INFECTION [DOOM EDITION]

Mountain of Perils

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to the blue hue filtering through the window and the cool air of the early hour. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking at Applejack beside her, who was lying on her right side.

Rainbow Dash ran her fingers through her rainbow-colored hair and took a deep breath. She stood up and looked at Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy cuddled together on the bed. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she watched them.

She turned and walked to the nearby window, gazing outside at the village bathed in the dawn's blue hue.

After giving her friends one last look, she sighed and walked outside the room, gently closing the door behind her. She turned and walked down the stairs, her hoofsteps creating light taps on the wooden floor.

She looked at the fireplace, now filled with nothing but lumps of charcoal. She noticed the mantel and the small photo frames on top of it. Walking closer, she examined the photos.

They depicted a family—a wife, a son, and a husband—all smiling together for the picture. A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked at it, the photo reminding her of someone. "I miss Spikey," she mumbled, a bit of pain visible on her face as she remembered the time before this mess began.

After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and exhaled. She turned around and headed to the front door.

SFX: Creak

After opening the door, she walked outside and gently closed it behind her.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash jumped at the unexpected voice, instantly turning to see the Doom Slayer standing at the very corner of the porch, looking at her through his visor.

She clutched her chest as her heart pounded, her breaths coming in quick and short.

"It seems your stress level and heart rate have increased. I apologize for speaking unexpectedly," Vega said.

Rainbow Dash took deep, long breaths and calmed herself down. The sight of the 6'10" Doom Slayer was still something she wasn't used to, even now.

"V-Vega, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Rainbow Dash said, clutching her chest.

"I apologize for my sudden action," Vega replied in his usual calm voice.

Rainbow Dash sighed and looked at Doom Guy's visor. "Okay, okay... I guess I know why you're here. Did you sleep at all?" she asked, puzzled.

"I have recorded that the Slayer only slept for two hours before he came to the porch to stand watch," Vega answered.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Two hours! You should really get some—" she started, but Vega interrupted.

"The Slayer does not necessarily need to sleep. He can go for years without sleeping and without worrying about fatigue," Vega explained.

Rainbow Dash stared at Doom Guy for a few seconds, then rubbed her face in one motion and placed her hands on her hips, probably trying to process the information. "You don't mind if I stretch my wings, do you?" she asked.

"Ah, I'm glad you brought that topic up. I'm interested in observing you fly. Your wings are approximately 3.5 feet long, and by standard aerodynamics, a being of your mass would typically require a wingspan of about 6 meters, or 19.685 feet, to achieve flight," Vega said.

Rainbow Dash was flabbergasted. "You know what, I can fly because I'm a Pegasus. If it doesn't sound logical to you, then just call it magic. Can I try my wings now?"

Doom Guy remained silent, but Vega replied, "No one is stopping you. Just don't venture beyond the island for your safety."

"Yeah, yeah..." She turned and walked down the porch steps, looking around the empty street and up at the sky. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a golden hue over the village.

Doom Slayer stood on the porch, watching her as she stretched her wings, displaying their full length and flexibility.

After a minute of stretching, she slowly flapped her wings, trying to lift off the ground safely, reacquainting herself with flying.

Once confident, Rainbow Dash ascended higher into the air at a steady pace. Doom Guy's visor tilted upward as she gained altitude and speed.

Rainbow Dash reached a height where the clouds were just above her. She paused to look down at Trottingham. Nearby, she noticed a small island with a lighthouse and a large recently dug site farther from the village. She guessed that's where the dead bodies had been taken, as the town and surrounding areas were devoid of corpses.

"Cool," she murmured, remembering Vega's curiosity about her flying abilities. She decided to impress him.

A smirk formed on her lips. "Let's see what you think of this."

whoosh
She dived, accelerating rapidly, adjusting her wings to produce a transparent, rainbow-colored contrail. She spun, leaving a swirling rainbow trail behind her, like a brush stroke in the sky.

