> Friendship is Survival > by SCP Pinkamena > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > New Name, New Description, Old Vendetta > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello everyone, SCP Pinkamena here! Like I stated before, I would Revise and Reboot EVERYTHING this story had. I also stated that it would be more Left 4 Dead-ish. The story has a new name, (I am aware that there's a story with the same name, but it is in NO WAY related to it.), a new description, and for me, an old vendetta of writing the Chapters. So everyone, please be patient and I will have new chapters out in a jiffy. On The Run, ~SCP Pinkamena > Two Hours After First Infection (Edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equestria. A nation of strength and power. Of freedom like America, of rule like Britain, of strength like Russia, of peace like no other. Equestria held no wars, no ill will towards her neighbors. America provided for her, and in times she would refuse. Others though, she would kindly except. She was founded in the heart of America, the president giving the founders the lands for them. The states that once occupied where all moved to make room for this new newborn country. The maps of America no longer show a solid land, but of one with a gap in the center, like water in a ring island. Equestria was like no other country ever established. Until three years later, the country turned into testing grounds. New facilities were being erected within Equestria's borders without their knowledge. The workers would abduct random people, men, women, children, and test on them like lab rats. When word got out to where the people were being abducted to, the people of Equestria took action. The two princesses came to the president in person, demanding that he recall his people from within Equestria's borders. He had no knowledge of what they were saying. When confronted of the dilemma, he grew angry and took action along with the Equestrians. He ordered his forces to seize the facilities, and with the help of the Equestrian Guards, they eventually destroyed the buildings and rescued the captured. With that, the Director of the project was sentenced to public death for Equestria and America to watch. But as he was put on the chopping block, his final words were: "My death wont be the last." And the worst part? He was right... ____________________________________ Two weeks after the raid of the experimental camps, everything in America and Equestria seemed normal. In an bakery by the name of Sugarcube Corner, six friends known as the Elements of Harmony, sat in the shoppe eating confections and drinking Milkshakes. "And then afterwards, me and Lightning Dust were cool after a couple of drinks." Rainbow finished. Her story was about how Lightning and Dash set aside their differences and worked as a team. Rarity rolled her eyes ate Rainbows bad language but thought it better not to correct her. "That's wonderful Rainbow Dash, but do you know what happened to her when you left?" She asked raising a eyebrow. "I saw her hook up with some guy who said he was from Rhineland, Wisconsin. I don't where that is, but I bet Egghead over here could get a map and point it out." She said with a smirk pointing a Twilight. "After that I heard some screaming, and I figured it was a bar fight so I left." Applejack looked her friend with a curious stare. "Normally you're all in when it comes to bar fights, what put you off this one?" She asked. "I don't know... just didn't feel right, you know what I'm saying? That feeling you get when you know should do something but it wont do any different?" Rainbow said looking down the road where the bar was. "But yeah, Me and Lightning got things settled out, so no more fighting, no more yelling, and no more--" "Help! Somebody help me!" Six friends stopped their conversation to look out the window just in time to see a man run down the road being chased by three others, two of which was Lightning Dust and the guy she hooked up with. The man running down the road was wearing a grey T-shirt that had a picture of a clover on it, he was also wearing blue joggers shorts suggesting that he was running before this. They recognized him as Lucky. Lucky was running from the three people who snarled and growled at him. Since it was dark out, he didn't see the hole in the road where his foot stepped and he fell over. "Ah! My ankle! I-I broke my ankle! Someone, please help mehehehe!" He cried as the three people stopped over him, regarding him, before they all leaped at him as one ripping him apart. "No! Stop! Someon--" His voice cut out by Lightning, who tour out his throat. All three were howling and snarling as they ripped his skin off his bones and the six inside the bakery all looked away from the scene and down at the table. "Did that just... Did that just happen...?" Rainbow said, breathlessly. The rest of them just sat in silence before another scream broke it. And another... And soon everyone, except for those six, began to scream. Carriages and wagons began to veer of course, smashing into building and people. Those that didn't scream were already turned and running after those who weren't. