> Mind Game 2
>  by Dreamcloud1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Devotion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I lowered my purple head, deep in thought, Rainbow was still out there.  Whether she was dead or alive I didn’t know, but I did know that she would do the same for me if I was in her position.  I she needed me, and I needed her; I, Twilight Sparkle, 
Pinkie Promise, to find her, to the best of my ability.

“Captain Sparkle” I heard the lieutenant say in a concerned voice “You seem a bit… distant…”

“I’m fine” I told him spinning around “I need to have an urgent discussion with Luna.”

“Yes ma’am” said the lieutenant saluting “Are you going to teleport, or should I call for a chariot.”

“This is important, I’ll teleport.” I said before conjuring the spell.

“Good luck Captain” He said before I disappeared.

Teleporting was a complicated spell; it wasn't as simple as disappearing and reappearing in a different place.  The spell simply flips you to a separate dimension most ponyosiphers call “Space 0”.  It allows anypony in it to move extremely fast as space is distorted, therefore a step in this dimension could equal a hundred steps in Equestria, or it could mean you travel backwards a couple miles.  It was up to the spell caster to decide how space is distorted; it took a lot of energy which is why most can only teleport a short distance. 

Yet with my magical ability and intellect I could teleport with ease, but it took a bit of walking to get halfway across Equestria.  My mind began to wander on the topic of the past few weeks.  


-----Flashback----
-

I had left for Canterlot and had gotten delayed more than ever thought possible.  It seemed at every turn there was a new impassable object or un-slayable hoard.  I at one point had to take refuge at another group’s camp for a couple days, in 
exchange for a magical jumpstart to their generator of course.

I had managed to get to Canterlot slightly too late.  As I finally close enough to see the magnificent city, I saw the missiles coming down, I saw the blast, I felt the blast knock me off my feet.  I heard the deafening roar of the missiles finding their target.  I heard the shrieks of both undead and living as their life essence was stolen from them, and for I don’t know how long I laid there and cried into the dirt.  I felt the immense sadness of all the friends I've lost and loved. 
I was startled by a moan.  I spun around to come face to face with a grueling mass of dead flesh; his yellow eyes staring lifelessly into mine.  His broken teeth bloodstained and his wings hanging lifelessly at his side.  I grasped the small sidearm I had brought but it was too late.  The ghoul and grasped onto me and I was forced to drop the gun to grapple the beast.
I was never strong; I was always the egghead and would have always been if not for the undead. Therefore my strength was nothing remarkable, and with the disease weighing heavily on the ghoul in front of me we were an even match.  I had my hooves on its neck keeping the gnashing teeth away from my tender flesh.  My legs were only slightly longer than his, so his 
hooves flailed inches from my chest.

He groaned as he continued to try and bite me, if I didn't find a way to get the upper hand soon I would be finished.  I saw the gun inches from my horn, the physical strain plus the magical might have been too much for me though.  I quickly rolled over pinning the beast beneath my hooves and brought the gun around to its head.  
Its lifeless eyes ignored my weapon and continued to stare up at me, those eyes still creep me out today.  I pulled the trigger and scattered its brains across the grass.  With adrenaline fading I nearly collapsed right there, but I knew if that one had come, there were probably a couple more behind it.  I stood up shakily.  I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and grieve for the loss of my teacher and friend, but I couldn't.  Whenever there was one ghoul, there was always a few others behind it.
There were more than a few.  A massive ring of undead was closing in around the remains of the city.  The masses of undead could be smelled from here even though they were a couple miles away.  The putrid stench of rotting matter stung 
my nostrils and I covered my snout with a hoof.

Then the reality of the situation hit me, there was no way out of this ring.  There was no escape; there was no possible way out of the massive wall that was slowly closing in.  They would find me and kill me, savoring every living morsel of purple flesh. 

Suddenly I heard somepony yell at somepony else.

“Hey Cloud!  Ya see any survivors?” a dark grey earth pony with black hair yelled.

“None here!” yelled a turquoise unicorn with dark blue hair “I don’t see how anyone could have survived the bomb Star.”

“Over here!” I yelled as loudly as I could, happy to be saved.

“Cloud!  We've got one!” yelled the earth pony intercepting me.

“Thank Celestia you’re here” I said on the verge of tears.

“No sweat” said the Earth pony “We need every pair of hooves we can get to help the zombie menace.”

“Star, stop flirting with the girl and let’s get a move on.” Yelled the unicorn called “If she survived there’s probably a couple others.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I had been outside of Canterlot, and that there was no possible way for there to be any survivors.  We idly walked around for a while, saying nothing, and alert for anything that might happen. 
Eventually I decided to break the silence

So what’s your guy’s name?” I asked.

“I’m Bouncingstar” The earth pony said “You can just call me Star though.  Mr. Serious-Pants over there is Cloudchaser.”

“Hi…” I said giving a small wave to him; he didn’t even slightly acknowledge my presence “My name is…”

“Twilight Sparkle” Said Cloud, still looking straight ahead.

“How did you know that?” I asked.

“We went to school together.” He said giving me a small glance “You blew me off at the dance.”

“I don’t remember you ever asking me out…” I said feeling a bit guilty.

“I know, you were reading a trashy romance novel at the time.” He said giving a sad smile, before allowing the silence to resume.

We wandered like this for hours, picking amongst the rubble, listening for a cry for help.  We smelled them before we heard them; the stench of rotting death, so massive that it caused our eyes to water and our throats to close.  Next we heard them, their moaning, meaning that they’ve found their prey and were closing in.  We drew our weapons and spun around to find a horde of about ten of them. 

As I raised my gun, Cloud held it down with his magic.

“We can’t afford to attract more.” He said before taking a long and thick lead pipe from a pile of wreckage and handing it to me.

“True that” said Star grasping his crowbar in his hooves.

“You sure about this?” I asked gripping the weapon in my hand “I’ve never fought them with a melee weapon before… “

“Then stay behind us.” Said Star as he moved in to hack the head off of a green unicorn.

“No” I said before whacking a yellow pegasus in the head “Better to learn now than when there’s nopony to hide behind.

“Glad to have a useful survivor for once.” Said Cloud as he used his machete to hack off the head of a purple pegasus.

We hacked at them being as silent as we could.  Tearing through flesh and bone, in the middle of the battle though, I heard Cloud scream.  I looked just in time to see a blue earth pony latch on and knock him off balance, the blade dropping from his magical grip.  The zombie managed to knock the unicorn to the ground, knocking his head on a rock.  I heard him cry in pain and saw blood ooze out of his horn.  

I swung the pipe and hit the zombie, knocking him off my friend.  While it was then down, I brought the pipe up and smashed its head.  I didn’t have time to check if Cloud was OK, I still had to finish the job.  I spun around and stabbed the pipe into the face of another.  It fell to the ground, wringing the grip of the pipe from my hands.  I turned around just in time to see Star hit a ghoul in the back of the neck with the hook of his crowbar.

“Cloud!” He yelled dropping his weapon and running up to his friend “You alright buddy?”
Cloud looked at him and smiled.


“I’m in horrible pain right now, and I’m not gonna be able to use magic until this gash heals, but I’ll live if that’s what you’re asking.”  

“I knew you’d be OK” Star said helping loud to his feet “I just can’t seem to get rid of you.”

Suddenly, I heard something.  It was meek and feeble, did I just hear somepony?  There it was again, I looked and saw a magenta earth pony, her head was covered in grime, sweat and tears, and blood speckled her face, her blue eyes were red and puffy, she had been crying for a long time, her lower half was covered in a huge pile of rubble.

“Help… me…” she mumbled weakly.

I stared at her for a while, baffled by the fact that against all odds she survived.

“Please…” she mumbled again fresh tears running down her face.  She coughed and a small amount of blood splattered on the pavement in front of her.

“Guys someone survived!” I yelled running over to the filly under the rubble.

Suddenly, I heard it again, that dreadful moan; this time, larger and more collective.

The filly heard it to and started to panic.

“Please…. Get me… out of here.” She said before going into another bloody, coughing fit.

“Guys, help me!” I yelled starting to tear away at the rubble.

“Twilight, there’s no way we can get her free before they get here.” Said Cloud standing on shaky legs “You need to teleport us out of here.”

“No, we can’t just leave her!” I yelled back “Help me Star…”

Star stood by Cloud, shifting from hoof to hoof.

“You have to get us out of here Twilight” Said Cloud with little emotion even as the moans and howls got louder and closer.”
I looked at the filly, and saw her tear stained eyes looking up at me.

“Please don’t go…” I heard her mumble.

“Twilight…” Said Star his voice getting an edge of fear.

“I… I can’t” I said hanging my head low.

“You have to” Said Cloud in his monotonous voice “Or we’ll all die right here.”

