> Grounds for the Dead: A L4D2 Story
>  by SCP Pinkamena
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: You Zombie Bastards!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Grounds for the Dead: Prologue


"Ahhhh! I need some help!" A well toned southern accent said. He was dangling from the edge of the bridge and he knew that if he let go, it would be the end for him. 

"Don't worry son, I got ya!" Said a voice that belonged to a somewhat fat black man who was wearing a purple and yellow blood stained polo shirt, on his hands were a pair of biker gloves, and he was also bald and had stubble on his face. 

"C'mon, Ellis! we don't have all day! Any second they're gonna blow this bridge to Holy Hell!" A New York accent called from behind the dark skinned man. Ellis was hanging from the bridge before the dark skinned man and the New York gambler helped him up.

"I-I owe you guys Nick, Coach..." Ellis said thanking them for saving his ass. They nodded before getting interrupted by a dark skinned women getting smashed into a nearby truck. They stood for half a second before they ran towards her.

"Help, Chargers' got me!" She yelled as she was slammed into the ground. Gunshots were heard from the other three as the shot the Charger dead to the ground. She stumbled at first before she regained her balance. She wore a pink shirt that had and skinny jeans that would kill the testies of any man. Her hair was messed but one could see the scrunchy in her hair if the looked close. 

"You OK Rochelle?" Ellis asked and in response she looked up and shot a Common running behind him and the others. 

"I am now..." She said and gathered her rifle that she had dropped. With a confident smile and a killer look in all of their eyes, they set out for the other side of the bridge where the helicopter was waiting for them. Nick, Ellis, Coach and Rochelle had been through just about every type of hell one could think. A burning apartment building they had all been staying in, a small town just outside of Savannah, a deadly carnival, a large plantation field, a sugarcane field that was FULL of Witches, and now they were fighting their way through a bridge that had been long since forgotten until the military showed up and started bombing everything. 

Coach had a sniper rifle and took position and aimed for the Commons heads. They all exploded in a wonderful rain of blood, skull fragments, and grey matter. After signaling it was clear, the survivors met with a familiar but frighting to see sight. 

"Spitter!" Ellis yelled as he shot it with his M-16 rifle. The Spitter fell down dead leaving a small pool of acidic spit. After it burned itself out, they ran to the center structure of the bridge and started crossing before a loud throaty roar was heard above them. 

"Oh, shit! Get ready! We gotta TANK!" Coach yelled as the other three took aim and fired at the Tank. It roared in defiance to be subdued by the four and their bullets. The Tank grew annoyed and in response to them throwing led at him, he threw concrete at them.

"Watch out!" Nick yelled as the large rock struck where he and Rochelle were standing. 'Holy shit!' Nick thought as he round the car and began shooting. The Tank grew weaker and weaker before finally his knees buckled and he fell backwards. It let out one last grunt before its head went to the turned to the side and it went limp. After seeing their success they then ran toward the helicopter only to be stopped by another Infected. 

"Boomer!" Rochelle yelled as she shoved it down to the ground and shot it mid-fall. Green and red chunks went everywhere around the spot the Boomer exploded, and Nick could swear he got bile in his mouth. He spit it out quickly and turned to the rest of the group.

"Did you know, that Boomer puke tastes like whole sale ass that's been sitting out for twenty years?" He said as he hocked more of it up and spit on the ground again. "God, I never, in all my life wanted to eat Boomer puke. Intentionally or otherwise," He said with one last spit and walked to the rest of the barely held together group. Besides Nick, they were all trying hard not to laugh at the gambler. Nick rolled his eyes and ran to the helicopter, and the rest of the group of rag tag heroes followed suit. The pilot heard as well as saw them climb into the back of the transport bay and closed the hatch. 

Another Tank was running across the bridge along, with a Hunter, Boomer, Spitter, Jockey, Charger, Smoker and close behind after being disturbed by the bombs going off was a Witch. The eight Infected ran and jumped across the bridge, dead determined to kill anything that wasn't infected. When they saw the helicopter take off they stopped looking at it. The Tank, Charger and Hunter all gave howls and roars seeing their prizes take off. The Witch had stopped and was now screaming at the helicopter as if to be quite and the Smoker and Spitter were trying to hit it with their long ranged attacks. The Jockey gave out a mix between a laugh and a series of screams and the Boomer gurgled in defiance watching the helicopter fly away. 

The Tank gave a bellow before picking up a slab of concrete, but before he could throw it, a loud sound was heard from the sky.

WOOOSH!

They waited; everything silent and still...

.......KABOOOM!!!

From the helicopter Nick looked out the window and saw the bridge blown to high hell.

"Take that you zombie bastards..." He said with a grin adorned on his face before he nodded to the rest of the group and they cheered, for they had survived the zombie apocalypse and only came out with (a few) large scratches.  
> When One Door Closes, Another Opens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter One



.......KABOOOM!!!

Bright light.

Searing pain.

Melting flesh.

Burning hair.

These are things they felt. They're not supposed to feel pain, nor are they supposed understand what pain meant. But they understood it. They understood it good.

The bridge they were standing on fell to piece around them, along with flying cars and broken trailers falling on them. Spitter was the first to go, she was crushed by a wire holding the bridge up. Hunter attempted to jump away, but was caught in the middle of the explosions. Boomer was very careful not to let anything touch him but alas he died too after having a half-ton slab of concrete drop on his form. Witch hated the loud noises, but she knew they was no escape for her. So she stood waiting for the bridge to tumble from underneath her. Smoker, being the tallest, was sent over the bridge into the water were a bone-crushing fall met his body.

Jockey, the shortest of the group if you don't count the Hunter crouching, was jumping from falling slab to falling slab in hopes to stay alive, he met his doom by a simple slip up. He was smeared like ketchup on a hamburger. Tank and Charger, being the toughest of the eight, stood their grounds waiting like the Witch. The Charger put his hulking right arm on the Tanks shoulder and simply nodded, and in return the Tank huffed out a grunt of acknowledgement. They watched as their world, their home crumbled to pieces around them.

__________

Singing birds.

Warm sunlight.

Wind blowing.

Trees groaning.

The sickly green unicorn pony opened his eyes ever so slightly to reveal a that he was in a small forest. But what surprised him even more was he heard other animals. A small herd of rabbits and hares went by as fast as their little feet could carry. He tried standing on two legs and fell over on his side. He hacked up another cough that could bring up anyone's lungs, and tried again attempting to go on his hands and knees. Only he had no hands. He let out a startled cough and shut his eyes and shook his head. 

He opened his eyes again thinking that he was seeing things...or that the uninfected cut his hands off. He looked down at the stubs that used to be his hands and found that they weren't stubs but more like hooves. He heard a growl of pain, and looked to his side. Their, writhing on the ground, was a small hooded pegasus pony. He looked at the pegasus before he coughed loudly getting his attention. The hooded pony looked at the sickly unicorn who coughed again.

The pegasus walked over to him, having the look of concern in his eyes.* The hooded pony walked around him like a wolf stalking a stag, and sniffed. He could immediately smell the old cigarette smell, he jumped and tackled the pony in a bone crushing hug. The unicorn patted his head before the pegasus fell to the ground again, clearly exhausted.

"Where are we?" He said thinking out load. His voice was raspy as if needing air when he said one word. The hooded pony shrugged on the ground.

"I don't know," He said. His voice was much like the accent in Manhattan. He stopped think for a second. "Wait a minute, Smoker, you talked!" He said pointing at Smoker. Smoker was somewhat surprised to see that Hunter had a brain... or what was left of it anyway.

"...So am I! How are we talking?" Hunter asked looking for answers. Smoker was figuratively the smartest one in the group of eight infected, but even he had no clue. Smoker only shrugged and walked up to Hunter before placing a hoof on his head. Hunter looked up at Smoker silent asking where they were. He could only shake his head. They both heard an insane laugh of about three feet away. They looked back to see Jockey looking at them while containing his laugh to make it a giggle and the look on his face was almost alarming to them because on his face was an eternal smile that would never leave his face.

"Hiya!" He screamed. Jockey's voice was shrill and scratchy like he need a drink of water. The other two only gave nervous grins and waved slowly as Jockey came out and sat down with them. His coat was white and he had a red-orange mane and tail. His eye twitched every second or so, and he would giggle at nothing. 

"It... hurts..." He thought to himself. Everything he did hurt. Walking, talking, jumping, clawing at the uninfected faces, and worst of all smiling. His eternal smile was the thing that hurt most. No matter what he did, it was always their. And it hurt.

All.

The.

Time.

He giggled again and let out a silent sigh. Hunter was still sitting with Smoker until a gurgling sound reached his ears. Off in the distance, he could see two other ponies. One that had a girth problem that would make every fat person seem skinny, another had a massive left forearm that looked like it could break through buildings. Hunter perked up and looked at Smoker.

"Look! The others!" He said as he leaped from his spot over to the other two 'Specials'. He landed dead infront of the fat pony and smiled at him knowing who it was. "Hello, Boomer," He said still smiling because he knew his friends were here.

"Hunter? Is that you?" Boomer asked. His voice was droopy and sounded almost in a mocking tone. His coat was blue and his mane was a small and black. Hunter nodded and gave the large pony a hug. Surprisingly, Boomer did not explode, nor did he up-chuck anything over or on Hunter. Boomer pushed Hunter of of him and turned his attention to the two others on the other side of the pond. He waved and they waved back at him. Hunter turned to the larger stallion with the hulking left forearm. They looked at each other for what felt like forever before Hunter put out his hoof. 

The large pony looked down at the hoof, backed up and sent his out as well. The hooves touched, making an audible 'clop'.

"It really is you Charger," Hunter said putting his hoof down. 

"Aye, that I be," Charger said. His voice and accent had a lick of southern, but still had an Irish tone to it. His coat, like Jockey, was white. The only difference being is that he had no mane or tail, and that his hooves were visible.*  Hunter smirked and was about to say something before being cut off by a loud splash. He, Boomer, and Charger looked at the pond to see a mare with a somewhat long neck and long mane spring up from the water. Her coat, like Smokers, was sickly but instead of green it was yellow. Glowing green spit trailed from her mouth and was leaking into the water dissipating quickly.

She coughed up water from lungs before breathing very heavily. She shook her head and her eyes came to rest on the other five. She looked back down a the lake to see her reflection and looked back up at the others. Smoker coughed and Hunter did the 'Sorta' shrug. Charger, Jockey and Boomer were talking at the time didn't notice Spitter. She dragged herself out of the pond and sighed.