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity watched in a stunned silence as the world around them began to die. "See! I told you vampires were real!" A man in a vest shouted as he ran by. The woman next to him, only rolled her eyes as they ran. "These aren't vampires... they're zombies..." Twilight said, weakly correcting what the man had said. The closest ones to them turned and snarled at them, blood covering their face and teeth. "Yeah, well now they're after us!" Rainbow said quickly closing the door and locking it behind them. "Weapons! We need weapons!" She stated. She rummaged through the kitchen, producing a butchers knife, a cleaver, and several other sharp cooking utensils. "And what do think you're doing Rainbow Stardust Dash!" Twilight yelled as she witnessed Rainbow passing out the weapons. "Do you really think that this is the right way? They can be reasoned with." "Did they reason when they killed Lucky? Did they reason with the screams you heard?!" Rainbow protested. Fluttershy got up from her seat and placed her hands on both Twilight's and Rainbow's mouths. "Shhh... do you hear that?" "Hear what?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head to the side. "Exactly..." Fluttershy gulped. She was right, the screams from five minutes ago stopped. There were no sounds, no people screaming for their lives, just the sound of their own breathing. "Everything's quiet, the screams, the crashing buggies, all of it stopped... why?" "Because Equestria just turned into a Zombie hot-zone, that's why! And Twilight, I bring back my point: Do you think they showed reason to the people they gutted? Believe it or not, but in a matter of minutes, apparently, we are the only six surviving right now. You, me, Flutters, Pinks, Rares, and AJ. Not them, us Twi... Us." Twilight didn't know what she meant when she repeated the word 'us', but what ever it was meant to do, almost worked. Almost. "Alright fine, but let me get Spike-- S-Spike... he's..." She realized what she said, and fell to her knees in grief. "I'm a terrible person... I-I left a poor 10 year old boy all by himself! While this was going on, I... How could I be so cruel!" She yelled with tears in her eyes. "Applebloom... Big Mac and Granny Smith..." Applejack mumbled, plopping back in her chair. Rarity did the same but with more tears, thinking about how she left the little eight year old all by herself. Pinkie didn't have to worry much since the Cakes and the Twins were still inside hopefully sleeping peacefully. She quickly grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper. Dear Mr. and Mrs.Cake, Me and the girls are going out to see what's wrong with the town. Please stay INSIDE at all times and for safe measure don't touch anything. Love, Pinkie Pie P.S. Sorry I ate the last piece of pie last Wednesday, I got really hungry. Setting the note down on the table top she felt a poke on she shoulder. Turning she saw Rainbow holding a long, metal knife sharpener that ended at a point. With a heavy sigh, she grabbed the tool-turned-weapon and walked outside with the others. What they all saw practically brought them to their knees. Equestria, their home, burned and they watched as those they called their friends, walked around dead. The six women all gripped their weapons tighter, Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight letting out tears while Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie had a scowl on their faces. As they slowly walked out, the infected had not noticed them, a few of them walking right by. Fluttershy and Rarity had to stifle a scream, and Rainbow Dash held herself back. It wasn't until Twilight spied a familiar green haired boy. "Spike..." she whispered and slowly made her way to him. She carefully avoided the infected, making sure not to bump into them. When she finally made it to the boy and turned him around to face him... "EEEARRGGHH!!" The sound sent chills down all six of their spines, as a collective of screams and howls came from the distance. All the infected around them stopped moving, and just stood still. It was Spike who made the first move and jumped onto Twilight snapping his jaws at her. That was the spark that caused the fire, and the rest of the infected swarmed the other five. "Spike! Spike, stop! It's me, Twilight!" She pleaded but he didn't listen, he wouldn't and couldn't listen at all. He snarled and snapped at her, while she had trouble holding him back, and finally kicked him off her. Twilight was shocked. Spike wasn't Spike anymore, he was a... a monster. She could see him getting back up, and she started to crawl away backwards. He started to sprint over to her ready to attack and she brought an arm up to push him away, but what she didn't know is that it was the same hand with the knife she held. She felt him lodge himself onto the knife and flailed at her, still reaching before he let out a weak screech and slumped against her arm. Twilight stared with wide eyes and pinprick pupils as he the closet person she had to a son fell of the knife and onto the ground, permanently dead. "S--Spike... w-what have I done..." She whispered to herself "Twilight! C'mon, we have to leave! Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash can't hold them off forever! Let's go!" Rarity said picking up her friend, ignoring that Spike was at her feet, dead. "No time to mourn the dead, we NEED to leave!" She yelled again pushing Twilight into a nearby building where the others were. > Apocalyptic Nightmare Act One: Ponyville Square > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now Loading: Apocalyptic Nightmare Act 1 Ponyville Square The six girls of Ponyville stared at the door in silence. None of them moving, not blinking at the door, they only breathed and stood still... Bang! They flinched. Bang! Bang! All six of them began backing up from the door. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! "Everyone, hide!" Applejack shouted as she dived behind a couch. Rainbow silently ran up the stares towards the main bedroom. Pinkie and Fluttershy ran into the kitchen Fluttershy hiding under the sink, while Pinkie carefully cleared out the lower pantry and hid there. Rarity ran for the bathroom, and Twilight hid in a closet in the living room. The front door burst open with probably half the town behind it, and Twilight was the first one to see them all. The Mayor, Lightning Dust, Comet Tail, Button Mash and his mother, all of them turned into a feral like animals. She held her mouth to silence her heavy breathing, the monsters snarling all the way past her. Applejack was next to see them all. She calmed her breathing and looked up all of them as they stumbled past. She saw Cloudkicker, Thunderlane, Flitter, and Blossomforth, granted that their passion was in the sky, like Dash, she still knew them as good friends. She saw a few sights that almost made her lose her resolve, like Apple Fritter and Apple Strudel. But she had yet to see Applebloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. Some hope for that right? She thought to herself. Applejack saw the last one stumble into the kitchen where Fluttershy and Pinkie hid. Pinkie and Fluttershy both peaked out where they hid, it took all of Fluttershy's strength and resolve not to burst out crying, and for Pinkie not to come flying out and beating them all with a frying pan. Fluttershy saw familiar faces as well, Lotus, Aloe, Vera, she even saw Berry Punch and Caramel. Pinkie on the other hand, knew everyone in town, but they were a few faces even she didn't recognize. But what set her off, was not just adults but children too were turned into these animals, children she loved as if they were her own. Her knuckles went white, just as the last one passed by. She recognized her as Cherry Twist, and thankfully, she didn't see her daughter, Peppermint Twist, inside of the crowd. Rarity could here them outside of the bathroom door. Being safe in case one came it, she had thankful found a broken metal towel hanger that was being replaced by a new one. Despite the cooking knife she had with her, she now also had a screwdriver as well. She could tell pitches in voices, or in this case, snarls. She could hear Sparkler, Doctor Stable, Nurse Redheart, and a few others as well. Why did this have to happen...? Maybe it was... no, it couldn't be... She thought to herself. A few of the infected walked upstairs near the main bedroom. Rainbow Dash heard some of them moan and snarl before it stopped completely. She quietly walked over to the door, but stopped dead in her tracks as she heard a floor board creak outside the door, and it was followed by a shadow. The door slowly opened and Rainbow screamed out and lunged at the entry way. Her hand was stopped in mid motion though, and she struggled against it the grip. "Rainbow Dash! Calm down!" Rainbow stopped and looked up to Applejack's concerned face, along with the others. "D-don't scare me like that! I thought you were one of them!" Her breathing slowed and she calmed down. "Come on," Twilight said, "let's look inside the house for something useful." The other girls nodded in agreement before searching the house. Rarity went into the main foyer to look for anything of use, but came up empty handed. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy went back into the kitchen and brought back all the canned goods and some cooking supplies, like pots and pans, and some matches too. Rainbow Dash went back into the bedroom she was in and looked in the closet, to find a safe and few sets of clothes. While not interested in the clothes, she pulled the small safe from the closet and brought it down by the canned food. Applejack found that the garage was connected to the house. (Thankfully) She brought back with her a gas can, a 15 inch bladed chainsaw, a few metal bats, and an archery set. "Well, this stuff will come in handy..." Rarity said picking up the bow and arrows. The quiver was made from a polyester like material, like what you find in backpacks, and it held ten or twelve arrows at a time. Applejack handed one of the metal bats to Rainbow Dash, and gave Pinkie another, while she took the last one. Applejack went back into the garage and got Twilight a weapon as well, which happened to be police baton. Making the most regrettable decision, gave Fluttershy the small chainsaw and the can of gas. "Wait," Twilight said, "We need something to store everything, a big, strong pack or something like that." "A backpack?" Rainbow said pulling one from the wall hanger. "Close Rainbow, but I was think more... like a duffel bag?" Twilight said, slightly dimming her rainbow friends spirits "I... I think I saw one upstairs in the closet... That's where I also found that safe over there next to the food. While I'm up there, I'll see if I can find a