I took one last look at the scared filly “I’m sorry” I said before casting the spell.

The string off obscenities that followed will stay with me forever, I left her for dead; she hated me for leaving her.  She probably still hates me from wherever someone goes when they die.  I saw her burst into tears just before I finished the spell teleporting the three of us into “Space 0” Where Cloud led us to their military base.  When we got there, Luna was already there, barking orders, I went to her, not saying a word to my companions and we talked about the events that had taken place.  She then gave me a small platoon and told me that I could go help my friends…  The rest is history…


-----Flashback-----


I head back to my home dimension and saw myself back at the familiar base.  I sighed and walked through it, heading straight for Luna’s tent.  I parted the curtains and prepared my speech for Luna.

“Princess,” I said bowing “My platoon had found the bodies of most of my friends, but I…”

I looked up to find the black coat that I’d grown familiar with had lost its normal, magical sparkle.  I stood up and found instead of my princess, a black pegasus with a black and gold striped mane.  His golden eyes seemed friendly enough, but not friendly enough to ease my worry.

“Er, I’m not princess Luna…” said the pegasus “My name is Colton, I’m the Command Sergeant Major of the army, and I…”

“Where’s Luna?” I asked forcefully.

“Ya’ know” He said “I consider myself a friendly colt, but I still have to keep a tough appearance in front of my army, so if you could just be a bit more…”

“Tell me where she is.” I said louder stamping my hoof and flaring my nostrils.

He sighed “Listen…”

Suddenly the tent flap opened and a familiar turquoise unicorn with a bandaged horn came in.

“Sorry sir” He said saluting “I just thought that I’d let you know that this is Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s student, making her inherit her title as queen of Equestria.”

The colt gasped, before bowing “I’m sorry your highness, I didn’t recognize you, I’m awfully…”

“Wait” I said holding up my hoof “Shouldn’t Princess Luna inherit the title… I mean, she is her sister and all…”

Then Cloud gulped “Princess Luna is dead Twilight…”

I just couldn’t take it anymore, everything weighed too heavily on my soul; I collapsed into the dirt and cried my eyes out, I bawling and screaming.  I hated everypony, why did this have to happen to me, why does all of this have to happen to us!  It made no sense; nopony deserved a fate like this, to writhe in the eternal suffering of losing a loved one.

Suddenly, I felt somepony grab me, and embrace me in a deep hug.  I didn’t care who it was, right now I needed a shoulder to cry on.  I sobbed into his shoulder for what seemed like hours.  Eventually, I regained my composure and managed to look up at who embraced me.  I looked up to find a turquoise pony looking down at me.  I gave Cloud a questioning look and he quickly let go and backed away.

“I… I have to go…” He said awkwardly before hurrying out of the tent, blush on his face.

I wiped the tears away and looked straight at Colton.

“I need a squad of your best ponies, four of them.  I expect them all lined up right here in front of me in the next hour.  You will speak none of my… episode to anypony, is that understood?” I said with an air of authority.

“Yes ma’am!” He said saluting before hastily exiting the tent.

I left as well, hiding my face and washed in a stream near camp.  The cold water brought me back to my senses and erased all evidence of my tears.  I had no more left to cry, for I only had one care in the world.  Rainbow Dash and I will never let that hope go.

> Retribution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	After an hour, I returned to the tent, to find four ponies.  I recognized most of them although the forth was new.  They all bowed at my presence, but I quickly waved them off.

“Colton,” I said acknowledging the black pegasus “Tell me who my squad members are before I brief them.”

“Yes ma’am” He said “The turquoise unicorn you know, but to review, his name is First Sergeant Cloudchaser, our medium range specialist his rifle will prove valuable in a pinch.”  Cloud nodded and put a few more clips in his battle vest and brandished a nasty rifle.

“The brown earth pony will be our heavy for the trip.”  He said motioning towards the brown earth pony next to Cloudchaser. 

“His name is Corporal Bouncingstar,” Star continued cleaning his abnormally large machine gun, but gave me a wicked smile as he did so. 

“The yellow pegasus is Corporal Scarletbloom.”  He said gesturing to a pony I’ve never seen before.  She was a yellow pegasus about Applebloom’s color.  Her mane was a light purple color, and was cut short, probably for her military training.  Her eyes, though they were a bright red color, seemed friendly enough “She’ll be our long range specialist.” I heard Colton continue.  Scarlet then brandished a large bolt-action rifle with a scope that she assembled and disassembled as Colton spoke.

“That’s only three” I said turning to him “I asked for four.”

Colton smiled before downing a battle vest himself and brandishing a shotgun.

“Let’s just say I’m not the second highest ranking pony here for nothing.  Besides, no one can use a scattergun like me.” He said loading his weapon and holstering a sidearm.

I nodded before turning to the four ponies in front of me.

“My little ponies…” I started “Your all here for a reason, you’re the best.  I’m the last remnant of royalty that anyone knows is alive, but in order to lead this country I need the power of friendship.  Unfortunately, most all my friends have been… stolen from me by those things we kill now.  All except one, my friend Rainbow Dash is the only one who might be still alive.  I can cast a spell leading us to her location, but when I get there, things might get hairy, and I’ll need you four to help me get to her.  Does anyone question the authenticity of this mission?”

Scarlet stood up “We all have something we need to hold on to, and without it, we’d all be dead.  I think I’m speaking to everypony when I say, I’m willing to help you.”

I smiled; she was just the kind of filly I’d love to meet back before the ghouls turned everything upside down.  

“I’m glad you feel that way.” I said softly before grabbing a bolt-action rifle that was beside me “Now let’s go.”

We all walked outside and I prepared myself for a tracking spell.  I found this out by reading a book on friendship spells.  It turns out that when two ponies become good friends, their minds actually develop a mental string, intertwining them forever.  The spell is simple, as all they have to do is trace the string to another.  The only bad part is that it didn’t matter whether or not the pony in question was dead or alive, as friendships really do get carried to the grave as well.  I cast the spell and could suddenly see a golden string, starting from my heart, and heading north.

“Follow me.” I said as I started to follow the string ahead of me.

We walked for a while, slowly causing us to drift into groups.  Cloud stayed at the back, keeping his head down and not saying a word.  Colton and Star started talking to each other on random topics, mostly just to keep the darkness of silence away; leaving Scarlet at the head with me.

“Sooo” She started trying to start a bit of conversation with me.

“Do you need something” I asked a little colder than I meant to.

Scarlet ignored my tone and continued trying to talk to me.

“So I’ve heard that you actually nearly went out with Cloudchaser back there.” She started nudging me.

“Yeah,” I said “What about it?”

“So, what’s he like?” She pressed.

“Well I never really went out with him” I said blushing “But we did do the occasional project together.  He used to be a smart, happy person.  He was fairly relaxed, maybe a little too relaxed, but he always managed to get things done.”  I sighed “Now he looks like he can’t be more miserable…”

“Trust me when I say that’s just his bad side, and what’s happened can bring the bad side out of most ponies.  You should see him when he gets his hands on some quill and paper.  I swear by Celestia that while he still had paper to wright a story in, his mood was so much better.  He was suddenly more outgoing, once he ran out of paper though, his mood started to decline again.

“Is that what he holds onto?” I asked “Like you said, everypony had something to hang onto.”

“Most likely” She said

“What’s yours?” I asked “What lets you wake up in the morning.”

Scarlet walked a bit ahead and showed her flank, revealing a cutie mark of two masks; one frowning and another smiling.  

“I’m an actor” She said “I managed to get ahold of one of Cloud’s stories, and together we changed it to a monologue.  I preformed it in front of the entire camp; that was possibly one of the happiest times I’ve had since the virus came to Equestria.

“How do you do that?” I asked.

“What act?  It just comes naturally that’s why it’s my…”

“No” I interrupted her “How can you be so happy?  You must have some sort of secret?”

“I don’t really know” She said looking up into the blue sky, “I guess it’s like some of defense mechanism I’ve come up with.  Cloud locked up, and I came out.

I nodded, not really sure of what to say, so we walked in silence for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts.


-----


We had stopped a while ago to regain our strength, and rest for the night.    We sat by the fire cooking some canned beans we had brought along with a rabbit Scarlet had shot while we were on the road.  We sat by the fire enjoying our meal and thinking about what we were going to do tomorrow.  Suddenly I heard a small crack of a twig.  My ear twitched as I puzzled over the sound.  Scarlet and Cloud seemed to have heard it to as they were shushing Colton and Star from their conversations.

We slowly reached for our weapons, and listened intently for another clue.

“What are we listening for?” asked Star as he flipped the safety on his machine gun.

“I’m not sure” I whispered not taking my eyes off of the surrounding forest.

