I gasp for air. My limbs shudder, I spasm– I should be in pain, shouldn’t I?

The first thing I feel, truly feel, is the sense that something is wrong.

I flail my hooves, I shake my wings– I scream.

I try to scream.

Why do I sound like this?

Magic is coursing through me– Is it the same magic it was before? Was I magic before? Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.

I’m on my back. I force myself out of it. I don’t feel in control.

What’s my name?

“S-Sunset, can you hear me?” It’s her. It’s her, I can hear her– She’s here with me. She’s holding me. I remember her, I remember her name, I remember everything.

Twilight Sparkle, my wife. What happened to me?

I’m hungry, but not thirsty. My eyes are open, but I can barely see. I feel empty.

But now I’m warm.

“I-I’m here. I’m here. Can you hear me…?” She calls me carefully, incredibly gently– She’s looking at me like I’m something else. I don’t get it. “Sunset– Sunset, can you hear me?”

My eyes are adjusting. There are runes around me. Around us. Candles. We’re underground. There's a circle around where I was laying. She cast a spell. She did something. She did something wrong.

I’m not sure I should be here. But she’s here. So it’s where I should be.

“S-Sunset, I… I brought you back.” She assured me carefully– She’s close to me. I can smell her. “I brought you back. Please tell me you can hear me…!

I speak.

No words come out.

I want to tell her it’s me, I want to ask her what's wrong, I want to ask where we are.

I want to tell her I love her.

But only growls come out– Only raspy, cold roars, guttural sounds.

What’s wrong with me? What am I now?

“N-nod, Sunset. Can you do that for me?” She asks, and I do it. I can move my head, I can move my body. It feels like I’m fighting myself. My movements are clumsy. They’re frail. I should be stronger than this. I should be strong for her. “G-good. Good. Okay. You can hear me, then?”

I try to speak again. It doesn’t work… Nodding will have to do.

She hesitates. But she’s not afraid of me. She should be. But she isn’t. “...Is your name Sunset Shimmer?”

That’s me. That’s my name. I look down– My hooves are scarred, but they’re still there. I look back– My wings are untidy, damaged– But they’re still there. I can feel my horn. My magic. Weak, but it’s there.

It’s still me.

Isn’t it?

Why am I drooling?

Why can’t I feel air reach my lungs, why can’t I feel my heart beat…

“O-okay. Okay. …Are you in Canterlot palace right now…?” She asks fearfully, hesitantly– Like it’s a trick question. I remember the tone.

I look around the room. No, it’s a basement. It’s the basement of our home in Ponyville… Our home. I remember now. Her tree… Was destroyed. Her castle… Was destroyed. So we made our own home.

I shake my head. The answer seems to please her.

“T-that’s right. We’re in our Community Center. I wanted to… To ease you into this. D-don’t worry, nopony is around at this hour. It’s just us.” She lets out a relieved sigh– But steels herself for the next question. I wasn’t ready either. “O-okay. Okay. Last question for now… Do you love me?”

Always.

My nod is emphatic. If there’s one thing that comes to me, it’s that. I love Twilight Sparkle. That’s undeniable, inevitable. I love Twilight Sparkle. She’s my wife. We promised each other we’d rule together. We promised each other we’d bring about a golden age in Equestria. Our home. Our love. I remember her. I remember loving her.

She seems happy. She seems relieved. I think she’s been crying. I want to comfort her, but no words come out. She’s happy to see me…

Her eyes tear up. She lets out relieved laughter, as she embraces me– And I embrace her back.

“I-I knew it! I knew I could bring you back, I knew it!!”She loves me. She loved me. And I’m here. I’m here now.

I try to comfort her with my wings– they are stiff, and barely move. She mutters loving affirmations, and all I can do is growl.

She puts her wings over me. Princess Twilight Sparkle, my love. My wife. My stars. My everything.

She is warm. She’s warming me up.

She smells nice.

She smells tasty.

I’m hungry.

I’m hungry.

I force myself out of the embrace.

I force myself into the corner of the room. I’m screaming, I’m flailing, get away from me. I can’t hurt her. I can’t hurt her. Never her.

Never her.

“...Sunset, what’s wrong?” She approaches me, and I shake my head– I want to beg her to stay away from me.

“Sunset, it’s me…!” I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t know what happened to me. Why am I so hungry?

I can’t hurt her. Never her.

Time moves… Erratically.

I feel myself slipping, at times.

I forget to close my eyes.

I died. I died. I died.

She brought me back.

I wasn’t the only one who died… I can’t remember what happened–

But she’s here. She’s here with me in the dark. I stumble, and she holds me. She’s keeping me steady. Keeping me upright.

She talks to me often. Mundane things. Politics. The state of the world after some crisis. I want to give out my opinion. Tell her it’s going to be okay. But nothing comes out except growls.

