//------------------------------// // Third Interlude: Lyra, Bon-Bon and the G&PT // Story: Cantering Death // by Scriber //------------------------------// Ponyville; night. The silent thrum of the ancient magical barrier resonates with the earth, shaking the ground beneath the cobbled streets of the little town. The inky blackness of the new moon seemed just a little darker, and all the more sinister - the pale blue translucent properties of the barrier practically blotted out the stars themselves, making the atmosphere just that more oppressive. The only lights to be seen in the town were the odd still-burning oil lantern, and the fluorescent flashes of the inferno that raged in what was soon to be the former Ponyville Market Square. Plumes of smoke and smoldering ash poured into the night’s sky, their shapes still and flickering and dancing, forms taking shape and dissolving almost with a sentient, malevolent purpose. Amidst the roar of flames and the groans of the violent cantering death that plagued the streets of the town, sharp cries of agony, of strife, of triumph and glory and of disbelief. Those who had not found shelter quickly after the attack had found themselves utterly overwhelmed; two infected became four, became eight, became 32, became 128...the they were annihilated. All Celestia could do was watch. Silently, the ancient mare wept as she struggled against the bonds of the unholy magic that bound her to her warped bastardization of what was once a grand, regal throne; inky-black spikes of pure shadow pierced into her, yet drew no blood - they wouldn’t have to. She was utterly helpless. “...y-you...you fucking monster...” she spat, eyes shut against the brutal force of the psychic torment she was made to endure. Something laughed in her mind. Amusing. You are under the impression that thy plans against our mighty apotheosis were meant to harm us? Celestia, you disappoint us. Thou knew well that we were to become a god, didn’st thou? Or didst thou forget that one would be hard-pressed to slay that which is beyond the veil of time itself?! Celestia said nothing, her breath shallow and strained. Pathetic mortal. Long though thy life may be, mine has always been. Thou standeth not a chance against our will. “We...We’ll just see about that...” ------------------------------------------------------------- “...whew! Shit...did we really just do that?” The teal unicorn mare panted, low to the ground. Her muscles ached from dozens of smarting spots where those undead bastards had managed to hit her. “...I...I think we might’ve...” Bon-Bon managed, before collapsing to the ground in a heap. An odd little smile fluttered across her face, and she began to chuckle softly. Lyra soon followed. “Ok...right. Where exactly are we?” Lyra asked, looking around. The fire in Market Square burned brightly behind them, but there was relatively little damage wherever...here was. “I think we’re somewhere in the residential district,” Bon-Bon said, managing to get to her hooves. Indeed, it was rather quiet in this part of Ponyville - either the trotting dead hadn’t hit this portion yet, or... “...Bonnie, d’ya think that everypony here’s...y’know...” “I dunno, Lyra,” Bon-Bon replied. She picked her head up from off the ground, scanning the environment for any signs of movement. Nothing. The night was still. Hold on... “Lyra,” Bon-Bon whispered, dropping down again. “Eleven o’clock. Up on the hill. Do you see it?” “Huh...yeah. Not moving like an infected. What do you think?” “Dunno,” Bon-Bon said. “Could be a potential risk. We still don’t know what’s out here.” “True,” Lyra admitted. “But...” “Yeah, I know. Not everypony’s as good as us.” “Damn straight.” Silently, the unicorn and earth pony crept through the eerily quiet residential district, keeping to the shadows. They made certain not to make too much noise, lest they alert anything nasty that might have been lurking about. They made good time; with no zombies to fight, they were able to move rather quickly. They reached the hill in roughly five minutes, hardly breaking a sweat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trixie stood upon the elevated plane, surveying the destruction and utter death that sprawled out before her. Entire buildings were engulfed in flame, illuminating the twitching remains of ponies that littered the streets in gross silhouette. “S...Sweet Celestia,” Trixie cursed, fighting the urge to be violently ill. The stench that wafted off of the little town was incredible. Peering past the smoke and the flames, the blue unicorn mare thought she was able to spy some instances of movement - brief, shambling forms lumbering about with little purpose and little to no sense of pony left