> Infected Equestria
>  by PonyTom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 - Rarity's Despair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in all, Rarity had had a good run.  At least, that's what she liked to think.

She shut the door behind her and fastened the locks in place; so many locks on one door.  It was something she and her friends had managed during the past three months; several fortified bunkers to try to remain safe, to have somewhere to rest, to escape from what was outside.  She had been stuck there, alone, for the past week.  There was enough food to last her a few months alone if she rationed them, which she was thankful for, but she knew it would likely not mean anything in mere moments.

Rarity had holed herself up in the Riches' rather large study; bookshelves lined the walls, a fine desk sat at one end of the room before a window (which had been painstakingly barricaded on both ends with bars and sheets of metal, with but a tiny little hole to allow ponies to peak out into the town), and a lovely rug that pulled everything together.  Slowly, she made her way to the desk at the end of the room and took a seat, sighing to herself as she stared at the door across the room.  Any moment, she thought, they will come.  They will pound at that door mercilessly.  It will hold for a while, and some might even lose interest, but eventually, one of them will break it down.  She would be trapped.   Sure, she might have a chance to escape, but to where? There were even more waiting outside.

She had run herself into a corner.  She had taken a dumb risk, and now, she was paying the price.

Rarity looked at a drawer on the desk before her.  Perhaps she secretly wanted this? By all means, she admitted to herself that there were probably many other things she could have done when they had discovered her.  Twilight had taught her a simple flare spell to cast in case of emergency.  Could she yet be saved?

Did she want to be saved?

Rarity bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut; she hadn't worn makeup in so long.  For the first month, she had continued her beauty regimen under the belief that when they were saved, she wanted to be photogenic.  She had stopped when she had to abandon her beauty products when they lost another hideout.  She placed a hoof on a drawer, pulling it open.  Her horn glowed, and a photo levitated before her.  Rarity's eyes welled with tears as a  hoof stroked the image before her.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I wasn't strong enough for you..." she said to the photo.  "... I... I tried so hard... I tried to push it behind me.  I tried so hard for you... every day, telling myself I lived for you.  That I would live my life to honor yours..." She stared sadly, brokenhearted at the image as tears rolled down her cheeks.  "But... every morning when I woke up... I would realize it was another day you didn't get to see... and every night... I wish... I wish so desperately that that it be a bad dream... that I would wake up the next day... and you would be there... even... even if I had to live this nightmare... it would be worth it if I could hear your voice... see your smile..."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ONE MONTH EARLIER...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Ponyville was quiet.

Brightly colored homes and buildings stood silent and still, their colors seeming to have begun to fade, some windows being broken or barricaded, and some homes even being damaged beyond repair, houses that had burned long ago standing as little more than the charred skeletons of the town.  The streets were littered with detritus and debris; turned over carts, shattered glass, splintered wood, and even bits of paper littered the street.  The air, once filled with the sounds of birds chirping and bees buzzing, of fillies and colts playing and giggling, and of general pony life, was ghostly silent, with only the wind blowing through alleys and trees keeping it from being lost to total silence.

Shuffling hooves broke the silence.

A stallion moved slowly, clumsily about the street.  And then a mare.  And another, and so on.  Several ponies milled about, aimlessly, disorderly, non-orchestrated, unthinking.  Their bodies all showed varying stages of necrosis and starvation.  They were not bunched together; indeed, it was as if they simply shuffled into the same place by accident.  The creatures made little noise; the sound of heavy breaths emitted from their lungs, although their need for oxygen was questionable at best.  They were the citizens of Ponyville; the life of the town of the dead.

"How many are there?"

"... I think six, but I saw another walk around a corner, so who knows how many are wedged within the alleys..."

Rarity groaned, shaking her head.  "I can't believe this... you promised us that most of them had left this area alone! You said that you had lured them away and lost them! Rainbow Dash, I swear, if we get out of this alive, I will kill you!"

"Hey!" shout-whispered Rainbow Dash in reply, "I did, alright!? How was I supposed to know there'd be stragglers? Or that they'da turned around or... whatever? I thought I had been thorough!"

"Girls, certainly there'll be a better time for this, don't ya think?" The two mares turned to face a large red stallion who was staring out a window from between the barricades.  "They don't know we're in here, an' I'd rather it stay that way until we can make a break for it if that's alright with you."

"Sorry Big Mac..." said Rarity with a sigh, shaking her head.  "... I-I'm just a little on edge is all, after all, it was somepony's idea that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom come with us!"

Rainbow scowled.  "Hey, it's been over a year and a half now.  I know it sucks Rarity, but they're going to need to learn how to do this if we're going to live through this.  With those fruit bats eating most of the apples, we're going to have to salvage more food from town while we figure out a way to deal with them."

"Yes, well, don't we have enough fruits and vegetables to last us a while?" Rarity looked inquisitively towards Big McIntosh, then smiled her most charming smile.

"Well..." Big Mac said, rubbing a hoof over the back of his mane.  "... not... too much longer... I'm afraid that while some apple trees have been spared, we never know when the fruit bats'll come back.  The apples and veggies we've got picked will last a couple days, maybe a week at best..."

"What?" Rarity stared in utter shock at the stallion.  "B-but... what if the fruit bats don't return?"

"Then we get lucky" Big Mac nodded.  "But our vegetables might still get pests; they're a little harder to deal with.  We've gotta be sure to grab as much non-perishable produce as we can, otherwise we run the risk of starvin'."

"But don't we have a lot of soup in the cellar?" Rarity was panicking now, her fears beginning to mount.  "What about all those canned goods in the cellar?"

Big Mac sighed.  "We've got enough to last us another month... but split between us that's all we got... assumin' the worst doesn't happen."  At the mere mention, the room fell silent.  Everypony avoided one another's gaze, realizing what it meant; it was a reality they faced every day.  That one day, one of them might not come back.  One day, somepony might not survive.

In the next room, three fillies pressed their ears against the wall, listening to the conversation the older ponies were having.  Scootaloo pulled back and frowned, looking to her fellow Crusaders.  "Did you hear that? He says we're almost out of food!"

"What? No way, we've got enough for two months!" said Applebloom.  "I mean, sure that ain't a lot, but I reckon it gives us plenty of time t' deal with the issue, don't ya think?"  The two looked to Sweetie Belle and noticed her staring down at her hooves sadly.  They both shared a frown and exchanged glances.  "I reckon my brother an' sister have everything in hoof."

"Yeah!" whisper/shouted Scootaloo, crossing her forelegs.  "And Rainbow Dash! They even brought us out here to teach us how to be as awesome as they are! How cool is that?" A small sniffle caught the fillies' attention, and they turned once more to Sweetie Belle, who had laid down on the floor and buried her face in her hooves.  They looked towards one another, and then drew close to their friend.

"Sweetie Belle?" said Scootaloo, "Are you alright...?"

"No..." came her reply in a cracked voice.  "I... I just want to go home... I want my parents... I don't want to do this anymore..."  She began to quietly sob into the floor, her friends moving in close, laying at her sides and each putting a hoof over her back comfortingly, rubbing her back gently.  Neither know what to say, and instead opted to let their company do the talking for now.  "... I m... miss my mommy and daddy...."

"We know..." said Apple Bloom quietly.  "... We're here for ya, Sweetie Belle..."



**********************



A yawn and a stretch.  That's how she liked to begin her mornings.  Rarity cuddled up with the pillow in her forelegs, nuzzling it lovingly.  As the events of the previous night caught up to her memory, she realized she might be hugging her sister, and opened her eyes to see she was, indeed, hugging a pillow.  Looking around, she noticed that  it was now daylight outside, Big Mac was sleeping a short distance away, and sitting up, that the other two fillies were no longer in bed.  Her heart began to race, fears running wild in her head.  She quietly pulled herself away from her makeshift bedding, then made her way down the stairs.  She almost cried out in relief when she saw the three crusaders staring out the window, and felt incredibly angry to see Rainbow Dash sleeping against the wall nearby.

"Girls?" she whispered, "What are you doing down here this early?"  The fillies turned to look at Rarity, all of their faces the very image of worry and fear.  Slowly, cautiously, Rarity approached, and looked out from between planks of wood.  Rarity stepped back a few steps, and fell to her haunches, eyes wide and pupils as pinpricks.  The other day, running away just seemed risky; now, it seemed downright impossible.  She turned to the sleeping Rainbow Dash, feeling a powerful urge to strike her friend rise up; no, she might shout in response and that might give them away.  Rarity instead opted to shake her friend vigorously, until Rainbow Dash sputtered and opened her eyes.

"Wha-huh? Who?" Rainbow brought her hooves up to her eyes and rubbed them, pulling them away and staring into the angry face of Rarity.  "Rares...? What's up?"

"You fell asleep on watch duty is what's up!" whisper-shouted Rarity.  "You forgot to wake me up!"

"Oh..." Rainbow smirked.  "Sorry, I guess I kinda overestimated myself... no biggie though."

"No biggie? No biggie!?" Rarity was trying her hardest not to yell.  "Look.  Out.  Side."  Rainbow quirked a brow, slowly rose up and turned around to look out the window.  She stared for a few seconds, then turned to face Rarity, frowning tightly.  "Now, dear, tell me how many you saw."

"Lots" said Rainbow.

"Indeed.  'lots' about covers it.  While you slept, we got surrounded."

"Well what would I have done if I was awake?" Rainbow Grimaced.  "We're surrounded.  It's not like I could have changed that!"

"No, but when more started moving in we might have been able to at least minimize the damage!" Rarity threw her hooves into the air.  "Now, going outside would almost certainly be suicide!"  Rainbow Dash bit her lip, looking once more out the window, then at the fillies.  "We've got to wake Big Mac" said Rarity.  "We've got to wake him and come up with a plan, lest we want to die in this hole."



******************



Big Mac stared out the window, jaw agape.

"Horseapples..."

"Big McIntosh!" gasped Rarity, "Language!"

"Sorry, Miss Rarity..." whispered Big Mac, eyes still glued to the sight before him.  "There.... there's way too many of 'em... there's no way we'd be able to make it past all of 'em... we're even more trapped than we was b'fore..."

Rainbow Dash frowned.  "Oh man... it could be days before they leave..."

"We don't have days!" Rarity grimaced, staring daggers at the window.  "We have no food.  We haven't eaten for two days, and if we go too long without food, when we finally do get a chance to flee - if we get the chance - then we'll be an easy meal for these things!"

The room fell quiet as Big Mac stared out the window.  Sweetie hugged onto her sister tightly, Applebloom to her brother, and Scootaloo stood next to Rainbow Dash, totally not pressing against her side for comfort.  The large stallion turned to look at the other ponies, then down to his sister, who stared up at him with big, scared eyes.

In those eyes, he saw what he had to do.

"... Girls... I... I'm gonna distract 'em.  Lead 'em away from the house.  When I do, you gotta run, ya hear me?"

"What!?" Rarity gasped.

"Are you nuts?" said Rainbow, grimacing.  "Look, we can totally wait a few more days, it's no biggie.  It'll suck, but I think we can make it."

"But what about the girls?" Big Mac put a hoof on his sister's head.  "They'd be trapped here too... I'd rather they be somewhere relatively safe, somewhere with food.  If it means riskin' my hide, it's worth it."

"Surely there's another way..." Rarity bit her lip, staring at Sweetie.

"Well, if you got any better ideas, then I'm listenin'.  I'd rather not wait and risk that they just never leave, if it's all the same to you."  Silence returned to him.  "Right... so, here's my plan.  I'm gonna run outside and draw their attention... then run like the dickens.  You girls wait until they either clear our or leave a good opening.  Once you see your window, I want you both to make a break for the farm if possible."

Rainbow Dash stepped before him.  "But, what about you big fella?"

Big Mac grimaced.  "I'll lead 'em away, try to give 'em the slip, and then find someplace to lay low until it's safe... until then, the girls take priority.  Whatever you do, do your best to make sure they get back safe."

The mares exchanged glances, then nodded firmly to Big Mac.  "Like you even need to ask" said Rainbow Dash.

"Indeed" Rarity smiled.  "We'll protect them with our lives..."  Big Mac smiled, then looked out the window.  "... Well... best not wait for 'em to potentially group up more..."

"Big Mac, No!" Applebloom hugged her brother's leg tightly, staring up at him with sad eyes.  "I don't want you to get hurt!"

The red stallion smiled and pulled his sister in for a hug.  "I'll be alright, Applebloom... but I gotta make sure you're safe too..."  He held her away, still smiling.  "Promise me you'll be good for Rarity and Rainbow Dash?"

Applebloom frowned.  "O-only if you promise to make it back safe..."

Big Mac stared at his sister.  He knew in his heart it was not a promise he could guarantee he'd keep.  He knew the risk he was taking, and that the odds were stacked against him.  But he also knew she might never let him go if she knew that.  So, he smiled, and nodded.  "I promise."  Applebloom regarded him with uncertain eyes, but then moved to hug him again, and he returned the gesture.  Soon enough, she moved to her friends' sides, looking up at her brother with worry as he made his way to the door, picking up a club with his mouth that was laying in an umbrella stand with a few other odds and ends items.

"Big Mac?"

He turned to Rarity, who stared at him with concern.  "... Be safe."

He simply smiled and nodded.  "Eeyup."  Turning to the door, he took a deep breath, turned the knob, and opened it, stepping outside and shutting it behind him.

"Hey! Y'all! Everypony, soup's on! Ya just gotta catch it!" Big Mac began to run and wind around various rotted ponies, who lunged and tumbled and fell over one another once they took notice.  Some were faster than others, able to keep up with Big Mac, while some seemed to be struggling just to remain standing as they walked.  The girls watched as many of them, save for the slowest, seemed to disappear after the stallion, leaving behind only a few stragglers.

"Alright" said Rarity with as much determination as she could muster.  "Now!"