I don’t know how many days I stayed in that basement. She would be with me often. She would help me walk, I’m relearning to move. My wings, my hooves…

She reminds me of magic. I’ve still got my magic. My alicorn magic. Even underground, I feel the sun. I feel the sun calling me. Begging me to move it.

I hope Celestia is up there to help me. I hope she’s waiting for me. I hope she… Accepts what I am now. I miss her.

I’m hungry. All the time, I’m hungry.

She kisses me. I try to kiss back.

She loves me. I try to love back.

Old instincts kicked in. For a second, we can pretend it’s like it was before. She whispers my name, I can’t whisper hers.

I have new instincts I need to suppress. Every time I get closer to her. Every time we get intimate like this.

I have to remember that she is not food.

Not her. Never her.

I’m hungry. I’m so, so hungry.

Twilight brings me salads, fruits– She brings me so many foods I loved.

I vomit them all out. They taste like tar. Like mold. I can’t digest them. I need something else.

I feel weak. She’s seeing me get weaker, and she’s crying. I’m rotting.

I used to be so much stronger than this. What am I now? I wish I had a mirror here in the dark.

I know what I need but I can’t tell her.

But she’s Twilight Sparkle. She figures it out.

I’m seeing the stars for the first time since… I don’t know how long. We’re walking to Everfree. She keeps me quiet. Promises me that she’s working on it.

“Raising the moon has been pretty easy– Luna takes care of it when I’m busy, too…” She tries talking to me almost casually. I missed her voice. “The sun, though? We’ve been struggling with that– I’m, um–” She stops herself.

Where’s Celestia?

“Don’t worry. We’ll sort it all out! You’ll be back to raising the sun for us in no time!” Twilight is assuring me. She’s confident. But her smile is failing. She looks at me like I’m still me.

I’m not.

We finally find what we’re looking for.

And my body moves on its own.

I was so, so hungry.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.” She assures me as confidently as she can– She’s serious. I’m horrified at what I’m doing. I can’t look at myself.

But I was hungry. I was so, so hungry. “Sunset, you need this.”

I force myself to look at what I’m doing. It’s a badger, I think. My old agility kicked in. My instincts. It didn’t stand a chance.

I remember my friends. I feel stronger now. My friends would be horrified if they saw me like this. Do they know I’m like this? Maybe they shouldn’t.

I’m not as hungry. I feel stronger. I want more. The blood running down my lips doesn’t bother me. Flesh has never seemed so appetizing, so right. The blood on my hooves, on my muzzle, everywhere– It’s me. This is me.

This is me now.

Maybe it shouldn’t be.

“I-it’s okay. We can make this work.” She believes that. Maybe I want to believe it too.

I can smell a racoon nearby.

Moving feels easier again. I’m on it like a meteor. I’m not as hungry. This feels good. It feels right. These teeth, they do what they can. They’re enough with my strength.

I kill. I kill and I eat. We bury the evidence. I don’t leave much leftovers to be found. I was hungry.

And she watches me. She refuses to look away. She watches me through all of this. She accepts this. She’s okay with this.

Maybe she shouldn’t be.

I’m disgusting. But I’m alive. I’m alive and I still love her. I still love Equestria. I want our country to thrive.

Twilight takes me to Everfree often, now. Rarely in the light of day. I miss the sun, but I understand.

She takes me to a place I remember. Vaguely, but I remember.

A familiar face watches me, horrified. A zebra. I remember her, I think.

“Twilight, I know you do not expect me to miss– But I have never seen anything like this!” Zecora looks at me like I’m wrong, she looks at me like I’m a monster. She’s right.

“S-she’s not dangerous. But she needs meat…!” Twilight talks like she could be overheard, like we’re not deep in a forest. She talks like she knows what she’s doing is wrong. She talks like she loves me. “We just need to bring her voice back, and maybe, maybe we can figure out how to go back to her old diet–”

“I have never seen a more polite undead– But she is still dangerous, and fills me with dread!” She studies me, while keeping a safe distance– I’m the first of my kind. An undead alicorn. “Forgive me for pinching my nose… But no pony should dare even get close!”

Tell her I’m a murderer, Twilight. Tell her I can only feed on flesh now. Tell her I butcher woodland animals with my teeth. Tell her I’m a monster.

“She can understand everything we say! And she has even managed to fly and use magic!” She talks proudly of me. She’s leaning on me, confident in me. “I-I think she’s slowly coming back to normal, but I just wanted to know if there’s something we can do to help it go faster…?”

“Undead monsters aren’t meant to be sapient, Twilight. I do not know what you have done, but it isn’t right.” Again, she looks at me. She looks at me like she knows how dangerous I am.

“I-it’s okay, it’s still Sunset!” Twilight believes in me. “She’s still here, and she loves me, isn’t that right, my Sun?”

I nod. I nuzzle her. I try saying I love her. I try saying that I don’t like being like this. That I want to go back to normal. That I missed her. That I’m scared.