Then I saw it, a small movement in the shadows of the forest, a small glint of metal being raised.  I quickly grasped whatever it was with my magic and threw it out towards a tree; I heard a yelp and watched as a mare holding a sniper rifle hit the tree with a sickening crunch before she fell to the ground. 

“Raiders!” I yelled just before we all heard a war cry and the lead rain began.

We all ran in opposite directions searching for any sort of cover.  I ran into the forest and knocked a yellow pegasus under the chin with the butt of my rifle.  Then before he could get up I shot him in the head with my rifle.  I chambered another round before firing into the raider’s ranks.  I heard the roar of a machine gun and screams as ponies were ripped to pieces.  

I could only hope Star was behind that gun and not somepony else.

I soon fell into a steady rhythm and the noise of the battle started melting away.  It was simple.  Chamber, aim, fire, chamber, aim, fire; it was too simple.  Every bullet I fired quickly found its mark in another pony I couldn’t recognize.  The thoughts of each pony I ended started to melt away along with all feeling in my body.  I no longer wondered if their death was quick, or if they had friends and family that were still alive.  Everything just started fusing together into a simple pattern; chamber, aim, and fire.

Every couple of minutes I would see one of my companions, Star wildly cutting ponies down with his machine gun.  Scarlet jumping from tree to tree, nimble as a pegasus should be.  I only saw cloud once, he had been in the forest with me; taking out ponies with the same cold expression he always wore.

I didn’t react to their presence once, when I saw a unicorn with a bowie knife in her mouth climbing a tree Scarlet resided in.  I shot her in the leg and then in the throat as she fell.  I didn’t even acknowledge her mouthing of “Thanks” to me as I killed more and more ponies. 

Suddenly, I felt an excruciating pain in my back and I was tossed to the floor.  I looked up with blurry vision to see a grey pegasus with a blonde mane.  Her eyes were crossed and she held a shotgun that she had obviously used to knock me down.  She was just about to pull the trigger when I mumbled “Derpy?”

She looked shocked and looked down at me “Twilight?”

“No!”  I heard a furious yell from behind the dull pegasus.

Suddenly her eyes, for the first time in her life stared straight ahead, un-crossed.  Blood dripped down the side of her mouth and she fell to the ground in front of me, revealing a bloody hole in her back, I looked up to see Cloud, the serious expression gone as he looked straight at me.  He opened his mouth to say something but I interrupted him.

“You idiot!” I yelled at him “I knew here, she wasn’t going to kill me!”

Cloud’s hard expression returned, he looked like he was going to retaliate, but decided not to and instead ran back into the forest.

I looked back at Derpy to see her eyes still open and her breathing shallow.

“I…I can see” She said in a shaky voice blood foaming at her mouth “I… can see… straight…”

“Please forgive me Derpy” I said tears coming to my eyes.  I hadn’t known her very well, but she was possibly the last pony I knew in this hell-hole of a world.

“I-… is this… what you see of the… world all the… time” She said her eyes slowly getting foggy.

I cried a little harder at her peace. “Yes, this is what I always see…”

“I-it’s… beautiful” She said her eyes drifting around the dark forest “Th… thank you… Twilight… for putting me… at… peace…”   Her eyes slowly closed and I felt her last breath escape her lungs.

I sobbed against her body that was quickly going cold; her last moments she just seemed so… happy.  She looked like she had accepted death with gratitude.  Like it was a way out, I saw Derpy’s sidearm that had slipped out of its holster.  I grasped it in my hoofs, feeling the cold lifeless metal in my hoofs.  I briefly realized that I had never held a gun in my hoofs before.  I had always just grabbed it with magic, now that I could feel the lifeless metal; I realized how similar it was to the cold bodies that now surrounded me.  I was slightly aware of the battle noise fading around me, and being replaced with cries of fear as the remaining raiders retreated.  I put the pistol against my temple; Derpy seemed so at peace with death.  Maybe I could feel the same way, and join my friends.  Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow… 

I dropped the gun quickly.  I got up clumsily and stumbled back to our camp.  I was slightly aware of the questions from my companions who were already packing up, but I ignored their inquiries and dug into my saddlebags until I found what I was looking for.  A slightly crumpled sheet of paper; I pulled it out and re-read the note Rainbow had left.  I realized that she had 
been through the same thing I had.  She had survived even when the world seemed to be fighting her.  She had sucked it up and lived on, even when all her friends were missing.  I felt a single tear run down my cheek, and I remembered my promise.  I had promised on all my friends graves, that I would find my last friend.  That I would make sure she was ok.

I tore a small sheet of cloth from my bag and grabbed a piece of charcoal from the now extinguished fire, and I wrote “I will find you RD” with black lettering.  I held the sheet of cloth close to my heart for a moment before letting it drift in the wind.  I then stood up and looked directly at my four companions. 

“It’s time to go”

> Revocation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had hit the road again, and were making great progress.  Moving quickly and silently, we stayed away from the main path to avoid more raiders.  We occasionally came across the odd zombie, but Scarlet would quickly take them out with a silenced shot between the eyes.  They were mostly silent towards me.  They were probably worried that I had snapped.  Maybe I had, but right now I had a job to do.

I did notice that Cloud and Scarlet continually talked to each other and glancing at me when they thought I wasn’t looking.  I made a mental note to watch out for those two.  We continued when suddenly, Scarlet stopped.

“Do you ponies smell that?” she asked.  We all stopped and agreed that the stench of rotting flesh was growing stronger as we continued.

“Keep your eyes open” I ordered as I drew my weapon and held it ready “If you think you hear anything signal to us.”

We approached more cautiously then before, wary of the stench growing stronger as we approached.  The string that connected me and Rainbow was glowing brighter than ever before.  Meaning we were close.

The combination of her closeness and the stench of death and rot couldn’t be a good combination, but I had to keep my hopes up.  I was going to bring her home, whether it was on my shoulders or in a coffin.  We traversed through a thick bit of trees and looked upon something to our surprise and horror.  

The scene in front of us was a giant castle, made of tan stone.  It was about the size of a palace, but looked to be fortified for a siege.  A white flag with the words SOS stained in red upon it in what I hope was only red paint, hung on a pole right on top of a castle.  High walls surrounded the entire thing, frankly the only thing missing from its medieval look was that it lacked a moat. 

Surrounding the bottom were zombies.  I had only seen so many converged at once on one occasion, when Canterlot had been bombed.  The walls were surrounded by a massive ring of undead, all screeching and moaning, banging upon the walls with their bloodied fists.  The ones at the front appeared to be rotted away and smashed to mush by its own kin, yet they still relentlessly pounded upon the walls with as much might as they could muster.  The ones at the back however, appeared to be newly infected, some even with armor and weapons hanging uselessly from battle-saddles on their sides.  Then the stench hit us, it was absolutely revolting, the stench of a thousand rotting bodies.  Star turned to his side and vomited, and Cloud even retched at the horrible stench.

I coughed and covered my nose with my hoof, eyes watering.  How could we function with such a smell filling our nostrils with every breath?

Suddenly, I heard a slide of metal against metal.

“Don’t move.” I heard a masculine voice behind me say in a deadly serious tone “Who are you?”

“Were not infected” Scarlet said quickly “Nopony’s been bit, you can check us.”

“Turn around slowly” Demanded the voice.

Not knowing what else to do, we turned around to come across a single unicorn stallion.  His coat was white with a very slight orange tint.  His hair was bright orange and slightly spikey.  His red eyes scanned us all; gripped in red magic, was a broadsword that looked deadly.

“Glad none of you are bit.” Said the stallion sighing “Where ya from and what are you doing here?”

“We're from Canterlot.” I stepped forward and saying “I’ve come looking for my friend.  Have you seen a mare named Rainbow Dash?”

“No, sorry.” Said the stallion thinking “What does she look like?”

“She’s a cyan pegasus with rainbow hair” I said “She’s hard to miss.”

“Really?” said the stallion surprised “That’s her name…”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’ll explain along the way, right now, let me get you inside our fortress.” He said turning away and gesturing us to follow him.  He led us to a large cave, where inside we found a giant metal hatch.  He opened it and crawled inside, letting us all in before closing it and locking it tight.  He pulled a torch from the wall and lit it with a match before leading us down the tunnel.

“You friend showed up a little while ago.” Started the stallion “She was on her last legs when a scouting party found her; she literally collapsed in their arms once she was sure they weren’t infected.  When she came to, she refused to speak to anypony.  She mostly just wandered the base, and taking the food we gave to her.  Just as we were beginning to wonder if we should throw her out for not being useful, one of the scavengers we have had been hiding a bite, and attacked the others, creating a small outbreak.  
They quickly grew to about ten; they managed to corner us with no weapons or escape.  We were just creating a plan when your friend grabbed a crowbar and killed all ten of them by herself.  She didn’t say a word during it, or after.  She was the hero for the day, but she still seemed so… Distant.  Nopony knows her name, she doesn’t say anything; she just does what we ask her to do 
without question.”