The door swung open again, and the girls rushed out of the house holding different tools for weapons - a croquet mallet for Rarity, a machete for Rainbow Dash, and each of the fillies had clubs themselves.  Rainbow swung at each and every creature that stood in their way, cutting them down and throwing them to the side, and Rarity would club any that came too close afterwards.  The group rushed forward, past shuffling corpses that struggled to follow.

As they ran, they naturally passed several more on the streets, milling about, but not as concentrated as the ones near the house.  "Why do you think so many came to our hiding spot" shouted Rarity, "I thought we were perfectly quiet?"

"Maybe" said Rainbow with a sigh.  "Maybe somepony else had also run through though, and lead them there? Also possible that something saw us and knew we were in that area somewhere and the rest just congregated around them!"

"There's somepony else in this town!?" Rarity was honestly surprised by the very idea; she had thought their little group was all that had survived.

"Maybe? I mean, Ponyville's small, but it's not so small that it's unthinkable several ponies could spend a year here without ever seeing each other!" Rainbow Dash grimaced a bit at her next thought.  "And, to be honest, after all this time I really doubt we're the only place stricken by this particular issue! We always have to consider somepony might be traveling from town to town!" Rainbow stopped just long enough to swing her blade upside the face of an infected pony that began to reach for her, cutting him down.

As they ran, Rarity nearly fell over when Rainbow stopped suddenly and backpedaled behind a nearby wall, and the fillies followed suit.  Rainbow peaked around the corner, then turned to face the others with a look of horror in her eyes.  "What is it? What's wrong?" Rainbow gulped, looking back over the corner and then back to Rarity.

"There's... there's a good few of them here... and I think I could see a body..." Rarity gasped.  She could tell by the look on Rainbow's face that they both had the same concern.

"I... Is it Big McIntosh...?" Was he that fast? Could he have had time to get that far ahead of them and become a meal?

"I can't tell..." Rainbow gave a peak around the corner once more, before returning again to her group.  "... They're kind of milling around, hard to see... plus, they're kinda blocking our way.  If it was just you and me, I'd say we'd be able to get through them easily, but with the fillies here it'd be too much of a risk..."  The two older mares stared at each other, contemplating their next move.

"Big Mac or no..." began Rarity, "We have to keep the fillies safe... protect them.  We'll go around... we'll come back later if we have to, but we must keep the girls safe first and foremost."  Rainbow Dash nodded, giving one last look around the corner, and then turning about.  The ponies moved away from that particular path, going into a nearby alley, allowing Rarity just the slightest peak at the carnage; several ponies leaning over a corpse.  Her heart began to ache when she could have sworn she saw a red hoof sticking from the mass of hungry corpses.  She did not want to consider having to tell everypony they might have lost Big Mac.

Quiet as can be, the group made their way through the alley, moving slowly to keep the noise down, and staying alert.  As they neared a corner peaking out into the street, Rainbow signaled for the others to stop before peaking out.  Rarity took this chance to look to the fillies; Applebloom and Scootaloo looked worried enough, but Sweetie Belle was clearly on the verge of crying.  Rarity moved slowly to Sweetie and leaned down to her.  "Sweetie, are you alright?" she whispered.  "We're going to be okay, I promise..."

Sweetie Belle sniffled.  "... I wanna go home Rarity..."

Rarity cooed and pressed a hoof to the filly's cheek.  "Sweetie, I know... I want to to... but... but I can't just make this all go away..." The mare hugged onto her younger sister tightly, brushing her mane with a hoof.  "... if I could... I would... but I promise you, I'll get you home safely..."

"If you're done, I think we got an opening..." Rarity turned to see Rainbow looking at her, a sad, sympathetic smile on her face.  Rarity nodded in return and stood back up, trotting forward to peak around the corner.  Indeed, there were a few of them, but they didn't seem to be paying attention.  The ponies began to hurry across the street into another alley filled with garbage.  The first thing Rarity noticed was a horrid smell, but she kept moving rather than look for the stink; she knew the smell well enough to guess what it was.  What she didn't expect was for one of the fillies to find it.

Sweetie Belle let out a piercing shriek, and everypony turned to face her, wide-eyed and horrified as she pointed at a mutilated pony head sticking out from between trash bags; his face had been ripped off, exposing everything underneath, and his body was in a state of decomposition.  Sweetie rushed to Rarity, crying loudly and hugging her tight, and Rarity began to pat and hug her, shushing.

Everypony tensed up when they heard a guttural yell, turning to see a pony standing where they had just come from.  Her flesh was in an advanced state of necrosis, body emaciated, missing most of her hair.  She began to stumble forward.  Before anypony could act, more began to make their way into the alley.

"Run!"

Everypony turned and ran the other way as more began to pour into the alley way.  Rarity scooped Sweetie onto her back, and Rainbow grabbed both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.  They rushed to the other end of the alley and almost fell over when they emerged to another area populated by a larger-than-usual mass of the infected.  Ponies gnashed and bit at where they had once stood, hooves reaching forward and making grabs for them, the fillies screaming every once in a while in fear and terror.  Rainbow swung her machete, slicing a pony that tried to rush her, and again to strike another that followed it.  Rarity gasped when she felt a tug and heard Sweetie shout, seeing hooves on her sister, and swung her mallet, smacking the pony aside.  The ponies hurried, carving their way through the horde, trying to find reprieve, and emerging into an alley and continuing their running.

"We have to find a way to lose them!" shouted Rainbow.  The ponies looked about frantically, then Rarity saw their salvation, she tugged on Rainbow's tail, who looked back, and Rarity pointed towards a familiar sight; one Sugarcube Corner.

"We'll run in there, go into the basement, and flee from the cellar!"

"Awesome idea!"

With that, the ponies made their way to the abandoned confectionery, opening the door and slamming it shut behind them, making sure to lock the doors.  Most of the place had been picked clean already; shelves were bare, walls were dirty, and even ingredients had been taken to be used elsewhere.  Quickly, the group hurried into the basement, hearing ponies slam into the door.  Rarity knew it was only a matter of time before they broke it down, and lamented that this was not one of the places they had taken the time to secure as a safe zone.  Shutting the basement door, they rushed for the cellar exit, throwing it open and stepping out, shutting it back behind them.

Everypony stopped to breathe, looking around; out front, they could hear ponies screaming and yelling, the sound of the door finally breaking down... so they quickly continued their mad dash.  It was painful, but hopefully that would leave their pursuers confused and lost.  As they trotted through the gardens of various houses, they would occasionally have to knock an infected out, but fortunately they didn't come across any groups.  Eventually, they came upon a house.  The girls opened the door and sidled inside, deciding they needed a break before making the last stretch.  Shutting and locking it behind them, Rainbow trotted to a nearby window, peaking outside to see a familiar sight, and grinning confidently.

"We're almost home free! The trail to Sweet Apple Acres is just right there..."

"Excellent, I'm getting rather tired of running..." Rarity huffed, shaking her head.  "I've almost lost Sweetie Belle a few times... how are you holding up, Sweetie?" Rarity's younger sibling simply responded with a nod against her back.  "Sweetie? Are you feeling alright?" Rarity lifted her sister from her back with her magic, and levitated her before her.  Sweetie seemed very tired and weak, and was losing color.  "Oh my..." The fashionista placed a hoof against her sister's head to find that she was surprisingly warm.  "Oh my! Sweetie, you've got a... a .... fever..." Rarity's eyes widened in shock.  Quickly, she rotated Sweetie around to look her over, and the problem became clear to her immediately.

A large  bite mark was on the little filly's back.

Rarity slowly turned Sweetie to face her again, staring her sister in the eyes.  "No..." She shook her head, staring up at Sweetie, whose own gaze was so tired, barely even there.  "No... oh no... no, no not my Sweetie..." Rarity pulled Sweetie close and hugged her tight, making sure to not pressure her injury.  "Nononono..."

"Rarity..." said Sweetie weakly.  "... I'm so hot... and sleepy... and hungry..."

"No no no no!" Rarity whimpered and pressed her face into her sister's mane.  "No no no no no..." Scootaloo and Applebloom stared with wide eyes, tears welling up, although only Applebloom openly whimpered.  Rainbow Dash had a hoof over her own muzzle, trying to hold back any emotional response, but her own eyes glistened as well.

"No!" Rarity's expression became determined.  "No, we're going to get you back to the farm! I promised you I would, and I will!" She stood up, placing her sister on her back.  Rainbow Dash immediately confronted her, however.

"Rares... I know this is tough, but we-"

"No it's not" interrupted Rarity.  "It's the easiest thing in the world.  I'm going to take Sweetie Belle back to the farm, we'll get in touch with Twilight, and she'll make sure Sweetie doesn't turn.  She has twenty four hours, if I recall?"

"At most" Rainbow grimaced, looking sympathetically at her friend, then to the filly on her back; indeed, Sweetie seemed to be barely there.  She didn't have the heart to tell her that the filly likely didn't have anywhere near that long.  She didn't know what to say.  She had no siblings of her own.  She couldn't even begin to fathom what Rarity was going through right now.  Rainbow turned to see Scootaloo comforting Applebloom, who hugged and sobbed against her friend.  That pegasus filly was the closest thing she had to family right now; would she do the same thing?

"Rares..." Rainbow took a breath and sighed.  "... I'm sorry... but... Twilight's told us she can't do that... remember? That's how we lost Granny Smith... how we lost the Cakes... she can't stop the infection once it's been placed..."

"You don't know that!" shouted Rarity, her eyes desperate, begging Rainbow to let her have her fantasy.  "She's been holed up in that hospital for months now doing research! M-maybe she found something!? Maybe she's got a cure!?"

"Rares.." the rainbow-maned pegasus closed her eyes tight and shook her head.  "... If Twilight had a cure, don't you think she'd have told us by now?"

Rarity bit her lip, staring at her friend.  ".. But... but we've been trapped in that house for-"

"Yes..." Rainbow Dash looked to the filly again.  "... But... we've never heard word... we've never gotten any messages... it might be months... years even before anything comes of that... and it may never happen..."

"Rarity?"

The voice was tired and weak, but it seemed to be the loudest.  Rarity levitated her sister off her back and looked into those tired, glazed eyes.  "What is it, Sweetie?"

Sweetie Belle smiled tiredly.  "... I... I love you..."

Rarity's eyes began to well and glisten.  She looked past her sister at Rainbow Dash, whose own torn expression was betrayed by tears rolling down her cheeks.  She looked up to her sister again.  "... I... I love you too, Sweetie..."

Sweetie Belle simply nodded.  "... I'm tired..."

The elder sister choked a bit, staring at her sister, her heart falling apart at the seems.  She wanted so desperately to save her.  She wanted so horribly to stop this.  To take it away.  To take it herself if she could.  But as she looked at her sister, she could deny it no more.  The light in her eyes was fading fast.

"24 hours at best..." Rarity said to herself, gulping as she recited the rest of what she knew.  "... Five minutes at worst... with foals being unlikely... to make it past half a day..." There it was.  The truth she denied to herself, written plain as day.  Her sister wasn't even fortunate enough to have that half a day.  Rarity stared upon the filly who seemed to be clinging to only a thread of consciousness.  She was lost.  It was not long now before she would enter the death state, from which she would revive an undetermined period of time later.

Either way, she was lost.

Rarity looked to her friend, and to her sister's friends, then back to Sweetie.  "... I... I know Sweetie... d-don't worry... I'll put you to bed..." Rarity sat her sister on her back, gently, and began to trot up a nearby staircase.  Everypony followed her quietly, until they reached an empty bedroom, letting her and her sister be alone as she stepped inside and lay her sister on the bed.

"Rarity...?"

The elder sister bit her lip, her voice cracking a bit.  "Yes, Sweetie?"

Sweetie Belle smiled tiredly.  "Thank you... for being the best sister ever..."  Rarity's heart sank as she stared at the filly.

"Impossible..." she smiled a sad smile.  "... For Sweetie... you're the... the best sister ever..."

Sweetie Belle almost seemed surprised, but smiled more.  "... You mean it?"

"Yes..."

Sweetie giggled tiredly.  "Thanks... R... ari...."

And then, Sweetie fell still, and a sigh left her.  That smile still on her face, those eyes staring at her sister.  But those eyes, those sweet, innocent eyes, no longer bore life.  Rarity stared at the filly, before laying her head over her and breaking down, sobbing over her sister.  Everypony stepped into the room, and Rainbow Dash placed a hoof over Rarity's withers, stroking her back some.  The crusaders approached the other side of the bed and stared at their friend, and both began to sob openly over their lost friend.

Rarity knew in her heart that she had lost her purpose, her reason for being.

There was nothing in this world worth saving for her anymore.

Several minutes had passed before Rainbow Dash had found the will to speak.  "... Do you want to...?"

"No..." said Rarity with a sad croak.  "... I... I can't do it..."

Rainbow Dash frowned.  "Want me to...?"  Rarity just shook her head, and Rainbow frowned.  "... You can't save her, Rarity..."

"I know..." Rarity sniffled.  "... But... but I can't... but... I'm the one who should..." She turned to face Rainbow Dash, her eyes wet and puffy.  "... I'll... I'll do it... j... just go down stairs and wait for me..." Rarity opened her saddlebag and pulled from it a simple pocket knife.  Rainbow Dash stared at it and nodded solemnly, and began to usher the other fillies out of the room.  Rarity turned to her sister, her lip quivering.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle..." she whispered.  "... You deserved better..."



*******************



After several minutes of waiting, Rainbow's ear twitched at the sound of a door shutting upstairs, followed by the sounds of hurried creaks as Rarity came down.  "Let's leave this awful place."  Rainbow Dash simply nodded to her, then turned to the fillies.  "Girls, you can ride my back back to the Acres."  The two foals nodded, climbing onto Rainbow Dash's back.  All of them gave one last look into the house as they left, leaving behind their friend.