With a confident smirk, she looked down at Doom Guy and winked. Then she maneuvered, flying toward him. Just meters off the ground, she shot up again, flipped in the air, and finally landed gracefully, her left hand and right knee touching the ground in a cool pose.

She stood up, smiling brightly. "I'm back, baby! Hahaha!" She punched the air but stopped when she noticed Doom Guy staring at her silently from the porch.

She quickly covered her mouth and pretended to cough. Walking back to the porch, she looked at Doom Guy.

"I am impressed. You have demonstrated an outstanding performance," Vega complimented.

A faint pink blush appeared on her cheeks. She puffed out her chest and smiled. "Of course I did! I'm Rainbow Dash, Equestria's fastest and best flier," she said proudly.

Doom Slayer stood there, looking at her through his tinted visor for about 10 seconds before Vega spoke again. "I have detected that the rest of the girls are awake and three of them are coming down the stairs."

Rainbow Dash looked at the front door and then back at Doom Guy. "Oh... Well, wanna join us for breakfast?" she asked hesitantly, hoping to catch a glimpse of his face behind the visor.

"The Doom Guy declines. I, Vega, recommend you girls eat first," Vega replied.

Rainbow Dash cursed internally; she really wanted to see Doom Guy's face. "Pshhh. Okay, fine. No one's forcing ya, Mr. Savior..." She walked to the front door and placed her hand on the knob. Before turning it, she paused. "Don't overwork yourself... I-I'm not saying this because I like you or anything, dumbass!" she blurted out, blushing. She quickly opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her.

"Peculiar," Vega commented.

Doom Slayer stepped off the porch and began walking down the cobblestone street. "It appears the ponies here have invented long-range communication. I recommend you find a radio station or a portable one," Vega suggested.

Doom Guy continued walking silently.

"Wait..." Vega suddenly spoke. "On your left, the first floor of that house. I'm picking up a subtle radio wave. I recommend you investigate."

Doom Guy turned to the side and approached the house, kicking the door open and stopping just inside the entrance. "I'm detecting it underground. Please search for a basement door."

Doom Slayer began exploring the house, which had only four rooms. He found a trapdoor on the wooden floor and opened it. A disgusting, rotting smell filled his nostrils instantly, but he was used to such odors.

"Activating filter mode," Vega said, and the smell vanished. Doom Slayer climbed down into the basement. As he descended, the ladder crumbled, and he fell, landing on his feet. The flashlight on his helmet lit up the dark basement, revealing two rotting bodies leaning against the wall, hugging each other on the floor.

The bodies seemed to be about a week old.

Nearby was a table with a complete radio set on it. Doom Guy walked over and examined the radio set. It had almost everything: a transmitter, a microphone, and various cables.

"I don't see a power supply... Perhaps the crystal on the transmitter serves that purpose, and it also acts as the antenna. I wonder if there are more crystals used by the ponies in their daily lives," Vega mused.

Doom Slayer disconnected all the wires and connectors. He took the transmitter first and placed it on his back, where it dematerialized, followed by the microphone, wires, and other components.

He emptied the table and turned to the rotting bodies, pausing for 10 seconds before the small cannon mounted on his shoulder fired, engulfing the room in flames due to the methane build-up. He remained unscathed as the basement turned into a charred mess, the table and bodies burning.

He climbed out of the trapdoor and walked back to the mayor's house.

[Mane 5]

"Are you sure it's really safe out there?" Applejack asked, as the girls finished breakfast.

"Yeah, Doom Guy let me out earlier to test my wings. Seems I haven't lost my touch," Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk. "Plus, with what Vega said, I'm confident it's safe here."

"Well, if that's the case, then—" Twilight began, but was interrupted when Doom Guy opened the front door. He walked to the living room, and the girls, who were in the kitchen, exchanged glances before following him.

Doom Guy retrieved something from behind his back and pressed it, causing a transmitter to materialize in front of him. He placed it on the table along with the other equipment.