"OK, where are we?" She said. Her voice was scratchy, but then again that's what you get for having acid spit. She looked at her companions and they all shrugged. She sighed again, and sat on her haunches. Fun fact about Spitter, she can be disappointed easily. As she was about to say something, a loud groan and weak sob cut her off. Every member of the group knew who and what made those sounds. 

They watched as a large, muscle bound pony with a tan-brown pony and a little sliver and grey pegasus came into the clearing where the pond was. The hulking mass of pony looked down at the others and then snort of what almost sounded like laughter. 

"You are all tiny ponies..." Tank said as he gave off a deep chuckle.* The others gawked at him. He was huge, and his mane was cut short like Boomer. They then fixed their gazes on the little pegasus, her coat was grey and her mane sliver. Unlike Hunter, her wings looked as if they had been torn and stripped of flesh leaving several sharp appendages. She silently sobbed and her eyes unlike the other slightly glowed. Her voice even though she was sobbing, was soothing and caring. Tank glared at Charger before bring his muscle bound forearm up and once again, an audible 'clop' was heard. 

Smoker coughed loudly again getting their attention. "So, now that we're all back together... where are we?" He said. Their guess was as good as his.
> Meeting the Ponies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Two



The eight Infected wandered their way through the forest, Hunter noticed something move in the trees and leaped up to grab it. While the others thought he was going after a squirrel, what came out of the trees instead were three little fillies. One yellow, one white, one orange. 

"AHHH!" They all screamed as the fell one by one on the ground. The group of eight could see stars coming from their heads as they were dazed. All three shook their heads and when they looked up to see Jockey's eternal smile. For whatever reason, it scared them the way how he smiled, and what scared them even more was his insane laughing. He waved at them very frantically like he was waving a burn away on his han- er hoof. The three fillies smiled nervously and waved back. Jockey opened his mouth to say something but was cut of from Charger.

"Look at what you're doing! You're scaring them to death you stupid ingrate!" Charger said smashing Jockey down to the ground. While Jockey felt the pain, he laughed none the less.

"Hehehe...Sorry hehehehehe..." He said while still laughing as if he heard the most funniest joke in the world. Charger only groaned and grabbed Jockey and flung him the back of the group. He turned to the three shaking fillies, and did a slight bow.

"I apologize if Jockey scared any of you, he's just... excitable," Charger said the three fillies on the ground. They were scared of this 'Jockey' pony, but now looking at this pony seeing his massive left forearm that he used to crush and throw Jockey with was now the most terrifying thing they've ever seen. They all had the look in their eyes, one the Smoker saw.

Fear.

"Wait, Charger move," Smoker told him as he turned with a snarling look on his face. Smoker knowing he had no chance against Charger still held his ground. "Please?" He added after their intense staring competition. Charger looked at him and back at the fillies. With a heavy sigh he moved out of the way and Smoker nodded in thanks.

"Look, Charger's right. Jockey here is just excitable. He wouldn't hurt a fl- he wouldn't crush a an an-..." Smoker trailed off at that moment because what he was saying wasn't really true. They all hurt, hell they killed stuff that wasn't them. He looked at the rest of group from some kind of support until he heard one of the fillies call out.

"Holy sweet Celestia! What happened to your wings?!" The orange filly yelled and made her way to Witch. Even Tank's eyes grew wide as the other seven stepped in-front of her, effectively cutting her off. She stopped at the sight of them all shaking their heads at her telling her not get closer.

"And why shouldn't I? Look at her! We need to get her to a hospital!" She screamed in protest and charged through them all. Due to her small build and size, she was easily able to get through them. Witch was a lonely soul, and she liked it that way. She does not like loud sounds, nor does she like being touched by anything, and on that day all three rules were broken. 

Witch looked up from her sitting position taking a gasp of air. She saw the little filly with wings, and she looked back at her own. Unlike the fillies her wings were six long appendages, three on each side. On the end of each one, it went from red to bone white and unlike the orange filly and Hunter her's didn't fold. Witch could control each individual appendage, she moved each one like how a person would tap the fingers on a table. She since stopped sobbing but a new sound came out of her mouth.

"W-wings..." She said. Everyone stopped and looked at Witch. She spoke! It was like watching a new born say its first word. Her voice was silky smooth, and her tone was soft. Her eyes were once again glowing, but with a softer hue yellow-green that the deadly orange-red. Looking at the filly with a smile, she stood up and slowly made her way to filly. 

"I'm...Witch..." She said, each words hesitant and her voice was just above a whisper. The filly smiled softly and extended her hoof to her.

"My names' Scootaloo," Scootaloo said as Witch put her hoof in hers. Witch for some reason, felt something she had never felt before and Smoker saw it her eyes as well as everyone else.

Joy.

Witch felt joy for once in her cold, miserable life. The spark in her heart went to her throat and out of her throat came a scream. Everyone besides Tank and Charger put their hooves up to their ears in attempt to block her screaming. She stopped almost as fast she started and began laughing, not Jockey's insane laugh, but a laugh of happiness. Hunter looked down from the tree the three fillies were in and smiled to himself. 

"Well," Smoker interrupted. "we know your name, but you two?" He asked the two remaining fillies. 

"Ahm Applebloom!"

"I'm Sweetie Belle!"

"And together we're..." They began and took a deep breath.

"The Cutie-Mark Crusaders!!!" They screamed in unison. The seven ponies expected Witch to be on them in an instant instead they found her clapping her hooves together like a little child. They all sighed a breath a relief... except Smoker he coughed.

"Tell us little ponies, where is town?" Tank asked. Even though he had butchered speech, they still understood what he meant. They pointed in the direction of the town and they eventually followed them and what they saw was...

Nothing more than a small town. Once again a sigh of relief.

"Whut? Were you expecting some run down town were the dead walk the earth?" Applebloom asked and that caused all eight to look away very quickly. She looked at them and then fell on the ground laughing her head off. Pretty soon Boomer began laugh, then Spitter then soon the group of eleven started laughing, only to be broken by Smoker coughing. 

"OK, now that that's over, what is this place?" Spitter asked. 

"This is Ponyville! Where did you guy's live before?" She asked them. They were hesitant, until Tank came out and towered over them.

"Not important..." He said as he stepped over them. He stopped for a minute and looked around before turning back around. 

"Where we going?" Tank asked as the Crusaders took lead and showed them around town.
> Being Human: Hunter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Special chapters are labeled as "Being Human: [Insert Infected]". These Special chapters will tell how they got infected and turned into Special infected, but each one will be relatively short. About 400-800 words. So now enter the first Special chapter at your own risk...
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Chapter: Being Human



Being on the streets of Manhattan isn't easy. Some need to fight their way out, some have incredible luck. Others however, rely on being invisible. That's what Hunter, or better known as Alex Flanner, did. He would hide under his hood and walk the streets as a nobody. He would avoid big streets and corners, watch out for the 'Dogs', and sometimes even joined their crowds and deceive them. But today was different. He saw others eating each other and people killing them to stay alive. This 'Green Flu' was outta hand. He sized up some of them and being ever clever as he was, tried to blend in with the infected. Once had he been almost shot until he got on the ground and begged.

That saved his life in more ways then one. He watched as some of the shamblers ran full sprint after a passing car. His mind was racing after he felt, one, two, three brush against his form. All he did was stand there waiting for them to leave and when they did he ran the opposite direction. He brushed what he could off his hoodie and then the thought came to him. Those who had escaped the infected became infected themselves after a single brush. He looked down at his hands and searched desperately for some thing to help. He spotted a lone roll of duct tape, and the thought came to him.

"Stop the blood stream, stop the infection," He said out loud as he grabbed it and wrapped it around his arms. When  he was satisfied, something happened all of the sudden. His thought was fogged and his head hurt from the slightest sound. He slowly began losing himself and only one thought came to his mad mind.

"Hunger... Infect..." His conscience said over and over. He felt his fingers sharpen as bone and nail fused together, his legs burned so bad that he felt as though he ran a marathon nine time over. His eyes sunk into the back of his head leaving in the dark of his hood. With one loud screech, he jumped to the nearest building in hopes to kill and maim anything uninfected.



_________________________________________________________________________________________

As Hunter threw the memory from his past life away, he watched as the colorful sights and different colored ponies walked by and looked at the group in shock. He did not mind for he wondered if he could spread the Green Flu here too, or were they immune to such things? he did not know, but that was answer he didn't want to find out.
> Avoid All Contact With Infected Individuals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Three


With the CMC in the lead, the eight infected were looking at the ponies that were passing by.

They saw surprise.

They saw fear.

They saw hatred.

They didn't mind though, it was the same back on Earth. Fear, hatred surprise, the only thing missing out of the bunch was one thing, regret.

Back on Earth where the infection was in full bloom, anyone still alive regretted killing their loved ones and friends. Mothers killed their children, children killed their parents and friends. It was a horrible thing to watch, and they didn't want to go back anytime soon. As the infected saw the different reaction from each pony that passed, they all heard a way too familiar sound...

....WOOSH!  

The eight infected broke out in a full sprint to get under something as fast as possible, knocking over tables, stands, and other ponies in the process. While the CMC were confused why they suddenly ran away the answer came to them. 

Literally.

"Hey guys! What's up?" A cyan pegasus said with a rainbow mane and tail to match. Her cutie mark had a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt coming from the bottom. Scootaloo jumped and hugged her as tightly as the filly could.

"Rainbow Dash! Oh, how awesome is this!" She shouted while Rainbow patted her head to let go. When the filly did comply she looked around as if she was missing something.

"Who were those ponies following you? They looked ready to beat the living hay outta ya!" She said in a (slightly) concerned voice. 

"We found them in Whitetail Woods," Sweetie said as innocently as possible. Rainbow snorted at this. No way in tartarus could ponies who look like that live in-

She stopped her her thought when she heard nearby crying. She looked and adjusted her ears in the right angle to know where the crying was coming from. She barely caught it a glimpse of a sliver tail moving from her sight. She followed the sobs as they became louder and louder.

What she saw terrified and shocked her to disbelieve. A small sliver and grey pegasus was crying her hooves covering her eyes. She was skinny, almost skin and bone, but what really shocked Dash was her wings. Her wings had looked to have been stripped from any know feather, skin, and muscle leaving only a six appendages that looked as though they could tear through anything that got in their way.

As she slowly made her way to her, Rainbow Dash looked around to see if those others ponies were around. When the cost was clear she cautiously walked towards her.

