//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: Mud and Blood. // Story: Nation of the Damned // by Tyrannical T-Rex //------------------------------// “I’m bored…” Spike whined, lounging on the back of the cart. His voice broke the silence as we walked along the long and winding dirt path that ran along the edge of the Everfree. The eerie forest ran along a large portion of Ponyville's border and had served as a constant reminder of why it was safer to remain in the towns and cities…but now it was starting to look like a rather comfortable alternative to Canterlot and Ponyville. I merely hoped that Manehattan and Appleloosa were in better shape. “I know you are, Spike, but you’ll just have to try and keep yourself busy until we reach Manehattan, and once we get there we’ll find somewhere safe to rest...who knows, it might even be a safe place to wait all this stuff out!” I stated, walking along beside the cart while Mac pulled it. Mac’s face had remained emotionless for the past hour; ever since we left the farm. Spike sighed, grabbing an apple before munching on it and trying to relax. The sun was shining down, making the walk about as pleasant and relaxing as it could considering all that had happened. I was grateful to whatever deity had been watching for the small amount of peace we’d been given. However, even the warm sunlight and soft breeze couldn't keep exhaustion from setting in. We’d had time to relax at the farm, but it hadn't been enough to take the stress and edge off of what we’d seen. “Mac, we should pull over somewhere soon and rest. We have food and we can find firewood to make ourselves a nice fire! Heavens know we could all use some time to unwind and rest. You especially, Mac; considering wha—that you’ve been pulling the cart.” I suggested, while Mac just gave me a stony and emotionless glance before nodding. “Ah suppose so…” he said and returned his gaze to the path ahead. He kept at a steady pace while I sighed and took a quick glance behind us. When I did, however, I froze in my tracks, blinking to make sure I hadn't been seeing things. For a moment I had thought I’d seen something following us further down the path. Though, when I’d blinked, the strange figure was gone as if it’d never been there. “Huh, strange…” I mumbled, shaking my head to try and clear my tired mind before I turned around and caught up with the cart. “You alright, Twi? You kinda looked a little out of it.” Spike said after he’d swallowed a mouthful of food while leaning over the side of the cart. “I’m fine, Spike. Just a little tired is all…” I replied, giving him a small smile as I trudged along beside the cart. The gentle rattling as Mac pulled it along the somewhat bumpy road created a steady rhythm. I had to admit it was a pleasant break from recent events, but my mind kept drifting to what had happened to Applejack and Pinkie Pie, as well as poor little Applebloom...nopony deserved to die like they had, and even then they were denied rest as the things that wore their skin continued the horrid cycle. I was soon pulled from my thoughts, however, when I heard the rattle of the cart come to a stop beside me; followed by a gasp from Spike as we looked at what was blocking our path. A little further down the path lay a motionless corpse, though whoever it had been before was impossible to tell due to the body being mangled and horribly decomposed. It seemed to have been there for a while. A pool of dried blood had surrounded it and a crow was proudly perched upon the body’s side. It pecked at the slimy flesh before it looked up and noticed us, startling it into flapping its wings and taking off into the sky with a squawk. “I suppose they tried to leave Ponyville like us...t-though I guess they were traveling with somepony else who’d been attacked.” I said, looking around anxiously. Spike snuggled down between a sack of apples and the barrel of water before clenching his eyes shut; unwilling to look at the horrific sight. “Ah suppose we’d better move a little slower...no need to attract unwanted…’folk’.” Mac stated before continuing onwards towards the body while I walked alongside the cart. I kept my eyes glued to the corpse as we approached it. The closer we got the worse the air began to smell. It was clear that the corpse had been baking under the sun for a while now and we soon became aware of the buzzing flies. The disgusting insects feasted on the bloated and decomposing body as we passed by. “This is truly the worst thing that could happen to a pony...the sooner we reach Manehattan the better.” I mumbled, shivering in disgust as one of the flies buzzed past my face. Once we’d put some distance between the corpse I began to relax while Mac seemed to remain rather alert. His ears perked while his face remained emotionless and focused on his one goal: simply get to Manehattan alive. It didn't take long until