> At Equestria's End > by Camo > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Beginning of the end > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Camo sat under the bright gold and silver chandelier, sipping punch and watching the party go on before her. “Hey Cam! Like the punch?” Myth trotted up to Camo, who didn’t take notice of the noisy red Pegasus. “Best. Punch. Ever!” Camo chuckled. “Well, It IS pretty amazing. But, then again, it was made by me, so OF COURSE it is.” Myth boasted loudly. The two pegasai chatted wildly about the awesome party, when the bell for camo’s front gate rang. “But… everyone is here? Myth questioned. “Did you invite anyone else?” “No.” Camo said, puzzled. She flipped her short, green and brown mane and stood up, walking to the door. As soon as the door opened, everyone in the party was met by a horrible shrieking noise. Streaks, a unicorn that went to their high school, was madly clawing at the gate, attempting to get in. Six earth ponies were closing in on her. Camo watched with a questioning look, before gasping. The ponies had pure black eyes. Camo raced to the gate, but it was too late. One of the ponies had grabbed Myth and bit into her throat, sending blood flying onto the white wooden panes of her fence. Streaks eyes rolled to the back of her head, then she stopped breathing. The music had stopped. All of the party guests were crammed at the windows, watching the horrors unfurl. Gretchly, the lavender unicorn, was losing her guts into a vase holding fake roses. Then, without warning, Streaks stood up. “But she was dead!” Asher squeaked. “Her eyes!” Myth gasped. Streaks eyes had turned black, like the other ponies and her cutie mark, previously a question mark had turned into a black 'X'. Streaks smiled, then everything inside the cloud mansion erupted into pandemonium. Camo, the only level-headed one, was trying to shout over the top of everyone before screaming. “Everyone! Calm the buck down!” Everyone in the cloud house froze. “Something is going on, and we need to stay level headed to get through this.” “This can’t be happening!” Blue Lilly cried, and Asher put her hoof around her, trying unsuccessfully to calm the bawling blue Pegasus. “What are we supposed to do? Scott asked. “Well, we obviously need weapons, because those things are going to kill us. We need to defend ourselves!” Myth stepped forward. “This is like those stupid zombie movies, where only one pony survives.” Lilac Pageturner said softly. “Well, all of us are surviving this. Even at the cost of my own life, I swear none of you are going to die” Camo shouted. “Well, at least none of us are going to die while I’m around!” Myth did a flying backflip, spreading her giant purple and red wings, then landing in a karate stance. “Thankyou for that display! Now can we hurry up and find supplies so we can get out of here?!” Aimee said rolling her bat-pony eyes dramatically. Ten minutes later, everyone was assembled in the living room with sacs full of supplies, withvarying degrees of usefulness. “Now, Pageturner, do you REALLY think that we need that many books?” Camo asked her unicorn friend. “How else are we supposed to live?! Besides, they are the stupid books I found in Myths room, the ones about the zombie apocalypse and all of that crap.” Pageturner explained. “Okay then… Wait, Myth! Why do you have so many knives?” Camo rolled her eyes. “How else are we supposed to live?” Myth cried, mimicking Pageturner’s pleas. “Let’s just hope that everyone else brought stuff that is more convenient than a sack of knives. You know we don’t need that many?” Camo giggled. Camo went through the sacks, and found most of the stuff useable. Most of the stuff. “Gretchly! We don’t need makeup during a zombie apocalypse!” “But! I NEED IT! PLEEEEASE!” “Fiiiiiiiiine. But you are carrying it, and when you run out we aren’t stopping at the shopping centre to get more.” Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered around the front door, going over the plan to get to Camo’s neighbours truck. “Okay, who is going to drive?” Camo asked. “I will! Then I can squish heads, no matter if they are zombie or not! Hehe” Myth cackled evilly. “Yeah, no. I am not trusting you behind any wheels after you say that! How about you drive?” Camo asked Scott. “Okay.” He said abruptly. “Bookworm? I need you to help get everything in the truck, while Myth, Asher, Aimee and I fight them off. Everyone else gets the supplies into the back of the truck. After, we need two pegasai on top of the truck, in case any zombies get too close for comfort. That can be Myth and I. Everyone know what they are doing?” Camo asked briskly. “Gee, Cam. Since when did you get so commando?” Myth asked sarcastically. “It’s in the name.” She said back with a grin. “Camo as in Camouflage.” “Whoa, whoa, wait. Why am I going to help fight of the zombies?” Aimee asked rudely. “You are a bat-pony. You have claws at the end of your wings to help you fight, so it’s either you fight, or