“She sounds pretty bad…” started Colton who had caught up and was listening to the story.

“She is pretty bad.” I stated bluntly “I just hope I can bring her out of it.”

“You’ll have your chance.” Said the stallion as we saw another hatch a couple feet in front of us “I’ll show you to her room.”
-----
We were led through a corridor with multiple doors.  Some seem to be served as kitchens, others as storage, and others still as living quarters.

“We don’t have a ton of room down here.” Explained the stallion that brought us here. “This was originally the servant’s quarters for whoever lived here.  Now we use it for all sorts of things.”  He stopped in front of a door and pointed “That’s where your friend is.  Try not to startle her; we’re all a little jumpy.”

“Thanks” I said before turning to my other companions. “I think it’s best if you ponies wait here.”

They nodded, and I opened the door, walked in and closed it behind me.

The room was surprisingly clean.  It was extremely simple, containing no furniture other than a small wooden chest, a bare mattress and a wooden chair.  Sitting on the chair in question, with her back towards me, was a familiar cyan pegasus.  

“Rainbow?” I asked.

She turned towards me and I was faced with a very different Rainbow.  Her beautiful rainbow colored mane and tail were cut short, only an inch long.  Both were extremely dirty and the bright colors had lost their sheen both with dirt and gray patches.  Her coat was now dingy and dark, her majestic wings, once a perfect balance of power and beauty, now were a lot more muscular, but covered in scabs and bruises.  Most likely from carrying a battle-saddle, but the worst were her eyes.  Once a deep purple and gleaming with mischief and confidence; they remained dull now, the innocence and humor torn from them.  They stared at me, bloodshot and sunken into her skull, almost reflecting all the horrors and pain right back at me.

“Rainbow… it’s me… Twilight.” I told her.

Rainbow didn’t react to this and continued to stare blankly at the wall.

“Rainbow…”

“Go away!” Shouted the pegasus suddenly turning.

“I don’t…”

“Stop torturing me with your lies!” Yelled the cyan pegasus.  “I know that you’re not real!  You’re dead Twilight!  You’re just another hallucination!”

“Rainbow… it’s really me…”

“Lies!” Rainbow tackled me and pinned me to the wall “I hate you!  I hate you for reminding me of what I’ve lost!”

Then she bucked me across the face.  I flinched to the side and spat out a small bit of blood mixed with saliva.

Rainbow froze, her eyes sparking with a small flash of surprise.

“No, you’re not supposed to bleed…” she said, her eyes looking dead into mine.

“It’s really me Rainbow Dash.”  I said calmly, ignoring the throbbing headache pounding in my skull.

Rainbow looked into my eyes for only a few seconds long before bursting into tears, burying her face in my coat and crying loudly into it.  I embraced her, tears slipping down my face as well, a combination of grief for what we had lost, and joy for what we had found.

“How… why… when…” she stammered between sobs of happiness.

“I can explain everything…” I said, as we sat on the bed.

I told her my story, excluding no detail.  I was just as emotionally unstable as she was; I told her that I had arrived at Canterlot late and had avoided the bombs.  I told her about how I had met Star and Cloud, and I expressed my hate for Cloud when he made me leave that filly, and my hate for myself for listening to him.  I told her that when I had gotten back to the camp I started looking for my friends immediately; going for months without a lead.  I explained that after I had found her note, I came back to find that Luna had fallen, and that I was the new heir to the throne.  I explained with sadness that I had killed Derpy, and that we had wound up here on a desperate quest to find the cyan element of loyalty.  After I had finished, she took a deep breath, and warned me that her story would bring bad memories.  I told her not to worry about it and that she needed to get it off her chest.  She sighed and probably for the first time, she told her story.
-----
After she had left the safe house, she had traveled around, looking for nothing in particular.  She said that she had tried to kill herself more times than she could remember, but couldn’t find the strength to do it.  She thought of herself weak after that, soon joining a raider camp.  She worked as a front liner; she would be selected for the most dangerous, almost suicidal missions.  She said that she was notoriously known for her determination and rage; she told me how she had watched her comrades torn to pieces by gunfire or undead, but with all the anger and hate for the ghouls, she could slash through a whole herd easily.  Due to her skill and trademark appearance, she slowly became the inspiration for their tag, a rainbow blasting through a skull.  

The raider team put their new logo on their flag, and slowly they progressed from a measly raiding camp to a powerful force reckoned by Luna’s army.  She was placed at the head of every battle, she quickly not only became an unstoppable fighting machine; she was an effective mental weapon as well.  Most would turn and flee at the sight of her, leaving only the brave and the stupid to fall to her wrath.  The raiding group quickly became known as “Hells Rainbows” and they slowly took over more and more territory.

Another raiding camp that had quickly realized that they were in the line of fire, made a deal with her leaders.  They would not only give complete support to “Hells Rainbows” but would also point them towards a secret weapon stash.  Her superiors couldn’t resist 
an offer of weapons and fighters and quickly accepted.

By now, Rainbow had climbed high above the others in reputation.  She was trusted with her own squad and could have a direct voice with the raider’s leaders, which consisted of six ponies known as “The Elements of Chaos”.  The leader of the camp that had decided to join them was to help Rainbow command her squad.  When she got the chance to confront him face to face, she quickly recognized him.  He was a pale blue pegasus with an extremely dark blue mane.  His green studied her for a moment before recognizing her as well.

“Soarin?” She had asked.

Soarin had recognized her as well.  They started talking immediately, discussing about past events, much as me and Rainbow were doing now.  Soarin had gotten separated from the Wonderbolts in the initial panic of the outbreak were ponies were dying left and right.  He joined the first group that would take him and using his speed and mind for tactics, quickly became the leader before he 
joined up with Rainbows group. 

Rainbow had felt her heart open for the first time since the infection happened that day.  She grew closer and closer to Soarin’ and no matter how much she tried to tell herself she shouldn’t try to make any new relationships, Soarin’s charm and humor were too much.  I watched her smile as she talked about how Soarin’ offered Rainbow to share a bag of chocolate he had found as their first date before they became an item. 

She explained that for the three days that followed her and Soarin’s relationship were the happiest she had in a long time.  The 

“Elements of Chaos” even decided to give her a break and spare her from the raid that had taken place the second day.  On the fourth night, Soarin and she were cuddling in bed when they heard a yell and a gunshot from outside.

They both woke up with annoyance.   It was a regular thing for people to submit to the stress of the zombies wailing outside the walls and take the easy way out.  Then the lovers realized that more shots were being fired, and screams could be heard.  They looked at each other; nopony was stupid enough to attack one of the most fortified camps of the most fortified empire.

Suddenly, one of the Elements of Chaos opened the tent flap smelling of blood and gunpowder “Get up.” He stated simply “Were under attack.”

She said that if she had heard it from anypony else she wouldn’t have believed it.  She looked at Soarin, who gave her a kiss, before smiling and saying that everything would be alright.  They donned their weapons and armor and rushed outside hoping for an answer for all the chaos.

The scene outside had been horribly frightening, tents burned, ponies screamed as they were shot or stabbed to death.  Fillies and mares fled for their lives while our warriors tried to hold back the attackers.  It didn’t make any sense; no power could ever outnumber “Hell’s Rainbows.” No power could ever beat them with technology, supplies, or even culturally cause members to secede.  Yet now, our warriors were struggling with melee weapons, pistols and rifles, the enemy had submachine guns and armor of the latest technology.  Their numbers seemed endless, as more and more poured in through the smashed gates and holes in our walls.  They were being outmatched; the question was by whom.

Then she saw one, just a glance, but that was enough.  It was golden, engraved in it were decorative designs, and right on the chest was the royal emblem.  

Luna’s guard was attacking the camp.  She had barely any time to process this information before about a dozen guards noticed the two and started charging with their spears and swords drawn.

Rainbow and Soarin’ fought for their lives, blasting and slashing the endless waves of guards, covering ourselves in blood and sweat as we tried our best to stay close to each other amidst the chaos.

Soarin and she had looked around, seeing that the battle was an obvious loss.  Most of the forces had either been slain, submitted the guard, or were running out the back entrance.  Soarin’ turned to Rainbow and shouted at her to run and that he would be close behind that they would regroup at... he never got the chance to finish about it as Soarin was knocked forward and into her, both of them collapsing into their armory.

By the time RD had recovered, she had been chained to a crate of weapons that were too heavy to move.  When her vision cleared, she saw Soarin writhing underneath a member of the guard.  He had a hoof on his throat, making Soarin’s words raspy, and a gun to his temple; the guard’s voice was deadly calm and emotionless, while Soarin screamed his words in anger.