we stumbled onto another worrying sign, however. Further down the path, and around the bend, we found an overturned transport cart. One of the wheels lying a short distance away from the main cart which was surrounded by dark brown splatters of dried blood. There were also some discarded swords and armor lying around, as well as many hoof marks. On the dirt path while beside them were two half eaten bodies. Both bodies were torn and mangled into mere piles of bone and meat. And, much like the last corpse we’d found, they also looked like they’d been baking under the sun for quite a considerable time, gaining a whole host of flies. “Gods…” I mumbled, feeling sick. I lifted a hoof up to cover my lips before I gave a wretch, doubling over and spilling the contents of my stomach onto the muddy ground. Mac unhooked himself from his cart and approached the horrific sight in front of us before looking through the discarded weapons and armor. He soon picked up a guard’s helmet and slid it onto his head before grabbing a blood stained chest piece and strapping it on to almost complete the set...all he was missing were the hoof guards. He also grabbed a sword, gripping the hilt between his teeth, before walking back to the cart and tossing it inside. The blade landed at Spike's feet. “We need to keep moving,” he stated calmly. It was if the death and destruction in front of him didn't exist, something that caused me to glance to the stallion in amazement. I did nod, however, moving a hoof up to wipe my lips as I tried to catch my breath. “Right; it’s not the smartest move to remain here for very long...we don’t know how these creatures work after all! They could come back to finish off the bodies or be resting nearby.” I said before glancing into the cart to check on Spike who was covering his eyes with his clawed hands. He was trembling a little as if the smell alone was enough to let him know what was going on. Mac soon hooked himself back up, with my help, and we began to head down the path. My mind was now dreading what lay ahead of us; fearing that things wouldn't be much better in Manehattan than they were back in Canterlot and Ponyville. We walked for quite a while before Mac walked off the path and onto a clear patch of grass. The stallion unhooked himself and stretched before glancing up at the sun which had begun its descent. The soft breeze turned into a chill as the sky ever so slowly began to darken. “This seems like a good place to rest for a few hours. Perhaps we could get a fire going and cook a decent meal before catching some shut eye. We have a long way to go until Manehattan,” I said with a tired smile. The idea of getting some food and resting next to a fire sounded rather nice. We then began to set up a temporary camp. Mac gathered sticks from the edge of the Everfree while me and Spike got out the three sleeping bags and a few cans of soup, hoping to make a decent dinner. By the time we got everything set up, the sun had begun to dip over the horizon and we had a warm fire going. As we waited for the soup to cook, me and Spike were looking up at the sky, with me pointing out a few celestial bodies and constellations. Mac stirred the soup and kept an ear perked for any signs of trouble. Once our soup was cooked I took the cans off the fire, let them cool for a few moments then passed them around to Spike and Mac before digging in; enjoying the first real cooked meal we’d had since leaving the castle even if it was just plain old tomato soup. Though by the way Spike scoffed it down it was as if it were liquid gold, a delicacy among dragonkind. “I don’t think tomato soup has ever tasted so good in all my life! It’s...it’s better than gemstones!” Spike chuckled, dropping his spoon and bringing the can to his lips before he began to gulp down the remaining soup while I tried to stifle a giggle at the sight. “I’m glad you're enjoying it because it looks like we’ll be eating soup for quite a while! Though you won’t hear me complaining, I’ve always loved the stuff.” I said, finishing off my own can before glancing to Mac, who seemed to have hardly touched his own food. I decided it was best not to ask him anything. After all it’s not everyday your whole life gets thrown aside and replaced with a horror show. After me and Spike had finished I helped Spike into his sleeping bag and kept him company until he drifted off to sleep. Once he had, I approached Mac and nudged his shoulder with my snout before sitting down beside him. “Hey, big guy, how you holding up? You’ve hardly eaten…” I said softly, nodding to his soup that had now grown cold. Mac simply gave a small shrug and looked to the dirt path that was barely visible in the pale moonlight, seemingly intent on standing guard for a while. “Perhaps you should get some rest, Mac. Y—we’ve been through alot and I think you should rest while I take first watch, that