Outbreak

I gave a yawn as my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of my room, a candle being the only source of light as I felt the empty spot next to me. I hate to admit it, but I kinda got used to Twist sleeping next to me. It was nice to have somepony there, kinda how it was with Starlight with how often she snuck me into her room in the castle.

“I miss you,” I sighed and my eyes landed on a picture of me and Starlight smiling in front of a Hearths Warming tree.

Twilight had insisted I decorate my room with the few belongs I had. I had to leave most of it behind when we abandoned my wagon to flee an infested Manehatten. And naturally Starlight had to leave her stuff behind too. Sucked. We had a lot of stuff together from our travels in there.

“Trixie?”

Speak of the devil and she appears. Or well, Princess in this case. Twilight stood in the doorway and I took a breath.

“Yeah Twilight?” I asked and she trotted closer.

“I heard you crying,” Twilight answered and I rubbed my eyes with a hoof. I didn’t even realize I had started crying. If she could hear it and woke up, I hope to Tartarus nopony else did. “Are you okay?”

I stayed silent but shook my head as her eyes fell on the picture I stared at still.

“Oh.”

Twilight sat down and I inched away to quit taking up the whole bed. I liked to splay out when I slept. Was way more comfortable. Starlight absolutely hated that about me. We fought over it occasionally. She preferred to either sleep in a ball or cuddle.

“I miss her too, you know? She was my first ever student I took on. She was also the first to thoroughly beat me in a duel. I had to talk her down instead of fighting. She was a really good mare,” Twilight commented and I nodded. I had heard that story a dozen times from Spike, Starlight and Twilight herself even. “Of course, our relationship was different than yours was for the obvious reasons. There was no hoof holding or the more well, adult actions like when she snuck you into the castle.”

“You knew?” My cheeks turned red as Twilight gave me a flat, unimpressed look.

“Trixie, I had spells set on my castle to tell me whenever somepony entered to let me know. I knew every time she snuck you in for some alone time. And well, you two weren’t necessarily quiet.”

Oh, fuck my life. I could have sworn we had cast a sound proofing spell for this exact reason. Just knowing that the princess of friendship knew about the other secret aspects of my relationship with Starlight was well, horrifying to say the least.

I felt Twilight wrap her hooves around me and I hesitated before leaning into her hug. Hugging another mare in bed almost felt like betraying Starlight in a way.

“You know, when you told me what happened I cried myself to sleep for an entire week. It’s natural to be sad,” Twilight nuzzled my cheek. “Rarity too. You don’t wanna know how sad Fluttershy and Pinkie were. Even Suri supported Rarity.”

I didn’t necessarily know how to react to that. I always thought Rarity and Suri hated each other with a burning passion. I had heard all about their problems in Manehatten with each other.

I hugged her finally and we both cried. Felt nice to at least cry with somepony else. Crying alone is always awful and I have a lot of experience in that field.

I trotted out of Twilight’s house or well, our house I suppose I should say now. Twilight was next to me and we both gazed curiously at a large crowd at the center of our small village. We had accidentally fallen asleep last night together. Talk about freaking embarrassing as fuck.

“What’s going on over there?” I asked and pointed as we both started approaching. Bon Bon was kneeling with her gun pointed at a very familiar looking purple wagon with blue. “My wagon!”

“Don’t get close,” Bon Bon warned and I froze with Twilight. “Lightning Dust found it when she was sent to Manehatten. She brought it back for some reason. There’s something inside.”

I watched anxiously as Cheerilee and Derpy started moving the fillies and colts back inside some makeshift school. Probably for the best honestly. Killing is always messy. There’s the blood getting everywhere and of course, the body.

“Open it,” Bon Bon ordered and Lyra nodded as she yanked open the doors with her magic and jumped back.

“Hey woah!” A mare shouted inside and we all stared inside in confusion at the few kids inside with a stallion. The yellow pegasus mare stood protectively in front of the scared looking foals with a glare and her wings spread as far as they could be.

