The Last Stand

The Last Crusader

The three ponies were on the road once again, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle told Applejack more stories about their crusading adventures and about their cutie marks. It was almost as if the world wasn't ending. Everypony was having a fun time talking. Apple Bloom constantly reminded Applejack that she wanted to go to the clubhouse. They all new the risks, but they knew that without closure, your mind can break. Pinkie Pie had made that point clear to them.

"Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked

"What is it sugarcube?"

"How do ya think Babs is holdin' up?"

Applejack had heard that it was pretty bad in Manehatten, because it was a big city, there are more ponies to get infected. Based on what she's heard, it could have gone either way. Once again, doubt crept into Applejack's mind.

"Manehattenites are tough, they don't take no trouble from nopony. Ahm sure that Babs Seed is doin' jus fine. Last ah've heard, there have been more crusaders in Manehatten. Babs isn't alone in this that's fer sure. She's awfully lucky to have met you girls." Applejack wanted to believe this, but no matter how tough you are, one scratch is all it takes.

"Yea," Apple Bloom moved closer to Applejack, "and ahm glad ah've got you as a big sister."

"C'mon now, lets get a move on. The clubhouse isn't too far away. Ah say we've got about five hours before it gets dark. You know as well as ah do that ya don't wanna be out in the open without light."

"I wonder where Scootaloo is. I hope she's alright."

"Me too, Apple Bloom, me too..." Applejack hoped that they wouldn't find Scootaloo at the clubhouse. She felt terrible for thinking such thoughts, but she had always had a gut feeling that Scootaloo wouldn't make it.

The sun had begun to set and the sky became burning orange, almost as if the world was burning. Nopony felt like talking anymore. They were all cold, hungry, scared, and heartbroken. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had seen so much death in the past few days that if they were to survive this, they'd never be the same.

"Sweetie Belle, how ya holdin' up?" Applejack asked.

"I'm doing okay." Sweetie Belle's expression was blank. She was too tired to show emotions. She was still shaken up from what happened at the boutique.

"C'mon, lets keep goin'."

The apple trees were all bare. Because of the apocalypse, nopony bothered to look after them. It was the least of their concerns at the moment, but looking back on it now, it would have provided them with a never ending food source.

"Applejack? What do think all these things are? Like, where do they come from?"

"Ah've heard a few different possibilities shortly after this all began. Ah've heard that when there's no more room in Tartarus, the damned have no place to go but back to their bodies. Ah've also heard that Celestia is displeased with us and we're being punished for it. Now, ah don't believe that the second one is true, but either way, we brought this upon ourselves one way or another."

The three walked through the rows of apple trees in the direction of the cutie mark crusaders clubhouse. Applejack could hear her heart beat louder and louder, like drums were playing in her ears. She was afraid of what they'd find in there, but didn't have the courage to deny the children of closure.

"It's the clubhouse!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle?"

"Yea, Apple Bloom?"

"Last one to the clubhouse is a rotten apple!" Apple Bloom darted off towards the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was caught by surprise was it took a second for her to realize that they were racing. Applejack didn't think it would be right to stop them from having just a little bit of fun. When the three were close to the clubhouse, they were surprised to see that it looked relatively untouched. The paint was a little faded, but not chipped off, and no shingles had fallen off the roof. The only thing that was out of place was that the door was missing. This caused Applejack's heart to sink into her stomach.

"Wow, would ya look at that." Applejack said, tipping her hat back, "Alright, now why don't you let me go first? To see if it's safe, okay?" The two fillies nodded.

"Okay, we'll just wait right here." Sweetie Belle said.

Applejack walked up the ramp to find out the door was smashed in. She looked up from the broken door to see the body of a pony in the center of the room. The body was completely torn up and entrails were scattered around in a pool of blood. The face was ripped away and he only recognizable feature that she could see were scattered cyan feathers.

"No... no... please don't be..." Applejack approached the pony, tears streaming down her face. She begged that her suspicions were wrong. Upon closer inspection, she saw the many brightly colored hairs. The confirmation made her throw up what little she had in her stomach.

"Applejack? Who... who is that?" Applejack turned around to see the two fillies standing right behind her.

"Ah... ah dunno... j-just turn around now. Lemme cover this up. Ah don' want you to see this." Applejack tore a curtain off of one of the windows and placed it over the body of her friend. "Girls, ah think this is a bad idea, we should leave now."

"No! Not until ah get what ah need!" Apple Bloom said defiantly.

"Alright, just don't take too long. Now do you have any idea where this thing is? The sooner we find it, the sooner we can leave." Applejack couldn't stop thinking about the pony that was under the cloth. She fought her emotions. She had to be strong, if she cracked, even the slightest, she would scare the girls.

"It's in the attic ah think. Lemme check it out." Apple Bloom began climbing up the steps to the attic, where they kept the telescope. It wasn't long before Apple Bloom screamed and fell off the ladder, causing Applejack to lose her train of thought.

"Apple Bloom! Are you alright? What happened?" Apple Bloom was unable to respond as she immediately burst into tears.

"What in tarnation..." Applejack looked at the opening in the ceiling, "Sweetie Belle!"

"Y-yes?" The white filly responded.

"Watch Apple Bloom. Ahm gunna take a look at what's up there."

"O-o-okay." Sweetie Belle grabbed Apple Bloom and wrapped her arms around her as she continued to wail uncontrollably into Sweetie Belle.

Curious as to what frightened her, Applejack slowly made her way up the ladder. What she saw sent her fears back into full swing as she could only stare at the sight.

"God help us all..."