It Only Takes A Bite

"If we see a light at the end of the tunnel, it's the light of an oncoming train."

-Robert Lowell

  "Wake up..." A voice told Applejack. She yawned as she opened her eyes and found herself in a hospital bed with the nurse that Caramel found as a walker near Fluttershy's cottage. "You're having a nightmare..."

  "Oh... That was all a nightmare?" Applejack chuckled. "Thank Celestia..."

  "Are you going to be fine?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "You got in a terrible accident two or three weeks ago."

  "Yeah, Ah'm going to be fine." Applejack replied. "Thanks for checking."

  The nurse nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind her as she fell asleep. For what seemed like a few minutes, she rested. However, she was soon awake in the bed yet again. However, the lights were off, and the sounds of screaming could be heard outside. She tried to call out, but her mouth felt like it was sealed shut. She could only stare at the door across the room as she heard what sounded like a moan emanate from outside of the room.

  "Applejack?" A familiar voice asked. "Thou are alright..."

  Applejack looked at the source of the noise and saw Princess Luna standing next to her bed.

  "What are you doing here..?" Applejack muttered. "What the hay is happening outside?"

  "You're dreaming." Luna replied gently. "I am sure thou are concerned about your friends."

  Applejack nodded lightly.

  "They are up in Canterlot, and they are safe from the chaos in the rest of Equestria."

  Applejack raised an eyebrow.

  "I'm afraid I have to leave now. I hope thou hath a safe journey."

  "Applejack! Come on!" Scootaloo told the Applejack as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the concrete cellar that she and Archer decided to use as a shelter the previous night. Applejack promptly yawned and slowly got up from the floor. She saw Archer was already up, sitting on the ground across the room and drawing something on a piece of paper. He turned towards Applejack and smiled.

  "Good morning." He told her, smiling.

  "Morning." Applejack replied. "Ya drawing something?"

  "Actually, yes." Archer replied, holding his piece of paper up. He turned it towards Applejack and showed her what he drew.

  Applejack had no idea how to react to his drawing. Archer just chuckled in response, making a shy smile. If it wasn't for all the undead that Applejack had seen, she most likely would've retched at the sight. However, she was simply shocked at the sight of it.

  "That's a tad bit violent, don't ya think?" Applejack nervously chuckled.

  "It's hard to come up with anything. I usually end up giving up on stuff to easily." Archer replied, folding the drawing he held and putting it back in his saddlebag. "So, we leaving today?"

  "Yeah. Hopefully we get out of here soon, because Ah don't want to see another storm that bad." Applejack replied.

  "What? I thought that tornado looked awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Even being sucked up by it! That was so FUN!"

  "Really?" Archer replied, smiling as he got up to his hooves. "You were holding onto Applejack like you were about to fall off the side of a cliff when we were running away from that tornado yesterday."

  Scootaloo opened her mouth to say something back at Archer, but no words could come out. She just resorted instead to frowning at him instead.

  "Well, should we get going?" Applejack asked, going over to the corner of the room she slept in, grabbing her saddlebag and strapping it on.

  "Actually, you should have a quick snack to get started." Archer suggested. "Me and the kid already ate."

  "My name is Scootaloo." Scootaloo told Archer, annoyed.

  "Whatever."

  Applejack opened her saddlebag and started to shuffle around in it. Mostly it was canned foods, bagged foods, a canteen filled with water, and a few fruits. She took out an apple and some water after a few seconds of pondering what to get. She only took about a minute to eat and take a quick drink.

  "Alright, Ah'm ready." Applejack told Archer. The unicorn nodded in response and started to ascend the staircase leading outside. Archer slowly opened the door and looked out. Applejack was blinded by the sunlight coming from outside, but her eyes soon got used to it. They climbed out of the cellar and up to the surface. They were greeted by the same ruins of what was once the home that the cellar was next to, the Ferris wheel's large structure, laying on it's side, the calliope that was now silent, and tons of other debris scattered about. They slowly started to walk through the rubble, being careful not to step on anything dangerous like glass or nails. Soon, they got to the dirt road. They stopped once they got to it.

