> Nation of the Damned
>  by Tyrannical T-Rex
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: The Great Portal.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Please be aware that the prologue isn't the best in the world and that the later chapters are much better as I improved with my writing and have an editor to help me clean up mistakes and grammar issues.}

Prologue: The Great portal.

I smiled as I walked through the halls of Canterlot castle towards the royal courtyard with a spring in my step. I passed by many stone faced guards and busy servants who all seemed like they had one task or another to complete. Unsurprising given the importance of the day.

I was overjoyed when I first read Celestia's letter, so much so that I had to make an effort to stay calm and collected, like a student of the princess should. The Great Portal was finished. They had actually done it!.

"Come on Spike, aren't you excited? Were going to be among the first few ponies to see the portal get activated, a moment that's going to go down in history and remembered for generations!" I said with a wide smile, glancing to the small dragon that was sat on my back, a bored expression was across his face as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah whatever… look, I'm sure it's gonna be all fancy and exciting, but I'd much rather be back in Ponyville with a bowl of gems… " He mumbled, not finding the event to be that big of a deal.
I huffed before coming to a halt, using my magic to levitate the little dragon off my back as a stern expression fell upon my face.  

"Honestly Spike, I bring you out to Canterlot to witness a great historical event and all you're thinking about are gems? At least try to act like you're interested in an event like this!"  I scolded, before placing the now sulking dragon onto my back.

Focusing my attention back on the task at hoof I began to walk again; even if he wasn't going to enjoy it as much as I did it was still good to have him there to witness such a grand and historical moment.

Soon enough we reached the busy courtyard where important ponies were chatting with one another; along with journalists who were snooping around with their cameras and notepads, while guards were stood in various locations to keep an eye out for any trouble.

And there-at the center of it all-was the Great Portal.

The portal towered above everypony and seemed to be big enough for twenty or so earth ponies to pass through at once without any issues. Its frame built from shining sandstone and engraved with various mystic runes which, when activated, would give enough power for the portal to open.

Celestia stood near it with her usual calm expression, talking to a small group of guards who'd been hoof picked for a grand task: an expedition into the portal once it opened.
I approached my mentor before giving a low bow which almost caused the still sulking Spike to tumble off my back and onto the stone floor of the courtyard.

"There's no need to bow, my dear student, so save your formalities for another day, Today is a day to celebrate a momentous achievement that will hopefully show us that there are more worlds beyond our own" Celestia stated with an amused chuckle before she dismissed the group of guards who left to get prepared for their journey.

"Celestia, I must say I'm honored that you've invited me to attend this ceremony, it is going to be the start of a new age for Equestria if there's life on whatever world this portal connects to." I looked up at her, receiving a nod in return.

"Indeed Twilight, it will be a day to remember if all goes well. Who knows, perhaps in a year we'll have cities on a whole new world or perhaps have allies who can show us great things." She replied, seeming just as excited about the whole event as I was.

I then heard Spike give a sigh before he hopped off my back, stretching. "Portal this, history that; if you need me I'll be over at the snack table," he grunted before patting my side and hurrying off, earning a chuckle from Celestia.

"Seems like he's more interested in filling his belly then watching history take place though I suppose it's natural for dragons to take little interest in such things when there's food available....".

I sighed before moving a hoof to rub my forehead. "Please excuse me Princess… I need to have a talk with my assistant." I mumbled before hurrying off after Spike who'd already began to stuff his face with tarts and puddings.

"How could you say something like that in front of Princess Celestia? She invited us here as guests and I expected my number one assistant to have the decency to put up a smile and enjoy himself rather than be so rude and ignorant!" I snapped, earning a gulp from the purple dragon.

"L-Look Twi, I'm sorry alright? I didn't know this whole thing was that important to you… I'll behave while we're here and try to enjoy myself, said Spike, earning a small nod from me before I levitated him back onto my back with a sigh.

We talked for a while after that and shared thoughts on the event and what we could find on the other side, though soon enough Celesta stomped her hoof to get everypony's attention.

"Dearest subjects, you've been invited here today to witness history, the activation of the Great Portal! A project that many unicorns and myself have contributed to over the course of this year… and upon its activation we may create a link with another world!" she cheered, grinning.

"Now I know there are some of you who are concerned about what might happen, but never fear, for my guards are at hoof in-case of an emergency. And if the other side is dangerous our expedition team will report back immediately,” She called, earning stomps and cheers of approval before she turned to face the massive stone portal. Her horn Glowed as she got ready to activate it.

My smile must have been huge as I watched, eyes wide with anticipation. I couldn't help but fidget in my spot, eager to see what wonders would be revealed to us.
Celestia then used her spell, firing a beam of golden magic into the middle of the frame before there was a loud bang! The runes glowed purple before the portal itself materialized, purple and shimmering.

A few ponies, including myself, were surprised at the sight and were wondering why it wasn't clear and see-though like most other portals. Though my confusion soon faded as the guards who'd been selected to travel through walked out from the crowd, dressed in special crafted golden armor, and armed with spears. One of them carried a flag with the Equestrian crest; you never know, the new world might just be empty and ready for us to move in!

Those stallions and mares earned cheers from myself and the crowd before they vanished into the purple glow of the portal, leaving ripples in their wake. Once they were gone the crowd went back to chatting. And I took a hungry little dragon to the snack-bar, where we both took the time to enjoy the tasty treats that had been set out.

Once they had left, the festivities began once more; jesters pranced around the courtyard along with other performers and various games to keep everypony happy.

A few hours passed before things went from fun to mild worry with ponies starting to murmur among themselves, wondering why the team hadn't returned from beyond the portal yet. Celestia quickly put the worries of the crowd to rest, but not even she could explain what happened next … those damn noises.

They were quiet at first, hardly audible among the chatter and buzz of the crowded courtyard, but soon enough they grew louder and more noticeable. The hum of the crowd grew quiet as they listened to the odd sounds that seemed to be emitting from the glowing portal.

"Guards at the ready … and please, get these ponies back!" Ordered Celestia as she eyed the portal. She took a small step back herself while her guards began to shoo everypony to a safe distance and also got a few stallions ready at the portal entrance. All were armed with spears in their magical grasp and ready to jump into action if things went bad.

I for one was curious rather than nervous. I mean how many ponies get to see beings from other worlds? Even if there was the slight possibility of them being dangerous. But there wasn't much that Celestia's royal guards couldn't handle. Spike on the other hoof was now back at my side with his little arms wrapped around my left foreleg. It would have been rather cute if it wasn't for the tense situation.

The portal then shimmered, ripples shooting out across its purple surface, as the first of the beings that we would soon come to fear passed through. And what we saw next made everypony cringe.

The creature didn't walk through the portal so much as stumble, before freezing as it looked around at everypony, its eyes squinting in the bright sunlight. The creature stood upright and resembled some kind of hairless minotaur.

The skin of the creature was a dull grey and seemed to stick to its bones which gave it the look of a starving animal. It wore what seemed to be the torn and dirty remains of clothing hanging off its frail frame. But its face was the worst. Its mouth hung open, stained with crimson and filled with sharp rotted teeth that dripped with drool as its glazed-over eyes stared at us all. It was almost as if the seemingly feral creature was confused about where it was.

The crowd gave small murmurs and hushed whispers as they looked at the creature while the guards took small steps back, glancing to each other. Celestia also seemed worried but not about the creature or the possible threat it posed, but more so for the state it was in. "You poor thing… Guards, take this creature s—" Her sentence got interrupted by a screech of pain followed by shouts and cries from the crowd as they began backing away.

The creature had sunk its filthy teeth into one of the guard’s necks. Its eyes were emotionless as it forced the stallion to the ground, its hands holding the screaming guard as it began to chew and tear at the bloody wound without a flicker of remorse.

The other guards were shocked for a few moments, stunned at the sudden ferocity of the being before they jumped into action, using their magic to pry the rotted monster off the unfortunate guard. With their comrade freed, they stabbed their spears into the creature’s frail body. Though blackened blood seeped from its wounds,  it didn't scream or yell for mercy, instead it tried reaching for the next nearest guard, snapping at him with its jaws.

The sight of the bloodied silent guard lying on the stone floor, and the creature being stabbed, was enough to churn the strongest of stomachs, and I wasn't an exception that effect; turning green at the sight while Spike buried his face into my mane, shaking like a leaf.

Celestia blinked and shook her head a few times as she shook off the shock before she hurried over to the scene. Her horn crackled with magic as she fired a single shot at the creature’s head, leaving a smoldering hole before the vile monster went still.

"Somepony get this guard to the medical wing of the castle … and please dispose of this vile beast!" she yelled, using her royal equestrian voice which caused a few guards to rush forwards. One of them carried the fallen guard back towards the castle, while the guards that had stabbed the creature, pulled their spears free from the rotting body and used their magic to pick it up and toss it back through the portal.

She then turned to the terrified crowd with a heavy sigh. "My loyal subjects, please remain calm...my guards will see that you are safely escorted out of the castle and back to the safety of Canterlot." stated Celestia, trying to keep the poor ponies calm throughout the horrific events.

"Princess Celestia! I-I can stay and help you if you'd like … I mean sure you have enough guards to help you out and such, but I can assist you in sorting out affairs," I offered before pushing past some guards. I gave them a passing glance to see them herding the worried and whimpering crowd out of the courtyard.