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise. "W-where did you get this? This is amazing! We can now broadcast radio messages to all of Equestria!" she said, her face lighting up with hope. She looked at her friends, who smiled back, happy to see Twilight cheerful again.

Fluttershy seemed more relaxed around Doom Guy, and the others were getting used to his presence, though he still appeared intimidating.

Fluttershy sat on a chair while Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight stood by each other.

Doom Guy turned his head to Twilight and looked at her. "We retrieved it from a house just down the street. The place was a mess, but we found it eventually. Now, I'll leave the rest to you, Twilight Sparkle," Vega explained as Doom Slayer took a step back.

"Let's not waste any more time, Twi," Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash smiled softly as she leaned against a wall, crossing her arms. "She's gonna get all nerdy again."

"Y-yes, yes," Twilight nodded, standing in front of the table and inspecting the radio broadcasting set. "Oh wow, this is a newer model."

She began connecting the cables, connectors, earphones, speakers, and the audio mixer.

"Hmmm... The blue crystal seems to be working," Twilight mumbled as she finished setting everything up. When she flicked the last switch, the neon light turned green. "There, we're ready to broadcast. I set the frequency to default, which has a higher chance of being found. All we need to do is push this button while we talk," Twilight said with a smile.

"Hmmm... Why don't you try using your other walkie-talkie first and set the frequency to default?" Vega suggested.

"Wait just a second." Applejack quickly walked out of the room, returning 30 seconds later with the walkie-talkie in her hand.

"Thanks, Applejack. Now, I want you to set your frequency to default and listen for the words I'll say," Twilight instructed as she put on the headphones and placed her hand on the button.

"Gotcha." Applejack said as she walked out of the living room and disappeared into the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash, holding a paper and pen, entered the living room. She glanced at Applejack and then back at Twilight. "What's she doing with the—ohhhh." She realized and sat down on a chair.

"Testing in 3... 2... 1." Twilight pressed the button and spoke into the mic. "This is Twilight Sparkle, former student of Princess Celestia. I hope you’re hearing this message."

Seconds later, Applejack returned. "I hear nothin'."

"Really? Let me try again. Just put it to your ear." She cleared her throat and pressed the button again. "Hello, hello, helloooooo..."

"Nope, there's nothing," Applejack said, lowering the walkie-talkie. "Maybe there's somethin' wrong with the set."

"No, it’s working. The neon light is green... Unless..." Twilight took off the headphones and set them on the table. Resting her chin on her hand, she began thinking.

...

"Now I know why we suddenly lost connection with the other bunker..." Twilight muttered. Suddenly, she turned to the girls. "Girls... The main radio tower needs to be checked."

Everyone froze.

"D-Darling, you don’t mean the radio tower on top of Canterlot, do you?" Rarity asked with a hint of fear.

"Y-yes..." Twilight bit her lip. How could they contact survivors now? They couldn't just venture outside the mountain with no information.

"I need further details." Vega interjected.

Twilight turned toward Doom Guy and approached him. "On top of Canterlot, there’s a radio tower that connects all of Equestria. But Canterlot is extremely dangerous. Before the apocalypse, the population was about four hundred thousand ponies... Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy can fly, but they can’t keep going back and forth."

"It seems we’re in a dire situation... Perhaps I could create a portal right outside Canterlot so Rainbow Dash only has to fly to the top of the mountain and fix it," Vega suggested.

"B-but—" Twilight began to protest, but Rainbow Dash interrupted her.

"Twi, I can do it... The radio tower is only accessible by a Pegasus," Rainbow Dash said, determination in her eyes.

"R-Rainbow Dash! I-I don’t want to lose you!" Twilight shouted, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Rainbow Dash walked over and hugged her tightly, letting Twilight rest her face against her chest and cry as she gently caressed her hair.

"Shhh... It won’t be a problem. Those things can’t fly, and after I'm done, Doom Guy will be with me," she comforted.

