The Jokes On Us

by Twisted Visions

Chapter 2

Quill had yet to pull himself together. Here he was, talking to this poor little girl after he had stood and watched her sister get torn apart. What did he tell her? Did he tell her he hadn't seen her? That wasn't going to work if this girl had anything resembling a brain in her skull. What normal pony would break down crying at a description of a mare? Great! Just great.

He forced himself to pull himself together and stop crying. Few deep breaths later he was looking at the girl, who looked so depressed it almost sent him back to his previous state.

"She's dead isn't she..." The young girl asked, tears starting to roll down her face.

Quill just stared at her. For such a young girl she was holding out about the news whole hell of a lot better than he. He didn't even know the Lady and he broke down crying! By Celestia he was a whimp... "I'm... I'm sorry. There was nothing I could do to help her" He said. He decided to leave out the part where he stood there and watched like some estranged psychopath but he figured she didn't need to know that.

Sweetie Belle got up, her entire body slumped. "Alright sir... Uhm... Thank you for telling me I guess. Twilight used to tell me knowledge no matter how awful could be useful at the right time" She sniffed, wiping away tears. "I'll get out of your mane I guess" She started, pulling a backpack out from under the bed and heading to the door.

Ok he was wrong. This filly was a train wreck, and she was about to try and go outside! "Uhm... Wait!" He said getting up and taking a step towards her. "I..." He started trying to find the right words. What do you say in a situation like this? "Look, I can understand your really not in the best shape, but it's not safe out there anymore. It wasn't the normal infected out there that killed her... These ones are new and they obviously threw a wrench into anyone who is alive's strategies. Please... Don't go out there" He said, his courage to keep going draining from him in an instant. That was probably a really bad way of saying what he wanted too...

It seemed to hit home though. Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks and just stood there, tears rolling down over her muzzle. The things a kid must have seen to not just be freaking out. She must have been trying really hard to not to break down in front of Quill, and she was doing a better job that he expected.

"Was... Was it fast?" She asked, croaking more than speaking. Quill was brought back to hearing the screams of the mare as the three infected tore her apart. Sweetie Belle contracted her answer from Quills hesitation to answer and just collapsed, sobbing into the ground. Now Quill was in a horrible situation. In the three weeks this had been happening he didn't know what to do! Hell, in all his life he never had to deal with this!

He awkwardly stepped over and patted Sweetie Belle on the back as she cried. She didn't respond, she didn't move, all she did was cry and in some ways it was making him nervous. Couldn't the infected hear her? Oh Celestia They might hear her! "Sweeite Belle! I need you to please try and calm down" He whispered. She didn't respond. She just kept crying. Quill looked around frantically trying to figure out what to do. In panic he grabbed her and used his chest to muffle her. Yea, a little intimate than he would like but it was that, or make her feel like she was being kidnapped.

She struggled against him for a few moments before slumping, and continuing her sobbing. Well... At least she was quiet. He leaned back against the wall and slid down, letting Sweetie Belle clump down to the ground with him. Now what? Barged in on her, told her that her sister was dead, and is now holding her against his chest like some kind of creeper. He waited for a little while longer, patience kinda being a thing for him. Someone could only cry for so long, no matter how much they hurt, and Sweetie Belle was no exception. Soon she was just shivering into his now soaked shirt, which he figured he would have to change eventually.

"Hey... I'm going to leave my stuff here alright? I'm just gonna take a look through the house to see if I can find anything useful. Keep the door shut, and get yourself something to eat from my bag alright? I will be back in a jiff" He said, finally looking at her. No wonder he didn't notice any clothes on her before, what she was wearing were practically rags. He blushed at the fact that he didn't notice that before. Was there something wrong with him? "Also... I have some clothes in my bag. Put them on... Please" He said, before quietly walking out the door.

---

Once he was out the door he relaxed big time. Maybe getting something in her belly and some decent clothes on her back would put her in a better mood all things considered. First place he went was the bedroom down the hall. It was obviously the Master bedroom given its size, and it was as good as any a place to start. He looked through the Cabinets and drawers. Usual stuff, but there seemed to be some antibiotics in here. He looked the packaging over and saw that they didn't expire for a few months. Certainly useful if ever in a jam so he put them in his pocket.

He went over and sat on the bed, just to see what it was like. He wasn't able to give a good opinion though as something clicked against his foot. Looking down he saw a long red tube with a brass metal cap laying on the floor. From where it was it had obviously come from under the bed, so he decided her would take a look.

