Applejack followed the creature down the curved flight of stairs in the brightly light area. She admired the size of the place and was reminded of the Canterlot Castle, but less formal in appearance. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted with the sight of a creature, a female, scurrying around the area like she was looking for something. There were several others over by some plants in the back of the area. Applejack found the first creature she encountered walking away from her and taking the object hanging from his neck in grip. Applejack let out a breath through her nose in a huff before taking off to explore for herself. She past several stores which reminded her of the ones in Ponyville to some extent, but the thought of that reminded her of home. She began to think of her actual chances finding something to get her home…

Well. Best hope Twilight can come up with something, She thought to herself as she kept walking past the various stores.

“Oofff!”

Applejack felt her face collide into something metal causing her to fall back a bit onto her rump. She shook her head bringing her back to reality and cursed herself for her lack of attention to where she was going. She looked to see she had run into a metal gate blocking off the further back parts of the area. She heard the sounds of 'somepony' gasping as she turned to see two creatures, one of them with bandages on her forehead, backing away slowly. Applejack let out a sigh before turning around and walking back towards the stairs. She stopped for a moment and turned back towards the gate to see the first creature conversing with an elderly looking one. She figured she should rejoin the first one, but heard the sound of commotion coming from behind her.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT!” Shouted a panicking creature who appeared to be moving furniture in order to get through the glass doors but found himself interrupted by several others, whom he shoved away in hast, “We’re going to die either way!”

It all played out in a matter of seconds. The large mass of creatures from outside was slowly moving inside and…devouring on the skin of those nearby. Applejack watched in horror as the aimless creatures tore internal organs right out of the other creatures as if they were a batch of cupcakes. Her mind raced back to the day in Ponyville when Spike was mentioning some creature that Twilight had assured was just a myth…a creature that devoured flesh and was of…the dead….

Sweet Celestia….this all can’t be…..

“ZOMBIES!” She heard a creature exclaim finishing her thought.

“RUN! GET TO THE STAIRS!” Another shouted.

Before Applejack knew it, she saw the first creature running over to her with a look that equaled hers at the scene before them.

“Come on!” He shouted at her before they both made their way up the stairs.

“Wait! We need to help them!” Applejack exclaimed as she stopped and looked back to the innocent creatures being attacked by the ever so slow and massing…zombies…

“There’s nothing we can do,” The creature insisted while motioning to the zombies below.

Applejack took notice to the creatures cowering in fear as the mass of zombies converged on them. She turned to the stairs for a bit of hope of getting past to save the innocent creatures but the stairs were starting to be over massed with zombie, however Applejack wasn’t budging.

“Fine, if you want to die,” The creature said angrily while moving towards the door, “Don’t blame me!”

Applejack turned towards the stairs hearing the creature shut the door leaving her in the zombie infested area. One zombie had made its way successfully up the stairs and was slowly lumbering over to Applejack. She didn’t waste any time in buck-kicking the thing right back down the stairs. The force from the kick caused the zombie to collide with the others coming up the stairs knocking them down, but to Applejack’s horror they were getting right back up. She took off running towards the back of the area on the upper ledge as she looked back at the carnage of below. Organs being ripped right out...and blood spewing everywhere…Applejack felt the urge to throw up manifest, but managed to hold back as she ran into unexplored territory.

Frank burst into the monitor room while letting out a sigh in temporary relief. His mind was racing as morals collided with the need of survival. His thoughts rushed from the people left out in the slaughter and...the pony. He turned back to the door only to assure himself she hadn't followed, much to the dismay of his mind. As he worked his thoughts, his freelance photographer side kicked in, telling him he needed to figure the ultimate question of how the dead were now walking around in this town while another…

“Well at least someone made it out alive,” A rather raspy voice said.

Frank turned to see a man, who looked like he was in his mid-60’s, sitting on a space of green cushions near a corner of the room. He was dressed in a blue long sleeved jacket with a furred collar, a pair of kaki jeans, and brown boots. His white and graying hair was only existent on the sides of his head, which was connected to a full grown beard by his equally gray sideburns.

“Glad to see someone alive after what’s come over this town,” The elderly man explained while getting to his feet and extending a hand, “Name’s Otis. Otis Washington.”

