//------------------------------// // The New Passengers // Story: Hurting Wings // by Mint_Chocolate_Pony //------------------------------// We dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream. Chapter Seven The New Passengers ------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash smiled as Pizzelle came down near the survivors. "Everyone, this is Pizzelle. She's a survivor, too." The variety of orange and green and red ponies lifted on their back hoofs and shouted with joy, letting out Yeehaws and Woo-Wees. "She'll be helping us get your passengers around." Pizzelle blushed slightly, Fluttershy flying down towards the group of ponies. "Is Applejack ready?" Her pink mane touching the ground before her hooves, her tail and mane extensions obvious. "Sure, Howdy!" A tan stallion nodded. "Cuz is just grabbing some apples for the long journey, then she'll be on her way. My name is Braeburn, Pizzelle. Proud member of the Appaloosa community, and here on behalf of our Barn, I am happy to say that I will stop this disease if I can." Braeburn smiled. He had a tan coat with a darker, dirty blonde mane that was underneath a hat, a cowboy hat. He held his hoof out closer to Pizzelle and her ears flattened sharply. Rainbow Dash pushed Braeburn's hoof away softly. "Braeburn, Pizzelle is under some stress." Her cyan eyes twitching anxiously. "Anyways, we have the entire cloud set up for earth ponies to walk on. The underneath of the cloud is thick and the cloud's flooring is rocks. I'm sure you'll like it a little bit." "Can't be as roomy as the barn, though!" A green pony snorted, her hair in two braids tied in yellow bows. She wore a hat, too. Her cutie mark were two candy apples on sticks making an X shape. "The barn's has got some hay in it, which we sleep in, we're gon' be sleeping on rocks on that there cloud." Her hoof pointed up. "Rainbow Dash," Braeburn muttered slightly. "Candy Apples is right. We're gonna be sleeping on rocks?" His country accent thickened slightly, but not as thick as Candy Apples', you could hardly understand anything she said half of the time. "No. We have blankets. We'll be resting here for a few minutes thought, to get you all comfortable. Then we have to go out and find Pinkie Pie and the other elements. Although I have a good idea where Pinkie Pie is." Rainbow Dash sighed. Her wings pulsing slowly with interest. "Well, Braeburn, I'll get you up to the cloud for a second and Pizzelle can get Candy Apples." Rainbow Dash lifted herself and flew by Braeburn, coming back around and picking him up. Her Rainbow Trailing brightly shined in the suns spectrum. Pizzelle smiled and trotted near Candy Apples. "You guys have a gun? We sure could use it right now." Pizzelle lifted up the mare and smiled as she flew away towards the cloud. Rainbow Dash flew back down with a nod. Pizzelle got up to the cloud and set Candy Apples down, who glared at Braeburn with confusion. "How's these city ponies gon' help us do anythang 'round these parts." Candy Apples snorted, pointing her hoof at Pizzelle's bun and face. "Not like they know a few thangs 'bout workin'." Braeburn snorted. "Now Candy Apples," He purred with a smile. "Ah'm sure that Rainbow Dash and her friends can do a lot, 'specially with a larger group. You." His hoof pointed at Pizzelle again. "You know, right? You know where we're goin' next?" Pizzelle twitched slightly, unable to say anything. "I think we're going to Ponyville." She squeaked, her ears flattened sharply to her head. Braeburn tilted his head. "You don't need to be afraid for long, Pizzelle. We'll protect ya." Braeburn smiled as Pizzelle started to fly away to see Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash again, who were talking to the orange pony named Applejack. She wore a hat, too. She look like she wasn't under any distress and was happy to leave. "Now Apple Bloom," Applejack smiled widely. "go play with Scootaloo for a while before we leave. Big Mac and Ah need to say good bye to you, we're going to miss you bunches." Her head nuzzled with the creamy earth pony with red hair. "Yes, Big Sis!" Apple Bloom cheered before running off with her friend. Rainbow Dash flicked her ear as the two fillies ran off quickly, happily cheering. "Scootaloo sure does seem excited. She said that Apple Bloom pulled a knife on her." Applejack's pupils grew small. "Apple Bloom always does have a knife with her, but we haven't seen Scootaloo at all lately." Applejack muttered quietly. "Should we stop 'em?" "I'm sure it was just Scootaloo's nightmares or