//------------------------------// // 7. Nothing Good Will Come of This // Story: Zombies to Ponies in Ten Seconds Flat // by 8r0ny //------------------------------// I continued on to tell Zecora all about our friendship and misadventures. The others joined in with the storytelling once they came into the friend group. It was a great experience reminiscing on all the stuff we’ve done. I had forgotten when Cody and I had a sleepover and convinced my other friend there were ghosts in my house. We talked all the way into the later afternoon. “And that was when Nyjill came into the group. He’s pretty new but still a great addition.” I said looking towards the sky. The sun was starting to set. “Hey Zecora would you like to stay for dinner? I know it’s not to tempting after we told you how nasty our food is but figured I’d offer.” “No thanks Shawn, I should be getting back to my house.” She said standing up and stretching. “My house and your base are safe from timberwolves but the walk between is not. So I should get home before dark.” “Would you like some company?” I asked. It’s only polite to walk a girl home. I may be a hardened survivor in different world but I’m still a gentleman damn it. “You know, I’ll take you up on that.” She said smiling. “It would be beneficial for you to know where I live as well.” “Cool, let me grab a few things and we can head out.” I said standing and stretching myself. “I’ll only take a second.” With that I walked over to my tent and grabbed my crossbow, quiver, and Arcane Staff of Light Bringing. I also strapped a machete to my leg, just to be safe. “Ok, I’m good to go.” I said walking to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle and filling it with water we purified from the stream. I walked us to the door and opened it for us to go out, closing it behind us. “Lead the way madam.” She just smiled and started walking North. We passed the stream we caught fish in which was apparently a stream that fed into the larger river that helped separate the Everfree from Pon- err, the town she didn't actually tell us the name of. A few minutes walk North of the stream we found a run down path. We followed the path for a good twenty minutes until we came across a fork in the path. We took the path on the left and made it to her house in a matter of minutes. All in all it was about a thirty minute walk. “Here we are. Home at last.” Zecora said walking towards the door. “Wow, how did you find us if we were so far away?” I asked. “I know most of this forest and walk it daily.” She replied. “I was in the area when your portal appeared.” “Wow, that must have been interesting.” I said smiling. “Indeed it was.” She replied. “I watched you guys set up until the walls went up and decided I would go home and check on you the next day. I heard you guys talking about beasts at your walls so I went home and mixed up a brew that would repel them. I was on my way to spread it when your friends saw me. We ran separate directions but I decided to spread the brew anyways so I went to your camp and then left when I was done.” “Thanks for that by the way.” I said opening the door for her. “We would have been puppy chow by now if not.” “I love puppies!” A young southern voice said from inside. Zecora and I froze. “Hello little one, what are you doing here?” She asked the home intruder. “I came to ask for a potion for Granny, her stomach hurts real bad.” The little one said. She still hadn’t seen me so I decided to just not move. “Ok, I can do that. Shawn why don't you come in?” Zecora said walking in. Well so much for staying hidden. Guess she would have seen me trying to sneak away so why not introduce myself properly. I ducked under her doorway to enter into her house. There she was, little apple horse sitting at the table. Staring intently at me. “Hello there, I’m Shawn.” I said holding out my hand to her. “What’s your name?” “I’m Applebloom…” She said hesitantly taking my hand and shaking it. “What are you?” “That's not very polite dear.” Zecora lightly scolded whilst starting her brew. “It’s fine, children can just be brutally honest sometimes.” I said chuckling. “I am a human, I came from another world plagued by a zombie apocalypse, and my friends and I were sent here with science to see if it was viable to move the survivors here to start over.” Perhaps that was too much information for her little head to handle because she just stared blankly at me for a good while. Only nodding slowly in response when I asked if she was ok. “Now Applebloom, him and his friends are still settling in. We don’t want this to get out just yet so can you keep this a secret?” Zecora said to the little pony while putting the potion on a string around her neck. “Yah, I can do that.” Applebloom said dejectedly. “Not like anyone would believe a story like that anyhow.” “Good.” Zecora replied. “Now have Granny Smith drink this potion before bed and she should be better by morning.” “O shoot, I need to hurry then.” Applebloom said prancing in place. “She goes to bed right after sundown. Nice meeting you mister!” And with that she was out the door and down the path. “I should get going too.” I said to Zecora. “Don’t want to try to get back in the dark.” “Take this bag of herbs with you.” She said giving me a small bag. “It will ward off anything smaller than a manticore.” “And anything bigger?” I asked skeptically. “You’ll be fine.” She said nonchalantly. “If you say so.” I said hesitantly. “Thanks for everything. I’ll see you tomorrow to start gathering foods.” “I’m looking forward to it.” She said walking me out. “See you tomorrow.” With one final goodbye I left her house and started my journey back to camp. Thankfully it was uneventful. I only had to light up my staff for the last five minutes of my walk. Before I knew it I was back in camp preparing my dinner. Today's meal is flavor 22, Asian style beef strips with vegetables. Not too bad but could use some fresh onion and maybe some lemon. After dinner I decided to turn in for the night. I had to be up all tomorrow night to guard, and fix the schedule. You know what, I’ll do that now. “Need some paper and a pencil.” I said to myself as I walked over to the lab tent. I knew I could find those things there. After getting my supplies I sat down by the fire Matthew had going. I wrote down the hours from 8 P.M. to 8 A.M. and split them into two boxes. 