“Frank... Frank West,” Frank replied in suit with extending his own hand and shaking Otis’s.

“What brings you to Willamette, Frank?” Ottis asked while walking over to the monitors.

“I’m a photojournalist,” Frank explained as his mind kept reminding him of his goal and the…, “I got a tip something was going on…but nothing like this.”

“Well, it’s a pickle for sure,” Otis commented while eyeing the screens, which were showing feeds from all over the mall, “Damn things are spreading like wild fire. Hopefully anyone left out there managed to barricade themselves.”

“Those…things couldn't have covered the whole mall by now,” Frank said as his morals picked at the back of his senses.

“Check again, Frank,” Otis said while pointing to a single monitor.

The screen showed a wide view of the park area in the center of the mall, which Frank had gotten a quick look at during his helicopter ride. He was greeted with the sight of….a mass amount of zombies lumbering around the park…

“And that’s just the park,” Otis explained while pointing to another screen, “The roadways under the entire mail are flooding with these things.”

“…How well do you know the vent system of this place?” Frank asked as he torn his eyes away from the screens and looked through the window in front of them.

Frank proceeded into the room with part of the vent system and began to investigate it.

“Whole thing runs the course of the mall,” Otis stated as Frank searched around, “Except a few paths are inaccessible by fans….you aren’t thinkin’ of going out there are you?”

“Well, I came here to find out what’s going on,” Frank answered as he noticed a door panel on the side of the vent, “Maybe there’s someone out there who can tell me something.”

Frank grabbed the handle and pried the door open, which gave with a screech of grinding metal. Frank could hear the rotating fans echo through the vents like distant voices in a long barren cave.

“How far is the nearest panel of the vents from here?” Frank asked turning his attention back to Otis.

“Best I show you,” Otis replied with a sigh as he walked over before turning to the door leading in from the corridor, “But first, let me lock this door. Fate may have one of those things wander right up here.”

Otis produced a sliver key and jammed it into the lock of the push door. He turned it clockwise before hearing the sound of a dead bolt moving.

“Are you sure you wanna come along,” Frank asked remember what Otis had said about finding a way out.

“Heh. Beats sitting around here all alone,” Otis replied, while walking back to the door to the monitor room.

He opened the door a bit and reached in before pulling his hand back out, with a flashlight.

“I’ll take point. There’s a panel to one part of the roof that can get us close to the Paradise Plaza,” Otis continued as he started to climb into the vents, “In case we need to get back here, we’ll use this route.”

Frank hoisted himself through the small metal entrance and followed Otis into the dimly lit vents just above the mall.

Applejack charged forward while weaving between zombies. She was in another section of the massive building that was outside, but with tall walls and various shops lining it like an alleyway. It was packed with zombies just wandering aimlessly, but turning to pursue her as she passed them. It had been her only real choice of a route to take as she had come to two ways to exit the previous area on the lower level, but unfortunately one of them was closed off by metal gate. She kept her pace up with only the sound of her breathing and moaning zombies in her ears. She came to a set of glass doors in her path after passing a pair of benches. Through the glass she could see another large area on the inside and could smell the faint aroma….of food…not sure what kind, but food none the less. She quickly went up on her hind legs and used one of her front legs to wrap around the handle. She had just gotten it open…

“Damint, Aaron! Get back!!”

Applejack wiped her head back to the sight of a pack of zombies slowly advancing on her. Through the crowd, she saw what looked like a makeshift barricade of furniture, but it appeared to have been broken through. She let go of the door and gave a solid buck kick to a zombie that got too close. It fell backwards slamming into a few other zombies opening Applejack a path. She took it without hesitation.

“Hold on there!” She shouted while sprinting towards the barricade

She recalled that the first creature she met said it wasn’t a good idea for others to see her, but the thought was pushed out as she heard more commotion of distress. She quickened her pace before hoping over some fallen furniture and entering a room with gray walls, a few shelves on the side and a pack of zombies in the middle. Applejack leapt into action and she rushed a zombie, who had its back turned, and gave it a solid buck kick. The zombie went forward taking several of his undead friends down.

“Yeah! Keep it up over there!” A voiced shouted over the commotion.