imagination. They'll be fine." Rainbow Dash sighed, her wings stopped moving and she took a second to relax. Big Mac walked out of the barn and near his older sister. He let out a smile. "Big Mac and Ah form this here party, Ah sure feel awful leavin' it behind like this. Are you sure you need the elements, Rainbow?" Applejack muttered. "Ye-up." Big Mac snorted. He looked down at the orange mare and started to speak, which was queer to see. Lately, though, from what Applejack says, he's been talking a lot more. "If anyone can figure somethin' out, Ah'm sure it'll be Twilight or one of the princesses." Applejack sighed. "T'ain't fair. We spend so much time helping helpless ponies, killin' off these zombponies and we get stuck in a cloud. Ah'm without my brother and sister, and only got Braeburn and Candy Apples." Rainbow Dash smiled slightly, rubbing her hoof on Applejack's shoulder. -------------------------------------------------------- Scootaloo laughed, her hooves moving quickly to catch up with Apple Bloom. "Scoot, stop it! You're acting just like those Zombponies!" Apple Bloom shouted, trying to move quicker, but her back legs were getting cramped up. "That's the point Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo snorted, moving at the same speed as Apple Bloom, but once her wings started pulsing, too, she grew faster and faster. "You're gonna die if I tag you!" Apple Bloom stopped, her hooves gathering dirt slightly as she halted. Scootaloo got close to her and tagged Apple Bloom on the shoulder. "You're the zombpony, now." Scootaloo's hoof went from Apple Bloom's shoulder to her waist, and slowly more down. Apple Bloom was wearing a warm sweater from when Applejack was a filly, it was yellow with "Baby Cowgirl" written with rope patterns on the front, it had two pockets in the front. Apple Bloom screeched slightly as Scootaloo's hooves got lower and entered Apple Bloom's pockets. "Stay still." Scootaloo smiled as she pulled out a small knife with a leather handle and keyring around it. She pulled the knife up closer to Apple Bloom's throat softly and started to laugh. "This is the fun thing about zombies, Apple Bloom. They love fresh meat and can smell it from many miles away. Blood, too." Apple Bloom was suffocating slightly, her eyes watering. "Scoot!" She mumbled, trying to grab enough air to cry for help. Apple Bloom's hooves were kicking and thrashing rapidly around, trying to get herself free from the orange ponies grasp, the pony who she thought was her friend. "Another thing about Zombies is that they like it when their prey is alive and they have to hunt it down." Scootaloo's knife got closer to Apple Bloom's neck, more and more threatening as her every word poured from her mouth like a waterfall. "Want to know what I want, Apple Bloom. Want to know what I want?" Apple Bloom started to cry, tears pouring down Scootaloo's hoof slowly. "No." She managed to mumble, as her ears were flattened down and her drenched cheeks were flushed from their color. "I want to help save this world. All the ponies who are alive, but won't live? I want them dead. I especially wanted my friends safe from being eaten alive." Scootaloo slipped the knife away and weakened her grasp so Apple Bloom could breathe. "I want to help them." Apple Bloom's tears fogged her vision, and she couldn't tell she would be able to be released. Instead, her small tail twitched with fear. "Ah'm sorry, Scootaloo." Apple Bloom blinked her eyes open. "You can protect Rainbow Dash. Just can I have mah knife back?" Scootaloo snorted as she tightened her grasp again. "Only if you do one thing for me." Scootaloo's mind was churning, similar thoughts was racing through like Thunderlane's old mind. Her interest level high now, that it might be her last chance to see something other than her mother and father's organs. Apple Bloom nodded. "Yes?" She squeaked with the last bits of breath. Scootaloo smiled. "I'm going to release you. I want you to turn in a circle and then lay down and open yourself." Apple Bloom's face when from white to pure red, her pupils small. Scootaloo's grasp released openly, and she watched as Apple Bloom walked out a few meters. "Like this?" Apple Bloom squeaked as she walked in a circle, desperate to do anything to see her sister again. Her hooves almost tripping before she actually did fall and land on her back, then uncrossing her legs and spreading them open for herself to be shown. "Perfect." Scootaloo almost drooled. "Now on your stomach, maybe?" Scootaloo smiled as she tapped her hoof