“No...” I stuttered as my teammates sprang into action “No this isn't…”
“Twilight!” Colt called as he loaded his shotgun “Snap out of it! We need to get moving!”
Rainbow glared at Cloud, growling as she started to throw her own gear together. The unicorn stallion ignoring her piercing glare and loading his own weapon.
“Come on guys!” Star called “You need to get moving! We need to defend this place!”
“No…” I growled “Were out of here…”
“What?” Scarlet turned, surprised “But we…”
“If you're not gonna stay then get moving.” The fiery maned stallion stated. “I’m not wasting my time forcing you to stay…”
“Good, let’s go, we can use the hatch-“
“No Twilight…” I heard Rainbow state from my side “We’re defending this place.”
“Rainbow! I don’t want anyone t-“
“I’m not leaving these ponies.” She said to me glaring at Cloud “I’m not a murderer…”
“I…” I growled cursing “Rainbow… You’re coming with me… I’m taking you to safety…”
“No, I’m not!” shouted the cyan pegasus “These ponies helped me, I’m not running away at the first sign of danger!”
We stared each other down. She didn’t know what was good for her, she didn’t understand the risks involved. But knowing how stubborn Rainbow was, she wouldn’t leave until this was over.
“Fine…” I mumbled “We’ll stay…”
“Good…” Colt sighed with relief, earning a glare from me. The more I was around the pegasus the less I found I could trust him. Why would he always try to contradict me and put Rainbow in more danger?
“Come on then!” the fiery stallion gestured for us to follow.
Reluctantly I nodded ordering my squad to go ahead, Colt and Cloud in the front with Scarlet holding up the rear.
“Fire Wing!” Rainbow yelled pumping her shotgun. “What’s gone wrong?”
“A section of the wall caved in” the fiery stallion yelled “The undead are pouring in! We need to hold off the tide so we can barricade the south section of the castle and block them from flooding the castle!”
She growled “How longs that gonna take?”
Fire growled “Too long for our bullets to hold out…”
I growled, this was hopeless, why were we risking Rainbows life for some pointless standoff that was doomed to fail? The base was gone! Didn’t Rainbow get that?
“Then we’ll go in with crowbars and knives!” Rainbow snarled “We’re going to be fine…”
The closer we got the louder the moans, screams, and gunshots became. The explosions from the barrels of rifles echoed through the hallways, drowning out the wails and screams of both the dead and the living…
“Go!” Fire shouted as we rounded a corner and were met with complete chaos. A tidal wave of the undead had filled the hallway seemingly endlessly against the dozen ponies backed up in there firing heavily into the crowd that slowly pushed towards them. The bodies of the undead seemed only to slightly stumble the ones still slowly shuffling towards them, the crowd inching closer every moment.
“Goddamnit!” screamed Star, staggered by the sheer mass in front of him, loading up and firing into the crowd, adding his own lead to the wall of bullets flying towards the zombies.
“This is a bad idea Rainbow!” I screamed, raising my gun and firing into the crowd, blasting hole after hole in the skulls of the zombies that just wouldn’t stop moving towards us.
“We can’t just leave them!” Rainbow growled blasting as fast as she could into the crowd.
“RUNNER!!” I heard a pony yell as I watched a lithe, agile body fly up from the crowd, latching onto one of the ponies and sinking its teeth into his spine, the poor souls eyes rolled back into his head as he let out a short scream of agony and fear before the runner tore out his neck.
The sight of a kill seemed to excite the zombies further, causing them to push harder, moaning and gurgling as everyone struggled to kill the runner before it latched onto another pony.
The pink runner leaped again, tackling a screaming mare to the ground before ripping into her chest, killing the poor girl before she turned to me and snarled.
My eyes widened as I stared into the soulless blue eyes of the bright pink, blood colored pony. She snarled and prepared to lunge again.
“Pinkie…?”
Suddenly a shotgun tore into her chest causing the pony to fly back into the crowd of zombies that had pushed forward in all the commotion, now only a mere hoof length away from the ponies at the front line.
Everyone tried helplessly to back up, tripping over each other in the chaos and confusion, the ponies at the front quickly being swallowed in the massive river or bloody, hungry bodies.
I stood, still in shock at seeing my best friend, the one so eager to help and do everything she could just to see a stranger smile. I couldn’t take it, seeing the element of laughter kill so aimlessly, I stared, stunned as I felt a hoof on my shoulder.
“We have to go…” I heard Cloud say pulling me as the crowd pushed harder against the living. “Rainbow needs you…”
“Retreat!” I shouted to the ponies glancing around, noticing a metal door just a few feet back “Come on! Everypony in there!”
