Pinkie Pie creaked the door open to the twin's room for the third time in ten minutes.
Still asleep.
She held her rifle in her hooves and shook the slumber from her eyes. Calm down, silly! Her self-conscience screamed at her. Pinkie whimpered aloud.
"I can't!" she whispered.
Her little voice did a raspberry. "You used to be soooo much fun, now your a pessimistic kill-joy.The foals must be just dying to see you happy! And isn't dying the last thing you want?"
"Y-you just don't understand…" she sighed, "Now please stop reminding me of my splintering mental state, please."
Her self-conscious huffed.
Just as slumber overtook the pink mare, there was a sound downstairs.
Shivers ran up and down Pinkie's spine.
She threw her rifle aside and rocketed down the staircase, silently praying.
The noises were repeated from a trottie-talky.
Pinkie grabbed it as a thick sweat fled down her face.
She pressed the button. "Hello, hello!? My name is Pinkie! I have two foals a-"
The noises cut.
Pinkie rubbed the sweat off her brow. "Just another bout of static. So much static."
The next day, Pinkie looked at the calendar, and sighed. Today was the twins' second birthday.
The foals ran down the steps, both vying for the attention of their caretaker.
"Awnty! Awnty! Watch me!" Pound cake fluttered his wings furiously as he flew. When he was high enough, he swirled into a loop. Pinkie giggled at his innocence. Pumpkin scoffed, she had a way better trick for her aunt.
"Oh, Oh! Awnty! Wead us a stowy!" and here was her chance.
Pound cake flew over to Pinkie with a copy of Matilda in hoof.
Pinkie took the book, sat in Mrs. Cake's rocking chair, and sat both foals in her lap.
"Now where were we? Ah, yes, the Hat and the Superglue."
"Um, awnty?"
"Yes, Pumpkin?"
"Can I twy to wead?"
"Oh! Do you know how?"
"Uh-huh!"
Pinkie snickered and handed the book to her little filly.
Pumpkin squinted, and struggled to read the words. She did remarkably well with the easy ones, but struggled with the longer ones. Especially with the word "discipline".
Everypony present was surprised with her little trick, but Pinkie did take the book from her to keep reading it.
A few hours went by, and it was the foals' nap-time.
The two were out in an instant, and Pinkie tucked them in. She threw a blanket embroidered with pictures of pumpkins and carrots. Her birthday present to them.
Day after day, the three were okay.
Wake up.
Eat.
Nap.
Story.
Eat again.
Sleep.
Rinse and repeat.
For the fifth time in a row, Pinkie's self-conscious annoyed her with: "I really am so happy! It fills me up with glee! I give a smile, I get a smile, and that's special to me."
Pinkie burrowed her muzzle into her hooves as the prancing figure sung it again and again.
"Please stop, please, please, please."
The figure stopped, sat down next to Pinkie, and crossed her hooves.
"Meanie," she frowned.
Pinkie longed for her disappearance.
"I'mnotinsaneI'mnotinsaneI'MNOTINSANE!"
"Say it all you want, I'm not going anywhere. As far as you know, I'm as real as your foals…"
"Just go away! If your real, can't you leave?"
The figure shrugged. "I don't know, nor do I wanna find out. Wanna play BattleShip with the foals?"
"I'm not sure the foals completely understand that game…How about Candyland?"
The figure drew out a long, unpleasant groan. "I like all the sugar and spice in that game, but it's SOOO boring!"
"But the foals love it…"
"Can I sway you to play Chutes and Ladders?"
"Mmm, alright."
Just as Pinkie brought the board down to the playing foals, the radio began to act up.
Pinkie galloped over.
She bit down on her hoof, begging the radio to spew more than static. And her wish came true.
"zzzzz~ello?~zzzzz~ilight of~zzzzzzzz~any survivors~zzzz~this grou~zzzzz~East edge of Ponyville!"
The radio died.
East Edge was a half-mile away!
Pinkie's self-consciousness shrieked and threw her translucent hooves around her. "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH OH. MY. GOSH!"
"But," Pinkie whined, "The path is covered in those things."
"FILLY." The figure put her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "If these foals have a chance at living, which I KNOW is how you want them, you need to take them to a larger group. You've made it this far. You can do it!"
