A work in progress. A zombie-like illness has overtaken Equestria, and only a few remain unchanged.
This story is basically an apocalypse tale. It tells the story of a small group of survivors after the majority of Equestria is infected by a strange disease that increases speed, strength, and agility and reduces its victims to mindless cannibals. Will they escape Ponyville before they are devoured by those they once held dear? Based on a drawing I did a while back.
"The strange new virus tha' struck Princess Celestia last week, alterin' her body and mind has proven impervious ta both magic and science, and has begun ta spread through Canterlot, causin' feral behavior in the infected. Princess Luna has declared martial law and urges everypony ta stay away from the afflicted. The train tunnel ta Ponyville will be blocked off ta prevent the spread of the con... contag... contagi..." "Um... I think it says contagion, Big Mac." "Right. Thanks."
Rainbow Dash glanced angrily over her shoulder at the pair, her unwashed mane clinging to her face. "Fluttershy, do you really think this is a good time to teach Big Macintosh to read? We've kind of got bigger problems right now. Besides, we know all of that already." Fluttershy shrank away from her friend, a crimson hue steadily pooling in her cheeks. "Oh. Um... right. Sorry, Rainbow Dash. You're right." The blue pegasus rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. She felt a little bad for snapping at Fluttershy, but with everything that had happened in the past few days, she just didn't have time for patience. Day to day life was now a matter of survival. As she liked to put it, there were two kinds of ponies in this new world. There were alert ponies, and there was freak chow. And there was no way she was ending up freak chow.
Princess Celestia had contracted a peculiar illness a week earlier that was only marked by fever and a slight cough. Over time, however, her condition worsened. Within days, she could no longer stand, and she had become so terribly deformed that she was unrecognizable. On the morning of the fifth day, the transformation was complete. Large claw-like protrusions had burst from her spine and forehead. Her eyes were of an unhallowed pitch, dribbling thick black tears incessantly. Teeth like needles had fallen into several jagged ranks. That morning, they fell into the throat of one of her personal guards. And so the epidemic began.
Not everypony was a compatible host for the virus. The sad few that found themselves immune became food for those it did find suitable. The illness had three stages. The first was a fever and a light cough. The second was the transition period. The color and iris faded from your eyes, leaving them dull, pearly orbs. The teeth came next, along with the vomiting of blood as your organs adjusted to fit your new diet. Thinking would become a chore. And then came stage three. Stage three infected were referred to as "wendigos". They were stronger, faster, and more agile than the average pony. The only things on their minds were protecting their "queen" and devouring the flesh of everypony they once loved. Our ragtag band of ponies are some of the few to survive the first two days after the outbreak. They had raided several sites for weapons and barricaded themselves in Sugarcube Corner. It wasn't their best idea, but it was all they could do at the time.
Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof against the floor as she scanned the street outside the abandoned bakery, struggling to stay awake. She hadn't slept since everything had started, and despite her arguments otherwise, it was starting to take its toll. After half an hour of paranoid staring at an empty road, she finally decided it was time to rest. "Hey. I'm gonna get some sleep. Will one of you-" Unfortunately, Rainbow's question was cut down before it had fully formed by a loud crash from the seond floor. Unmistakeably, somepony -or something- had just broken through an upstairs window. "What the buck was that?!" she shouted, as she and Big Macintosh raced for the stairs. Fluttershy, squeaking in terror, was content to hide beneath the table.
Big Macintosh reached the top of the stairs first and turned the corner, hooves raised to slam down on the prone figure before him. "Big Mac, wait! Check the eyes!" He froze immediately and did as Rainbow commanded. Coupled with his strength, it was her planning that had kept him alive this long. So he carefully gazed down at the small pony by the window. Her eyes were intact, he found. A little crooked, well, a lot crooked, but they were there. She was greyish-blue in color, with a pale yellow mane. Her cutie mark seemed to be a chain of bubbles. Big Mac didn't know who the little mare was, but he was certain she wasn't a wendigo. He lowered his hooves and breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the pegasus smiled broadly and said, "Hiya, Rainbow Dash!"
Twenty minutes later. Bandaged and plied with enough muffins to feed half the royal guard, Derpy Hooves told the other survivors her story. "I was just delivering the mail like always when I heard this growling, like grrrrrr! So I turned around and there was this really mean pony there and she tried to bite me! So I stuffed a bunch of mail in her mouth and flew home. Dinky said we should put a bunch of stuff in front of the door and everything so nopony could get in. But we ran out of food, so I left to find some and I remembered that Sugarcube Corner had muffins! So I came here but the door was locked! But the sign said open so I wanted to make sure, so I came in through the window. And guess what!" She grinned and gazed at the muffin in her hooves. "I found muffins!" Fluttershy smiled shyly. "But Derpy, um... what about your daughter? Are you sure she's okay?" Derpy frowned in what could only be assumed to be concentration. "Dinky is... okay. Right? Dinky knows what to do to be safe. But... if there's no food..." The trio of survivors jumped as Derpy's head snapped up and her front hooves collided with the table. "I've gotta get back to Dinky!" Rainbow struggled to hold down the panicking mare, who was frantically stuffing muffins into her saddlebag. "Derpy, calm down and listen to me! We need to get out of here anyway. We'll take you home to get Dinky and we'll leave Ponyville. We can hide at Zecora's or something. Just calm down and do what I say, all right?" Derpy looked at her as best she could. "Okay..." Dash's expression softened slightly. "All right, all right, I got it. Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, get ready. We're moving out."
Ponyville was, for lack of a better term, a ghost town. Signs and carts were kicked over; splashes of crimson trickled eerily down the sides of burnt-out buildings. It was as if, in the face of the oncoming change, all happiness and life had drained from the once pleasant village. Fluttershy recoiled as her friend's voice drew her out of her musings. "Fluttershy! Pay attention! If any of those things creep up on us and you don't see it, we're done for!" "Y-yes, Rainbow! S-sorry..." She readjusted her saddlebag, wary of its contents. The demolition of the train tunnel had never occurred, leaving the explosives ripe for the picking. Rainbow Dash had seized this opportunity and, for some reason, put Fluttershy in control of their new-found ordinance. Being even more afraid of the dynamite than the monsters gave her quite the range.
Big Macintosh's ears perked up as the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached the group from behind. He waited until the last moment and rocketed backward, his back hooves connecting solidly with the jaw of the wendigo. "Problem!" He muttered, spinning around to face his opponent. A light green unicorn swayed uneasily before him. Her horn was broken off halfway up, and her lower jaw had been shattered by the blow. Her eyes looked but saw nothing, two pale, cloudy circles set deep in her face. She was caked in so much dried blood that it was hard to judge how much of it was her own. But as she shook her head violently and lunged at Big Macintosh, it was clear she wasn't a normal pony anymore.