“Raindrops?” Soarin raised an eyebrow as Bon Bon hastily lowered her gun.

“Dropsi?” Cloudkicker gave her a confused look and Raindrops hesitantly stepped out. “We thought you were dead. How the hell did you get to Trixie’s wagon?”

“Long story. I heard something about survivors in Manehatten but well, they were all dead when I got there. Ponyville got too overran for my liking. Found these kids hiding in a store. Found him with a broken leg,” Raindrops nodded to the stallion. “And well, found the wagon. Figured it’d be a nice place to lay low for a bit. Then Lightning Dust found it without knowing we were inside. Here we are.”

“They’re all clear,” a tan stallion with a red cross on his flanks announced. “Broken leg, with me. I’ll take a better look at it.”

I watched as Cloudkicker and Raindrops hugged as Bon Bon looked away.

“Are you okay?” I asked curiously and she scowled at me before shaking her head.

“I almost killed a kid just now. Four kids, in fact. What kind of fucking pony am I?” Bon Bon sniffed and I stared with wide eyes. She doesn’t really show emotion other than anger really. “I’m going home. Come on Lyra. I don’t wanna be alone.”

I watched briefly before I trotted up to my wagon and sniffed. It smelled just like how it used to. Random perfumes everywhere, a first aid kit. I turned to the trunk as it rattled and I stared at it.

“The hell?” I muttered and opened it slowly, falling backwards with a horrified expression as a colt tumbled out with his jaw hanging open. “Gah!”

Some ponies turned to look after my scream and I continued scrambling backwards as he walked to me shakily. He had a broken leg and his jaw snapped a few times. Well, I’m dying now it seems. At least I’ll see my marefriend and friends wherever I end up. If I don’t go to hell, that is.

“Trixie!”

I faintly heard somepony shout and I heard two loud gunshots and the colts head exploded as I closed my eyes instinctively, feeling a warm liquid splatter on my coat and face.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked and I stared in stunned silence as she dropped a gun. In all my life, seeing Twilight kill wasn’t something I anticipated. Or seeing Bon Bon standing next to her with a smoking gun. Apparently she and Lyra didn’t get too far before I screamed.

“Y-yeah. Just shook up is all. Thanks for that.”

“Anytime,” Bon Bon nodded and wheeled to glare at Raindrops. “Just what the hell was that? You almost got her killed! Dead bodies just don’t end up in trunks like that so start talking before I put two rounds in your chest.”

“I-I had no clue! Honest!” Raindrops begged as Bon Bon pressed the gun to her head. “Please don’t. Don’t kill me. Please.”

I wiped my face off with a rag and gulped. Watching an execution isn’t something I’ve ever wanted and I turned away.

“Don’t,” Twilight warned and yanked the gun with her magic. “Who cares how it got there. We are not going to kill living ponies. I made this as a sanctuary to all survivors, not to pick and choose who gets to live and who gets to die. We don’t execute anypony here, we’re better than that. If anypony has an issue with that, they are free to leave.”

Nopony said anything as I gave her an approving look.

“Then go about your business. Raindrops, go with Cloudkicker. Bon Bon?” Twilight glanced at the cream mare who kicked the dirt as Raindrops trotted away with Cloudkicker.

“Yes Princess?”

“Don’t ever fucking do that again,” Twilight snapped and I flinched. I’ve never once heard her swear. No damn, no hell, nothing. “Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. Now go home. Follow Raindrops when you’re calm. Just because I’m not going to execute her doesn’t mean I don’t want to be cautious. We wait a week and if nothing happens, we will leave her be. And somepony take the kids to Cheerilee. I’m sure she and Derpy will be happy to have more foals to teach.”

Bon Bon hung her head and trotted away with Lyra talking quietly to her.

“Let’s go home and clean you up,” Twilight nudged me and I nodded numbly as she smiled slightly. “Somepony bury the body please. And clean up the mess.”

Like I said, killing was messy.