to them. “What did I do to deserve this...” the unicorn lamented aloud, not yet aware that she had an audience. To her left, the bushes stirred. Trixie yelped, jumping backward in a few brief, scurrying motions meant to confuse any potential predator. Her horn readied an array of defensive spells, all ready to be cast at any moment’s notice. “Damn it, Bonnie! That was my eye!” a voice protested from the bushes. Slowly, two mares walked out of the foliage, the light green unicorn holding her left eye gingerly with a hoof. “Sorry, Lyra...” Bon-Bon said sheepishly, mentally admonishing herself for being careless. “Wait a moment...” Trixie said. “Trixie knows you. You live in Ponyville, correct?” “That’s right,” Lyra replied. “You were at Trixie’s show a few months ago when she dazzled the simple minds of Ponyvillians, yes?” “Well, I wouldn’t...uh...yeah, we were at the show, yup,” Bon-Bon said. “Well, then.” Trixie said. “Trixie proposes an alliance. It has become clear to the Great and Powerful Trixie that the situation at hoof requires cooperation between even the smallest amount of ponies for a realistically agreeable outcome. Don’t you agree?” “Uh,” Lyra wisely stated. “Yeah, sure. Why not? Any objections, Bon?” “None that I can think of,” Bon-Bon said. “Besides, she’s right: three heads are better than two, especially during a zombie apocalypse.” “Spoken like a wise mare,” Lyra sagely noted. “Trixie is pleased!” Trixie chirped, almost clopping her front hooves together in glee. Almost. “Right, then!” she continued. “Trixie proposes that we three come up with a plan. But first, Trixie thinks it would be beneficial if there were a tactical appraisal of the situation.” “Understood,” Lyra replied. “About two hours ago, there was an attack - Princess Luna had ordered everypony into the Market Square because it was the largest and most central landmark available. We were supposed to await further instructions, to be delivered shortly afterward. We never got the chance - the first wave of undead hit when everypony was all crammed together like that, and dozens fell. Bonnie and I had to fight our way out of the centre of the town, and it wasn’t too terribly pretty. We wandered into the residential district down there, when we spotted you up here, all alone.” Trixie nodded. “Trixie thanks you. Now, then. What do you propose we do?” “Some kind of-” “Some manner of-” Bon-Bon and Lyra began to speak at the same time. Lyra spoke. “Well, I think it’d be a good idea to at least get out of the open, here. We’re practically sitting ducks if we run across a large group of them like this, and besides - some shelter would be nice. It’d give us a chance to recuperate, to figure out our next move.” Bon-Bon nodded. “That, and it’d be good for us to wait for dawn. Shed some light on things, in a manner of speaking.” “Then it is decided,” Trixie declared with a small flourish. “Trixie knows of a cottage not too far from here - secluded, readily defensible, and likely well-stocked with supplies.” “Wait, y’don’t mean Fluttershy’s place, do ya?” Lyra inquired. “Trixie assumes you mean the yellow pegasus with the pink mane?” “Yeah, that’s her...oh sweet Celestia, is she ok? Did the zombies...” Trixie shook her head, much to their relief. “Trixie is happy to say that the one you call Fluttershy was able to escape unharmed. She is no longer in her residence, and Trixie is certain that she would not mind if the three of us took refuge there in her absence.” “Well, Fluttershy is one of the kindest ponies I know...” Bon-Bon said aloud. “All right then, sounds like a plan. Let’s get moving.” The three mares stalked through the sparse trees and bushes lining the path on either side, being certain once again to keep out of sight. Every now and again, a distand moan or shout would cause one of them to stiffen up and listen for a few moments, before continuing onward. “This is horrible...” Bon-Bon whispered, shaking her head. “What could have caused this?” “Beats me,” Lyra answered in an equally shushed tone. “I mean, zombies are just supposed to be things of legend, right? Not actual, physical things? Right?” “Trixie is...unsure,” Trixie said, perhaps a bit too loudly. Lyra and Bon-Bon shushed her. “Sorry. Uh, I mean, Trixie is not sure. They do not appear to be thralls, or under the effect of any sort of magic...Trixie would know.” “Like that’s reassuring,” Lyra deadpanned, rolling her eyes. “Hey, that’s the best Trixie has!” Trixie defended, her tone of voice getting a bit huffy. “Besides, Trixie didn’t see you coming up with any earth-shattering explanations!” “Girls!” Bon-Bon interjected, holding up her hooves. “Arguing isn’t gonna do us any good, all right? We’re not out of the woods