Equestria; UNDEAD

by runningtoastgirl77

Chapter Three: Answers

I woke up in the next morning huddled with a group of other ponies on the bed. I was in between Zian and Morning Glory, Cherry sleeping at the foot. I sat up and noticed Grella looking out the window.

After carefully crawling up and out of bed, I joined her at the window. “Hey,” she said, putting a shot gun case over her shoulder.

“Morning.”

“How do you sleep?”

I shrugged. “I slept okay, you?”

“Couldn’t.”

My eyes widened. “You didn’t sleep?”

“Nope.” Grella smirked the best she could with a beak. “Personally, I sleep better in the clouds.” She shrugged. “Afterall, I had lookout.”

“Shouldn’t we wake them up?”

“Nah. Come on, let’s help the pegasus pack.”

We walked down the stairs where Whirl Wind was already busily organizing the saddlebags, as well as checking cabinets, closets, etc. to make sure we didn’t miss any essentials. “Here,” he instructed me, handing me a bag of oats.

“What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” he nodded. Now that we were in the morning light I could see his cutiemark, a vortex. “We’re going to be going to wake the others up.” He offered a baggy of oats to Grella.

“Nah, sorry. Not really part of my diet.”

“Compromise?”

“... do you have any seeds or berries, meat?”

I made an unconscious face of disgust. “Meat?!”

“I’m an omnivore, honey…,” Grella said, “cooked meat is healthy for me. Raw though isn’t the worst to eat though I suppose…”

I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing. Meat? Like bugs, squirrels? Cats? ...ponies? I was physically shivering at the thought. “I’ll settle on oats,” Grella said, and admittingly she looked a little crestfallen, as if she sensed my uneasiness towards her meat eating ways.

We sat on the couch and ate while Whirl Wind flew up to wake the others. Grella glanced over to me. “Don’t judge me, Autumn.” She said softly.

“Judge you? Why?” I replied, momentarily forgetting the meat- eating accusations.

“Thankyou,” Grella smirked.

Once we were all packed I walked outside for the first time in the past few days. I felt as if the world was un-naturally green, which was strange because we were on the brink of fall and a cool breeze chilled the air. Zian lead the land walking group while the pegasi and Griffon watched above alongside our sniper prepubescent on Grella’s back.

It was a peaceful morning, by which I mean quiet. I glanced to Morning Glory in silence. She was a simple blue earth pony, her long mane strung back with a simple rubber band. She looked strangely deadpan, not dealing with anything other than walking.

I then looked to Zian and wish I hadn't, embarrassment filling my cheeks as to the unknown eye I would be staring at her… well, in favor of common decency, her ‘tail’. My embarrassment rose further as I saw Zian meet my gaze with a smirk.

I was, again, alone with my thoughts. Sure, I wasn’t completely alone. I had been nearly flawlessly integrated into their group, and I wondered how. I was lucky they let me into their group so willingly. I was lucky to be alive. With that, I pushed my hood over my ears.

Just seconds after, however, I started to hear gunshots and was startled. I looked up in time to notice a zombie pony’s cranial contents explode nearly three feet in front of Zian, it’s blood spraying the landscape and the zebra’s fur splattered with red. “Run!” We heard Whirlwind instruct us from above, and I glanced around noticing several zombies emerging from the bushes and forest. I started running, leaping over the pool of blood and dead carcass. I could hear the gunshots from Cherry’s gun, as well as the squish of the others having to trot through the aftermath. Zian yelled at me to stop running, that they were gone now, dead... but I didn’t listen.

I was scared.

Eventually I felt Zian’s forelegs tackle me down. “Autumn!”

After I eventually calmed down, and Zian helped me up as the others caught up to us.

“Are you okay?!” Whirlwind demanded.

I then realized that I was now also covered in zombie blood from being tackled by Zian. I nodded in response.

“Your fast at running away,” Grella observed.

“You scared me!” Zian glared at me.

“I’m sorry…”

Zian couldn’t help but accept my pathetic apology. “It’s okay.”

Morning Glory came up to us as the others landed. “You're covered in blood.” Whirlwind stared.

“Yeah. Having a body explode in front of you kinda does that.” Zian sassed.

“Are you two hurt? Any cuts, scrapes?”

“No, I don’t think so…” I said, looking myself over.

“We’ll have to take a short detour to the stream down the road,” he said, “in the meantime take your stuff off.”

Zian nodded and slid off her blood and dirt splattered sweater and bag. He took then with a spare hoof.

“Be careful; don’t use your mouth.”

“You think I would?” I slipped everything off with a few meer swoops of my hoofs. He then proceeded to take them and fly into the forest, telling us to follow.

“Why do we need to clean up right now?” I asked Zian.

“Because if we didn’t, we could get the virus in our system. From the afflicted.” Zian sighed. “Although really, would you want to walk around covered in dry blood? What if any strangers see us just trotting on the road? They’d shoot us!”

“I see your point…” I blushed.

Once we reached the river, he set out things on the ground. “This’ll only take a second.”

I stared with an interest as he began circling a small part of the river until it formed a small cloud. I was genuinely intrigued, thinking that clouds were made with machines. He flew the cloud over us, now a hue of dark grey, and then jumped on it causing a sudden downpour onto Zian and I.

Once we were successfully drenched he began to fly around us as fast as he could, leaving my vision a blue haze I nearly fell over when he stopped. “There we are!” He exclaimed. “Clean as can be.”

While he went over to quickly clean out our clothes and bags through his strange pegasus techniques, I looked to Zian who was glancing at me holding back a case of the giggles. “What?”

“N-nothing, it’s just…” Zian snickered, “...your mane is just so … poofy!”

I felt up for my mane and was greeted by an absurd pony afro of frizziness only matched by a poodle of Birthday clown. I appropriately blushed. Morning Glory troted up to me and pulling a brush from her bag, giving it to me with a silent giggle.

Whirlwind returned with our stuff and clothes.

Once we were done by the river, we continued on the road. AS we returned to our last formation a wave of melancholy washed over me. Sadness over nothing in particular. A shot of anxiety and a pinch of indecisiveness. I wondered, how could I be so carefree in this fear inducing hell-hole? To dare to be capable of a moment of joy in our situation?

My answer wasn’t easy for me to comprehend. It wasn’t a special answer. It wasn’t even a hard answer, really.

The answer, of course, was hope.

Comments

[runningtoastgirl77]

7093752 Correction, about 12 seconds ago I'd say :3

[KateyJane12600]

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!

[runningtoastgirl77]

7096081 what? lol :3 excited?

[MrCookieGaming]

I'm listening to the happiest song in the world right now while reading a story about death and zombies ^-^