//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Not too late (Rarity) 
// Story: The Spread 
// by Radioactive Cheese 
//------------------------------//

	As we exited the train, I noticed that there were more zombies than before. I took the lead and signaled the group to follow me. We ran and tried our best not to alert any zombies. As we entered the castle, there was a loud clang. That one, simple sound alerted the majority of zombies on the street. We tried to barricade the doors as fast as we could. Rainbow Dash was pushing a shelf in front of the entrance until she got bit. I finished her job before attending to her wound. Once the entrance was sealed off, I went over to Rainbow Dash. "I guess this is how my life ends, huh? On the brink of saving Equestria and I end up getting bitten."
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo started. "The incubation period is 5 hours. We can easily get the cure before you turn. Right?" I nodded my head.
"She's right." I said. "All we have to do is find the throne room and open the vault." Rainbow Dash nodded and got up on her hooves. 
"Let's go." she said.

We walked the castle for about an hour, looking for the throne room. It was a very big castle and had hundreds of rooms. Twists and turns everywhere, leading us on the wrong path. I was beginning to get worried. We might not be able to find the throne room in ti-
"Found it!" said the Doctor. I stand corrected. We walked up to the throne, then walked behind it. Rainbow Dash lifted up the curtain, revealing the vault. I concentrated on my magic and harnessed Celestia's power. I stuck my horn in the hole on the vault. The door started glowing with magic. In a few seconds, it opened up, revealing a stand holding a serum. I picked it up.
"All right." I said. "Now who has the syringe?" There was no answer. "You mean we left it on the train?" The others looked at me nervously. 
Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, "You were the only one that brought a saddle bag. The rest of us left hours in the Crystal Empire." I stood there, socked. We came all this way, just to fail. Sure, we can go back to the train and travel to the Crystal Empire, but then we won't be able to save Rainbow Dash. We all just stood there, staring off into space. None of us knew how we'd be able to cure Rainbow Dash in time. Finally, she spoke up, "Just shoot me. Sacrifices need to be made to succeed in tragedies. I'll be the sacrifice. Shoot me now. I don't want to hold you back."
"NO!" Scootaloo revolted. "I won't let you die. We will save you. You promised me that we'd make it out alive. When you said 'we,' I knew you meant you and me. I won't let you give up so easily. You still have 4 more hours. We can figure out something." Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash just continued arguing while the Doctor and I were thinking. Suddenly, I felt something. Something powerful flowing through my head. Celestia's magic wasn't fully gone, there was still a little bit left. 
"Guys! I can get us out of here! I still have a bit of Celestia's magic. Normally, I'd just teleport us to the train. But with Celestia's power, I can take us at least 5 miles away from the Crystal Empire."
"How long will it take us to run 5 miles?" Scootaloo asked.
"At least an hour or two. Enough time to cure Rainbow Dash. Now hold on to me, we're going for a bumpy ride!"



We ran towards the Crystal Empire. "There it I!" I said. "I can just barely see it! We're almost there!" We ran even faster than before. Once we entered the empire, I ran straight to the train station. That's where we dropped our saddle bags. But when I got there, they were gone. "Where are they?" I asked some ponies around and none of them knew what happened to them. I then headed to the castle and ran to the princesses. "I need a syringe!" I demanded. They just looked at me puzzled. "My friend's been bitten and I have the cure, but I don't have a syringe! Please, I need one!" One of the guards came up and informed me that I would need to go to the hospital if I needed a syringe. So, I ran out of the castle. I wasted at least 20 minutes trying to find the hospital. When I finally found it, I entered as fast as I could. I went up to the nurse and asked for a syringe. She asked why I needed one. I simply told her that it was an emergency. She gave me the syringe and I was off.

I ran though the streets for about 30 minutes, trying to find Rainbow Dash. I kept searching and didn't give up. Over at the train station is where I saw them. I ran and made it to them, in just mere minutes before she turns. I grabbed the syringe and extracted some of the cure. I then stabbed the needle into Rainbow Dash. "I know it hurts, dear, but just hang on." I told her. When the cure was fully injected into her bloodstream, I took the needle out of her. Rainbow Dash soon passed out. The Doctor carried her and reunited her with the others. I walked over to the castle to hand over the cure. Finally, this is over.