way you can get some rest after hauling the cart around! Besides, you're no good to us in a pinch if you're tired.” I stated, offering him a kind smile. He seemed to mull over what I’d said and, after a short while, he nodded and moved to drink down his cold soup before heading over to his sleeping bag to get some well deserved rest. And so I settled down to keep watch for a few hours. The first hour passed rather peacefully and I was left alone to relax. Spike and Mac slept near the fire which provided a pleasant warmth to ward off the evening chill. However it was during the second hour that a sound caught my attention; a twig or branch snapping behind me, causing my hairs to stand on end as I tensed up, eyes going wide. I whirled my head around just in time to see a dirty hoof swing for my face which was quickly followed by searing pain and darkness. It was then the nightmares came, memories and images of those monsters floating into my mind as the events of the last few days seemed to play over and over like a broken video; the monsters flooding out of the portal, Pinkie devouring the very foals she’d most likely tried to comfort and protect...and then there were Applebloom and Applejack. The nightmares plagued me for what seemed like years before I was finally pulled up out of that hellish dreamscape and out into a reality that was far worse. I must have been out for a while as when I came to Spike was standing over me and the black night sky had been replaced with a soft daytime blue. I was no longer on the soft ground, but instead resting on wood with a blanket covering me while the rattling of wheels sounded out. “What happened?” I asked, lifting a hoof to rub my nose, only to pull it away with a hiss of pain before Spike moved to gently take my hoof in his tiny claws. He looked at me as if a weight had been carried off his shoulders as he moved to sit beside me, a sigh of relief leaving his lips . “You’re alright! I-I was worried you’d gone into a coma or something, you’ve been out for ages! I-I was getting really worried Twi…” he stated while I tried to sit up, but a bout of dizziness and one of his tiny claws upon my chest stopped me from doing so. “Mac said you should lie down, you might have a con…concussion or something.” The young drake explained before he gave a small sigh and began to tell me what’d happened. “Well I heard Mac shouting and when I woke up he was tying something up with some of the rope he’d taken from the storm cellar on the farm and you were out cold with blood all over your face! When Mac finally finished tying the thing that attacked you up we’d thought it was one of the monsters since its coat and mane were all bloody…b-but it turned out to be Lyra!” he gushed, shivering at the mere mention of the unicorn's name. “Mac managed to get some answers outta her, turns out she’s been following us since we left the farm and was waiting for a time to take our stuff from the wagon and…well…g-get back at you for locking her in her basement with Bon-Bon,” he mumbled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head awkwardly. I gave a small groan, closing my eyes and lifting my hooves to rub my temples. “I knew I shouldn't have done that. Tartarus below; I’m such an idiot!” I scolded myself, still feeling rather guilty about what I’d done to my former friend...though then something dawned on me. “Where is Lyra, Spike? Y-You guys didn't leave her tied up back at camp did you?” I asked, once more sitting up and this time managing to beat the dizziness...though my question was quickly answered without Spike needing to speak. Trudging along behind the cart, tethered to it with a rope tightly looped around her neck, was an absolutely filthy Lyra who was glaring daggers in my direction. Well, through the one eye that wasn't dark purple and swelled up. Her eye wasn’t the full extent of her injuries; atop her head sat a jagged stump that’d once been her horn, and she seemed to have a rather large sack tied to her tail, dragging its contents along behind her. “Oh gods...w-what happened to you?” I asked timidly, the guilt over my head seeming to grow heavier as I noticed more and more bruises beneath her dirty fur, along with quite a few scratches and cuts. She didn't speak however and continued to glare at me so I simply turned away from her and saw Mac pulling the cart along, adorned in his commandeered guard armour and sword. He had a few light bruises upon his right cheek but apart from that he seemed fine, albeit a little tired. “Hey, Mac, it’s good to see that you’re alright...how long exactly have I been out? And how far are we from Manehatten?” I asked, shuffling closer to the front of the cart before grabbing myself a water bottle, taking small sips as I realized how thirsty I was. “You’ve been out for quite a while; three days give or take...kept ya fed and watered and took care