you get left behind. EVERYONE is going to do their part. Questions? No? Good. We go in three… two…” Everyone in the room tensed, preparing themselves to run. The four combat pegasai tightened their grip on the knives. “One!” Camo shouted. Everyone ran towards the fence, slicing their way through the waves of zombie-ponies coming towards them. Myth let out a scream that made everyone panic. Camo looked back to see myth covered in blood, and she had a smile on her face that belonged in a mental institution. “Hehe… I KILLED Streaks. AGAIN!” She laughed hysterically, then abruptly stopped. Metres in front of Myth was a red Pegasus with a spiky rainbow mane. “B-B-Badass?” Myth squeaked. She looked at her boyfriend, only, he wasn't himself anymore. “What are you doing? You’re gonna get killed!” Camo swooped down to get Myth, then grabbed her, flying her over to the truck and set her down. After triple-checking that she was out of zombie reach, Camo flew back to the others, helping cull the zombies assembling in Camo’s front yard. Three minutes later, all of the zombies had either been decapitated, or had holes where their brains should have been. Camo double checked they were dead by stepping on their skulls, crushing them upon impact. Flying back to the truck she stopped. Myth was still sitting on top of the semi-trailer, crying. Myth didn’t react, even when Camo softly nudged her in the ribs. “Hey Myth, are you OK? You know what? Scrap that. Myth. WILL you be OK? You need to be! Everypony in this truck is relying on you.” “I killed them. I killed innocents. They had people that loved them! Families even! THEY WERE INNOCENT! AND I KILLED THEM!” Myth broke into another fit of tears. “I killed Sapphire Sword. She was my buddy from year 12 boot camp two years ago. She couldn’t make it to the party, but she came anyway. Well, she came to eat the guests, but still. Look, the point is, we NEED to kill those zombies. They are no longer ponies. And even if you brought them back, would they want to live, knowing what they did? Myth, there is a large group of ponies out there fighting so they can survive. Yes, they are holding knives, but only YOU can hold a knife and smile. Only you can be happy whilst covered in blood. Don’t you get it? We NEED you! We need you Myth!” Camo hugged her best friend, then wiped a tear from her eye with the tip of her hoof. Myth smiled, the stood up, the look of hopelessness replaced with a look of bravado. “I hope you saved some zombies for me cuz there is a patch on my knife that isn’t red.” Myth laughed. Whilst they were sitting, looking at the stars, the truck lurched forward, and their journey began. At that very moment, Camo felt as if everything was fine. As long as the people she cared about were happy, she was happy. Even if it costs my life Camo thought I will protect all of the people I care about. Even through death I will stick to my word. Even through death. > A loss, then a flame > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Myth’s point of view* “Myth! Come up here! We have a surprise for you!” Camo called from the top of the red truck. “I’m coming!” Myth called back, slipping a knife into her leather jacket. “Gotta be prepared, in case one of those stupid flesh eating no-brained THINGS decide they are gonna eat me.” Myth whispered, then flew through the entrance to the truck container. *Camo’s point of view* Camo watched as Myth flicked her giant red and purple wings delicately, then stumbled and fell on top of her wing. Camo rushed to the red Pegasus, then dropped to her side. “What’s the matter?” Myth rolled over, then Camo grabbed her wing lightly, checking for damage. “Looks like you damaged some of your flight feathers.” Lilac Pageturner said from behind a large object covered with a large white sheet. “Oh! What is that?” Myth asked, getting up onto her hooves with the help of Camo. “It’s your surprise, stupid.” Camo rolled her eyes dramatically at her friend. Myth walked over to the object, then grabbed the edge of the cloth delicately with her teeth. She tugged at the cloth, sending it flying backwards, then settling on the ground to reveal a black Harley Davidson. “What?!” Myth cried, tears leaking from her red eyes. “While you decided to sleep until 11, we all stopped at your house for stuff, and we found this in the garage! And look at the wheels! That was Wolf Wind’s idea. Do you like?” Camo said proudly while pointing at the spikes protruding from the wheels. “Oh My Celestia! I LOVE YOU GUYS!” Myth called a group hug. “Hehe. Now I can slice zombie flesh! Make them pay for what they did to Badass.” “So, I don’t mean to interrupt the touchy-feely moment, but we have a truck full of food and ponies of varying degrees of skill when fighting zombies, but where are we going with this truck of food and ponies? We can’t just stay on the road forever! We’ll need fuel!” Gretchly pointed out. “We need to go to Canterlot. We could find either Celestia, because of her limitless magic, or