"Twilight, please, you don't have to do this; you have Spike with you and I doubt that poor dear wishes to remain here after what happened. I suggest you make sure he's alright and then return to Ponyville. Besides I have much to do here," She stated before the portal once again shimmered and pulsated … and more of the creatures stumbled into the courtyard.

These ones didn't seem as confused or stunned at the sudden change of scenery and they weren't as quiet as the other one either. Snarling and groaning, they stumbled towards the guards, who in turn gave shouts of alarm before thrusting their spears back towards the newcomers. Seeing this, Celestia summoned more of her loyal guards. 

Meanwhile, I made my way out of the courtyard, carrying a now crying Spike away from the small battle that had begun. It seemed like more and more of the creatures were stumbling through the portal with each group more vicious and violent than the last.

Once I'd made my way back inside the castle I was both shocked and surprised at what I saw; the guard that had been carried in was currently hunched over one of his fallen comrades, his mouth dripping with crimson as he tore and chewed on the bloody flesh of his former friend;s neck. His eyes had glazed over much like the beasts outside, while what seemed to be a sword had been lodged in his side; thick black blood oozed from the wound.

Further down the corridor, the last of the ponies that had been outside were rounding the corner that led to the exit. They were escorted by a group of terrified looking guards, a few with bloody bite marks; most likely from the new attacker.

I whimpered before taking a timid step back from the crazed guard who had glanced up and gave a raspy breath, flesh stuck between his teeth. That was enough reason for me to light my horn; I hadn't been around the castle in quite a while and I could only think of one safe place in the heat of the moment.
It only took me a second to transport myself and Spike to the royal library...once a bookworm always a bookworm.

Once we were inside, I took Spike off my back and set him down before rushing to the door, using my magic to lock it and prevent anypony...or anything from getting inside.
Once I made sure it was safe I went back to Spike, who'd decided to curl up into a small ball, quivering like a frightened foal. Sure he'd seen some terrible things in the past, but some creature tearing a pony’s throat out was enough to terrify anypony, or dragon.

I nuzzled the small dragon before curling up with him, letting my little friend snuggle into my fur as he began to calm down. "Hush now Spike, it’s alright. I won't let anything happen to my number one assistant while I'm around." I did my best to try and comfort the little dragon who began to drift off to sleep, and I followed soon after him. I slipped into a restless slumber with small hopes that the events of the day would just turn out to be a dream … a very bad dream.

> Chapter one: Canterlot.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I awoke with a long yawn before moving a hoof to rub my eyes. I'm not sure how long we both slept in the safety of the royal library; though by the amount of times we were both woken up by the sounds of spells being used or the screeches of the creatures I doubt it was very much. Judging by the darkness that could be seen through the windows it was safe to say we had been locked away for a long while.

"Come on Spike, we need to get up…," I said as I gave the still sleeping dragon a few nudges, earning a groggy groan before he sat up to stretch. 

"C'mon, let me sleep for a few more minutes…," he grumbled. He was calm for a moment having forgotten the horrors he had witnessed, but then his eyes grew wide as it all came rushing back to him. 

"It’s alright Spike, don't panic… we’re safe." I said, trying to soothe the young dragon as I got up and levitated him onto my back. I unlocked and pushed the door to the library open, scrunching up my nose as a foul and rotten smell hit me, causing both me and Spike to give a few coughs.

The once clean walls had splatters of crimson on them while the still bodies of guards and servants were scattered around, each of them looking like they were mauled by a manticore. 

"D-Don't look, Spike. Close your eyes and keep them closed until I say otherwise." I stated, carefully taking a few steps into the hallway, glancing around to make sure there were none of those things hanging around.

After I was satisfied I began to head to the main entrance of the castle, passing empty rooms and many more bodies on my way there. I didn’t dare head back to the courtyard; terrified of running into more of the vicious creatures that had caused this whole mess in the first place.

Soon enough we reached the main entrance. The two large doors were lying on the stone ground, scratch marks and blood smeared on their surfaces. 

My heart stopped; those things managed to escape.

With a sigh I continued onwards, leaving the silent castle grounds before walking along the stone pathway that led to the city of Canterlot.

As I drew closer to the city I noticed smoke rising into the air, along with a mixture of a burning smell, and the rotten stench that haunted the castle’s halls.

"This could be bad; if they managed to get into Canterlot then who knows what kind of havoc they could do," I muttered, frowning as I sped up a little. 

"Alright Spike, we’re going to go through the city and head to the train station and see if the train’s still there… hopefully it’s being used for evacuating other ponies." I said, giving a hopeful smile.

Once I was inside the city I slowed down, my eyes going wide as I looked around.

Homes were silent and seemingly empty—windows smashed and doors ajar—while shops looked like they were looted and picked clean.

As we ventured onwards past emptied shops and abandoned homes I became aware of something moving within one of the houses off to my left.

I spun to face it, horn glowing as I watched the dark doorway, fear taking my body as I waited for what might lurch out.

My fear quickly turned to terror as I saw what shambled out of the darkened doorway.

It was one of the creatures, tall and wiry, clothing hanging off its frame while blood stained its cracked lips.

The beast took a glance at me and gave a groan, stumbling forwards with its arms outstretched and hands grasping at thin air, its jaws snapping like a hungry dog as it stared at us.

I wasted no time in firing off a spell, a rather basic yet effective lightning spell that I'd learnt while studying defensive and offensive magic.

The lightning bolt struck the creature’s head with a loud clack, causing it to twitch and shiver before it fell to the ground with a thud, going still.

It was strange, watching the being lie still upon the ground… I had taken a life. I, Twilight Sparkle, the star student of Celestia had just killed another being. It took a while for the reality of what I’d done to sink in, but I was quickly brought back to my senses as I heard more groans and scuffling from nearby buildings; more creatures had begun leaving their hiding spots.  But they weren't alone. The soft thud of hooves accompanied the appearance of battered stallions and mares who looked more like sick animals than ponies.

And they all had their sights on me and Spike.

I did the wise thing and bolted, not keen on fighting a horde of nightmares as I rushed through the city, avoiding more creatures and ponies who were wandering the streets.

Soon enough I had reached the train station, which unlike the rest of the now noisy town seemed deserted, save for a few dead bodies that were scattered around. I quickly rushed out onto the main platform, eager to leave the city of nightmares before I came to a stop, my eyes going wide.

The train was gone, the one hope of a quick escape was missing, and a horde of hungry, flesh eating monsters was slowly lurching after us. 

"A-Alright Spike, hold on tight, looks like we’re hoofing it!" I yelled, jumping off the platform and onto the tracks before I began to run along them.

The creatures that were following us seemed to walk off the platform and fall onto the tracks in heaps.  After a moment of struggling, and climbing over each other, they got up and began to give chase, snarling and moaning. 

Luckily they were slow and clumsy, giving me the edge I needed to outrun the creatures as I barreled down the empty tracks, Spike holding onto me as I ran.

"D-Don't you worry Spike, we'll be home soon… we'll be safe…," I said, hearing him give a soft mumble in response.

I ran along the tracks that spiraled down the mountain, only stopping to catch my breath or rest, never staying still too long in fear that the monsters would catch up to us.

Soon we were at the bottom of the mountain, the sun having begun to set behind the horizon.

Wait! The sun was setting! That meant that Celestia had escaped the castle. That was good news, it meant my teacher was still alive, and that there was hope that we'd meet again, hopefully somewhere safe.

With a new sense of hope I continued to trot along the tracks towards the distant town of Ponyville, smiling; with luck my friends were alright, Tartarus, perhaps those monsters had not reached the town!

At least… I hoped they were alright. 



> Chapter Two: A loss of laughter. 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I galloped towards Ponyville, a tired smile on my lips as the distant town slowly grew closer. "We’re almost home now, Spike! We'll meet up with the others and make some plan to keep the town safe!" I said, getting a small murmur of agreement from the small dragon.

"Spike, you alright? You haven't spoken in a while," I said, growing a little worried as I slowed down. I came to a stop and looked back to make sure those monsters weren’t following us before levitating the dragon off my back. 

Spike gave a groan at that, moving his small hands to clutch his stomach. "I-I'm fine...it's just a stomach ache." He muttered, huffing a little. 

"Are you sure? We can rest if you'd like...I think we lost those things back on the tracks so we have a little time to rest." I replied, getting a shake of the head in return. 

With a shrug I gently returned him to my back, making sure he was comfortable before I resumed my gallop, though moving a tad bit slower due to Spike’s stomach ache.

Soon enough we reached the town, and found the station deserted, surprising both me and my small companion. 

No pony was around...not a single mare, stallion or foal...at least the monsters were absent too.

"Where is everypony?" Spike asked, looking around as I climbed onto the platform and began trotting down the street, passing the familiar houses and shops, eventually arriving in the marketplace. 

A few of the stalls were turned over, their contents spilled on the ground...seemed like whoever was working them had left in a hurry. It was here that I could faintly smell the familiar scent of those monsters, though it was rather weak unlike it was in Canterlot.

"Alright, Spike. Keep an eye out and stay alert okay? We’re gonna head to SugarCube Corner." I said, starting to walk again, moving slower and more carefully due to the scent. 

Spike just gave a shaky sigh, glancing around with nervous eyes. "Yeah, sure...it's better than staying here, it's kinda creepy with no-pony around..." He replied, one of his hands nervously fiddling with my mane as we ventured onwards though the town.