The wendigo's head snapped back as Big Mac's front hoof connected with it, her own forward motion adding to the power of the blow. As she crumpled to the dusty street, he raised himself high into the air and crashed his front hooves down on her chest with a sickening wet crack. What small sense of accomplishment he allowed himself was cut short as the area around them filled with the shrieks and howls of the damned. "Okay... Big problem." "Run!" Rainbow Dash shouted urgently, breaking into a gallop herself. Despite herself, she couldn't help but think it would have been easier without Big Macintosh, as they would have been able to fly away.
This thought died immediately as Dash rounded the next corner and found herself face to half-face with a sight that sent her stomach into somersaults. Inches away from her was a bright pink pony. Her ratty, straight mane hung halfway down her body. Her lips and cheeks had been chewed away, leaving her with a permanent, jagged smile. But what horrified Rainbow was the monster's cutie mark. A trio of blue and yellow balloons. "P... Pinkie Pie? Is... is that you?" The beast's smile seemed to widen. Then it widened even further. And fastened itself to Rainbow Dash's face.
No cry could escape the confines of Rainbow Dash's throat before her face was torn from her head, her skull crushed to splinters by the strength of her once friend's bite. Pinkie Pie, for her part, seemed unperturbed by the entire thing. The virus had ravaged her mind, and she no longer recognized the technicolor pegasus as being worth anything more to her than food. She swallowed her first bite without chewing and drank deeply from the crimson fountain before her as Rainbow toppled lifelessly to the ground. Pinkie tore away a large sheet of skin from Rainbow's chest, revealing the glistening red flesh she now perpetually craved.
Big Macintosh could only stare in shock as the brave mare who had led them safely through the remnants of Ponyville was so callously devoured by one of her closest friends. He was by no means any less than bright, but his mind could not make the connection between reality and what he was seeing. That, or it simply refused to. How could Pinkie not realize that she was feeding on someone who had once been so dear to her? Couldn't she see or smell or hear that it was Rainbow Dash? How could she have turned into something so utterly horrible in just a matter of days? How could she- Big Macintosh was jarred out of his thoughts by an insistent tapping on his side. He looked down to see Derpy gazing up at him, frowning. "Dinkyyyyy!" she pleaded urgently. Big Mac blinked at her in surprise. How could she be so calm about what was happening right in front of her? He shook his head clear. No, she was right. There was nothing they could do to save Rainbow Dash. More wendigos were joining in the feeding frenzy by the second, and some were beginning to eye the remaining survivors. They didn't have the time to mourn her right now. Big Macintosh scooped the sobbing Fluttershy onto his back and nodded for Derpy to lead the way. She lifted into the air and flew in the direction of her home, Big Macintosh following her at a gallop.
The sudden flurry of motion dragged the wendigos' attention from their feast. One pony was good, but it wouldn't fill them, and how much better would three fresh ones taste? The outer ring of the crowd broke away and began their pursuit of their fleeing prey. The smell of adrenaline was still fresh in their nostrils, and the copper taste of blood on their tongues drove them into a frenzy.
Big Macintosh glanced behind him at the sound of approaching hoof beats. Buck! he thought to himself. He tried anxiously to get a response from Fluttershy, who continued to weep into his mane as he ran. "Shy? ...Shy... Shy!" Fluttershy's head snapped up at the shouting of her name. "Y-yes?!" she stammered nervously, tears still streaming down her face. Big Mac nodded toward the direction they were running from, and she followed his gaze. Her face blanched as she saw what he was trying to tell her. "Oh! O-okay! I'll try!" She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a stick of dynamite, her hoof trembling at its very touch. She had no idea why Rainbow Dash had made her carry something so dangerous, but she would do whatever she could to help her friends. As pulled the lighter in the side pouch of her bag, however, it began to slip from her hoof. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! She could only watch in despair as her only means of putting her weapon to use fell from her grasp...
...and into the hooves of Derpy Hooves. The bubbly grey pegasus had drawn back as she recognized the early symptoms of the incident (having made the same mistake many times herself) and arrived just in time, much to Fluttershy's relief. Fluttershy smiled weakly and returned her focus to the task at hand. After a few false starts, she managed to ignite the tiny flame of the lighter. "Here we go..." she murmured, pressing it to the fuse. Once it began to spark, she drew back her leg and lobbed the explosive frantically at the approaching beasts. The wendigos, of course, had no idea what was to come.
BOOM!
The fiendish abominations yelped in surprise as the charge detonated just behind them. Blood and rubble pattered against the street. Limbs were pulverized and the wendigos themselves were launched forward and upward by the force of the blast. They landed with a wet thud, and in some cases, a snap. The latter didn't move again. Those who could still move dragged themselves after the fleeing ponies, but it was a pointless gesture. They could never catch up now. The last thing they heard was a harsh pounding, a small voice, and then the shrieking of their brethren that were drawn by the noise. The hunter who could not hunt became prey.
Big Macintosh pushed the makeshift barrier back into place before looking around the dimly lit room. Fluttershy lay in the corner, weeping for her lost friend. Derpy was likewise sobbing and clinging desperately to a small unicorn foal he assumed was her daughter Dinky. The filly gazed up at him, confused by the mares' behavior. He looked back at her sadly and shook his head. Now was not the time to explain. He would let his friends grieve in peace.
Big Mac walked slowly into the next room and began to examine the boards over one of the windows. Despite his calm demeanor, his ears were ringing from the blast and his mind was reeling from the events of the afternoon. He had almost grown used to the violence, the carnage that plagued this new world. It was all around them. Half-eaten ponies lay festering in the summer heat. He had even caused some of the incidents himself, crushing the heads and chests of the beasts that had been foolish enough to try and attack him. As long as they weren't in a pack, they weren't much of a danger to Big Macintosh. But they had been to Rainbow Dash. A cold concrete ball rolled in his stomach as he recalled the horror of the past few minutes. It was bad enough that Rainbow Dash had been killed, but that it was Pinkie Pie who killed her was what truly struck home. Before the outbreak, the two had been the best of friends. He could still remember the times when they had tried to pull a prank on him, and the once or twice they had actually succeeded. They had laughed so very hard, and they were so proud of what their combined efforts had been able to do. And today one had brutally devoured the other in a display that the word 'ghoulish' could not even begin to describe. They had been such good friends, both with each other and with his sister Applejack. And now, Rainbow was dead, Pinkie had turned, and Applejack was...
