Sally took the time to pause and reload her gun, watching as the zombies staggered closer to their position. They were trying to keep quiet, but the zombies were getting closer all the time. Though the gun was a potent weapon, it was a loud one. She holstered it and drew out a bat, feeling its heft as she brought it into position.

They let the first staggering near-corpse get past the doorframe to unleash relatively silent doom upon it. She brought down the bat on its head as a long blade sliced it from shoulder to midsection. Another grabbed it and threw it to the ground inside the building to finish pummeling it until it stopped so much as twitching.

She nodded at that, watching them take the zombie and drag it away. There could be no sign that they were there. "That's one."

They moved slowly, but she knew her duty.

***

"—Una."

Luna looked around at that voice. "Twilight?"

Toby sat up from where he had been tinkering with something to pass the time. "What?"

Luna reached up a hoof, batting at one of her ears. "Perhaps the still of this place is getting to me, but I thought I heard Twilight."

Angel nodded. "Hear too. Voice."

Toby inclined his head, ears sagging with the new gravity. "Not hear." His ears flicked gently. "No."

Luna sighed softly and sank to her haunches. "If you heard it as well, I doubt it is only my stirring madness."

Angel tapped herself on the chest. "Hear purple. She said you." She pointed at Luna.

Toby just looked a bit confused at the exchange, but he didn't argue about what others had heard. He wasn't them.

"Can you—"

Luna twitched an ear at the words, cut off before finishing. "Twilight, are you trying to reach us? Whatever you're doing, it's working, a little."

"Oh good. We were worried about you all. How are you?" The voice, Twilight's they hoped, sounded relieved and hopeful though it had no body to belong to.

"We're fine. We have made contact with some of the locals, and they have been most helpful." Luna waved at the two tsuki in the room, though she wondered if she could be seen or not. "They're in a desperate situation."

"Really?" There was a moment of quiet. "Define 'desperate?'"

"The humans we've found are struggling for basic needs. We've been helping them where we can, but this is a world where living beings are transformed into the undead." Luna frowned just thinking about it. "I've seen better situations."

"I am so very sorry to hear that. I'll get you out of there as fast as I can." Quiet returned a moment. "This mirror is being very stubborn. It's taken a lot of effort to get some voices through. Like the Canterlot High mirror, unbalances distort things, so we can't see what's going on."

A new voice butted in, "Sister, are you safe?"

Luna felt her heart flutter. "'Tia, we're okay, for now. We have been assisting the humans of this world."

"Good. I'm sure your aid is most welcome." The relief in her voice was evident. "Sister, we're doing all we can to get you out of there."

Luna nodded quietly, glancing around. "Toby, Angel, it would appear aid is coming from Equestria." She rose to her hooves. "I should inform Fluttershy. Have either of you seen her recently?"

Toby and Angel both shook their heads.

"I shall seek her out then." Luna headed towards the door as she called out. "We'll stay here, if that's what you were about to ask."

"Yes," came Twilight's surprised voice. "Try not to move too far. It took a lot of trial and error to reach you at all. If you could, confirm Fluttershy's safety. We're all worried about her."

Luna chuckled as she peeked outside across the quiet city. "I will, as soon as I locate our pegasus friend. She's probably with the dogs, wherever they happen to be."

"Please do. Be careful, sister. Twilight has been busy trying to find you for hours now."

"I will, 'Tia. We've managed well so far. I'm sure we'll last as long as we need." Luna turned on ear back. Hours? Time clearly was moving slower on the other side. She decided not to bring that up as a canine snout came rushing out to greet her. "There you are."

She gently ruffled the delighted canine's head. "I am pleased to encounter you as well. Where is that kind would-be mother of yours?"

The dog turned and barked before it trotted off in the direction it had come, beckoning her to follow after.

Luna smiled and followed along without further delay. She listened with one ear for any sound of zombies, but none could be heard, at least not at that moment. Fluttershy came into view, playing with the rest of the pack of dogs in what seemed to be a happy time for all parties involved.

Fluttershy looked up, smiling brightly. "Oh, hello! You're just in time to join our game, if you want. The others aren't here." Her head tilted faintly. "They're not back yet, I mean. I hope they're safe."

Luna nodded. "Do not let me interrupt. I am glad to see you are doing well, but I carry good news. Twilight and Celestia have reached out. They know we're here and are trying to get us back home."

Fluttershy stopped playing with her dogs, rising to a stand. "We're going home? We'll be going back?"

"Indeed." Luna's smile was gentle, reassuring. "You have some who miss you back there. I can't say it is happening this instant, but Twilight is not one to give up easily. She has rescued our realm numerous times, as you are aware. I doubt she will accept any answer that isn't our safe return."

Fluttershy grinned happily. "I'm so happy. I don't mind helping these people, but they're in a lot of trouble here."

Luna's head dipped into a nod. "That is true. I find myself wishing to lend more lasting aid to them." She glanced back towards the shelter before she came in closer. "Truth told, however, part of me is aware perhaps we should not be meddling overly much. This world has its story to write, and we are guests."