key." Rainbow told all of them and walked up the stares. In the closet there was a light blue duffel bag, waiting to be picked up. When she set it down on the bed, she checked the nightstand for a key, but couldn't find it. She searched in the drawers of the dresser, but still came up empty... until an idea struck her. As Rainbow set the bag down, she reached for the safe and turned it upside down. And there it was, the key. "Heh, figures..." She whispered to herself and unlocked the safe. "Holy mother of everything holy, we struck GOLD!" She exclaimed as she pulled out dollar bill after dollar bill. "There's gotta be like, 500 or more in here! We're set if we want to buy something from someone. And...and what are you?" She said pulling out the last thing any of them would ever see. A gun. "Yes! What is it? Looks like P220... No it has a frame of a 220, but the slide and barrel of 228! This guy knew what he was doing who ever he was..." Rainbow admired it akin to how a homeless man saw fresh food. "Fifteen round magazine, that's something everyone makes a mistake about, it's not a clip, it's a magazine, 9 millimeter? No, .45 rounds, a carbon fiber black grip, and a chrome like metal on the slide, oh man... I hope he has extra rounds!" Rainbow said, diving back in pulling out two boxes of .45 rounds. "Rainbow Dash, I think we should... not use it." Rarity said folding her arms. "Unless whoever owned that safe had a permit, it's illegal to own a gun within Equestria's borders." Rainbow huffed at Rarity's logic. "In case you haven't noticed, there's a zombie apocalypse outside the door... or what used to be the door anyways... Which reminds me, what made all of them go away?" Rainbow asked. "Oh, a bus passed with a name on the side of it, Midnight Riders I think, it was bloodied on the front, and when it went by, it honked like crazy!" Applejack explained. "Okay, that explains a lot, but now, come on time to beat on some undead bastards!" Rainbow said, slinging the duffel bag onto her back, and let her friends fill it up with the food, money, and the gun. Looking at the busted door in the entry way, the famous six friends walked out into the open. Saddened once again by the destruction that a mere two hours caused, they pressed it back and began to walk forward. Twilight held her tonfa in a defensively in her hands, holding by the handle jutting out of the side. Pinkie held her bat in a ready to swing stance, Rainbow and Applejack held their bats in their left and right hands respectively, Fluttershy played it safe and hide behind Rarity who had her bow and arrows. All six of them took the first step into hell. In this world so cold... We are, the only ones... The survivors... That were left 4 dead... Ohhh, we are, the ones... That they left 4 dead, that they left 4 dead... We are left 4 dead... We are left 4 dead... We are left 4 dead... We, are, left, 4, dead... > Canterlot Transmission > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now Loading: Canterlot Transmission "Sir! We're being overrun by these things!" "Holy shit! That one just leaped over the Goddess Damned wall!" "What?! Kill it, now!" A deep sigh went over the screams. "This is Captain Shining Armor, commander of the Canterlot Evac Center, and... former prince of Equestria. I am 28 years old, and I am broadcasting this message to every and ALL radio stations around Equestria and the U.S. alike... Equestria has fallen to an... infection. I repeat: Equestria has fallen to an infection. We do not know what the infection is, but we do know what it does. Any persons touched, scratched, clawed, bitten, or anything that involves physical contact with the infected will turn and be infected themselves. Any and all citizens of the U.S. listening in, in Equestria's borders, please leave immediately. We have no hostility towards you, we just don't want this to spread. I repeat: Any and all citizens of the U.S. should leave right now... lest you become one of them... The United States, as far as we know, is safe, but as for Equestria... Equestria has failed." "Did you find the leaper yet?!" "No, I-I think we scared it ofAHHHH!!" "Moonlight!!" "As you can hear, we have failed and still failing. Please, stay away from Equestria. The uninfected are being transported to a facility known as CEDA, located in Atlanta, Georgia. We have triple checked them all to see if they came into contact, been bitten, or scratched by the infected, those that were... were disposed of, those who weren't have the symbol of our Lady, a small sun insignia, tattooed on their left shoulder. If you have anymore questions, I'm sorry but by the time you hear this transmission, Canterlot, as well as the rest of Equestria, will be gone and only those who we sent to CEDA will be the soul survivors. The group consists of 100 men, 50 women, ans 25 children. Please, see that no harm comes to them. This is Cap-- former Captain Shining Armor, signing off. And may Celestia, Luna, and God have mercy on our souls..." > Apocalyptic Nightmare Act One Part 2: Killing is Easy, Forgetting Who You Killed is Hard > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now Loading: Apocalyptic Nightmare Act 1 Part 2 Ponyville Square Six friends stared at the destruction that had wrought Ponyville in a measly two hours. It was disturbing, sickening, and downright wrong, but