It Only Takes A Bite

"It goes to show, people will up and go mad when they believe their life is over."

-Unnamed Police Officer from The Walking Dead Game

  Applejack and Caramel walked up to the large red barn that Applejack knew as her home. The two already had a plan for how to get to Canterlot. However, it was clearly going to take a good amount of time before they would get there.

  "So, that's the plan?" Applejack asked again.

  "Yeah. Even if it doesn't work, we can just live in the wilderness if we have to, but I prefer trying to be in a safe city."

  Caramel went up to the front door and opened it up, inside everyone was awake. The two went inside the home, lit by the light from the sun.

  "Finally, you two are back!" Lyra exclaimed.

  "Did you find any food?" Scootaloo asked, sitting at a table drawing on a piece of paper.

  "Yep. Our saddlebags are full of food we can chow down on." Applejack happily responded.

  "And we have a plan." Caramel told them. "We're going to Canterlot."

  "They blocked off the entrance." Bon Bon stated, laying on the couch.

  "I know. But they didn't block off the northern side of Canterlot, or at least I heard."

  Caramel motioned everyone to come over to him as he went over to a coffee table that was in front of the couch. He pulled out a map from his saddlebag. Dry blood stains were splattered onto the sheet, and they looked days old.

  "See those fields?" Caramel asked, pointing a hoof above the town of Ponyville at some hills. "That is where we will be headed. It's rural, which means less undead. We then head northeast, and if I'm correct, there's a small town over there where hopefully we can get some supplies for our group. Then we hike up the mountain after heading southeast, and hopefully we will reach Canterlot by that point."

  Caramel put the map back in his saddlebag. Lyra, Bon Bon, and Scootaloo looked at eachother with mixed expressions of apprehension, fear, and doubt.

  "It's the only way we will get to Canterlot. It's probably the last safe place within a good distance." Caramel stated. "We leave now."

  "Wait..." Applejack raised up her hoof. "Can Ah go get something first?"

  "Sure. We'll be outside waiting for you." Caramel smiled. "Don't take too long."

  Applejack nodded and quickly headed over to the stairs. She quickly ascended the steps and reached the hallway that was on the second floor. She slowly went down the hallway, and reached her bedroom. She opened the door, and went inside. The darkness was lit by the sun shining through the window. Nothing could be heard except for the gentle wind blowing against the walls outside the barn. The cowpony slowly walked up to her dresser. On top of it was a photo of the apple family, taken during the Apple Family Reunion several months ago. She took the framed picture and put it up against her chest.

  "Please be safe." She silently whispered before putting the photo in her saddlebag. She quickly left the room and descended the stairs. As she expected, the living room was now empty. She sighed, knowing she would most likely not be seeing this house again for a long time. She went up to the front door and opened it and found the group waiting outside. Caramel had a wagon with food, water, and other basic things needed to survive in the wilderness in it.

  "About time." Bon Bon grunted.

  "You can put your saddlebag in the wagon, AJ." Caramel told Applejack. She nodded and took off her saddlebag, and gently set it in the wood wagon. "We all ready?"

  Everyone nodded.

  "Alright. Let's move out."

  The group started down the dirt path leading outside Sweet Apple Acres. As they exited the large, expansive orchard, Applejack looked back towards the bright red barn she grew up in ever since she was born. She didn't want to leave, yet she knew that it was the only way she would be rescued. Silence reigned except for the conversation the others were having and the sound of the wheels creaking as they rolled against the light dirt. The cowpony sighed and trotted up back to the group.

  The sun hung high in the sky, which meant it was midday. In several hours, it would be nighttime, which meant being vulnerable to the dangers the dark concealed. However, the warmth of the sun that burnt into their backs made them know that at the moment, they were safe.

  "Say, Scootaloo?" Applejack asked, walking next to the young foal.

  "Yeah?" Scootaloo replied, looking up at Applejack.

  "How'd ya meet up with them?" Applejack asked, motioning towards the rest of the group, walking alongside them.

  "About a week after those monsters came, I hid in my bedroom at my house." Scootaloo started. "I saw them coming down the street from the window eating everypony. I just didn't know what to do, so I just hided under my bed. I can still remember the screams of my mom and dad."

  Applejack saw tears well up in Scootaloo's eyes. She stared aimlessly at the ground as they continued to walk.