Only growls come out.

“I will look into this, that, I promise you– But I am not sure there is anything I can do.”

We visited her several times. She tried a few things. Nothing worked.

I’m still me. This is me.

My love didn’t give up. She never gave up.

Zecora found me eating a fox in front of her house.

She shut the door and locked it.

I left.

“Remember our promise, Sunset…” She speaks to me with love. We are holding each other. I’m warm. It’s night. Our bed. No one knows I’m here other than her. “We’ll rule together. We’ll make this right… Equestria needs us. I need you.”

I need her. I wanted to do this with her. It’s better with her.

I promised her a golden age.

“I love you, Sunset Shimmer.”

I can’t say I love you back. I want to. I try to.

There were rats scurrying on the floors of our home.

I take care of them.

Twilight invited all our friends over.

It’s a big day. She’s excited. She believes in me.

My friends…

They look at me…

They’re scared of me.

Twilight isn’t.

“It’s still her! There’s nothing to be scared of!” She assures them, coming closer. “Look: Sunset, do you want to eat us right now?”

I shake my head. They’re my friends. I love them. They’re not food.

“See?” She replies with confidence, like she just quelled any doubts about me.

“Twi, just– Ya have to be able to know this ain’t right.” Applejack looks at me like she doesn’t recognize me. “This can’t be worth it. This ain’t Sunset!”

“But it is.” My love assures me. She assures everyone. “She’s still here. We lost Celestia, but she’s still here! This is wonderful news, we should be celebrating!”

“B-but… She can’t even speak, can she?” Pinkie, my best friend. Pinkie, afraid of me. Pinkie, can’t you hear me? Remember how we used to laugh together? “She can’t speak, just… Growl?”

“We’re working on it. I’m sure she’s going to be able to talk again in no time!” Twilight believes in me. She believes in everyone.

“Twilight darling, I understand your pain, I do.” Rarity is hesitant. She’s afraid. She’s hiding behind Applejack. “...But this is… Grotesque. You cannot expect her to be able to help us– Or even you, in this state!”

Twilight didn’t see a monster.

They did.

They weren’t wrong.

But she wasn’t, either.

“Ugh, I knew I should have waited a bit more before telling you…” My love rolls her eyes. She’s frustrated, she’s tired. I want to help her. “Sunset! Do you love me?”

I nod emphatically. I love her. I nuzzle her in front of all of them. They all recoil.

“Twi, dude– This is fucking horrible.” Rainbow Dash has made up her mind already. I don’t blame her. “Who’s flesh are you feeding her? And what if she only gets hungrier?”

“Relax, will you?!” My love is getting angry. She’s tired of them seeing a monster. “Look, look at this–” She extended one of her forelegs before me. Right before my mouth. She smells nice. “Go ahead, Sunset. Bite me! Go ahead and have a taste!”

No. Not her.

Never her.

“C’mon, aren’t you hungry, don’t you want to eat the flesh of the living?” She sounds sarcastic. She’s judging them. “Go ahead, chew on me!”

Never her.

“T-Twilight… Please…!” Fluttershy, I killed your friends, Fluttershy. I’m so sorry, Fluttershy. They were delicious, Fluttershy. “...W-who are you feeding her…?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

It did.

It did. It did. It did. It did. It did. It did. It did. It did. It did. It did.

My friends don’t want to see me anymore.

They visit her. They check on her, they’re worried about her.

But when they look at me, they don’t see me.

This is me.

I raise the sun.

I struggle, for a moment. But it’s familiar. It’s like I can feel her. I do every movement she taught me. But the sun doesn’t shine the same.

Is it because of me?

Or is it because of her?

Mom.

I’m so sorry.

I did the best I could. We did the best we could. I miss you.

When can I see you again?

I finally get to meet Celestia again.

Her grave is in the Canterlot Palace gardens.

We used to study, right by that tree. I was so small. She held me under her wing. She was proud of me. Would she be proud of me now?

Twilight takes me there at night. She takes me there with Luna.

I don’t remember what happened.

“Does she remember what happened?” Luna isn’t afraid of me. But she knows I can’t be trusted. She knows I’m not me. “Does she remember anything at all, Twilight?”

“L-look. She remembers who she is, and what her purpose is.” Twilight is frustrated. She’s tired of having to justify me. This is me. “She remembers she loves me. Oh! And she can raise the sun! She still has all her powers!”

“Does she remember how she and Celestia died?” Luna is judging her. She’s judging me. She’s right to.

“They saved all of us! Why are you acting like this is a bad thing–”

“Because they died doing it, Twilight!” She’s angry. She’s furious. She’s grieving. “I don’t like what happened any more than you do. But I wouldn’t want my sister ruling next to me like this– If she could see Sunset now–”

“She would be incredibly happy to know I didn’t let death claim her.” My love doesn’t hesitate. She’s sure of herself. She believes in me.