Inside the house, up those stairs, behind that door in that tiny bedroom, a filly lay in the bed, no life to be had in her.  Nearby was a note, stuck to a wall by a knife.

To whom it may concern.

The filly in this room's name is Sweetie Belle.  She was once a sweet, loving foal with great dreams and a wonderful heart.  If it has been your misfortune to have to end her misery where her sister failed, please know you have my thanks as well as my despair for ending her suffering.

For I am too much of a coward to do it myself.

~ Rarity




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESENT DAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Rarity stared at the photo of her and her family they had taken during a trip, her hoof brushing over it.  She had lost them all, but her purpose truly died when she lost Sweetie Belle.  Not a day went by where she wasn't haunted by the knowledge that her sister probably revived and, to this day, was locked up in that small room.  She had never told any of her friends, and none of them had said anything, so she could only hope none of them happened upon the proof of her cowardice.  She had promised that one day she would return and give Sweetie the rest she deserved, but deep in her heart, she knew she never could.  Even if it wasn't her sister anymore, she could never bring her harm again.

"I'm a failure..." she whimpered to herself.

No.  Rarity would not run.  Not anymore.  She was tired.  She was weak.  She was exhausted.  All the running, all the killing, all the salvaging to survive... for what? To do it again the very next day? To do that until the day she died? What was the long term goal? To see another day where she'd try to survive to see another day where she'd try to survive?

It was all too much.

Rarity let her eyes wander to another drawer in the desk she sat at.  A drawer with something in it that was only to be used in a dire situation where one felt escape was impossible.  A drawer that she now saw as her only salvation.  Her horn glowed and pulled it open, and slowly levitated a small bottle out.  She choked as she stared upon it.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle..." she whispered as tears ran down her cheeks.  "... I've failed you yet again... but I can't do it anymore..." She choked again and sniffed.  "... I hope you can forgive me... and I hope... I hope that we meet again soon..."  Her magic popped the top of the bottle open and cast it aside.  Looking inside, she saw several tiny pills; pills that, if taken in small doses, worked to relax and calm a pony.

She didn't want to be relaxed.

She took the bottle and tipped her head back, pouring several pills into her mouth.  She swallowed them, grimacing at the bitter taste they left and the discomfort of them all running down her throat without a drink to smooth the transition.  It wouldn't matter soon enough.  Not a moment too soon, she heard the doors in another room break open; they had finally breached the place.  It wouldn't be long before they found her.  With some luck, maybe the chemicals will remain in her body and poison any of them that eats her?

She smiled as she felt the drugs kick in, taking the edge off.  Slowly, her energy began to fade and disappear, and she made her way to a nearby couch and lay down on it.  Soon, it would be over.  Soon she would leave this nightmare behind and be at peace.  Soon, she could be with her sister again.  Rarity slowly closed her eyes as she felt the world fade away, a smile on her face.

"You..." she said to herself quietly.  "... are the best sister ever... Sweetie Belle..."

Then, silence.

......

......

.......


"RARITY!!"

"Sweetie Belle!?"

Rarity jumped up, eyes bulging, and immediately began to vomit; the pills she had taken spilling onto the floor.  She coughed and sputtered, looking around, body shaking, vision blurry.  "Sweetie Belle!? I'm here Sweetie! Where are you!?"

"Rarity! Oh thank goodness Rarity!"

She felt somepony hug her tightly; somepony way too big to be her little sister.  As her focus returned, she realized she was being hugged by none other than Rainbow Dash.  "I heard Sweetie Belle! Where is Sweetie Belle!?"

Rainbow Dash pulled away, staring angrily at her friend.  "What the hell, Rarity!?" She brought a hoof across her face, slapping Rarity hard - much to the mare's surprise as she knew Rainbow Dash usually preferred full-out punching, and even the slap felt halfhearted.  As she began to regain her grasp of reality, she saw the cyan mare's eyes glistening and wet with tears, and her voice cracked when she spoke.  "What the hell is wrong with you!? Why would you do that to yourself!?"

Rarity shook her head, eyes wide.  "... I... I thought I heard... I thought they were going to..."

Rainbow Dash, however, hugged onto her friend again, very tight.  "Rarity, you scared the hell out of me..." her voice cracked as she soaked the marshmallow mare with tears.  Rarity was completely at a loss for words, and put her hooves around Rainbow Dash, returning the hug.  At first, halfheartedly, but then she realized that Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, was crying.  She was crying that she had almost... almost...

Rarity's heart sank.  "... Wh... what was I thinking...?"

She returned the hug as tight as she could (though she was still quite weak) and felt her own eyes well up with tears as she buried her face into her friend's neck and sobbed.  She wanted to say so much; to apologize for Sweetie, to apologize to Rainbow for what she had nearly done, and to ask how she had gotten past the hordes outside, but she couldn't.  All she could do was cry into her friend as she realized everything.  Rarity had nearly given her friends the same grief she now struggled with.  She had been so selfish in this moment of weakness that she nearly lay her own death on their heads just to get it over with.

But no.  She wouldn't say anything.  She didn't need to at the moment.  At the moment, she simply needed to know somepony cared.  She needed somepony to cry on.  She needed a reminder that life was worth living.

And now she realized that so long as any of her friends yet lived, she had something to live for.
> Chapter 2 - Rainbow Dash's Remorse - P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my word..."

Rarity let her eyes trace over the carnage before her; several corpses scattered across the floor, torn and shredded and burned.  Bits of shrapnel still clung to flesh, and the walls were decorated with what came off or out of their targets.  Indeed, before this all began Rarity would likely have thrown up (again), but staring at the gory display left her all too aware of how numb she was becoming to violence.  "How in the world did you manage this...?"

"I just popped them with Pinkie Pie's Party Pooper Projectile Popper Pipe (Patent Pending)!" Rarity almost jumped out of her skin as she turned to see Pinkie Pie sitting on a nearby step of the staircase that lead to the upper level.  While none of them were exactly clean, Pinkie was particularly filthy, covered in grime and filth; notably she was missing her left fore hoof, which was now a bandage-wrapped stump, which was new to Rarity.

"Oh my word! Pinkie Pie, what happened to your hoof!?"

Pinkie blinked and looked to her stump, giving it a wiggle.  "Oh!" She giggled and waved the stump.  "This was an accident! I was toying with making the P.P.P.P.P.P.P(P.P) and wouldn't you know it, one of the darn things blew my hoofsy right off!"

Rainbow Dash grimaced.  "She was supposed to stay back at the farm to heal, but she demanded she come anyway to make sure you were safe..." The pegasus sighed and shrugged.  "For the best though... to be honest, I'm not too sure I could have made it to you without her pipe bombs..."

"Pinkie Pie's Party Pooper Projectile Party Popper Pipe (Patent Pending)! You gotta say the whole thing, Rainbow Dash!" The pegasus groaned and put a hoof against her face.  "C'mon! I lost a hoofsy for this!"

"Fiine..." Rainbow deadpanned.  "Pinkie Pie's Party Pooper Projectile Party Popper Pipe."

"Aaaaand?" said Pinkie with a grin.

"Ugh.... Patent Pending..."

"You didn't use the parenthesis, but I'll forgive it this time!"

"What?"

"LET'S GO HOME!"



***************************************



Three little ponies skulked around corners and alleys, remaining just out of sight from potential predators.  Indeed, as they skulked around, they saw many of the fiends lurking and shuffling aimlessly in search for their next meal.  Pinkie Pie took point while Rainbow Dash helped Rarity along - the mare still being a bit weak from a mix of the medication she had tried to ingest and a day's starvation.  The pink pony reached into her bag and pulled out a small iron cylinder.  Sitting on her haunches, she placed it in her one forehoof and reached down with her muzzle, withdrawing a match, and striking it on a nearby wall, before lighting the fuse and then chucking it forward into a crowd.  They heard a pang, and the sounds of the infected ponies groaning louder, sensing a disturbance in their morbid order.  Then came a loud bang, several thuds, some unpleasant gurgling noises, then silence.  Pinkie gave a peak around the corner and turned to her friends.  "There's a few more left, with a couple dragging themselves along the ground, but I think we're good!"

"Excellent" Rainbow grinned.  "Now, let's get past them and make our way to Town Hall, hunker down there for a day.  Should be enough food to get Rarity back in good condition so we can make the trip to Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow."  A collective nod from her friends, and then the group, and Pinkie reached into her bag, producing a crowbar to give to Rainbow Dash, and an oversized mallet for herself.  The ponies moved forward into the open, slowly and quietly.  A few of the undead seemed to notice them, but the damage done to their bodies robbed them of the ability to warn their brethren.  "Thank goodness for small blessings..." Rainbow muttered silently as they moved.  Reaching another alley, the ponies felt some of the pressure fall away, but their trip wasn't quite done yet.  Eventually, they reached a fence that was too high for them to climb.  Rainbow grimaced and shook her head.  "Shoot... dead end..."

"Dashie? Still?" Rainbow turned back to see Pinkie staring at her with sad eyes.  "You still won't fly?"

"No."  She looked back to the fence.  "We'll find another way around.  Let's go."  Rarity and Pinkie shared a glance as Rainbow helped Rarity stand and lead her away.  The small group zigzagged through the alleys, trying to avoid the streets whenever possible.  If they had to, they would crawl across streets and try to keep as low a profile as possible and not draw attention.  Rainbow Dash stared at those  hordes, at groups, even single infected, and remembered times past; how arrogant she had been when this all had begun.

Her heart ached as she remembered what that arrogance had cost.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THREE MONTHS AFTER INFECTION BEGAN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"Well, Twilight, I have to say we've outdone ourselves!"

"I know, right!?" Twilight positively beamed at the sight before her; a decommissioned steam engine that she and her friends had managed to repair (with no small amount of hard work).  It had required fortifying the area to keep their work protected from the ravenous ponies that plagued their town, and they had unfortunately lost a pony protecting it, but the train was safe, and after so much hard work, finally completed.  Twilight wiped her brow, getting oil on her forehead in the process.  "I can't believe we're done!" Twilight danced around joyously.  "It's been a month of hard work, but we finally fixed up this old train!"

"I can't believe it either!" Applejack came from behind a door frame, her hair a mess, face covered in dirt, a grin plastered on her.  "I gotta admit, Twilight, I thought you was crazy when you suggested fixin' up this ol' engine, but I think we've finally got our escape! Heck, we got a few cars from the train yard, we might be able to make this a comfortable trip!"

"Indeed" Twilight giggled and looked over their work; the train was a familiar setup.  It looked like the old 'Friendship Express', but had various bits of metal plating covering it, reinforcing the machine.  The windows had fencing on them to prevent unwanted entry from unwanted entities, and with Pinkie Pie's help they had even managed to graft re purposed party cannons to it as defensive tools.  "I think we're actually going to get out of here!"

"Yeah, not that I totally couldn't leave any time I wanted!"

Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash, who lay on top of the train, smiling.  "I mean, not that I would! You're all my best buds, and I wouldn't leave you girls behind!"

"That's not the point, Rainbow Dash..." Twilight sighed, shaking her head.  "A lot of us could leave any time we wanted.  In fact, I'm willing to wager that most of the pegasai in Equestria flew off to Cloudsdale for sanctuary.  This isn't about saving ourselves, this is about saving as many ponies as possible!"

"And how will that little train do that?" Rainbow quirked a brow.

"If we can round up as many ponies as we can..." began Twilight, "... We can get them on this fortified mobile fortress and ride the rails in search of a safety zone.  There's at least three safe zones, probably more, in Equestria, and I'm certain this train will help us find at least one of them! If we can find one, we can get those of us who can't fly some shelter!"

"Besides, y'all can't fly forever."  Applejack stepped forward, stomping a hoof.  "Who says Cloudsdale ain't infested by now? So many pegasai goin' there, you never know who went with a dirty lil' secret!"

"Pfft, Cloudsdale's security is much better than that!" Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and flew down to her friends, landing on her hooves.  "I mean, it sucks, but they'd turn anypony with a bite down at the gate, and search thoroughly."  She stared them in the eyes.  "Really thoroughly.  'Hooves in places they shouldn't be' thoroughly."

"Well if yer so confident, why don't ya jus' go there then?" Applejack gritted her teeth, stomping her hoof.  "Why let us weigh ya down when you could be up in Cloudsdale drinkin' a martini an' dancin' on sunshine?"

"Because that'd be lame!" Rainbow grinned, crossing her forelegs.  "I get to live the coolest dream here! Fighting the zombie apocalypse! Beating the undead back! I'm like a living legend!"

"Y'all are treatin' this like a game!" Applejack spat at the floor, glaring daggers at her pegasus friend.  "This ain't no game, Rainbow! Ponies are dyin' out there, an' not all of 'em are stayin' dead! In three months we've had more close calls than I care ta think about! We've lost ponies we loved! We've lost--" Applejack stopped herself.  For a moment, her eyes became sad and sorrowful.  But then she shook her head and regained her composure.  "This is no time to be a filly! We've lost so much and you disrespect the memories of important ponies by actin' like this!"

"Hey, get off my back!" Rainbow threw her hooves into the air.  "I work hard, alright? I totally take this stuff seriously! Does that mean I can't get a little thrill out of it?"

"Well we're glad yer havin' so much fun!" Applejack yelled back.  "I just hope we don't inconvenience ya by dyin' too quickly!"

"Girls!"

Both mares turned to Twilight, who quickly threw her hooves over her mouth.  She cleared her throat and gave them both her most lecture-worthy glare as she tried to speak quietly.  "We're in the middle of a war zone here, alright? Our fortifications might keep those monsters from noticing us so easily, but let's not bicker too much and risk luring them here, please? Besides, we have enough trouble dealing with this infection, do we really need to be at each other's throats right now?" The two mares huffed and looked away from one another, neither particularly happy.  "I know it's tough, we're all stressed out, and we all have our ways of coping with it... but please, try to calm down.  Every day is potentially our last day alive.  If one of you were to die tonight, would you want this to be the last conversation you two had?" That seemed to catch their attention; the angry looks on both of their faces became uncertainty, and then worry, and they looked back to each other.