"Hey... are you alright? I-I'm gonna get you to a hospi-" She was cut off at the sound of her gasping and her crying turning more into groans, then growls Rainbow slowly backed up the growls turning to groans, and then crying. When she backed up enough she bumped into something... or so she thought.

The first rumble came like thousands of fire crackers were set off at once. She trembled under the sound, and his snorts and grunts froze her still. She slowly looked back and... what she saw she couldn't describe. A giant muscle bound pony twice the size of Big Macintosh loomed over her. His coat was a tannish brown, and his main was short and dark. 

"Move," The giant mass of pony said to her. She stiffened and stayed in the same spot. She could see his eye twitch, he slowly raised his right forearm and she shut her eyes waiting to be crushed under it.  She saw her life flash, her parents were there, she could hardly remember them. Tears in her eyes soon began falling to the ground and then she felt it.

"PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!" She screamed as the hoof made contact. She suddenly felt... soft. She opened her eyes to see that she was on the ground laying in the grass, perfectly fine. She looked up and down her form to see if anything out of the ordinary only to find nothing more than a grass stain on her coat. She looked over to the giant, see him walking over to where the pegasus was crying. She saw as he turned with her on his back, as she still continued to cry. 

"Good job Tank! You found Witch!" Smoker said as Tank lowered himself just enough for Witch to climb off his back. Witch muttered a silent thanks before she walked to the other five and went to the middle of the group. Tank followed and as he went back to the group he past Rainbow Dash still on the ground. They stared for what seemed like eternity, before Tank put his hoof out to help her up. 

She looked at the hoof hesitantly before taking it and pulling herself up. Tank grunted and followed the rest of the infected through town.

"I've gotta warn Twilight and the others..." She said before she flew off towards Twilight Sparkles house. 

Twilight Sparkle was home sitting happily, reading a book. She was just getting to the good part of the book before a loud crash shot through her window. She only sighed, placed a book mark, and turned around to the fallen pegasus.

"What is it you want Rainbow Dash?" She said not surprised nor startled by the fact Dash broke through her windows. Rainbow Dash was huffing like Winona after she and AJ wrangled the cattle that got spooked.

"Fr-fre..." Rainbow breathed still catching her breath. Twilight had never seen Rainbow like this before, the most athletic pegasus she knew was catching her breath like she had a brush with death. 

"Rainbow tell me, what is wrong?" Twilight asked again her voice sounding very concerned for her friend. Rainbow looked up the the book smart unicorn before she said one thing that would making even the princess herself blush.

"Fuckin' freaks in Ponyville..." She said before collapsing as exhaustion took a firm grip on her body.    
> Dead on Arrival...Sorta
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Four


Twilight, being the most level headed, calm, studious, and most optimistic unicorn in Equestria, was now reduced to a blubbering, stuttering, and wide eyed foal who had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. Rainbow Dash had just collapsed in front of her! Is she hurt? Is she in pain in any kind? 

"Rainbow! Rainbow Dash, please wake up and tell me! What do you mean 'freaks in Ponyville?'" She asked Rainbow, but she did not respond for the exhaustion gripped her like a vise. Twilight lifted her with her magic and set her down in her bed. How could this happen?! With a quick look at her friend, she found only a rather large grass stain on the side of her coat, other than that she looked perfectly fine. 

She covered her friend in the blanket, and looked outside to see what had Rainbow all tied up. She heard several voices and loud stomps on the ground that she could feel all the way up to her horn. 

"Where we?" A voice said in a butchered vocabulary, his voice strong and throaty but also choked up.

"Why we're at the library silly! Ah'm pretty sure Twi's home," A small southern voice said. Twilight recognized it as one filly.

"Applebloom..." Twilight Sparkle said with the sudden realization that her and her friends might be in potential danger.

Right Outside The Door 

The eight infected ponies all stared the library up and down. Smoker looked at the height of the tree, remembering when he would climb to buildings and strangling survivors with his tongue. Hunter wondered how high he could jump off the tree and land on the uninfected and see how much damage he could do. While they reminisced on old memories, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo already made their way to the door. They knocked repeatedly before they were glowing with a wine red aura. 

All three were standing there before they vanished only to find themselves inside the library. While they looked in confusion, they were suddenly lifted and plopped (quite harshly) and in the sight of an extremely agitated Twilight Sparkle.* She looked the Crusaders with intensity and came close to them.

"Who are they?" She asked, her voice cracking. Two of the Crusaders looked at her with a scared looked, while Applebloom reached up and slapped her back to her studious self. Twilight blinked and looked back at Applebloom.

"Thank you, I needed that," She said smiling sheepishly at the fillies. Applebloom only waved it off and once again the thumping on the ground continued. It was then followed by a throaty bellow from behind the front door. Twilight's eyes widened and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. What in the wide world of Equestria could do that?! It came again only louder than last time. As she got closer to the door, she could hear a cough, a psychotic laugh, and a small sob. She slowly opened the door...

________

The door slowly opened for the eight infected, and violet eyes stared at them. They stared at each other for what felt like several different eternities, but in reality was really about three seconds. She shut the door as fast as she opened it and the infected looked at each other hoping nothing bad would happen. 

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!"   

Canterlot

Celestia, who was sitting on her throne in a somewhat laid back position suddenly bolted up, eyes wide. Luna, her sister, looked up from her slightly lower throne.

"What's wrong dear sister? If you're feeling cold, I can get blanket," She offered but Celestia shook her head.

"No, I thought I felt that my student was distressed... Maybe my nerves are up because Discord, even though reformed, is loose," She and her sister were nodded at the reason before returning to their duties watching over the court respectfully. 

Ponyville

Witch, in the middle of the group, still held her ears as the scream pierced through the air. She looked up at the rest of them before her face contorted and tears began to leak from her eyes. Not the fake 'come save me' tears, real genuine tears. She began to cry and held on to the nearest thing.

Which was in the form of a white and purple unicorn.

"Oh, dear! What's ever wrong deary?" She asked, her voice like a fine wine. Witch looked up and on instinct, her six appendages were flayed out on her sides. She began to growl as warning, and when the white unicorn didn't move she began to breath heavily as her eyes glowed from the gentle yellow-green hue to the deadly orange-red. Hunter saw this and immediately pushed the unicorn away to avoid a messy scene. The unicorn began spitting insults left and right but was silenced as the muscle bound pony came from behind her. 

He snorted as she slowly backed up from her spot. Tank came to Hunter who was trying to calm Witch down. He brutally shoved Hunter out of the way, and came to Witch who was still aggravated. 

"Witch..." He said looking down at her but she did not reply. He narrowed his eyes and stomped on the ground as hard as he could. Effectively, hooves are louder than hands when you slam them on the ground.* 

Everything stopped.

The birds.

The crickets.

The ponies themselves stopped at the pure power that shot into the ground. Witch looked up at her superior infected, and slowly made his way to him. She climbed onto his back and as she reached his shoulder, she nipped down so she wouldn't fall off. Besides the pain of his shoulder being punctured by her teeth, Tank nodded towards the door and Hunter who was still recovering leaped the small distance he was launched. Smoker rapped his hoof on the door and the door slowly opened to reveal the Crusaders and Twilight all wide eyed and shaking. Spitter cleared her throat and looked at Twilight.

"May we come in? Please?" She asked as nicely as possible and Twilight nodded vigorously and stayed out of the way of Tank, who could feel the annoyance radiating off him.      
> Barricade Your Homes...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Five


As the eight infected walked into the library, they found books, scrolls, quills, and the cushions on the couch all thrown by the force of Tanks stomp. The infected minus Witch and Tank all looked around in wonderment, awe and slight confusion.

How could one stomp from Tank be that powerful? As they all wondered how, Twilight Sparkle, who was still recovering from the sight of them and the force from Tank, pulled the Cutie Mark Crusaders close into a huddle.

“OK, explain to me why I’m letting these... freaks... for a lack of a better word, into my home?” Twilight asked.

“One, they’re not freaks, two, look at them... they not only look it but they feel like to...” Sweetie Belle asked getting a confused look from Twilight.

“See what? All I see is a group of ponies who clearly need to go to a doctor,” She told the Crusaders. Sweetie only shook her head and sighed then looked back the eight. She could see things no one else could. Not like ghosts, or things that talk to her, she could see that the eight infected were fighting something deep inside themselves. The more she looked the more she felt bad for them. It was as if she was seeing entirely different beings, and those beings need help. She broke from the huddle and ran over to the nearest infected.

Which happened to Smoker.

Smoker looked down at the young pony before coughing into his forearm. She looked at the arm he coughed in, then the other before launching up and gripped his chest in a hug. Smoker froze at this action, and he felt his heart speed up only slightly. As Sweetie Belle held on to his chest, his eyes widened and he gripped his head in between his hooves. “Why! Why must you be so adorable!” He yelled in the air before returning the hug, just slightly tighter than hers.

Smoker quickly let go of Sweetie Belle, who was walking back to the other Crusaders and Twilight. They stared in amazement, shock, and happiness as she walked back to Twilight.

“You see it now? Not only are they lonely, but they give the lonely vibe off,” She said turning back to the eight infected who were currently helping Smoker recover from the adorableness that was Sweetie Belle. Twilight looked over at them again seeing that Sweetie Belle was right, not only do they look lonely but the feeling they gave was not unease, but was loneliness. She looked at the Crusaders with a smile of her own and trotted over to the eight ponies.

“...Hello,” She said her stomach still a pit of nervousness. They stopped trying to console Smoker and turned to her. She stepped back but slowly stepped forward, and extended her hoof to Hunter. Hunter stared at the hoof before taking his out and... hold up. The hoof was on the side, like how a person would do if it was handshake. Hunter looked at his hoof and did the same thing, his wrist articulating like a normal person. When he realized Twilight was still there, still waiting, he extended his hoof as well and shook her hoof.

‘Good, now that that’s out of the way.' She thought as she walked over to the couch and levitating the cushions back on. There was a series of shuffles, and when she turned she found that the eight infected who been over by the door before were now in the middle of the room with her. They looked at the floating cushions in fascination, occasionally poking it with their hooves. They watched it go up and down, left to right, and towards and away from them. While they watched the cushion float, Twilight was looking at their reactions.

It was as if they’ve never seen magic before! She watch them as if they were bugs to a lantern, and then the realization hit her harder than a bag of bricks.