Big Mac was almost glad when a small tug on his tail jarred him out of his thoughts. He turned and looked down at the little filly who had broken the spell. She was a small lavender unicorn with pale yellow eyes and mane like her mother. She didn't seem to have her cutie mark yet, and he doubted she was capable of magic. His grim expression softened as he realized just how hard it must be for her. She must have taken this as an invitation of sorts, because it was then she chose to speak up. "Mister? What's wrong? Why is everypony crying?" Big Macintosh averted his eyes. How were you supposed to tell a child that the idle of Ponyville had been ripped to pieces? "Well, little filly, um... somethin'... somethin' bad happened to Rainbow Dash. And we can't see her anymore." Dinky's eyes widened, shimmering brightly in the sparse sunlight streaming through the cracks in the boards. "Was it the monsters?" Big Mac coughed uncomfortably. "...Eeyup." "Oh..." Dinky stepped forward and nuzzled his foreleg apologetically."I'm sorry..." "Muffin!" Derpy called from the other room, having cried herself dry. "Muffins!" The sympathetic filly leaped up and raced to her mother, obviously famished. Big Macintosh followed her, smiling softly. He was glad she wasn't scarred by everything that was going on. Maybe, if they could escape Ponyville, she could have what resembled a normal life. Or, at least, the kind of life he'd had. Was that better or worse than their other options? He'd think on it later.
Hours later. the supplies they'd managed to bring from Sugarcube Corner were stashed away. They had spent the first hour or so in relative silence, continuing to mourn not only the loss of their friend, but the loss of their lifestyle. Things couldn't possibly go back to the way they had been, even if there was a cure for the virus. Too many had been changed, killed and eaten. Most of those who had become wendigos would be physically and mentally scarred for the rest of their lives, even if they could be returned to normal. But as they continued to dwell on the negative, the older, happier times from before the disaster crept into their minds. Jokes they had heard, places they had been, and things they had done with their friends. But the memory that touched them the most was both the most heartwarming and the most tragic. It was Pinkie Pie, and the way she had taught them to face at their fears with smiles on their faces, even in the most dire of situations. If she were still herself, she wouldn't want them moping around forever. They had every right to be sad, but they had finished crying. It was time to move on and to be happy about what their future could hold. This thought broke through the heavy silence, and they wept openly. But they were not tears of despair, as before. They wept at their own foolishness for ever losing hope. And that night, they laughed themselves to sleep.
Fluttershy was awakened by a peculiar tapping. She'd heard it a few minutes before and had passed it off as rain falling outside. But now it was back, more insistent than before. She frowned. Where had she heard that sound before...? Her eyes widened and she gasped softly as it clicked in her mind. Knocking. Somepony was knocking at the door. She flitted quietly across the room and lightly nudged Big Macintosh. "Excuse me... Um, Big Macintosh?" He didn't even twitch. "...Eeyup?" "Um. I-I think somepony's at the door..." That got his attention. He sat up, taking note of his surroundings. Where was he, again? He looked behind him and saw Derpy and Dinky cuddled together, smiling softly in the caress of their welcome dreams. He hesitated, then motioned for Fluttershy to wake Derpy and trotted faintly to the door. As he reached it, another burst of knocking struck, causing him to wince. "...Hello?" he called. "...Is somepony out there?" A strange voice responded eagerly from beyond the threshold of the Hooves residence."Hello? Yes, I'm here! Thank goodness, I was beginning to think there was nopony left! Please, would you mind letting me in? I will gladly share my supplies if you will allow me to stay with you for the night." Big Macintosh frowned. He'd heard stories of situations like this. Ponies begging for help before turning on their hosts, robbing them blind. "...How do we know ya'll ain't tryin' to pull something?" The stranger's voice dropped so that Big Macintosh had to struggle to hear them. "I understand your concern. I have seen... horrible things this past week. I know what you are thinking, and I have no way to prove to you otherwise. All I can really ask is for you to trust me. Just for one night. Please." Big Macintosh frowned. He was good at telling when ponies were lying, and this stranger sounded sincere. But the choice wasn't his to make. He looked to Derpy, who had come to stand beside him. She wrinkled her nose in concentration for a moment and nodded.
The elder four of the five little ponies sat around a lamp they had lit in the center of the room. The stranger had thanked them profusely when they had let him in, and he had just now finished. He was a young grey pegasus. His mane and tail were of a dark brown streaked with a grey slightly darker than his coat. A pair of black glasses rested on his nose, and on his head was a black fedora speckled with red diamonds. Cool blue eyes stared out from behind his spectacles. Fluttershy, for once, was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Um... sir?" she said quietly, clearing her throat. "W-what's your name?" The stranger blinked, obviously surprised by the question. Soon, though, a small, shy smile crossed his face. "My name is Gothic Novel. I moved to Ponyville about a month ago." Derpy cocked her head at him. "Why were you outside? There's monsters out there." "It's a long story, actually..." "Oh..." Fluttershy murmured. "Well, um, we have time... I mean, we can't really leave until morning anyway." Gothic hesitated. "Well... Okay. I'll tell you."
"Just over a week ago, I had gone into Canterlot to try and get my new book published." He pointed to a skull shaped cutie mark on his flank. "I'm a horror writer. My special talent is to spread fear." He snorted. "Some gift, huh? Anyway. While I was there, Princess Celestia became horribly ill. The atmosphere was tense the entire time I was there, but ife continued as always. Goods were still sold and services rendered. I was actually on my way to the train station to return to Ponyville when the... outbreak occurred. It was terrifying! I've never seen so many ponies panicking before. With how close together everypony was, the infection spread like wildfire. Those... those wendigos, they were everywhere. I hid in a dress shop with a few other survivors for the first three days or so. But... we were attacked. One of those beasts had snuck in through the air ducts, and it killed two of our group members in their sleep. Another two were injured in the fight that brought it down. After that, I decided it was time to take my leave. So I flew back to Ponyville. And now I'm here."
The ponies sat in silence for a few moments. "So what do you plan on doin'?" Big Macintosh asked. Gothic cringed and thought a moment. "Well, I can't exactly stay in Ponyville anymore." He shook his head. "Maybe I'll go hide out in the Everfree forest. You never know, there could actually be a perfect place to-" He was suddenly cut off by another voice from outside the building. "Hello? Is there anypony out there? Please, help us!" Fluttershy's eyes widened. "That sounds like Carrot Top... What would she be doing outside at this time of night?" "Please," the voice cried, "Please, somepony help us!" Big Macintosh started to stand, but was held back by their recent guest. "Hold on. Something doesn't feel right."
Gothic Novel crept over to the window and peered through a crack between the boards. He couldn't see anypony outside, as it was blacker than the night had ever been in all of Equestria. "I don't see anypony," he whispered. He turned around. "I can't see a thing."
The moment his sentence ended, Gothic Novel was brought low as a wendigo came barreling through the window behind him, teeth bared.
