SWWC: Something Wrong With Canterlot

by Lighttone GryphonStar

File 8: Month 2-Part 2: Things Deepen

Deep within the black crystal, crass and disgusting moans echoed from corpses stumbling up the light house. Flash knocked the boxes over the door and pulled Timber out from under the machine. The two grabbed what food they could carry and ran over to the window. Breaking it, they shot out a rope and used it to cross over to another building, several blocks away, hoping for safety.

The two landed and yanked the rope off to ensure they couldn't be followed. After that, they dropped to the floor and took a moment to catch their breath. "What was that?" Timber gasped.

"I don't know. The dead just started moving." Flash trained his eyes on the next entrance down in case this building wasn't safe either.

"I mean, who were you talking to?" Timber demanded.

"No one." Flash didn't know how to even word what he saw. Was the pale mare trying to warn them or was she responsible for the dead rising? He couldn't be sure, so he kept that information to himself and changed the subject. "With the light house occupied and our airship gone, we need to reach the radio towers instead."

"But that's at the center of the city." Timber stood up and tightened up their food supply. "Where did we land anyway?"

"In the beauty district." Flash pointed to a sign. "Rarity Belle and the Best Dresses in Canterlot."

"Yeah," Timber agreed, "She's one of the six great heroes."

"They went missing the same day this hell was unleashed. All six of them, along with the princesses." Flash dropped his eyes away from the decay and rot of the sign. "This must be one of her buildings."

Timber walked over to the other window of the building. "Okay, we can search for her while finding safety--" He stopped at the terrifying sight. "What the fuck?"

"Half the building is gone." Flash confirmed his fears at the sight of it. He covered his mouth at the several blood stains and dead unicorns and earth ponies at the bottom. "She's might be..."

"We can't give up hope!" Timber tried to hide his fear away. "We will find all six of them."

Their ears picked up the sounds of footsteps below in the rubble. "Too fast to be one of those undead."

"Yeah..." Timber held up his hand back to the lighthouse. "Wait, wasn't there fast movement coming from that building too." He lowered his finger. "And the vents from there connect to here."

"Which means whoever hid all that food up there might have left the same direction we did." Flash smiled and tightened the grip on his spear. "Just mere moments from us."

"Maybe!" Timber reached into the bag and pulled out another rope. Dropping it down to the fourth floor. The sounds of the rushing footsteps were louder in here. It sounded like two figures moving back and forth.

The two soldiers moved slowly to the source, hoping not to startle them. The footsteps led to a door covered in thick bolts. "Do you think you got to the other side of it?" Flash whispered.

"Maybe..." Timber put the torch down and pulled out some tools.

Flash narrowed his eyes on the vent above them. The footsteps got louder as if they knew they were there. "Careful, we have to convince them we aren't a threat." His eyes narrowed on a pocket for letters at the lower center of the door. "Hold on, I think this was originally a safe room."

He leaned down and opened the pocket. The pegasus couldn’t see much more in the room as it was covered in darkness. However, he did spot a small glow moving across the room at the same speed as the footsteps. No, these were the source of the footsteps, and the glow slowly revealed the shape of a creature. "Is that a dragon..." He stopped the creature and passed by another figure in a chair. His eyes froze at an all too familiar mane, matching the sign outside. "We need to get in there now!"

Timber leaned back in defeat. "This door's too tight."

"Then we need to break it open." Flash banged his spear against it.

""What are you doing?" Timber tried to push him away.

"Rarity is inside there, right now with another..." Flash gave another look. "A dragon." He stopped at the glowing stopped in place. The creature noticed him and held tightly to something. "He's holding a glowing object and some sort of long suitcase."

"We'll need a crowbar or a pipe." Timber trained his bow and leaned against the door. "I'll keep listening, you go find one."

Flash ran off through another doorway and searched the rubble. It was strange he thought to himself. She couldn’t have been the one with the footsteps in the vent. The mare wasn't moving at all, wasn't breathing. He waved his head back and forth in denial.

The soldier jumped back as the rubble started to move. The slow moan of a corpse reached out for him. Seeing the broken arm and torn flesh was enough for him to not hesitate. Swinging by, he chopped off the arm and stomped into the ground. The moaning continued and he stabbed the corpse three times until it stopped.

"What was that?" Timber called out.

"The undead reached here too."

"Great..." the earth pony grumbled.

Pulling back a massive rock that was holding the corpse, Flash narrowed his eyes at a bright shine. "I... I think I found a key."

"Are you sure it’s the right key.” Timber yelled back.

" We got to try something.” Flash picked it up along with the silver cloth it was tied to. Racing back to round, he stopped as another corpse moved towards them. Timber took down this one with an arrow. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, captain." Timber walked over and pulled the arrow out of the head. He made sure it stayed down by smashing the skull into the ground, splattering it. "Still strong enough to do that."

"Nevermind that, we got to help Rarity." Flash rushed over to the bolted door and the key fit easily. They entered the small room and found the glowing and the footsteps had fled back into the vents. However, the figure that appeared to look like Rarity was still in the room. The two moved slowly over and placed their hands on the chair.

The mane fell off and revealed the face of a mannequin. Worn and tattered clothes were draped over it to give the appearance of life. There was make up and dried lipstick giving a close proximity to Rarity. Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.

"What sick shit is this?!" Timber backed away in shock.

"I don't know... Where is the glowing--"

"So this is what that dragon has been hiding from me!" A new voice spoke up from behind them.

The eyes of both soldiers widened and they raced around only to be thrown back by a magical scream echoing from a stitched covered mouth. A lone mare covered in veils approached them from behind as they fell to the ground in pain.

"Who... are... you?" Flash tried to demand, but his jaw had no strength at all. His eyes got heavier and his mind dazed and dulled. He collapsed to the ground and struggled to breathe.

The emblem of a changeling was emblazed upon her cutie mark. "You'll know my name soon enough. In fact, you will all come to love and praise it." With that final phrase, the blackness of sleep claimed both soldiers. The last thing Flash saw was the dragon racing behind this Veiled Mare and cowarding in fear.

Author's Note:

So, Veiled Mare gets two chapters. kind of. Really adds to the mystery of who she might as a certain dragon seems to cling to her rather protectively.