The Last Stand

Special thanks to VashTheStampede for proof readin' this.

Danse Macabre, The Dance of Death

"Pinkie, are you o-okay?" Applejack asked cautiously.

"Oh I'm more than okay, Applejack, it is a party after all! HAHA! Help yourself to some cake and punch."

"No thanks, I'm looking for something that'll last a lot longer." Applejack chose her words carefully, trying not to provoke the party pony.

"Longer? What're you talking about, Ay-jay? You make it sound like this party is going to end, you silly filly!" Pinkie giggled, "knock knock?"

"Pinkie, this 'aint the time for jokes! This is not the right time be partyin' either. You gotta be alert and on you're hooves for those things'll try and try to kill you. Ah don't hear any laughin' and ah sure as hell don' see nopony smilin' either." Applejack said, trying to be direct.

"Everypony liked my jokes... I used to be a walking punchline. I made everypony laugh and smile... but not anymore," Pinkie frowned, "when they came... EVERYONE DIED! Heahahahahaha! So that's why I decided to give all the nice ponies here a fun time! HAHAHAHA!" Pinkie began dancing in the center of the room. Applejack took a few steps to examine the ponies scattered throughout the room. She rolled one of the ponies over and to her horror, he was dead, they were all dead. However, despite the many slashes, cuts, and stabs none of them appeared to have been infected. Their facial expressions showed that their death was agonizing.

"Pinkie... did... did you? Oh Celestia..." Applejack wanted to throw up.

"Of course I did, silly. With the zombies here, everypony was too busy screaming and yelling to have fun. I fixed that up real quickly. I calmed them down and now everypony is having a fun time, isn't that right everypony?" Pinkie's eyes began to drift off in separate directions.

"I don't know you! Y-y-you're not Pinkie ah know!" Applejack couldn't believe what was happening, first Rarity, now Pinkie Pie. Applejack was tough as nails, but this was simply too much.

"What are you talking about? Everypony knows Pinkie Pie!

"Everypony used to know you! Ah can imagin' that you've been through a lot, but think about what you're doin'! This party needs to end now!"

"You want me to end the party? Bu-bu-but it's only just begun, hehe," Pinkie's hair deflated and her coat darkened.

"Pinkie Pie! Friends help each other out, remember? Right now, ahm tryin' to help you out!"

"No..." Tears began to well in Pinkie's eyes, "NO NO NO NO NO NO!" She screamed. She began frantically searching the room until her eyes met a bloodied kitchen knife and a wicked grin began to appear on her face.

"P-Pinkie, woaah there nelly. Let's just take it easy, nopony likes getting hurt, just put the knife down, sugarcube."

"I know what you mean, hehe, I don't like getting hurt either," Pinkie began to slowly walk towards Applejack, "that's why I'm going to stop you from ruining all of my fun!" Pinkie Pie rushed at Applejack.

"Oh shi-" Applejack was knocked to the floor before she could finish her sentence, let alone react to the flash of pink that just struck her. Now the pink party pony was on top of Applejack with a knife, the blood was glistening in the light, pointed at her throat. As Applejack pushed the knife away, Pinkie began pushing it closer.

"Hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Party poopers aren't allowed! Now that I think about it, I don't recall sending you an invitation, oh well."

"Ah've got it right here!" Applebloom shouted as she smashed Applejack's assaulter over the head with a punch bowl. She slumped to the side, unconscious.

"Applebloom! Thank Celestia! Ah thought ah was a goner." Applejack tried to catch her breath, "C'mon, lets get what we came for and go."

"What about, Pinkie Pie? We can't just leave her here." Sweetie Belle reminded Applejack the state her friend was now in.

"Alright here's what we're gunna do, ah want you to take mah saddle bag an' gather up everything you can and bring it back here. Ah'll wait 'til Pinkie wakes up, hey, maybe that bowl knocked some sense inta her." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle nodded and walked off into the kitchen to find whatever food they could. Applejack pulled up a chair that didn't have a body in it, and sat down, keeping an eye on Pinkie Pie. The fillies returned about fifteen minutes later with Applejack's saddle bag. It was stuffed with three cans of food and two bottles of water.

"Sorry, Applejack, this is all we could find." Sweetie Belle apologized

"It's alright, ya did good. Hey, it's better than nuthin', right?" Applejack patted her head.

"W-what happened?"

"Hey, Pinkie's awake, sis!"

"Ah see that. Pinkie, you there?"

"A-Applejack? W-what are you doing here?" Pinkie sat up quickly and immediately wrapped her hooves around her head, "OW OW OW OW! My head hurts a lot!"

"Oh yea, uh, sorry 'bout that, y'see--" Applebloom was silenced by a hoof that was shoved in her mouth.

"Applebloom! Sweetie Belle! You're here, too!" Pinkie's hair inflated and the smell of rotting flesh was overpowered by the smell of cotton candy.

"Maybe you should let me explain this." Applejack took a deep breath and explained everything that they had experienced up until that moment.

"Oh... I see..." Pinkie stared at the ground in disbelief.

"Ahm sorry, Pinkie, it must've been so hard for you."

"No, Applejack, I'm the one who should be sorry. I tried to... to hurt you."

"Pinkie Pie..."

"No, Applejack, I'm the one in the wrong." Pinkie began to sob, "It's just that... when those things came, they started to eat everypony... I guess my little pinkie mind couldn't take it..." Applejack walked up to Pinkie Pie and hugged her tight. The pink pony let her tears out while in her best friend's embrace for ten minutes before calming down.

"Pinkie, why don't you come with us? We've got ourselves holed up in the cider cellar back at Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack asked.

Pinkie Pie shook her head, "No."

"No? Well why the hell not?" Applejack asked.

"Because we're all going to die eventually, and right now, I'd like to party alone."

"C'mon, Pinkie Pie, did Applebloom hit you on the head too hard?"

"No, please," Pinkie Pie shot a sad smile at Applejack, "I don't want any of us to go through any pain if something should happen. Like Granny Pie always said, 'out of sight, but not out of mind.' You're my friend, I'll never forget you, but it'd be better for the both of us if we give each other the benefit of the doubt that we're both okay."

"Alright," Applejack sighed, "ah'll respect your wish, on one condition. Promise me you'll stay safe."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie Pie pinkie promised. They gave each other one last hug before parting.

"Goodbye, Pinkie Pie, see ya around?"

"Yea, I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. Now, if you'll excuse me... COME ON EVERYPONY! LET'S DANCE!" Pinkie Pie put the needle down on the record player and began dancing to upbeat party music. Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom left Sugarcube corner and headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. The music got softer and softer, until there was nothing but silence, the kind only death can make.