"Shit, shit, shit."
The words came out as nothing more than a hiss under laboured breath. Glimpses of greying orange fur flashed between the thick brambles while a blue pegasus crouched in a hollow cleared of the thorns. One glance back at her wing proved she didn't have much more time; The thing was hanging at an angle that brought a fresh wave of bile up at the back of her throat, and blood was still dripping into a slowly growing pile on the dusty ground. The sharp edge of the broken bone was visible as it jutted through the skin, and it was a worryingly yellow colour that seemed to be getting more and more discoloured the longer she spent in the sweltering sun.
She had to get back to the bunker. And not just for herself.
Rainbow Dash clutched the leather bag closer to her chest and took a steadying breath, turning her head back to find a pair of sharp, hungry eyes staring at her. What was meant to be the whites of its eyes were now a bright, angry yellow, bloody red creeping out around the edges and crawling up towards a black, snake-like pupil. The sight caused Rainbow to flinch, her back scraping painfully against sharp thorns as her body tried to move away from the creature despite the small space. She bit back a gasp of pain as the new pinpricks of blood were added to the patchwork of dark bruises and scratches across her body.
Her eyes were wide with the terror she worked so hard to bury while with the others and locked onto the creature's hungry stare. Small panting could be heard as its breath hissed in and out of its open mouth, dark saliva stained with blood dripping onto the thorns clawing at its loose skin and exposed, sickly flesh.
Rainbow let out a shaky breath, racking her brain for a way to get out of this. She had to get out of this. She couldn't fail.
Not again.
She tore her gaze away from the creature, glancing around the familiar hideout. It was normally much bigger and had had a usefully reinforced trail through the thorns to get back to the bunker. That happened to be a vital part of the plan, but it had all gone to shit when, while Rainbow was nearly free, one of the creatures had thought it smart to jump on top of the bramble bushes, causing a reactionary cave-in through the entire escape route as the thing had scrambled along a path to get to its prey.
It didn't help that the thing was a filly, and small enough to shove itself through the thorns, growing closer and closer as the scent of decay invaded Rainbow's nostrils and clogged her throat.
A low, infinitely hungry growl rose from the creature and Rainbow's eyes snapped back to look at it, though it hadn't moved. It was stopped by the magic spell surrounding the escape route - one of the last spells that had been put in place before the rest of magic was sucked dry from Equestria - and was forced to wait until its delicious meal crept beyond the bounds of the thing that held it back.
Rainbow, in a desperate attempt to summon any bravery she had in the depth of her terror, bared her teeth and let out a frustrated growl back. Hers didn't have the same gurgle that came with the blood in the creature's throat, but it held just as much fear as its had hunger. Rainbow felt a little better, and even though it wasn't by much, you had to take any little scrap this bitch of a world gave you, so she opened her mouth and yowled her anger at the blinding sky, cursing Celestia and what she'd left for her ponies.
The creature seemed curious at this and tilted its head at her, ears flopping to the side in a very nearly cute way, if not for the fact that one of the ears was torn in half, and all that was left was a bloody opening oozing puss and black-ish blood that mirrored the rest of the wounds on its body.
Rainbow flapped her good wing and glanced again at the broken one. It still hurt like hell, but that was something you got used to when every day you woke up to limbs stiff with aches and scratches that never seemed to stop bleeding. She couldn't move anything but the stump of the broken limb, and the rest wouldn't easily be kept out of the way. There was a good chance it would tear the rest of the way off in whatever escape act Rainbow tried to pull, but that was a risk she'd just have to take.
"You just have to make this difficult, don't you," Rainbow hissed at the creature, but it just stared at him in what might have been a convincing blank stare without the hunger always present in the creatures' gaze.
Twilight said it was part of the effect of the Parasite. It had eaten away select parts of their brains and left others. Now, they were nothing more than fleshy vessels manipulated by the Parasite, their only goal to eat and eat and give it a way to reproduce and spread until nothing actually alive is left. That's why it's so hard to fight them; They just keep coming back. As long as they can move, in any capacity, the parasite will push them onward. The bodies die but they still move. Impossibly, forever.