8P.M.-Midnight, and Midnight-8 A.M. “We’ll go in rounds, two people per night.” I said writing down names next to numbers. “I’m one, Cody is two, Nyjill is three, Matthew is four, and Camden is five. Day one is 1/2, day two is 3/4, day three is 5/1, day four is 2/3, and day five is 4/5. That will work.” With that figured out I taped the paper to the table in the kitchen. Everyone will see it if it's there. I then made my way back to my tent and crawled into my hammock. I took a moment to think about what happened today. A lot happened, that's what. I remembered who I saw at Zecora's and shot up. “We do not have much time.” I said looking around the dark tent. “Sure she said she’ll keep it a secret but she’ll tell the other crusaders eventually and they’ll tell the main six and…” I froze. “SHIT.” I yelled. “Is Twilight an alicorn? Zecora said Princess...I don’t know if we’ll survive if she is.” “Whats going on?” Nyjill asked poking his head in. “Whats so ‘SHIT’?” “Umm, I met Applebloom at Zecora’s…” I began. “She promised to keep quiet but she’ll tell her friends and they’ll tell their sisters and they’ll tell Twilight and I think she may be an alicorn based on what Zecora said!” “Well shit.” Nyjill agreed. “If she doesn't outright kill us because we’re aliens she’ll kill us with questions.” “We have a saving grace though!” I said hopefully. “Camden and Cody will take the brute force of the eggheadedness!” “Yey for smart people!” Nyjill said happily. But then he froze. “You know who else will come though...probably arrive shortly after Twilight teleports directly here? Likes to call people eggheads?!” “Rainbowdash…” I said half excited and half terrified. “She’ll want to fight an alien or some shit...O god, I’m her target aren't I. Twilight will target me as the leader but get distracted by science...Rainbowdash on the other hand will go after me and she’s too thick to be deterred. I’m doomed.” “It was nice knowing you.” Nyjill said grinning. “But sometimes the leader has to sacrifice himself for the good of the team.” “Whatever, you and Matthew will be dealing with the rest of them.” I said starting to smile. “Maybe Applejack will buck the shit out of you for calling her a background pony. Or Rarity will ask about your clothes, or Fluttershy will...be so fucking cute omg you lucky bastard.” “I don't know what is happening any more.” Nyjill said looking at me strangely. “Plus they’re all slow so we will have a bit before they get here.” “True, by the way we’re about two miles from...town.” I said, hesitating at the name of the town. “You know she still didn’t tell me the name of the town.” “Well we’re assuming it's Ponyville.” Nyjill said. “And we also assumed that the main six are there and they act like we know them to.” It’s not assuming.” I countered. “It’s tactical thinking. We’re planning and scheming. Assuming is just that, assuming. But we are thinking about this carefully and...ya i don't know where I was going with that.” “Well, regardless. We can’t be sure on anything but we can definitely ponder and what not.” Nyjill mused. “Zecora didn’t speak in rhymes so who knows what else differs from the show.” “Damn, wish I had my laptop.” I said dejectedly. “I had the first four seasons on it. Because, you know...it started sucking after that.” “True. Those were the good old days.” Nyjill reminisced. “It's been awhile since I watched MLP so I’m a little rusty.” "Same here. I was really only into it for the fan content.” I replied. “I read so many fanfics that my knowledge of the Equestrian world is pretty jumbled. We do have a while before the portal opens again...and as long as Celestia does not veto our plea to move here I may just get the chance to see who was right and what was just made up.” “Well technically it was all made up.” Nyjill interjected. “Well there is always the possibility that whenever Faust slept she could view this world and she wrote episodes based on what she saw.” I countered. “It’s a theory that was coined to people whose dreams all occur in the same world. At first they just said their brain was hardwired to dream like that but as more people dreamed of more things it was theorized that those people may be peaking into different realities.” “That's insane.” Nyjill said disbelievingly. “But, we are in a world that was predicted by a TV show that first aired like ten years ago.” “O shit.” I interrupted. “With the time difference who knows how much time has passed here!” “Not much considering we just had a chat with Zecora.” Nyjill pointed out. “True.” I said relaxing. “I was worried that it’s been like 60 years or something. Anyhow I’m tired so go away.” “Ok. See you tomorrow I guess.” Nyjill said leaving my tent. “Take a look at the new schedule on the table in the kitchen when you get the chance.” I said settling back into my hammock. “Will do.” Nyjill said from outside. Now that I did all that thinking I was tired and for some reason less worried about what was going to happen to us. “Welcome to Equestria.” I said quietly to myself. I had to say it, it was bothering me. Well now that that was out of the way, other than saying it to others that is, I closed my eyes and in a few minutes I was asleep.