I watched as the crowd caught up to two stallions as they screamed helplessly, being pulled into the massive wave of teeth and claws.
Scarlet threw open the door and yelled at everyone to get in quickly. She didn’t need to tell anyone twice as we rushed in, firing into the crowd.
“Shut the door!” I yelled as Colt and Cloud rushed in.
“No! There are still ponies out there!”
I growled watching as a few rushed in with us, the tide growing closer and closer, just behind a staggering sky-blue mare, limping with what looked like a broken hoof.
Scarlet winced as she drew closer, it was clear that she wouldn’t make it before the tide of undead managed to enter as well, it was too close, it was too much of a risk. I growled, stepping forward and reaching for the door.
Rainbow stopped me. “She’ll make it!” She screamed “Don’t you dare close that door!”
I growled, she wasn’t going to make it, not in the time it took to close the door. I watched as Scarlet slowly raised her rifle, aiming at the poor mares head. Obviously intent on making sure if the pony was caught she wouldn’t have to suffer as much as the ponies before her.
I looked to see the familiar pink body in the middle of the crowd, waiting to jump on the poor mare. Time slowed down as I prepared to shut the door.
I watched as a blue flash beat me to it, running out and grabbing the mare, throwing her into the room as she tumbled over, slamming onto the cold concrete. The pony leaped in behind her, yelling to shut the door.
Scarlet needed no encouragement, slamming it shut and bolting it just as the crowd shoved against it, pounding on the metal and screaming for our flesh.
“Rainbow!” I screamed “Why would you do that!”
“Huh?” Asked Rainbow “I didn’t do anything…”
I looked to see the last pony I expected to have done such a thing, Cloud, slowly standing up, panting heavily.
“W-What…” I stammered “W-Why would you…”
“If you think I’m a hero don’t…” Cloud said, spitting into a corner “It was clear you weren’t going to close the door until she was in… So I got her in. End of story.”
I gave him a questioning glance, wondering if those were his true motives or not, but a quick bang on the door forced me back to attention.
“That doors not staying for long…” I frowned, watching as the metal strained under the weight of the massive crowd. “We need to get out of here…”
“Y-You don’t understand…” murmured a green stallion that had rushed in with us “M-My family’s in the fort! I-I can’t just leave them!”
“We don’t have much choice…” Fire explained “There might be a way to loop back farther into the tunnels, or this could be a dead end and all of us will be killed…”
Another bang on the door accented the fear of that possibility.
“As long as we’ve got tunnel left to go through, we should use it…” I examined the tunnel going deeper. “Come on, we’ve got to get moving…”
“She can barely walk…” Scarlet murmured as she examined the light blue mares hoof “She’ll need help…”
“I’ll carry her…” Cloud mumbled, pulling the mare to her feet.
“What’s your name?” I asked her as she stammered, clearly unfocused due to pain and exhaustion.
“M-M-Mist…” she murmured through clenched teeth.
“I-I’m G-Greenleaf…” Murmured the stallion that has spoken earlier. The only other survivor, a small, jumpy black mare squeaked out the name of Spring Flower.
“We need to get moving…” Fire called pulling out a flashlight and shining it down the dark tunnel “I’ll take point…”
“I got the rear…” Colt mumbled as we filed down the tunnel, the sound of the undead smashing against the door growing louder and louder.
I shook my head, the shock of seeing Pinkie in her undead form slowly starting to sink in. One of my best friends, lost in the teeth of those things…
I growled, I hated them, hated them for stealing my friends from me, for forcing me to focus every last ounce of my being to survival and the lives of other ponies. I swore I’d eradicate those ghouls, I’d kill every last one of them.
“That’s not what I’m worried about…” I sighed as we moved along, the bang getting quieter and quieter.
“That’s all you should worry about…” Rainbow looked at me right in the eyes “At least right now… You have half a dozen lives under your command, you need to focus on that right now, alright?”
I looked into her deep magenta eyes and nodded. She was right, I could worry about Pinkie and those rotters later… Right now I needed to get everyone out and Rainbow to safety.
“Thank you Rainbow… Let’s never leave each others sides again…”
“Let’s” She grinned at me
Suddenly, we heard a massive screeching sound, then Cloud screaming.
“THEY’VE BREACHED THE DOOR!!”
We all heard the massive scream echoing through the tunnels.
“Go!” Fire yelled jumping to his hooves, sprinting down the narrow tunnel, the rest of us close behind.