  "I stayed there for two days. Lyra came in and found me hiding under the bed. She took me with their group, which was using my house as a shelter. There were five ponies with us, not including me. However, one night, somepony set the house on fire in the middle of the night. We all got out, but there was a huge group of those monsters. One of the group members, a nurse, ran off the other direction."

  Applejack thought back to the undead nurse she encountered while heading to Fluttershy's house. The thought of Caramel possibly killing a previous group member with no remorse chilled her spine.

  "Ah'm so sorry you had to go through all of this." Applejack put one of her hooves on Scootaloo's back as they continued to walk down the dirt trail, which was now going up a hill. Applejack looked back and saw the distant town of Ponyville getting farther and farther away as they continued to walk.

  "Hey!" A voice called up from the air. Everyone shot their heads up towards the bright blue sky and saw about eight pegasus ponies flying above them. They all landed on the ground, surrounding them. "Where do you think ya'll are going?" The largest one of the group asked, lowering his head and staring at them with a grin that made everyone feel threatened.

  "We're just getting away from town." Bon Bon told them. "Just let us be on our way. I don't want to waste any time."

  "With that wagon full of supplies?" Another pegasus asked, a mare that had a coat that reminded Applejack of snow. "Horseapples we're going to let you keep all of that."

  "Get on the ground." The lead stallion commanded. "Anyone get's up, and they're dead."

  "Just what in tarnation do ya think ya'll are doing!?" Applejack loudly yelled at the grey-coated stallion. In response, he chuckled, shaking his head.

  "We're taking your stuff you dumb mare." He said before shoving her to the ground. Everyone else immediately dropped to the dirt, scared. The lead stallion went up to the wagon and looked inside.

  "Well, let's see what we have in here, shall we?" He laughed in an evil tone. He dug into the wagon and pulled out Applejack's saddlebag. He opened it up and pulled out the photo of her family. "Cute." He scoffed, throwing the frame over his shoulder. Applejack cringed as she heard the glass that covered the photo shatter. "Tons of food in here. You four bring this stuff back up to Cloudsdale."

  Four of the pegasi trotted over, grabbing as much bags and containers as they could and took off, disappearing into the sky. The wagon was now empty, save for a few sleeping bags. The leader stallion chuckled as he walked around the group.

  "Let us go..." Scootaloo nervously asked.

  "What's the filly going to do about it?" The stallion laughed.

  "Leave her alone!" Lyra angrily said. Without warning, the lead stallion rose up onto his back legs, and stomped on her back leg. A sickening crack could be heard and she immediately started loudly howling in pain, grabbing onto her broken leg as she screamed in agony. The sound of her cries made Applejack want to cover her ears.

  "LYRA!" Bon Bon screamed, turning towards her. "NO!"

  "I guess we're done with you mules for today..." The stallion said as Lyra sobbed, clutching onto her back leg that was slightly indented. The pain for her felt as bad as having a nail covered in salt being driven into her flesh. "Come on, let's head back. We're going to get a ton of money off of that stuff!"

  The rest of the pegasi flew off to the sky, leaving a scared group, an injured unicorn, and a wagon that was nearly empty.

  "WHY!?" Lyra screamed, writhing in agony. "DEAR CELESTIA WHY!?"

  "Lyra! It's okay! They're gone!" Bon Bon quickly got up and ran over to her friend.

  "IT'S NOT OKAY!" She screamed. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA! MY LEG!"

  Applejack stood and watched, paralyzed by what she saw. Caramel ran over to the wagon, and pulled out a first aid kit that the pegasi didn't bother taking. He threw the small case open and pulled out a splint. He put it on Lyra's leg as she screamed, her eyes bloodshot from how much she cried. Caramel then pulled out a bandage, and started to wrap the leg up with it.

  "Take this, it'll help with the pain!" Caramel told the unicorn, pulling out a bottle filled with pills. He took out a single one and gave it to the unicorn, who swallowed it upon having it put in her mouth. She was barely crying now, her face stained with tears. "Applejack, help me lift her up into the wagon."

  Applejack nodded and ran over, helping lift the injured unicorn up with the help of Caramel into the wooden wagon. They gently set her down inside, where she laid.

  "Why the hay did they take our stuff!?" Bon Bon angrily yelled. "They never did that before!"