“A shambling corpse can’t rule Equestria.” Luna is cold. I deserve it. “A shambling corpse can’t sit on her throne.”

“Do you have a better idea? I’d love to hear it.” My love is angry, now. She’s furious. “She wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need her, Luna. She came back for me! I need her! I can’t do this without her!!”

I can’t do this without you.

Luna understands. Deep inside, she understands.

Without her sister, this is all pointless.

“You know what…” She’s as cold as the night. She rolls her eyes. She’s judging us. “I have a lot of things on my schedule, and the night has barely started. I’m not fitting your delusions into my routine, Twilight. Do whatever you want– Leave me out of this. Equestria will still be here when you’re done fantasizing. And Celestia and Sunset will still be dead.”

“She’s right here!” She screams into the night, holding me with a wing. “She’s right here!”

I don’t see Luna very often. She has all her sister's duties and more, now.

She’s picking up the pieces. But her heart is not in it.

She wants to escape. I don’t blame her.

I wanted this. This duty. I wanted it for a thousand years.

But with the way they look at me…

All that matters is Twilight. All that matters is she loves me.

This is me.

I visit Celestia’s grave often.

I wonder if she’s waiting for me. I wonder if I should have stayed with her.

I love Twilight. I couldn’t leave her.

I love Equestria. I want this world to thrive.

I love Twilight. I want to see her smile.

So I stay. I’m here now. I’m here to help. I can help.

“Twily, please…” The Princess of Love is scared of me. She used to care about me like family. I thought she was my family. Now she’s scared of me. “I understand why you did this, why, if I lost Shining…!”

“Don’t say ‘but’! I don’t want to hear it! I’m sick of it!” Twilight is focussed on me. She loves me. “Sunset is right here, she’s still here! Stop talking about her like she’s not! Can’t you see how much better she’s getting?? SHE CAN RAISE THE SUN, DAMNIT! WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN DOING IT ALL THESE MONTHS?!”

“She still loves you. She does.” Cadance keeps her distance from me. But she can still read me. She can read my heart, what’s left of it. “But it can’t be worth what you did to her.”

“It is.” My love is angry. She’s holding me with a wing. Tell her I’m a monster, Twilight. “Don’t you get it? There’s no point in doing this if it’s not with her!”

There’s no point in doing this if it’s not with you.

“A-and what!? Be reasonable, Twilight!” Cadance is scared of me. She should be. “Do you expect Equestria to accept an undead ruler for a thousand years?!”

“If they don’t–” My love spoke coldly, dismissively. “--They’re welcome to look for other Princesses to do their ruling.”

We promised each other we’d rule for a thousand years.

I want to keep that promise. I love her.

But when I look in the mirror…

I see blood and flesh. I see teeth and lifeless eyes. I see hunger.

This is me.

She introduces me to the rest of the town. The mayor is there. I stay quiet. I follow all of Twilight’s commands. I want them to trust me. They can trust me. Our friends don’t like looking at me.

The townsfolk are afraid of me. They walk away whenever I’m near. They avoid being near me.

I can smell them. I’m hungry.

But I want this to work. I want this to work.

This is me.

Twilight stays close to me. She’s being careful. She wants everyone to know I can be trusted. Maybe she should have kept me on a leash.

Bandits attacked the town.

I took care of it. This is what I do. I protect others. I protect my subjects.

They couldn’t match my strength. I’m an alicorn. I tried taunting them. Laughing at their attempts to hurt me. This is easy. My old instincts, my old training, they don’t stand a chance.

They were terrified of me.

I can’t feel when they try to hurt me. It doesn’t bother me anymore.

I don’t kill any of them. I know restraint. I’m merciful.

Celestia taught me that. Twilight taught me that.

I’m merciful.

But I was hungry. And they were screaming. They were fighting me.

I was hungry.

I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings. It didn’t matter. I didn’t pay attention to my enemies. They didn't matter. I was hungry. My mouth is another weapon I have. My teeth are another weapon I have.

Twilight found me when I was eating another one. I bit several of them. They ran away screaming. She had to pull me out of his carcass.

And together we watched in horror as my first victim stood up again.

Dead.

Just like me.

I thought we could do this. I thought we could pretend it was fine. That I was fine.

But this is me.

“And the dead, the ones that thirst for murder– They all act and think, just like her?” Zecora was trying to help. Despite everything, she was trying. “And to think, they now roam the countryside… It sends a shiver down my hide.”

“I-I think so. I think they can think– I think.” Twilight is tired. She’s been tired. I want to comfort her. “They seem to still have some of their reason– They can use magic and fly, depending on who they were before… But they can’t suppress their hunger for long.”

“Twilight. I must assure you that undead are not meant to be sapient.” Zecora is looking at me. She’s scared of me. “And they are not meant to spread, to not relent!”

“O-okay I get it, she’s not meant to be infectious, to be contagious, by blood, bite or otherwise.” My love won’t stop. “She just is! That’s settled, we got that. Can we work on a cure?”