‘Holy sweet Celestia! They’ve never seen magic before!’ She thought as they stared at the aura around the cushion.

“H-have you never seen magic before?” She asked only to get no response. She put the cushion down on the couch and their eyes went from dinner plates back to normal size.

Smoker shook his head and looked at Twilight. “I’m sorry you said what now?” He said still shaking off the effects.

She sighed to herself. “I said, have you never seen magic before?” She said again this time actually getting a response. Smoker shook his head and then the others did the same, save for Witch who was currently sleeping on Tanks back. She thought for a minute before a thought struck her.

‘No, no they couldn’t... could they?’ She thought and turned to them. “Di-did you come from... another world?” She asked as they went all wide eyed. They looked at each other and like before with Twilight and the Crusaders, they all huddled together.

Smoker talked first. “Well, what now? Do we tell them or do we lie through our teeth?” He asked.

Spitter was next. “I vote we tell them, that way we can get off our chests,” She said. She was right, it really did have a weight on them.

Tank looked at them all before speaking out. “Tell...” That was all he said but they got the message.

Boomer put his hoof up. “I say, we go with what Spitter said. It really is taking its toll on all of us. Even you Smoker,” He said adding the last bit so only Smoker and himself could hear. Boomer was right, it was effecting Smoker most of all because when he was back on Earth if he missed with his tongue the survivors would give chase after him. His only way out was climbing really fast up the bridge. His thoughts went away from everything else and went back to the bridge. The bridge where he killed so many, the bridge that had been the last leg of the run for the uninfected, the bridge where he died.

He shook his head and turned back to Spitter. “Fine, we’ll do it your way,” He said and Spitter nodded in understanding. They all got out of the huddle and turned to Twilight. While they weren’t looking she had summoned stacks upon stacks of paper, quills that could cover a bird seven times over, and a little green and purple lizard at the ready.

She looked at them expectantly. Charger went to the front of the group before nodding back at them. “Yes, we are from-” That was all he got out as he felt the wine red aura wrap around him and set him on the couch, followed by the five. Tank and Witch (who was still sleeping.) walked over to the couch and sat down right next to it.

She looked down at the lizard. “Spike, I hope your writing claw isn’t sore, because after today it will be,” She said with a smile on her face.

Smoker, Spitter, and Charger all looked at each other before they all muttered the same thing.

“Oh boy, here we go...”
> Being Human: Jockey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Special Chapter: Being Human



Smile, it cheers everyone up. Those words are what he said to me before he left. Left me, left her, left the world. He was always smart and philosophical at times. She was crying at my side asking me for comfort. I didn't know what to do, he was just sitting there... dead. I... I had no choice but to shoot him. I've seen what happens to people when they get the 'Green Flu'. They turn into mindless freaks that have only these functions: 

Run.

Eat.

Touch. 

Infect.

No way I'm letting my best friend do that to anyone. Better to die a monster than live as one right? I held the pistol there, my hand going numb because of how tight I was gripping it. She was still crying, saying his name over and over... I never knew what it was like to loose someone close to you. I know now... and it hurts. 

"Y-you shot him..." She cried in my shoulders. I know what I did! Shut your mouth, bitch! As I looked at the body again, I couldn't help but to feel... happy...

I giggled a bit... then it turned to chuckling, then full blown laughter.

Hahahahahahaha! "I... I killed him!" She stopped crying and looked at me cautiously. Never once had I noticed that my nose was bleeding, nor the fact that my nails sharpened. I still had the gun in my hand and I pointed it straight at her. She widened her eyes in surprise before getting on the ground with her hands up behind her head. 

I walked up to her my mind slightly foggy, I put the gun on her head. Hehehehehehe... "You feeling lucky today? Huh?" I asked as she teared up watching me point the gun at her face. While it's true, I didn't know she would be lucky or not, but that's my fault. I forgot how many bullets I shot in to my friend on the floor. I pushed the gun in her face again. "Well...?" I asked again as she kept crying asking, no, begging me not to pull the trigger. I put the gun to the side of her head and...

CLICK!

Empty. We both stared in surprise as the gun kept clicking empty. I guess time caught up to her because she to the chance and ran outside to the shed to get a possible weapon. Hehehehehe... In the time she left, I felt my body change in a matter of seconds.

My back hunched all of the sudden, and my spine changed its position from straight with a slight curve, to full on almost 90 degree bend. My legs turned into the equivalents of built in spring boards. My face contorted, turning into a smile with my lips turned up. My arms grew about half a foot, and my hands expanded. By the time the transformation was done I had already lost any bit of sanity left in my head. Except one sentence. 

Smile, it cheers everyone up...
_____________________
By the time I came back to the house there was no sign of Thomas. Where did he go? As I looked back and outside to see if he made a break for it, I heard an insane cackle. 

Heeeyyyraaaa! Hehehehehe.....

"......Where are you Thomas..." I said, but that was as far I got before... something... started piggy backing me while at the same time clawing my face. I got a look at its face... I just couldn't believe it.

Thomas... is that you?

Death came swiftly after that thought. I lost every sort of motor control from my brain. He broke my neck and I collapsed dead. Not that i mind, I would do anything to be back with him...
_____________________
My face, is in a smile. Looking at it hurts... remembering that sentence... hurts. I looked in the mirror seeing my smile... I hated it. Using my claws I ripped the lips off from the bottom of my nose, to the top of my chin. 

I didn't help... I still smile... all the time... and.

It. 

HURTS!!!!



_____________________
The purple unicorn sat them down on the couch and by the time of she had stopped talking to the lizard on her left, Jockey had remembered the day he turned. Jockey sat there on the couch, his mad cackle to something of a giggle and he sighed... He remembered it all so vividly like it happened yesterday... but why?
> In Dead Center
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Six



Twilight was so excited, all the nervousness gone from her stomach and replaced with eagerness. She was about to interview beings from another world! "OK, lets start with names. I'm Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and the bearer of Magic," She introduced herself to the eight infected and they waved back as best as they could. 

"Hello Twilight, my name is Spitter," Spitter said while doing a bow. Ever since she said the word 'princess' Spitter was going to be as polite as possible. "I can do something these bozzos here," The rest of the group said their quip. "can't," She finsihed and looked around. 

Twilight looked at her confused. "Looking for something?"

Spitter nodded and found a small stick on the ground.* "Yes, do you have a jar or something? A glass one preferably?" She said through the stick in her mouth. Twilight looked at her with a confused look before finding an empty jar. She set it down, took the cover off, and watched as Spitter walked up to it.

'Why would anyone in Equestria have a name like Spit-' 

PATOOT!

'ter...'

Twilight just watched as she spit green looking stuff in the glass jar. "I hope you're watching, and not staring into space," Spitter said breaking Twilight from her trance and watched as Spitter slid the the stick in the jar. The green liquid sizzled and small little sparks starting flying every so ofter out the jar. When she was satisfied, she pulled the stick only for it to be half in size. 

Twilight Sparkle, the most gifted unicorn, has never seen anything like this. "A-a-acidic spit? But how could... Who could...?" She said stuttering like a foal with her hoof in the cookie jar. Spitter only smiled and took the jar and tossed it in the garbage, lid closed and facing up. She walked back to Twilight who was still trying to process what happened in front of her.

Charger walked up and patted Twilight on the back with his normal forearm. "It's alright missy, we get gawks an' stares like all the tyme," Charger said, his accent Irish with a lick of southern. Twilight looked at him then his giant hulking left arm.

She swallowed a lump in her throat. "S-so what do you do Mister...?"

"Charger. No need for 'Mister', I'm not married," Charger said, with a kind and polite voice. "As for what I do... well I can't do it here. Don't want hurt anyone ya'know?" He said with smile. Twilight right away wanted to back up from Charger. He had said he didn't want to hurt anyone, as in he hurt ponies.

'Am I holding fugitives?!' She thought frantically. "S-so what do you do?" She asked softly, being scared out of her mind.  

He smiled and walked behind he stood up on his hind legs with the support of the table. "Give me a log or somethin'... I'll show you then, aye?" He asked still a smile on his face. Why he would need to stand on his hind legs Twilight didn't know, or why it mattered, but know wasn't the time to be asking that. She nodded and turned to the more... skiddish one...

"Heheheheheryaaaa.... Yes, what do you want? Heheheheheeee hehehehe..." Jockey began to giggle uncontrollably. Twilight wasn't sure why, but the laugh made her uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. She nervously smiled and opened to speak before Boomer cut her off.

"If you're gonna ask about the smile, or why he laughs, don't," Boomer whispered in her ear. She nodded dumbly before turning her head toward Jockey.

She swallowed with a loud gulp. "S-s-so... what exactly d-do you do?" She said sweating every time she caught a glimpse of that... horrible smile. Jockey laughed and when his laughs turned into something between a restraint snort and a giggle he looked at Twilight.

"I... ride things..." Jockey said with that horrible smile. He didn't specify 'things' but that didn't bother Twilight at all. 

'Honestly, I really don't want to know about him at all...' She thought to herself. She thought about the next one to question before a small yawn caught her attention. Witch who was, until recently, sleeping on Tank's back was now awake and rubbing her eye with her hoof. Twilight suddenly for no reason what so ever, put her hoof to her heart and stared wide eyed.

'S-s-so cuuuuute!~' She thought to herself watching Witch rub the sleep from her eyes. It was the most cutest thing she has ever seen in her entire life. Witch yawned again, and that made Twilight press her hoof to her heart even harder. When her eyes opened Twilight saw that they were glowing a steady shade of green-yellow. As her eyes wandered to her new surroundings, she looked at Twilight with a sudden fascination. She leaped off Tank's back landed in front of her. The seven infected looked wide eyed at what Witch might do. 

Disembowelment.

Stabbing.

Cuddling... wait, what?

The infected did a double take to see that Witch had curled up next to Twilight and started nuzzling her legs very affectionately.

Witch smiled continued to nuzzle her legs. "Soft..." She said just above a whisper. Twilight looked at her with a small blush under her cheeks at Witch's nuzzling, and at one point Witch got really close to... there. Twilight yelped and hopped on to the couch and Witch, being in the position she was in, fell over and bumped her head on the ground. The other infected all gasped at Witch's sudden fall, while they watched however, she picked herself up and stood there. Her appendages started to curl as if in a fist. Her eyes that were once a kind, loving hue, now turned into an orange red color that looked as if she could stare into your soul. 

She growled and groaned as she made her way towards Twilight. Tank thumped between them and stared down at Witch.