"No..." they both said.

"Right."  Twilight nodded.  "Apologize to each other and make up as if you knew that tomorrow was your last day alive."

Applejack sighed and put her hoof on the back of her head.  "I'm... I'm sorry for yellin', Rainbow Dash."

"Me too..." Rainbow rubbed her foreleg with a hoof.  "... I'm... I'm sorry if I upset you."

"No biggie."

Twilight smiled as the two friends moved in and put their hooves around each other and hugged.  "That's better... now girls, I think we deserve a rest! Everypony take a break, we've got a big day ahead of us of transporting food and ponies here to prepare for our trip!"

"I think I'm gonna go on out there an' get back to th' farm..." Applejack sighed and shook her head.  "I'm gonna deliver the good news to the ponies who ain't here, as well as the bad news about losin' Carrot Cake..." Applejack sighed and shook her head.  "Cupcake, Pinkie an' the twins'll be so upset..." Everypony hung their heads in silence at the mention of their fallen friend.  The door kicked open, and a familiar red stallion stepped in with a box filled with varying parts and pieces.

"Got a delivery of parts y'all asked for?"

"Yes, put them in the train" Twilight nodded and pointed to the engine behind her.

"Parts? Why do we need parts? I thought we was done?" Rainbow Dash quirked a brow watching as the farm pony trotted on board the engine.

"Well, we can't jus' go out there thinkin' the train is invincible!" Applejack rolled hey eyes, shaking her head.

"Indeed, we need parts in case anything acts up.  Maintenance may become important in the days to come!" Twilight clopped her hooves together.  "With those, we'll be able to keep everything up to snuff.  We'll stop at intervals in places where the train is either well fortified or there's an absence of infected to monitor our train's conditions."  The larger pony stepped off the train and back into the door he had come from.  "Well, I'm tired, so I'm going to grab a snack and get to sleep..."

"You're not comin' back with us?" Applejack seemed somewhat surprised.

"No, somepony needs to stay here and keep an eye on the train."  Twilight looked back to the engine, then back to her friends.  "I figure I'm capable enough to keep watch over it."  Applejack stared at her uncertainly, then looked back to Rainbow Dash who shrugged.

"Well, if ya like, I can stick around here an' make sure everything is fine if ya like.  I'd hate to leave ya all in yer lonesome here."  Applejack looked across the room at Twilight as she made her way towards their makeshift sleeping quarters.

"Thanks, Applejack, but I'll be alright."  Twilight sighed and shook her head.  "Somepony needs to keep track of this, and you all need to see your friends and family."

"Hey, if the egghead says she's okay, she's okay."  Rainbow Dash grinned and pumped her hoof.  "We'll just make our way back to Sweet Apple Acres, deliver the news, and get a good night's rest, right? Heck, I can come back here after I get you guys back to the farm and stick around!"

"I guess that could work..." Applejack grimaced.  "But please, Rainbow, keep a low profile.  Last thing we need is for ya to lure the infected somewhere they don' need to be."

"Pff, puh-lease! I'm all about low profile!" Rainbow Dash grinned and crossed her forelegs.  "I mean, have you ever met a pony any more low profile than me?" Watching as her friends exchanged uncertain glances didn't exactly make her happy.  "Alright, I'll stay on the ground.  That sound good?"

Applejack sighed in relief.  "Yes please.  I know you like flyin', but the higher you are the easier you are to follow..."

"I know I know..." Rainbow Dash shook her head and landed on the ground with the others.  "So, are we ready to take off?"

"In a bit" Big Mac nodded.  "First, we gotta grab gear in case we gotta fight our way back."



************************



Sticking to the back alleys had become second nature now.  At first it had been a tricky thing to do; the urge to risk running into the street thinking one can outrun the infected was often strong, but so many close calls had taught them the art of subtlety and stealth.  It had been trial and error, and a lot of time learning the limitations of their predators.

First rule; the undead (a word Twilight hated to use) were not always slow.  The health of the pony before infection was often important in this; a stronger, healthier uninfected pony would likely be able to sprint after infection.  Never assume you can easily evade the undead by fleeing; keep an open eye for sprinters, and if you can't lose them, work to eliminate them.

A loud roar grabbed the three ponies' attention, and they all turned to see an undead pony screeching at them.  Immediately, it picked up it's hooves and rushed at them.  Big Mac stepped before the mares and pulled up his club, giving a well-timed swing and striking the creature upside the head, causing it to flip backwards and tumble across the floor.  Moving quick, he rushed to the creature's side and spat his club into his hooves, raising it high and bringing it hard upon the creature's skull.  A loud crack silenced it, and it's body went limp.  The sound of screeching caught their attention, and everypony turned to see several of the infected pouring into the alley.

Second rule; the undead sometimes hunt in herds.  It was not something they had expected, but the creatures seemed to tend to overwhelm their targets with greater numbers.  Twilight had theorized it was a remaining vestige of the herd mentality from their previous lives playing in, but had never been able to properly analyze them to learn the full truth of it.  This did not always hold true of course; they would pursue their targets regardless of their numbers, but they didn't seem to be focused on keeping their prey to themselves.

"Run!"

Everypony began to run away as the herd chased after them, teeth gnashing and bodies twisting over each other.  They would trample over their own trying to rush after the group, crushing them beneath trampling hooves.  As the two mares and stallion ran, they kept turning back to keep an eye on their pursuers.

"I'm gonna try to lead them away!"

"What? Are you crazy!?"

"Yeah right I am!"

Rainbow Dash opened her wings and flapped hard as the ponies reached an exit, and as she took flight, half of the herd turned to follow her.  She was somewhat upset to see the other half, however, was still pursuing her friends.

Third rule; the undead will almost always follow the larger group when somepony separates.  Some might chase the break-away, but the only certain safety is to be unnoticed by them entirely.

Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath; she had to find a way to get the rest of them off her friends.  She circled around and looked down at the swarms of ponies following her, thanking goodness that the pegesai didn't have the dexterity or coordination to take flight anymore.  She looked around, trying to find the other two ponies; they appeared immediately followed by a massive horde.  "Ponyfeathers..."  With wings spread wide, Rainbow Dash bolted down, passing just over the surprised Applejack and Big McIntosh.  Immediately, the horde saw her coming and began to leap forward.  Rainbow pulled up as quick as she could, watching as the undead tried to make a grab for her and piled over each other, stumbling, tripping, and falling over.  The pegasus watched the other two round a corner and grinned smugly, turning as she watched the undead reach up and leap trying to catch her.  "Hey boys and girls, see something ya like!?" She turned about, aiming her flank at them and wiggling it.  "Come and get it!"  With that, she bolted in the opposite direction the apples had fled, and the ponies began to stumble about trying to turn around to chase after her.

As she flew, Rainbow Dash turned to look the direction the apples had run, and saw Sweet Apple Acres off in the distance.  She wondered if they would make the run all the way there or if they would hide in a house nearby.  Either was fine really.  She would find somewhere else to hide; after all, the sky was hers.  She was one of the few ponies who didn't have to truly fear the undead; indeed, the only thing she was worried about was her friends.  She drifted and turned, deciding that she had lead the herd on enough, and began to descend to hide more among the houses.  Eventually, she landed on a balcony and lowered herself down, peaking just over the ledge.  For several minutes, she heard them, before seeing several run into the street before her.  Many of them slowed and stopped, while others kept on running, chasing prey that was no longer running.  Rainbow grinned to herself and began to skulk backwards, pressing into the balcony door.  Reaching a hoof up carefully, she twisted it and pushed it open, then backed into the house, shutting the door behind her.

"That was clo--"

"Hooves up! Don't move a muscle!"

Rainbow Dash's first instinct was to attack.  Normally, she'd had flipped around and struck, but the feeling of something sharp poking into her back halted that train of though, and instead she slowly raised her hooves into the air.  "Cool it buddy" she said, hoping that the deepness of the voice speaking to her was indicative of a stallion.  "I'm just trying to get away from the horde."

"Yeah, I see that, but most pegasai just went to Cloudsdale.  What're you doing here?" Rainbow slowly turned her head.  "Don't turn around! I don't trust you!" Rainbow re-averted her gaze, setting it upon the balcony door again.  "Why are you here? Every pegasus I know of ran to Cloudsdale.  You have no reason to be here."

"I'm here because I have friends here" Rainbow said clearly, totally not afraid for her life.  "I don't abandon my friends."

"Everypony has their price."  The point on her back pulled away.  "What are you doing here? More specifically, here, in this house?"

"I had to lead the horde away from some of my friends."  Rainbow didn't turn yet, not wanting to upset her captor.  "They were being chased, and I lead the herd away."

"You can turn around."  Rainbow Dash sighed in relief and slowly turned around to face this mystery stallion; to her surprise, she did see the stallion, but somepony else was with him.  A small colt standing by his side, or rather, hiding behind him.  Both of them were an earthy brown color, the stallion himself being more grey, and having golden brown eyes, while the colt had bright blue eyes.  The stallion was noticeably bald, and the colt had a head full of red hair.  Rainbow Dash sighed, somewhat relieved.  "No wonder you were so paranoid... you got a kid.

"Yeah you wanna make something of it sweet-cheeks?" The stallion huffed, holding the spear he had been holding to Rainbow Dash's back to his side.  "Well, you lead them away, so you can take off now.  Go away and do whatever your kind does." Rainbow Dash stared at the stallion and the colt; as soon as her eyes fell on the colt, he seemed to peak around his father some.  "We don't need your kind 'round here.  We can take care of ourselves."

Rainbow eyed the colt for a moment, before turning her attention back to the stallion.  "Wait, what, and leave you two here? I mean... how long have you been here?"

"Thank you for your 'kindness', but we don't need nopony's help."  The stallion huffed.  "How long we been here is nopony's business but our own, so get on goin' now."  Rainbow turned about  and put a hoof on the balcony door, but she looked back at the stallion and his colt again, the small colt seeming to shy behind his father.  She bit her lip, took a breath, and nodded.

"... Sir, I know you don't trust me, but you do know there's a small band of survivors in this town, right?"

"Well duh!" The stallion laughed mockingly.  "We're scattered all over!"

"No no... I mean that there's a group that sticks together and helps each other."  Rainbow Dash's eyes kept going back to the colt whose stare became less intimidated and more... hopeful?

"Good for you."  The stallion snorted.  "I bet you're all proud and happy.  Now go off and have your tea with your friends, cause we don't need nopony else weighing us down and eating our food."

"We have food."  Rainbow scowled.  "We've salvaged enough to last us months at least.  We have that, we have security, we have numbers... sir, we're prepared for the worst this town has to offer."  The stallion's expression seemed to shift suddenly, eyes wide.  "Please sir, if you won't do it for yourself, do it for your son?"

"Wait..." the stallion stopped and stared at Rainbow Dash suspiciously.  He turned his attention to his son, then back to her.  "You tellin' me y'all have food? Lots of food?"

Rainbow Dash put a hoof over the back of her neck.  "Sort of.  We grow most of it, although we really do have a lot of salvaged goods."  The cyan mare beamed.  "If you came with me, I'm sure my friends would let you and your son in without question and we could feed you and you can help us too!" The stallion looked back to his colt, rubbing his chin with his hoof, and then turning back to Rainbow Dash, clearly interested.

"Well buck me sideways and call me Nancy... you all could do that for me an' m' boy?"

Rainbow cringed at his particular choice of words - she wasn't exactly Ms. Clean Mouth, but she rarely swore in front of children.  "Of course."  The stallion put a hoof on his chest and nodded.

"Miss.... uh... Pegasus...?"

"Rainbow Dash"

"Miss Dash, you have done a kindness fer me an' m' boy this day.  I had no idea anypony could be so kind! Please, forgive my earlier rudeness..." The stallion turned back to look at his son, whom Rainbow noticed seemed to flinch as he did.  "Well Rusty, what do ya say to th' nice mare?"

"Th... thhhhhank you mmmmmmiss Rainbow D... D... D... Dash..."

The stallion sighed, rolling his eyes and looking back to Rainbow.  "Forgive the boy, he's got a bit of a stutter, gets hard for 'em to talk.... so! When do we go?"



*********************************



It had been an arduous task getting through the town without drawing too much attention, but Rainbow Dash had managed it.  She had considered staying a night in that house, but she couldn't shake something about that stallion; something she didn't like.  Truth be told, she'd rather not have been leading him back to the farm, but then she considered his son.  That poor colt would stare at her with wonder the entire way back, and cower anytime his father spoke or looked at him.  She knew she'd have to keep her eye on him.

"And here we are!"

"Well slap my junk and call it a Manehattan Hoofshake... ya live on the farm? I figured this place'd be zombie city by now!"

She flinched once more; this stallion was awful fond of some pretty racey phrases and seemed to lack any regard for the presence of children when he says them.  "No..." Rainbow Dash shrugged a bit, looking towards the farm.  "It's pretty secure.  We're far from Ponyville prior, and so long as we don't make a lot of noise, the dead ponies don't come out this far."

Thee stallion chuckled.  "If I'da thought of all that, I'da called dibs at the very start."

Rainbow shrugged.  "Not likely.  We're with the original owners.  But let's stop talking and start walking, shall we?"

The small group of ponies began their trot down the path to Sweet Apple Acres, and Rainbow decided to look at the colt, whose eyes ran over the trees of the farm with such awe.  It was as if he hadn't seen so many apples in one place before in his life.  She smiled a bit, until the colt noticed her looking, then shrunk back a bit.  'Timid little fella...'  As they neared the house, they came across a barbed wire fence that circled around the building that emitted a buzzing noise.  "Hold up, I gotta go shut the power down."  Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and lifted up from the ground, drifting towards a machine that was connected to the fence by wires.  Landing next to it, she pressed a big red button, and the buzzing around the fence ceased.  She returned to the other two, unlocked the fence, and opened it, smiling wide.  "Come on in!"