“Twilight, there is no rewinding the clock, no cheating death!” She’s scared of me. She’s scared of me. She’s scared of me. “Those that pass should never again draw breath!”

“We’re going to find a solution, Zecora.” My love is holding me. “Please help us do it!”

“A solution already exists, here and now.” Zecora wants to kill me. “You have to put them all down.” She’s pointing at me like I’m not Sunset Shimmer. “And if you still wish for a future in Equestria, one that is true and right, You will have to truly, unequivocally, bury your wife.”

“Not an option.” My love won’t let me go.

I shouldn’t be here.

But she needs me.

Equestria needs me.

Doesn’t it?

The next days…

I had to take care of them.

Those that came from me.

They came back, just like me.

They roamed Central Equestria, looking for food.

There’s only one kind food we can eat.

I can understand them. They’re scared. They’re lost. They’re hungry.

They’re missing their loved ones. They’re looking for them.

And their loved ones are running from them.

Canterlot is scared. They’re putting up defenses. Barriers. Telling me and Twilight to deal with all of it. The chancellors look at me like I’m a monster. The royalty that used to kiss my hooves is scared of me.

They used to look at me as part of the future. Hope.

Twilight and I. We’re going to bring a golden age to Equestria. That’s our promise.

This is me.

Me and my love. We fly by the countryside. We’re carrying containers. We try to wrangle them. They’re aimless.

They listen to me. I can understand them. They do what I say. I’m their Princess.

One of them is approaching Twilight. He has blood on his muzzle. His eyes are dead, like mine. He thinks she smells tasty.

I tackle him to the floor. I scream. I cave his skull onto the dirt. He’ll do what I say.

Not her.

Never her.

They all will do what I say.

And they won’t hurt her.

Never her.

“T-they can understand you!” Twilight seems proud. She thinks we’re making progress. “Can you understand them?”

I understand them. They understand me.

They’re scared. They’re hungry.

“O-okay! Good! This will make this a lot easier.” She’s confident. She thinks this is working.

There were more of them every day. Our friends don’t want to help. They can’t help. They’re in danger. They’re stubborn.

We’re looking for a cure.

And the disease is me.

This is me.

The elite scoffs at me. They scoff at Twilight. They don’t want this to be classified as a health crisis. They want this to be seen as war. Twilight begs them to not order the guards to kill on sight.

They’re just hungry. They’re just scared. Like me.

She thinks we can save them. She thinks we can save me. Cure us. Bring us back.

Cadance is leaving for the Crystal Empire soon. She tells Twilight she might not come back.

Shining Armor glares at me through the entire conversation. He glares at me like I’m an enemy. Like I’m a monster. He glares at me like he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t like me near his sister. He begs Twilight to end it.

“Don’t even suggest it– How dare you!” She snarls back. She can’t let me go. “Are you kidding me, Shining!? She’s in complete control! Look, if she weren’t in control, wouldn’t she be biting me?!”

Not her.

Never her.

Ponyville is in danger. They’re stubborn. They don’t want to leave.

It’s too late. If they won’t leave, it’s too late.

I have to watch as our home is attacked.

Their own loved ones. Desperately trying to speak to them, but they won’t listen. They beg and plead, they’re just hungry– But they can’t understand us.

I see the mayor barricading her office with a few survivors. But the ones that come from me know how to fly, they know how to use magic. It’s only a matter of time.

I see places I’ve known deserted, destroyed. The spa, the boutique, the sugarcube corner, the market. Ponies are being attacked by their loved ones. Their loved ones are just hungry.

Me and Twilight try to stop them. But there’s too many. What can we do?

My love doesn’t want to kill. She never wanted to kill anyone.

I see Bon Bon allowing herself to be bit by Lyra.

I see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flying away. Rainbow is fighting them. She’s been bit. But she’s still flying. Still fighting.

I see Applejack having to put down her grandmother. Her brother begging her to leave, to let him turn, to not let Applebloom see him this way.

I see the cutie mark crusaders huddled atop Applejack’s back. She’s keeping them safe. She’s going to save Rarity.

I see Rarity getting a leg amputated. She’ll live. She’ll live. They’re going to run away. But I’m not welcome to help them. Twilight is not welcome either. They yell at us to go. Applejack punches me. Twilight shoves her back.

It’s time for us to leave.

I don’t see Pinkie Pie. I don’t know where she went. I hope she is okay. I hope she made it.

They’re running. I hope they make it.

I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

My love still believes Zecora can help. She still believes we can find a cure. That we can save them. That we can save me.

That things can go back to normal. That we can have our golden age.

“Zecora! Hello! Are you there?!” She’s impatient. She’s scared. She hasn’t slept well for a while. “We have a few emergencies in Ponyville, we could use your help!”

No one is answering. No one is answering.