Twilight continued to sob while the others watched, worried. Rarity approached and hugged Twilight as well. "Darling, don’t cry... Rainbow Dash will be fine... Plus, she's with Doom Guy." She gently pulled Twilight away from Rainbow Dash. "Shhh. Let’s sit on the couch, okay?"

The two moved to the couch and sat together while Rarity comforted Twilight.

As much as the girls wanted to process this, they knew that if they wanted ponykind to survive, they had to take risks.

Applejack and Fluttershy stood in front of Rainbow Dash with worried expressions. "Sugar, are you sure you wanna do this?" Applejack asked.

"Y-yeah, I do," Rainbow Dash replied with a smile, although inside, she was terrified.

Bravery isn't having NO fear, Bravery is having fear... but you do it anyway!

Fluttershy suddenly hugged Rainbow Dash tightly, nuzzling her cheek. "Rainbow Dash... Please be careful."

Rainbow Dash patted Fluttershy’s head before pulling away. She hugged Applejack, caressing her cheek with a soft smile, then turned to Doom Guy. "Let’s go outside..."

Doom Guy nodded and led the way outside, with Rainbow Dash following closely behind. They stopped and faced each other.

"I’ve analyzed that this mission has an 80% success rate. Are you sure you want to do this?" Vega said in his usual AI tone.

"Tch, 80% is good enough... Plus, I’m confident that there won’t be any infected at the very top," Rainbow Dash said, trying to maintain her brave façade despite the fear gripping her heart.

Doom Slayer materialized something from behind his back and handed her a handgun. "This is a Grolger 12 handgun with a capacity of 15 rounds. It uses butterfly bullets or dum-dum bullets. It can easily shatter bones and rip flesh. Take it."

"O-okay..." Rainbow Dash took the handgun and gripped it tightly. It wasn’t as heavy as it looked, and as she inspected it, she felt a surge of badassery. "Whoa..."

"I recommend you try it first. You see that bottle over there on the other house? Aim and shoot at it." Vega instructed.

Doom Slayer moved behind Rainbow Dash and held her arms. She yelped slightly, her cheeks turning pink.

"Use the sights and aim. It’s like a crossbow but more advanced."

He adjusted her arms into the correct position then his hands glided up to her hands and guided her grip on the handle, making her hands look tiny compared to his. At this rainbow Dash’s face turned as red as a tomato.

"When you’re confident in your shot, pull the trigger," Vega said.

Doom Guy stepped back, and Rainbow Dash calmed her breathing, squinting through the sights to ensure her aim was accurate.

She pulled the trigger, the handgun recoiled, and the sound was like a popped balloon as the bottle shattered into pieces.

She looked at the handgun in awe. "This is so cool! Imagine if ponies had this!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her face lit up with excitement. She turned to look at Doom Guy’s visor. "I think I’m ready."

The Doom Guy then faced an empty space. "Opening portal outside of Canterlot in 3... 2... 1."

A blue portal appeared, and Doom Guy walked through it first. Before Rainbow Dash could follow, she noticed the girls on the front porch. Fluttershy and Applejack were waving, and Rarity was comforting Twilight, who was still sobbing.

Rainbow Dash waved back, took a deep breath to calm herself, and turned toward the portal, stepping through it.

She emerged on the other side, and the portal closed behind her. They were outside Canterlot, right next to the mountain, shaded from the sunlight.

She looked around to see Doom Slayer stomping an infected's head, splattering its brain and blood on the grassy ground like a bloody canvas.

The Doom Slayer stopped and looked at Rainbow Dash, giving her a thumbs-up, indicating it was her turn now. With determination etched on her face, Rainbow Dash nodded to Doom Guy, gripping the pistol tighter.

"I'm just going to check... You got this, Rainbow Dash," she muttered to herself before looking up the mountain. She took off, gaining speed as she ascended. Near the top, she narrowly dodged a falling boulder. "Crap..." she muttered, heart pounding.

Eventually, she reached the summit, spotting a well-placed radio tower with a giant blue crystal ontop surrounded by fences and a small steel structure nearby. "That seems to be the electrical room if I remember correctly," she mumbled, landing on the snowy ground, her hooves sinking a few centimeters deep.