of any messes ya made...” he remarked, casting a glance over his shoulder before looking back to the road while a blush graced my cheeks. “As for Manehatten, we’re still quite far off…” he said with a shrug and it was then I finally took a good look around, and blinked in surprise when I did. We were no longer in the grassy green fields or forests near Ponyville, but instead walking alongside the train tracks that led through the arid and rather dusty San Palomino Desert towards Appleloosa and Dodge City. I was about to ask why we were out here before I realized something and rubbed my forehead. Due to the route we’d taken, and the terrain, it was unlikely the cart would have gone through the Everfree. That left us with only two other routes. The first would have been to turn back towards Ponyville and loop around Canterlot, which wasn't really an option. The other route, while longer, took us around the Everfree, over Ghastly Gorge, and ultimately towards Dodge City...from there it was a week or so northwest travel that’d take us first to Fillydelphia and then to Manehatten! It was long, yes, but much safer considering the portal at Canterlot was most likely still open and that the monsters there could have very well wandered down the mountain and began to spread out over Equestria...at least this way we’d be somewhat out of their way and hopefully reach Manehatten first since to get to there straight from Canterlot would require a more mountainous and slower route without the train. “Anyway, ah was planning on stopping by at Appleloosa to refill on supplies and the like, besides ah gotta tell Braeburn ‘bout AJ and Bloom,” he continued, drawing me out of my thoughts as we came to a stop, having reached a fork in the tracks. One trail led east towards Dodge City which could already be seen, a spec on the horizon. The other led down south to Appleloosa which was much closer as its green orchard was already somewhat visible in the distance and, even further, the town itself. “I suppose we should head there first to stock up on food and water, as well as to warn them about what happened.” I nodded in agreement before sitting back down and moving to pull Spike into a small hug. The small dragon gave no complaints and simply relaxed as I leaned back in the cart and sighed softly, letting my eyes slide closed. “Alrighty then, to Appleloosa we go…” Mac stated, lifting a sandy hoof to wipe his brow before he began to march southwards towards the desert town. It seemed the idea of seeing his cousin encouraged him to move a little faster than he had been before...and I couldn't blame him. After all, he was the closest relative he had left in this part of Equestria! After that, however, I rested my back against the cart before closing my eyes and relaxing in the sun. I hugged Spike close as the cart rattled quietly along; though I must have drifted off to sleep as the next thing I knew Mac’s face was greeting me when my eyes fluttered open. His eyes were still as cold and stony as they’d been since leaving the farm as he shook me awake. I sat up, noting that Spike was curled up beside me sound asleep while Lyra was snickering and chortling at the back of the cart. She was propped up on her hind legs and giving me a rather gleeful smile. “We gotta problem…” Mac whispered before turning my gaze away from Lyra and towards a sight that made my heart sink. We were in the Appleloosan orchards, the trees vibrant shades of green and their branches filled with enough fruit to keep us fed for days...but that wasn't what took my breath away. A few feet away from us lay a crashed royal guard sky-carriage. The dusty ground around it was drenched in dried gore while a trio of ponies, one being a guard and another crippled, were crowded around a bloated corpse; their muzzles buried in its belly as they feasted. It seemed as if the guards had been transporting ponies, most likely former citizens of Canterlot, away from the city and out to more secluded and safe locations to avoid any further casualties, but they must have picked up a bitten pony and crashed out here as a result. However, once I tore my gaze away from the sight I noticed two sets of bloodied hoof prints leading away from the crash and further south...straight towards Appleloosa. “O-Oh no…” I mumbled, my mind racing. What if Appleloosa was gone? In a similar state to Ponyville or, heavens forbid, Canterlot? And then there was the possibility that other evacuation carriages had crashed near or around other cities and towns, that the flesh eating monsters had been unwittingly scattered to the four winds of Equestria and let loose! “We need to deal with them and then head to Appleloosa. These things are slow and while it looks as if they’ve been here for a while it’s possible that we could reach the town before the two stragglers,” I whispered to Mac. He had also noticed the hoof