Candy Mane wiped the sweat out of her eyes. The summer months had been a wake up call for her; the heat was nearly unbearable as the sun was huge against the gray sky. She couldn’t remember what normal ponies looked like anymore. The colorful denizens of what used to be Ponyville were now just shades of their normal selves.
She shifted her saddlebags as she trekked into town for the supplies she so desperately needed. Medicine, unspoiled food, clean water. Maybe she could check the spa for any beauty products and have a night to herself where she didn’t fear the howling coming from outside.
She quickly ducked into what used to be Sugarcube Corner and glanced around for any food she could scrounge from months of decay and death. She walked as slowly as possible, her hooves sliding across the floorboards in a slithering motion to keep the tired wood from announcing her presence. While the Afflicted were mainly nocturnal- she remembered that a few special cases had nearly bitten her head off in daylight. She had learned to be cautious after that.
She quickly grabbed what she wanted. A few cupcakes colored a sickly green hue and a couple tarts would hold her over for a day or two. She learned to not be picky anymore. She was a forager now. Sweet Apple Acres had just harvested its produce when the Blight happened. It had ended in tragedy when the entire farm burned to ash. From what she could gather, the infected ponies had swarmed the farm because of their extreme hunger and the Apples tried to barricade themselves.
That horror story repeated itself though the next few weeks, the pegasi and unicorns weren’t safe from the Blight. They separated into factions praising their superiority of culture, of tactics, of Celestia’s gifts of a horn and magic. But the Afflicted were better because of one reason. They never needed sleep.
A rustling noise broke her out of her reverie. She braced herself for anything and quickly drew her weapon- a sword she had grabbed from a rotting corpse a few days after Tartarus broke loose upon Equestria.
It had been a very long time since then.
A bell announced the new pony into the Corner. It was a lanky specimen with a long, wet mane that had faded over the months and months the creature had stood in the elements. It sniffed the air, searching for prey. It knew that the pony was here- the musky scent of dirt and fear had permeated the street and nearby area with noticeable markers.
Candy Mane knew that there wasn’t any way out. So she just sighed and stood to the pony. “Hi there. Looking for somepony?” The pony turned and Candy stifled a shudder. Rotting flesh hung limply on the bony frame of a pony she had known very well. Three wrapped candies as a cutie mark, a two toned mane, yellowish coat.
“Bon Bon.”
***
Candy Mane bent down and grabbed the chocolates that a young filly had pointed at. She inwardly smiled as she noticed he must love white chocolate since every piece she grabbed had the ingredient in some way or another. She put the little pieces of heaven in a nearby box and tied the package with a large red bow. The filly smiled and placed bits on the counter and left.
Candy felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned and saw her boss, Bon Bon. The earth pony taught her everything she knew about candies and sweets and she would follow her anywhere.
“Aw man. Is it that time again?”
***
“Sorry Bonnie. Its just business.”
The Afflicted pony’s jaw unhinged and rows upon rows of serrated teeth were readied for action. Saliva and blood cascaded down her coat as her body took on more of an insectoid shape. Candy just waited for this to be over. It wasn’t her fault. Her friends just- they just wanted to eat her face off. She wished everything she had to do was just a sick dream because this next part always killed her.
The earth pony mare ducked underneath the counter and waited for Bonnie. She could hear the scratching noises of her old friend as her body slinked around the room. Candy planned out how she would incapacitate Bonnie.
***
Afflicted: noun. A pony who has been affected by the Blight- symptoms include: death, reanimation, insectoid traits, faded coat and mane, dead eyes, and a mainly nocturnal lifestyle.
See related entries: Howlers, Magi, Fallen
Causes?: Changelings, Twilight Sparkle, hubris
***
Candy opened her eyes again. Her knowledge of these beasts had been learned over months of experimentation and boredom. A pony could become insane if they didn’t have something to do over the noises of the Afflicted and their screams for her to go outside, to frolic in their brand of indescribable madness, their herd, their reason for existence.
So she learned their weaknesses. Howlers, what she termed the earth ponies, were just insectoid creatures that used sound to incapacitate her. Way to beat- decapitation.
Candy rose to her hooves and stared down the Howler. No longer was she the Bonnie she knew. She was just another creature of habit. A predator out for her blood. The Howler’s mouth glowed red as it charged its attack. Candy covered her ears with her front hooves in anticipation for extreme pain.
The sonic scream shattered Sugarcube Corner’s remaining windows and Candy had to to curl up in a fetal position to stop her extreme headache. The earth pony knew her hearing was shot for the next few minutes, at least, and her chance for killing the Howler would pass soon. The only time the things were vulnerable was when they were recharging their banshee calls.
Thankfully she had kept her sword nearby. In one fluid motion she swung her neck and the sword cut through the unsuspecting Howler like a knife through butter. Ichor and blood gushed from the neck wound and sprayed all over the floor and ceiling.
***
“Have you heard, Candy? There’s been reports of sick ponies attacking others for no reason.” Bon Bon shivered as she relayed the scary news. Her eyes were bloodshot and she swayed back and forth. “That can’t happen here, right? No way can it happen.”
Candy just tried to huddle in a corner and die as the screams of ponies reached her ears. The makeshift barrier of the confectioner racks kept the monsters out. She prayed to Celestia to wake up. And yet she knew deep down that it would never be answered. Canterlot had been hit hard by the Blight. Love and tolerance had been replaced by death and fear.
“Candy. . .you know that Celestia’s got this. She’ll just roll up and blast these creatures to kingdom come.” Bon Bon just chanted over and over her mantra throughout the first night of extreme fear.