Gothic Novel collapsed to the floor, dragged down by the weight of the ravenous beast on top of him. His breath was knocked from his lungs by the collision, and it was all he could do to hold its face away from his neck. "Somepony close that bucking window before more get in!" he choked. Big Macintosh rushed to bar the entrance as Gothic struggled to pull a sickle from his saddlebag. "You... son of a... AAAAH!" He screamed in agony as the beast shifted its head, clamping down on his left hoof. Tears of pain and rage streamed from his bloodshot eyes as he hacked wildly at the monster's neck. Big Mac took this opportunity to try and buck it off of him. Big mistake. With a sickening wet snap, Gothic's hoof was torn from his foreleg. His eyes rolled back into his head as the life poured from his body in a brilliant cascade of deep scarlet.
Fluttershy stared in shock as Derpy leaped into action. Bolting across the room at near-impossible speeds, she reached the wendigo, launched herself into the air above it, and, to everypony's surprise, promptly sat on it. The beast let loose an ear-piercing shriek as its ribs were shattered, puncturing its incompassionate heart. Within moments, it was dead, a bright red foam bubbling rapidly from its mouth and pooling around the disfigured, gargoyle-like head. Big Macintosh clomped over and crushed the demon's head, just to be safe. It would not be getting up again.
Fluttershy crawled to where Gothic writhed in pain and shock and did her best to bandage his wounds, singing softly in an attempt to calm him. Slowly but surely, he began to grow still. He stared up at her blankly, tears still leaking down the sides of his face. Big Macintosh went and whispered into Fluttershy's ear, and she nodded sadly. "Um... Mr. Novel. W-we're going to help you, okay? I'm sorry, but it's going to hurt very badly. But I need you to stay still. I mean, if that's all right with you..." Big Mac carried the lamp to where Fluttershy knelt over the wounded pegasus and broke the top of it off, holding Gothic's sickle in the flame. When the improvised weapon began to glow, he grabbed hold of the writer's bleeding stump, lined up his aim, and pressed. The stench of burning hair and flesh filled the house, and Gothic's voice cracked in screams of pure agony. When the heated tool was removed, he immediately blacked out. Big Macintosh hefted the unconscious visitor onto his back and glanced back at his friends. "We should move further into the house. It's not safe here anymore." The girls all agreed, and they spent the remainder of the night barricaded in Dinky's room.
The morning came without further interruption, which was an enormous relief to the group of survivors. Dinky and Gothic stared at the charred branch that remained of his left foreleg, one curiously, the other with disdain. Derpy glanced at them briefly before returning her attention to her saddlebag. There were many things Derpy Hooves would never understand, and how her daughter could possibly have slept through such a loud attack was one of them. She shrugged and hummed to herself as she divided up the morning's rations. Stranger things had happened in her life that had gone unquestioned. She beamed at Fluttershy as she passed her a muffin. "Are you okay, Fluttershy? You look sad." The shy little pegasus had not said a word since the incident. This was hardly unusual, but somehow the mailmare could tell that something just wasn't quite right.
"Oh... It's nothing," Fluttershy murmured. "I-I'm just a little shaken up, that's all. I'll be okay." She forced a small smile as she accepted her breakfast from her kind host. This, of course, was a bald-faced lie. How could she possibly be okay after something like that? Had everypony else forgotten everything that had happened last night? They could all have died horribly, and now here they were, trotting about, calm as you please. Were they blocking it out? Was she just too weak to be able to take everything that was going on? If that was true, could she even be of any use to her friends? Or would she just hold them back? She would be devastated if somepony got hurt because of her. And how many different mistakes could she make? She could lose their food, or throw the dynamite at the wrong time, or- Dinky cuddled up to Fluttershy and grinned up at her innocently. The yellow pegasus pony couldn't help but smile back. What was it about the Hooves girls that could make her forget her constant worrying, if only for a moment? She nuzzled the laughing filly's head affectionately. It didn't matter. For now, she was happy again.
The survivors decided to pack up and leave at about 10:00 AM. They were surprised when there were no signs of wendigos near the home. And even more surprised when a certain grey stallion announced that he would be taking a different path. "B-but, don't you want to come with us?" Fluttershy stammered, genuinely concerned for her injured new friend. Gothic smiled sadly. ""I would love to, but I can't. I have other business to attend to." He straightened up a bit and coughed awkwardly. "Actually... There was somepony I wanted to find before I left Ponyville. You... haven't seen any other survivors, have you?" "No..." "...Nnnope." "Nuh-uh." His smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "I see. Well, I'll have to hope for the best, then. Good luck, all of you." At this he turned and began to walk away. "I hope you find your friend!" Dinky called after him. Gothic paused for a moment, lowered his head, and continued on his search.
Our beloved band of survivors crept through the ruins of Ponyville as quietly as they could manage, desperately trying to avoid confrontation with the horrible mockeries of their neighbors. A yell of surprise had come from Gothic's direction not long after they parted ways, but they knew it was too dangerous to try and save him. The number one rule in this world was to keep an eye out for your own. If someone decided to leave, they were no longer your responsibility. And so they traveled on, a little guilty, a little nervous, but otherwise no worse off than they had been. As they passed the brightly colored buildings that once housed their closest friends, the only thing that unnerved them more than the possibility of attack was the eerie silence. There was no sound at all, as if a glass dome had been placed around them to block out the ambiance of the world.
Their hearts lifted as they passed the last of the buildings. It saddened them to be leaving Ponyville, but at least they were away from the nightmares lurking in the heart of the town. They were so enthralled, in fact, that until Dinky spoke up, nopony had even noticed their dilemma. "...Where are we going?" The older ponies were stumped. Had they really been so caught up in leaving the village that they hadn't come up with a plan of where to go? The Everfree Forest would be just as dangerous as staying in Ponyville. All of the neighboring settlements were likely in a similar state of chaos. That left... Big Macintosh lifted his head slightly. Yes, this was the right road. "...Sweet Apple Acres," he drawled. "We can stay there a while, I reckon." And so it was decided, as nopony had any better ideas. They set off immediately along the long road to the Apple family homestead. it would take a little while to reach their destination, and it was about to rain, so they set off at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, it was not quick enough. Within minutes of their departure, the clouds, untended by a weather patrol that no longer existed, let loose with sheets of warm summer rain. They didn't mind. It had been days since they'd last bathed, after all.