Reaching under the bag he pulled out a box that had two overly charismatic ponies on the front. "Flim and Flams Extraordinary ShotgunShells" He said to himself. Shotgun? He had heard stories of the Royal Guard developing weapons that used an explosive powder to "shoot" a metal projectile through the air. He looked under the bed and saw a few more boxes, and a long black canvas bag. That must have been the gun in the bag, so he grabbed it and pulled it out. A few guys who had come in to the place he worked were talking about these things once, and he was well aware that it could kill him if used improperly, but after that nothing.

He opened the bag and was met with something that was rather anti climactic when he thought of it. It looked like a metal tube with a handle, some kind of shoulder rest, and a lever. He could see that someone had taken a saw to the metal tube rather crudely, as the opening was jagged and rough, where everything else was smooth. There was also a metal tube in the bag with a similar looking end, but it obviously wasn't a gun on it's own. He looked the thing over and smiled. He may not know how to use it, but maybe he could trade it or something?

Like that idea he tossed it to the side and went to bend back down to grab the other boxes. Before he got down though, he heard a deafening BANG come from behind him, and he threw himself over the bed with his hands over his head. "What the fuck was that?" He half yelled. His ears were ringing like crazy and he could hear anything but the ring. His head felt wobbly but he was able to shake the feeling. Once his ears stopped hinging, he stood up and looked around trying to find the source of the sound.

Laying on the ground, the shot gun laid, the opening smoking slightly. A few feet away, it seemed the carpet was torn in a line, and the wall had a bunch of tiny holes in it. So that was the source of the sound... By Celestia! Bang that loud and from what he saw on the carpet, and the damage on that wall that thing could have killed him if it had been pointing at him. He made a mental note to treat it with respect.

Leaning back down and looking at the boxes, he decided to pull them out. He figured they went with the gun somehow, so he grabbed them. Looking at the boxes, they all had the same general look to them, but he noticed the back of the box had more writing. For use with the Flim Flam Standard Shotgun. For use of the Equestrian Royal Guard only, all fire arms are illegal for civilian ownership. he read to himself. Well, the owner of this house must have been with the royal guard. Then again, knowing the richer ponies in Canterlot, anyone could have lived here. Guess it didn't matter now. He collected the boxes and picked up the gun to leave before he heard something downstairs.

"It came from in here Tavi! Maybe there are some ponies who are alive! Maybe they know what's going on and how to get out" A gruff, mareish voice drifted from downstairs. Quill panicked and dropped the boxes of shotgun shells and fumbled with the gun, pointing it in front of him. "Wh-who's there!"" He asked nervously. No response. Great! They could have a gun like this and he just gave away his position! He didn't even know how to work the damn thing!

Soon a white Unicorn mare with a shockingly blue mane that was cut in a short, messy way came up the stairs. She turned and looked at him, her eyes going wide when she saw what he was holding.

Her face went aggressive in hardly a second and she took an aggressive step forward. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you are pointing that at me!" She snapped. Quill jumped slightly and took a step back, praying she didn't get any closer. He didn't even know if the gun was going to go off even if he figured out how to fire the damn thing.

Before anything else could happen an annoyed tone came from around the corner. "Vynil! What do you think your doing?" and elegant more sophisticated voice said. A grey earth pony with a black mane walked around the corner next and saw the situation. She sighed ad stared at Vinyl with an unimpressed look on her face. "You twit, can't you see this poor gentleman is scared out of his wits?" She snapped, causing Vinyl to shrink a bit.

"I am dreadfully sorry about my companion here, she can be a touch abrasive and has the subtlety of Pinkie Pie at the Grand Galloping Gala. Please, if we could just talk for a bit. Neither of us are in any position to cause you any problems, and we understand that you were here first. All we need is a place to stay until the night, and we can move again" The grey mare said in such a calm voice he thought he was being hypnotized.

Without thinking he lowered the gun and looked at the ground. "You can stay til dark I guess... But it's not safe out there at any time it seems" He said, kneeling down to pick up the shotgun shells. "I saw a new kind of infected last night, glowing and moving just as fast as as the regular ones in the day." He said, taking the strap to the shotgun and putting it around his shoulder. "I just made it here, but... Another mare wasn't so lucky" He finished

The Grey mare looked sad "Was she a close friend of yours?" She asked softly.