"No... hurting..." He said at Witch who responded with a scream. The windows cracked, an owl that was perched on a stick flew under a pillow that was next to the couch. When her scream was over, her eyes shifted to Twilight again, before making an odd color that she'd never seen before, that is until she saw it hit the ground and make a familiar blotch on the ground.

Blood. 

Witch had cried blood on to the ground. Twilight, in full panic mode, made her way to Witch. Witch had stopped growling and noticed her eyes in a near by reflection and walked over to see for herself. She touched her bloody tears in wonderment and nostalgia... It was like when she-

"Hold still please!" Twilight said cutting off Witch's thought train. She wiped her bloody tears off, and threw the rag away but not before being brutally cuddled again by Witch who had forgotten all about her sudden head injury. 

She sighed a breath of relief for two reasons: One being that she helped Witch and she wasn't crying blood any more, and two that the big pony had saved her life from getting potentially getting slaughtered by those claw like appendages... 
> Mutations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Seven



Pinkie Pie was hopping down the street when suddenly a felt a combo coming her way.

Drooling mouth.

Ear Flop.

Achy Hoof.

Her eyes went wide as she knew what that meant. With a large gasp she went zipped past all the ponies and entered Sugarcube Corner where she uttered two words to the occupants and the lovely couple working there.

"New ponies..." She said and the entire store went empty afterwards. The sparks then began to fly both metaphorically and literally as she began to plan a party for not one, not two, but EIGHT different ponies... She knew she had her work cut out for her.

____________

"OK... so Hunter your turn," Twilight said as her notes grew steadily. Spitter and Jockey already gave brief description (While Spitter gave a more physical one) of what they could do. Charger had already explained that he needed a log to do what he needed to do. Hunter looked at the bookshelf before he perched himself upon on it. 

Twilight sighed to herself. "Hunter, do you really nee-AH!" She was cut off as Hunter descended from the shelf and landed straight on top of her, almost straddling her. While this would be appropriate situation for a... ahem... different time, Twilight was scared out of her mind seeing his sunken eyes behind the darkness of hood. He brought his hoof up and quickly brought it down next to her head, and with a small whimper from Twilight, Hunter got off of her.    

She stood shakily and fearfully with the help of the CMC. She stared daggers at Hunter who only shrugged at her, and walked to the rest of the infected. She shook her head and sighed loudly before pointing at Smoker. He made his way to the middle of the room before standing firm.

He looked at Twilight before she nodded to proceed. "I must warn you, it's slightly disturbing," He told her before looking at the giant horse head by the wall. 'If I remember right, I can carry about... two hundred fifty pounds?' Smoker thought as he opened his and...

SHRK!

His tongue flew from his mouth making Twilight and the Cutie Mark Crusaders jump in fright and hid behind the couch. Smoker stood their his tongue wrapped tightly around the horse head. "OK... now phlor tha har' par... (OK... now for the hard part...)" Smoker said through his tongue and started dragging it toward him. The uninfected ponies watched as Smoker pulled the 150 pound statue towards him. By the time the statue was next to Smoker, he was huffing at the weight and exhaustion. He bit down on his tongue severing it and it hit the ground. 

Twilight and the CMC all held their mouths with their hooves. He just BIT off his own tongue! As they watched him open his mouth again, instead of a steady stream of blood, came another tongue. The one on the ground was at first pink, then it turned black before crumbling into dust. A breeze rolled in and took the tongue-dust out the window. Their stomach contents quickly left the window as well. 

Twilight wiped the remaining drool from her mouth. "Smoker... never do that again..." She said with the horrible taste of bile in her mouth, and the CMC, who had the same treatment, nodded and murmured in agreement. Smoker looked at them apologetically before sitting down with the rest of the group. Boomer, who had declined demonstrating and telling about what he did, sat there without a care in the world.  

After shaking out the after taste and the after effects of vomiting, she turned to find pink only covering her vision.

"HI TWILIGHT!" Pinkie shouted, making Twilight jump and sticking her to the ceiling by her horn. 

Twilight, still dazed, was suddenly in pain and the source being horn she clamped her eye shut as tears began to fall. "Wha- what do you want Pinkie?" She said as the tears made there way to the ground. When Smoker saw this, being the most sensible, used his tongue to dislodge her from the ceiling and back on the ground. After he released her, he made sure he bit his tongue away from them. Pinkie being the most laughable, loveable, and partyrific mare, has never seen a pony who could stretch their tongue that. Let alone pick ponies up with it.

Pinkie went wide eyed. "Wow! Holy molely!  I've never seen another pony do that!" She yelled. She jumped up and down going from each infected seeing down their mouths. "Hmmm.... Nopeity nopers! I don't see any long tongues!" She laughed  and then hopped over to Witch, who had been occupied with a fluffy pillow. As Pinkie made her way to her she suddenly stopped and listened to the... insane laugh?

Hehehehehheheheeeeryyyaaa.......

That laugh... that... horrible laugh... She turned to see the red-orange maned Earth Pony giving her his eternal smile. Her eyes widened at the laugh that emanated from his mouth. What's even worse is that she's seen that smile before, when she thought all of her friends abandoned her. Something uncharacteristic happened that day.

She deflated at the smile before her. 

The smile was the definition of insanity, anguish, hatred, sadness, loneliness-

"Pinkie! What's wrong!" Twilight yelled to her as the Party Pony began to shake uncontrollably. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked into the eternal smile. 

Anger, destruction, decimation, murder-

Pinkie then had a shocked look on her face before she fell over shaking. "I-I'm sorry....I'll n-n-never smile again...." She said as she shook in fear. She repeated the sentence over and over until her voice was to used up and just stared crying all together. Twilight took her in her magic and took Pinkie to her bed that was currently empty and watched as her friend, that was once a happy party pony, reduced to a shaking mess that had swore never to smile again. 

As Twilight tucked her in and then it struck her hard.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?" She asked worryingly.   
> Being Human: Witch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Special Chapter: Being Human



She can't help who she is,
she never even knew about this.

Alice was a small fragile soul,
and never did a murder most foul.

But on that day on this night,
she had no choice and with a fright,
pulled the trigger on her father, mother,
and hardest of all, her little baby brother.

Her friends chased after her to crave her skin,
and she shot them all again and again, bullets buried in.

She began to wander the place that called home,
and then came across a small tome.

As she opened it, what she saw made her drop the book,
for someone had wrote "People: How To Cook".

She was scared, and lonely in the city she knew,
when, O, when did things go askew? 

Different people came to her, asking for water and food,
being the kind soul she was she gave some to her, despite the mood.

1 Week Later

She wandered, crying in dismay,
walking around ever which way.

Her tears streaked with blood,
her hands trying to stop the flood.

Her nails grew nine inches longer,
but still, despite the pain, she continued to wander.

Even though she barely held to reality,
she never really lost her sanity.

She grew jealous and angry at the living,
and began to attack them while they passed or were healing.

Still to this day she continues to cry, 
hoping one day she may die. 

With what was left of her sanity, she began to sing,
with a voice that was worn and her throat, it did sting.

But still, despite the pain, she sang and sang,
until everything was interrupted by a loud bang.

She screamed and ran toward the sound hoping to get away from the gloom,
but little did she know, it would spell her doom...



______________
Witch sat there, cuddling the pillow hoping to get away from all the horribleness. Her tears now dried, began to run again onto the pillow. Tank came to her and sat in front of her, guarding her like a cub, but what Tank and the other infected didn't know is that she wanted to be with others, and she wanted to do something that was never thought of by ANY infected.

She wanted to love something.   
> Not a chapter, but man is this a good song!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, this isn't a chapter to do with the story line at all, but I found this sweet song and it made me sing it for like half an hour, so here listen!


> Infection and Contagion 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Eight



Rainbow Dash groggily opened her eyes as the suns piercing rays hit them with all their might. She closed them quickly allowing her eyes to adjust and opened them slowly to find herself in Twilight's bed. She rolled over and looked at the window and judged by where the sun was in the sky, it had to be at least three o'clock in the afternoon. She sat up and look around the room for leverage.

She climbed out of the bed with a shaky first step. "Damn those freaks... next time I see them..." She said before she got a violet shiver down her very being. She heard voices downstairs, lots of voices and one was one she recognized almost immediately. 

She shivered again. That husky voice in a butchered speech. He was down there, and that was not one place she wanted to go. She got the idea of going out the window when another voice stopped her from going out. 

"Wow!" 

Pinkie Pie... "Oh, no..." Dash said to herself. Now two of her friends and the CMC were downstairs with the freaks. She had to safe them but she felt as though she couldn't, and that she had been weak when meeting them.

"My reps already ruined... what's one more?" She said to herself as she geared to go out the window a sudden scream cut her off.

"Pinkie! What's wrong?" Rainbow heard Twilight say downstairs. Her eyes widened in fear, and her heart raced with anticipation. She readied her wings and flew out the window seconds before Twilight opened the door and placed Pinkie on the bed. She watched outside the window as Pinkie shivered and convulsed slightly, her mane and tail flat and her coat a greyish-pink. She sniffed loudly and began to cry again in the bed, always looking around to make sure that smile wasn't watching her. 

_________


"Ok... I want explanations... now!" Twilight said as she came downstairs from the bedroom. Tank and Witch remained motionless, the CMC had long since left not wanting to see what the other could to their friends, the other six infected swayed one way to the other thinking of what to tell her. 

Smoker coughed and looked at her. "Where we come from, if one of us does something, intentionally or otherwise, we are not interfere. It's considered 'Helping the other Team...'" He said honestly. Twilight looked him down as he began to back up. 

Boomer walked to her and set himself down in front of her. He cleared his throat. "Well, where we come from... we were sorta kind... not alive..." He said slowly, gauging her features. In everyone's mind who knew Twilight, if someone where to say that to her she would bust out laughing or think of a logical way to say no. But what with talking to being from another world, she was going to take EVERY possibility. She raised an eyebrow and signaled him to continue. "Well... how can I put this, we were the reason that everything in our world... went to hell..." He said noticing a more physical reaction from Twilight. They told her that in their world there was an infection that changed the inhabitants, what they hadn't said was they were the reason. 

She shook her head and looked at Boomer. "What do you mean 'you're the reason?'" She asked him and her started to pale alittle. Smoker coughed once before she turned her attention to the rest of the group. "What?" She asked before Smoker let his tongue loose and it fell from his mouth, Charger stood on his hind legs by himself this time, and let his right arm hang limp while his giant left arm was out in front of him. Spitter grabbed a glass plate and started to drool her acidic spit on it, while Jockey found Spike and began riding on his shoulders and moving him around. Hunter crouched low and the muscles on his hind legs grew tight, as his he was about to pounce helpless prey. 

