. Hey held firmly in her magic, she put it into the lock when suddenly, the door swung inward. “It’s unlocked?” Nervously she opened the door and stepped inside.

The door creaked as it came to a stop.

The sunlight of the late afternoon shinned through the open door. illuminating the interior in a soft warm glow and casting her shadow on the floor.

Twilight’s home had received the act of looting to its fullest. A fair amount of her books were either missing or torn up. Pictures that were placed on the walls or on any available surface were missing or broken. Her oak wood table in the middle of the library’s center was scarred by axe and fire. Her kitchen or what could be called her ‘kitchen’ was worse for wear.

Chills danced down her spine as she processed the overload of visual stimulation.

Swallowing a lump, she trekked further into her home. “Spike! Shining!” She yelled out. “Mom! Dad!” She rushed up her stairs. “Cadance!” Entering her room, she shivered at the state it was in. Her bed was robbed of its sheets. Her desk was broken. Her closet doors were torn off their hinges. And a red blotch stained her tan carpet…. Her blood….

Shivering she bolted out of her room and stumbled into Spike’s room. “SPIKE!” She found that his room was in the same state as the rest of the house. Sobbing she darted out of the room and checked the rest of her home, then she checked it again, and again, and again…. Finally, her legs gave out forcing her to the floor with a thud.

Twilight stared at the hardwood flooring with bloodshot eyes. She sobbed a pain-filled cry as she ran her front hooves across it. “This can’t be real…. It can’t….” He kept rubbing the floor, but as the seconds passed, the pain in her chest became too much for her to bear. “No! No! NO! NO! NO!” She punched herself over the head repeatedly in a desperate attempt to rid her mind of the horrors she’s seen.

But alas, she’s still in her ransacked home…. Alone.

Feeling a pulsing migraine coursing through her skull, Twilight rested her head on the cool floor and let out a sigh as she gave in to her situation.

The sun sat at seven in the sky. Warm oranges and dark reds flooded into the main lobby of the library. Twilight lay still, sweat rolling off her body from the humid air. Blinking her tired eyes, she turned her gaze to two pictures on the floor. One is a photo of her and her intermediate family and the other was a picture of her and her friends. She felt like the ponies and dragon in the photos were speaking to her. Telling her to move one.

Rubbing her eyes, she stood up and made her way out of her home and onto her front porch.

Sitting on the steps, she stared out over the desolate town. Homes and shops lay in a variety of disarray. From just being ransacked to being burned down. A row of putter wagons and putter cars heading out of town lay abandoned under the harsh embrace of mother nature.

She let out a shallow breath at the vehicles.

The ones fleeing never had a chance.

The clouds overhead slowly parted, exposing the late evening sky to whoever wanted to see. Birds began to sing their nighttime melody at the sight of the sky. “Err….” Twilight groaned as her ears twitched. “What right do they have to be so happy!” She spat as she watched the birds as they flew overhead.

Something flat and metallic met Twilight’s skull. Her world flickered black as she fell forward onto the harsh cobblestone road.

“Bro! I got one!” A young pegasus colt called out holding a shovel in his hooves.

Twilight looked at the colt, her vision blurring with each passing second. “Who are…. You?” She struggled to ask. The colt jumped back as she reached out to him.

“Rumble? Are you alright?” A young stallion came up to his side.

Rumble looked over his shoulders at the stallion. “Thunderlane, she spoke!”

“Bro, you know they don’t talk… Twilight, dear Luna, you’re alive!” Thunderlane looked down at the mare and saw that her eyes were getting heavier. “Quick hold onto my bag and call for Rainbow Dash. We’re getting out of here now!” Handing over his bag, he lifted Twilight onto his back.

Her vision faded slowly until the world around her went black.

Silence overwhelmed Twilight once more. She felt the rough fabric of a couch poking her backside. Her neck lay awkwardly on its armrest causing her to awaken with a gasp. Her tired eyes looked around at her surroundings. She found herself in an unfamiliar home. The room is dark except for the soft glow of candlelight seeping through the gap from under the door.

Pain danced through her neck once more causing her to sit up and place her hoof on her wound. Her brow raised in confusion as she felt a new bandage had replaced her old one. Feeling its soft cotton fibers, she looked at the door once more and began to wonder who patched her up when the glow behind the door neared.

The door opened with a squeaky moan, revealing a young pegasus mare with a prism-colored mane and tail, sky-blue fur, and magenta-colored eyes standing with a candle tray held in her mouth. The mare smiled as she walked up to Twilight, setting the candle on the coffee table in front of the couch. “You’re awake.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight’s voice cracked as she held her hooves over her mouth. “You’re alive….”