“Get off me you royal hypocrite!” Soarin had yelled.

“No, who’s the mare.” Stated the guard calmly.

“What’s it to you!” yelled Soarin spitting in his face.

“If you don’t want a bullet in her lung where she’ll bleed to death slowly then I suggest you tell me.” Said the guard, moving the gun.  

I could now tell the guard was a unicorn, as the gun was encased in magical aura.

After a pause Soarin answered “She’s my lover, not that a cold hearted bastard like yourself would know!”

“I had a lover once.” Stated the guard calmly “Would you be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her?”

Soarin stopped struggling for a moment and looked straight at me, before nodding yes.

“Good.” Stated the guard calm as ever, putting a gun to Soarin’s temple “I’m taking her fate out of your misguided hands, and putting it back into hers.”

Then he splattered his brains on the floor.

Rainbow told me that she just couldn’t react to that.  It all still seemed a blur to her, she remembers the guard unlocking her chain and pushing her out of the tent.  Moving through a hole in the wall, she was barely conscious of the chaos around her.  She hazily remembers the guard being questioned about her, she couldn’t remember his response, but his colleagues obviously accepted it.  

When he was far enough so the others couldn’t see him, he turned to her.

She told me that this was where her memory got crystal clear; she remembered every sound, every word, and every sight as if she were actually experiencing it.  He looked directly into her eyes.  His bright green ones staring into my soul completely emotionless.  

I remember a small twinge of sadness cross his eyes before they returned to their emotionless demeanor.  

“Run.” He had said simply.

She could do nothing but follow his instruction; she turned around just long enough to watch him shoot himself in his front leg.  

Causing him to cripple to the ground; she had run ever since.  Just two weeks ago, about a week after she had lost her love.  She had found a scouting party, and had been hiding here ever since.

-----

While she told her story, we both exchanged many tears.  We cried so loud that once, Colton had peeked his head in to check on us.  Rainbow glared at him and he was out of there pretty quick.  After she had finished her story we had wailed into each other’s arms.  Screaming for gods that no longer lived and not caring who heard us.  All that was left in the world was me and her.  We poured out the misery that we had all kept bottled up so long.  

We had lost track of time, but by the time we had no tears left to cry the sun and gone.  The room was pitch black due to the lack of electricity. 

“D…Did the others…?” Rainbow asked me.

I shook my head no. “It’s alright Rainbow, were safe now.  We can head back and everything will be alright.”

“A-Are you serious…” said Rainbow, looking like she was about to cry again.

“Yes, were finally going to be safe after all this time.” I said caressing her face “I’m the princess of Equestria after all, I’ll govern the country and you’ll be my right hand mare.  We’ll be safe forever.

If Rainbow had any tears left to cry she probably would have, but she just smiled and pulled me into a hug.  I embraced her back, and I wished that this moment could have lasted forever, just me and Rainbow.

Then Colton walked in.

“Er, sorry to interrupt you ladies, but the leader of this establishment wants to meet you.” Said Colton awkwardly.

“Who’s the stallion?” asked Rainbow coldly, glaring at Colt again.

“I couldn’t come here alone.” I told her “I brought a team with me, you’ll like them.”

“What about Cloud.” Said Rainbow her eyes firing up a bit from rage “He made you leave the filly!”

“I left the filly.” I told her, feeling myself going serious “Cloud just… helped me do it.  He’s good at heart.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Rainbow stated her nostrils flaring.

We left the room and followed Colton, who remained silent, afraid to offend my rainbow friend.  He was probably standing outside waiting for us and listening to all our crying.  I didn’t mind, I was already thinking of my plans ahead.  How I would get to safety, what I would do once I was in power, and mostly, what would I do with Rainbow Dash.  The logical choice was to put her as a general, from what I’ve heard she was a fierce fighter, one who could be a large step forward in quelling the infection.  The moral choice however was to let her rest.  She had been through a lot, and didn’t deserve to go through any more.

All these decisions were bouncing around my head as I walked, interrupted only when Colton elbowed me in the side to pay attention.  I snapped out of my trance to look around at where I was. 

When I imagined a leaders quarters I imagined almost everything.  From a small room piled high with papers to a throne room bigger than Celestia’s.  Instead I found myself in what looked like a kitchen turned into a living quarters.  There were shelves mixers, blenders, even a stove.  The only thing distinguishing it from an actual kitchen was the bedroll on the floor to the side.  I saw a creamy white pony with purple and pink hair examining me with green-blue eyes.  I noticed that right beside her she had a large bowl filled with bon-bon’s.

“I know it’s a weird room.” Explained the mare in front of me “I just think better when I cook… So the guys let me stay in here to do my work.” She smiled at me “Keeps me sane and I think they like the fruits of my labor to.  My name is Bon-Bon; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure for me to.” I said nodding curtly “My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“Anyway, sit down.” Said Bon-Bon gesturing to a small mat on the floor “Excuse me being so foreword, but who are you and why are you here?  If you plan to stay you’ll need to pull your own weight, we don’t have any supplies to spare.”

“Trust me when I say this is going to sound ridiculous but I’m actually the newly appointed ruler of Equestria.” I told her.

Bon-bon looked at me for a moment before bursting into laughter.  Rainbow stood up and started to say something, but I quickly shushed her.

“I know it sound’s ridiculous, but it’s true.  It doesn’t matter anyway though.” I explained “I know the way to a military concentration camp.  I can go back there and bring help to you ponies.”

Bob-bon stopped laughing, and looked directly at me.

“You’re serious?”

“As serious as one can get.” I told her matching her gaze.

She looked at me for a moment before speaking “I can’t tell you how much I want to believe you, but I have to take… precautions… I refuse to take too many risks based only on the word of a pony I’ve never met.”

“I don’t need much.” I stated gesturing to Rainbow “All I want is Rainbow and a few days’ worth in provisions…”

Bon-bon glanced and Rainbow and then back to me.

“I guess I don’t have any control over what Rainbow does… But were very… Short on supplies… I can’t spare anything without…” 

She flinched “W-Without…”

Little did anypony know that I was using a spell on her.  I was digging through her memories, bringing up the bad ones and forcing her to reminiscent on them.  Most were on a green mare named Lyra.  I forced her to watch the green mare’s gruesome death, a crowd of zombies digging into her flesh, the horrible cracking sound as Lyra’s ribs were broken and torn open, the undead feasting on her innards.

“I… Lyra…”

She couldn’t help but start to sob, being forced to relive the memories of her own lover ripped to shreds.

“N-No… L-Lyra…” She whimpered, sobbing slightly.

I felt a twang of guilt for doing such a deed, forcing her to relive such terrible memories.  I quickly hardened again.  I would kill this mare in a second if it meant I had to save Rainbow, I would tear her apart…

“Please… We hardly have enough ammo to make it back…” I asked.

Bon-bon looked up at me and regained her composure.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and made a deal with me.

“F-Fine… But you have to leave collateral… I want my people picked up and safe… Wherever you’re going.”

I flinched.  Nopony in my team would be willing to stay here.  My brain started running through other possibilities of what I could do when Colton stepped up.

“I’ll stay.” He said before looking at me “You need to take Rainbow home ASAP.”

I sighed in relief “I have no doubt that they will come back for you.”

Colton sighed “You’ll have to ensure that… It’s a lot of resources for a small group of ponies… Luna’s Guard is bad news Twilight… 

If you want to try and do well you’ve got a lot to do…”

Rainbow smirked “Twilight can take on anything, anytime.  Isn’t that right Twilight?”

I nodded smiling at my friend’s confidence; I relished the feeling of her filling me with strength. 

“You should rest…” Offered Bon-bon “You’ve had a long journey, and a good night’s sleep will go a long way.”

I thought about it for a moment.  I needed Rainbow back; I needed her safe as soon as possible. “No… We need to get moving… Thank you for your offer…”

I felt Colt glaring at me.  He wanted the best for himself and his troops, but I couldn’t stand sleeping and waiting for the next disaster to happen.

“Well it’ll take some time to gather everything together…” Bon-Bon stated, “We should be ready in a few hours, come back here and 

I’ll give you everything you need.

Suddenly, we heard a bell ring three times that echoed throughout the fortress.

“What was that…?” I said nervously griping my pistol in my magic.

Bon-bon chuckled “Don’t worry, if it rings three times that means it’s time for rations to be given out.  If it rings five times, that’s when you have something to worry about.”

I sighed with relief as Bon-bon pointed me towards the cafeteria, but not before giving e one of the tastiest bob-bon’s I’ve had in a long time.

As we walked to the cafeteria Colt caught up to me.

“Twilight… I seriously think you should reconsider Bon-Bons offer…”

“Why?” I questioned turning to him “This place is a disaster waiting to happen, the sooner we can get everyone out of here the 

better…”

“But everyone’s tired… We could all use some re-“

“As you know I’m the leader of Luna’s Guard…” I growled at Colt “You will NOT question my authority.  Correct?”

