"What exactly is it you plan on doing, Miss high-and-mighty?" Rainbow asked with her typical skepticism.
"I'm going to love him," I said, though it came out sounding considerably less sincere than it sounded in my head.
Rainbow forced a laugh," Oh, yeah? I guess you're gonna love Sweetie Bell back, too! And, uh, while you're at it, there's a graveyard not to far from here. Maybe you could--"
"Rainbow Dash," I began, getting right up in her face, "For once in you're life, shut you're bucking trap. I'm getting to the point where your words don't even compute for me anymore."
Rainbow was quiet for the next few minutes.
"Um, Rarity?" Fluttershy had been brought over by Pinkie Pie, though she hadn't said much of anything until now.
"Yes dear?" I turned to her, since she was the only pony here who wasn't on my last nerve.
"Um, I was just wondering, what are you going to do when he's better?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. This was supposed to fix all of our problems. Why did she think there were going to be more?
"Well, it's just, you'd still have to keep him inside. I mean, you can't just tell everypony that you brought him back from the dead, right?"
"That's right," Applejack chimed in, "You'd be chased outta town."
I growled a bit, still gathering my materials for the trek to the Everfree.
"Um, Rarity? C-could you try not to growl like that?"
"Sorry, dear."
Rainbow was pouting in the corner, saying absolutely nothing. Her hoof kicked at the ground, before she jumped up and looked me right in the eyes, "It's not gonna work. So I'm gonna do the smart thing and kill him."
"Yeah, 'cause that stopped 'er last time," Applejack reminded us, pulling her hat down over her eyes.
Rainbow ignored her, flying through the front door in a heated fervor. She wasn't coming back, and she was much past changing her mind. If I didn't save Spike before she found him, he would die.
~~~~~
I thumped my hoof relentlessly against the wood door, waiting for the zebra to appear.
"Do come in, it isn't locked. The door has now been thoroughly knocked."
I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm, even in rhyme it bothered me. I knew it wasn't exactly a polite thing to do, and under other circumstances I would have been more tolerant, but I was done with politeness. Now was a time for action, not decorum.
"Alright, enough rhymes. You need to be straight with me: is there a way to reverse what has been done to Spike? Humanely?"
Zecora sighed, thinking carefully about what she should tell me.
"There is a cure, isn't there? You're hiding it from me!" I looked her right in the eye, daring her to keep it a secret.
"You're not going to like it," She said simply, avoiding rhymes for once.
"Tell me, or I swear--"
"You'll have to die," she cut me off.
I was confused, "What?"
"The only cure is drinking the blood of the necromancer, and he's not going to stop after a few drops."
"I-I am not a necromancer."
"Actually," The zebra went back to mixing things in her cauldron, " a necromancer is defined as a being with powers capable of raising the dead. So you are."
"There has to be another way."
"I think it's rather fitting," Zecora muttered, tipping a vial of red powder into her pot.
"I'm sorry?" I hissed.
"You heard me! What you've done is wrong, in every way! Don't you think we all miss our loved ones? Don't you think that some of us wish we could have them back? Loving, living, and losing are all just part of life, you stupid mare! They may be dead outside, but they live on in your heart! I would think that you of all ponies would know that. You with your generosity and your power of friendship, you have no idea what the real world is like. You think you have all of this power, you think you're invincible just because a necklace tells you so. Well, guess what? The real world is cold. It's cold, and evil, and unforgiving and you will never understand that!"
I stuttered half a word, but she pointed her hoof at the door, "Leave. I'm not going to talk with you anymore. You deserve to lose him."
I stood for a moment, not sure of what to say. Then, deciding to leave Zecora alone, I turned on my hoof and marched out of the front door, slamming it loudly behind me.
Plus, I knew that Rainbow would be out here somewhere at this point. She was spiting me, for she knew that I wouldn't be able to beat her in a fight.
I stood near the door to Zecora's a moment, wondering where I could go that wouldn't be populated by ponies who wanted my head on a platter. The town? No good, I might pass Rainbow on the way, and she'd pulverize me without a second thought. Deeper into the woods? Perhaps, but I had seen Spike skirting near the edge. He was terrified of this place, and it's doubtful he'd go much farther than the hut behind me.
I was mulling over heading the back way to Sweet Apple Acres when I heard a sound in the bushes behind me. I spun around, scanning them fearfully for anything that could be dangerous. My breathing intensified, and I started to back away slowly from the source of the noise.
Two eyes stared out from the bushes, dappled by light that shone between the leaves. I sucked in a breath as I realized whom the eyes belonged to: Spike. They had an eerie look to them-- not really focused on any of their surroundings, but oddly fixated on the window of the hut. They looked unreal, like glass eyes that had no life to them. They didn't blink.
I could see the form of the dragon curling up in the bushes, winding up like a cat about to spring. At the last moment, just as I was realizing what he was about to do, I shrieked his name. His body sailed through the circular hole, the rest of the horror being played out in shadows on the far wall of the hut.
I saw a claw raise in the air, slashing through the flesh of the zebra, who didn't stop screaming until the life was taken from her. He clawed at her over and over, striped skin and gold jewelry flying in all directions. After the moans of death had finally left the mouth of the deceased animal, I saw the silhouette of Spike's jaw opening wide, then a squish as his fangs dove into her neck.
There was nothing I could do. So I ran. I ran faster than anypony had ever run, trying to escape the all-encompassing nightmare of my own creation. I galloped blindly through the woods, reaching town with barely a wisp of air left in my lungs. Panting hard, I scanned the street for other ponies. Seeing none, I galloped toward the boutique, seeing another hoof-made horror before I was even halfway there.
Sweetie Bell, looking grey and almost unrecognizable, lumbered down the street, followed by a three-legged Scootaloo and a nearly headless Applebloom. I screamed at the sight of the newly-made undead, still fresh and bloody from their turning. I scrabbled madly on the cobblestone road, finally managing to turn and head the other way.
Sugarcube Corner shown like a beacon just down the street, and I ran for my life, images of me being ripped apart by my younger sister driving me. I practically threw myself through the door, starting immediately to push heavy items against it.
"Hey-- Rarity? Is that you?" I turned to the surprised voice, seeing Pinkie Pie standing halfway down the stairs, "Gosh, Rarity. You look awful."
Still panting, I left the door and went to the display case at the desk. My once beautiful mane hung in stringy mats which circled my face. My cheeks and forehead were covered in patches of brown dirt and peppered with cuts and bruises. In fact, my whole body was rather beat-up, making me look less like a fasionista and more like a war criminal.
"Pinkie?" I said after finally catching my breath, "I need you to get the word out-- everypony needs to stay indoors. There is a clear and present danger to the whole town, and the more that have been infected, the harder it will be to stop them."
But that last sentence was the end of my composure. I watched helplessly as the reflection in the glass showed large tears cutting tracks through the dirt on my face. Pinkie ran to me, sitting me down on a small bench, "She got them, Pinkie!" I cried, "Sweetie got Scootaloo and Applebloom! And Zecora got bit, too... I was right there, I saw the whole thing happen... I should've been able to stop them, but I just-- I froze!"
Pinkie moved my head into her lap, and I cried uselessly, with no end in sight.
Pinkie gently stroked my tangled hair, whispering calming things to me as I sobbed endlessly.
Outside was only the sound of death, as our entire world crumbled beneath our hooves.