Half an hour and twenty repetitions of "Are we there yet?" from the elder of the Hooves mares later, our brave group of comrades set foot -er, hoof- on the rich soil of Sweet Apple Acres. "Oh, it's perfect," Fluttershy exclaimed, smiling to herself. "We should be okay here for a while. ...R-right?" Big Macintosh nodded. "Eeyup." Now that he was back on his own turf, he felt far more confident than he had only moments prior. As long as he had his home and his friends, he wouldn't let any one of those monsters get too close. But at the same time, a cold jerk wrenched through his stomach. When he'd last left Sweet Apple Acres, his sister Applebloom had become one of the very things he had been fighting for the past week. And Applejack had- A loud blast startled the companions, and they dove for cover as a nearby tree was shattered. An angry voice cracked through the heavy air. "Oh no! Yer not comin' anywhere near Sweet Apple Acres, you freaks! Go back ta Hell where you belong!" Big Macintosh's eyes widened and the piece of hay he constantly chewed fell from his mouth. "...Applejack?" he yelled back uncertainly.
Applejack squinted, blinded by the rain and her own hate. "Who's there? Show yourself!" She nearly fainted when her older brother and one of her best friends slowly came out of hiding.
A light blue hoof touched down in the town square in the center of Ponyville. The place was a giant eyesore, as far as the unicorn it was connected to was concerned. Captain Stormy Skies of the lunar royal guard stepped up next to her. "Are you certain you're prepared for this, ma'am?" he asked hesitantly.
"Hmph!" The unicorn scoffed. "Do not underestimate the great and powerful Trixie!"
Trixie stepped gingerly around what was once a proud earth pony. This job is disgusting, she thought. Why the buck do I have to be here? Captain Stormy Skies trotted over from where he'd been conversing with his underlings. "Miss Trixie. We are ready to begin our assault. We await your order." Certainly is straight to the point, isn't he? "Fine. The Great and Powerful Trixie commands you: Beat the hell out of these creeps!" Stormy Skies nodded, a sick grin spreading over his face. "With pleasure, ma'am." He turned to his fellow soldiers. "You heard the lady! Search and destroy! Round up any survivors you can find, but leave the dead where they are. There'll be plenty more when we're done here. Now move out!" As the guards scattered in various directions, he pulled his own sword from its scabbard. Oh, this is gonna be fun.
Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, all was silent. Applejack had seemed thrilled to see her friend and brother and they were just as happy to see her. But still, something seemed... wrong. Was it because the house felt so empty? Because the world felt so empty? Whatever the reason, nopony said a word for the longest time. Nearly half an hour passed, with the only thing remotely unusual happening was that Dinky had wandered off to Luna knows where. The mare of the house was the one to finally break the silence. "'Scuse me a sec, sugarcubes. I got somethin' to take care of real fast." With that, she slid out of her chair and walked out of the room. As they listened, they could hear her climb the stairs and walk across the floor overhead. Without warning, there was a loud thud and Applejack cursed. "Sis?" Big Macintosh called. "You all right?" "Ah'm fine," she responded. "Just kicked somethin' over is all. Be back in a jiff."
And back in a jiff she was. Applejack reclaimed her seat, hat now firmly perched upon her head. Fluttershy blinked in surprise. How had she not noticed before? Was what had been bothering her? She allowed herself a small grin. How could she have been so silly? "Um... S-so how have you been, Applejack?" she asked, slightly reassured now. "Me? Well... Shoot, nothing special. It's been a nightmare with those things runnin' loose, but Ah've managed to keep 'em away for the most part. Haven't seen many live ponies, surprisingly. Ah guess not many made it out of Ponyville." "Oh. T-that's too bad..." Fluttershy lowered her head. "Aw, c'mon now, sugarcube. Nothin' to get worked up over. That's just how things work these days. Survival of the fittest. Right, Big Macintosh?" "...Eeyup." "Ya see? This is just how it goes, Fluttershy. Workin' with animals and such, you should know how it is." For some reason she couldn't understand, Fluttershy couldn't bring herself to look her friend in the eye. "Oh... Um. Y-yes. I suppose you're right..." Applejack smiled. "Course ah am! Say, there's somethin' Ah wanna show ya'll, out in the barn. Ah think you'll be surprised."
The older three of the surviving party followed Applejack outside to the back of the barn. The door had been boarded over, forcing them to climb a ladder and crawl through an upper window to enter. Applejack went first, followed by Derpy and Fluttershy, leaving Big Macintosh the last on the ground. As he squeezed his bulky frame through the slender window, he was immediately assaulted with the most vile smell he had ever witnessed. He reeled over to the railing at the edge of the wooden balcony they were standing on and vomited over the side. After waiting about ten seconds for the nausea to clear, he opened his eyes. He immediately wished he hadn't.
The barn that once held their farm equipment now housed a field of the mutilated dead. Ponies of all ages and races lay torn to shreds in putrid, rotting heaps. The dull gleam of bone beamed up at him amid the carnage. And there in the middle, tearing apart a slightly fresher body, was a small, pale shape. More bile rose in his throat as realization struck him. "AJ... What... what the buck is that?" Applejack only smiled. "Shame on you, Big Mac," she said slowly, leveling her rifle with the back of her brother's head. "Can't you recognize your own baby sister?"
Big Macintosh turned slowly, his eyes glistening oceans of white. "...What do you mean, my baby sister?" He blinked dumbly, not believing his ears. "You mean to tell me that... that thing is little Apple Bloom?!" He knocked the gun barrel away, gritting his teeth in infinite rage. "What the buck did you do, Applejack?!" His sister snarled and cracked the barrel of her rifle across his jaw, dropping him to the floor, stunned. "Are you bucking joking? What did Ah do? Yer the one who ran off and left us here! What was Ah supposed ta do, shoot my little sis?! Have you gone soft in the head? Ah did anything Ah had to do. Folks fled this way from Ponyville and Ah knew Ah had to do somethin' about 'em. And Ah had to keep Applebloom fed, since you weren't around to be any help! So Ah did what was best for everypony. Ah boarded up the barn door. Ah led the stragglers up here. And Ah killed 'em. Cut their throats like they was baked apples. And when Ah was done, Ah threw 'em down there for Applebloom." She leveled her rifle at him again. "Unlike you, Ah'm lookin' after what's left of the family. Because you were off in Ponyville tryin' to help ponies who don't even matter anymore!"
Big Macintosh moved to get to his feet, but Applejack pressed closer. "You don't want to do that," she intoned coldly. Big Macintosh leered at her, his defiance of the broken fiend that was once his flesh and blood far outweighing his fear of her. "Why's that?" A queer smile crossed Applejack's lips as a piercing scream resounded from the floor below. Derpy's eyes widened farther than any physician (were there any left) would deem medically possible. "DINKY!" she screamed, racing toward the edge of the balcony. Applejack lashed out at her brother with her hind legs, hitting him squarely in the face and sending him sprawling. She quickly swung the rifle toward Derpy. "Oh no you don't, you freak. Ah'm not lettin' any of you mess this up. Just ya'll wait and see, when this blows over, they'll find a way to cure her, and then Ah'll have done my duty as her sister and saved her life. But to make sure that can happen, Ah need to feed her. And you're not gettin' in the way of that, do you understand me? As a matter of fact, maybe Ah should just tie you up now, throw you down there with her. Save me a heap load of trouble later on."
