Diary of the Dead

It was the next day at school when Sunset got the tip of a lifetime from someone she didn’t expect: Wallflower Blush herself. Pulled aside by the somewhat timid girl, the former villain was a little shocked at the desperation on her face. But she was a friend, no matter how recent, and Sunset trusted her. If Wallflower claimed something, it was almost as if Applejack had done so. Truth ranked very high on her list of morals, and she wasn’t about to let that slip. Sunset often found that, if Applejack were unavailable, Wallflower worked just as well.

But this was different. Wallflower was absolutely frantic. Her eyes were wide, and her hair was a bit mussed up. In stark contrast to her normal personality, her gestures were wild. Vocal tones emanated from her throat that Sunset had never heard before. To be quite frank, they were terrifying. It was something between a deranged whisper and a pained squawk. Sunset’s eyes grew wide as the tip was given to her. But her heart also sank when she heard what Wallflower had to say.

“Listen, Sunset,” Wallflower said, her voice strained from some kind of screaming, “I’ve just come from the east side of town.”

“Well, yeah…you kinda have to come from there, considering that’s where your house is,” Sunset said somewhat dryly.

Wallflower rolled her eyes, but let the comment slide. “Look, something fishy’s going on over there.”

“Fishy? How so?”

“It surrounds the East Side Storage Company,” Wallflower said, “there are multiple waves of men and women going in with guns. But that’s not the weird part. I’ve seen many members of Fluttershy’s family going in! Now, I’m not saying the two are connected, but I had to tell someone!”

“Thanks, Wallflower,” Sunset said, her heart sinking ever more rapidly, “I’ll be sure and keep that in mind.”

The two girls walked off. Considering Wallflower knew nothing of her investigation, Sunset wondered why she’d come to her instead of going to the police. After all, that would have been the logical and responsible thing to do. Also, it wasn’t that Wallflower had just randomly bumped into her. The timid girl had taken great pains to yank her into a side area just to tell her that. It was very strange, and the only reason Sunset could think of was that Wallflower had been stalking her a bit. She knew of Wallflower’s secret obsession with her, but she’d made it clear the extent of their friendship. Wallflower had promised to hold to those parameters…but had she?

Sunset didn’t have time to answer the question. She needed to gather her friends and head for this storage facility. It didn’t take much for them to heed the call, and together, they went out after school. Their hearts shared memories of Fluttershy, binding them in their search for her. They were almost like a small army, directed by their need to feel their friend again. Nobody tried to play the hero. In fact, they were all scared to death. But they put up a brave front, knowing that Fluttershy’s very life could depend on their movements.

They hopped on board a bus and headed downtown. Along the way, Sunset formulated a small plan for when they got there. Posing as grieving friends, Twilight and Rarity would make their way into the facility’s office. Once inside, they’d ask the desk clerk if Fluttershy or her family had a unit there, claiming that the departed had left them a cherished memento. If Wallflower’s intel was correct, the clerk would lead them to the unit. The others would be waiting around the end of the row. When the clerk walked off, they’d simply slip in undetected. Hopefully, they’d find some kind of answers.

After arriving at the East Side Storage Company, the girls leapt into action. Sunset led a brigade around to the side, where an iron fence stood in their way. Rainbow Dash, utilizing her athleticism, quickly scaled the bars and landed on the other side. Sunset and Applejack were able to do the same. That left poor Pinkie, who tried her hardest to get up. Unfortunately, her muscles weren’t exactly built for this kind of thing. So, Sunset and Rainbow made a human ladder. Applejack climbed up, straddling the fence’s top bar. She beckoned Pinkie to jump, and the party planner did. Her hand grasped the farmer’s, and she was hauled up via Applejack’s superhuman strength.

“Thank goodness we’ve still got our geodes,” Pinkie remarked as they all landed inside, “or else I might not be in here!”

“Don’t celebrate yet, Pinkie,” Sunset warned, “look.”

Pinkie turned, and her jaw dropped. It was unlike any storage facility she, or her friends, had ever seen before. Armed guards swarmed all over the place, carrying heavily loaded AK-47s. Even their sidearms were automatic. They also held sharp knives inside holsters for hand-to-hand combat. Sunset, being the gamer that she was, quickly deduced just how much damage each weapon could deliver. She then pushed her friends into the shadows, hunkering down and ordering them to whisper.

“Guys, if we’re caught, we’re dead!” She said harshly, but quietly.

“Them guns could kill us all without the guards even flinchin’,” Applejack drawled softly.

“So…this is a lost cause, then?” Rainbow asked with hope for a negative answer.

“No,” Sunset said, “until our final breath, we fight. These are the people holding Fluttershy and telling the world that she’s gone. We have to fight…for her.”

“What happens if we get there and she is dead?” Pinkie asked, “I don’t think I could forgive myself.”

Sunset turned and put a hand on her shoulder. “Pinks, listen to me. Whatever happens, we’re doing this for Fluttershy. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to defend friendship to the very end. It’s all we can do. If we get there and she’s been killed…then we need to accept it and destroy those who did it. Either way, we’re gonna kick some ass.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow exclaimed quietly.

“For Fluttershy!” Applejack said in solidarity.

“Pinkie?” Sunset asked.

“Alright,” Pinkie said, “I don’t like fighting. I’d much rather throw a party. But if I have to…I’ll DECIMATE anyone who stands in my way.”

Sunset smiled. “That’s my girl…”