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on Twilight’s lips and pulled her into a hug. “Shhh….” Giving her a squeeze, Rainbow Dash ended the hug and went to the window. Looking through the small slits caused by the wooden boards, she eyed the streets. Seeing nothing she sighed and closed the curtains. Seeing Twilight's confusion, she laughed at her friend’s expression. “Closing the curtains. The trotters are sensitive to light and sound. If we’re going to talk, we have to speak softly.”

Twilight raised her brow. “Trotters?” She combed her bangs to the side. “Is that what you call the dead?”

“Yes….” Rainbow Dash sat on the floor beside the couch. “It makes it easier to confront them…. Especially when they attack you.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

Twilight stared at her friend. “Have you…. You know, killed any?” Thoughts of Redheart seeped back into her mind.

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. “Yes….” She stared at her friend with tired eyes. “A couple, maybe thirteen or so. I lost count.” She looked at the bandage on her friend’s neck. “How’s it holding up?”

Twilight touched her neck. “It's alright. Thanks for changing it.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “No problem, good thing we found those medical supplies today.” She stretched her wings and lay against the couch. “How are you holding up?”

Twilight gave a sigh. “I feel like I woke up in a damn nightmare.” She laid her head in her hooves. Rainbow Dash only hummed, the tone sounding to her at least that she felt the same. Twilight felt relief that one of her friends was alive. And if she was alive so were the others, she hoped. “Dash?”

“Mmm?” Dash hummed as she looked up at her friend.

“What happened to Ponyville?”

Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not just Ponyville, it's all of Equestria. The whole world even if what I’ve seen is any indication.” She stood up and sat on the couch beside her friend. “Even after a month, it still doesn’t seem real, you know.”

Twilight raised a brow at her friend’s words. “A month?” She looked down at her hooves. “It’s been a month?”

Rainbow Dash felt pity for her friend. “Yes.…”

“Food’s ready… Oh, hey Twilight, you’re awake.” Thunderlane smiled at the young mares. “Hope your head feels ok. My brother is sorry for hitting you over the head with a shovel.” He gave Twilight a sheepish grin. “Anyways, you should come before it gets cold.” He slipped out of the doorway back to where he came from.

Rainbow Dash looked at the kitchen through the open door and saw Rumble and Scootaloo, waiting impatiently to eat. Staring at the blue flame of the portable kettle heating the pot above with dull eyes. “You hungry?” Twilight lifted her head and gave a nod. Smiling, Rainbow Dash offered her a hoof, and Twilight accepted.

As they stepped into the kitchen, Scootaloo and Rumble looked at Twilight and gave her a wave at her with smiles. Twilight returned the gesture. Taking their seats, they took their bowls and saw that they were filled with honey-baked beans. “So, I see you’ve brought out the beans.” Rainbow Dash smirked at Thunderlane.

“Yep.” Thunderlane scooped out three spoonsful for himself, his brother, and Scootaloo. “I think we needed something other than junk food.” He gave her a sly wink, which earned him a roll of the eyes.

Twilight looked at her spoon and activated her horn. It glowed, but only for a second. A migraine still lingered. Frowning, she picked up her spoon with her hoof and took a bite. She hummed a delightful tune as her tongue enjoyed the taste and texture of the meal. Even though it was just plain old canned beans, it tasted as if it came from a five-star restaurant in Canterlot.

Soon she began shoving spoonful after spoonful at a steady pace. The group looked at the unicorn with amused smirks. Feeling their gaze, Twilight looked up, seeing their shit-eating grins. “What?”

“Hungry?” Rainbow Dash snickered.

Twilight blushed as she glanced down at her bowl and saw that half of her meal remained. Giving a sheepish grin, she sat down her spoon. “Uh… I guess.” She took her cup of water and washed out her mouth. “Thanks for the food… It’s been a while since I had a proper meal.”

A chill ran up Rainbow Dash’s spine. “It has…” She played with her meal.

Twilight played with her own meal as well. “Yes… It has… I still can’t believe I was in the hospital for a whole month? If what I’ve seen today is any indication of the state of our country…. the world, I should be dead!” Her words cut deep as Rainbow Dash flinched. “Dash, are you alright?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash felt her friend’s hoof on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she replied. “No, Twilight, you’re right, you should be dead… But you’re alive, Thank Celesta! Thank Redheart!”

Twilight ears twitched. Confusion and dread flooded her heart. “Thank… Redheart?”

“Yes, Redheart….” Rainbow Dash turned to face Twilight, placing her hooves on her shoulders. “Twilight during the panic, your older brother and I tried to get you out of the hospital, but the military… They were killing the dead, killing anypony who looked sick… Anypony who so happened to be near the infected… It was a madhouse!”