Applejack shrugged. "Shoot, it'd be better to just kill you now. No pun intended, of course." She raised the rifle to her shoulder and slowly squeezed the trigger.* Fortunately for Derpy, Big Macintosh had broken out of his stupor and decided to tackle her at that very moment, sending the bullet meant for the lovable mailmare through the roof of the barn. He slammed his front hoof into Applejack's face wildly and repeatedly, without inhibition. Whatever had crept into her head, it wasn't his sister that was in control of the orange earth pony's body. There was a loud crack as several of her teeth were snapped and knocked from their niches by the concussive blows. Finally, she managed to get her legs beneath him and kicked upward violently, launching him clear across the loft with the force of her unfiltered loathing. "Yo sub ob a bith!" She snarled, her face an alien landscape of arduous mountains and crimson rivers. She staggered toward her brother, intent on tearing his throat from his neck for what he had done to her. However, she creaked to an unsteady halt as the click of a rifle hammer being cocked echoed from behind her.
Slowly, the battered body and mental wreckage that was once the proud and admirable Applejack succeeded in performing an awkward about-face. What she saw would shock her, even in her current delirium. Standing before her, rifle to her shoulder in a nervous but effective fashion, was Ponyville's long most timid resident. "...Sha?" She lisped, blinking painfully from behind the swollen mask of her beaten face. Fluttershy shook her head, tears cascading down her face and heaving sobs wracking her small form. "Who... w-who are you?" She choked. "WHO THE BUCK ARE YOU?!" The young farm girl was paralyzed with disbelief. Never in her entire life had Fluttershy sworn or raised her voice. Now, not only had she done both of those, but she was threatening one of her closest friends with a dangerous weapon. "Sha... Sha, ith be. Ith Abblejagh." The silence within the barn was so thick it could be cut with a blade. It hung heavily around them like a dense fog for what seemed like hours, but could really only have been mere seconds. "...No." Applejack winced. "...Do?" "No. No, no, no, no!" Fluttershy's eyes were aflame with a hatred nopony in all of Equestria could have imagined her of containing. ""I don't know what the buck you are... But you're not Applejack. YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND!" Hardly taking the time to aim, Fluttershy wrenched back the trigger, and the discharge of the rifle seemed like the destruction of their entire universe from within those dead wooden walls. ________________________________________________________________________
*Don't ask me how she does this with hooves. It's a wonder they can hold anything, so I don't think physics apply.
Time itself was left to drown in molasses. Seconds stretched into minutes as the lethal sphere burrowed its way ravenously through Applejack's shoulder. A telltale mixture of blood and saliva fled from her mouth in a loud, wordless cry. She stumbled backward from the shock and force of the blow, simultaneously numb and at the very peak of agony. The guard rail connected with her back, but she scarcely noticed as she was sent plummeting headlong into the acrid pit of her own constructed Hell.
The seconds that had become minutes now stretched into hours. How long had she been falling? It felt to Applejack as if she had been airborne since time immemorial. The air hissing in her ears like some dreadful serpent was overshadowed only by the harsh ringing of the shot that had sent her careening into this aerial Purgatory. Despite the seeming length of her drawn-out descent, its ending still was sudden. The breath was wrestled from her lungs by the trodden earthen floor, her blood coaxed out of hiding by the teeth of her victims that bit with a venom beyond any mortal poison. For these shattered vessels had once been her friends and innocent neighbors, and they injected her now with the guilt of their untimely murders.
As the viscous fiend of memory stole repellently into her consciousness, a figure from above barred the meager light access to her face. With the sight of what was, only days before, her little sister staring without seeing into her very moral core, Applejack was struck with the full impact of her actions whilst enslaved by a mind gone horribly mad. The depravity that had hurt so many finally dissipated from her mind like a fading miasma, leaving a residue of sorrow, shame, and paralyzing regret.
"Oh," she whispered hoarsely.
It was the last word ever spoken by the Element of Honesty. ____________________________________________________________________________________
The survivors stood in a daze, entirely stunned by the events of the past few minutes. Fluttershy sank to her knees, struck dumb by what she had just done. She was only vaguely aware of Derpy swooping down to the floor below to rescue her captive daughter. Tears spilling down her face, she could only stare at the barbaric instrument that lay in her quivering hooves. Some small, alien part of her felt pride at the bold way in which she had protected her friends- no, her family- from danger, but every other cell from her mane to tail screamed of the horrible cost. The only thought she could even hope to form was the same single word, over and over again. Why?
Her gaze lifted slowly as a hesitant shadow fell upon her. Big Macintosh stood awkwardly before her, visibly shaken by the ordeal. He glanced nervously at the Hooves pair, then motioned for the rifle, which Fluttershy relinquished immediately. She couldn't stand the sight of it any more.
Big Macintosh swallowed anxiously and licked his lips. His eyes burned with the total anguish of a pony who has lost everything he ever loved, and still must lose more. "Y-ya'll should get out of here," he stammered anxiously. "Ah'll... be there shortly."
There were simply no more tears left to spring to Fluttershy's eyes as she realized the broken stallion's gruesome intentions. She nodded somberly, then motioned to Derpy, who clutched Dinky tightly as they descended to the ground below.
There was another loud crack from within the barn. ________________________________________________________________________
Big Macintosh tromped solemnly down the ladder, trembling. He had left the rifle in the barn, unwilling to touch it any longer. He shuffled his way to his friends silently, head lowered, eyes distant. Derpy nuzzled his side sympathetically.
"...A-are you all right?" Fluttershy asked, too exhausted to cry anymore.
Big Macintosh sighed. "Nnnope... But pity won't help us none right now." He stretched stiffly. "We should get some sleep, rest up. We'll figure things out in the-"
His suggestion was cut off by an eerie, ghoulish howling. Attracted by the noise, a group of roughly a dozen wendigos materialized from behind the barn. Their eyes had the same blank, dulled look as the rest, and drool hung in strands between their teeth as they approached the survivors by listening for their heartbeats.
"Celestia banish these freaks... Get behind me!" Big Macintosh roared. The mares and filly did as he said.
Suddenly, a bright flash of violet light cloaked the entire valley, rending the sound barrier with a tremendous noise.
The effect on the wendigos was even more astonishing.
The effect on the wendigos was immediate. The survivors stood in stunned silence as the demons before them howled in anguish, bones shifting visibly beneath their skin.