Meanwhile, Doom Slayer noticed the falling boulder heading his way. Before it could hit him, he punched it, shattering it into pieces.

[Back to Rainbow Dash]

Rainbow Dash tried to open the door but found it wouldn't budge. "Locked," she muttered. Eyeing the handgun in her hand, she aimed at the doorknob and fired. The door swung open with a kick, and she smirked, kissing the handgun. "Good girl."

She peeked inside to find the room filled with electrical boxes. Lowering her gun, she stepped inside, humming as she inspected the boxes on the walls. Opening the third one, two fuses sparked, causing her to stumble back. "No wonder why..." she muttered.

Her search led her to a table where she found two small boxes of fuses. "Jackpot," she whispered, taking two fuses and heading back to the fuse box. Remembering to turn off the power, she wedged the handgun between her thighs and began replacing the fuses. The damaged ones were tossed aside, and with the new fuses in place, she turned the power back on. "There, hope everything is n—"

"Help... help me..."

A female voice called from outside the room.

Rainbow Dash's face fell, her heart pounding. She gripped the handgun tightly, aimed at the entrance, and cautiously moved closer. Her fingers trembled, and her heart raced, but she steeled herself. Peeking outside, she saw no one. "W-who's there!" she shouted, but there was no response. Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside, checking the corners.

As she prepared to fly away, the voice called again from the rooftop. Rainbow Dash spun around just in time to see an infected pony lunging at her. She fell back, aimed, and fired, hitting the infected mid-air.

SFX: Splat

"We're so proud of you."

"We're are so proud of you."

"Our rainbow dash..."

"Ugh, my head," she groaned, opening her eyes to see the infected's body on top of her, unmoving. "Ahh!" She kicked it off and scrambled to her feet, aiming the handgun at it. After a tense ten seconds, she confirmed it was dead. She closed the door and flew to the rooftop, removing her shirt to check for any injuries thus showing nothing but only her light blue sports bra. Relieved to find no scratches or bites, she sighed.

"Oop!" she exclaimed, remembering Doom Guy, and dove off the roof and down the mountain.

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"I am receiving radio waves from the mountain. It seems she has completed her task... Let’s wait as long as we can for her," Vega announced.

Doom Slayer turned to see an infected appear. It had a frail body, an elongated neck, and loose flesh. It screeched, and Doom Slayer instantly materialized his pistol, shooting the infected and blowing its head apart. Lowering his handgun, he listened to the silence that followed.

"Detecting movements approaching and lifeform above you... Creating portal to Trottingham in 3... 2... 1."

A blue portal appeared behind Doom Slayer. He dematerialized his pistol, took out his chain gun, and aimed at the direction of the approaching sea of infecteds.

The ground rumbled as the sea of grotesque infected ponies surged forward. Doom Guy pulled the trigger, mowing them down. The onslaught was relentless, his chain gun beginning to overheat.

"I'm here!" Rainbow Dash shouted from above.

Doom Guy stopped shooting and pointed to the portal. Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash dived into it. Doom Slayer switched to his rocket launcher, fired at the horde thus creating a big explosion, and then followed her through the portal.

...

The Doom Slayer landed on his back as the portal closed, severing the head of an infected. He stood up and approached the severed head, it's Jaws moving. Before he could stomp it, Rainbow Dash shot it, making it explode like a watermelon.

"Yeah, screw you!" she shouted.

The girls from inside the house ran out, their faces lighting up in joy and surprise.

"Rainbow Dash!" they cried out in unison.

They rushed to her, embracing her tightly. Rainbow Dash dropped the handgun and smiled, tears streaming down her face. "I-I thought I w-would never see y-you girls again," she sobbed.

[Time Skip: 6 PM]

Rainbowdash was extremely tired mentally and physically, she's now sleeping in the bedroom on the second floor while the Doom guy and the other four girls gathered in the living room.