I break down the door. I know what’s happening. Zecora is smart. She’s smart enough to know when to cut and run.

Her home is empty.

She left in a hurry.

There’s a note hanging on the wall. Twilight takes it, reads it extensively. It’s for her, after all.

She doesn’t let me read it.

She crumbles the letter, sighs, and turns to me. “...She’s just scared. I don’t blame her.” She’s smiling. She trusts me. She believes in me. “We can still fix this, my Sun. We can.”

But we can’t.

Can we?

I promised you a golden age…

And now everything is falling apart.

I know what to do to end it. You know, too. Zecora knew, too.

Canterlot remains safe. There’s more and more refugees every day. The castle’s lower floors are packed, the streets are full of tents. There’s music and there’s laughter and there’s food.

But there’s also fear and mourning. There’s uncertainty. Some say it’s the end of days. The sun isn’t shining brightly because of me.

Luna’s gaze is uninterested. She hasn’t slept in a while. She doesn’t even bother looking at me. She doesn’t look like she cares. She doesn’t look like she cares about anything. But everyone is looking at her. “...Twilight’s delusions are going to run out sooner or later. If any of you want to put an end to the infection, be my guest, the source is right there.”

They all turn to me.

I don’t flinch.

“L-Luna, as Princess, as the ruler, you have to–”

“I don’t have to do anything. I’m not the ruler of Equestria. My sister was, and she’s dead.” She snarls. She’s angry. She’s been crying. She can’t afford to care. “If you want to start killing your families because they’re trying to eat your flesh, feel free– I don’t have family to spare.”

“Princess Luna, we demand you–”

“YOU CAN’T DEMAND ANYTHING OF ME.” She’s screaming. She’s manic. She’s tired. “I DON’T OWE YOU ANYTHING. WE RULE OVER YOU BECAUSE OF THESE WINGS– BUT AT NO POINT DID YOU ASK US IF WE WANTED IT. MY SISTER WAS BENEVOLENT AND KIND, AND I COASTED OFF HER SUCCESS– I’M DOING THIS OUT OF OBLIGATION, AND IF YOU KEEP WHINING, MY STANCE WILL CHANGE.”

The entire room is quiet. Twilight comes closer to me. She’s keeping me warm.

“...Double the guards at the walls. Double the potency of the barrier.” The Princess of the Night is done. I can see it in her eyes. She’s tired. She’s grieving. “If you want any more administration, ask Princess Twilight, who is advocating for curing the loved ones that want to eat your flesh. I’ve got other duties. Goodbye.”

The entire room turns to us.

But she turns to me. “...It’s okay. She’s just scared. But we’re going to fix this.”

There’s only one way to fix this.

But she’ll never do it.

Maybe she should.

There’s no curing me.

This is me.

Raven Inkwell shoots careful glances at me. She saw me grow. She’s known me since I was a filly. Now I’m a monster. “...The situation is getting worse, Princess. The other races have closed their borders, but– There’s only so much they can do. It’s rumored they’ll declare war on us soon, but well, it’s hard to imagine that would be anything but a good thing for us…!”

“And our cities?” She is holding strong. She still believes.

“Vanhoover has been evacuated. Manehattan is burning, Cloudsdale fell yesterday, Ponyville is, well, what remains of Ponyville…”

“And Canterlot?” She’s steadfast. She doesn’t hesitate.

“The walls remain firm… As do the barriers. No infected have breached the city… There are those speculating that it’s only a matter of time, the hordes are getting closer, and they can wield magic and fly... But so far, none of them have infiltrated our defences.” She’s looking at me now. She’s looking at me and she’s scared. “...Well, except for one.”

“Thank you for your input, Raven. You’re dismissed. Go share the same report with Luna.”

“Princess– I have to inform you, most royals, they’re a bit concerned, and, well… Afraid. Of Sunset.”

“Sunset is not their concern.” She still believes in me. ”She’s helping me fix this.”

I didn’t know what else to do. I try talking to her, but she won’t listen.

She believes in me. And she shouldn’t.

This is me.

I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to.

Shining Armor shouldn’t have been here. He wasn’t meant to. He found me. Just me and him.

“You’ve got her fooled. You’ve got most of them scared.” I’m his enemy. His horn is lit up– He’s going to attack me. “You fooled her, you fooled them, but you didn’t fool me. I know you’re not Sunset. You’re just a monster.”

I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to fight.

“Twilight will understand. She’ll thank me. Equestria will thank me. The real Sunset would thank me.” He’s going to attack me. “But this started with you, and it has to end with you.”

I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to.

This isn’t what Twilight would want. So I couldn’t let it happen.

I just meant to beat him. I beat him.

I’m still me. He didn’t stand a chance against me.

I didn’t mean to bite him.

Cadance found him. Twilight found me. I was sorry, I was so, so sorry.

We didn’t see the Princess of Love again. She didn’t give us a goodbye. She took his body and left. We didn’t deserve a goodbye.