Rainbow fluttered her wings and winced at the stab of pain and that flared through the stump and the crack as even more bone gave way. She took a deep breath, a plan blossoming in her panicked mind. Carefully twisting her head around, she stretched her neck towards the broken wing and grabbed it tightly in between her teeth.
This was going to hurt like a bitch, was the last thought fleeting through her mind as she jerked her head to the side. Rainbow's pained howl was muffled by the feathers clasped in her mouth, and she blinked back the tears in her eyes, another stream of blood running down her stomach and pooling on the dusty ground where she lay. The now-severed wing fell from her mouth with a dull thud, and Rainbow bit her tongue, holding back a wave of nausea.
She returned her pained eye to the creature, and sucked in another breath, a tremor moving through her body. If she could distract the thing long enough, she might just get out of this uninfected.
She quickly nudged the wing up next to her, soaking the feathers in the blood both on the ground and still dripping from the wound. When the light blue was no longer visible between the dark crimson liquid she grabbed it again in her mouth, wrinkling her muzzle at the metallic tang on her tongue. Rainbow flattened herself further to the ground and began to twist her body around until she was facing the other direction.
Beginning to shift the thorns on the other side of her spikey prison, she felt a cold chill go down her spine at the quiet rustling and tearing of skin and flesh behind her as the creature crept around the spell and towards the new source of blood. Working faster, she cleared away a big enough space for the wing beyond the spell and stuffed it inside, snatching her hoof back into the safety of the spell at the snapping of desperate teeth as the creature got closer.
Her closed eyes couldn't help to block out the first crunch as the creature reached the wing and bit into it, but the following squelches and cracks of bone and flesh only served to send bolts of adrenaline through her trembling limbs as she turned back around in her tight confines.
There was a path left by the creature in its wreckage as it had tried to get to Rainbow. It was still thorny and just as likely to leave her more scratched than she already was, but it left her more wiggle room than any other way she could go.
Another loud crack left her scrambling towards the path as the only distraction she had was quickly devoured. Shoving her way through the thorns sent trembles of pain through her entire body, and every time a branch brushed against the broken stump a jolt of agony bounced along her spine. Despite this, she hugged the bag closer to her and pushed onward. Another wave of tears flowed from her eyes as the sounds keeping her from her fate slowed to a stop, and she only moved faster, pulling herself out and onto the top of the bramble patch where the creature had first jumped onto.
Through her own heartbeat pounding in her ears she heard as the creature re-started its pursuit through the brambles towards her, and she lept, nearly falling as she hit the ground clear of thorns. Taking off at a full gallop Rainbow followed the familiar path back to her salvation. Hooves pounded behind her. She could feel the hot on the back of her neck despite the growing distance between them.
There.
A door hidden behind two boulders was getting closer through the blur of tears. A final burst of speed in her burning legs sent her hurtling towards it, heavy leather thumping against her chest with the beat of her running from the bag clenched between her teeth.
Darting into the gap between the boulders left her with a warm feeling over her coat as the spell protecting the bunker enveloped her. Her hooves skidded against the ground as she attempted to slow down faster than she was able to. The momentum carried her further into the small space outside the door and slammed her against the rocky wall with a cloud of dust.
She coughed harshly, slouching against the wall with a shuddering sigh. Her head lifted to glance up out of the hidden space and her gaze landed on the creature. It looked horrible, out in the light without brambles covering most of it from view.
Long gashes and wounds spread across its body and even more smaller cuts crisscrossed its coat from the thorns tearing at its skin. Inky blood and greenish puss was bubbling and dripping from every one of them. Barely any fur was left on its coat, and what was left was a sickly orange colour, thin strands of blue hair falling from what used to be its mane and tail.
Rainbow's head fell back against the wall, her body convulsing as vomit finally forced its way out of her mouth, coming up her throat in a scalding wave. She hacked and spit up anything left in her stomach, tears still streaming down her face and dripping off the edge of her down-turned muzzle.