Quill shook his head. "No... But I found her sister hiding in one of the bedrooms. She... She's taking it pretty hard. I haven't checked the kitchen yet, but I figure we can split anything we find there" He said, walking past the two. Vinyl and the unnamed mare seemed to have a split second fight before the grey one followed.

"We would both appreciate that, and thank you for letting us know about the new things... I don't think we would have made it if we didn't know" She mentioned quietly. Quill just shrugged. The last three weeks alone were tough, but now he was finding it difficult to get used to being around others. He was pretty anti social before everything happened and this was new to him. Suddenly Octavia spoke.

"You don't know how to use that thing do you?" She asked cautiously.

Quill flinched and cursed at himself. "I know... The principle. It wouldn't be hard to figure out after a while I assume. I would only trade it though, knowing ho to use it so that anyone I give it too doesn't blow their head off" He said shrugging.

Octavia nodded. "Shotguns in this time are a blessing, especially that one. Pump action, 8 round tube magazine in a 12 gauge? I'm surprised you were able to find one in such good condition" She said, causing Quill to look at her in shock and awe.

"You... You know how to use this thing? And what it is?!" He asked in a very surprised tone.

Octavia just laughed "My cousin in ponyville owned one on her farm. She was given a special licence due to all the Timberwolves in the area. That and being the Element of Honesty was a bonus. When she asked if she could apply for the licence, Princess Celestia was happy to write it out herself. She saw them as a useful tool in certain situations, and was going to start making licences to own them more common as the technology was refined. She would take me, her sister and her brother into the furthest reaches of the farm and teach us all how to use it if we ever needed one. I guess she figured I would move to Ponyville and move in with them on the farm" She said simply.

Two things shot through Quills mind. First, he was talking to an Element bearers cousin. Second, they knew how to use and shoot a shotgun. An idea came across him. "I can make you a deal if you want. You show me how to use this thing, and if you want to stay with us and figure this out then I guess you can" He said. Bringing people in made him nervous, but it seemed like the safe thing to do. More people meant more eyes, and more eyes meant less people died. That, and he had no idea how to take care of a ten year old filly.

Octavia smiled "Actually... I think I would like that. My name is Octavia by the way, and my obnoxious friend is Vinyl Scratch. What's your name?" She asked politely.

Quill smiled a little "My name is Quill. I look forward to learning how to use this thing and having some extra eyes around." He said. "These new things make life a little difficult" He said with a chuckle. Octavia just nodded and they finished there search in silence.

When Quill got back into the room, he saw Vinyl had found Sweetie Belle, and the situation looked awkward. Sweetie Belle sat in the corner, knees to her chest wearing one of his shirts and just looking like death warmed over. Vinyl looked as if she had tried talking to her, and confirmed that by shrugging when Octavia gave her a questioning look.

Quill sighed "She had a rough night. Lets just get some rest, and maybe we can think about what to do in a few hours" He said, sitting next to Sweetie Belle. Vinyl and Octavia shrugged and walked to the other side of the room and spoke quietly between themselves. Quill looked down at Sweetie Belle with a sad look, and put his arm around her in the attempt to be comforting. It worked, and she leaned into him. He smiled a little, and closed his eyes.

This might be nice He thought to himself, going to sleep.

Author's Note:

I get a lot of messages about this story being a lot like the game "The Last of Us", so I went and did a little research on the game. I understood the concept of the game, having heard of it before and knew that I would get a lot of flak if I made a plant based infection without mentioning the last of us. I did get the Plant part from that game.

I would however like to say that the infected in this are not like the Fungal infection from "The Last of Us" in every way. Plant based yes, hosts incredibly aggressive yes. However the types of infected are different, and they are TOTAL opposites as to what their weaknesses are :P All of this you will have learned in this chapter, if I did a good enough job at writing it ^.^

Also, I know Sweetie Belle may not be AS dense as everyone thinks she is, but I like to feel she is actually really smart, but her child like innocence makes things fly past her sometimes. Three weeks in a city where creature are tearing ponies apart? She has probably

Comments

[Flutternight]

I don't normally like stories where the ponies ae anthro, but I'm loving this one.

[Twisted Visions]

5008129 Glad you like it!

[ILoveAppleJackAB]

Mores I needd mooooooorrrrreees

[Vibrant lies]

vynil
barley

Vinyl
Barely