We soon reached the famous sweet shop, though the smell was stronger there. With a gulp I approached the front window of the shop and peered in through the window, seeing the darkened interior. 

Inside there were tables and chairs turned over, a few stacked against the door like a barricade, while a few banners hung from the ceiling and bits of half eaten food were scattered on the floor.

"Something’s not right..." I muttered, frowning before I approached the door. I used my magic to push it open, toppling the barricade on the otherside. With that out of the way I crept inside, scrunching my nose. 

The smell inside was rather foul, though it smelt more like rotting food than flesh, which I supposed was a good sign. I crept further in, looking up at the banners before sighing, shaking my head.

Seemed like somepony’s birthday party, or at least it was...but now it seemed like there was no-pony here.

"Pinkie? Are you in here?" I called, lighting my horn up to both illuminate the darkened room and get a spell ready, just in case. 

It was then that I saw it, the hunched over figure of a mare in the corner, a soft squelching sound and belching slowly catching my attention...how had I not noticed that?

But the worst thing was that I recognized the mare. Her pink coat had faded and her once poofy mane was flat, covering her face as she sat there, hunched over what I could now recognize as a small body.

The body of a young colt. 

"P-Pinkie?" I asked, my eyes wide while Spike whimpered. I could feel the poor dragon shivering on my back. 

Almost as soon as I spoke Pinkie froze before she turned her head to look blankly at me...and what I saw almost made me vomit. 

Pinkie's eyes were wide and glassy, while her snout was stained with blood; drops of crimson dripping down onto the bloody corpse she had been eating.

Without so much as a second glance, she got up with a raspy groan and lunged at me. She had her forelegs stretched out wide as if to give me one of her friendly, bone-crushing hugs, but her open mouth—blood and gore falling from her chipped teeth—made me realize it would be the last hug of my life.

I yelped and teleported behind the mare, watching her fall to the floor before I fired a spell at the back of her head, a crackling pop filling the room as lightning struck her. I didnt want to do that...Pinkie was one of my best friends and was always so happy! But that wasn't Pinkie I saw eating a colt, it wasn't Pinkie who had lunged at me...it was a monster that only shared Pinkie’s looks.

She twitched and gurgled before going still, the smell of charred flesh filled the room as smoke rose from the smouldering wound. 

Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight and dripped down my cheeks as I sat down. I covered my eyes with my hooves and began to silently weep along with Spike who had climbed off my back, staring dumbfounded at the body of our former friend. 

"You...killed Pinkie..." He choked, sniffling before I pulled the small dragon into a hug, holding him close.

"No...I-I helped her...that wasn't Pinkie..." I said, glancing at the body. 

The mare had a bite wound on her left foreleg, most likely having got bitten when trying to barricade up the shop. And whatever foals had been in here were most likely dead judging from her swollen stomach.

After a while I thought of my other friends and knew I needed to find them before they ended up like Pinkie.  I sighed and blinked the tears away before I got up, placing Spike on my back, and quietly leaving the shop. "We're going to AppleJack’s farm...if more of those things are here then it's the safest place to go.  The others are likely already there." I stated, earning a whimper of agreement from Spike. 

And so we headed towards Sweet Apple Acres, stopping by Rarity's boutique and the Library just in case any of our friends had decided to hide there instead. But each time we were met with silence. 

I'd also started to notice signs that the monsters had been here, bloody smears on walls or bashed down doors and broken windows. But it seemed deserted now, save for the occasional distant groan.

After a while of wandering, something caught my attention; a house with its windows boarded up, bloody smears on the door, and three “ponies” lingering outside. They uddered raspy moans as they stared at the house. 

"Isn’t that Lyra and Bon-Bon's place?" Spike asked in a hushed whisper, eyeing the ponies as I hid us around a corner, frowning. 

"Yes it is, but if those things are outside it means that there has to be somepony inside right? I mean...from what I've seen they only stay around when there’s ponies nearby," I mused, peeking out from our hiding space. 

If there was somepony else left alive in the town who wasn't trying to eat us I had to help, I couldn't live knowing that another pony would be left behind.

With a sigh, I once more lit my horn before rounding the corner. With a frown, I fired three lightning spells in quick succession, each bolt making a thunderous 'crack' as the lightning hit their marks.

The ponies fell to the floor, twitching as black smoke rose from their smouldering wounds...it disturbed me how easy it was becoming to dispatch them.  As we got closer I realized I knew all three of them. 

Once they were dealt with, I rushed over to the door, knocking on it as I looked around, hoping any nearby beasts hadn't heard me. 

"Bon-Bon, Lyra?" I called, hoping the two mares were alright, desperate to see a pony who didn't want to tear the flesh from my bones. Thankfully I heard a click as the door was unlocked.

With a sigh of relief I quickly pushed the door open and entered, grinning ear to ear. The house was dark and smelt rancid, my smile quickly faded as I heard the nearby groans of those beasts.

Before I could leave, a spell shot out from the darkness, striking my chest. Pain flowed through my body before I collapsed on the floor, my vision blurry as I heard Spike yelp.

It was then that I saw my attacker creep out of the dark, a smirk upon her lips, and a bloody apron adorning her frame.

"Sleep well~" Lyra cooed, cackling before I lost focus and my world went black, faintly hearing the yells of a terrified Spike as I slipped into slumber.

> Chapter Three: One Mad Mare.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I woke with a start, attempting to sit upright before I felt the tight rope that bound my body. My legs were tied tightly together which caused my panic to grow. My vision was blurry but the smell alone was enough to let me know that wherever I was wasn't exactly safe...and the cold, wet floor wasn't exactly helping.

Soon enough my vision returned to normal as I blinked the blurriness away. I groaned a little as I began to register the pain that caused my entire body to ache. From what I could see I was lying on the floor of some dark basement, the faint sounds of movement reached my ears before somepony walked out of the shadows.

"Sleep well?" Lyra asked, her bloodied apron adorned her frame as she peered down at me. Her face was splattered with small specks of blood while her forehooves looked like they had been drenched in it.

I frowned up at her, confused and hurt by what this mare had done to me. I'd known Lyra well back in Canterlot, we often talked to each other and it was always pleasant enough...so why in Celestia's name was she standing over me looking like somepony out of a horror story?

"Why am I tied up? A-And where's Spike?!" I asked, frowning as I started to struggle in my bonds. I was stopped by a swift and rather hard kick to my gut from my captor, which left a smear of blood on my coat, while Lyra frowned down at me.

"Shut up! You're not in a position to ask questions," she stated, wiping a hoof on her apron before she sat down beside me. It was then I tried to use my magic, gasping and wheezing from her blow before. But all I got was a sharp sting that ran down my horn, causing me to whimper like a wounded dog.

Lyra smirked at this, moving a hoof to rub the tip of my horn as she watched me struggle. "Don't bother using your magic, I gave you a little...something while you were sleeping to make sure you didnt try to teleport away or hurt me..." she explained before clearing her throat.

"Now then, I bet you're confused and quite scared by recent events, hm? Well let me put these fears to rest. I'm not going to harm you or your pet...well...not fatally anyway. Not as long as you be a good little filly and do as I say," she continued, tapping a hoof on the floor idly.

With a grunt I nodded, frowning up at the mare with tears in my eyes. Is this how bad things had gotten in just a day? Now I had Lyra to worry about as well as those things.

"Fine, I'll...I'll do what you say, Lyra. Just don't hurt Spike," I mumbled, choosing not to defy the mare. She was clearly out of it, and if I disagreed she could very well hurt me or Spike without so much as a second thought.

Lyra seemed pleased by my reply and clapped her hooves, grinning like a filly who'd just gotten her first kiss. "Great! Now...I understand you're a whizz with magic and such, heck you trained with Celestia so you’re bound to know pretty much everything about magic...and that's why you're going to help me out!" She got back up and stretched before glancing into the darkness of the basement.

"My Bon-Bon is...sick...and you're gonna use that magic of yours to help her get better! And if you don't...I'll make sure she has more food..." she warned before she trotted off into the darkness.

I heard some soft whispering from the darkness before Lyra reemerged. Though this time she wasn't alone...and, oh Luna, how I wish she was.

Standing beside Lyra with a rope collar around her neck was Bon-Bon, twitching and trembling. Her eyes were glassy and vacant, her muzzled maw dripped with reddened drool as she let out a few grunts and gurgles.

"You're going to help her. You're going to use your magic and knowledge to fix her," she started moving a hoof to softly smooth the top of Bon-Bon’s head, getting only a growl and gurgle as a response.

I simply stared at the scene with wide eyes, unsure of what to do or say as I looked at the infected Bon-Bon, who stared mindlessly back, a pool of drool forming at her forehooves. "Lyra...I, I can't fix her...she's not Bon-Bon anymore..." I told her, talking slowly and softly as to not anger the mare, whose smile had melted into a frown.

"What do you mean? She's still herself...just a little sick is all...a-and you know everything about magic so you're going to help her recover from whatever this is!" she hissed before she turned to Bon-Bon, nuzzling against her cheek with a soft smile. Bon-Bon just snarled in response, her jaws straining to open within her muzzle.

"Lyra, please...j-just let me out of this rope and let me see Spike...t-then I'll try to help, alright? I can't do much while I'm tied down..." I pleaded softly, earning a glance from the mare as she leaned down, scrunching her nose.