We kept sprinted down the hall, the screech of what sounded like a pack of runners echoing through the hall.
“I watched a purple unicorn leap up towards Mist and Cloud, just barely tackling the two before Colt blasted a hole through its brain, leaving it limp and twitching.
A magenta pegasus shot up soon after and before Colt or anyone could react, tackling spring to the ground, the poor mare squealing and yelling as the runners teeth sank into her stomach.
Fire cursed as he realized the door lacked a lock and held the door shut tight, Cloud dropped Mist as he and Green held the door closed against the pack of runners.
“Goddamnit! The doors locked!” Rainbow yelled banging on the large steel door.
Scarlet growled, pulling out her sidearm and firing three rounds into the lock, not even scratching the durable metal.
“It’s no use…” Star yelled “Too strong of a lock!”
“I can pick locks…” I shakily stated as I ran up to the door, focusing my magic on the steel padlock, trying to fit the pins together.
“Grr… Hurry it up over there Twilight!” Fire growled, the three stallions struggling to keep the door shut as the massive crowd of normal ghouls reached the door, slamming and pressing against the door.
“I’m trying…” I growled as I shakily as I clicked on the first one.
Just as I finished the lock about halfway I heard the small glass viewport shattering, the green stallion screaming as the dead hand gripped his mane, pulling him deep as the broken glass shredded the back of his head.
“Hurry it up Twilight!” Cloud yelled as he fumbled for his knife, hacking at the hand gripping Green.
I listened to Greens screams turn into gurgles as a large shard of glass sliced through his neck, leaving him thankfully passed out and unaware at the hands grabbing and pulling at his skin and eyes.
I sighed with relief as I finally broke open the lock “Come on let’s go!”
“We need something to block the door!” Scarlet yelled searching the bare room.
“Luna just go already!” Cloud yelled “I’ll stay, just go!”
“What!” Star yelled “You can’t just stay!”
“Who gives a rat’s ass about me?!” Cloud yelled “Just go! I’ll catch up to you later!!”
“You deserve it…” I heard Rainbow mumble before turning and prying open the doors, dashing in.
Colt hoisted Mist onto his shoulders and jogged out, glancing back at Cloud before disappearing out the frame.
“Come on!” I yelled at the final three in there.
Scarlet stamped her feet “Cloud! Don’t do this to me! Don’t just leave me like that!!”
“Come on Scarlet! Just go! I’ll be fine ok! There are other doors and exits all throughout this hallway! I’ll find a way out!”
Scarlet squeezed her eyes tight, letting out a small sob. “You better survive!” she yelled before turning and jogging down the corridor.
Star drew out his sidearm and tossed it to the turquoise unicorn.
“This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other…” Star nodded at him before jogging away.
Fire gave one last nod before pulling away, letting the door go and sprinting away, leaving Cloud with the burden alone, straining and sweating as he looked at me, his cold eyes going soft, staring into mine for just a while until I gave him a small nod and turned down the hall, slamming the door shut behind me.
“Come on!” Fire yelled “I recognize this tunnel! It leads straight to the generator room! There’s a hatch to escape from there!”
We heard gunshots and moans behind us. “We better get moving…” Scarlet growled as she opened a door.
We should have known that by now, the zombies would be flooding through the facility and would have split into more groups and crowds.
Scarlet screamed as she was met with a massive wall of flesh and teeth, turning all too quickly and slipping as a cold hand gripped her back hoof.
“SCARLET!!” Colt yelled as dull pony teeth sank into her thigh ripping through flesh and muscle.
“G-GO!!” She screamed fumbling for her pistol “G-GET OUT OF HERE!!”
I gasped, watching the poor mare grip her pistol in her hoof and squeeze her eyes shut, mouthing a small prayer.
I looked to see Colt sobbing a bit behind us, but he kept running bursting through the next room as the undead flooded behind us. The more there were the faster they got, almost able to keep pace with our jogging as they screamed and howled.
We continued firing and running, blasting through the heads of countless zombies before countless more took their place, charging towards us as we slammed into a large room filled with barrels and engines.
“This is it!” Fire yelled “The exit is to the left of u-“
He never finished, I watched as the familiar pink runner leaped onto Fire, bashing his skull into a nearby wall, killing him before he even realized what happened.
“P-Pinkie…?” Rainbow gasped, aghast at the sight of her friend ripping into Fires flesh.