on her shin slightly. Apple Bloom did so, revealing her blank flank and plot, open for the taking. If only Scootaloo were a colt, she would let herself enter, and might've even let Apple Bloom go free. Scootaloo stepped closer before putting her hoof on Apple Bloom's flank. "It's blank." Scootaloo put her face closer to it and licked sideways, getting closer to the opening before she snorted with pride. "You're virgin." Apple Bloom squeaked, her hooves covering her plot now. "Scootaloo! We're friends! You can't do this to me!" Apple Bloom started to cry again, her face red and her vision blurry. Scootaloo started to lay down beside Apple Bloom. "I'll kill you then." Apple Bloom cried, and her ears flattened even more sharply onto her head. Her bodice lifting up and starting to run away quickly. Scootaloo stopped her by grabbing her tail and pulling her back. "You are not going anywhere." Scootaloo snarled. "Except for hell." Scootalo spun Apple Bloom around quickly and pulled the knife onto Apple Bloom's throat, pulling it to the side and slashing open her throat. Apple Bloom screamed loudly, her hooves feeling faint as she toppled over and started to cough blood. Blood stains covered her flank and left it looking like death was her special talent. It was a disgusting site, to see such an innocent pony be slain down like that. Few grumbles were heard in the forest. Scootaloo perked her ears and started to run back, dropping the knife at Apple Bloom's feet. ---------------------------------------- "Ah know, we have to go soon." Applejack muttered quietly. "Are you sure Apple Bloom will see me soon? Ah'd hate to leave her without sayin' goodbye." Rainbow Dash sighed. "It'll be okay, really, Applejack! Apple Bloom would understand that we just have so much time to get ready!" The blue pegasus snorted. "Applejack, if you'd like I can send an owl for her once we get going." Fluttershy smiled softly. Applejack shrugged. "That'd be great, Fluttershy. Ah'd just like to say bye to mah family before we go." Applejack went to turn around, and Rainbow Dash let out a strong snort and grasped her hoof on Applejack's tail. "We don't have time for goodbyes. We have to go!" Rainbow Dash snorted as she lifted up Applejack and started to fly towards the cloud, her wings pulsing quickly to get done with the mission. Rainbow Dash dropped Applejack on the cloud next to Braeburn (who glanced with a smile) and started to fly off again. "Applejack says Bye, everyone!" Rainbow Dash's hoof waved as Fluttershy jumped into the cloud and sat closer to her apple-picking friend. "We'll be back with a cure!" Rainbow Dash turned around and entered the cloud softly. "I hope." She muttered darkly under her breath. Pizzelle made her way back in, too. Although she had no choice but to sit closely by Braeburn, figured out by Rainbow Dash, she sighed with happiness. "The cloud looks much better, now. Before it looked terrible and now it looks like a train." Her hoof pointed to the side and hit Braeburn in the stomach. Braeburn snorted and then hesitated. Everyone soon let out a laugh, except for Pizzelle who was startled slightly. "All Ah know is that this will be an extremely great time to bond with you city folk. What's it like with bunches of ponies crowdin' the area you breathe in?" Candy Apples let out a disgusted snort and then looked at Pizzelle, who was a little too close to Applejack and Braeburn, her hoof near Braeburn in her lap. "It's loud." Fluttershy mumbled. Everyone let out another laugh to poke at Fluttershy's quiet voice that never shouted too often. Fluttershy's snickers were quiet, too. "It isn't too bad." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "I'd like it more than being on the farm, though. How in Equestria do you ponies deal with those roosters and timberwolves?" Braeburn laughed and set his hoof down, not noticing where Pizzelle's tail was, and putting it down on her tail. Pizzelle let out a screech and flailed her hooves rapidly. Braeburn's face got attack a few times. "What is this ponies problem?" He laughed slightly. "She's been traumatized." Rainbow Dash snorted quietly. "It's okay though. She just needs to talk to more stallions for a while." Pound Cake poked his head out from underneath one of the seat-like clouds. He looked up and saw Applejack, smiling widely. "Ah-pull!" He cheered at her flank and started to laugh loudly. Everyone joined in with him, seeing how there weren't too many worries in the cloud right now. Rainbow Dash and Applejack not even noticing their missing admirers.