Tank and Witch both growled and huffed, their strength radiating off of them. Boomer looked at them and then back to Twilight. "This... is the infection. The 'Green Flu' if you will... It changed us not most of the other infected, but us primarily," He explained to her. Her jaw dropped at the new information they were giving her, and she wanted it oh so much. 

Charger fell back to his hooves. "As you can see, the infection changes us so far away from what we used to look like, except Hunter, and that we had been dubbed 'Mutations'. Each Mutation is different but in every aspect the same. Spitter's spit, Smoker's tongue, Jockey's small form, Hunter's leaping, Tank's strength, Witch's crying and long wings in this case, Boomer's bile, and my arm and charging ability are all special froms of the Mutation," Charger explained even further to the point where Twilight started writing notes.

She looked up from her paper. "So how are they the same?" She asked, the innocence just making it harder to say.

Smoker retracted his tongue and made way towards her. He sat very quietly and looked her straight in the eye. "...What are about to tell you, you mustn't run away, or so much as scream... got that?" Smoker said still looking her in the eye. Twilight felt nervous at what he said, but nodded in response. "We used to... kill anything NOT infected," He said and she began very slowly backing away. They killed?! How could they do that to another living thing!? 

She started to get tears in her eyes. "How... how could do that?!" She screamed at them. Tank thumped his way next to her and sat down. 

He looked down at her and closed his eyes. "We didn't... want to... had no choice..." He said in the best way he could in butchered speech. She looked at the rest of them as the all looked away thinking about what they had done in the past. They never wanted to, but the did anyway. It was hard for them it was like trying to warn somebody in your mind. Tank continued, "We never liked this... we wanted... freedom. Only way? ...Being killed..." He said. Twilight looked up at him and the rest of them seeing their deformities or Mutations as they had called them. She had remembered princess Luna saying to her after they had defeated Nightmare Moon.

Better to die, than live as a monster...

Those words struck home and she had tears coming out of her eyes. She now realized that they had been suffering and the only way out was to make other suffer...

For once in her life... she didn't know what to do about this...
> Wait For Official Instructions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Nine


Remember Rodney, be careful out there. They say the dead walk the Earth and shit.

Don't worry Abby, I got this nothing bad is gonna happen to me, or you. I promise.

I know you were always a strong one... you're like my Tank...

Tank shook his head and let out a primal snort. Even though he had nothing to say, the others looked at him expecting something. Being the strongest infected made him the prime. The leader of the pack if you would, and that made anything he did official and permanent. He could destroy anything in his path if provoked and now the fact that he was pony and having Charger and Smoker educate the lavender pony was proof that his leadership over the other was wavering. How could the King of the Dead (nickname by the way) rule if his authority was beginning to crumble? Simple.

He's alive now and he's in a living world. 

He can feel his heart beat every second, and muscles strain from lack of water. His eyes sometimes watered when they dried, and something he couldn't do back on Earth. 

So many different things... At least Witch is coping with the new environment. Tank thought. His mind was sometimes his only escapes from the world around him. Here he could talk normally, act calmly, and never had to be bothered unless it was dire. Witch always had a problem one way or another, and she loved to cling to those she trusted. So when she found (or in this case they) found the others, she clung to them happy to see that she wasn't alone. 

Why must the living be so lucky... She thought to herself. She was always jealous of the living because they could die from old age, or natural causes, but herself and the others they had to be killed by guns. She was in every aspect an innocent soul, only to be dangerous if one came to close. That was her curse. She wanted to be near everything but everything wanted to be away from her. She looked at her wings and gave a small sigh.

Even in a new body I'm still a freak... She lamented, and looked away from herself and looked at the others. Besides Tank and Charger, they all looked the normal. No boils or scars. No Mutations. Almost perfectly normal. She and Tank sighed with out knowing it and they both thought the same thing.

I want to be more like them...

Twilight shook off her sadness and revelation and looked at the rest of them and nodded to herself. "Ok, here's the plan!" She announced getting the special's attention. "I'm going to go to my other friends and see if they can help you in your... predicament," She said getting an approving nod from Smoker and Boomer. She picked Spike up from the floor and stood him up. "Spike, I need you watch Pinkie and make sure she's Ok, you got that?" She asked as Spike saluted her and walked up the stairs. As Twilight was making sure the others stayed at the library, a certain cyan pegasus had just made her way to an apple orchard not far from the library...

______

Rainbow Dash landed by the door and started knocking furiously. "Applejack! Hey Applejack, open up!"  She yelled as the door was bound to be knocked off its hinges if she didn't open up. When Dash backed up to buck the door down, an angry orange mare threw the door open.

Applejack calmly walked out of the house and slapped Rainbow upside the head. "What in tarnation is darn important that you practically beat mah door down!" She yelled at her friend who was still recovering from the blow. 

Rainbow Dash picked herself up and stared at Applejack. "You didn't hear?! Where's Applebloom?" She asked flying in her house looking for the filly. 

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Probly at the club house like she normally is? Dash what in Sam Hill has gotten into you?" Applejack asked as she felt Rainbows forehead. Rainbow Dash only sighed and started explaining the new ponies that entered Ponyville and that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were leading them around town and she left out the part where she collapsed at Twilight's. 

Applejack listened wide eyed and made way to get to Twilight's home.

Oddly enough they happen to run into each other. Twilight and Applejack both flew back a couple of feet before they both got up and stared at each other. 

"....You did it again Twilight..." Twilight said?

"That I have Applejack... That I have..." Applejack responded?

Rainbow Dash stood there idly before asking the question. "....What in Equestria is going on?!"  

Applejack and Twilight looked back at Rainbow Dash before Applejack sighed. "Listen Dash... I know you're confused but let me explain," Applejack said. Twilight came up next to Applejack before sitting down. She whispered something in her ear before Applejack nodded. "Ok, I know this looks weird, but you have to trust me on this. Applejack you know how to use my magic right?" She asked to which Twilight nodded.

Twilight focused her magic before it enveloped both herself and Applejack. Both of their eyes went white before two wisps came from their mouths. A dark purple came from Applejack and a light orange came from Twilight before they each went in their respective colored bodies. Twilight and Applejack shook violently before they opened their eyes. 

Applejack went first to speak. "Are you you, and I'm me?" She asked before sighing in relief. Twilight nodded and turned to a shell shocked Rainbow Dash. "Uh... Twi' we might have broke 'er..." She said as Rainbow Dash fell to the ground for the second time today.
> Out Of Body, Out Of My Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Ten



Two Weeks After First Infection: Earth Time

Days Until Infected Come To Ponyville: Twelve... Eleven


Twilight Sparkle was reading when a sudden knock came to her door. "Come in!" She called from her spot on the couch, too engorged in the book. The door flew open and in walked Applejack walked in, smiling all the way. Twilight had asked her to come to the library, why she didn't say, but that didn't matter to Applejack. She trotted and poked Twilight in the noggin, but the unicorn continued to read, so with a sigh she pulled the book from her line of sight which caused her to look up. 

Catching a glimpse of Applejack, she launched up and gave her a hug. "Oh Applejack! Thank you for coming," Twilight said releasing her from the hug. 

Applejack adjusted her hat, and nodded, towards her. "Why, it was nuthin' sugarcube, ya said ya needed help, an I ain't one to leave a friend hang around," She said with a smile on her face which quickly turned to a frown. "To be honest with ya, I wanted ta git away from Applebloom and her Crusadin'..." She deadpanned and Twilight chuckled. While it was true that Applebloom's, Sweetie Belle's and Scootaloo's Crusading was loud, it was the only thing that made Applejack, Rarity, and Raindrops from tearing their manes out. "Ya, ya, laugh it up..." Applejack said to Twilight who was still laughing at her misfortune. 

Twilight took a few deep breaths and finally gained control of herself. "I'm sorry Applejack... but seeing you so stressed... It's that funny!" She laughed not to be mean, but because she found it impossible for Applejack to be THAT stressed. After her second laughing fit, she gestured her to the basement where she had the episode with Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkie Sense'. Twilight shuddered, vaguely remembering how horrible things went that day...

Applejack noticed this and began to snicker quietly but it didn't go unheard. Twilight turned her head sharply and stared at her with piercing eyes. "What's so funny?" She asked.

Applejack's mouth scrunched up, and her eyes moved left to right. "Nuthin'..." She lied. Twilight only muttered and finally smiled to herself. Applejack and Twilight, now walking down to the basement, had occasionally bumped their heads on the ceiling. 

Applejack spoke up after the second time she was hit. "Twi, why is the ceiling over the stair so dangum low?" She asked and when Twilight went answer, she (again) bumped her head, but this time her horn caught the receiving end of the blow. With a scream of pain, she quickly sat down on the stairs. Applejack went to ask what was wrong, but she was cut off from a sudden flash.

She felt cold.

She felt empty.

She saw a black void, and a another being was there. It vaguely looked like a pony until she got closer to it and looked similar to... to...

Her eyes suddenly opened and with a groan by both her and Twilight before she stood up. When she looked ahead to see Twilight, she noticed she wasn't there anymore. When she looked behind her... well, she almost keeled over. She saw herself behind her, and looking at her with a shocked expression that can only be described as: 'Oh shit, what the fuck happened?' 

Applejack suddenly spoke, but the voice that came out was not her voice. "Ok... Applejack, I want you to relax... and don't pani-" She was suddenly cut off by Applejack, who was in Twilight's body, who was currently falling down the five remaining stairs.

Applejack (Twilight) sighed to herself. "This is gonna take a little while..."

_________________

"...And that's what happened." Twilight finished, re-telling the story to Rainbow Dash, who had just recently came out of shell shock. 

"Yep, an' it was mighty weird too, being in another body like that... although I still don't know what the black place is," She said, wondering about what the area was called. 

Twilight perked up at that. "I've read some books about that, apparently it's called 'Limbo'. Which is a place between the living and dying world," she explained to Applejack. "Every ponies 'Limbo' is different, filled with trials, puzzles, and sometimes if you are successful in your trials, you can have a free pass back to your body... as long as it's not cremated, destroyed... digested..." She said, each condition getting darker and darker. 