A fiendish metamorphosis overtook the creatures, birthing something that should only exist in a child's nightmare. Curved, sharp horns burst from the flesh along their spines. Their already dead eyes blackened to the shade of their souls, and liquid onyx appeared from them in streaks down the hellspawns' faces, crocodile tears for their completed damnation. Their thickening saliva sizzled as it spattered the bare earth. Hooves reformed into grotesque talons. Mutated pegasi stretched their wings experimentally as blasphemous unicorn ghouls tested serrated horns on their own legs. Their fixed expressions shifted from maniacal glee to what almost seemed to be polite interest, as if somepony had pulled a number of strings to change their appearance. They beamed ominously at the frightened ponies. It was undeniable as to who had the upper hoof in light of the macabre abnormality.
Big Macintosh reeled back, thunderstruck by the mortifying oddity unfolding before his eyes. Derpy nudged him again, one eye looking up at him while the other stayed locked on the profane scourge. "...We have to fight them, don't we?"
Big Mac swallowed tensely. "...Eeyup."
Derpy flashed him a sad, knowing smile and approached her daughter. She whispered gently, which, for some reason, frightened the little filly more than if she would have panicked. "Here, little muffin." She scooped the young unicorn up with her forelegs and threw herself into the air, touching down in the leafy canopy of a nearby apple tree.
Dinky stared at her mother with round eyes. "Mom?" she asked. "What are you..."
Derpy pressed a hoof to the filly's lips and shook her head, tears spilling down her face that were almost unnoticeable in the rain. She hugged her daughter tightly. "Stay safe, muffin. Mommy loves you." She set her down carefully and took off into the air to rejoin her friends.
The wendigos charged. __________________________________________________________________________
Big Macintosh, being the farthest forward, was the first to come under attack. He swung wildly, the fire of hate and fearlessness of somepony with nothing left to lose pumping through his body with every raging beat of his broken heart. He spun quickly and lashed out with his powerful back legs, catching the offending monstrosity under the chin. It flew back with a stomach-churning crunch as its lower jaw was driven backward and upward, its own teeth puncturing its brain as they were forced through the skull. The beast flopped to the ground, lifeless long before the impact.
To her credit, Fluttershy fought like a mare possessed. As the swarms from every depth of Hell descended upon our heroes, all ears rang with the aftermath of her incendiary wrath. Blood and bits of flesh were launched through the air in blinding explosions of noise and soil. It almost seemed as if vengeance itself had become a sentient force and invaded the mind and body of the timid pegasus mare. Her eyes grew cloudy as she became little more than a mindless automaton, bringing down the wrath of a god to protect her new family. Had she been given time to reflect on the situation, Fluttershy would have been mortified to find that she had almost begun to enjoy the carnage. Her blood was filled with enough adrenaline to burst the heart of an average pony of her small size. Given the opportunity to think, she would find herself, despite her reason for fighting, intensely excited. She was openly laughing with glee and, surprisingly, more than a little aroused.
Sadly, the once meek pegasus pony would never have the time to contemplate her new, immoral ecstasy. One of the more clever pegasus ghouls stretched its newly recovered wings and took to the skies. Soaring in from behind her, it managed to sink its vile teeth into her right flank, exposing the angry red flesh beneath as it bit off her cutie mark. Fluttershy thus distracted by the nerve-rending pain, the rest of the wendigos rushed in to join the feeding frenzy. Grinning coldly, in one final act of defiance, Fluttershy pressed her lighter directly to the stick of dynamite clenched in her teeth. The beautiful young mare who had lived in an eternal whisper went out with a roar.
Already locked in conflict, the others were driven to a blind, undying rage by the loss of their friend. Derpy Hooves, who had been deafened permanently by the blasts, was the next to fall. While she was already engaged in an admittedly somewhat amusing hooffight with a mutated earth pony, she was charged from the side by a particularly monstrous unicorn. Stepping back, by sheer chance, the mailmare managed to trip her new attacker, sending it flying. As its serrated horn passed her face, Derpy let out a shrill scream of agony and shock. With a spray of scarlet blood and ocular fluid, the tip of the beast's horn had torn into one of the beloved mailmare's famous eyes, rendering it useless. As she shrieked and grabbed for the ruined globe with her hooves, Derpy's wings sprang open, knocking aside a pair of wendigos that had approached her.
For the next few minutes, Derpy scrabbled at her face with her hooves and staggered around nd on her back legs, battering the demons attacking her alternatively with her wings and plot in a comical dance with Death. Once, she fell on one of her attackers, who yelped as its skull was crushed by the full weight of the falling pegasus pony. Truly, the entire display would be funny if it weren't so sad. Finally, the farcical waltz came to an end as Derpy herself tripped. Determined that the threat not be allowed to stand again, the panicked wendigos pounced on their quarry. In a tangle of teeth and claws that dyed the field crimson before washing away in the downpour, the beloved mailmare's life was wrenched from her body.
His comrades fallen, Big Macintosh fought with the fury of a berserker. Bones snapped and skulls crumbled beneath his powerful hooves. His work-strengthened legs staved in the rib cage of his latest victim, launching it across the orchard and into a small pack emerging from the trees. Big Mac was surrounded, and wendigos from the surrounding area and even as far as the edge of Ponyville were rushing into the derelict apple farm, summoned by the din of intense combat. A cloud of hungering thorns condensed around him, riddling his body with shallow cuts.
Minutes dragged into years as Big Macintosh battled wave upon wave of demented offenders. But for every demon slain, there was a throng of fresh challengers, eager for a mouthful of Apple. They snapped and stabbed at his sides, opening progressively deeper wounds as the red stallion tired, dyeing his coat a deeper shade than usual. One lucky imp, only a filly when she had turned, bit in deep just above the hoof on one of his back legs, severing the tendon. His leg thus rendered useless, the hard working earth pony crashed heavily to his knees. As the ravenous masses swarmed over him, the last thing he heard was the shrill, terror-filled screaming of little Dinky Hooves. The last thing he saw was Granny Smith at his throat.
Hey, everypony! Author here. This is the bad ending to the Ponyville Arc, as I'm sure you know if you read it already. I'd just like to thank you all for your support, and I hope you liked the story! See you next arc? -K
The effect on the wendigos was immediate. The beasts screamed in agony as crimson life began to pour from every cavity and orifice, even leaking from their pores. The survivors stood in stunned silence as their fiendish adversaries bled out under the influence of some enigmatic outside force. Otherworldly screaming poured in from around the valley as the cannibalistic abominations were purged from Equestrian soil. As the blood continued to flow, howls cut off one by one. The wendigos seemed to deflate, crumpling to the ground as they lost their form. The ponies could only stare at the shriveled husks that lay in pools of watered-down blood.
For once, Fluttershy was the first to break the silence. "...What the buck was that?"