"Are you girls ready? Let’s record this message before putting it on repeat," Twilight said with a smile.

Rarity, meanwhile, was eyeing Doom Guy beside him with a look of admiration. "H-hey~" she purred softly.

Doom Guy ignored her, focusing on Twilight. Rarity pouted, feeling slighted. How could he ignore somepony as beautiful as me?! she thought.

She tried again. "Darling~" she cooed, reaching to touch his bicep.

"Rarity! Stop yip yapping with the Doom Guy and come over here!" Applejack commanded.

Rarity rolled her eyes, gave Doom Guy one last glance, and winked before joining the rest.

"Recording in 3... 2... 1," Twilight said, pressing the record button.

(Recording)

"Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's student and the... Element of Magic. I am recording this message to reach out to all remaining survivors. I want to say that there is still hope for ponykind and all species amidst infection!" Twilight began, stepping aside for Applejack.

"My name is Applejack, the Element of Honesty. Two days ago, we hid inside a bunker outside of Canterlot for two weeks, barely scraping by with food and clean water... We lost hope. Not until a portal appeared, and a creature emerged—a human stallion in a green, intimidating suit. His name is the Doom Slayer."

Applejack moved aside for Rarity. "My name is Rarity, the Element of Generosity. I want to tell all of you remaining survivors that we are now in Trottingham. The Doom Slayer, though sounds unbelievable, has cleared all the infected in Trottingham. It’s located in the Griffish Isles, an Equestrian island chain between Equestria and the Griffon continent."

Rarity stepped back for Fluttershy. "H-hello. My name is Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. We are calling on all remaining survivors to come to Trottingham, which is now a safe haven for all. Th-that’s all," she said, stepping aside quickly.

Twilight returned to the mic. "And most importantly, Rainbow Dash and the Doom Slayer have fixed the radio tower on top of Canterlot. Rainbow Dash is resting now and couldn't join us... Everypony, if you hear this, please come to Trottingham, or if you’re unsure, try to communicate with us via radio, and we’ll send the Doom Guy to your location."

She took a deep breath. "Cadance, brother, Pinkie, Spike, Princess Luna, and Celestia... If you hear this, Trottingham is now an infected-free island. Please come, we miss you all... For ponykind and all creatures, hope is still alive."

Twilight turned off the recorder, rewound the audio, and set it to repeat. She pressed the final button, and the neon lamp turned green.

Stepping back, she clasped her hands together. "I hope they hear this," she said, turning to Applejack. "Applejack, make sure the walkie-talkie is ready."

"Gotcha, Twi." Applejack left the room.

"Twilight, I'm excited to see other survivors! This is finally happening!" Rarity said joyfully.

"Y-yeah, me too," Fluttershy added.

Twilight smiled softly. "We still have to prepare. When Rainbow Dash wakes up, Fluttershy and I will try to contact other survivors while rarity, applejack, along with Rainbow Dash, search for supplies like food and medicine in the houses of this village."

"Okay, we'll wait for Rainbow Dash." Rarity took Fluttershy's hand. "Come on, darling," she said, leading her upstairs.

Twilight smiled and turned to Doom Guy. "Thank you, Doom Guy. Without you, I don’t know if ponykind and all creatures would survive. I promise to help you in any way I can."

"The Slayer says to be strong." Vega spoke up.

Twilight giggled softly and hugged Doom Guy, wrapping her arms around his midsection and resting her head on his chest. Realizing what she had done, her cheeks turned a slight pink and pulled away. "Y-yeah, thank you," she said with a small smile.

Doom Guy silently watched her through his visor, then walked out the front door and closed it behind him.

The doom guy began walking on the street. He noticed a flower vase on the porch of a house. He looked at it silently from the distance before he began to walk to it.

He Kneeled down and gently ran his armored fingers on the flower, careful not to damage it.

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Pinkiepie their alive!

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Captain this is big news!

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Their alive?!

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Everyone big news!

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Try contacting them now!

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