I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!” One of the survivors screamed at the castle. We could hear them. “SHE’S THE ONE THAT STARTED THIS– SHE’S KEEPING ONE OF THESE THINGS AS HER WIFE!”

The crowd is angry. But there’s nothing they can do.

She would sooner vaporize them, than to let them touch me.

“For the good of all Canterlot, Princess– You cannot keep that thing here.” One of the Chancellors tries commanding.

But she is not fazed. “My wife will stay by my side, thank you. If you want me to rule, you’ll understand that and fall in line. She’s not going anywhere.”

“Princess, please–”

“We are the inheritors of night and day, aren’t we?! Don’t even consider asking me to rule without her by my side!” She’s demanding. She puts her hoof down. They can’t fight her. “Stow your fear, my wife is not a threat to you!”

“...And what she did to your brother?”

Twilight throws him away with magic. She’s angry. She’s tired. She doesn’t have patience for those that are scared of me anymore.

Everyone is scared of me.

They wanted us to rule.

They wanted her to rule.

But soon enough there will be nothing left.

I should have ended this a long time ago. I should have ended myself.

But I couldn’t leave her.

And here I stood. Watching Canterlot fall. It was only a matter of time.

Buildings burned. Ponies screamed. The barrier was shattered, the gates were broken.

The castle was under siege. And I watched it from high above.

I promised her a golden age.

I broke that promise.

“...Cadance put Shining down after all.” My love is broken. I broke her. Her voice is different. She sounds different. I’m so, so sorry. “I told her she didn’t lose her husband when you bit him, I told her, but… She didn’t listen. And now she’s evacuating the Crystal Empire, who knows what glacier they’ll hide in…”

I’m so, so sorry.

I didn’t mean to I didn’t mean to I didn’t mean to I didn’t mean to–

“It’s okay, Sunset. It’s okay.” She’s smiling, somehow. She’s tired, but she’s smiling. She’s accepting me, even now. “He shouldn’t have attacked you. I don’t blame you… you were defending yourself.”

I didn’t want this to happen.

“The royal guard have begun killing the infected. The chancellors have decreed that I don’t have any governing power. They think they should have done this, long ago. That it was my fault for letting the infection get this bad… For trying to save them.”

I’m so sorry.

“No one knows where Luna went… I think she ran away... And I don’t blame her.” She’s looking at the moon. It’s ironic. “I have a theory of where she went… But honestly, it doesn’t matter.”

This only ends one way.

She’s looking at Canterlot burning. She’s looking right beside me. “I think Pinkie ran away with Zecora… But I doubt they’re still working on a cure. Applejack and Rarity fled with the cutie mark crusaders after all… My guess, the coast. A lot of ponies are fleeing that way. I saw Rainbow Dash… Well, what’s left of her, flying around the barrier earlier today. Maybe she kept Fluttershy safe until the end. I hope she did.”

This has to end.

She’s looking at me. She’s pleading for me to speak to her. “So… There is no cure. Only death. The only way to stop your infection is to kill all of them.”

She’s looking down. Canterlot is burning. They’re killing each other. This only ends one way.

“The chancellors, the royals… Every survivor, really…” She turns to me. She knows what she has to do. Finally, she knows. “...They want me to kill you.”

I love you.

Slowly, I extend my hoof.

As gently as I can, I grab her horn.

And with absolute certainty, I bring her horn to my forehead.

I close my eyes.

Ready to let go.

I love you.

My love is hesitating.

I love you.

My love is closing her eyes.

I love you.

My love is trying. Her horn is glowing.

I love you.

I loved you, I love you. You know what to do.

Please do it.

Please.

Please.

Please.

I love you.

Please.

“N-NO! No, I can’t, I can’t, Sunset!” She pulls away from me, she can barely breathe, her tears are choking her. “I can’t lose you again!”

This has to end. I point at my own head, I beg her to end it. I take her horn again, and beg for her to finish it.

And she doesn’t. She pulls away from me.

“I can’t– I can’t. What do you expect me to do?! Kill them all? Pick up the pieces with a ruined Equestria?! All our friends are gone or dead, a-and I’d have to rebuild this without you? I can’t. I can’t. It’s not worth it. Without you, it’s not worth it.”

Again, I come closer, I take her horn, I point it at my forehead.

But she refuses.

She won’t end me.

This is me.

“I can’t. Without you, what’s the point? Without you…!”

I beg her. I beg her to be okay, I beg her. I can’t cry. We lean our foreheads together. I try to tell her I love her, and that this needs to end.

But she doesn’t listen to me.

“I can’t do this without you. I’m sorry. I just can’t. I’m not running away anymore.”

Please. Please be okay.

Please be okay without me.

“Sunset…” My love cradles me. She begs me. “...I want you to bite me.”

I back away.

No, I can’t, I can’t, not her.

Never her.