"And how do I know you won't run away?" she hissed, moving a hoof to poke my forehead which caused me to blink a little, frowning.

"Because I'm not going to leave a fellow pony here. Even if you're a…” I hesitated, “little ‘disoriented’," I couldn’t use the word lunatic. This seemed to work as Lyra’s horn lit, her yellow aura undoing my bindings before she stepped back, pulling Bon-Bon along with her.

"Spike’s upstairs in the kitchen making Bon-Bon some dinner. And don't bother trying to run away. Your arrival lured out some of the leftover ponies who weren't fortunate enough to hitch a ride with the guards when they evacuated the town—heh—that whole plan turned out to be a complete slaughterfest..." she mused before she turned and headed back into the darker corner of the basement, with Bon-Bon in tow, reassuring the infected mare. “It’s ok now Bon-Bon, Twilight’s going to help. She’ll be able to cure you, I just know it.”

I wasted little time as I looked around and found the staircase that led up into the main house, and after I'd climbed them I took the chance to look around. Lyra's house was a mess, walls smeared with blood, trash littering the floors as well as furniture and wooden boards pressed against the windows. Nopony won the battle that was fought here. I could only hope that there was some part of the town, somewhere, that did.

It was after a moment of looking around that I found the kitchen, the tiled walls and floor having smears of blood on them. Various lumps of gore rested in the sink, putrefying and making an awful stench that caused me to gag.

But the worst part was seeing Spike standing on a stool near the counter, a knife in his small claws and rope around his ankles which were connected to a large cinder block, stopping the dragon from going anywhere. My heart stopped when I saw what he was doing.

My Spike, the most innocent dragon and kindest friend I knew was hacking into a severed foreleg, which looked like it could have belonged to somepony I’d once known, as if it were some vegetable. His eyes were wide and his cheeks wet while his scales had been stained with spots of crimson as he slid the sliced chunks into the sink.

It didn't take long for the dragon to notice me standing there, eyes wide with shock as he dropped his knife and whimpered, hopping off his stool and running towards me, only to trip at the end of his rope. I quickly scooped up the young dragon and sat down with him on the floor. We held each other close as he began to sob into my chest, his claws clutching my fur as he trembled and shivered.

"T-Twilight...sh-she made me do it...I didn't wanna b-but she told me sh-she'd hurt you if I didn’t..." he sobbed, quite obviously ashamed and disgusted by what he'd been forced to do...but I didn't care at that moment. I wrapped my forelegs around him and held him tightly, shushing the small dragon as I moved a hoof to softly smooth the back of his head.

"It's alright Spike, don't cry...this isn't your fault, I'm merely glad that you're alright..." I whispered softly, kissing the top of his scaly head before I broke the hug. I smiled down at him as I licked my hoof and moved to wipe some blood from his cheek, as if it were some food from a messy meal.

"Now, let's get this rope off of you." I said softly, moving to gently untie the rope around his scratched scales, which the young dragon quickly moved to rub with a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Twilight...I was worried I was gonna be stuck in here doing...t-this..." He gave a disgusted glance back to the gory leg before he shivered with a frown. I then helped the young dragon onto my back, letting him rest and relax.

I had missed him in the short time I’d been awake and was glad to have him perched upon my back once more; the poor guy deserved a rest. With a sigh I left the vile kitchen and went to the living room, which, apart from having trash all over the floor and the furniture pushed to the wall, seemed like the safest place around to get a little rest.

I cleared a space on the floor and levitated down a cushion off a sofa that had been pushed against the window. With a makeshift bed prepared, I placed Spike on it and snuggled up with him, sighing softly.

"Don't you worry Spike. We’re going to get out of here once I figure out how to convince Lyra to let us go...that, and we gotta figure out a way to get past those ‘things’ " I said softly, nuzzling the dragon’s cheek. I tried to keep my mind off the steady thumping against the windows, as well as the occasional muffled growls and snarls from outside.

We rested there for a while until the sounds of hooves caught my attention. I lifted my head to look at the door just in time to see Lyra round the corner and lean against the doorframe.

"Well, I see you took the time to untie my cook. You’re lucky he had already finished with the other legs." She frowned at me. I returned her frown before looking down at Spike who'd already fallen asleep.

I slowly got up and approached the mare, leaving Spike to rest. "I'll see what I can do for Bon-Bon, but don't expect me to perform a miracle alright? From what I've seen, when ponies get sick like this they don't recover." I told her softly, passing the mare who quickly went to follow me with a huff.

"I don't care about what you've seen, Twilight. I just want her fixed," was Lyra's response as she followed me into the basement. This time she lit her horn and made a light source, enabling me to see the basement in all of its demented glory.
It was quite a disgusting sight to behold and could rival the bloodied halls of Canterlot Castle for the amount of gore splotched on the walls and floor. The thickest gore was near the culprit—Bon-Bon.

She was tied to a chair, her maw muzzled and her limbs bound while she sat motionless. Her head was tilted back as she stared, as if in a trance, up at the magical light that Lyra had cast. I could see her clearly now, she was bloodied and scratched up, her once bright fur had faded and had quite a few patches missing, revealing bluish grey skin beneath...and a rather nasty looking bite wound at the base of her neck.

"By Celestia..." I mumbled, looking at the creature that had once been one of the town’s beloved confectioners. I approached the bound mare and only then did she react to my presence; her gaze slowly turned from the light to me, groaning as she strained against her bonds, drooling like a starved animal as she twitched and shivered in her seat.

I looked away at that and felt my stomach do somersaults. Bon-Bon was long dead, her body a puppet to whatever sickness had her in its clutches. Lyra had walked to my side, smiling at her moaning housemate as she moved a bloodied hoof to pat my back. I didn’t have to look back, I could feel the red streaks she was smearing into my fur. I don’t think she even knew she was doing it.

"So, what can you do, hm? I'm running out of food to give her so we need to fix her up nice and fast!" she chirped happily, as if all of this was perfectly normal and that we were merely treating the common cold or a fever.

"Lyra, look at her! That's not Bon-Bon, that's not even a pony anymore!" I yelled, pointing at the groaning beast and stepping back, frowning. Lyra was also frowning, turning to face me with a snarl as she stomped a hoof on the floor.

"Of course that’s her! She's just sick, sick like the rest of them. But she'll get better! I...I tied her up, I fed her what I could get—she'll get better!" she yelled back, tearing up while her horn lit once more, crackling with energy.

It was then that she looked about ready to kill me, her eyes narrowed while tears trickled down her cheeks. She trembled and shook, repeating the words “Fix her!” and “Liar!” as she got ready to cast her spell...but then something happened.

There were a series of snaps as the ropes containing Bon-Bon broke, the mare fell forwards off her chair and grabbed onto Lyra in the process, clutching the mare’s lower half as she tried to bite into her side, the muzzle protecting Lyra from any bites. Lyra struggled to break free of Bon-Bon’s bone breaking grasp...and I took my chance.

With a second glance at the scene I turned and bolted, heading back up the stairs and shutting the basement door behind me. A shot of pain that ran down my spine as I used my magic to lock it; what did Lyra do to me while I was unconscious?

Once that was done I staggered into the living room and quickly woke Spike up and helped him climb onto my back. I headed towards the back door of the house, hoping the back street would be less populated...and I can only thank the sun that this was the case.

We slipped out into the desolate street, the echoing moans of the sick ponies drifting over the house before another sound cut through the air—a deafening and electric Crack followed by dead silence.

"W-Where are we gonna go now?" Spike asked softly, snuggling into the back of my neck. His small claws grasped my mane as I continued to walk down the street, hoping to forget what had transpired in that house.

"We're going to Applejack's farm. With luck, she and her family will be there...and if not, we can just stock up on apples and rest at the farmhouse for a few days until we figure out where to go next." I replied, trotting along the road, hoping that we'd avoid any more conflicts until we reached the farm. I silently prayed that we weren't the only sane individuals left in this mad world.

> Chapter Four: The Farm.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We crept through the town as quiet as mice. Slinking down the streets and across the paths to avoid being detected by the limping and groaning creatures who wandered the empty streets. They seemed to be creeping out of the buildings as the sun began to dip lower in the sky; guards and townsfolk alike.

I didn't notice any of the creatures that had come through the portal which meant those beasts were still at Canterlot, or perhaps making their way down the mountain...I merely hopped we'd manage to get to the farm before they reached Ponyville.

Soon enough we reached the outskirts of the town and saw Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. A welcomed change to the desolate, monster filled town. I wasted little time and bolted, leaving the town behind, as I ran along the dirt path towards the farm, eager to get somewhere that could be safe...as well as see if Applejack and her family were alright.

We soon reached the farm which seemed to be in good condition, save for an overturned cart just outside the main house. Though passing closer to the cart gave me a good look at the hoofprints and dried blood dotted the ground around it, along with a single body.

The cart had the royal insignia on its sides. It was harnessed to the body of a royal guard whose armor was dotted with crimson. His stomach looked like it'd been torn open...and hollowed out. The cart would have slown the poor guard down, especially if he was attacked from the side…or from the passengers.

I felt Spike hide his face in my mane, whimpering. I lit my horn and looked around, glancing to the nearby barn and then to the apple tree orchard...it was clear that those monsters had made it to the farm and were most likely still lumbering around somewhere.