After shutting the fence back, the ponies made the remainder of their trek until reaching the house door.  Rainbow knocked in a familiar pattern - Shave and a Maincut - and then the door opened, revealing an angry looking Applejack.  "Hey A.J!" Shouted Rainbow Dash with a grin.  "How are you?"

"Where have you been!?" Applejack stomped.  "We've been plumb worried when you didn't come back! We thought you went and got yourself killed!"

"Pfft, as if!" Rainbow grinned and crossed her forelegs.  "I had to lose 'em and hunker down for a bit so I could make my daring escape! Didn't want to lead undesirables back to the HQ! Also, I got newbies!" Rainbow stepped aside, waving a hoof to showcase the stallion and his boy.  "Meet..." She blinked.  "Uhh..."

"Stone Strong, ma'am."  The stallion shoved past Rainbow, taking Applejack's hoof in his and bringing it up to his muzzle, giving it a kiss.  "An' this here's m' boy, Rusty."

Applejack pulled her hoof away, offering an awkward laugh in respond.  "Oh my, uh, how... fancy? Uh, hi there, Mister Stone, Rusty... what can I do ya for?"

The stallion simply gave her most charming look.  "Oh, I'm offerin' for free."

Applejack bit her lip; Rainbow almost chuckled seeing the poor mare looking as if she wished she could be anywhere else right at this moment.  "Uhhh, yyyeeeah, I'll... keep that in mind.  Uhm, well, my name is Applejack, an' this here's the Sweet Apple Acres.  I... suppose we might be able to hold ya... can ya gimme a sec?" Applejack gently moved around the stallion and then past Rainbow Dash.  "Rainbow, can we have a word?" Rainbow Dash gulped and followed the mare until they were distant enough.  Applejack made sure she could see the stallion and his colt as she spoke.

"Rainbow, what're ya doin'!? You can't just bring ponies here without tellin' us! We're on a tight meal plan as it is!"

"What was I supposed to do, Applejack? Leave them out there to die?" Rainbow Dash scowled, crossing her forelegs.  "Look, I know this is short notice, and I know I've been a pain lately, but I couldn't just leave them! I mean... sure the stallion's kinda a jerk, but look at his son!" Applejack looked past Rainbow for a second, then grimaced.

"He looks like any ordinary kid t' me."

"Exactly! He's just an ordinary kid with a bad stutter.  He's terrified and he flinches anytime somepony looks at him.  If it was just the stallion, I'd have trusted him to take care of himself, but that colt? I couldn't sleep at night if I just left him alone out here to whatever fate his dad was happy to fall to!" Applejack raised a hoof and readied to talk, but no words came out.  She tried to speak, but always came just short of a rebuttal.  She scrunched her nose, looking past Rainbow, and then shook her head.

"Alright, alright... I see your point..." Rainbow Dash grinned triumphantly.  "Still, I wish you coulda given us a bit more heads up... I don't even know if we'll have the supplies necessary to deal with two extra ponies..."

"We'll deal" Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Yeah, guess so..." Applejack sighed and stepped back towards the house, Rainbow in tow.  "Well, Stone Strong, Rusty, jus' follow us inside an' I'll show ya where you'll be sleepin' tonight.  Jus' mind yer hooves an' be nice to everypony an' we'll get along jus' fine."

"Oh... I think we'll get along famously..." The stallion chuckled a bit.  Rainbow Dash frowned a bit as she followed them inside.  The more time she spent around this stallion, the less she liked him.

Did I do the right thing?



TO BE CONTINUED...

> Chapter 3 - Rainbow Dash's Remorse - P2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"An' this is where y'all will sleep.  Sorry it ain't really too private, but we're kinda stressin' for space as of late..."

Applejack stepped down into the basement, followed by Stone Strong, Rusty, and Rainbow Dash.  The room had a few twin bunks with iron frames.  "We gathered a bunch of these for some friends... not... all of which managed to make it this far, sadly.  I think we should have space for both of ya, jus' mind yourselves.  Each bed has a single hooflocker for personal belongings... I can give ya a key if ya like..."

"Oh, maybe later..." Stone Strong nodded.  "We got nothin' with us but my spear and empty bellies."

"Well" said Applejack with a sigh, "We don't pass out rations until usually later..."

"Well, for the boy, maybe?" The stallion sighed.  "I can wait if I gotta, but he needs his food."  Applejack looked from the stallion to his foal, who looked up at her with an uncertain look.   The farm mare shook her head and smiled.

"Alright, alright... I think we can spare some of our rations for the lil'un."  Applejack turned and made her way towards the pantry, then pulled her hat off her head.  She placed her muzzle inside, and withdrew a key, placing it into the lock and twisting, pushing the door open.  Stepping inside, she disappeared for a few seconds and returned, holding a can full of beans.  She shut and locked the door back, placing the key back into her hat and setting it on her head.  She trotted towards a nearby shelf, grabbing a can opener and prying the can open, and placing a spoon inside.  Returning to the foal, she gave him the can and smiled.  "Here ya go, lil'un.  You eat up."  The colt looked at the can with wide eyes, then up to her, then smiled.

"Thh.... thhhh.... thank you."

Applejack smiled, patting his mane gently as he began to scoop out beans and eat them ravenously as if he hadn't eaten for days - for all she knew, he hadn't.  She turned and walked back towards the stairs.  "If'n y'all need anything, we'll be upstairs.  Later on, we'll give ya a rundown on our current situation."

"Thank you kindly, Miss Apple."  The stallion nodded.  "I'm forever in your debt."

Applejack passed Rainbow Dash who simply smiled at her, hooves crossed.  The farm mare sighed and rolled her eyes.  "Alright, alright, I can see how you felt you had to help 'em out... that kid's got sweet eyes, I don't think I could say no to 'em."

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"Besides, the right thing to do an' all... I'ma go check on Big Mac, make sure he's got everything planned for our lil' railroad trip."  Applejack made her way out of the hall, and Rainbow Dash nodded.  She was about to make her own way out when she decided to go in and check on the stallion and his son.

"Hey, you've had enough, gimme that can."

Rainbow Dash quirked her brow, somewhat surprised at the demanding tone in the stallion's voice.  She slowly tip-hoofed her way down, trying not to make any noise, and peaked in at the two.  The foal sat next to his father, a sad look on his face as the stallion greedily and hungrily dug into the can, stuffing his face with beans.  Judging by how much he was eating, Rusty might not have even eaten a quarter of what was in the can before he took the food from him.

"D-d-d-daddy... I'm sssssstill hhhhhhungry..."

"Be quiet" the stallion seemed to whisper and yell at once, "You'll get food later.  Your daddy needs his strength if he's gonna keep you safe.  You wanna die? You want to die because your daddy couldn't protect you?"

The foal frowned.  "N... nnn.... nnnnnn-"

"That's what I thought, now be quiet."  She listened to the stallion as he shoveled the beans into his muzzle.  She was angry, she was upset, she wanted to do something... but then, Rainbow thought better of it.  She would talk to somepony else before she acted, realizing she might do something too brash.  She creeped her way back up the stairs and trotted out of the hall, immediately bumping into Scootaloo.

"Heya Rainbow Dash! I heard that the train is done and that we'll be able to leave soon!"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, we will, squirt..." Rainbow Dash sighed and smiled.  "Twilight's got it all worked out.  I'm guessing we'll be leaving within the week or so... we'll likely have to start moving stuff that we're taking with us over to the station though."

"So awesome!" Scootaloo fluttered her tiny wings, hovering in the air.  "I'm gonna go tell the others! They'll be so psyched!" With that, the little orange filly trotted down the hall.  Rainbow Dash smiled and shook her head.  Ever since this whole situation began, that little filly had become like a sister to her; they spent a lot of time together, hanging out, and talking.  She always wanted to have a little sister... secretly, she sometimes liked to pretend that little filly was.  Rainbow Dash began her trot down the hall, deciding to hunt down Applejack.



************************************



"Hey, Applejack? Can I talk to you?"

Rainbow Dash knocked on the door a few times, and heard a bit of shuffling come from behind.  The door opened, and Applejack stood before her, her eyes pink and puffy, as if she had recently been crying.  "Oh, hey Rainbow, how can I help?"

"A.J, you alright?" Rainbow Dash quirked a brow, tilting her head.

"'Course I am, why wouldn't I be?" Applejack snorted, glaring at the pegasus.  "Now, is there anythin' I can help ya with? Or are you gonna continue askin' silly baseless questions?" Rather than push the subject, Rainbow Dash decided to simply move on with her reason for even being here.

"Yeah, about those ponies we just brought in-"

"I know I know" Applejack sighed.  "You were right to do it, don't rub it in, alright?"

"No, it's not that..." Rainbow Dash looked behind her, as if they might pop up any second.  "... The... Stone might be a bit... well, I was sort of sneaking around and he sort of-"

"Rainbow Dash, you know it ain't polite to eavesdrop on other ponies!" Applejack sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a hoof.  "I mean, who knows what personal conversations they might be havin' that you're intruding on!"

"Look, I'm just saying we might wanna keep an eye on him, alright?" Rainbow Dash huffed.  "He's kinda mean to his kid, and I'm gonna be honest if it wasn't for the colt, I'd have just as soon left Stone in that house."

Applejack grimaced, staring at Rainbow Dash for a few seconds.  "... Right, I believe ya, but that's because it was you who brought him here.  We'll keep an eye on him, but jus' remember, if he causes us any trouble, it's on yer head."  Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded.

"Thanks AJ... I needed that pep talk..."

Applejack huffed.  "Look.... if it's anything, Rainbow? I give ya points for wantin' what's best for that colt."  Rainbow smiled a bit.  "You got a good heart, Rainbow."

"Thanks AJ."

The orange mare sighed, looking back into her room.  "Well, I gotta start plannin' for our lil' trip... I'm thinkin' we're gonna try to take off near the end of the week, givin' us time to decide what we're takin' and what we... gotta leave behind...." Applejack sighed and stared down at her hooves.

"You're gonna miss the farm, ain't ya...?"

"Been here my whole life..." Applejack sniffled a bit, wiping her nose with a hoof.  "... It's... it's where my parents... my  Granny... where they..."

"Hey, I know, I know..." Rainbow shook her head and put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.  "Applejack... I can't imagine this is easy... but... I want you to know I understand."

"Do ya?" Applejack spoke in a somewhat bitter tone.  "Did ya have to watch yer granny suffer when some psycho on the street bit her? Did ya have to put your own grandmother down to stop her from hurtin' your lil' sister?" She turned to face Rainbow, fresh tears in her eyes.  "Did you have to do this, all while rememberin' losin' yer parents? Do you know how much it hurts knowin' that they ain't here to help us!?" Rainbow Dash simply stared silently at her friend, frowning.  "You don't know nothin', so don't pretend ya do."

Rainbow sighed and nodded.  "Yeah.  I'm sorry.  I'm just gonna go take off and go back to check on Twilight."  The pegasus turned around and trotted away from her friend, keeping her head high.

"Rainbow, wait-"

"No, it's alright Applejack, really."  Rainbow shook her head without looking back.  "You're right.  I have no idea.  I can't even begin to comprehend what you're going through, so I've got no reason to stick around here.  I hope you figure out whatever you're trying to figure out."  She continued down the stairs, Applejack standing in the doorway to her bedroom, sighing and wiping her eyes as she stepped back in and shut the door behind her.



*********************



"Stupid... self-righteous... unfair Applejack!"

Rainbow growled as she soared through the sky, glaring down at the masses of the undead ponies below.  "She thinks I can't help her? Then fine by me.  She can just stew in her own juices for a while.  I don't care."  The pegasus grimaced hard, her bottom lip trembling.  "Stupid Applejack...."  She kept her eyes on the prize; the train yard.  It wasn't too hard to miss, thankfully, what with the big wall of sheet metal that was once just a fence to keep intruders and thieves away from the precious train garbage.  Twilight had managed to do that (with a bit of decorative help from Rarity - just because it was a defensive line didn't mean it couldn't be beautiful) in order to keep the herd from attacking them while they worked, and every day they worried about potentially losing that place; if the herd managed to get inside, it would be lost to them, and all of their hard work.

Rainbow landed, touching down in the train yard.  She walked towards a door and pushed it open, stepping inside the warehouse; here, she saw the engine that would be hers and her friends' salvation, a series of crates and boxes (a lot of which had been opened), and a few other odds and ends.  She made a brisk trot up some stairs to a catwalk, and made her way across until reaching a door.  Rainbow pushed the door open quietly and peaked around inside; nearby there was a desk with various papers on it, written with such big words that Dash felt they might as well be a foreign language, covered in books about trains.  There were four cots, and laying on one of them was Twilight Sparkle, a book in her foreleg, snoozing away with an empty coffee mug next to her.  Rainbow Dash was sorely tempted to wake her friend up with an amazing prank, but she thought better of it; Twilight hadn't slept for at least 24 hours, and Dash knew the poor mare deserved this rest.  Instead, she opted to make her way to one of the unused cots, climb into it, and make herself comfortable.



*******************



"Rainbow Dash?"

Mmmh.... five more minutes....

"Rainbow Dash, get up!"

Oh cruel world, why did you hate naps? Rainbow Dash groaned and slowly opened her eyes, seeing a tired Twilight Sparkle shaking her.  "Rainbow, we've got a problem! Please, come with me!" Rainbow was quick to climb out of bed at the mention of problems.  The desperation on Twilight's face didn't help much either, and she turned to see Big Mac standing nearby, his eyes wide and filled with as much panic as Rainbow had ever seen in that face.

"Wh... what's wrong?"

"I can't find Applejack!"

"What!?" Rainbow almost jumped, her own eyes widening.  "What happened!? Where is she? Did she leave a note or anything!?"