Her eyes are tired. But she isn’t hesitating. She approaches the balcony, and points at the burning city. At our burning city.

“This is how the world is now. There’s no going back. All the infected… They’re still our subjects, in there. They’re all sapient. Just hungry. This is how the world is now.” She’s almost smiling. “But we’ll make it ours. It’s ours, Sunset. It’s time for a new age. I can’t pick up the pieces without you. It’s not worth it.” She nuzzles me. She embraces me. “But we’ll be together. Nothing else matters.”

She kisses me. She’s ready. I’m not.

“Together.” She whispers to me. “Together.”

I love you. I loved you. I love you.

And I’d do anything for you. I love you, and I promised you a golden age. I promised you I’d always be with you. I promised I would do anything for you.

This is our home. It’s always been our home. We promised them a golden age. One of prosperity and love. But all I can give them is flesh and blood. I shouldn’t be here. This is wrong.

I love you. And I want to make you happy. I would live to see you happy.

I love Equestria. And I want it to thrive. I would die to see it thrive.

I love Equestria.

But I love you more.

“Until death do us apart… hah…!” You taste good, my love. You taste so, so good. But I won’t sully you. Just a taste.

Our blood is mixing. She’ll become like me soon. I’ll watch over her. I’ll keep her safe, walk her through it, teach her to be like me.

I stay with her. I stay with her as she passes. I stay with her as she turns. I embrace her, and I love her. “...What a joke. Nothing will ever tear us apart.”

We are inheritors of night and day.

Our eternal blood moon.

And our eternal setting sun.

This is our Equestria. We promised them a golden age.

But we delivered something else.

Sever the nerve. Rend the flesh. Snap the bone.

Together, eternal. Nothing can stop us now. Nothing can stop our new age.

The age of the undead.

Author's Note

In soviet russia... Yuri dooms you 🫵

This is the first time I ever even participated in a contest tbh. It's a happy accident. I already had this zombie story primed and ready because of my multiverse fic-- So it was a simple case of retooling it! it was always meant to be a standalone story, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go fully in depth about everyone in Equestria surviving and enduring, or if I wanted to just do a short thing focussed only on these two, and their love, and it's fallout.

If you've read my multiverse fic you know the choice I picked, this is only another Sunset Shimmer in a sea of many, she just happens to be one of the strongest. I had a wonderful time developing her further on that fic, so taking what I wrote of her backstory and adapting it into a one-shot was easy and effortless, heh.

She's better known as the 'Undead Valkyrie' in that fic, heh.

The best zombie stories are about people, not the zombies. I was always fascinated by good zombie stories, and bored stiff by the bad ones. Although a lot of talented artists have went on the 'infection au' trend, I can't help but be bored by a lot of it, since it tends to be just an excuse to be gory with cute characters people love. 'Tis what it is.

I thought of certain different takes one zombies, including 'what if they were absolutely still conscious in there?', and 'what if the entire infection was caused by love'? And especially, too, 'what if the zombies had every capability their living selves had?' You BET zombie Rainbow Dash could do Rainbooms. Zombie unicorns can still cast magic, the Undead Valkyrie can still raise the sun, even.

So what is the turnout? A cycle of grief that is a downwards spiral where they take their whole world with them. It's not fair on anyone anywhere, the love was there, it meant something, but wasn't enough to save them.

Ruling for a thousand years without the one you love and even your mentor sounds like a fate worse than death! And as it turns out, death is the better choice for Twilight.

Also how ironic is it that Luna was once banished to the moon and now it's where she's safest, hah.

This is a pretty twisted take on a 'happy ending', because Twilight and Sunset are quite happy. But they're dragging their world down with them, heh. It's above and beyond doomed yuri. Toxic sludge yuri.

There's certainly a few comments to be made about how Twilight was in denial the whole time and only made things worse, and how her wife is basically an incredibly dangerous disgusting dog she insists 'won't bite' lmao.

I'll leave the resolutions to you. Was it 'girlbossing' when Twilight Sparkle caused all of Equestria to fall under a zombie infection just because she refused to let her wife go?

Anyways if you're curious about what happens to the Undead Valkyrie next, consider reading my multiverse fic, lmao. My only regret here is that since Sunset is a zombie we are unable to have her charm.

It is worth stating that you cant grow flesh like fruit. This world might be doomed to cannibalize itself no matter what, but they'll chew through the other races of Equestria long before that begins. It's got it's own time limit, but it is absolutely a new age.

I took my time uploading this to the contest thingy bc there was apparently a special phrase I needed to input, being 'pet the koi' to make my fic valid? Yeah I don't think the zombie is going to say that or think that, so it's going in the authors notes. Idc if this makes me illegible for the contest, I'm just writing for fun anyways

Special thanks to Mockingbirb and RedHoodie21 for proofreading!

Anyways here's funny arts regarding this subject that I wrote even before I wrote this fic lol