there it was staring them in the face, and they stared back. Fluttershy, of all people, was the first on who found her voice. "Shouldn't we, umm... get going... I mean, if we should, if that's okay with you..." "No, 'Shy you're right... we all should jus' getta move on then..." Even though everything in my being is tellin' me NOT to... "Yeah, no need standing around like a... a... Standy McStanderson...?" Despite the fact I want to run out of here as fast as possible... "I-- I hear ya 'Shy! Just... need to get going..." And my legs won't move when I tell them to... I'm scared this time, for real! "Yes, darling. What Applejack said, get a move on..." But... poor Sweetie Belle... I want to go home and check on her first... "Fluttershy is right, we just need to get going... If we can..." Spike... Wait, what about Mom and Dad, and Shining and Cadence?! The Princesses?! Are they like this too!? As the they began having their doubts, they were unaware that a collected mass of what used to be human beings started to surround them. It wasn't until they heard one of them growled that they looked up at the group of fifteen or twenty surrounding them. Fluttershy gulped in fear, Rainbow Dash shook on the spot, Applejack scowled and growled back, Pinkie, while angry, felt the sudden need to flee, Rarity breathed hard, inwardly panicking, and Twilight stood stock still, with on her chest moving up and down. They all saw familiar faces, Button Mash and his Mother, Mayor Mare, Lightning Dust and Cloud Kicker, Blossom Forth, Thunderlane, and Rumble... Friends of theirs that wanted to kill them. And they had to the same, just to survive. "Okay... I'm sure we can't talk our way out of this one..." And then they all attacked. Who were once their friends all sprinted towards them, dead set on killing all six of them. The first one jumped onto Twilight who held it at bay by pushing her tonfa against it's neck, Applejack used her bat to push them down and knock them back, Rarity and Fluttershy were fight back as well, with Rarity doing all the work and Fluttershy meekly trying to start the chainsaw, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were doing actual work, swinging their bats and breaking the infected's arms. Rainbow, who had finally had enough, brought the bat above her head slammed down hard. The only problem was that when she looked up, she didn't hit the zombie she was aiming for... Looking down, she dropped the bat and grabbed who she hit. Scootaloo, now sporting a large gash on her face accompanied by the fracture in her head, stared at Dash with soulless eyes and and whimpered softly before slumping into her. "aaaaaAAAAAAAHH!!!! I KILLED HER HOLY SHIT, I KILLED SCOOTS!!" She screamed into the air shaking the small body off of her. "Oh shit... oh shit... I killed Scoots... Oh fuck, I killed Scoots..." She mumbled to herself as she reached for the bat. "No... I didn't kill Scoots... You... You made me kill Scootaloo! YOU MADE ME DO IT!!" She swung the bat at the first one she saw, Carrot Top, and sickening crack echoed through the square. Rainbow's magenta eyes glowed with anger and sorrow, and she took it all it out on them. "DAMN YOU! I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!" Rainbow yelled as she swung again, and again, and again, and again... Her five friends watched as she beat the horde to a pulp. She eventually slowed down on who used to Daven Port, and sunk to her knees crying. She crawled over to the corpse of Scootaloo and picked her up, cradling her. "Shhhh.... It's okay now... you're," she hiccuped a bit, "you're asleep now... no one's ever gonna wake you up..." Rainbow cried and tears fell onto the her dead body. "You... you were out crusading again, weren't ya? Trying to find you're... you're calling in life-- Oh gods above... I'm sorry I wasn't there, Scoots. You saw them and... I didn't hear you... c-call out f-f-for me..." Fluttershy placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Rainbow to whip her head back to stare at her. Fluttershy herself had tears and sunk to her knees as well, giving Dash a comforting hug. "Hey... it wasn't your fault... It was there's. You had nothing to do with it okay?" "...Shovel... Bring me a shovel..." Rainbow said and Applejack and Pinkie went back in the garage to find one. Pinkie came back with it and Rainbow tore it out of her hands, digging a shallow grave. When it hit three feet, according to Twilight, she stuck the shovel in the ground and picked up Scootaloo and gently placed her down. After saying a few quick words, Rainbow began scooping up dirt and placing it back in the hole and patting it down. She shoved the shovel in the ground above the grave and picked up her bat and began walking away. "Hey! Where're you goin'?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash looked back with the most calm look on her that they've seen in years. "We can't stay here. Twenty so people is only what? A sixteenth, a twenty-secondth, of Ponyville? Well, think about how many are out there right now... I've done the math about 1,000 people are in Ponyville, give or take a few ten. Still only six of us. Six versus thousands of them Applejack, thousands." "And how in blazes do you figure thousands?" "Because, if it's here... it's probably everywhere... Girls... Welcome to the end of the world..."