Colt sighed and nodded “Of course Twilight…”

“Good… gather everyone at the cafeteria; we should take the free meal while we can…”

0)----(0

We all met in the makeshift cafeteria that looked to be a warehouse before the infection.  I walked with Colton and Rainbow until I spotted Scarlet eating at a table alone.  She saw us and waved us over; we grabbed our food and sat down with her.

“You must be Rainbow!” Scarlet said cheerfully reaching out a hoof to shake “My name’s Scarlet, long range specialist.”

Rainbow smiled and shook her hoof.

“I think I should introduce myself to.” Colton said digging into his food “I’m Colton, Sargent Major of the Army, and close range specialist.”

Rainbow nodded and smiled “It’s good to meet such an important pony.

“My name’s Bouncing Star.” Said Star beaming at her “Aren’t you a pretty mare.” He flirted flashing a small wink.

Rainbow blushed at this and smiled back.  I tapped my hoof impatiently, going through a quick headcount.

“Hey guys, where’s Cloud?” I asked.

“I managed to get him a pen and a notebook.” Said Scarlet with happiness dripping in her voice “He took his food and found somewhere quiet to write.  You’ll have to meet him later.”

We spent the meal talking about what we could to stay in high spirits, such as what we would do when we got back, and what our lives were like before the infection.  It was perfect, I would get Rainbow home and then I would get to work, killing every zombie from here to Griphonia.  Nothing could possibly ruin this moment of triumph for me, or for us.

“Oh, there’s Cloud!” called Scarlet looking over my shoulder “Come over here and meet Rainbow!”

Cloud looked over at us and put his tray away.  He walked up closer so he was right by our table, then he looked at Rainbow, his bright green eyes looking like they stared into her soul, cold and emotionless.

Rainbow froze and stared back, her eyes widening in a stare of surprise, horror and anger.

“You…” mumbled Rainbow so quietly only I could hear her.  Cloud’s eyes stared back as well, but only of cold analysis and knowing.

“YOU!!!” screeched Rainbow lunging from her seat and tackling Cloud to the floor, taking everypony by complete surprise.

Cloud yelped as he went down with a mare on top of him.  Rainbow pinned his front hooves down and started bucking him in the face.

“YOU BASTARD!  YOU KILLED SOARIN YOU MOTHER FUCKER!” she screamed, reeling her hoof back and striking the unicorn across the face.

“Rainbow!” I cried as I grabbed her and tried to pull her off of Cloud.  Scarlet and Colton soon came to help and we managed to pry her off of him as she flailed all of her limbs that weren’t restrained.

“LET ME GO!  LET ME KILL HIM!  LET ME KILL HIM LIKE HE KILLED MY SOARIN!!!!”

“Rainbow” I told her grabbing her head and forcing her to look at me. “Why the hell would Cloud kill Soarin?  You would never do that right?!?!”

I watched as Cloud stood up and spit blood on the ground before looking straight at me. “You’re wrong… I killed him.”

Rainbow let out a horrible screech and prepared to lunge again, but something happened that startled all of us.  It was a bell.

Bong… Bong… Bong… Bong… Bong…

Colton and I looked at each other before the world around us plunged into chaos, all bolting and shouting orders, directing everyone towards what sounded like an armory. 

“What’s going on?” asked Scarlet.

As if to answer, the stallion with fiery hair that led us here in the first place.  He dropped a large bag and opened it, revealing it full of guns and ammo of all sorts.

“The undead have broken through.” He said looking at all of us and trying to make eye contact with everyone. “I suggest you load up and get ready to fight.”
> Nulification
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“No...” I stuttered as my teammates sprang into action “No this isn't…”

“Twilight!” Colt called as he loaded his shotgun “Snap out of it!  We need to get moving!”

Rainbow glared at Cloud, growling as she started to throw her own gear together.  The unicorn stallion ignoring her piercing glare and loading his own weapon.

“Come on guys!” Star called “You need to get moving!  We need to defend this place!”

“No…” I growled “Were out of here…”

“What?” Scarlet turned, surprised “But we…”

“If you're not gonna stay then get moving.” The fiery maned stallion stated. “I’m not wasting my time forcing you to stay…”

“Good, let’s go, we can use the hatch-“

“No Twilight…” I heard Rainbow state from my side “We’re defending this place.”

“Rainbow!  I don’t want anyone t-“

“I’m not leaving these ponies.” She said to me glaring at Cloud “I’m not a murderer…”

“I…”  I growled cursing “Rainbow… You’re coming with me… I’m taking you to safety…”

“No, I’m not!” shouted the cyan pegasus “These ponies helped me, I’m not running away at the first sign of danger!”

We stared each other down.  She didn’t know what was good for her, she didn’t understand the risks involved.  But knowing how stubborn Rainbow was, she wouldn’t leave until this was over.

“Fine…” I mumbled “We’ll stay…”

“Good…” Colt sighed with relief, earning a glare from me.  The more I was around the pegasus the less I found I could trust him.  Why would he always try to contradict me and put Rainbow in more danger?

“Come on then!” the fiery stallion gestured for us to follow.  

Reluctantly I nodded ordering my squad to go ahead, Colt and Cloud in the front with Scarlet holding up the rear.

“Fire Wing!” Rainbow yelled pumping her shotgun. “What’s gone wrong?”

“A section of the wall caved in” the fiery stallion yelled “The undead are pouring in!  We need to hold off the tide so we can barricade the south section of the castle and block them from flooding the castle!”

She growled “How longs that gonna take?”

Fire growled “Too long for our bullets to hold out…”

I growled, this was hopeless, why were we risking Rainbows life for some pointless standoff that was doomed to fail?  The base was gone! Didn’t Rainbow get that?

“Then we’ll go in with crowbars and knives!” Rainbow snarled “We’re going to be fine…”

The closer we got the louder the moans, screams, and gunshots became.  The explosions from the barrels of rifles echoed through the hallways, drowning out the wails and screams of both the dead and the living…

“Go!” Fire shouted as we rounded a corner and were met with complete chaos.  A tidal wave of the undead had filled the hallway seemingly endlessly against the dozen ponies backed up in there firing heavily into the crowd that slowly pushed towards them.  The bodies of the undead seemed only to slightly stumble the ones still slowly shuffling towards them, the crowd inching closer every moment.

“Goddamnit!” screamed Star, staggered by the sheer mass in front of him, loading up and firing into the crowd, adding his own lead to the wall of bullets flying towards the zombies.

“This is a bad idea Rainbow!” I screamed, raising my gun and firing into the crowd, blasting hole after hole in the skulls of the zombies that just wouldn’t stop moving towards us.

“We can’t just leave them!” Rainbow growled blasting as fast as she could into the crowd.

“RUNNER!!” I heard a pony yell as I watched a lithe, agile body fly up from the crowd, latching onto one of the ponies and sinking its teeth into his spine, the poor souls eyes rolled back into his head as he let out a short scream of agony and fear before the runner tore out his neck.

The sight of a kill seemed to excite the zombies further, causing them to push harder, moaning and gurgling as everyone struggled to kill the runner before it latched onto another pony.

The pink runner leaped again, tackling a screaming mare to the ground before ripping into her chest, killing the poor girl before she turned to me and snarled.

My eyes widened as I stared into the soulless blue eyes of the bright pink, blood colored pony.  She snarled and prepared to lunge again.

“Pinkie…?”

Suddenly a shotgun tore into her chest causing the pony to fly back into the crowd of zombies that had pushed forward in all the commotion, now only a mere hoof length away from the ponies at the front line.  

Everyone tried helplessly to back up, tripping over each other in the chaos and confusion, the ponies at the front quickly being swallowed in the massive river or bloody, hungry bodies.  

I stood, still in shock at seeing my best friend, the one so eager to help and do everything she could just to see a stranger smile.  I couldn’t take it, seeing the element of laughter kill so aimlessly, I stared, stunned as I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“We have to go…” I heard Cloud say pulling me as the crowd pushed harder against the living.  “Rainbow needs you…”



“Retreat!” I shouted to the ponies glancing around, noticing a metal door just a few feet back “Come on!  Everypony in there!”

I watched as the crowd caught up to two stallions as they screamed helplessly, being pulled into the massive wave of teeth and claws.

Scarlet threw open the door and yelled at everyone to get in quickly.  She didn’t need to tell anyone twice as we rushed in, firing into the crowd.

“Shut the door!” I yelled as Colt and Cloud rushed in.

“No!  There are still ponies out there!”

I growled watching as a few rushed in with us, the tide growing closer and closer, just behind a staggering sky-blue mare, limping with what looked like a broken hoof.