yet, figuratively or literally. We need to work together, or none of us is making it outta this in one piece. Capiche?” “Yeah...yeah, you got it, Bonnie,” Lyra answered, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof sheepishly. Trixie looked equally put off. “Trixie apologizes. Fine. Now can we move?” Despite the darkness, despite the uneasiness that hung about the air and the relatively robust terrain, the three were able to make good time. Not ten minutes later, they were slipping silently into Fluttershy’s darkened cottage. Trixie shut the door behind them. “Finally,” she sighed, feeling a bit of relief wash over her. “Yeah, I know the feeling,” Bon-Bon agreed. Using a small bit of her magic, Lyra managed to draw the blinds shut and light a couple of candles, shedding some light in the well-furnished living room. A space that would have normally been occupied by scores of furry critters was suspiciously vacant, save for the odd tuft of shed fur scattered here and there. The kitchen proved to be equally vacant; the refrigerator and cupboards yielded ample amounts of food, however, lifting the group’s spirits ever so slightly. “Soooo...wait until dawn?” Lyra asked, sitting in her usual fashion on a sofa, her hind legs dangling lazily beneath her. “Lyra, what’s up with you sitting like that lately?” Bon-Bon asked, a small chuckle forming in her throat. “Hey, don’t knock it ‘till ya try it, Bonnie. It’s comfortable.” “Yes, well...in any event, I think we should be safe here. I’ll go around back to secure the rear of the cottage, in case a back door or window or something got left open. You two check upstairs, okay?” “Sounds good,” Lyra answered, rolling to her hooves. Trixie was already making her way up the first few of the wooden stairs. “Trixie does not require anypony’s assistance in clearing the upper level, she assures you,” Trixie drawled. “Go on, you two - you’re cute together!” A certain unicorn and earth pony wore similar blushes. “Hold on, now-” “How do ya figure-” They both began at the same time. Trixie only laughed good-naturedly and climbed the rest of the stairs- -to be greeted by the still, bloodied form of the infected that had tried to break down Fluttershy’s door. Trixie gagged. “Y’ok up there, Trix?” Lyra called up. “F-...fine...” Trixie managed to say, struggling to keep her voice under control. Slowly, she backed away from the scene, descending the stairs in reverse. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Damn it, Lyra, are we really that obvious?” “Hm...don’t know, don’t care!” Lyra cheerily responded. The two mares made their way to the back of the house, and were glad for their foresight - a back door indeed hung open to anypony or anything that cared to wander through it. A quick nudge from a light green shoulder closed it, and she used her magic to lift the latch that sealed the door shut. “There. That should do it,” Lyra said. Bon-Bon nodded. Wordlessly, they walked back into the living room, rejoining an obviously shaken Trixie. “Uh, Trix’?” Lyra asked. “See anything up there?” Trixie numbly nodded in the affirmative. “Not pretty. Would rather not talk about it.” “Understood,” Bon-Bon agreed emphatically. The three silently found places to sit, and silence washed over them. Even through the wood and earth surrounding the home, the sounds of Ponyville’s death throes still cried out, carried on the winds that whipped through the landscape. “Hold on...” Trixie said aloud. She suddenly hopped to her hooves, parting a small section of a curtain with her hoof. Indeed, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding the cottage, rolling over long, wild grasses as it bent them rolling by. “If there’s a breeze...” Trixie mused aloud. “...well, that could mean several things. One, the barrier is somehow airtight and the oxygen in the dome itself is being sucked in to fuel those fires in town...that, well...that would not be good. Scenario two: some unknown force acting upon the barrier at some unknown interval. Scenario three: There is a crack or a hole in the barrier at some point, and fresh air is leaking through.” “Hey, yeah!” Lyra piped up, suddenly looking enlivened. “If that’s true, then there might be a way outta here! That way, we could find somepony to help us find other survivors!” “Sounds like a pretty safe bet,” Bon-Bon agreed. “Especially if we travel at day - that way, we’ll have a clear shot at finding it!” “Trixie...well, Trixie has to consent. If there is indeed a breach in the dome, then finding it is of the utmost importance.” “Let’s pay these fuckers back, girls,” Lyra growled, the visions of her fellow Ponyvillians dying at the hooves of those infected monsters flashing before her very eyes.