Rainbow hopped up on the bed and looked at Twilight. "Ok, I understand 'Soul Swapping', or what ever you called it, but why let those freaks in your house?!" She asked and Twilight suddenly got a look of despair. 

"Oh, no no no no no no no no! I left all alone in the library without somebody to talk to!" She panicked and told Applejack and Rainbow Dash to come to the library to meet them.

"Hay no! I already met the big guy, he almost crushed me like a bug!" Rainbow yelled. Twilight took a minute to think. Big guy? ...Tank? Tank tried to... no don't be silly, he wouldn't do that... right?

"Where we came from... we used to kill things that were NOT infected... Smoker's words hung in her head before she ran full sprint towards the library. 
> Being Human: Tank
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Special Chapter: Being Human



He sat there... thinking of what it would be like to be home again. Three days he's been out there... alone, lost, hungry. So hungry...

"No... can't think about it..." He told himself. If he thought about food, it would attract nearby infected. He was staying inside buildings, hiding from, what he called, the Leaper. He no idea that the infection would've gone this far. C.E.D.A. probably did have something to do with it... he shook his head again, he had to stop thinking about. 

rrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Too late. He was hungry, and he need food. Now. He looked in the kitchen of the house he was in only to come out with a few pieces of scrap. He looked in the freezer and found a half-tub of ice cream, but was also somewhat melted. He snorted in disgust. As he walked away from the kitchen, he noticed a small walk-in closest next to the refrigerator. He opened it and...

"Ho-ly shit." He said as he looked at the hamper FULL of food and guns. He grab something, in this case peanut butter, and started eating. However, he was unaware that the next thing he was about to pick up would be the death of him. He glanced at a small can that had a 'pepsi' logo on it, and he reached for it and opened it. Whatever was in it shot straight at his face making him jump back and stumble on the ground. He wiped his face off with a nearby wash cloth and began to clean his face off.

He shook his head to and tried the next can. Only what he grabbed was not a can, but a vile. He examined it, looking closely to see the contents, he slowly lifted to the light to see inside the green viscous liquid. What he found shocked him, for it was vile of B-2 bile. He set it down and grabbed another soda from the pantry, despite it being warm and flat. As he took a sip however, he didn't notice that the open vile slid with his hand and put exactly one drop of the infected bile in the drink, he drank it without tasting or noticing. 

Three Days Later

He had done it. He survived the onslaught of zombies and began making his way to the safe house. Before he could reach the door, one zombie came and quickly laid a hit on him. He turned with a fury in his eyes and began wailing on the unfortunate zombie. When he stopped, he was huffing like he had just run a marathon and his arms were killing him.

He gave a low grunt before he opened the safe house and closed the door. He was still breathing heavy and his arms felt like led. Before he could even think a pain burst from inside of him. It was unbearable, and he gave a mighty scream. His arm muscles grew to as thick as tree trunks, and his chest grew and bloated to the point were he couldn't open his mouth. His fingers and hands bloated like balloons of muscle, and with what little sanity he had left he grabbed his lower jaw and RIPPED it off from his face. 

He let out an unearthly bellow before he turned to the door and punched it out. He looked at the other infected that had heard his bellow and stared at the beast in front of them. One zombie, with what little sanity left, looked at the beast before it suddenly got on one knee. The other Commons looked at the her, and began to do the same. Tank looked out at the sea of infection before him, and he gave out a mighty roar warning any and all infected that he was king.

King of the Dead.



But little did he know that a small cloud of smoke was watching from the tower above. 

_________________________

Tank shuddered and shook off the memory of the day he turned. Why had he remembered it? Was he atoning his sins as an infected? He would never know. He train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the purple unicorn. What was he name again? Twinkle? Twilight? He could not remember. All that mattered to him was three things.

Keep Witch safe.

Find out why he remembered a memory of his past life.

And staying alive.  
> Infection... Contained
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Eleven



By the time Twilight had ran into her library, night had fallen Equestria and most residence were just going to bed. With this in mind, the eight infected looked at there surroundings. The dark, in their world, had been their friend and hid most of them. They say most because it either be Spitter or Witch who gave them away. But the look around Ponyville was beautiful and when they looked up the couldn't believe it. The moon was HUGE! They could see the craters, the mare in the moon, and it was like they could reach up and touch the surface.

Smoker looked at it wide eyed and smiled. 'It's gonna be just fine here...' He thought. Jockey, out of amazement and awe, stopped laughing and giggling all together. It took a little while for the other seven to take notice, but when they did he began to giggle again but softly. A shuffle was heard upstairs and one name called out.

"...Twilight? Are you here?" Pinkie called as she walked down the stairs. Charger grabbed Jockey and put a hoof over his mouth, effectively quieting him. Twilight ran to her friend and looked her over. She still had a droopy mane and tail, but she had a small smile that told everyone 'I'm okay'. She glanced over at the group and her eyes fell on the neon white Earth Pony that had a hoof over his mouth. She stared at him with wide eyes, and he the same. 

Jockey, with what strength he had inside him, pushed away Charger's hoof and everyone gasped. Jockey no longer had the eternal smile on his face, and he was no longer giggling, laughing, snorting, not even a chuckle. He looked at her with a frown, and made his way to her. While she was still wide eyed, she began to back away slowly. 

"Stay away from me..." She whispered. 

He stopped moving and only cast his gaze to the floor. She heard a sniffle come from Jockey and a small tap of water on the floor. Jockey sat on his haunches and began wiping his eyes away. "I... I never meant to hurt you... I-I just wanted to play a game or something," Jockey admitted as his voice began to waver between guilt and humiliation. More tears began to fall from his eyes as he looked up from his position, he stared at Pinkie with a sneer.

"Be happy! Be happy, damn it! When you walked in through that door you hadn't so much as a bad twinge! And what did I do?! I messed you up!" He yelled and cried at the same time. The other infected stared at Jockey with awe. When did Jockey become so... bold? "That's not all," Jockey continued. "I was forced to smile! All the time, and it hurts every waking minute! So, how do you do it?! HOW DO YOU SMILE EVERY DAY WITHOUT FEELING PAIN!!" He screamed, and after his rant he fell to the floor in front of her and began to cry into her hooves. He wrapped his front hooves around hers while still on the ground.

He hiccuped, choking back tears that already came. "P-please... be happy..." He pleaded. She looked at him before putting on a sincere smile and patted his head. He looked up with red eyes, and tilted his head. She sat down, and pulled him up to her lap. He hiccuped again before a more steady set of tears fell from his eyes.

"Shhh... it's alright... shhh..." Pinkie soothed him petting his head telling him it alright. The other infected and Twilight looked down at the small pony and Pinkie in small amazement. 

"Has... he done this before?" Twilight asked Smoker who only shook his. Jockey was beginning to calm down, and soon drifted to sleep. He snored softly and Pinkie put him on her back started for the door. 

Before she opened the door, her mane and tail poofed up, and was now curly. She turned to the other infected. "By the way there's a party for you guys tomorrow afternoon. If you'd like to join you can. Who am I kidding? Of course you'll come, it's your party after all!" She said before giggling and walking out the door with Jockey still on her back. 

Charger perked. "Hey! Lassy, were you takin' Jockey? Back home with ya?" He asked and Pinkie only nodded before bounced to Sugar Cube Corner to go to sleep. 

Twilight still stood and tried to process what just happened. First Jockey becomes a raving lunatic, then he begins crying about how Pinkie should be happy, now he's on her back going to Sugar Cu-. She stopped her thought right there. What does that mean? She's taking to Sugar Cube Corner so what? The words Smoker said to her still rung in her head. No, he wouldn't because he was JUST crying over who she should be happy. So why would he?

"Okay, all you ponies probably need a place to stay. So with that said, I have a guest room, and the basement. So who wants what?" She asked with a small smile.

Tank, Smoker, and the other four took the guest room, leaving Witch to the basement. When Twilight opened her mouth to say something Tank cut her off. "Trust us... is better," he said before walking up the stairs.

Only to have the third stair up break under his weight. "....Uh...." He said has he moved from the stairs and curled in the middle of the room. "Down here fine..." He said with a small sheepish grin. The other five infected made way to the living room while Witch stood by the basement door waiting for Twilight. 

As the infected all drifted to sleep, a giggle was heard in the silent town and anyone who could hear it would also find a tone of anguish and despair in it.
> The Sleeping Giant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Twelve



As the sun raised above the sky in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle was coming up from her bed and stretching her legs out.

"*Yawn* Oh, wow. That was a day... and some dream too! I mean, who dreams of eight ponies that look like tha-" She was suddenly cut off by a horrible cough, and irate grunt from down stairs. She sighed to herself. 'That wasn't a dream was it?' She asked herself and walked down the stairs.

Meeting her down in the main room was Smoker and the other five infected. That meant... "W-where's Witch?" She asked them. 

Which was probably the WORST thing to do.

Smoker jumped and let his tongue fly towards her direction, but she moved out of the way just in time to see it fall limply towards the ground. He sighed a breath of relief, but it faded quickly when he saw Twilight staring at him. 

"Heh, sorry. Reflex..." He said nervously and bit his off his tongue again. While she greened, she didn't go launching towards a window. Tank snored loud enough to break her from her shock. It was obvious that Tank was tired, but it looked as though he could sleep forever with the way he snoring. Every time he snored, the windows shook softly, and the books on the shelves rattled. 

"Wow, he must be a heavy sleeper to NOT wake up from that," Twilight commented. 

"Actually, not true. Tank here is the lightest sleeper we know!" He whispered to her. Okay... what? This giant muscle bound pony, that could probably take out an entire town single handed, was the lightest sleeper? She levitated a pin right next his ear and dropped it to test a theory.

A theory she would regret until the end of time. 

When the pin dropped next to Tank's ear, he suddenly launched up and let out a mighty bellow that shook the foundation to its core. He snorted in anger and launched himself towards the door and smashed it to pieces. His roar was heard through out Ponyville, and one could compare it to a dragons rage.

"...Well, I hope you're happy..." Hunter said to Twilight as he leaped outside to stop the behemoth. Smoker and the others just shook their heads as they walked outside to him before he destroyed everything in sight. Twilight sat down thinking over what had possessed her to that. That was until she heard the soft cry of Witch behind her.

She turned to see Witch and Spike on her back. But that didn't shock Twilight because it was what it looked like happened. From her prospective, it looked like Witch had gored Spike and she was covered head to hoof in red, and seeing Spike hang limply for her back made it even worse. 