  "I think we were heading right..." Archer pondered, rubbing his chin.

  "How do ya know that?" Applejack asked, unsure.

  Archer pointed at the distant city of Canterlot in response.

  "We are going in a clockwise direction around the mountain Canterlot is standing on." Archer explained. "So this has to be the right way."

  Applejack nodded in response as Archer started to walk down the road Applejack and Scootaloo followed as they went down the dirt road. Suddenly, Archer raised up his right hoof in front of Applejack, stopping her.

  "What?" Applejack asked, concerned.

  "I hear talking." Archer replied, going into a crouching position. "It's coming from the corn stalks."

  He started to slowly sneak up to the source of the talking. Archer slowly readied his bow as he got an arrow out from his quiver. Applejack and Scootaloo slowly followed, not knowing what else to do other than stand there.

  "Let me the FUCK go!" The voice of a mare yelled.

  "Why should I?" Another mare asked, chuckling. "You wanna get to Canterlot? I don't think me or my two buddies will be letting you go."

  "You know what? Fine! Kill me! Kill me you fucking jackass! There's nothing in this world to live for anymore!"

  "Alright then." The mare replied. "When I get to one, feel free to use the pipe Wheatley."

  Applejack was shocked.

  "We got to help her!" Applejack silently exclaimed to Archer, worried. Archer nodded, and readied his bow.

  "Five..."

  "Hurry up..." Applejack urgently told Archer, who was still aiming his bow through the stalks. Applejack was unable to see what was going on as Archer blocked her view.

  "Four..."

  Applejack's heart pounded as she heard the mare count down.

  "Three..."

  "I got her locked in my sights..." Archer silently muttered.

  "Two..."

Fwoop!

  A scream of pain from the mare signaled her death. Archer quickly loaded another bow and fired.

  "What the fu-"

Fwoop!

  "Wheatley! Shit!"

  Archer quickly pulled out another arrow and fired.

Fwoop!

  This time, the sound of a body hitting the ground could be heard along with a sick gurgling. Archer then got up from the ground and went through the corn stalks. Applejack and Scootaloo followed. They went into a small area that had only tilled dirt, dried up as much as the ground during a drought. Three corpses could be seen, and a mare with a dark purple mane and a light blue coat was tied up and lying on the ground. Another corpse of a stallion was also seen, which had a large pipe next to it that had some dried blood on one end of it. Applejack galloped over to her and started untying the rope.

  "Wow, thanks for saving me." She sighed.

  "What the hay were you thinking?" Applejack angrily asked the mare, still untying the rope. "Why would you say that?"

  "Because there's nothing to live for." She simply replied. "These undead freaks took everything away from me."

  Applejack didn't feel like responding to the unhappy response. She finally finished untying the rope and threw it to the side as the mare got up to her hooves and brushed the dirt off of herself.

  "So, do ya have a name?" Applejack asked.

  "Leatherhard." Leatherhard replied. "I used to work with making ceramic sculptures. Then the undead came and made my life even better!"

  Applejack was slightly annoyed by Leatherhard's sarcasm.

  "Look, we're heading to Canterlot." Archer trotted over to Leatherhard. "Do you wanna come with us?"

  "Why not?" She replied. "I didn't want to die alone anyway."

  "Well alright then, let's get going then. I'm sure the scream may have attracted some flesh eaters." Archer told them as he walked back through the corn stalks. Applejack, Leatherhard, and Scootaloo followed. As they walked through the corn stalks, Leatherhard glanced at Scootaloo.

  "You two have a foal with you?" She asked.

  "Yeah. Why'd you ask?" Applejack asked.

  "Because I saw a foal get beaten with the pipe Wheatley was about to kill me with, then hang him upside down and start sawing him from the top just because he sneaked into their camp and took some of their food."

  "Eww..." Scootaloo whispered, her face showing disgust.

  They soon got back onto the dirt road and started heading down the path again. Applejack was wondering if she should have just left Leatherhard behind instead of bringing her with them, seeing how she was acting so far.