"No!" Big Mac danced in place.  "She jus' disappeared an' nopony knows where she went but Stone, an' he-"

"She's back where you found me an' my boy."

Everypony turned to see that Stone Strong had stepped into the room, son in tow, though Rainbow couldn't help but notice that the colt was hiding behind his father as if trying not to be seen.  "I told her about some of our stash we had left behind, an' about how we had a bit of food stored up, an' she said she was gonna go look into it.  I'da gone with her, but somepony had to look after m' boy, an'... well, no offense, but I just met y'all."  Rainbow stared at the stallion for a few moments, and he seemed to get a bit nervous.  "... I... kind of overheard y'all talkin' about this here train an' wanted to help."

"If you had food, why didn't you say so before I took you to the farm?" Rainbow scowled at the stallion, glaring daggers at him.  She had only really seen him do one thing wrong... was that enough to be suspicious?

"Well..." He coughed and rubbed the back of his head.  "... I... I just didn't think it'd be important.  The way you talked, I thought you had lots more food than us, an' I figured 'hey, we can always come back here to get what we had'... I mean, you said your group salvages stuff..."  Rainbow Dash felt all kinds of warnings running through her head.

"And why did you bring them here, rather than take them back there?"

The stallion grinned nervously.  "... Mostly? ... Kinda... forgot where it was.  After I mentioned the kind of area it was in, your friend seemed to just sort of figure it out on her own.  I hadn't been in Ponyville long before the uh... outbreak."

Rainbow continued to eye the stallion, and turned to her friends, gesturing them to come closer, and so they all huddled.  "I don't trust this guy one bit..." Rainbow whispered low enough so that Stone nor Rusty could hear.  "He tricked AJ into giving his son a can of beans earlier and took them when she wasn't paying attention... I know it ain't much, but something's definiately fishy here.  What do we do?"

Twilight hummed, tapping a hoof to her chin, exchanging glances with Big Mac.  "... Well... why not make him come with us? We could keep a good eye on him then."  With that, the group split apart and Dash cleared her throat.

"Alright, Stone.  Twilight here will watch Rusty while you, me, and Big Mac go find Applejack.  I remember where the place is, so it should be an easy enough task so long as we keep the herd off us."

"What? No!" Stone scowled.  "I'm sure yer all very nice folk, but I don't know any of ya well enough to leave my boy with ya!"

"Don't be stupid!" Rainbow growled.  "We're giving you food and shelter! What kind of monsters would-"

"Rainbow Dash."  Rainbow stopped and looked back to Twilight, who shook her head and stepped forward.  "How about this Mister Stone-"

"Oh, Mister Stone is my father" the stallion nodded.  "Call me Mister Strong."

Twilight sighed.  "... Stone Strong.  Look, how about this? You and your son can stay here and I'll stay here with you.  I can keep you and your son safe, and Rainbow Dash can take Big Mac to find Applejack.  Once we've got that all sorted out, I can teleport all of us to Sweet Apple Acres."  The stallion bit his lip, seeming rather tense.  He looked down to his son, who seemed to become nervous in his gaze, and looked back to the group.

"I-I guess that's alright..."

"Excellent."  Twilight turned to Rainbow and Big Mac.  "You two go find Applejack.  If you find her, get her back here.  Worry about supplies later.  Remember, get there quick, but don't do anything silly and endanger yourselves."

"Of course!" Rainbow grinned and flexed her hoof.  "When you're as amazing as I am... and... uh... Big Mac I guess..." Big Mac snorted, his stoic expression not changing.  "... Then you can do anything!"

"Well then, let's move!" Big Mac gestured towards the exit, and Rainbow began to make her way out, large red stallion in tow.



*************************



Rainbow had to stay low so as not to lose Big Mac.  She wanted so badly to fly high and soar, to be in the clouds, but this was more important.  It didn't help that she felt this was all some kind of trap.  Maybe she was assuming the worst from too little, but something didn't feel right.  Eventually, they reached the square they were aiming for, and Dash peaked around a corner.

"... Oh... buck me sideways..."

The house was there, but the door was broken down and infected were pouring into the building.  Rainbow and Big Mac exchanged glances for a moment, and she knew they both had the same thought.

Kill all of them.

The two ponies rushed forward, weapons ready.  Big Mac, carrying a large, stone-headed mallet, and Rainbow a bat with a bunch of nails through it.  Mac bucked hard, knocking one of the infected into the crowd and knocking several others over.  They began to take notice of the two ponies and began to turn their attention towards them.  The workhorse gave a powerful swing of his hammer, striking several in the heads and knocking them down and out.  Rainbow took her club and gave it a downward swing, the nails piercing into an infected pony's skull and lodging into their brain, killing them near instantly.  She pried her weapon free, and repeated the process.  As one of the fiends leaped towards Rainbow, it was brought to the ground with a sickening crunch.  Rainbow turned around to see Big Mac grinning over the corpse.  "Thanks Big Guy!"

"Eeyup!"

They continued this for several minutes, until they had killed the last of them.  Shutting the door to buy some time, Big Mac looked around.  "Okay, she's in this house, right? What room is  she in?" The two ponies began to mill frantically about, looking for doors.  Rainbow opened one, revealing a simple closet, and Big Mac opened another to find a pantry filled with empty cans and packaging.  "So much for their secret stash..."

Rainbow flew upstairs to find three more doors.  She pushed one open, seeing only the room she had met Stone and his son in.  She made her way to another and pushed, but it wouldn't budge.  "Weird..." She leaned in, pressing her ear against the door.  She heard... something.  Grunting and groaning sounds.  She couldn't tell what it was, but there was something... somepony in there.  She rammed against the door, though it stood strong.  Not to be defeated, Rainbow turned around and, copying the technique she had seen her friend use so many times before, sent her rear hooves into the wood as hard as she could, tearing the door from it's hinges.  She stepped into the room.  The floor was littered in trash and detritus, as if somepony had spent a lot of time in that one room, and seemed to have been picked clean.  What she noticed most of all, however, was Applejack, struggling against ropes around her hooves, tied to the bed in the room.

Rainbow dashed towards her friend.  "Oh my gosh, Applejack! Are you okay?" Applejack looked to Rainbow, and the light in the room hit her just right.  Her left eye was blackenned, her mane was messy, and she had blood trailing down her chin from beneath a makeshift gag made from a shir and something beneath it.  She seemed to be favoring one of her legs, putting as little strain as she could manage on it; perhaps largely why she hadn't broken from her bonds just yet.  Rainbow was quick to remove the gag.  "What happened!?"

"That... that punk Stone happened..." Applejack coughed.  "He... he told me y'all were here lookin' for some of his supplies, an' you needed my help.  Like an idiot, I followed 'em... an' when I did, he hit me in the head with somethin'..." The mare groaned, wincing.  Just then, Big Mac made his way into the room.

"AJ!" he shouted.  "Y'allright?"

"I'm fine..." Applejack shook her head.  "... jerk dislocated one of my legs... I think I got a few busted ribs..."  Quickly, Rainbow got to work untying her friend, taking care to be easy on the damaged leg.  Big Mac stared over his sister, grimacing, shaking his head.  "He wanted to know where th' train was... took my key to the pantry... made his kid watch as he tortured me for information... our defenses, the train, all of it...."

Big Mac stared at his sister, his grimace turning into utter rage.  "I'm gonna find 'em... and then? I'm gonna break his legs.  After that, I'm throwin' 'em to the herd."  The stallion turned around and began to make his way out.

"Wait!" Rainbow rushed out and stopped the stallion, placing her hoof on his back.  "Look, I know you're angry... so am I... but this is my problem.  I brought him here.  I brought him upon us..." Rainbow moved in front of Big Mac, staring at him pleadingly.  "Please... let me take care of him.  You take Applejack back to the farm and keep her safe."  The stallion stared at her for a few seconds before sighing and nodding.


"You bring him back to me alive.  I wanna be the one that kills 'em."  Rainbow Dash nodded and watched the stallion move to Applejack's side.  "Alright AJ..." he frowned.  "Bite down on this pillow... this is gonna hurt a bit..."  Rainbow wasted no time in rushing out of the house and taking to the sky; fortunately drawing the undead away from it.  She didn't really want to be there when Applejack had her foreleg popped back into place.  As she flew up into the sky, the sight of fireworks flaring upward, popping and bursting right over the train yard did nothing to improve her mood.

Rainbow Dash bolted, fast as a bullet, in the direction of the train yard, landing immediately.  Several boxes of Pinkie Pie's fireworks had seemingly been lit and were flaring upwards.  'He's trying to draw the herd's attention here? But why?'  Rainbow quirked a brow, and then gasped.  "He's still here with Twilight!" That thought was all she needed to rush to the warehouse and kick the door open, running inside.  She flew up onto the catwalk, and immediately made her way into the office-turned-sleeping quarters.  There, she found a familiar purple alicorn laying unconscious on the floor, bleeding from the head.  "Oh sh-Twilight!" Rainbow rushed to her friend's side and hefted her front end up and gave her a little shake.  Twilight's eyes fluttered open a bit, but then she winced and hissed, placing a hoof on the back of her head.

"Ah.. wh... what ha..." she pulled her hoof back, seeing it covered in blood.  "Is that...?"  Rainbow was quick to move her friend to a nearby cot and flew towards the emergency first-aid kit on the desk, flying back to the princess with it and fishing out some bandages, immediately getting to work wrapping them around her head.

"Twilight, what happened!?"

Twilight hissed once more in pain as the bandaging was applied.  "I... I don't know... last thing I remember was talking to Rusty about trains... and then... I think I got hit on the head...?" She winced, placing a hoof over her head.  "Ugh... wow that smarts..."  Once more, a hiss, but this time not from Twilight.  Both ponies ears perked up, and they exchanged glances.

"The train!"

Twilight tried to stand, but Rainbow held her down.  "Twilight, rest! Or... teleport! That punk set off some fireworks and this place might get flooded in a bit!"

"I can't use magic.." Twilight groaned and rubbed her head.  "Magic after sustaining a head inju-"

"Fine! Be right back!" Rainbow bolted away from her friend and, throwing concern to the wind, smashed through the window.  Much to her irritation, the train had already begun it's move to get to the main track.  'Stupid Twilight's and her stupid smartly laid out early preparations!' Rainbow flew after the train, thankful that it hadn't yet reached full speed, and landed on the back.  Pulling the door open, she saw Stone and Rusty both turn to her in shock.

"What the fu-"

A hoof slammed into his mouth, and Stone's body slammed into the wall.

"That was for stealing your kid's food!"

Stone began to move around, shaking his head.  Another hoof struck him and he slammed against the control panel.

"That was for hurting my best friend!"

Rainbow grabbed either side of his face.

"And this is for making that poor foal watch you did it!"

Rainbow slammed her head against his, the back of his head striking the wall, and the stallion simply slumped, down for the count.  Rainbow snorted and spat on him, then turned her attention to the control panel.  "We're gonna get this thing turned around... uh... somehow... go back to Ponyville, and then we'll decide what we're doing with you..."

"I... " the stallion sputtered.

"Shut up."

"I am not going back!"

Stone jumped up and grabbed Rainbow Dash, and the two began to struggle.  "I am not going back to that hell hole!"  Stone then delivered a kick, sending Rainbow backwards, and bumping into something.

"Daddy!"

Both turned and watched as Rusty was flung backwards, flying off the back end of the train.  Instinct kicked in for Rainbow Dash, and she jumped from the train, spreading her wings, hoping against hope to save him. There was little she could do, however; mere seconds after she took flight, the boy bounced off the ground, and his body fell slack.  Rainbow pushed with all her might to go forward and grabbed him mid-air, and then shifted to doing everything in her power to stop her own momentum.  Slowly, the pegasus came to a stop, and she landed safely in some nearby grass, where she held the foal up and started to speak, to ask him if he was okay.  Rainbow stopped the moment she saw those big, innocent eyes, so filled with terror, staring back at her.  Through her.  Into eternity.  "No..." She whispered it to herself and shook her head.  She placed a hoof on his chest, and felt nothing.  No beat or breath.  No twitch or spasm of muscle.  Nothing.  "No...."

Rainbow simply sat there, in the field outside of Ponyville, staring at those eyes, into the eyes of death.  She felt a pain worse than anything she had felt before.  She felt a burning sensation in her eyes, and it felt as if her chest were going to implode as her body trembled.  She cradled the foal in her hooves, and pressed her forehead against his.

And Rainbow Dash wept.  Focus no longer on the train that continued to chug, making it's way into the distance.



****************************



Rainbow Dash stared with empty eyes at the makeshift tombstone - a rock with a name etched into it.  One of several rocks, each one bearing either a name or a cutie mark.  She had never really known the foal, and yet his loss had utterly destroyed her.


'Rusty'


"Rainbow Dash? You should come inside.  It's gettin' late."

Rainbow didn't respond.  She simply stared at that stone.  Applejack trotted up next to her, her own eyes tired and stressed, pink even, and placed a hoof on her back.  "Dash... you been out here for hours... come back inside before it gets too dark..."

"I killed him, Applejack."

"Pardon?"

"I killed him..." Rainbow bit her lip.  "... I was responsible."  Rainbow continued to stare at the rock that marked the foal's grave.  "If I hadn't gone off on my own... if I hadn't found them... if I had done something when his father stole his food... if I had listened to my gut when we came looking for you.... maybe he'd still be alive..."

Applejack frowned.  "Rainbow Dash..."

"No..." Rainbow's voice cracked a bit.  "Don't you even bother telling me it wasn't my fault.  Don't you dare..." The pegasus turned to her farm friend.  "The worst part of it is... the worst part of it is that had I just let him go? Had I just let the train go and forget them? Maybe Rusty'd be alive.  He'd still be with his jerk father, but he'd be alive! He'd have the food his dad stole from the pantry to keep them satisfied until they reached the next town!"  Rainbow's lip trembled.  "... Instead... instead, he's dead..."  She choked a bit, shaking her head.  "... He's dead... and it's all my fault..."