It was exactly the pause the undead needed to burst through the door of the crowded generator room, pressing towards us, I jumped to the left and started to sprint, not knowing where I was or who was with me. I knew I just needed to get out. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings and figure out what was going on around me. I barely managed to see the cyan coat I had searched so long for disappear down a hallway on the opposite side of the river of zed. Colt was sprinting just ahead of me, and Star, screaming, caught in the middle of the whole thing, just barely managing to keep alive as the things tore into his legs and stomach. I watched him look at me, screaming to get out as he drew out his pistol.
I realized exactly what his plan was and sprinted harder, pushing Colt and yelling at him to go faster, leaping onto the ladder behind the pegasus and climbing.
Colt ripped open the hatch and leaped out of it, myself close behind as we jumped into the hill just before a massive fireball blasted from the manhole, shooting hundreds of feet into the air before dissipating, the explosion leaving a horrid ringing in my ears.
I screamed, trying to block out the massive sound as I writhed in the grass, only able to focus on the horrible, horrible pain in my head. I yelled as I started bashing my head on a rock, only wanting it to end, slamming it again and again as I watched myself bleed on the gray stone.
Suddenly… It stopped.
All that remained was a pitch black.
A sea of nothingness that I could float through, finally… All the struggling was over…
Serene is the only word I could use to describe it… The perfection of nothingness, interrupted by my occasional bouts of consciousness, showing me flashes of being carried through a forest, the sound of marching hooves and helicopter blades.
I don’t know how long it was until I finally woke up, hooked up to all manners of medical machines and bandages.
“W-Wha…” I shot up immediately clutching my head and trying to stop the spinning.
“Calm down Miss Sparkle…” I heard a soft voice coo from my side. I looked over to see a white nurse with a light pink mane. “It’s ok… Colt took you back to camp. You’re safe now…”
“W-Where… W-Who…”
“Shh…” The nurse placed a hoof on my chest slowly pushing me back down on the bed “Please… Rest… I’ll go get Colt and he can explain everything… Alright?”
I nodded, swallowing hard as she left, my dry throat feeling like sandpaper.
They must have found Rainbow…
Please…
I watched as Colt walked into the room. A sad look on his face.
“W-Who…?” I asked, closing my eyes trying to talk through my dry throat “W-Who did we lose…”
Colt sighed “Including the ones we found… Fire, Green, Spring, Star, Scarlet are confirmed deceased…”
No…
“NO!!!!” I screamed, tearing my throat as I threw my fist, blasting into the wall.
“Twilight…” Colt said trotting up to my bed as he tried to calm me down.
“SHUT UP!” I screamed sobbing “WE LOST SO MUCH!!”
“Rainbow’s still out there!!” I screamed, coughing blood from my torn throat “I failed!”
“We still merged with another group! We got over a dozen able soldiers and more ammo and food then we could ask for!”
“But Rainbow is still out there!” I yelled
Colt stopped sighing and rubbing his face “If Rainbow is as tough as she seems she’ll be fine alright? We’ll send another search party and find her alright? She couldn’t have gotten far.”
I sighed and slammed my head against the wall. There was still a chance… Still a chance…
Colt sighed “Twilight… You’re not done…”
I glared up at him, Colt looked back at me. I couldn’t read how he felt, but from what I saw, it wasn’t good.
“Twilight…” He almost begged “You’re the last heir to the throne… The leader of Equestria…”
“Yeah yeah yeah!” I growled “I heard you the first time you told me! And trust me, I’ll do a damn fine jo-“
“Then being so goddamn selfish!” Colt snapped but quickly flinched and lowered his head “I-I apologize…”
“Explain yourself Sergeant…” I said with a low voice “You better have a damn good one or I swear I’ll banish you to the moon…”
Colt let out a slow, deliberate breath looking at me straight on, his eyes clouded with misery and dread.
“It’d be better if I showed you… If you care… Follow me…” He walked out.
I growled, the nerve of this pony… To challenge my authority. I thought about blasting him into oblivion right then, I could just end his traitorous ways…
“Celestia listened to me…” Colt said to me “If you want to be half the leader she was you’ll follow…”
I growled, why would Celestia listen to this pony? This ignorant heretic… Yet… If Colt was telling the truth, there could be some value, if not, I’d be able to prove him wrong.
“Fine…” I mumbled following him out of the tent “Where are we going…?”
I tilted my head, what the hell was he talking about?
We walked for a while, as slowly, the amount of large, battle tents shrunk down and replaced by a looming fence in the distance. We approached the gates to the place guarded by two sentry’s that let us pass at a single word although giving a few questioning glances at me as I entered.
As I walked in I was bombarded with the sight of what seemed to be some kind of town.