"F-fuck," her voice shook just as much as her aching body.
She sat there for a little while longer, soft hoof steps going unnoticed as the creature paced outside. Her head eventually rose again, purposefully avoiding the creature and glancing at the door. It was metal, and tough at that. Reinforced as much as they had time for in case the Spell of Protection failed. Three square buttons stacked one on top of the other were set into the stone next to the door.
Rainbow stepped over to the buttons, a trembling hoof clicking in the code. She stepped back and a dim light above the door flashed red, then green, before the door opened with a clanging of metal. She pushed it open and slipped inside before closing it gently behind her, leaving the creature to pace endlessly or find its next victim.
As Rainbow stumbled down the stone staircase she leaned heavily against the walls, every panting breath slowly replacing the putrid smell of decaying flesh with a watery, rocky scent. Blood still dripping down her sides left her painfully aware of the condition she was in and how much of a fuss her friends were bound to make when she was spotted. Of course, it would only be made worse if they saw the last few tears still trailing lines across her dirt-covered cheeks.
Once she reached the second door at the end of the stairs - this one without the buttons but just as strong - she stopped. Running a hoof over her ratted rainbow mane she realized how long it had grown since she'd last cut it. Her tail was in much the same condition. A visit to Rarity was in order. But first... Getting the bag to Twilight.
And a nap. Definitely a nap.
A few more silent moments passed as Rainbow wiped any evidence of the tears from her face. A deep breath and a confident smile plastered on her face, and she was ready. Two quick, then three slow taps on the door and it opened, a dark grey stallion peeking out at Rainbow. His face lit up when he recognized her and he pulled the door the rest of the way open, revealing the room behind it.
It was a small room, but with enough space for about five ponies to fit comfortably. Other than the door he'd just opened, there were three others; One on either side and another on the opposite wall, each leading to different rooms in the bunker.
"Hey, Thunderlane!" Rainbow said, grabbing the bag and trotting past him into the bunker. She had to raise her voice a little to be heard over the screeching metal as he forced the door shut again, "Your shift at the door?"
"Yep," Thunderlane said cheerily, sitting down in front of the door now that it was secured. "Octavia's at the other one." He tilted his head to the side, glancing at the bag. It was subtle, but Rainbow could see the way his smile grew just a little at the edges when he saw it. And how it faltered when his amber eyes grazed over her wounds and the broken stump of what used to be. "Another successful mission?"
"You expect anything less from the amazing Rainbow Dash?" She felt like anything but amazing. But she would rather die than let anyone in this bunker see it.
"No, Ma'am," Thunderlane shook his head, the wide grin back on his face. That was why she kept going. That was why she refused to give up, no matter what came her way. She'd stop at nothing to make sure the few ponies left had someone to look up to and protect them.
Rainbow nodded and flashed another smile of her own before turning to leave, but paused and looked back over her shoulder at him. "You know where Twilight is?"
"In the Study," he nodded over towards the door on the right.
Rainbow thanked him and continued on through the instructed door, this one made out of simple wood and easy to push open. She trotted through yet another short hallway and another door, smoothing out her wild mane the best she could as she went, holding the bag between her teeth.
As she entered, a purple mare's head shot up from her position bent over a desk littered with notepads and papers filled to the brim with writing. The rest of the room was in much the same condition; wooden shelves crammed with more notepads, journals, and the few books Twilight had managed to grab while they were stocking the bunker. Twilight had spent the majority of her time here over the past year, trying to figure out a way to cure the infection and bring everypony back from hiding.
The pencil fell from Twilight's mouth as she looked at Rainbow, her eyes blurring as tears threatened to spill. She leapt up from her seat and galloped towards Rainbow, throwing her hooves around her as she buried her face in the mare's light blue fur.
"You're back!" Twilight exclaimed, her voice muffled. Rainbow's smile wavered, ears drooping as she returned the hug.
"You miss me?" She fought to keep the tremble out of her voice and to keep back the tears returning to her eyes as she melted into the comforting arms of her friend.