The orange mare sighed, staring at her friend with utter pity.  "... Fine.  I won't tell you it couldn't have been better."  Rainbow didn't respond.  Applejack wanted to give her a lecture, wanted to tell her something, but what could she say? She sighed.  "... But... this is the way it is.  And there's no changing that... I'm sorry sugar cube..."

Rainbow Dash turned to look at the stone again, her lip trembling once more.  That cold rock seemed to bore into her very soul.

"Rainbow?"

The pegasus turned to her friend.  "... If you want... if you want a shoulder to cry on... I promise... I promise I won't tell anypony."  Rainbow glared at Applejack, as if offended she would even suggest the potential that she might cry.  But then, her glare softened.  Soon, she had her hooves wrapped around the other mare, and buried her muzzle into her mane.  Applejack hugged her back, and began to gently stroke her friend's mane and upper back as Rainbow began to sob into her.

She didn't know if it was a good time or not to tell Rainbow Dash that the train had not been fueled properly and would likely run out in the hills, long before reaching another town.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESENT DAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The three ponies stalked around a corner and Pinkie Pie took a quick peak.  She turned back and giggled.  "Right! there's a bunch just in front of the Town Hall, but I got one more Pinkie Pie's Party Pooper Projectile Party Popper Pipe (Patent Pending) left, so I think I can distract them!"  Reaching into her bag, Pinkie withdrew another pipe and spat it into her hoof.  Grabbing a match between her teeth, she struck it on one of her rear hooves, lit the fuse, and then hurled it past the crowd.  Then, they sat, and waited.  And waited.

And waited.

"What's taking so long?" Rainbow scowled.

Pinkie bit her lip.  "Uh.... uh-oh.  That must have been a dud?"

Rainbow Dash suppressed a groan and shook her head.  "Great! Now what do we do?"

"Well..." said Rarity, biting her lip.  "... they're distracted.  Maybe if we're quick and quiet, we can sneak past them?"  Rainbow stared for a bit, wanting to say 'yes' but knowing it might be less risky to simply find somewhere else to go.

"Let's go around them... maybe we can find somewhere else to hide."

Rainbow tried to help Rarity turn, but the fashionista simply nodded and pulled away.  "Thanks Rainbow... I think I have enough strength to walk on my own now..."  Rainbow Dash simply nodded, and the three ponies began to move around the house.

And bumped into an infected around the first corner.

They all stopped, staring wide-eyed as the beast looked down at them, each one standing stone still.

Fourth Rule of the undead: Their senses are dulled.  Slow movements and silence will not usually draw their attention too easily, with the only one of their senses that is sharpened being their sense of smell.

The creature lunged forward, letting out a horrified screech.

Fifth rule of the undead: When close to an infected pony, ignore all of rule 4 accept for one part - they have a sharpened sense of smell.

Rainbow Dash swung her club forward, striking the creature's head, watching it spin halfway around as it's body fell limp.  The mass around the corner began to moan and groan loudly.  "Go around! Go around!" The group hurried on the way they were running earlier, hoping that, if nothing else, an escape might have been made.   Peaking around the corner, Rainbow saw several of the undead making their way towards the alley they had been peaking from.  Seeing their chance, all of them began to slowly creep across the street, towards the building.  Ascending the steps, Rainbow grabbed the doorknob and twisted pushing it open and hurrying her three friends inside, shutting it back behind them.

"That was close!" Rainbow huffed and slid against the door.  Pinkie fell to her side and let out a 'whew' and Rarity simply fell to her stomach.

"First thing I do when I get back to the farm... I'm going to ask Fluttershy to give me a massage..."

"Oh?" Pinkie chirped.  "I thought the first thing you'd do would be walk into the house? I mean, I guess Fluttershy might be somewhere else but-"

"Oh Pinkie" interrupted Rarity, "Don't you ever dare change."

"I'll try! That should be easy cause ponies don't usually change, although Twilight kind of did so-"

Suddenly, the door began to jar and shake as something slammed against it, knocking Rainbow Dash over.  The mares all jumped to their hooves, staring in horror at the door as it shook and rattled violently as something struck it.

"I thought we got past them...!" whispered Rainbow Dash.

Rarity gulped.  "They... might have caught us turning the corner...?"

The door kept rattling and shaking as hooves slammed into it, the hinges loosening.  "Run everypony!"  With that, all three ponies bolted away from the door and up a nearby staircase, reaching the second floor.  Rainbow pushed the door open, the sound of the one downstairs finally breaking off it's hingest their signal to keep up the pace.  Looking over the ledge, they realized that they might have made a dead end.

"Rainbow, you have to fly us down!"

Rainbow Dash bit her lip, looking to Rarity and Pinkie.  She wanted to say no.  She promised herself she wouldn't.  Her arrogance had caused so much harm.

"Rainbow Dash!"

But if she didn't, their alternative was to either jump into the horde below or try to run through the one on the other side of that door, which began to shake violently from a pounding inside.  Quickly, Rainbow grabbed hold of Rarity and flapped her wings, lifting off.  She felt a great deal of strain as she picked her friend up; it had been so long since she had really flown, her muscles were likely weaker even than Fluttershy's at this point.  It took some effort, but she finally got Rarity to a balcony on a house across the street (on the side facing away from Town Hall).

A crashing sound and a scream turned her attention back.

Pinkie was hanging by her only forehoof from the ledge as the undead ponies reached down for her; she had gone past the railing and the only way to her would be through it, something Rainbow knew they'd have no problem doing as she watched a few lean too far and fall into the crowd below.  "Hold on Pinkie!" She flapped her wings as hard as she could, dashing towards her friend.  Just then, one of the infected fell over the ledge and landed on Pinkie, knocking her down, eliciting a horrible cry from Pinkie.

Until Rainbow swooped her up and flew around, back to where she had taken Rarity.

She dropped Pinkie onto the balcony and fell on her stomach, panting and heaving.  Her wings ached terribly like they might fall off; for all she knew, they might.  "You... you weren't bitten were you?"

Pinkie placed her hoof around her body, looking herself over.  "Uhh... nope, I'm good!"

"Me too" said Rarity with a sigh.  "Though I dare say I think I've had more than enough excitement for one lifetime..."

"Me too..." Rainbow groaned.  "Ugh... I broke my vow..."

"And not a moment too soon, I say..." Rarity smirked.  "I dare say, had you kept it, we'd all be a three course meal by now."

"Yeah! I'da lost more than my little hoofsy!" Pinkie waved her stub around.  "I gotta live long enough for Twilight to figure out how to give me a really cool prosthetic, or a peg leg, or a hook! I can be a pirate!"

Rainbow Dash sighed, shaking her head.  "... But flying makes me arrogant, and I-"

"Is this about that foal?" Rarity sighed.  "Rainbow? Look.  As somepony who knows what she's talking about, yes, it's horrible, but it's in the past.  You can spend the rest of your life beating yourself up over it or... or..." Rarity blinked, sighed and slapped a hoof against her own face.  "I feel so stupid..."  Rainbow Dash quirked a brow, staring at her marshmallow friend.  "I was about to... to kill myself for failing Sweetie Belle and here I am giving you the lecture you should be giving me!"

"Wait, you tried to kill yourself!?" Pinkie piped.

"Rainbow Dash..." Rarity stood up and walked towards the pegasus, sitting next to her.  "What happened to little Rusty was terrible... but it couldn't be helped."

"I could have-"

"Yes, you could have" Rarity interrupted.  "You could have ignored them and left them to die in that hovel.  You could have taken him from his jerk father and, yes, I know on retrospect that would have been better for him, but with what you knew at the time, it would have been wrong and, essentially, kidnapping."  Rarity put her hooves on Rainbow's face, turning her to face her.  "I won't pretend you couldn't have made better choices, Rainbow.  We all could have... but sometimes, you do the best you can, and you have to play with the hoof you're dealt.  You did what you thought was best at the time.  You can spend the rest of your life letting that hurt you... or you can honor Rusty's memory and do everything in your power to prevent it from happening again.  And you know what? You may even fail at that.  But if you keep this up, you stand to lose a lot more."  Rainbow looked away from Rarity, back to her hooves.

"Rainbow Dash... I hate to say it... but this... this is not about saving everypony... this..." She gestured between her and her friends.  "This is about saving everypony you can.  This is about doing as much good as you can, knowing you can't save them all.  If you can't accept that... then your life may be a short and miserable one.  It's a harsh truth, but..." Rarity took a deep breath and sighed, shaking her head.  "... But there will be times when we fail.  It maybe small, or it maybe great.  All we can hope to do is keep our failures small..." The unicorns turned from her friend, and made her way from the room.  "I'm going to make sure we don't have company... Pinkie? Be a dear and follow?"  Pinkie Pie nodded and followed Rarity, giving Rainbow one more glance and a sad smile before leaving the room.

Rainbow stared at the door as they left and frowned a bit, shifting her attention back at her hooves.



*******************************



It was dark out, and there was little light save that which was offered by the moon.  The sounds of the dead outside had become commonplace; it almost disturbed Rainbow Dash at how accustomed she was to it.  She stared silently up at the ceiling, pondering upon everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours.  She turned to look over at Rarity, who was sleeping next to her; Pinkie Pie on the other side of Rarity, all of them sharing a queen sized bed.  Rainbow snickered to herself at all the jokes she could come up with in a split second.  She turned to look out the window at the starry night sky.  She gave one more glance back at her friends, and then slowly eased herself out of the bed, making her way to the balcony door.  Gently easing it open, she stepped outside and shut it back as quietly, and peaked over the edge of the balcony; the alley was empty.  Rainbow bit her lip and looked up at the stars.  She took a deep breath, and let go.

Rainbow then spread her wings, and began to flap.

And so, she soared.  High above the city; high enough that the herd below would never notice her.  Not as fast as she once did, but that was not important.  No, Rainbow had something else right now, something that she had missed.  Freedom.  Not just freedom from the harsh reality below her, but freedom from everything that had plagued her.

That thought halted her mid-air.  No.  She would not be free from everything.  She couldn't let herself be entirely without responsibility.

That night, she made a new vow.

She would save all she could, and remember the foal she failed until her final breath.

