Left 4 Ponies: Get to Sweet Apple Acres!

by Silver Arctic Wolf

3: Fluttershy's Cottage

Everypony was glad to leave the zombie infested forest behind. And they were even gladder when a familiar cottage came into view.

“Fluttershy’s cottage!” Applejack proclaimed. “We should be able to take a breather in there before heading on to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash said. “I could use a snack and a drink!”

Twilight nodded. “Agreed. And I’m also worried about Fluttershy.”

“Whooopeee! Then let’s go! Party at Fluttershy’s!” Pinkie set off her party cannon again, startling everyone.

“Pinkie, stop that! Do you want the zombies to find us?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Seriously, Pinkie! What if Fluttershy is still here?! You wouldn’t want her to put her in danger, would you?” Twilight said.

Pinkie deflated. “Oopsie. Sorry…”

Applejack sighed. “No use frettin’ ‘bout it now. C’mon y’all.”

They hurried up the road to the cottage. Twilight knocked on the door. “Hello? Fluttershy, are you in there?” The four waited in silence for a while.

A shaky voice on the other side of the door answered. “What?! Who’s there?! Twilight!?”

“Fluttershy! Thank goodness you’re alright!” Twilight cried out.

“What do you want with us?!” Fluttershy cried out. Twilight was stunned and took a step back from the door.

“Hey, Fluttershy, zombie apocalypse out here. Could you let us in?” Rainbow Dash tried opening the door, but it was stuck. “What the?” She rammed her shoulder into the door, but it still wouldn’t budge. “I think she barricaded the door!”

“No kiddin’…” Applejack rolled her eyes. Sarcastically, she said, “Barricaded her house during a zombie apocalypse. That’s plum crazy!”

Rainbow Dash gave Applejack an annoyed look. “Yeah, well, she could at least let us in!”

“No! You won’t get us! We warned them, didn’t we, Angel Bunny? We warned them that this was coming! But would they listen? No! Not one of them listened! Said we were crazy! Well, who’s crazy now?! Huh? Who?!”

“Alright, she’s gone crazy,” Rainbow Dash said.

Rainbow Dash took a step back, and Twilight took her place at the door.

“Please, Fluttershy! I know you’re scared, but we can help you. It isn’t safe here. We need to get you to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Yeah, and we were kind of hoping to take a break in your cottage from all this fighting,” Pinkie chimed in.

“We are not going anywhere! You think we don’t know what you’re up to? You want us to leave and go out there, where it isn’t safe! Then you’ll laugh at us when we’re caught by THEM. But we won’t leave, will we, Angel Bunny? We’re staying in here, where it’s safe. But none of you are getting in! You’re all out to get us! Well, We’ll show you! Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!”

It broke Twilight’s heart to hear her friend like this. “Please, Fluttershy! We’re your friends! Let us help you!” She desperately stomped her hoof against the door, but got no reply.

From inside the cottage, bells chimed, and they continued chiming alongside Fluttershy’s manic laughter.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What in tarnation is she doing in there?”

“Oh no. She couldn’t be…” Teeth chattering, Rainbow Dash chewed on her hoof.

“Uh, guys…” Pinkie, face drawn in terror, pointed out towards the Everfree Forest, where a horde of zombie ponies and forest creatures was emerging. Drawn by the noise of the bells, they were charging towards the cottage as fast as their decaying legs could carry them. Swallowing, Pinkie said, “You know, it doesn’t seem very kind of Fluttershy to sick a horde of hungry zombies on us…”

Rainbow Dash dashed to the cottage and slammed her hooves against the door. “Let us in, let us in, let us in! Please, Fluttershy! We’re going to get mobbed out here!”

“You’re all doomed! You should never have laughed at us! Ha ha ha ha!” Fluttershy cried out. “Yes, get them! Tear them to shreds, my friends!”

“They are not your friends! We are!” Twilight yelled.

“No use, Twilight,” Applejack said. “Here they come!”

The swarm was right on top of them, and their growls were deafening enough to block out Fluttershy’s cackling. It was a bigger group than any they’d faced yet. There were around two hundred sick ponies by Twilight’s estimate, and an assortment of squirrels, deer, and other forest creatures. Their backs were to the cottage, so there was nowhere to run. Things were looking grim.