"B-but how?"
"You can learn a lot of things if you look outside. We have Pinkie sense on our side, girl-friend!"
"I don't see how pinkie sense can help," Pinkie sighed and peered through the window.
A path a barren buildings could take them a part of the way, but then it was the undead for the rest of the way.
Then she saw erratic movement in the corner of her eye.
A living stallion, covered in the blood of those…things. He was sneaking through a path of them, but he wasn't thinking thoroughly. One of the creatures brushed up against him, and he panicked. The second he started running, he was overwhelmed and devoured.
Pinkie nearly vomited as his cries drifted through the window, but the thing with the blood, it was smart. It was like he was one of them.
The pink mare grabbed her rifle and tied a thick pillow at the front of the barrel.
The rest was easy.
She dragged the zombie inside.
"Pumpkin Cake! Pound Cake! Aunty needs you for a moment!"
The two foals ricocheted down to their aunt, but both promptly squealed at the sight of the corpse.
"A-awnty, isn't that bad?" Pound Cake whimpered and his sister began to cry.
Pinkie took both foals in her arms. "It's okay, little ones. We need this here, don't be scared, it won't hurt you."
"Pwomise?" Pumpkin shivered.
"Promise," Pinkie smiled.
The foals squeaked and sobbed when Pinkie grabbed a large kitchen knife.
Pinkie forced herself to ignore their cries so that she could focus.
She thrust the knife into the creatures mid-section, and pulled out its intestines.
The foals shrieked as Pinkie rubbed the foul-smelling guts all over herself. She didn't stop until she was completely covered in red goo.
Pound and Pumpkin shied away from their caretaker, squeaking as she approached them.
"W-why awe you putting that stuff awl over you?" Pumpkin whimpered.
"Sweeties, this'll keep us safe. The bad things will think we are them, but we won't be, okay? Now please, come here, I need to get you covered in this."
"I-in that?" Pound Cake wrinkled his muzzle.
"I-it smewls gwoss…" Pumpkin shuttered.
"I know, but please, trust your aunt Pinkie?"
Pumpkin gulped trotted over to Pinkie. Her self conscious smiled at the mare.
The poor filly shuddered and squealed as pinkie rubbed the mess all over her.
Then Pound Cake.
She didn't feel safe until they were completely coated in the stuff.
"Okay, little ones. Are you ready to go outside?"
"We're going out dere!?" They both screamed.
"Yes, but we'll be safer with this stuff on. Just stay close, I promise I'll protect you. Isn't that what I told your parents? Just don't run, and don't get scared, okay?"
The foals nodded.
Pinkie smiled and grabbed a knife.
Pinkie creaked the door oped and herded the foals outside.
"Remember, be quiet, be calm," Pinkie whispered.
It was the most difficult thing she had ever done, her blood running cold every time one brushed up against her. She couldn't panic, and that somehow kept her calm. Her plan was working.
Then it happened.
The foals both stopped dead in their tracks.
The pink mare turned to usher them forward, but she saw it too.
A mare and a stallion.
One yellow, the other blue.
Both had aprons.
Pinkie cried.
Her self-conscious reappeared.
And she sung.
"When I was a little filly, and the sun was going down. The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown. I'd hide under my pillow, at what I thought I saw, then- do you remember what Granny Pie said?"
A tear spilled from her eyes, and she grabbed the foals.
She took them into an old house, and she sang them a song.
When the nights are dark and scary,
When the you see the shadows close in,
Don't you fear, little colt, little filly,
All will be okay in the end.
I will always be here with you,
for all I live for is your bright smiles.
A group of Survivors expected to find some blankets in an old building, and they found just that. A blanket, but with two foals and a pink mare snuggled beneath it.
Pinkie was grateful for the rescue.
The three were taken to a walled-in area at East End.
There were only three truly familiar faces, but she couldn't have been happier to see them.
Cheese Sandwich, Maud, and Twilight.
As the three expressed their joy at finding her and the foals safe, Pinkie watched the foals play tag without worry.
Twilight went to greet her, but was met with Pinkie's specialty death hugs.
Her self conscious appeared, smiled, and faded away forever.
Pinkie's hair exploded into a puffy mess.