Scarlet winced as she drew closer, it was clear that she wouldn’t make it before the tide of undead managed to enter as well, it was too close, it was too much of a risk.  I growled, stepping forward and reaching for the door.

Rainbow stopped me. “She’ll make it!” She screamed “Don’t you dare close that door!”



I growled, she wasn’t going to make it, not in the time it took to close the door.  I watched as Scarlet slowly raised her rifle, aiming at the poor mares head.  Obviously intent on making sure if the pony was caught she wouldn’t have to suffer as much as the ponies before her.

I looked to see the familiar pink body in the middle of the crowd, waiting to jump on the poor mare.  Time slowed down as I prepared to shut the door.

I watched as a blue flash beat me to it, running out and grabbing the mare, throwing her into the room as she tumbled over, slamming onto the cold concrete.   The pony leaped in behind her, yelling to shut the door.

Scarlet needed no encouragement, slamming it shut and bolting it just as the crowd shoved against it, pounding on the metal and screaming for our flesh.

“Rainbow!” I screamed “Why would you do that!”

“Huh?” Asked Rainbow “I didn’t do anything…”

I looked to see the last pony I expected to have done such a thing, Cloud, slowly standing up, panting heavily.

“W-What…” I stammered “W-Why would you…”

“If you think I’m a hero don’t…” Cloud said, spitting into a corner “It was clear you weren’t going to close the door until she was in… So I got her in.  End of story.”

I gave him a questioning glance, wondering if those were his true motives or not, but a quick bang on the door forced me back to attention.

“That doors not staying for long…” I frowned, watching as the metal strained under the weight of the massive crowd. “We need to get out of here…”

“Y-You don’t understand…” murmured a green stallion that had rushed in with us “M-My family’s in the fort!  I-I can’t just leave them!”

“We don’t have much choice…” Fire explained “There might be a way to loop back farther into the tunnels, or this could be a dead end and all of us will be killed…”

Another bang on the door accented the fear of that possibility.

“As long as we’ve got tunnel left to go through, we should use it…” I examined the tunnel going deeper. “Come on, we’ve got to get moving…”

“She can barely walk…” Scarlet murmured as she examined the light blue mares hoof “She’ll need help…”

“I’ll carry her…” Cloud mumbled, pulling the mare to her feet.

“What’s your name?” I asked her as she stammered, clearly unfocused due to pain and exhaustion.

“M-M-Mist…” she murmured through clenched teeth.

“I-I’m G-Greenleaf…” Murmured the stallion that has spoken earlier.  The only other survivor, a small, jumpy black mare squeaked out the name of Spring Flower.

“We need to get moving…” Fire called pulling out a flashlight and shining it down the dark tunnel “I’ll take point…”

“I got the rear…” Colt mumbled as we filed down the tunnel, the sound of the undead smashing against the door growing louder and louder.

I shook my head, the shock of seeing Pinkie in her undead form slowly starting to sink in.  One of my best friends, lost in the teeth of those things… 

I growled, I hated them, hated them for stealing my friends from me, for forcing me to focus every last ounce of my being to survival and the lives of other ponies.  I swore I’d eradicate those ghouls, I’d kill every last one of them.



“That’s not what I’m worried about…” I sighed as we moved along, the bang getting quieter and quieter.

“That’s all you should worry about…” Rainbow looked at me right in the eyes “At least right now… You have half a dozen lives under your command, you need to focus on that right now, alright?”

I looked into her deep magenta eyes and nodded.  She was right, I could worry about Pinkie and those rotters later… Right now I needed to get everyone out and Rainbow to safety.  

“Thank you Rainbow… Let’s never leave each others sides again…”

“Let’s” She grinned at me

Suddenly, we heard a massive screeching sound, then Cloud screaming.

“THEY’VE BREACHED THE DOOR!!”

We all heard the massive scream echoing through the tunnels.

“Go!” Fire yelled jumping to his hooves, sprinting down the narrow tunnel, the rest of us close behind.  

We kept sprinted down the hall, the screech of what sounded like a pack of runners echoing through the hall.

“I watched a purple unicorn leap up towards Mist and Cloud, just barely tackling the two before Colt blasted a hole through its brain, leaving it limp and twitching.

A magenta pegasus shot up soon after and before Colt or anyone could react, tackling spring to the ground, the poor mare squealing and yelling as the runners teeth sank into her stomach. 



Fire cursed as he realized the door lacked a lock and held the door shut tight, Cloud dropped Mist as he and Green held the door closed against the pack of runners.

“Goddamnit!  The doors locked!” Rainbow yelled banging on the large steel door.  

Scarlet growled, pulling out her sidearm and firing three rounds into the lock, not even scratching the durable metal.

“It’s no use…” Star yelled “Too strong of a lock!”

“I can pick locks…” I shakily stated as I ran up to the door, focusing my magic on the steel padlock, trying to fit the pins together.

“Grr… Hurry it up over there Twilight!” Fire growled, the three stallions struggling to keep the door shut as the massive crowd of normal ghouls reached the door, slamming and pressing against the door.

“I’m trying…” I growled as I shakily as I clicked on the first one.

Just as I finished the lock about halfway I heard the small glass viewport shattering, the green stallion screaming as the dead hand gripped his mane, pulling him deep as the broken glass shredded the back of his head.

“Hurry it up Twilight!” Cloud yelled as he fumbled for his knife, hacking at the hand gripping Green.



I listened to Greens screams turn into gurgles as a large shard of glass sliced through his neck, leaving him thankfully passed out and unaware at the hands grabbing and pulling at his skin and eyes.

I sighed with relief as I finally broke open the lock “Come on let’s go!”

“We need something to block the door!” Scarlet yelled searching the bare room.

“Luna just go already!” Cloud yelled “I’ll stay, just go!”

“What!” Star yelled “You can’t just stay!”

“Who gives a rat’s ass about me?!” Cloud yelled “Just go!  I’ll catch up to you later!!”

“You deserve it…” I heard Rainbow mumble before turning and prying open the doors, dashing in.

Colt hoisted Mist onto his shoulders and jogged out, glancing back at Cloud before disappearing out the frame.

“Come on!” I yelled at the final three in there.

Scarlet stamped her feet “Cloud!  Don’t do this to me!  Don’t just leave me like that!!”

“Come on Scarlet!  Just go!  I’ll be fine ok!  There are other doors and exits all throughout this hallway!  I’ll find a way out!”

Scarlet squeezed her eyes tight, letting out a small sob. “You better survive!” she yelled before turning and jogging down the corridor.

Star drew out his sidearm and tossed it to the turquoise unicorn.

“This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other…” Star nodded at him before jogging away.

Fire gave one last nod before pulling away, letting the door go and sprinting away, leaving Cloud with the burden alone, straining and sweating as he looked at me, his cold eyes going soft, staring into mine for just a while until I gave him a small nod and turned down the hall, slamming the door shut behind me.

“Come on!” Fire yelled “I recognize this tunnel!  It leads straight to the generator room!  There’s a hatch to escape from there!”

We heard gunshots and moans behind us. “We better get moving…”  Scarlet growled as she opened a door.

We should have known that by now, the zombies would be flooding through the facility and would have split into more groups and crowds.

Scarlet screamed as she was met with a massive wall of flesh and teeth, turning all too quickly and slipping as a cold hand gripped her back hoof.

“SCARLET!!” Colt yelled as dull pony teeth sank into her thigh ripping through flesh and muscle.

“G-GO!!” She screamed fumbling for her pistol “G-GET OUT OF HERE!!”

I gasped, watching the poor mare grip her pistol in her hoof and squeeze her eyes shut, mouthing a small prayer.



I looked to see Colt sobbing a bit behind us, but he kept running bursting through the next room as the undead flooded behind us.  The more there were the faster they got, almost able to keep pace with our jogging as they screamed and howled.



We continued firing and running, blasting through the heads of countless zombies before countless more took their place, charging towards us as we slammed into a large room filled with barrels and engines.

“This is it!” Fire yelled “The exit is to the left of u-“

He never finished, I watched as the familiar pink runner leaped onto Fire, bashing his skull into a nearby wall, killing him before he even realized what happened.

“P-Pinkie…?” Rainbow gasped, aghast at the sight of her friend ripping into Fires flesh.

It was exactly the pause the undead needed to burst through the door of the crowded generator room, pressing towards us, I jumped to the left and started to sprint, not knowing where I was or who was with me.  I knew I just needed to get out.  I glanced around, trying to get my bearings and figure out what was going on around me.  I barely managed to see the cyan coat I had searched so long for disappear down a hallway on the opposite side of the river of zed.  Colt was sprinting just ahead of me, and Star, screaming, caught in the middle of the whole thing, just barely managing to keep alive as the things tore into his legs and stomach.  I watched him look at me, screaming to get out as he drew out his pistol.  