Dirty, darkened ponies walked around, carrying supplies like water, food, and clothing back and forth, sometimes between tents, other times just towards small mats on the ground. The whole place carried an air of tension and sorrow. I slowly walked through the dusty pathways as the ponies around me looked at me with mixed expressions, some with curiosity, others with hatred, and a few with plain indifference.
“Why…?” I asked Colt as I stared at the ponies.
“These are the refugee’s…” Colt murmured “From all over Equestria… This is one of the few safe places around anymore…”
“I get that but… Why?” I asked looking at what looked like a foal coughing and sputtering, his father holding him close.
“These ponies would kill for a quarter, no… just an eighth of the medicine that’s in your veins right now…” Colt said, unable to look me in the eyes “They have to beg each day for half of the rations that were just given to you when we went on that mission. Ponies are literally selling their bodies for labor and sex just so they can get an extra loaf of bread for their kid…
“Ask any of these ponies where their best friends are… Ask them right now and they’ll tell you the same thing, missing, dead, or they have no idea either way. These were two friends who were inseparable, who gave each other shoulders to cry on, and who were the exact same damn thing as you and Rainbow were!
“Do you think they get a dedicated search party? Do you think they get guns, rations, and a whole squadron to go on a quest for the ponies that mean the most to them? Of course not, and why not? Are they any less of friends then you and Rainbow? Are they any different?
“No… You’re just fucking special, Celestia picked you out of everyone and took you as her apprentice… That’s it, that’s the only reason these ponies trust you with the resources. It’s the only reason that you get to see your best friend again while these ponies have to give up their rations so their families can eat a bit more!
“That’s why you're being selfish Twilight… That’s why you’re failing everyone as a leader… That’s why this whole fucking corrupt system is failing these ponies! Because while thousands of ponies look up to you to help them, and you waste some of our best stallions and mares for YOUR gain and no one else’s!
“You have a choice here Twilight Sparkle… You can go like every other fat cat in this goddamn system and hide in a bunker, grab Rainbow and feast of the finest foods the world has to offer while giving half assed orders to ‘protect’ these civilians.
“Your other option is to do what Celestia did, what Luna did, what Cadence is doing for her kingdom You can get your hooves dirty, get knee deep in this shitty world we're in right now, and start making a difference! The choice is yours Twilight Sparkle.”
I stared at the refugees, listening to Colt give his speech, watching as a few ponies turn their heads to watch and stare. A few ponies scoffed, a few ignored me, but a few stayed and watched hopefully. Gazing into my purple eyes and waiting for me to react.
I watched as a small foal stayed and watched, defying the encouragements of his mother to just move on. I watched the colt look at me hopefully, his dirty face gazing into mine as he smiled. He thought… No… In his heart… He knew I would make a difference.
I turned around, walking out of the camp, my mind racing with thoughts and ideas. Colt followed, slightly winded from his speech as he looked at me, unsure of how I took it.
The back of my mind screamed at me to blast him to the moon, to forget everything, grab Rainbow and hide forever, be safe forever.
As I reached my tent, levitating a few things into a small chest, I realized that I would never fully soothe that voice, I would never stop wanting to give up, throw in the towel.
I closed the chest and walked back stopping as I looked at Colt.
“I want a map of all the infected area… As well as all the numbers of my soldiers, survivors, things like that…”
Colt nodded slightly looking at me curiously.
“And yes I made my choice…” I smile “Thank you Colt… Celestia always loved how I completely lacked respect of her authority… I’m glad you can be that for me.”
Colt grinned “Just glad you’re not banishing me to the moon Twilight.”
“It won’t cross my mind again.” I smiled “Now get to work Sergeant… And…”
“There are some valuable additions to the team still around that place.” Colt winked at me “I’ll make sure a few scouting parties are sent there for you…”
“Thank you.” I smiled “Wait to do that after I get those numbers though, I want to know how many we can spare.”
“Yes ma’am!” He saluted me before walking off. I smiled slightly looking around at some of the generals and politicians, most gazing questioningly, some with worry, and a few with pride and happiness.
I made a note of every reaction, so I knew exactly who to watch out for, making my way west towards the guards.
“Where do I sign up for a space?”
0)----(0
“God… Damn… It…”
Stab
“Fucking… Zom… Bies…”
Crush
“Twilight… Better have…”
Smash
“Rescued… Rain… Bow…”
BANG
“What the… Hell? I didn’t shoot that…”
“Y’all alright? Ya look like yer gonna pass out...” Because he's me?
I apologize xD
Still need change