Applejack proceeded in her bucking frenzy without the needed encouragement. She concentrated on the ones still standing while taking the occasion to buck one that was getting up. It was a matter of minutes before the pack was cleared and a temporary peace had settled in the room. Applejack then took noticed to a creature cowering in a corner while another was…beating a zombie’s head in with a stick.

“And stay dead!” The creature shouted before stopping to catch his breath, “Thanks for the…”

Applejack saw the creature turn to her before freezing in place. There was an awkward pause for a moment before the creature rubbed his eyes.

“Aaron…Aaron!” The creature shouted to the other, “You seeing this?”

Applejack saw the other creature, apparently known as Aaron, retreat from his cowering and look at her.

“Yeah….” Aaron replied hesitantly, “What’s a pony doing here?”

“For whatever reason,” The creature with the stick replied, “Saved our sorry asses.”

“No problem partner,” Applejack replied while titling her hat, “Name’s App---“

“Burt….did…it….” Aaron stuttered out with a look of surprise on its face,.

“Zombies….now a fuckin’ talking pony?” The creature with the stick, Burt, asked out loud, "Is this day just gonna get more crazy?"

“Yur welcome then,” Applejack said with a frown.

Applejack turned to face the doorway leading in to see more zombies piling in. Aaron let out a scream at the sight as Burt ready his stick.

“Damn barricade,” Burt mumbled to himself.

“Well if you two are done yappin’ and cryin’, we’ve gotta get movin’” Applejack stated.

“Beats staying here,”

Applejack took that as a ‘yes’ and charged right at the closest zombie with her head lowered. She felt the top of her head make contact as she thrust it up in turn tossing the zombie forward. She kept herself moving forward as the zombie collided with the others causing some of them to fall down. She turned suddenly and went on her front hooves before delivering another buck kick causing more of the zombies to fall to the ground.

“Just get past them!” Applejack shouted back to Burt and Aaron as she went back into her run, “and stay close fellas!”

She leaped over the pile of fallen zombies as Burt and Aaron followed in suit. She turned sharply and set her sights back on the door from earlier. She weaved herself the oncoming zombies before getting up on her hind legs as she neared the door. She pulled the door open before using herself to keep it open as the Burt and Aaron rushed through. Once they were safely in Applejack got herself inside letting the door shut behind her. She got a good view of the new area as well a good smell of the aroma. Just ahead on the left was a wooden structure with several barrels here and there. The structure itself had two noticeable floors and banners hanging from it. Applejack couldn’t help but be reminded of Appaloosa back in Equestria. On the right were two sections blocked off by short walls and the only way to get in were a short flight of stairs. Surrounding those walls were small sections with several small plants.

“The food court…out of all the places these things not to be in,” Burt commented while letting out a sigh, “Either way, thanks for the help back there. Name’s Burt. That’s Aaron.”

“Name’s Applejack, yur welcome again,” Applejack replied as she relaxed now being out of immediate danger, “So how did you and your friend end up there?”

“Well, Aaron and I came to the mall to hang out,” Burt explained before taking a seat on the edge of the plant patch, “Got here early like always, but we noticed something on the way in. Town seemed barren…now I can see why.”

“At least it’s safe and quiet in here,” Aaron commented as he let out a sigh.

Applejack gave the area another look taking what Aaron had said into account. Her attention focused on the upper level to the wooden structure as she saw…. a figure pass one of the various windows to it.

“Yeah…too quiet...” Applejack replied as she saw the figure stop at one of the windows.

Then there came a distinct metal click that caught the attention of all three of them, but to a more severe degree with Burt.

“LOOK OUT!”

Applejack heard a pattern of noise ring out as Burt and Aaron dove towards one of the stairs of the two sections. Applejack knew in an instance it wasn’t in her best interest to stay where she was as she quickly made her way over there as well. She heard several objects strike the walls as she felt her heart race and the adrenaline rush through her.

“Fuckin’ psycho!” She watched Burt shout towards the attacker, “We’re alive!”

Applejack poked her head around from the cover slightly to get a good look and saw…the creature from the roof wielding some metallic object.

Author's Note

(Sorry about that. I got confused about when I had made the apology [after going through chapters to edit] but despite that I still am sorry about the commotion.)
I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please leave your feedback in the comments below and have a great day everyone.