And if she ever saw Stone again? Well... she would reach that bridge when she came to it.



~~~~~~~~~~~ THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INFECTION BEGAN ~~~~~~~~~



".... No no no, don't slow down on me, come on... come ooon..."

Stone began to panic as he fumbled with the controls, the train slowing to a halt.  "Don't do this to me baby! Ain't I been good to you? Come on! Come on!!" He kicked the panel whimpering and hyperventilating as the train finally hissed to a stop.  He grumbled and pushed the door open, climbing down from the armored steam engine.  He swore as loud as he possible could, kicking the train and letting out a long string of curses and swears.

He only stopped when he noticed movement.  Stone turned around looking into the darkness of the trees.  "I'm on the hills" he thought to himself.  "... Ain't nopony stupid enough to wander out here during an infection..."  It was then he heard a loud screech.

Stone jumped around just in time to get pounced by a manticore.

He didn't even have time to scream.
> Chapter 4 - Pinkie Pie's Promise - P1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click.

That sounded like a door.

Silence permeated through the room for several minutes.  She felt her heartbeat pick up near instantly when that click seemed to rattle the entire room in her own mind; one tiny noise that stuck out over the faint groaning and hissing noises that were a constant just outside.

Pinkie Pie's ears swiveled and spun as she felt a creaking and the bed shift.  Immediately, she grabbed a golf club that was sitting next to her and held it up.  "Touch either of us and you'll be singing a few octaves higher buster-oh Hi Rainbow Dash!" Indeed, her rainbow maned pegasus friend had jumped back and stuck against the wall, eyes wide.  "What're you doin' up silly?"

"I-I-I was just.... getting some fresh air..." said Rainbow, clearly quite surprised.

Pinkie Pie sat the golf club back down, sitting on her haunches, watching Rarity roll over, still fast asleep.  Pinkie cleared her throat and spoke more towards a whisper.  "Sorry about that.  So, did you have fun flying?"

Rainbow tensed a bit; she had no idea why she was embarrassed about it, but she simply blushed and nodded.  "Y-yeah..." The pegasus released a sigh.  "... I'd forgotten just how free flying made me feel... "

"I'm glad."  Pinkie Pie smiled for her friend.  "I'm glad you finally found a way to love yourself."

Rainbow smirked, shaking her head.  "Pinks... you always find a way to make things weird."

"It's true, but so is what I said."  Pinkie turned and stepped from the bed; her efforts rewarded by falling face first into the floor.  She groaned and whimpered a little, waggling her stump where her left hoof had once been.  Slowly, the pink party pony pulled herself up, dusted herself off, and smiled.  "Sorry..."

"You alright?" Rainbow had moved around the bed toward her friend, concern etched in her face.  "That looked rough..."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine..." Pinke cleared her throat up a bit, looking down to her stump and wiggling it.  "I forget it's gone sometimes.  Not usually a problem, but makes things like stairs and getting out of bed silly sometimes..."  Rainbow Dash sat next to her friend, patting her on the shoulder, but Pinkie shoved her away, smiling wide.  "It's alright though!" She nodded towards Rainbow.  "Sure, it's inconvenient, but I'm alive, right? And now I can get a really cool replacement from Twilight next time we head to the hospital!"

Rainbow simply chuckled and nodded; no mirth in her as she did.  "Yeah, of course Pinkie.  Of course."

"Well then!" Pinkie hopped back into the bed.  "Let's get some sleep! We've got a big day of sneaking around tomorrow, and we'll need all the rest we can get!"  Rainbow looked at her friend a few seconds, not hiding her own concern for her, before finally relenting and making her way around to the other side of the bed, climbing into it and pulling the covers over herself.

"Goodnight, Pinkie" Rainbow said.

"Night Rainbow" responded Pinkie Pie.

And so, the room fell silent.  The two lay silently, though Pinkie found herself unable to sleep.  She turned around a few times, trying to get comfortable, but no go.  Time passed, an soon, she had noticed an hour had gone by and she was still awake.  Defeated, the pink pony lifted her head to look over her marshmallow friend, and whispered.

"Rainbow Dash...?"

No response.

"... Rainbow Dash?"

She still remained quiet.

Pinke lifted herself higher so she could better see over Rarity towards Rainbow, whose chest heaved up and down.  The pink pony slowly eased herself from the bed, making double sure she put the right hoof forward first (so as not to fall over).  After she eased her way out of bed, Pinkie quietly made her way out of the room and into the hallway.  Pinkie looked towards another door that was cracked open, and made her way towards it.  She nudged it open with her forehead, and using her flank, closed it back behind her.  The room was messy with damaged, worn foal's clothes and toys scattered about, a twin bunk on one end of the room, a dresser on the other, and a closet that was opened and picked clean.  She made her way to the beds and climbed into the bottom bunk, pulling the pillow close to herself and snuggling into it.  Biting her lip and squeezing her eyes, she looked to her hoof-stub and waggled it a bit, then pressed into the pillow and, free from the prying eyes of friends, Pinkie Pie wept.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THREE MONTHS AFTER INFECTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



"What does the doggy say?"

Two little foals sat staring confusedly at their speaker.  Pinkie grinned enthusiastically, holding a card with a picture of a dog.  "Doggy says 'woof woof!' Can you say that?"

Suddenly, Pumpkin grinned an adorable baby grin.  "Woofwoof!"

Pinkie let out a gasp.  "That's right, Pumpkin! The doggy goes woof!" Pinkie lifted the little filly up and gave her a few pecks on the cheeks and nose.  "Who's a smart cookie? You're a smart cookie! Yes you are yes you are!" She noticed little Pound Cake staring at her, his expression rather neutral.  "Oh! Pound Cake, you're smart too!" She pulled the colt towards her and hugged and nuzzled him as well, and then kissed both foals foreheads.  "You're both sweety sweet sweet smartum sweetums!"  A loud, despairing cry from down stairs caught Pinkie Pie's attention.  She carried the foals to their crib and gently set them inside.  "Don't worry, Auntie Pinkie will be right back! Be good!" With that, the pink pony bolted out of the guest-bedroom-turned-nursery and down the stairs.

As she entered the living room, Pinkie noticed two things; one, that Applejack and Big Mac were back, and two, that a familiar blue, somewhat portly pony, was bawling her eyes out, hugging onto a somewhat tense Big Macintosh who seemed to be trying to comfort her.  Pinkie's mouth hung a bit, looking between ponies.  This wasn't right at all.  They weren't supposed to be alone.  "What? What's wrong?" she asked.  "Where are the others? Rainbow? Twilight? Mister Cake...?"

The room seemed to become still and silent, save for Mrs. Cake's continued sobbing.  Big Mac and Applejack exchanged sad glances, the younger sibling seeming to relent and turn to Pinkie.  Applejack bowed her head and slowly made her way toward Pinkie Pie, then put a hoof on her shoulder.  "Pinkie..." she began, her voice soft, almost cautious.  "... Twilight stayed back with the train... to make sure everythin' is in order... an' Rainbow..." The orange mare fell silent, sighing.  "... Well... I've no idea where she ran off to..."

Applejack slowly looked up, her eyes meeting with her pink friends.  Pinkie noticed them glistening slightly, pained... like she wanted to say something, but simply couldn't bring herself to do it.  "Pinkie..." Applejack grimaced, shaking her head again.  "... Carrot Cake... he's... he..."

"He didn't make it" interrupted Big Mac, although not in the least bit rudely.  "... We were scavenging... got ambushed.  They grabbed 'em..." Big Mac frowned and bowed his head.  "... There was nothin' we could do..."

"Nothing you could do?" said Mrs. Cake bitterly.  "Nothing you could do!? You could have left him here with me! You could have kept him from going with you! You know he isn't strong! You lead him to his death you stupid idiots!"  She began to pound on Big Mac's chest, the larger pony not seeming to be overly bothered by it.  "You took my poor Ca... Carrot.... my... my sugarcup..." Cup Cake's  lip trembled.  "You... took my husband into the heart of madness and it killed him..."  She hit Big Mac a few more times, though each punch was weaker than the last.  Finally, she broke down and pressed her face into his chest again and resumed sobbing uncontrollably.

Pinkie simply shook her head.  "That's not possible..." she said quietly.  "... Mister Cake said he'd come back... that he'd stay out of trouble... he'd never lie..."

"Pinkie... it ain't like that..." said Applejack.

Pinkie didn't say anything.  Indeed, she didn't seem to be registering anything at the moment.  She simply stared into nothingness as a broken mare sobbed into Big Macintosh's barrel, and Applejack continued speaking words that meant nothing to the pony at this moment in time.


***************************************


"... And so, we commend these ponies to the everafter... we mourn their loss, but take peace in the knowledge that they are in a better place.  Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

Death was something nopony was new to anymore.  Indeed, they had built their own personal grave yard on the acres to mourn those whom they lost.  Only a few of the graves actually held any bodies, however.

In this instance, they only had one to commend to the earth, as two ponies gently eased a small wooden box into the earth.

Pinkie stared at that box.

'A coffin so small should never have to be made.'

As the funeral ended, the coffin was buried; a stone reading 'Rusty' placed right above it's head.  Nearby, another stone was being set that read 'Carrot Cake'.  Having known everypony in Ponyville, this was not the first time the pink mare considered the situation; how shameful it is they could not make better headstones for their departed.

Pinkie turned about and watched as several ponies began to leave to return to life as normal (or at least as normal as can be).  It still hurt her to see Applejack so damaged and bruised, but the mare was strong, and Pinkie knew she'd be alright.  Rainbow Dash had fallen quiet and sombre; indeed, even Big Mac had started talking more to try to get her to speak up.

The loss of Carrot Cake.  The death of the foal.  Pinkie had no idea which one broke her heart more.  She turned to look at the headstone with a frown.  'I never even knew these two ponies' she thought to herself.  Maybe if she had thrown them a welcome party, things would have been different?'

It was then that a new thought hit Pinkie.

Slowly, but surely, they were dying.

"... We're dying..." she thought to herself.  'We're fighting a losing struggle... we may only lose one pony every three months... but in a year, that would be four ponies dead...'  The pink mare slowly looked out at all the graves.  Only a few of them were ponies lost after the initial infection; many of them were symbolic of loved ones found dead, or worse.  '... We can't keep going as we are now...' she thought to herself.  'If something doesn't change... we'll all die...'

Pinkie sat in one place, her mind racing.  Fears, worries, concerns... all buzzing in her head like bees.

And the more she thought of this, the more she thought of the twins.  'They aren't even walking' she thought, 'and they are stuck in this nightmare.  At this rate, they'll be dead before they can even....'

'No.'

Pinkie grimaced.  "No."  She threw her hooves up.  "No! I won't let that happen!"

Pinkie knew what needed to be done.  And so, she headed back to the farm, ready to plan, ready to do better.

"For the twins!"


**************************************


"So... what you mean to say is that we've basically lost the train yard and everything in it?"

Twilight sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.  "Yeah... I don't know why that monster set off an entire box of fireworks, but he did, and now the train yard is crawling with infected.  I think he wanted to keep us distracted... I don't know, maybe he even simply wanted to kill us or draw our attention?"  The alicorn shook her head.  "Point is... all the supplies and salvage in the train yard might be beyond us for a while, at least until the herd loses interest in staying there."

"THAT SUCKS!"

Everypony jumped and turned to look to a large, overly muscular pegasus stallion.  Fluttershy simply patted his side.  "It is terrible, Bulk Biceps, but I think we can manage."  The three ponies sat at a table located in the Apple Family's kitchen.  Unlike the outside which seemed heavily fortified, the inside of the house still seemed normal, save for the sheet metal that was stuck to the window shutters and the bars that covered the windows themselves.  There was little light to be had, save for a few candles keeping the room lit up.

"Fluttershy is right" Twilight nodded.  "I think the biggest loss is what he took from our pantry.  According to Big Mac, at least a quarter of our canned goods have been taken, which means we might have to run into town and salvage more... " The lavender princess shook her head, closing her eyes.  "It seems like the herd isn't getting any thinner.  It won't be easy going out there to salvage what we lost, especially now that we've lost Carrot... we're going to need to consider ways to improve our food production... I may have to resort to magically encouraging vegetable growth..."  She sighed.  "Problem is, I don't have the right equipment..."

Everyone fell quiet as Pinkie stepped into the room, humming.  They watched her in silence as she made her way towards their table and sat down.  "Hiya Twilight! Fluttershy! Bulk Biceps! Whatcha doin'?"

"Well..." started Twilight, "We're trying to come up with a plan to salvage our lost food."

"Oh! That sounds fun!" Pinkie nodded.  "Want me to help?"

Twilight smiled a sympathetic smile - the kind of smile you gave to ponies you felt bad for.  Why did she have to feel bad for Pinkie? "Pinkie, thanks, but we've got a bit in it already and-"

"Oh, but I can contribute a lot!" Pinkie bounced up and down.  "I mean, I've been practicing with making stuff lately when Mrs. Cake is taking care of the twins, which I admit isn't happening a lot these past few days, but I've been reading up on some of those books you brought with you here!"

"Pinkie..." Twilight sighed.  "We need you here.  You need to take care of the twins and Mrs. Cake, now more than ever..."

"Oh! Mrs. Cake and the Twins are fine!" Pinkie giggled.  "Why wouldn't they be?" Everypony stared at Pinkie Pie for a few minutes.  They gave each other a glance, before turning back to their pink friend.

"Pinkie... you are aware that Carrot Cake is.... is..." Fluttershy whimpered as she tried to say it.

"Dead."  Twilight grimaced; she didn't want to say it anymore than Fluttershy did, but she had to in her own mind.  "We've lost Carrot Cake.  The Cakes must be going through a lot of hard times... I'm... honestly surprised you're taking this as well as you are..."

Pinkie giggled.  "Oh please! Carrot Cake was a good pony, but there's no point in being sad! Crying and moping won't bring him back! I mean, if it would, then I'm sure he'd be back by now cause Mrs. Cake has been crying a lot!" Pinkie smiled at her friends, who all shared glances that bordered between sympathy and uneasiness.

"You know..." Twilight sighed and shook her head.  "Maybe we should give this another day to consider.  Our food supply has suffered, but we're not too low... we have enough to last us the month at the very least."

"I agree..." Fluttershy nodded.  "I think I'm going to go to bed... it's been a long day and I could use a nap..."

"Yeah!" shouted Bulk Biceps.  "Power nap!"  With that, the three ponies stood from their seats and made their ways towards the basement door.

"But wait!" Pinkie gasped.  "I can be super useful! I'm learning how to make stuff! Noise makers... uhh... noise makers! I can make noise!" She watched as her friends made their way towards their makeshift bed space.  Pinkie simply stared, her ears lowering and her head drooping sadly.  "I can help..." she said quietly to nopony in particular, alone in the quiet stillness of the dining room.  She looked towards the candle on the table, letting out a depressed sigh before leaning forward and blowing it out.  "Make a wish, Pinkie Pie..." she whispered to herself with a mirthless smile.  Pinkie then stood up, and made her own way from the kitchen.

Pinkie made her way through the living room, up the stairs, and into the hall where several doors waited; one lead to Applejack's room, and another to Big Mac's.  The last one down the hall, the master bedroom, was Granny Smith's room; to this day, nopony occupied it, mostly because Applejack did not wish to see the room change.  That didn't matter though; Pinkie focused on one door in particular.  Slowly, she reached a pink hoof up, turned the knob, and pushed it open...

Inside, she saw the crib with the two foals sleeping soundly, and nearby their mother on the bed.  Pinkie's eyes fell immediately on an empty bottle laying where her hoof was hanging, and made her way towards the mare.  'Apple Family Special Brew' it read.  Pinkie frowned.  "Oh Cup Cake..." she whispered.  Shaking her head, Pinkie slowly made her way to the crib.  Peaking inside, she saw the twins, sound asleep.  A soft, warm smile built on her face as she looked over them.

"Heya, little baby Cakes..." Pinkie said quietly.  ".... Did you know that your daddy is a hero?"  The sleeping foals didn't respond.  Pinkie Pie giggled quietly.  "... Yes.  He is a hero" she continued.  "... Even before the bad ponies... he was a dear friend.  He was like a big brother for me... always willing to listen to my problems... always there to lend a hoof..."  She sighed.  "... He gave me a job when I had no where else to turn to." She giggled a bit, shaking her head.  "I'll never forget... Cup Cake always thought he was having an affair, and would never let us be alone... eventually, though, Carrot talked to her... and made her realize she was the only pony for him."  Pinkie blinked a few times, pretended to look around, and smiled.  "Between you and me... I thought he was cute... but Pinkie Pie knows better than to mess with a good thing."  She giggled once more to herself, shaking her head, staring down at the infants.  Her smiled slowly faded, and she sighed once more.

"... Just remember..." she took a deep breath.  "... He did it... because he loves you."  She smiled again.  "... You and your mother... they meant the world to him... and I know... that if he had the option.... he would do it all over again, just to know you had one more day..."

Pumpkin squirmed and made a sour face, but seemed to calm back down.  Pinkie smiled, leaning in to gently kiss the foreheads of both babies.  She then made her way to a mattress on the floor, laying into it and pulling the covers over herself.  She snuggled up with her pillow and yawned, closing her eyes.

"... And... I won't let him down..." she said to herself.  "... Because I love you like my own nephew and niece..."  Pinkie smiled softly, before drifting off into sleep.



TO BE CONTINUED...