The End As I Knew It

by Seth Typofather


Chapter 2

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? -William Shakespeare


Oh Celestia this air stinks… sulphur and rotting flesh is currently dancing around my nostrils. Clasping a hoof around my muzzle I attempted to hold down my dinner with some succession, spitting out a piece of whatever came up. Gross.

The smell got a little tolerable after a few hoofsteps out into the city, broken lamps and crumbled buildings with the odd crashed carriage. Alright, the hospital should be a straight gallop. But, I think I’ll just trot there to conserve my energy. The Exmortis was still far off and probably still searching for me, but at least I have enough time to rest up and- oh my!

Hanging from a lamppost were three ponies, skinned and hung by their skin. Hanging my head low I wretched until my dinner came flying out onto the layered stains of the asphalt, fuck… I never get used to seeing the cruelty the Exmortis were capable of.

Just ignore the corpses, Twilight, ignore them. You don’t have anything they want and they don’t have anything you want, yeah, nothing at all. They did seem peaceful though for a bunch of skinned ponies.

Doing my best to ignore them, a crackling sound coaxed me to look over my shoulder. The bodies were gone, another hallucination?

A deep, raspy and forced breath escaped behind a piece of rubble. From behind it lumbered the previously hung corpse, bones cracking as every movement was unnatural and jerky. Turning it’s attention towards me, the mouth of the creature hung open and roared, attracting the other two corpses.

Taking this as my cue to gallop, I attempted to do so but instead upset the wound in my shoulder and fell towards the asphalt, breaking my nose. “Agh!” I screamed in pain, fumbling for the pistol as the three corpses charged. Aiming at the closest I couldn’t get a clear shot, it’s movements were too jerky that the head kept swaying side to side! Shooting out of instinct the bullet struck a foreleg, tripping up the beast.

Crawling backwards while aiming, the second one trampled over the downed creature as it was trying to rise and broke it’s skull. Lunging itself towards me with the torn mouth agape I levitated the walking stick in front of my face and shot it forward, the stick stabbing through in the thing’s jaws against a wall where it struggled to get free.

Finally came the third one, taking it’s sweet time standing back. “You want some?!” I screamed, the blood from my nose getting in my mouth. “Come on!” I beckoned, spitting my blood at it. “I’m already down!”

To my surprise it shook it’s head, pointing a bloodied hoof towards it’s forehead. My eyes widened at the realisation of what it had, a horn.

During the initial invasion, pony corpses were said to be possessed by some entity. The host of the body could be stupid and only have the ability to kill whatever it sees or had intelligence, like the one before me. It lowered the horn and aimed it directly at me with a slightly skeletal smile, glowing a deep greyish white.

If I’m going to die here, I refuse to do so without taking down another one of those bastards! Screaming I unloaded all the bullets I had left, one striking it’s foreleg and the final one hitting the glowing horn. The horn thankfully was hit with enough force to blow it off, leaving all that charged energy with nowhere to go.

Thinking quickly, my levitation spell encompassed it and with all my might it was thrown into the still struggling monster on the wall. All that charged energy blew it up, it must have gotten too cocky and thought it would please whatever master it has by completely incinerating me. Looking back I’d say I got lucky, scavengers were usually left behind to clean up any survivors after the horde strikes. I’d better hurry before more show up, my wounds still need attention before they get infected with whatever diseases might be around.


Good old Manehattan hospitals, always open twenty four hours for all days of the week. The reception was crumbled and appeared to have been ransacked, possibly a horde attack. Ooh, a note. With the same paper and writing as the one I have, must be that V fellow.

Floor 1 room 12.

-V

Hm, not as talkative on the note now as V was in the first. Maybe this V fellow might be more talkative in the room he or she is currently.

Limping towards the door, I stared at it for a while. What if it was a scavenger trap, or worse, bandits?

“Come in.” A voice echoed from inside, otherworldly and masculine. The echo wasn’t from the voice bouncing off the walls, it was… an unnatural echo from the source. “I mean you no harm, Princess.”

“How will I know that’s true?” I answered back, getting a chuckle from whoever was inside.

“Please, enter. I shall remain a safe distance away from you, if you have your suspicions.”

Jumping back slightly the door handle broke off and the entire door swung open on its own, revealing a single table and hospital bed with a curtain which obscured the figure sitting on it. From what I can see it had a hat and a very long coat, it was also tall and appeared to trot- no- walk on two legs. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me but it looked like a human, definitely not like the ones where I was.

Bowing his head courteously I did not want to be rude, so I bowed my head in return.

Raising a long arm he held it out in the direction of the table. “Please, have a seat and enjoy. I gathered what sustenance you may need, then we shall begin our discussion.”

“Food? How did you-?”

“In times of the apocalypse, cooking is a necessary skill, your cuisine was easy to prepare.” V replied abruptly. “Now please, enjoy your grass sandwich.”

Staring at the fresh sandwich, my stomach growled. It looks so good, but it was too fresh. Grass never survives without sunlight, which was absent. Giving into my hunger I levitated the sandwich and devoured it, not even bothering to chew the chunks bitten off. “Satisfied?”

Nodding with my mouth stuffed, the figure stood. “Excellent, now onto business. You wish to destroy the Exmortis, is that right?”

Striking a nerve at the mention of the elimination of those monsters I swallowed what was left of my meal. “Yes! Please tell me, is there a way for me to also bring back my friends? But first, who are you?”

V chuckled. “Yes, and more. My name is of no importance, but if you so desire to know my name. My name is Vlaew, a remnant of another world demolished by the Exmortis.”

“Another world?” I asked. “How did you get here?”

“I was banished by a foolish hu-.” Vlaew paused, clearing his throat. “The leader of the massacre saw me as a threat and had me banished here, before coming here to finish me off after seeing this worlds purity. The Exmortis feed off of purity and innocence and sin, your world fed them well, but now they starve.”

Hopefully I stared up at Vlaew, they were starving? Dying?! My existence alone is killing them! Unable to contain my excitement I hopped between my hooves with a giddy giggle.

“However,” Vlaew began grimly. “do you know of any portals to other worlds? A mirror perhaps?”

“Well, yes. But I thought it was destroyed when the Princesses died.” I questioned, sitting at the chair.

“No, it is still intact to my knowledge. It is well hidden, and after inspecting the libraries of this world the portal sounds like it would be opening soon.”

“Opening?” I exclaimed, gawking at this bipedal creature.

“Yes, it is their only chance to escape and our only chance to escape while locking them in this doomed plane of existence. Will you assist me in finding it?”

Without hesitation I stood with a determined glare, revenge and freedom. “Yes! But… what about the Exmortis?”

“Leave them to me.” He replied, nodding. “Until then, rest well.”

Is it me? Or did his voice sound, oh Celestia my head. My vision blurred as Vlaew strode out the curtains, staring down at me as I slumped to the table and my vision was obscured by darkness.