Twilight couldn’t believe her words, the military killing civilians? They were supposed to protect. Had things really gotten that bad? “How was I not killed?”

“We locked you in your recovery room. Redheart and I had tried to wheel you out, but seeing the military down the hall near the exit… Killing ponies… It was her idea, Redheart told me she would stay and hide until the madness died down. She said she’d take care of you until she could get you out safely.” Tears began to swell around her eyes. “So, we used a gurney to block your door, and we went our separate ways.” She choked on her words. Twilight seeing her friend spiraling into a panic pulled her into a hug, which she accepted.

“For the longest time, we waited for Redheart to show up at Applejack’s farm, but she never came. Dash tried going back to get you two, but after seeing the state of the hospital from the outside, she couldn’t bear to enter. She feared the worse.” Thunderlane took a sip of his water. “It means a lot to her, to us, that you’re alive.”

Twilight smiled as she held her friend closer.

“Is Redheart alive?” Rainbow Dash mumbled. A lump formed in Twilight’s throat. Her hug loosened as the image of a mangled Redheart filled her mind. Rainbow Dash pulled away from the hug and looked her friend straight in the eyes. “Please… Is she alive?” Twilight looked away and shook her head. Rainbow Dash felt sick as she stared at her bowl. “No… Damn it!” She yelled in a fit of anger. She knocked her bowl on the floor and stormed up the stairs.

“Rainbow Dash, keep your voice down… Ah, hell.” Thunderlane huffed as he laid his head in his hoof. Rumble and Scootaloo looked at the stairs, then at him and Twilight with worrisome eyes. He could feel their emotions coming to a boil. “Why don’t the both of you go read your comics in the living room.” They nodded their heads and left the table without a word. The table became quiet as Thunderlane and Twilight sat staring at their meals. “She’s been through a lot.”

Twilight looked at the stallion. “How much death has she seen?”

Thunderlane hummed as he stirred his beans around. “Most of the weather crew, some of the Wonder Bolts… Her parents.”

Twilight looked at the top of the stairs, her heart aching. “Oh, Rainbow Dash…”

“And possibly Fluttershy.”

“What!” Twilight looked wide-eyed at the stallion, her mind mulling over his words.

Thunderlane was quick to calm her. “She’s not one of them or dead… Or so we think. It’s just that during the panic, we got separated. For several days we searched, and almost lost some pony from our group… After that, Applejack and your brother called off the search.”

Twilight wasn’t comfortable with his words. “My brother or Applejack wouldn’t’ve just given up like that!”

“No…” Thunderlane sighed. “We left notes and small bags of supplies at her home. We were going to, but we ran into you.” He smiled. “But,” His face got serious. “We’re hoping she finds them and makes her way to the orchard.” He took a bite.

Twilight looked down in shame. “Sorry to jump to conclusions like that.”

“No worries…” He sighed. “Some of the old bags we left her were torn open…. But it's most likely wild animals or survivors.” Thunderlane leaned back in his seat.

“Survivors, who never come to the orchard?” Twilight questioned.

“Yeah, survivors that never came to the orchard…” Thunderlane looked at his bowl and began to play with his meal.

Twilight sighed as she rubbed her brow just below her horn. She wasn’t comfortable with giving up on searching for Fluttershy, but the care package system her friends implemented could work.… if it was her.… She would’ve come back if it was... or others would’ve come…. She let out a huff – another thought to come back to at another time.

“You said you’re held up at Applejack’s orchard, and Dash said my brother Shining is still alive… Is Spike alive?” Twilight asked. Thunderlane gave her a small nod. “Who else made it there?”

“Well, besides Applejack and her family, there’s us…” Thunderlane waved a hoof in a sweeping motion. He gave the mare a smug, earning him a roll of the eyes. “There is Soarin, Rarity, and her little sister Sweetie Belle. Lotus, Aloe, Copper Jet Cloud, and Sunny and their three children. Sunny’s sister Summer Wind. Jiminy Jam, Willy Pete, and Applejack’s neighbor Carrot Top. Dr. Hooves, Derpy, and her daughter Dinky. And finally, there is Marley and Zipper.”

Twilight smiled as he listed off the names of the ponies residing on the orchard. Her brothers were alive, most of her friends, some ponies she knew and some she didn’t. She felt proud of Applejack and her friends for bringing in so many who needed help. However, one pony was missing from that list, another friend of hers. “Where’s Pinkie? Is she lost like Fluttershy?”

Thunderlane shook his head. “Naw, she fled with the Cakes to her parent’s farm. They planned on regrouping with us when this all blows over or whenever the government arrives. One thing I know, Celestia will solve this.”

