//------------------------------// // Out Of Body, Out Of My Mind // Story: Grounds for the Dead: A L4D2 Story // by SCP Pinkamena //------------------------------// Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Ten Two Weeks After First Infection: Earth Time Days Until Infected Come To Ponyville: Twelve... Eleven Twilight Sparkle was reading when a sudden knock came to her door. "Come in!" She called from her spot on the couch, too engorged in the book. The door flew open and in walked Applejack walked in, smiling all the way. Twilight had asked her to come to the library, why she didn't say, but that didn't matter to Applejack. She trotted and poked Twilight in the noggin, but the unicorn continued to read, so with a sigh she pulled the book from her line of sight which caused her to look up. Catching a glimpse of Applejack, she launched up and gave her a hug. "Oh Applejack! Thank you for coming," Twilight said releasing her from the hug. Applejack adjusted her hat, and nodded, towards her. "Why, it was nuthin' sugarcube, ya said ya needed help, an I ain't one to leave a friend hang around," She said with a smile on her face which quickly turned to a frown. "To be honest with ya, I wanted ta git away from Applebloom and her Crusadin'..." She deadpanned and Twilight chuckled. While it was true that Applebloom's, Sweetie Belle's and Scootaloo's Crusading was loud, it was the only thing that made Applejack, Rarity, and Raindrops from tearing their manes out. "Ya, ya, laugh it up..." Applejack said to Twilight who was still laughing at her misfortune. Twilight took a few deep breaths and finally gained control of herself. "I'm sorry Applejack... but seeing you so stressed... It's that funny!" She laughed not to be mean, but because she found it impossible for Applejack to be THAT stressed. After her second laughing fit, she gestured her to the basement where she had the episode with Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkie Sense'. Twilight shuddered, vaguely remembering how horrible things went that day... Applejack noticed this and began to snicker quietly but it didn't go unheard. Twilight turned her head sharply and stared at her with piercing eyes. "What's so funny?" She asked. Applejack's mouth scrunched up, and her eyes moved left to right. "Nuthin'..." She lied. Twilight only muttered and finally smiled to herself. Applejack and Twilight, now walking down to the basement, had occasionally bumped their heads on the ceiling. Applejack spoke up after the second time she was hit. "Twi, why is the ceiling over the stair so dangum low?" She asked and when Twilight went answer, she (again) bumped her head, but this time her horn caught the receiving end of the blow. With a scream of pain, she quickly sat down on the stairs. Applejack went to ask what was wrong, but she was cut off from a sudden flash. She felt cold. She felt empty. She saw a black void, and a another being was there. It vaguely looked like a pony until she got closer to it and looked similar to... to... Her eyes suddenly opened and with a groan by both her and Twilight before she stood up. When she looked ahead to see Twilight, she noticed she wasn't there anymore. When she looked behind her... well, she almost keeled over. She saw herself behind her, and looking at her with a shocked expression that can only be described as: 'Oh shit, what the fuck happened?' Applejack suddenly spoke, but the voice that came out was not her voice. "Ok... Applejack, I want you to relax... and don't pani-" She was suddenly cut off by Applejack, who was in Twilight's body, who was currently falling down the five remaining stairs. Applejack (Twilight) sighed to herself. "This is gonna take a little while..." _________________ "...And that's what happened." Twilight finished, re-telling the story to Rainbow Dash, who had just recently came out of shell shock. "Yep, an' it was mighty weird too, being in another body like that... although I still don't know what the black place is," She said, wondering about what the area was called. Twilight perked up at that. "I've read some books about that, apparently it's called 'Limbo'. Which is a place between the living and dying world," she explained to Applejack. "Every ponies 'Limbo' is different, filled with trials, puzzles, and sometimes if you are successful in your trials, you can have a free pass back to your body... as long as it's not cremated, destroyed... digested..." She said, each condition getting darker and darker. Rainbow hopped up on the bed and looked at Twilight. "Ok, I understand 'Soul Swapping', or what ever you called it, but why let those freaks in your house?!" She asked and Twilight suddenly got a look of despair. "Oh, no no no no no no no no! I left all alone in the library without somebody to talk to!" She panicked and told Applejack and Rainbow Dash to come to the library to meet them. "Hay no! I already met the big guy, he almost crushed me like a bug!" Rainbow yelled. Twilight took a minute to think. Big guy? ...Tank? Tank tried to... no don't be silly, he wouldn't do that... right? "Where we came from... we used to kill things that were NOT infected... Smoker's words hung in her head before she ran full sprint towards the library.