Twilight, for her science knowledge, then Bookworm and Pageturner could help her, while the rest of us either fight off the zombies, or help give medical attention in the castle. Everyone know what they are doing as soon as we get to the Canterlot Castle gates? Good.” Camo went over the plan. “You know what? I think Myth was right. You seriously go Commando over this stuff.” Scott pointed out. “If it keeps us all alive, then it is necessary. Everyone back into the truck cabin. Myth, you stay up here, and grab some snacks from Asher, she said she was cooking bacon” and with that, Myth bolted into the “truck cabin” and was back with a plate of bacon in seconds. “Myth! That was all of the bacon we had left! Did you really need the full kilogram?” Asher asked, tapping her grey hoof impatiently. “Yeth brcf I fike bercohn.” Myth replied with a full mouth. “And in English you said?” Asher replied, rolling her eyes. “She said ‘yes, because I like bacon’”. Scott informed the angry grey Pegasus climbing on top of the truck. “You know we can’t stop until we get to Canterlot, and that is a good three hours away.” Asher snapped. Then, Myth and Asher broke into a wild argument about how valuable bacon was. Camo just sat there, trying to make sense out of their chaotic bickering, but was suddenly thrown backwards, almost falling off the truck. Hanging on to the edge, she peered over the side, to see a group of six zombies, and about thirty coming towards them in the distance. Camo raced to Myth’s pile of bloodied knives, and jumped off the edge of the truck. As soon as she dropped to the floor, she sliced the neck of a Pegasus zombie, making its blood splash over Camo’s brown coat. As it dropped to the floor, Camo stepped on its skull then quickly dealt with four more in the same manner. Just before she took the knife out of the unicorn’s skull, the last zombie grabbed Camo’s hind leg and bit into it, making Camo scream. The last thing Camo heard was Myth bellow like a wild beast, then the sound of blood splatting along the side of the trailer. Through Camo’s clouded vision, all she could see was Candy Fizz picking her up with her yellow magic aura, then carrying her limp body into the truck trailer, then everything went black. *Myth’s point of view* Myth watched with red-rimmed eyes, as Candy Fizz carried Camo’s limp body into the trailer of the truck, her magic aura fizzing out every couple of seconds from the sheer weight of the full grown mare, even as an allicorn. The blood had stopped pouring out of Camo’s numerous cuts and the large bite mark. Lilac Pageturner barged everyone out of the way, and held her ear against Camo’s chest. “She’s not too good. We have to get her to the Canterlot hospitals before it’s too late.” She said softly. “What do you mean too late? Camo is going to survive.” Myth shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks, washing away the blood of the zombie that had done this to Camo. “She’s not gonna die.” Scott grumbled. Bookworm used his magic to bring over rolls of bandages, and helped Lilac clean up some of the blood, some of which wasn't even hers. Then Aimee went white. “Wh-why isn't her chest moving? She has to be breathing.” Aimee panicked. “No, she isn't dead.” Candy Fizz said quietly. “What? No. He he, no. She’s not dead. She’ll wake up any minute now!” Myth said, tears streaming down her red cheeks. Myth raced to Camo’s side and pressed her ear against her chest, to hear nothing. No heartbeat. No breathing. All she felt was Camo’s ice cold chest, covered in sticky, half-dried blood, mixing with the tears streaming down her face. She closed her eyes. Lifting her head from Camo’s chest, she straightened up, then opened her eyes, revealing the whites of her eyes yellow, and red smoke streaming from her eyes, similar to the way King Sombra’s had during his reign. Spreading her wings, she stared at Camo. After thirty seconds, everyone gasped as Camo stood up, and shook her head. “He he, guys! I had the weirdest dream. I died!” Camo giggled, and looked around. “Why does everypony look like they witnessed somepony die? And why is there a magic aura coming out of your eyes? Myth?” Camo walked up to Myth, who stood still. “BUBBLES!” Camo shouted into Myths ear, then the Pegasus snapped out of her trance. “Um, Camo? You DID die!” Blue Lilly said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Oh.” Camo said, shaking her head. “Look, we need to get to Canterlot before those storm clouds get to us. The last thing we need is hail ripping through the truck.” Aimee said matter-of-factly. “Then let’s go!” Myth grumbled. “But we better be stopping for bacon.” “You know… I was wondering why you didn't change after you got bit, like Streaks did.” Bookworm questioned. “I'm not sure.” Lilac thought deeply. "Who cares, She's alive! Now we go get the bacon!" Myth cried out. "Supplies..." Bookworm corrected, but was smacked in the face by her multi-coloured tail. "Bacon." Bookworm said nothing as he held his cheek.