I realized exactly what his plan was and sprinted harder, pushing Colt and yelling at him to go faster, leaping onto the ladder behind the pegasus and climbing.

Colt ripped open the hatch and leaped out of it, myself close behind as we jumped into the hill just before a massive fireball blasted from the manhole, shooting hundreds of feet into the air before dissipating, the explosion leaving a horrid ringing in my ears.  

I screamed, trying to block out the massive sound as I writhed in the grass, only able to focus on the horrible, horrible pain in my head.  I yelled as I started bashing my head on a rock, only wanting it to end, slamming it again and again as I watched myself bleed on the gray stone.

Suddenly… It stopped.

All that remained was a pitch black.

A sea of nothingness that I could float through, finally… All the struggling was over…

Serene is the only word I could use to describe it… The perfection of nothingness, interrupted by my occasional bouts of consciousness, showing me flashes of being carried through a forest, the sound of marching hooves and helicopter blades.  

I don’t know how long it was until I finally woke up, hooked up to all manners of medical machines and bandages.

“W-Wha…” I shot up immediately clutching my head and trying to stop the spinning.

“Calm down Miss Sparkle…” I heard a soft voice coo from my side.  I looked over to see a white nurse with a light pink mane. “It’s ok… Colt took you back to camp.  You’re safe now…”

“W-Where… W-Who…”

“Shh…” The nurse placed a hoof on my chest slowly pushing me back down on the bed “Please… Rest… I’ll go get Colt and he can explain everything… Alright?”

I nodded, swallowing hard as she left, my dry throat feeling like sandpaper.

They must have found Rainbow…



Please…

I watched as Colt walked into the room.  A sad look on his face.

“W-Who…?”  I asked, closing my eyes trying to talk through my dry throat “W-Who did we lose…”

Colt sighed “Including the ones we found… Fire, Green, Spring, Star, Scarlet are confirmed deceased…”





No…

“NO!!!!” I screamed, tearing my throat as I threw my fist, blasting into the wall. 

“Twilight…” Colt said trotting up to my bed as he tried to calm me down.

“SHUT UP!” I screamed sobbing “WE LOST SO MUCH!!”



“Rainbow’s still out there!!” I screamed, coughing blood from my torn throat “I failed!”

“We still merged with another group!  We got over a dozen able soldiers and more ammo and food then we could ask for!”

“But Rainbow is still out there!” I yelled

Colt stopped sighing and rubbing his face “If Rainbow is as tough as she seems she’ll be fine alright?  We’ll send another search party and find her alright?  She couldn’t have gotten far.”

I sighed and slammed my head against the wall.  There was still a chance… Still a chance…

Colt sighed “Twilight… You’re not done…”

I glared up at him, Colt looked back at me.  I couldn’t read how he felt, but from what I saw, it wasn’t good.

“Twilight…” He almost begged “You’re the last heir to the throne… The leader of Equestria…”

“Yeah yeah yeah!” I growled “I heard you the first time you told me!  And trust me, I’ll do a damn fine jo-“

“Then being so goddamn selfish!” Colt snapped but quickly flinched and lowered his head “I-I apologize…”



“Explain yourself Sergeant…” I said with a low voice “You better have a damn good one or I swear I’ll banish you to the moon…”

Colt let out a slow, deliberate breath looking at me straight on, his eyes clouded with misery and dread. 

“It’d be better if I showed you… If you care… Follow me…” He walked out.

I growled, the nerve of this pony… To challenge my authority.  I thought about blasting him into oblivion right then, I could just end his traitorous ways…

“Celestia listened to me…” Colt said to me “If you want to be half the leader she was you’ll follow…”

I growled, why would Celestia listen to this pony?  This ignorant heretic… Yet… If Colt was telling the truth, there could be some value, if not, I’d be able to prove him wrong.

“Fine…” I mumbled following him out of the tent “Where are we going…?”



I tilted my head, what the hell was he talking about?

We walked for a while, as slowly, the amount of large, battle tents shrunk down and replaced by a looming fence in the distance.  We approached the gates to the place guarded by two sentry’s that let us pass at a single word although giving a few questioning glances at me as I entered.

As I walked in I was bombarded with the sight of what seemed to be some kind of town.

Dirty, darkened ponies walked around, carrying supplies like water, food, and clothing back and forth, sometimes between tents, other times just towards small mats on the ground.  The whole place carried an air of tension and sorrow.  I slowly walked through the dusty pathways as the ponies around me looked at me with mixed expressions, some with curiosity, others with hatred, and a few with plain indifference.  

“Why…?” I asked Colt as I stared at the ponies.

“These are the refugee’s…” Colt murmured “From all over Equestria… This is one of the few safe places around anymore…”

“I get that but… Why?” I asked looking at what looked like a foal coughing and sputtering, his father holding him close.





“These ponies would kill for a quarter, no… just an eighth of the medicine that’s in your veins right now…” Colt said, unable to look me in the eyes “They have to beg each day for half of the rations that were just given to you when we went on that mission.   Ponies are literally selling their bodies for labor and sex just so they can get an extra loaf of bread for their kid…

“Ask any of these ponies where their best friends are…  Ask them right now and they’ll tell you the same thing, missing, dead, or they have no idea either way.  These were two friends who were inseparable, who gave each other shoulders to cry on, and who were the exact same damn thing as you and Rainbow were!

“Do you think they get a dedicated search party?  Do you think they get guns, rations, and a whole squadron to go on a quest for the ponies that mean the most to them?  Of course not, and why not?  Are they any less of friends then you and Rainbow?  Are they any different?

“No… You’re just fucking special, Celestia picked you out of everyone and took you as her apprentice… That’s it, that’s the only reason these ponies trust you with the resources.  It’s the only reason that you get to see your best friend again while these ponies have to give up their rations so their families can eat a bit more!



“That’s why you're being selfish Twilight… That’s why you’re failing everyone as a leader… That’s why this whole fucking corrupt system is failing these ponies!  Because while thousands of ponies look up to you to help them, and you waste some of our best stallions and mares for YOUR gain and no one else’s! 

“You have a choice here Twilight Sparkle… You can go like every other fat cat in this goddamn system and hide in a bunker, grab Rainbow and feast of the finest foods the world has to offer while giving half assed orders to ‘protect’ these civilians.

“Your other option is to do what Celestia did, what Luna did, what Cadence is doing for her kingdom  You can get your hooves dirty, get knee deep in this shitty world we're in right now, and start making a difference!  The choice is yours Twilight Sparkle.”

I stared at the refugees, listening to Colt give his speech, watching as a few ponies turn their heads to watch and stare.  A few ponies scoffed, a few ignored me, but a few stayed and watched hopefully.  Gazing into my purple eyes and waiting for me to react.  

I watched as a small foal stayed and watched, defying the encouragements of his mother to just move on.  I watched the colt look at me hopefully, his dirty face gazing into mine as he smiled.  He thought… No… In his heart… He knew I would make a difference.

I turned around, walking out of the camp, my mind racing with thoughts and ideas.  Colt followed, slightly winded from his speech as he looked at me, unsure of how I took it.

The back of my mind screamed at me to blast him to the moon, to forget everything, grab Rainbow and hide forever, be safe forever.

As I reached my tent, levitating a few things into a small chest, I realized that I would never fully soothe that voice, I would never stop wanting to give up, throw in the towel.

I closed the chest and walked back stopping as I looked at Colt.

“I want a map of all the infected area… As well as all the numbers of my soldiers, survivors, things like that…”

Colt nodded slightly looking at me curiously.

“And yes I made my choice…” I smile “Thank you Colt… Celestia always loved how I completely lacked respect of her authority… I’m glad you can be that for me.”

Colt grinned “Just glad you’re not banishing me to the moon Twilight.”

“It won’t cross my mind again.” I smiled “Now get to work Sergeant… And…”

“There are some valuable additions to the team still around that place.” Colt winked at me “I’ll make sure a few scouting parties are sent there for you…”

“Thank you.” I smiled “Wait to do that after I get those numbers though, I want to know how many we can spare.”

“Yes ma’am!” He saluted me before walking off.  I smiled slightly looking around at some of the generals and politicians, most gazing questioningly, some with worry, and a few with pride and happiness.

I made a note of every reaction, so I knew exactly who to watch out for, making my way west towards the guards.

“Where do I sign up for a space?”


0)----(0




“God… Damn… It…”

Stab

“Fucking… Zom… Bies…”

Crush

“Twilight… Better have…”

Smash

“Rescued… Rain… Bow…”

BANG

“What the… Hell? I didn’t shoot that…”

“Y’all alright?  Ya look like yer gonna pass out...” 

Because he's me?


I apologize xD


Still need change