Twilight frowned. If what she’d seen and what Rainbow Dash said was correct about the state of the world, the thought of the government stepping up and fixing the pandemic seemed like a longshot… hopeless. “Do you really think that our government… Err… It feels wrong saying this about our diarchies… My teacher… But if our world is still in ruins after a month, I don’t think they’ll be coming anytime soon.” She sighed, leaning back in her chair.

It was Thunderlane’s turn to frown. “Twilight, you of all ponies should have faith, and trust in our diarchies!”

“I do have trust, believe me! It’s just that… Celestia and Luna are the most powerful ponies on earth.” Twilight shuttered at her own thoughts. “They should’ve been able to solve this weeks ago, with some sort of spell… We wouldn’t be having this conversation if they did so, but look, we are here in some pony’s home, using it as shelter from the dead!”

Thunderlane looked down at his empty bowl. “You think they’re dead… Do you? What about the sun and the moon? They’re still moving.”

Twilight glared at the boarded-up window by the front door. “Their spirits are with the sun and the moon Thunderlane. They will still move even if our diarchies pass on.” She looked at her beans. “It's just that they’re Alicorns, Thunderlane, they’re God-like with how powerful their magic is. Something like this would’ve been solved within a week or two… I do not wish it to be so... But…”

“Maybe this sickness is taking longer to cure than our government thought.” Thunderlane sighed, getting up, he picked up the bowls and began walking to the sink. “Why don’t you go check on Rainbow Dash. We’ll be needing to hit the sack, busy day tomorrow.” He glanced back, staring into her eyes with his bright yellow eyes. Twilight nodded a reply and stood up from her seat, making her way up the stairs.

Getting to the top of the steps, she peeked into the rooms, looking for the prism-maned pony. Arriving at the last room, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash lying on a twin bed, belly down, her limbs sprawled out over the sides. Twilight walked up to the pegasus and sat in front of her. In the dim light, she saw her magenta color eyes staring sadly into space. “Rainbow Dash… How are you feeling?”

“As good as can be…” Rainbow Dash huffed. “I heard what you said about the Princesses.” She looked up at her friend. “Do you actually believe they’re dead?”

Again, Twilight went over her words, mulling over the thought. Deep down she didn’t want to think such a thing, but she could only fear the worse with how the world looked. “I don’t want to, but what I’ve seen… the evidence is dragging down my hopes.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t reply for a while, only a hum was given, letting Twilight know that she understood. The two of them sat in silence for a while before Rainbow Dash rolled on her back. “It’s getting late, Twi. Let’s hit the hay and catch some Z’s.” Rainbow Dash sat up and stretched her wings. “Besides.” The pegasus chirped. “Tomorrow’s gonna be a busy day for the ponies back on the orchard.” She looked at her friend with a sly smirk.

Standing atop a hill overlooking Ponyville from afar was an orange-furred earth pony mare. Her blonde mane flapped in the breeze. Her green eyes scanned the dark husks of the stores and homes of the once-vibrant town.

“Whatcha looking for AJ?”

Applejack turned to face the pony speaking to her. It was a pegasus stallion a head taller than her with a thinner frame. His sky-gray-blue fur stood out in the moonlit night. “Looking for the safe house Soarin.” She turned her gaze back to the town.

Soarin gave a chuckle. “You know they boarded that thing up tight so no light can get out, right? It’s a well-built fortress.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “I know, I’m just worried about them.” She kicked the ground with her front hoof. “I can’t lose another one of my friends…” She felt a cheek rub up against hers. She fought the affection for a couple of seconds, but eventually gave in and returned the love.

“They did this many times, silly pony. They’ll return safe and sound, I promise.” He looked out over the town and saw a light flicker in the distance.

Applejack saw it as well and let out a sigh. “How is everyone?”

“Good, most are sleeping. Marley and Zipper are awake, they’re patrolling the fence with Shining.” Soarin laid his right wing over Applejack.

Applejack leaned into his chest. “I feel awful for Shining… I know his loss is taking its toll on him.”

Soarin looked down at the mare and gave a sigh. “Do you think it will help if we go to the hospital to give her a proper goodbye?”

Applejack shuttered at the thought. “I think seeing her rotting away will break him.” She pulled away from his embrace. “I believe that it will break Rainbow Dash, it will break me…” Soarin rubbed her cheek.

“Well, I feel that not knowing her fate is weighing heavier on his heart, wouldn’t you agree. I bet it weighs on yours? “Applejack looked away and stared at the grass surrounding them. Her eyes closed, causing a tear to roll down her cheek. “Let’s leave that thought for another time. For now, let’s get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.” Soarin kissed her on the lips. She returned the gesture, their tongues tied.