Fluttershy smiled faintly at that. "I know how you feel. It's not nice of me to feel this way, but I'm kind of happy to be going home." She nuzzled the puppy closest to her. "I don't like the idea of leaving them behind though." She pouted at the very idea, just to get licked for her trouble. She giggled and hugged the dog responsible. "They're such good little dogs! Even the, uh, less little ones."

Luna chuckled softly and reached to pat one. "Indeed. They are very fine animals, and I am glad to see you have made friends here." She took a look up towards the sky, a smile finding her. "Were this place not infested with the walking dead, I would call this a fine day. Come, let's get you, and your friends, inside for now."

Fluttershy nodded, moving to follow beside her. "I hope they stay safe without me watching them. But if we're going back, we should all stay together in one place." She waved to the canines, who started trotting towards the door into the building. Without further orders, they filed right into the building and headed down for their kennels.

"Twilight?" Luna put a hoof aside an ear. "Are you still there?"

"No." That was Celestia. "But I can pass a message to her."

Fluttershy grinned hopefully. "Tell her I said hi, please? We're going to go back and let her find us."

Celestia's voice was soft, gentle, kind. "She said hello, and she is pleased you are well. You must be terrified, Fluttershy. I apologize for letting this happen to you."

Fluttershy tensed. "N-no! I got to meet some wonderful critters, and some creatures that need our help." She fidgeted in place. "I could do without the zombies, but, um, I'm not mad we came."

Celestia was quiet for a long moment, but Luna felt something on her ear, warm and gentle, like a kiss. "We will find you as soon as possible. Please, do not put yourselves in any additional danger."

"Sister." Luna smiled gently at that disembodied voice. "I will guard them, and myself. See you face to face, soon, I hope."

"Contact," came an excited voice from a side room. "Radio from the mission. Light injuries, no fatalities. They're on the way back." The man who owned the voice came rushing in, nodded at the ponies, and rushed right on past to find the others and spread the word.

Luna felt her tension ease. "Good news." She looked to Fluttershy. "Perhaps they will be able to put a true mark on their problem."

"That would be nice." Fluttershy went down the stairs to join the dogs she had sent ahead of her. She properly latched their kennels and assured them at they'd all been such good dogs. The part where she poured them kibble especially got their tails wagging.

Luna chuckled softly, watching from the doorway as Fluttershy got the dogs' meals ready. "They do adore you. It's like you have your own army of dogs."

Fluttershy giggled and nodded. "I hadn't thought of it that way. I wouldn't want to, um, make any army do what you'd want an army to do. They're a big canine family." She nodded towards the collection that mostly made sounds of crunching kibble as they worked on their meal. "They're doing the best they can, just like the humans, just in a different way."

Luna stepped over and patted one of the larger dogs, smiling as the canine wagged its tail even though it was busy getting fed. "Of course. They are merely a more welcoming group than those above us." She turned away just to jump. Toby had not been there a moment ago.

Toby batted at one of his long ears. "Sister coming? Good news. Need me do something?"

Luna shook her head, a hoof on her chest. "I do apologize. I did not hear you coming." She waved for him to come closer. "My sister, Celestia, spoke with me just a bit ago. She and Twilight and doing their best to get us home. Until then, we do our best to remain safe."

Toby was quiet a moment. "But." He shuffled from one large pawfoot to the other. "Help? They ask for help. It dangerous."

Luna nodded quietly. "It is. I would not mind assisting them, but I know that, if we are to get home, we will not be here to help them forever."

Toby nodded with clear thought. "Take?" Luna looked confused. "Take them." He pointed upstairs. "Take them home."

Fluttershy's ears rose. "Oh, they could come with us. Um, there'd be so much work needed though, if we wanted to take everyone in the base. There are a lot of humans here."

Luna shook her head firmly. "We can't do that. Our world has its own issues, as does theirs. To visit, perhaps, but we should not be trying to move in either direction."

Angel joined them, landing at the bottom of the stairs with a soft thud. "Why? Safer home. They happy."

Fluttershy looked between the two. "I know how you feel. They deserve better, and we can offer that, but... we can't make it like this is a choice. What if they're needed here?"

Luna nodded at Fluttershy. "Precisely. We do not know the course of this world, and to remove its players would be quite unkind of us. One of them may be the cure, the answer to this world's suffering. If we were to remove that person, we would be dooming this world at our own hooves and paws."

Angel frowned, ears flattening against her skull. "They help." She pointed towards Toby. "Help them?"

Toby nodded quickly. "We go? They go?" He pointed to his head. "We stay, we help?"

Luna smiled at her friend and his limited speech, trying to fit such large thoughts out through his imprecise tongue. "It is times like these, friend Toby, that I am reminded that your simple words do not mean your mind is simple at all. You are struggling about very heavy thoughts." She offered a hoof towards him. "And all I have to offer is a hug right now."

Toby smiled eagerly and stepped into that waiting hoof. He wrapped both arms around her, squeezing Luna close with a soft grunt of joy.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded to Angel. "You too." They met with a warm embrace. However complicated the worlds and their place in it, they knew they had one another at least.

Author's Note

Contact! We have contact! Twilight is on the case.

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