It was then I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Still jittery from the encounter with Lyra, and from everything else, I fired off a bolt of magic without thinking. It struck the front of the house next to a wide-eyed Big Mac. Whatever Lyra had given me hadn’t worn off. The pain was worse than being smacked with a wooden bat, something I'd had the misfortune of experiencing in a school baseball game while younger...I was busy reading the rulebook and one of the players let the bat slip out of their magical grasp. It struck me on the horn.

Once the pain had faded I looked back at Mac. Thank Celestia I hadn’t hit him! He was still alive!

The large stallion’s fur and orange mane were muddy. His usual calm expression was replaced with a tired and empty one. Small bags were beneath his faded green eyes, and his orange mane was messy as if he'd just gotten out of bed. He was wearing his usual harness and hooked up to a small cart with a dirty shovel inside.

"Miss Twilight?" he finally asked, shaking his head as he approached us. He seemed both confused and somewhat relieved to see myself and Spike...most likely thankful to see another pony, in general, who wasn’t insane or trying to chew his skin off.

"Me and Spike managed to get out of Canterlot and make our way back here...it's awful Mac, ponies eating each other, weird creatures...it's as if Tartarus coughed up the most vile and evil creatures from its depths." I replied, while Spike peeked over the top of my head, giving Mac a weak wave.

"Really? We had them fancy guards roll up to the farm with a cart full of ponies, they said something about getting to Appleloosa before one of the ponies in the cart went nuts, biting and fighting with the others...pretty soon we had a cart full of ponies tryin’ to chew through the door," Mac gushed, approaching the dead guard and slowly removing the harness connected to the body, while I blinked in surprise...I don’t think I’d ever heard the stallion say so much in a day before, let alone all at once.

"Ya'll wanna help me with him? Just go ahead and use your magic to put this poor fella in my cart...gonna bury him outback with his friends and the ponies who were on the cart,” the large stallion said before I nodded and used my magic to lift the corpse, only to wince and whimper before I dropped the dead stallion. I put a hoof to my horn as it seemed to throb at the base.

“You ok Miss Twilight? Ain’t like you to have trouble with magic like that.” Mac didn’t wait for a reply and just raised a brow as he sighed and approached the fallen stallion. He clumsily lifted him and placed him in the back of the bloodied cart then motioned for me to follow him around the house.

“I’m alright Mac, just had a run in with some trouble in town….I’ll be using my magic again soon enough!” I replied, giving the stallion a half smile as I followed along behind him.

We were soon met with the sight of six makeshift graves, one of which was empty. "Place him in that there hole and I'll bury the poor guy...ya know...never thought I'd be doing this kinda work." He mused as I, more carefully this time, picked up the stallion from the cart and lowered him into the shallow grave. I had to stop then as the pain returned. Meanwhile, Mac unhooked himself from the cart and grabbed his shovel to bury the unfortunate guard.

Once he was finished and had dropped the shovel from his mouth, there was no moment of silence. "Ya'll must be hungry so I'll tell you what, you two head inside and I'll fix you up some grub once I'm finished out here...pretty soon AJ and Apple Bloom will be back from the orchard with some apples, and Granny was in town so she won't be joining us..." he said, his words slowing and dropping in volume the more he spoke.

"Applejack and Apple Bloom are alive? That's great!" I said, my mood lifting at the idea of seeing my friends as well as getting some decent food...heavens know I could use it. I left Mac to his work.

Soon enough me and Spike were inside the farmhouse, relaxing on the sofa. I'd managed to find a book to read while Spike was taking the time to snooze. I was somewhat worried about Mac, he was acting calm and somewhat strange considering the circumstances...but I suppose that's how he dealt with most things, calm and collected...even when the subject was burying dead ponies behind his house.

"Poor guy..." I mumbled, closing my book and putting it aside before I got up and left the living room to look around the rest of the house, hoping to find something else to help me pass the time. After a while of looking around and peering into the various rooms of the small farmhouse I returned to the living room and sat down with a sigh, getting comfortable and closing my eyes to take a well deserved nap.

That's when the screams and shouts reached my ears.

I recognized the panicked voices and quickly sat up in my seat, my blood going cold...they were Mac and Applejack’s. Not a moment after, the door to the house was pushed open with a loud 'crack' which caused Spike to jolt awake and yell, grabbing one of my hooves in fright before he noticed the lack of flesh eating monsters or danger...but what we did notice was something much worse than that.

I got up and followed AJ and Mac who'd entered the kitchen and cleared a space on the table before gently placing an object, no, a pony down onto it. The sight made me freeze, eyes going wide.

Lying upon the table, motionless and bloodied was Apple Bloom, a nasty gash down her cheek while a deep and bloodied bite mark rested on the back of her neck staining her yellow fur a deep red.

Applejack was in a fit of tears and sobs, bloody hooves covered her eyes while Mac looked his motionless sister over, gently adjusting her body to see the wound more clearly.

"What happened?" He asked, glancing to AJ who lowered her hooves and gulped, pale as snow.

"T-There was a pony up in the apple orchard, he looked hurt and we tried to help the fella out...w-when Apple Bloom and I got close he went nuts and grabbed Bloom. Got his teeth in her neck an’ thrashed her around like some kinda chew toy! I managed to beat the bucker off of her and ran back here...she got cut on the way by some low hangin’ branches..." She whimpered, looking at her younger sister as she moved a trembling hoof to rub her cheek.

"Alright, let's stay calm! Applejack, you go get the first aid box from upstairs and I'll find that pitchfork we used to fend off them other fellas who went nuts in the cart...Twilight, ya'll watch Apple Bloom," he got a quick nod from his sister before she galloped upstairs, while I simply gave a small and unsure nod. Applejack didn’t even seem to realize I was there.

I knew what would happen, I'd seen it enough times by now to know what would happen when you were bitten...it happened to the guards back in the castle, it happened to the ponies in the city and in town...it happened to Bon Bon and Pinkie...once you were bit that was it, you were dead. Doomed to come back as a monster.

I had little time to relay this information to my friends as they quickly hurried off to do their duties, leaving me alone with the motionless filly. With a gulp I approached the table and sat down on one of the empty seats, leaning back from the tabletop as I watched Apple Bloom closely for any signs of movement, ready to bolt or act upon a moment's notice.

Thankfully her eyes were closed and she had a peaceful expression upon her muzzle which helped put my mind at ease...it was hard enough to see her in such a state, bloodied and motionless...having empty eyes stare at me or seeing her face contorted with pain would just be too much.

Spike was soon at my side and made me jump when I felt his clawed hand pat my coat, though I quickly relaxed and glanced down at him. "Yes Spike?" I asked softly, moving a hoof down to gently smooth his bright green spikes atop his head.

"Is Apple Bloom gonna...turn into a monster like Pinkie?" He asked, tears in his eyes as he looked up at me, causing me to give a soft sigh, a lump slowly forming in my throat.

"S-she might, Spike, I'm not going to lie...but remember, it wouldn't be her...it'd be one of those things inside of her body and we'd make sure it wouldn't hurt anypony else." I replied, glancing back to Bloom’s body.

It was then we were rejoined by Applejack who had a small wooden box. She quickly placed it on the table and opened it up to reveal some bandages, a rag and small alcohol bottle, along with some tablets, needles, and sewing thread.

"Alright, sis, you’re gonna be alright..." she said quietly to herself before she gently rolled the filly onto her stomach to get a good look at the back of Bloom’s neck before getting one of the bandages and soaking it in alcohol before she pressed the rag against the bloodied bite, wincing as she did so.

She then looked up to me and startled back. “T-Twilight!  Oh sugarcube, you’re alive!” She gave me a big smile and a quick hug before her expression darkened again and she returned to Apple Bloom. "D-Do ya mind holdin’ this here? I gotta...gotta get the needle and thread ready..." she said, and I quickly nodded, moving to hold the rag in place while she got ready to stitch up her sister.

"I wish we could have found each other again under better circumstances...this is just..." I began but was quickly silenced by Applejack who shot me a glance and gave a sharp “hush.”

"It can't be helped none, Twi...once we get Apple Bloom here fixed up and in bed me and you can get to work barricading up the farmhouse...we got a cellar filled with tinned food and the likes for tornados if things go south...and I can say for certain that things have gone south." She sniffed before nodding for me to remove the rag, which I quickly did. My horn worked well enough for that at least. I wasn’t going to pick that up with my mouth.

The mare then began to get to work sewing up the bite wound, her hooves trembling as she stitched it up. I wasn't surprised by her basic medical knowhow, she did live on a farm after all, accidents likely happened every once and awhile so it was wise to have at least one of the family members know how to fix up cuts and such....though by Applejack's face this was clearly the first time something this bad had happened.

"Applejack...I-I wouldn't be so sure on Apple Bloom recovering...I mean I hate to say this and it breaks my heart but...but I've seen these monsters bite ponies and the ones they bite often end up like them..." I told her, trying to be as soft and gentle with my words as I could as I spoke.

AJ frowned at that, glancing up from the bloody bite mark. "Now don't ya'll start talkin’ like that, Twi. Apple Bloom here is gonna be jus’ fine! That fellah just bit her...sure it's deep but it ain't nothin I can't fix." She stated stubbornly, continuing to try and fix up Apple Bloom.