“I’ve got this!” Pinkie yelled. “Eat confetti, zombies!” She pulled up a party cannon and shot a blast right at the swarm of zombies. The sound frightened the zombies, making them break their line and scattering them for a moment.

“Yee-ha!” Applejack threw her hat into the air. “Good work, Pinkie! Now, let’s get ‘em before they regroup!”

“Heck yeah!” Rainbow Dash cheered. “It’s zombie butt-kicking time!”

Flying at high speed, Rainbow Dash zipped between the zombies, further scattering them and knocking a few out. Pinkie kept on firing off rounds of confetti to disorient them, while Applejack lassoed and tied them up and Twilight zapped them with magic. It was a long battle, but the four of them managed to knock down all of the shambling zombies.

“We did it! We’re awesome!” Rainbow Dash clapped hooves with Pinkie.

“Yeah, we did do it, but boy howdy, I am plum tired now… Think there’s any chance we can rest for a spell in that cottage? Huh, Twilight?” Not getting a response, Applejack glanced around. “Twilight?”

Twilight was already back to pounding on the door of the cottage. “Please, Fluttershy, let us in! I’m your friend, remember?” When she heard Fluttershy coughing, Twilight gasped. “Are you sick, Fluttershy?! We have to get you to a doctor right away! Please open the door!” Twilight hit the door again, and surprisingly, this time it swung open.

Twilight dashed inside, with the other three following soon after. Dozens of little bells were strung up together, but Twilight ignored them. She found Fluttershy inside, sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. She looked awful: she was pallid, her eyes were yellow and empty, and her mouth hung open. Her coughs were getting worse too. She just sat there without saying anything, staring off into the distance.

“Oh no, Fluttershy!” Twilight cried out as tears streamed down her cheeks. “You look terrible! Don’t tell me you’re sick!” She rushed to her friend’s side and hugged her. Twilight could only sob.

“Twi, get away from her…” Applejack warned. She’d been dismantling the string of bells that were strewn about like an alarm system, but she stopped when she caught a glimpse of Fluttershy.

“Oh girls, Fluttershy is sick! With a fever this bad, it’s no wonder she was acting so crazy! We have to do something! We have to help her!”

“I said, get back, Twilight!” Applejack pulled Twilight away, then proceeded to use her rope to tie Fluttershy to the chair. No sooner had she finished, than the meek pony began snarling and snapping her jaw at her.

“What are you doing, Applejack?!” Twilight cried out furiously. “She’s our friend! We should be helping her!”

“Twi, she’s already too far gone. Best we can do is tie her up and leave her here, so we can get her the antidote once Zecora’s made it.”

“B-but we could… We could take her with us…” Eyes filling up with tears and lip quivering, Twilight looked deep into Fluttershy’s eyes, but saw no trace left of her friend, only a snarling, rabid zombie. “Oh, Applejack, I can’t! First Rarity, now Fluttershy! I just can’t!” Twilight jumped forward and hugged Fluttershy again. Applejack had to jump in and push back Fluttershy’s muzzle to keep her from biting Twilight.

“You can, Twilight. Stay strong. Just remember that Zecora can put ‘em both back to the way they were before.”

“Oh, Fluttershy, she… she must have remembered in the end… that we were her friends. And that’s why she removed the barricades, so we could help her. But there was nothing we could do! All we can do is keep going, and get these herbs to Zecora so she can make a cure…”

Over by the doorway, Rainbow Dash held up a snarling, red-eyed bunny and whispered to Pinkie, “You think maybe we shouldn’t tell her we found Angel gnawing on the boards used to nail the door shut?”

“Yeaaaah. Probably not. Wouldn’t want to make Twilight any more upset.” Pinkie put her hoof over her mouth and leaned closer to Rainbow Dash to whisper, “I don’t know if you noticed, but she’s reaaaaaally not taking this zombie apocalypse thing very well!”

Comments

[Ezekiel Namuh]

Constant coughing, huh? Reminds me of an old friend...