Big Mac and Derpy turned slowly, their amazement shifting from the dying monstrosities to their friend's uncharacteristic outburst. Fluttershy's face glowed an even deeper shade of red than that of Big Macintosh as she realized what she had just said. "S-sorry..."
Dinky giggled. Soon the entire group had been infected, until they could hardly stand from the laughter. Though perhaps infected was the wrong word...
Over the course of the following months, many changes took place around Sweet Apple Acres. The survivors continued to grow closer, Dinky even calling Big Macintosh and Fluttershy "aunt" and "uncle". The barn was torn down, its contents buried.Countless apples were bucked and eaten, long after they had grown sick of the taste. It was often remarked that without a bit of ingenuity on the part of Derpy and Fluttershy, they all may have starved or gone insane.
Once a week, an hour was set aside to mourn those lost. Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, who had succumbed to the infection early on. Rainbow Dash, the loyal daredevil devoured by one of her closest friends. Applejack, whose responsibility to her family had driven the honest farm filly mad, resulting in the tragic demise of dozens of ponies, herself included. Nopony knew what had become of Rarity or the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Twilight Sparkle had been in Canterlot at the time of the outbreak, and the small group presumed her lost. These were scarcely a hooffull of the names and faces fondly remembered during these times, though many were thought of day in and day out. Little to no thought was given to the stranger they had encountered their last night in Ponyville.
And so, for the next few months, life went on for the scant survivors of what was surely the worst event in Equestrian history. The days passed in labor, laughter, and reverence.
Roughly three months after the infamous wendigo plague, a knock sounded on the door of the old farmhouse. Everypony inside froze instantly, the breath catching in their throats. They were all inside, so who could be at the door? And at night, no less. The knock sounded again, accompanied by a gruff voice. "Royal guard!" it said. "Is there anypony alive in there?"
Big Macintosh stood slowly and shuffled to the side of the door, an ax in his hooves. He licked his lips nervously before answering, the thought of the demon that had so perfectly mimicked the voice of poor Carrot Top fleeting through his memory. "How do ah know you're not one of them?" he asked.
The stallion behind the door chuckled. "I come to greet you, not to eat you," he said. "We were sent here to search for possible survivors by First Sergeant Twilight Sparkle."
Big Mac's jaw dropped. "Twilight? She's okay?"
A high voice rang out from beyond the door. "For Luna's sake, open the door before Trixie breaks it down!"
Derpy had to answer her request, as Big Macintosh and Fluttershy had both gone into shock. ___________________________________________________________________________
Ponyville, beside the garrison of Princess Luna's guards, was largely the same way they had left it. Buildings remained boarded up and abandoned, and an eerie silence pervaded the town. It was a small comfort that the dead had been gathered in the square for identification and the rain had washed the blood from the road, but it was still immensely depressing to see their home in such a state. They shuddered at the feeling that crept up their spines from being back on its once joyful streets. They could almost still see their friends and neighbors trotting passed them, ghosts in a fever dream that still had yet to fade.
For the first time since that fateful night in the rain, the wandering band was accosted by the sound of conflict as they neared Carousel Boutique. As they watched, a sewing machine on a silk rope was thrown from a second floor window for what was, apparently, the second time, scattering the guards on the ground. The small group of friends fought a losing battle as they struggled to contain their giggling. Ivory hooves began to drag the projectile back to its origin as a tangle of violet mane was thrust through the window of the impenetrable fortress. an all-too familiar voice rang clearly through the foggy morning air. "Back, you wretched creatures!" There was a slight pause as the speaker grunted in effort, obviously unaccustomed to lifting the heavy machine. "Vile abominations! You will not take this house today! I swear it!"
Being the closest to the obviously confused unicorn, Fluttershy was elected to lead the negotiations. When she flitted carefully up to the window, there was but the briefest of pauses before she was yanked inside with a flurry of white and a loud "Darling!" The Ponyvillians grinned broadly. She hadn't changed a bit. After several minutes of tense silence, a harsh scraping emanated from within the boutique, as if heavy furniture was being shoved around. Inch by inch, the door crept slowly open to reveal Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle. Their eyes glowed, a brilliant scarlet contrast to their tear-matted faces. One party trotted to meet the other, exchanging the proper greetings, congratulations, and condolences. Even as they wept, they were thrilled to see each other. Their small family had just grown a little larger. _________________________________________________________________________
When the party finally reached the town square, the Ponyvillians were asked to wait outside, which they did with much relief. The guards had correctly assumed that they would not want to see the remains of their decimated neighbors. All pomp and circumstance, however, was abandoned when Twilight Sparkle stepped out of a nearby building and was immediately brought to the ground by the mass embrace of her friends that had thought her dead, causing her to yelp rather adorably in surprise. She giggled cheerfully as, one by one, they finally managed to tear themselves away, tears in their eyes. "I'm glad to see you're all okay," she said.
Rarity struggled to untangle the knots in her mane. "Well, we're alive, at least, but far from all right. It will take weeks to get these out!"
Twilight's smile grew briefly before reworking itself into a pained wince. She lowered her head, gaze set on the ground. "We found Pinkie and Rainbow Dash," she said quietly. Sliding upward to meet his, her eyes pleaded with Big Macintosh. "Is Applejack...?"
Big Mac's face fell instantly. He shook his head, choking back the lump in his throat. Though, try as he might, this was easier said than done. When he finally loosened the tragic malady's grip on his tongue, his voice remained hoarse. "...Nnnope," he sighed. "Bloom, too... An' Granny Smith... What about Princess Celestia?"
Now, it was Twilight's turn to be struck silent. "I..." she began, voice cracking. "I'll tell you later. Fluttershy, Rarity, will you follow me to the library? Um... The rest of you can wait in there, if you want. Talk to the other survivors." She gestured to the building she had just emerged from. "I'm sure they'll be happy to see you." __________________________________________________________________
Counting the Sweet Apple Acres survivors plus Twilight, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle, there was a grand total of 12 survivors from Ponyville. Those in the makeshift barracks included Lyra, Bonbon, Cloudchaser, Berry Punch, and Colgate. Derpy lay down on one of the makeshift cots while the others chatted and smiled to herself as Dinky cuddled up next to her. Finally, things were almost like normal again. Still, Twilight had seemed rather distracted. But even Derpy Hooves' hidden intuition chalked it up to the responsibility of rebuilding Ponyville.
The light flashed and then Derpy grew to the size of a dragon and she stepped on all the monsters and Big Mac and Fluttershy cheered but then she sat on them and then she thought the trees were muffins so she ate them and she accidentally swallowed Dinky and she died because raisin soap. And then Colgate did the atomic shuffle and Equestria was buried in pie for a thousand years until it all exploded.