After an hour, Applejack placed her kit to the side and sighed, rubbing her eyes before she got up. "S-she...just needs some rest is all...I'll take her to her room," she said before she gently slid the young filly on her back and left the kitchen.

I heard the mare make her way up the stairs as I got out of my seat and went back into the living room with Spike, who was clearly as nervous as I was before we both took a seat on the sofa, simply hoping for the best.

After a few minutes, Mac returned with a pitchfork, the prongs bloody, and let it rest against the wall before he looked around. "Where's Apple Bloom gone?" he asked and I motioned to the staircase.

Mac quickly left to the upper floor,muttering “no, no, no...” Not long after I could hear the muffled sounds of what seemed like an argument which was followed with Big Mac storming down the stairs. His eyes were narrowed and his cheeks wet as he walked into the kitchen, followed closely by Applejack who was yelling rather obscene things at her brother.

"Ya'll wanna do that? Ya really wanna do that to her!?" She yelled, slamming a hoof on the kitchen table, or at least that’s what it sounded like. I quickly got up and told a rather worried Spike to stay in the living room before I too entered the kitchen, looking at the siblings.

"No I don’t wanna do that! But ya know what happens when one of them things bite ya! I saw them folk in the cart go insane and eat each other, and the ones that got away bit went nuts as well!" Mac yelled, slamming a hoof on the floor. "I don’t aim to let Apple Bloom end up like them, not our little sis!"

The stallion then glanced to one of the kitchen drawers, huffing as he reached over and pulled it open revealing a collection of kitchen knives. "Now I don't need ya to do it, ya don't even have to be in the room...but I'm not gonna let her turn into some monster who could hurt somepony else! Do you want her to get up, her eyes all glassy while she tries to bite into ya neck?" He asked with a frown which caused AJ to back off a bit, the mare’s ears going back against her head.

"She isn’t gonna turn into a monster! She just needs some good old fashioned rest and she'll be back on her hooves in no time." The mare stated, her green eyes tearing up before she stormed out of the room, shoving me aside before she headed back upstairs.

"Erm, d-did I miss something?" I asked, giving a nervous smile as Mac glanced in my direction, his gaze quickly causing me to go silent.

"Ya'll could say that, Miss Twilight...but it ain’t none of your concern, alright?” His glare at me broke and he looked around the room. Seeing the open drawer of knives he turned back and tried to smile. “Look...how about I cook something up for you, eh? I mean you and Spike must be hungry!" The stallion turned and busied himself preparing a small meal.

While Mac was cooking I had gotten up with the intent to go and see if Applejack was alright, but before I reached the doorway I remembered how she had pushed past me before...the poor mare needed space and I wasn't about to go and bother her after all that had happened so I decided to sit back down at the table, giving a small sigh.

After a while of working as if in a daze, he'd managed to sort out a rather simple apple crumble, something myself and Spike were beyond grateful for. While we ate, Mac left to the upper floor of the house and we heard the arguing resume. In response, I heard Spike mumble as he ate, clearly uneasy.

"Hey, Spike, try not to listen alright? They’re just sorting some things out...just try not to focus on it too much and eat up." I urged and took a break from my own food to shuffle my chair closer to the dragon. I smiled at him and raised a hoof to gently rub his back, but a loud bang sounded from upstairs, causing us both to jump.

"Spike, stay here...I'll be right back, alright?" I asked, nuzzling his cheek before I got up and headed out into the hall before making my upstairs. I then saw Mac and AJ standing outside the door to Bloom’s room. AJ's eyes wide as she gripped a bloodied bite mark upon her right forehoof, shivering slightly while Mac tended to her wound. All the while a soft thumping came from the door to Bloom’s room along with gurgled, raspy moans.

"What happened?" I asked, quickly running over to the pair before Mac glanced to me, looking rather shaken. "It’s Bloom, o-or that thing in her body! It woke up like I said..." He muttered, visibly shaken while Applejack began to weep, her renowned bravery breaking as she realized the reality of the situation around her.

Her sister was gone and dead, replaced with a flesh hungry monster who had no emotion or morales...to whatever was wearing Bloom’s skin, Applejack and Mac were just food, flesh to be eaten and blood to be drank...and that could understandably terrify anypony, including myself.

"A-alright, look...that thing in there can't get out right? I'd suggest we simply gather food and leave, head somewhere like Manehattan to try and find help! And if that fails we head somewhere remote such as Appleloosa, or Dodge Junction," I suggested, while Mac nodded...though then he glanced to AJ's bloodied hoof.

"Yeah, we can all head out after gettin’ enough victuals ready..." He stated, nuzzling AppleJack’s cheek before looking to me, giving a small, nervous smile. "Can ya go down and get us some bandages from the kitchen? It'll be in the first aid box." I quickly nodded before hurrying off to grab some bandages.

After a moment in the kitchen I was joined by Spike who took a seat at the table, stretching his little legs before he glanced to me. “So, is Bloom gonna be alright?” He asked timidly, his little claws tapping against the table top.

“Well Spike, Bloom is very sick...but all she needs is a little bit of rest! But we can’t stay here, we need to go and get help.” I lied, not having the heart to tell him what had happened to Bloom even after all he’d been through. Especially after all he’s been through.

The young drake seemed to sigh at that, looking somewhat relaxed at the news...though that relaxation was quickly broken when the sound of a door opening upstairs could be heard, followed by snarls and growls before the soft sound of a door clicking shut seemingly echoed around the house.

Spike glanced to me once it grew relatively silent, save for muffled snarls and thumping. Soon we were joined by Mac, his face just as emotionless and calm as he normally looked while working the fields or doing the weekly shopping...but what stood out to me and Spike was the hat that now adorned his head.

My heart sank like a pebble in a pond as I stumbled over to a chair and sat down, moving to rest my hooves against my temples while Spike glanced to Mac and then to me, and finally down at the table top.

“S-So, I guess Applejack is staying here to look after Bloom right?” I heard Spike ask softly, his voice a little shaky...before I could reply Mac intervened, walking around the table before ever so gently going to rub the top of Spike’s head. “E’yup! She’s gonna stay here Spike…” He said before sitting down beside him.

“Ah can promise ya we’ll see her again...but we gotta get movin!” he bolstered with a smile while I looked up at the two, forcing a smile of my own.

“That’s good, now come on you two, let's get some of that food Mac has in the cellar and get moving.” I said before I got up, followed by Spike and Mac as we left the house.

It didn't take us long to get the food and water we needed from the cellar thanks to Mac and a cart. Soon enough we had enough food to last us three days easy and a barrel of water that could keep us from dying of thirst for quite a while.

While we worked I made sure to keep Spike busy, not wanting to let his mind wander too far lest he figure out what had happened...heck, he most likely already had but I’d much rather play it safe than risk upsetting him even further, it was taking me every fiber of my being not to simply break down...we had been so close, so close to getting out unscathed! 

I was pulled back to reality when I felt Mac nudge me, the large stallion smiling a little. “C’mon, cheer up, Miss Twilight. She wanted this. Even though that thing in there isn't Bloom anymore, she wanted to stay somewhere she felt comfortable and with whatever remains of Bloom, and I wasn't gonna deny her a final wish,” he whispered, trying to make things seem less awful than they truly were. And…he was right, the farm and family were everything to her, she wouldn’t have wanted to leave…at the end.

“Alright, well...s-she’s where she wants to be! Now...l-let’s get going!” I called as I glanced over to Spike who was perched on the cart idly chewing on a carrot. I helped Mac get hooked up to his cart and soon enough we were on our way, leaving the farmhouse and ponyville behind as we walked along the dirt path, and while my heart was heavy with the loss of Applejack and Bloom, I knew that they were in a better place than Equestria at the current moment, and I’d have time to mourn once it was all over...for now I had to focus on surviving, as did Mac and Spike...all we had left was each other, and until we reached safety I’d be damned if I let anyone else die.

Big Mac never looked back once.
> Chapter Five: Mud and Blood.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


“I’m bored…” Spike whined, lounging on the back of the cart. His voice broke the silence as we walked along the long and winding dirt path that ran along the edge of the Everfree. The eerie forest ran along a large portion of Ponyville's border and had served as a constant reminder of why it was safer to remain in the towns and cities…but now it was starting to look like a rather comfortable alternative to Canterlot and Ponyville. I merely hoped that Manehattan and Appleloosa were in better shape.

“I know you are, Spike, but you’ll just have to try and keep yourself busy until we reach Manehattan, and once we get there we’ll find somewhere safe to rest...who knows, it might even be a safe place to wait all this stuff out!” I stated, walking along beside the cart while Mac pulled it. Mac’s face had remained emotionless for the past hour; ever since we left the farm.

Spike sighed, grabbing an apple before munching on it and trying to relax. The sun was shining down, making the walk about as pleasant and relaxing as it could considering all that had happened. I was grateful to whatever deity had been watching for the small amount of peace we’d been given.

However, even the warm sunlight and soft breeze couldn't keep exhaustion from setting in. We’d had time to relax at the farm, but it hadn't been enough to take the stress and edge off of what we’d seen. “Mac, we should pull over somewhere soon and rest. We have food and we can find firewood to make ourselves a nice fire! Heavens know we could all use some time to unwind and rest. You especially, Mac; considering wha—that you’ve been pulling the cart.” I suggested, while Mac just gave me a stony and emotionless glance before nodding.