  "I don't know!" Caramel loudly said in response. Scootaloo, still standing next to the wagon, was now crying in fear. Applejack went over to the foal, and patted her on the back.

  "It's alright, Scootaloo." She quietly and gently said. "They're gone now."

  The young pegasus sniffed, and looked up to the mare and nodded once before slowly getting up.

  "Why would somepony do that?" She asked.

  "Ah'm afraid Ah don't know." Applejack told the young filly. "Let's just get away from here so we don't see those rascals again."

  The remainder of the walk was mostly silent. Only the sounds of nature, the moving wagon, and a sobbing Lyra filled the air around them.

  As they walked down the dirt path, the sounds of nature filled everyone's ears. Lyra had fallen asleep at some point in the wagon, only making the sounds of snoring. They were going up the side of a hill on a more rural trail that had patches of grass on it. Everyone was silent at this point, since they eventually knew they would have to cross over some mountains soon, if not the next day since the sun was beginning to lower from the sky.

  "My hooves are killing me," Bon Bon complained, "Can't we just stop here and rest?"

  "No." Applejack flatly responded. Bon Bon groaned in response. "Not until we find a place that ain't in the open."

  "Then why do we have sleeping bags?"

  "It's for any safe place without a good place to lie down. Now quit yer complaining."

  As they eventually got to the top of the hill, they realized how high up they were. In the distance, miles and miles away, they could clearly see the base of the mountain Canterlot was built upon. Not only that, but a huge horde of undead had formed beneath the city, attempting to climb up the mountain, but repeatedly failing. It seemed thousands of undead were at that spot right at that point.

  "Woah..." Scootaloo said in amazement.

  "I think those lights attracted all of them..." Bon Bon theorized, looking up at the city that was miles away, then back to the horde.

  "We got to keep moving. We'll set up a camp soon, hopefully once we get over that mountain." Caramel stated, pointing to the mountain that was also a far distance away. It was about a third of the size of the mountain Canterlot stood on. The pathway led up to a small trail that edged on the side of the mountain, which was lined by bushes and flowers. However, a small wood cottage could be seen on the side of the trail itself, not too far from them. There was only a single door, and no windows.

  "Can't we stay there?" Scootaloo asked.

  "Ah'm not sure. Hopefully it's empty." Applejack replied.

  The group went to the small cabin, engulfed by trees and bushes that hid most of it from view. Caramel went up to the door slowly and opened it. Nothing could be heard inside, and the interior was completely dark. Nothing could be seen inside.

  "I wish we still had our things." Caramel whispered. He opened the door up some more, letting the sunlight into the living room.

  "Wait," Applejack whispered back. "Since they're attracted to noise, can't we knock or something to see if any are in that there house?"

  "Good thinking." Caramel replied. He raised up his front hoof and proceeded to knock on the wall and back away from the door. Nothing could be heard from the inside.

  "You do realize that you guys still have the flashlight, right?" Lyra said from the wagon, raising up the said tool.

  "Oh, forgot about that." Caramel chuckled with a sheepish grin. He grabbed the flashlight and looked inside, casting a ray of light. There was only a single room in the cottage and no furniture other than a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling. Caramel slowly went inside and pulled a string next to the light, and the bulb lit flashed on.

  "Hey! It's safe!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Maybe I can get my cutie mark in shelter finding!"

  "Maybe." Applejack sighed, smiling lightly. "Maybe."

  "We're going to stop here." Caramel told everyone, turning off the flashlight. "Grab your stuff. Applejack and Bon Bon, mind helping Lyra out of the wagon?"

  "Alright." Applejack said, nodding.

  "And kid," Caramel looked down at Scootaloo, "Just head inside."

  The young foal nodded and hurried inside.

  "I'll get us some food..." Caramel's voice trailed of, and he sighed. "Oh... Right."

  Applejack and Bon Bon carefully lifted the light green unicorn out of the back of the wagon while Caramel pulled out the sleeping bags and pillows from the wagon. He started to lay them out of the dusty, wood floor. Lyra was laid onto one of the sleeping bags, flinching as she touched the ground. Everyone else got into a bag and laid in it, snuggling up.

  Everyone said goodnight to each other as Caramel shut the front door, and went over to his sleeping bag and turned off the light, plunging the room into complete darkness except for a bit of light coming from the crack under the door. Applejack sighed silently as she shut her eyes and went to sleep.