"Miss you?" She cried, pulling back and looking Rainbow in the eye, giving her full view of the tears pouring down her cheeks. "Rainbow Dash, you were gone for three days. Three. Days. You were meant to go out, get the seeds, and come back on the same day. Same. Day."
"Hey, hey," Rainbow cooed, wiping her cheek gingerly. "I'm here now, aren't I? I came back, and I'm perfectly fine. I ran into some... complications, sure, but nothing I can't handle! Right?"
Twilight leaned into the touch, taking a shuddering breath and nodding. "Right. You're right." She sat up and wiped at the tears. "Nothing you can't handle."
"And now that I am here, with the seeds, we can get planting," Rainbow declared happily, trying to get Twilight to focus on the thing she loved doing most down here.
"Yeah! We'll get the seeds to Pinkie and help her get started." It had worked. Twilight stood up, turning back to the desk. "But first, we have to go see Rarity. She has all the bandages in her spot in Storage from taking care of Lyra. So, we can get you patched up and-"
Twilight cut off with a gasp, her hooves flying up to cover her mouth as more tears rushed down her face. Rainbow flinched. She knew exactly what Twilight had just noticed.
"Listen, Twi-" Rainbow was cut off as she came running back up to her, nearly slamming her to the ground with the force of her hug.
"Oh, R-rainbow Dash!" Twilight wailed, crushing Rainbow between her arms. "Your wing! W-w-what happened to you? You- I-" As words failed her, Twilight just sobbed into her shoulder.
It had been a long time since Twilight had really cried. She let the tears fall when they came, but the heaving, chest-shattering sobs forcing their way out of her throat now was something she didn't let happen. The last time was... around five months ago, after Rainbow failed Fluttershy and they had to burn her body. Twilight was almost as set on not letting on any weakness as Rainbow was. Would be on near the same level if Twilight didn't let her mask slip in front of her closest friends. She was able to open up where Rainbow failed, and sometimes, Rainbow envied her for it.
They sat like that for a while, Rainbow holding Twilight up in her arms as she cried. When her sobs began to slow, Twilight lifted her head and wiped at her cheeks.
"S-sorry. Sorry," she quickly regained her composure and stepped back, though her legs were still shaking. "What happened?" Rainbow opened her mouth to explain but was quickly cut off. "No, wait. Don't tell me yet." She took a shuddering breath and started to walk slowly towards the door behind Rainbow. "The girls will want to hear, too."
Rainbow nodded, jumping to her hooves and grabbing the bag as she followed after Twilight as she walked through the door and started back down the hall. She stopped with Twilight when she did, watching as her friends wiped the remaining tears from her fur before stepping into the small room where Thunderlane was still sitting.
"Hello, Thunderlane," Twilight chirped a greeting, which Thunderlane returned with a nod of his head.
They crossed the room and went through the opposite door, walking down a matching hallway to get to Storage, which was the biggest room in the entire bunker. For good reason, too. It was where most of the supplies were kept, all stacked on shelves that were reorganized at least once a month by a very bubbly Twilight. Despite all that had happened, she still loved to keep everything in order, even if they didn't really need it. Upon stepping into the room, you were immediately met by rows of wooden shelves, four on each side of the path through the room. Five original rows made twenty shelves, but after over a year in the Bunker, three of the four shelves in the furthest row from the door were cleared out to repurpose the wood. Rarity set up a small infirmary there about two months ago, after Lyra's incident, and moved all of the medical supplies to the remaining shelf.
Trotting down the gap through the shelves, Rainbow watched Twilight's eyes as they flitted across the remaining supplies, taking stock once again. The smallest flash of worry in her eyes was all Rainbow caught, but that was always there, no matter how much they had.
Twilight was always worried about the supplies, even though they had enough to last them at least another six years. That was, as long as they didn't have any more outbreaks.
It would be fine, though. They would deal with it, and everything would be fine. Rainbow would make sure of it, and she knew everypony in the Bunker would do whatever they could to help.