“Ah suppose so…” he said and returned his gaze to the path ahead. He kept at a steady pace while I sighed and took a quick glance behind us. When I did, however, I froze in my tracks, blinking to make sure I hadn't been seeing things. For a moment I had thought I’d seen something following us further down the path. Though, when I’d blinked, the strange figure was gone as if it’d never been there.

“Huh, strange…” I mumbled, shaking my head to try and clear my tired mind before I turned around and caught up with the cart.

“You alright, Twi? You kinda looked a little out of it.” Spike said after he’d swallowed a mouthful of food while leaning over the side of the cart.

“I’m fine, Spike. Just a little tired is all…” I replied, giving him a small smile as I trudged along beside the cart. The gentle rattling as Mac pulled it along the somewhat bumpy road created a steady rhythm. I had to admit it was a pleasant break from recent events, but my mind kept drifting to what had happened to Applejack and Pinkie Pie, as well as poor little Applebloom...nopony deserved to die like they had, and even then they were denied rest as the things that wore their skin continued the horrid cycle.

I was soon pulled from my thoughts, however, when I heard the rattle of the cart come to a stop beside me; followed by a gasp from Spike as we looked at what was blocking our path.

A little further down the path lay a motionless corpse, though whoever it had been before was impossible to tell due to the body being mangled and horribly decomposed. It seemed to have been there for a while. A pool of dried blood had surrounded it and a crow was proudly perched upon the body’s side. It pecked at the slimy flesh before it looked up and noticed us, startling it into flapping its wings and taking off into the sky with a squawk.

“I suppose they tried to leave Ponyville like us...t-though I guess they were traveling with somepony else who’d been attacked.” I said, looking around anxiously. Spike snuggled down between a sack of apples and the barrel of water before clenching his eyes shut; unwilling to look at the horrific sight.

“Ah suppose we’d better move a little slower...no need to attract unwanted…’folk’.” Mac stated before continuing onwards towards the body while I walked alongside the cart. I kept my eyes glued to the corpse as we approached it.

The closer we got the worse the air began to smell. It was clear that the corpse had been baking under the sun for a while now and we soon became aware of the buzzing flies. The disgusting insects feasted on the bloated and decomposing body as we passed by. “This is truly the worst thing that could happen to a pony...the sooner we reach Manehattan the better.” I mumbled, shivering in disgust as one of the flies buzzed past my face.

Once we’d put some distance between the corpse I began to relax while Mac seemed to remain rather alert. His ears perked while his face remained emotionless and focused on his one goal: simply get to Manehattan alive.

It didn't take long until we stumbled onto another worrying sign, however. Further down the path, and around the bend, we found an overturned transport cart. One of the wheels lying a short distance away from the main cart which was surrounded by dark brown splatters of dried blood.

There were also some discarded swords and armor lying around, as well as many hoof marks. On the dirt path while beside them were two half eaten bodies. Both bodies were torn and mangled into mere piles of bone and meat. And, much like the last corpse we’d found, they also looked like they’d been baking under the sun for quite a considerable time, gaining a whole host of flies.

“Gods…” I mumbled, feeling sick. I lifted a hoof up to cover my lips before I gave a wretch, doubling over and spilling the contents of my stomach onto the muddy ground. Mac unhooked himself from his cart and approached the horrific sight in front of us before looking through the discarded weapons and armor. 

He soon picked up a guard’s helmet and slid it onto his head before grabbing a blood stained chest piece and strapping it on to almost complete the set...all he was missing were the hoof guards. He also grabbed a sword, gripping the hilt between his teeth, before walking back to the cart and tossing it inside. The blade landed at Spike's feet.

“We need to keep moving,” he stated calmly. It was if the death and destruction in front of him didn't exist, something that caused me to glance to the stallion in amazement. I did nod, however, moving a hoof up to wipe my lips as I tried to catch my breath. 

“Right; it’s not the smartest move to remain here for very long...we don’t know how these creatures work after all! They could come back to finish off the bodies or be resting nearby.” I said before glancing into the cart to check on Spike who was covering his eyes with his clawed hands. He was trembling a little as if the smell alone was enough to let him know what was going on. 

Mac soon hooked himself back up, with my help, and we began to head down the path. My mind was now dreading what lay ahead of us; fearing that things wouldn't be much better in Manehattan than they were back in Canterlot and Ponyville.

We walked for quite a while before Mac walked off the path and onto a clear patch of grass. The stallion unhooked himself and stretched before glancing up at the sun which had begun its descent. The soft breeze turned into a chill as the sky ever so slowly began to darken. 

“This seems like a good place to rest for a few hours. Perhaps we could get a fire going and cook a decent meal before catching some shut eye. We have a long way to go until Manehattan,” I said with a tired smile. The idea of getting some food and resting next to a fire sounded rather nice.

We then began to set up a temporary camp. Mac gathered sticks from the edge of the Everfree while me and Spike got out the three sleeping bags and a few cans of soup, hoping to make a decent dinner.

By the time we got everything set up, the sun had begun to dip over the horizon and we had a warm fire going. As we waited for the soup to cook, me and Spike were looking up at the sky, with me pointing out a few celestial bodies and constellations. Mac stirred the soup and kept an ear perked for any signs of trouble.

Once our soup was cooked I took the cans off the fire, let them cool for a few moments then passed them around to Spike and Mac before digging in; enjoying the first real cooked meal we’d had since leaving the castle even if it was just plain old tomato soup. Though by the way Spike scoffed it down it was as if it were liquid gold, a delicacy among dragonkind.

“I don’t think tomato soup has ever tasted so good in all my life! It’s...it’s better than gemstones!” Spike chuckled, dropping his spoon and bringing the can to his lips before he began to gulp down the remaining soup while I tried to stifle a giggle at the sight.

“I’m glad you're enjoying it because it looks like we’ll be eating soup for quite a while! Though you won’t hear me complaining, I’ve always loved the stuff.” I said, finishing off my own can before glancing to Mac, who seemed to have hardly touched his own food.

I decided it was best not to ask him anything. After all it’s not everyday your whole life gets thrown aside and replaced with a horror show.

After me and Spike had finished I helped Spike into his sleeping bag and kept him company until he drifted off to sleep. Once he had, I approached Mac and nudged his shoulder with my snout before sitting down beside him. 

“Hey, big guy, how you holding up? You’ve hardly eaten…” I said softly, nodding to his soup that had now grown cold. Mac simply gave a small shrug and looked to the dirt path that was barely visible in the pale moonlight, seemingly intent on standing guard for a while.

“Perhaps you should get some rest, Mac. Y—we’ve been through alot and I think you should rest while I take first watch, that way you can get some rest after hauling the cart around! Besides, you're no good to us in a pinch if you're tired.” I stated, offering him a kind smile. He seemed to mull over what I’d said and, after a short while, he nodded and moved to drink down his cold soup before heading over to his sleeping bag to get some well deserved rest. And so I settled down to keep watch for a few hours.

The first hour passed rather peacefully and I was left alone to relax. Spike and Mac slept near the fire which provided a pleasant warmth to ward off the evening chill.

However it was during the second hour that a sound caught my attention; a twig or branch snapping behind me, causing my hairs to stand on end as I tensed up, eyes going wide. I whirled my head around just in time to see a dirty hoof swing for my face which was quickly followed by searing pain and darkness.

It was then the nightmares came, memories and images of those monsters floating into my mind as the events of the last few days seemed to play over and over like a broken video; the monsters flooding out of the portal, Pinkie devouring the very foals she’d most likely tried to comfort and protect...and then there were Applebloom and Applejack.

The nightmares plagued me for what seemed like years before I was finally pulled up out of that hellish dreamscape and out into a reality that was far worse.

I must have been out for a while as when I came to Spike was standing over me and the black night sky had been replaced with a soft daytime blue. I was no longer on the soft ground, but instead resting on wood with a blanket covering me while the rattling of wheels sounded out.

“What happened?” I asked, lifting a hoof to rub my nose, only to pull it away with a hiss of pain before Spike moved to gently take my hoof in his tiny claws. He looked at me as if a weight had been carried off his shoulders as he moved to sit beside me, a sigh of relief leaving his lips .

“You’re alright! I-I was worried you’d gone into a coma or something, you’ve been out for ages! I-I was getting really worried Twi…” he stated while I tried to sit up, but a bout of dizziness and one of his tiny claws upon my chest stopped me from doing so.

“Mac said you should lie down, you might have a con…concussion or something.” The young drake explained before he gave a small sigh and began to tell me what’d happened.

“Well I heard Mac shouting and when I woke up he was tying something up with some of the rope he’d taken from the storm cellar on the farm and you were out cold with blood all over your face! When Mac finally finished tying the thing that attacked you up we’d thought it was one of the monsters since its coat and mane were all bloody…b-but it turned out to be Lyra!” he gushed, shivering at the mere mention of the unicorn's name.

“Mac managed to get some answers outta her, turns out she’s been following us since we left the farm and was waiting for a time to take our stuff from the wagon and…well…g-get back at you for locking her in her basement with Bon-Bon,” he mumbled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head awkwardly. I gave a small groan, closing my eyes and lifting my hooves to rub my temples.

“I knew I shouldn't have done that. Tartarus below; I’m such an idiot!” I scolded myself, still feeling rather guilty about what I’d done to my former friend...though then something dawned on me.

