Don't Sleep

by Man of Wonders

Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash lays on her back, Fluttershy laying on her stomach as she breaths in and out slowly, eyes shut tight. Her mane covers her eyes, tickling the eyelids as she dreams about what Ponyville had been like before this horrible epidemic.

She had been laying down, resting next to Scootaloo, her hooves wrapped tightly around the small filly as she nuzzles her nose into the orange mare's mane, breathing in her soft scent and smiling softly as she holds her tight.
"I love ya, Scoots."

---

Rainbow Dash quickly wakes up, her wings shooting out as she hears a loud, high-pitched scream from the other room. She looks to her side, noticing that the pegasus she had been cuddling with wasn't there. She quickly jumps up onto her hooves, looking around with a worried expression as she hears the sounds of the other mares burst through the doors to find the source of the scream.

"Fluttershy!"

Dash calls out loudly, bursting through her door as she hovers down the steps to find the scream had come from outside the library they were sleeping in.

"EEP!"

Rainbow Dash breaks down the door, gasping loudly as she notices her pegasus friend laying on the ground and whimpering, Twilight and Applejack staring down at her injured body.

"W-what happened?!" Rainbow Dash quickly rushes towards her friend, trying to hold back tears as she tells herself that Fluttershy hadn't been bitten.

"Stay back, Rainbow...let me look for scratch or bite marks." Twilight pushes the worried pegasus out of the way as she scans her yellow friend's body, trying her hardest to show no emotion. "Fluttershy, did you touch any of them? Did anyone hurt you? Please tell us what happened..."

Fluttershy lays on the ground, whimpering softly, unable to reply as she tilts her muzzle down to avoid the gaze of the other ponies. "I...I...I...I'm sorry, I wasn't bitten! P-please don't be mad at me, I just...I just..."

The pegasus sneezes, her mane falling over her face as she whimpers loudly, her hooves curling up to her chest.

"I...I wanted to...to look for Rarity..." Fluttershy squeaks as she looks away, shutting her eyes in embarrassment. "...I'm sorry..."

Twilight turns her head, raising one eyebrow as she softly, lovingly places her hoof on the pegasus's shoulder. Rainbow Dash flaps her wings before folding them back in her side, sighing loudly as she is reminded of her white, unicorn friend.

"F-Fluttershy, sugar-cube...you have to let it go." Applejack is the first to speak up, tears welling in her eyes as she slowly reaches down to grasp her scared, weak friend's hoof with her's. "It'll be okay, sugar...I promise..."

Rainbow Dash shivers, having told all of her friends about what had happened back at the Carnivál Boutique. Twilight was the first one to break down, and they had all comforted her as they tried their hardest to remember the best memories they had with Rarity. Winter Wrap-up, the Gala...

"I-I know she's still alive...I know it..." Fluttershy whimpers, her hooves covering her face as she softly cries. "W-we can go back and save her! P-p-please!"

"It's too dangerous, Fluttershy...I'm sorry, we can't. If anyone touches her, they'd become infected, and I don't want to lose any of you girls. We've already lost enough..." Twilight lowers her head, sniffling as she tries to contain herself. "Come on, Fluttershy...let's go back inside. It's dangerous out here, and we need to prepare ourselves for the trip."

"What trip?" Fluttershy tilts her head, a worried expression on her face.

"Twilight, you shouldn't have told her..." Rainbow Dash sighs, looking over at the purple unicorn and stomping her hoof. "She's going to want to come along."

"Rainbow Dash, stop. She can come along if she wants, it's her decision. We're just going to the farm to get some apples and supplies..."

"I don't want her to get hurt!" Rainbow Dash stomps her hoof again, louder this time as she looks deeply into Twilight's eyes. Tears begin to well up in her own as her wings flare out.

Twilight sighs before nodding in agreement, blinking slowly.

"Applejack, is it alright if you stay here and try to comfort Fluttershy? She's been through a lot..."

Applejack only nods, brushing her pelt against Fluttershy's as she allows the pegasus to rest her muzzle on the earth pony's shoulder. "Y'all be safe..."

"Don't worry, Applejack. We will, I promise."

-----

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both trot past the Ponyville City Hall, the mares sighing to themselves as Twilight looks up into the bright sky, her eyes focused on the sun as it shines down on both of the traveling mares.

"At least Celestia is okay..." She sighs as her gaze turns away from the sun and towards her friend, Rainbow Dash, who's eyes are pointing forwards, her face blank as she tries her hardest to ignore her surroundings and just get to the farm.

"Dash, is everything okay...?" Twilight nudges her friend worriedly, but her friend doesn't respond. The two mares just continue walking, trying not to make as much sound as they approach the farm.

-----

"Do you think that's enough apples?" Rainbow Dash balances two buckets, full to the brim with ripe apples that she had picked herself. Twilight holds a bucket in her mouth, dropping it onto the ground to reply.

"I think we have enough. We should head back before it get's dark..."

The two mares grab their things and prepare to head back when they both hear a loud banging noise coming from inside the farmhouse. Rainbow Dash's fur pricks up on end as she shivers, scared, not wanting to turn around. Twilight jumps also, her hair pointing up as she slowly but cautiously turns around, gasping as a disembodied hoof laying on the floor only a few feet away from the two mares. It appears to have flown through the window, and Twilight loudly screams as Rainbow Dash jumps into the air, her eyes glued towards the bloodied arm laying on the grass.

"Twilight, we have to go! Come on!"

Twilight quickly uses her magic to pick her bucket of apples off the ground and starts galloping towards the exit, Rainbow Dash not far behind as the two mares balance their buckets, spilling only a few apples before reaching the exit and slowing down to a halt. Rainbow Dash pants, dropping both of her buckets on the ground as she sits on her hindquarters to catch her breath.

"T-Twilight, that was so...so messed up!" The cyan pegasus shivers, scared out of her mind as she continues panting, catching her breath. Twilight doesn't reply, her eyes focused ahead of both of them as she shakily stands up.

"R-Rainbow, we have to go...NOW!"

Before the pegasus can respond, she is quickly pulled onto her hooves and dragged across the grass, the loud groan of one of those undead creatures echoing through the area. She loudly squeals as she drops one of her buckets, but forgets about it as she rushes towards the library, looking back only once to notice two or three large, bloodied ponies chasing after her, rage in their eyes.

"DASH, GET INSIDE! NOW!"

Rainbow Dash quickly jumps inside the library, helping Twilight lock the door as she pants heavily. She's then pushed back as the door knocks them away, a loud banging noise echoing through the room. Applejack and Fluttershy stay behind, watching worriedly as the door shakes from the force of one of the creatures trying to get in.

Then, after a few seconds, it all stops, and the four mares collapse, the buckets of apples sitting near the bookshelf as they pant and heave.

Comments

[plam412]

The mystery deepens. Now that Twilight mentioned Celestia, will she play a role? Did the plague infect most of the guards?

Awesome story but what happened to a Silent Requiem? Can you send me the google docs links?