tracks heading off towards town. He gave a small nod and un-hooked himself from the cart, glancing to the sword. “Ya’ll use whatever magic ya can...I’ll try and take one of em out with this here,” he stated before grabbing the blade's hilt between his teeth and bucking the cart. The jolt woke up Spike who, after noticing the trio of flesh eating monsters, gave a scream which caused the things to pull their blood soaked muzzles from the corpse's stomach. Each of them gave raspy moans and groans as they began to shamble towards us; biting at the air and stumbling around. I was quick to hop to my hooves, gritting my teeth and lighting my horn. Charging a spell sent a surge of pain down along my spine. The effect had weakened from earlier, but it was still enough to daze me before I managed to fire off the lightning spell I’d used before. The bolt crackled as it flew through the air and finally collided with one of the creatures’ heads, making a loud ‘Clack’ as it collided. The body fell to the floor with a dull thud, twitching a little as the electricity coursed through its rotted body. I fell back onto my behind, rubbing my horn with a hiss while Lyra gave a taunting chuckle, clearly happy to see me still under the affects of her little spell. It was then I watched Mac march forwards and make a swing for the guard, who’d managed to get somewhat close. Mac landed a clean strike upon his exposed neck, leaving a fine slice that drooled with thick brown blood before he made another swing. This time decapitating the groaning monster before watching the body fall and then the head. The latter tumbled to the ground and rolled off to the side, the mouth still biting at the air while its glassy eyes swirled in its sockets. That left a single flesh eater, the creature looked much weaker than the previous two on account of a seemingly broken and torn ankle upon its right hind leg. The thing dragged itself along the trail with its forelegs while loud groans left its bloody lips. It moved slowly towards Mac who, with a shake of his head, approached the slow crawler and placed a hoof upon the back of its head, pinning it to the ground and, in one swift motion, drove the blade of his sword down into its skull. The body jolted for a moment before going still. Mac then pulled his sword free and grimaced before he returned to the cart and tossed the weapon back onto it. He lifted a hoof to rub his jaw as I finally recovered from my little bout with magic-induced pain. “That wasn't very pleasant...but at least they won’t be able to hurt anypony else.” I sighed, looking at the corpses and the still animated head, grimacing at the sight. It seemed as if even without a body the damn things refused to die. “Eyup, but we can’t stay around here. We gotta get down to Appleloosa and see if everything's alright there.” Mac replied before I nodded and then switched my attention to Spike, who was sipping on water to try and calm down while Lyra merely sneered at me. I ignored her and once more pulled spike close, offering him a small tired smile. “Relax, you have no reason to be afraid of them while me and Mac are around,” I whispered, nuzzling his cheek. The frightened drake slowly calmed down and buried his face into my chest, mumbling a few things I didn't understand before he fell back to sleep, snoring softly. Mac had since hooked himself back up to the cart and began continuing onwards, making sure to crush the biting head under one of the wagon’s wheels as we went. It made a sound akin to that of a melon being crushed. Now it was a straight line to Appleloosa, and I was silently praying to whatever divine being happened to be lending me their ear that the small desert town would be alright, that everypony there was safe and life was going on as normal. But when we finally reached the outskirts, Mac brought the cart to a dead stop as we heard screams and shouts that pulled me from my thoughts. I found myself looking at something that made my stomach curl and my my eyes grow wide. The streets of the small town were littered with bodies and stained with blood. Ponies darted around, screaming and shouting to one another as they were chased by their former friends and neighbors who had fallen prey to the flesh eating monsters. However, the most shocking thing that caught my eye was the hulking brown-haired buffalo who was tearing through the rioting crowd. His body was covered with gashes and chunks of flesh were missing all over. The entire lower section of his face had been completely torn away leaving only his bloodied jawbones that snapped at anyone who got close. However the scariest thing about him wasn't just his size and appearance. It was the fact that he was charging through the crowd, sending ponies and monsters alike flying into the air...and we were right in his path; a fact that justified the next words that left my lips. “Oh shit…”