“Where is Lyra, Spike? Y-You guys didn't leave her tied up back at camp did you?” I asked, once more sitting up and this time managing to beat the dizziness...though my question was quickly answered without Spike needing to speak.

Trudging along behind the cart, tethered to it with a rope tightly looped around her neck, was an absolutely filthy Lyra who was glaring daggers in my direction. Well, through the one eye that wasn't dark purple and swelled up. Her eye wasn’t the full extent of her injuries; atop her head sat a jagged stump that’d once been her horn, and she seemed to have a rather large sack tied to her tail, dragging its contents along behind her.

“Oh gods...w-what happened to you?” I asked timidly, the guilt over my head seeming to grow heavier as I noticed more and more bruises beneath her dirty fur, along with quite a few scratches and cuts.

She didn't speak however and continued to glare at me so I simply turned away from her and saw Mac pulling the cart along, adorned in his commandeered guard armour and sword. He had a few light bruises upon his right cheek but apart from that he seemed fine, albeit a little tired.

“Hey, Mac, it’s good to see that you’re alright...how long exactly have I been out? And how far are we from Manehatten?” I asked, shuffling closer to the front of the cart before grabbing myself a water bottle, taking small sips as I realized how thirsty I was.

“You’ve been out for quite a while; three days give or take...kept ya fed and watered and took care of any messes ya made...” he remarked, casting a glance over his shoulder before looking back to the road while a blush graced my cheeks.

“As for Manehatten, we’re still quite far off…” he said with a shrug and it was then I finally took a good look around, and blinked in surprise when I did.

We were no longer in the grassy green fields or forests near Ponyville, but instead walking alongside the train tracks that led through the arid and rather dusty San Palomino Desert towards Appleloosa and Dodge City. I was about to ask why we were out here before I realized something and rubbed my forehead.

Due to the route we’d taken, and the terrain, it was unlikely the cart would have gone through the Everfree. That left us with only two other routes. The first would have been to turn back towards Ponyville and loop around Canterlot, which wasn't really an option. The other route, while longer, took us around the Everfree, over Ghastly Gorge, and ultimately towards Dodge City...from there it was a week or so northwest travel that’d take us first to Fillydelphia and then to Manehatten!

It was long, yes, but much safer considering the portal at Canterlot was most likely still open and that the monsters there could have very well wandered down the mountain and began to spread out over Equestria...at least this way we’d be somewhat out of their way and hopefully reach Manehatten first since to get to there straight from Canterlot would require a more mountainous and slower route without the train.

“Anyway, ah was planning on stopping by at Appleloosa to refill on supplies and the like, besides ah gotta tell Braeburn ‘bout AJ and Bloom,” he continued, drawing me out of my thoughts as we came to a stop, having reached a fork in the tracks. One trail led east towards Dodge City which could already be seen, a spec on the horizon. The other led down south to Appleloosa which was much closer as its green orchard was already somewhat visible in the distance and, even further, the town itself.

“I suppose we should head there first to stock up on food and water, as well as to warn them about what happened.” I nodded in agreement before sitting back down and moving to pull Spike into a small hug. The small dragon gave no complaints and simply relaxed as I leaned back in the cart and sighed softly, letting my eyes slide closed.

“Alrighty then, to Appleloosa we go…” Mac stated, lifting a sandy hoof to wipe his brow before he began to march southwards towards the desert town. It seemed the idea of seeing his cousin encouraged him to move a little faster than he had been before...and I couldn't blame him. After all, he was the closest relative he had left in this part of Equestria!

After that, however, I rested my back against the cart before closing my eyes and relaxing in the sun. I hugged Spike close as the cart rattled quietly along; though I must have drifted off to sleep as the next thing I knew Mac’s face was greeting me when my eyes fluttered open. His eyes were still as cold and stony as they’d been since leaving the farm as he shook me awake.

I sat up, noting that Spike was curled up beside me sound asleep while Lyra was snickering and chortling at the back of the cart. She was propped up on her hind legs and giving me a rather gleeful smile.

“We gotta problem…” Mac whispered before turning my gaze away from Lyra and towards a sight that made my heart sink.

We were in the Appleloosan orchards, the trees vibrant shades of green and their branches filled with enough fruit to keep us fed for days...but that wasn't what took my breath away. A few feet away from us lay a crashed royal guard sky-carriage. The dusty ground around it was drenched in dried gore while a trio of ponies, one being a guard and another crippled, were crowded around a bloated corpse; their muzzles buried in its belly as they feasted.

It seemed as if the guards had been transporting ponies, most likely former citizens of Canterlot, away from the city and out to more secluded and safe locations to avoid any further casualties, but they must have picked up a bitten pony and crashed out here as a result. However, once I tore my gaze away from the sight I noticed two sets of bloodied hoof prints leading away from the crash and further south...straight towards Appleloosa.

“O-Oh no…” I mumbled, my mind racing. What if Appleloosa was gone? In a similar state to Ponyville or, heavens forbid, Canterlot? And then there was the possibility that other evacuation carriages had crashed near or around other cities and towns, that the flesh eating monsters had been unwittingly scattered to the four winds of Equestria and let loose!

“We need to deal with them and then head to Appleloosa. These things are slow and while it looks as if they’ve been here for a while it’s possible that we could reach the town before the two stragglers,” I whispered to Mac. He had also noticed the hoof tracks heading off towards town. He gave a small nod and un-hooked himself from the cart, glancing to the sword. 

“Ya’ll use whatever magic ya can...I’ll try and take one of em out with this here,” he stated before grabbing the blade's hilt between his teeth and bucking the cart. The jolt woke up Spike who, after noticing the trio of flesh eating monsters, gave a scream which caused the things to pull their blood soaked muzzles from the corpse's stomach. Each of them gave raspy moans and groans as they began to shamble towards us; biting at the air and stumbling around.

I was quick to hop to my hooves, gritting my teeth and lighting my horn. Charging a spell sent a surge of pain down along my spine. The effect had weakened from earlier, but it was still enough to daze me before I managed to fire off the lightning spell I’d used before. The bolt crackled as it flew through the air and finally collided with one of the creatures’ heads, making a loud ‘Clack’ as it collided. The body fell to the floor with a dull thud, twitching a little as the electricity coursed through its rotted body. I fell back onto my behind, rubbing my horn with a hiss while Lyra gave a taunting chuckle, clearly happy to see me still under the affects of her little spell.

It was then I watched Mac march forwards and make a swing for the guard, who’d managed to get somewhat close. Mac landed a clean strike upon his exposed neck, leaving a fine slice that drooled with thick brown blood before he made another swing. This time decapitating the groaning monster before watching the body fall and then the head. The latter tumbled to the ground and rolled off to the side, the mouth still biting at the air while its glassy eyes swirled in its sockets.

That left a single flesh eater, the creature looked much weaker than the previous two on account of a seemingly broken and torn ankle upon its right hind leg. The thing dragged itself along the trail with its forelegs while loud groans left its bloody lips. It moved slowly towards Mac who, with a shake of his head, approached the slow crawler and placed a hoof upon the back of its head, pinning it to the ground and, in one swift motion, drove the blade of his sword down into its skull. The body jolted for a moment before going still.

Mac then pulled his sword free and grimaced before he returned to the cart and tossed the weapon back onto it. He lifted a hoof to rub his jaw as I finally recovered from my little bout with magic-induced pain.

“That wasn't very pleasant...but at least they won’t be able to hurt anypony else.” I sighed, looking at the corpses and the still animated head, grimacing at the sight. It seemed as if even without a body the damn things refused to die.

“Eyup, but we can’t stay around here. We gotta get down to Appleloosa and see if everything's alright there.” Mac replied before I nodded and then switched my attention to Spike, who was sipping on water to try and calm down while Lyra merely sneered at me.

I ignored her and once more pulled spike close, offering him a small tired smile. “Relax, you have no reason to be afraid of them while me and Mac are around,” I whispered, nuzzling his cheek. The frightened drake slowly calmed down and buried his face into my chest, mumbling a few things I didn't understand before he fell back to sleep, snoring softly.

Mac had since hooked himself back up to the cart and began continuing onwards, making sure to crush the biting head under one of the wagon’s wheels as we went. It made a sound akin to that of a melon being crushed.

Now it was a straight line to Appleloosa, and I was silently praying to whatever divine being happened to be lending me their ear that the small desert town would be alright, that everypony there was safe and life was going on as normal.

But when we finally reached the outskirts, Mac brought the cart to a dead stop as we heard screams and shouts that pulled me from my thoughts. I found myself looking at something that made my stomach curl and my my eyes grow wide.

The streets of the small town were littered with bodies and stained with blood. Ponies darted around, screaming and shouting to one another as they were chased by their former friends and neighbors who had fallen prey to the flesh eating monsters.

However, the most shocking thing that caught my eye was the hulking brown-haired buffalo who was tearing through the rioting crowd. His body was covered with gashes and chunks of flesh were missing all over. The entire lower section of his face had been completely torn away leaving only his bloodied jawbones that snapped at anyone who got close.

However the scariest thing about him wasn't just his size and appearance. It was the fact that he was charging through the crowd, sending ponies and monsters alike flying into the air...and we were right in his path; a fact that justified the next words that left my lips.

“Oh shit…”