She cried again, and walked towards Twilight who was now trying to get away from her. When Witch stepped into the light her coat went from red to silver and it showed her carrying Spike in her hand-like wings. "He fell down the stairs to the basement..." Witch said as she put him down on Twilight's lap. She sighed to herself and walked out the door but stopped right away. Tank was gone, there was a big hole in the wall, the others, save for Jockey, weren't at the Library. It clicked in her mind before she ran full sprint in a speed that would Applejack to shame. 

___________

"TANK! Calm down!" Smoker yelled as his tongue, which was currently wrapped around Tank's neck, tossed him up and down. Charger had slammed into Tank many times trying to stop his rampaging, but in the end it did nothing to stop his brutish tantrum. Hunter had pounced on his back and bit at his back with his rows of canines but, like every other attempt, proved futile.

Spitter and Boomer had stayed in the back of the group; Boomer didn't want to reveal his secret if he theory was right, and Spitter didn't want to die from Tank's rage. An ear splitting scream echoed from behind them, and they turned to find Witch looking at them with her glowing eyes a shade of an orange-red.

The color of, they realized, blood.

"Tank... calm down," She said to him and received a bellow of rage from Tank. She screamed at him and her "wings" extended to their full length. In realty, they were really about almost two feet long. About almost three times longer from her previous form. She screamed again, this time sounding more like warning then anything else. Tank bellowed again and with what ever strength the muscular Earth Pony had, used it rip a chunk of rubble from beneath him. It shocked everyone even Witch that he had done that, and with a grunt he tossed it towards an innocent yellow pegasus. Witch ran towards the pegasus and the rubble and let smash into herself. 

Witch recoiled back, but managed to stay upright. Somewhere further down the road the yellow pegasus, who had ran off after seeing Witch run towards her, grew wide eyed and grit her teeth in anger. 

'How... HOW DARE HE! She thought as she watched the silver pegasus struggle to stand up. She tossed every fear she had out the window and dashed toward Tank. "You! Big! Meany!" She screamed emphasizing each word as he eyes got wider and wider. Tank stopped suddenly, and his eyes had slowly dilated. He gave an uncomfortable grunt as he stared into her eyes of... something....

"You will apologize to that pony... NOW!" She screamed as her eyes bore into Tanks very soul. He gave several grunts before he fell to his knees and uttered one word as he fell from the power of the Stare.

"Sorry..." 

__________

Fluttershy had never been so exhausted. She had never felt that way after a day with her animals. With her errands or with cleaning her house. Her Stare had been up for exactly three minutes, staring down Tank and making him apologize to Witch had sucked the juice out of him... and Fluttershy as well. 

Smoker and the other infected (again not including Jockey) watch the whole thing happen... and they couldn't believe it. A random pony had STARED at Tank, and he went belly up from exhaustion.

....What?

"All those in favor of dragging Tank's sorry hide back to the library?" Charger asked as six hooves shot up and they all pushed and pulled Tank to the library back to Twilight...

Who was still recovering from the fact that her home had been destroyed... AGAIN!
> Myths Of The Dead (Or Stories Of Infected That Didn't Make The Cut)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Thirteen



Twilight Sparkle.

Proud student of Princess Celestia, wielder of the Element of Magic, and probably the strongest unicorn in the world (Magic wise). To say this to her, she would probably beam with pride. But now? Well, if you were to say those things to her now she wouldn't hear what you said at all. The reason for this? Her precious library had been destroyed again...

...by the same pony.

She stared at the remains of her north-most wall seeing the whats left of the door swing idly from side to side. Why the library? she would ask herself when some thing bad happens. But now she was caught asking a new question:

"Why me?" 

__________________

"Ooooh my gosh! I'm so, so sorry! I-I didn't mean to knock him out with my stare! Ooooh~ What am I going to do when he wakes up? Will he be mad at me? Or worse? What if he's-" Fluttershy's worrying rant was cut off by Hunter, who promptly shove a hoof in her mouth.

He sighed a breath before turning to her. "Look, what you did was good. If he were to keep rampaging around town what would happen?" He asked her but didn't wait for a response. "He would have, possibly... hurt someone really badly, Okay? So, you did a good job stopping him for us," He said as he motioned toward the others pushing Tank back to the (what was once a) library. 

He removed his hoof from her mouth where she sat their, wonder what would've happened if she did not intervene. The very thought made her shiver to her core. She looked up at Hunter's wings that where slightly matted, but not enough for the inability of flight. He looked over at her one last time and leaped his way to the others who were still pushing him. Fluttershy stifled a gasp when she saw underneath the hood of Hunter. 

What she saw shocked her to her very soul. Hunter's eyes were... gone.

Nothing were in the hollow holes inside of his head. She wondered how a pony could live like that, with no eyes, no sense of direction. He could still see her fine though, so how could he know where everything with no eyes? Echolocation? No, he's not clicking or anything. Just peer luck? If that's the case he would find the lost city of Marelantis first. Maybe... vibration in the ground? That seems like a reasonable thing. Moles do it all the time, when the feel something close to them move they start to dig in that direction, hoping to be food and not the other way.     

But as the started to push/roll Tank away, she began to wonder to herself:

'How could those ponies live like that, with scars and... oh my...'

______________

As they pushed Tanked into the... giant, gaping maw of the library, Hunter started to chuckle a little. 

Smoker looked over to him. "What's so funny? I haven't heard a laugh come from you since we found Jockey," He said remembering how on Earth, when he and Jockey (and just about every infected Common or not) had the same ideal. 

"I-I remember the Infected myths... you- hehehe... you remember 'The Screamer' right?" He said in a fit of giggles and snorts. Needless to say, Smoker found himself about that tale. The Screamer was supposedly a Special that would scream so loud not only would it blind the survivor's eyes, but also call a horde. The very thought was ridiculous. "Or Meat Wall?" The 'Meat Wall' was an infected that had a SERIOUS bloating problem. His job was like Tank's, but in a matter of defense, and when he died he fell on the nearest survivor and crushed him. Again he started to snicker because the thought of an Infected becoming as big as a small house was, once again, ridiculous.

"God Hunter... those were some pretty good stories -slash- myths huh?" He laughed. "Oh, oh, wait, remember the 'First' Charger?" With that said, Hunter began laughing as he clutched his sides in amusement. Charger, who had heard the story before, started to snicker a little to, because of the fact that he possibly looked that? It was to funny NOT to laugh at... even if it was thought of to look like him.

When they finally made it back to the library, they saw Twilight sitting their with a blank expression. She didn't move, she didn't speak, and from the looks of it she didn't breath. Witch looked at her with a concerning smile and slowly unfurled one of her six appendages and very quickly poked her rump. Twilight yelped at the pain burning in her behind, but she quickly shook that off and began looking at the damaged library again.

Two weeks...

That's how long it took her to clean after the Spike incident. Now all that time just... gone. A silent sob went through her mind as the other infected (even though Jockey was STILL with Pinkie and Tank was out of commission) stood there, watching her look at her library. 

"That's what happens when we get... riled up..." Charger said putting his giant arm around her to comfort her. "That's what the 'Green Flu' does. Makes you go mad, and then makes you go after and kill anything not you. It's a sad tale, aye, but never the less, we didn't look at the bad things," Charger explained. He told her things like how Spitter's bio-luminescence made it easier for them to see in dark places. Tank's strength destroyed any and all blockades in their path, and Smoker always got them out of tough and close calls.

While showing Twilight the 'good' things of being infected, Jockey had slowly slid his way past the hole in the wall and joined the group. With his smile somewhat smaller, he still giggled softly in hopes that he wouldn't be heard. "What took you so long Jockey?" Aaaaaand there goes stealth. 

Jockey sighed and started walking towards them; all aware of his presence. he giggled at seeing Tank all knocked ou-

Wait...

Tank knocked unconscious? When did that happen? He shook it off because he knew if he asked to many questions, Charger would beat him for it.

....It'll be worth it!
> Being Human: Charger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Special Chapter: Being Human



Dylan McFlanner, a simple farmer and plantation worker. His boss, Virgil, had heard of the outbreak of the Green Flu, but what was weird about it is that it never seemed to hit the swamp. It went through Memphis, Savannah, New Orleans, but not the swamps of Florida. For whatever reason, the gases of the swamp destroyed the infection before it infected the actual people. But, those with a television said that the animals could still carry the infection, so for safety measures they slaughtered the animals and burned the meat in fenced metal rings. 

"Dylan! We need you on the deck!" Virgil yelled from the boat outside the plantation. Dylan, who was currently picking, looked up from the ground and ran through the mansion. He made it halfway through the mansion when he heard Virgil again.

"Dylan! Hurry your ass over here!" He shouted again which made him run in a full sprint. Dylan was about 24, with red auburn hair, and won about three medals in his high school Track-meet. At his top speed he made it towards the boat in no less then 6 minutes. He trudged through the water, climbed on the boat and ran towards the captains cabin. He (more or less) slammed the door open and looked at Virgil with an exhausted look. 

"You *pant* called *huff* sir?" Dylan said out of breath and fanned himself. 'That's what I get for running in the middle of summer.' He thought to himself. Virgil laughed lightly and put his hand on Dylan's head. He ruffed his hair up and looked at him again. 

He chuckled at what he saw. "That's how a REAL farmer looks like Dylan, so exhausted that he can't do no more... then someone calls his name and still does it anyways." He said looking at him with a smile. Dylan felt himself try to smile but it faltered and he fell down panting. 

He groaned lightly and shook his head. "S-sorry Virgil... I... I'm feeling a little under the weather... Aye?" He said with his Irish accent breaking through. He groaned again louder then normal. His nose began to bleed and ears rang. Beyond the ringing, he heard a gun click. 

Click

"V-Virgil...?" He said as he looked up to see a shotgun in his face. Virgil was no longer smiling, no longer happy. 

Virgil took a breath. "I never wanted to tell anyone this, but the infection IS here in the plantation. I didn't want to say anything because I would lose work and the wife and I couldn't make due by ourselves." He said the gun still pointed down at Dylan. "But in the end? I saw what happened to some of my workers. They changed, they lost their minds and feelings. The only thing they know how to do is: Kill, Eat, Wander, and Kill again." 

He pointed the gun, but looked lost in thought and put it away. "That's what's happening to you, son. You're infected and I'll take care of you... personally." He said as he brought out an old African plantation stick and tested it's heft. He looked down at the still changing Dylan before smashing the stick over his skull, causing it to cave and Dylan fell limp.

Virgil grabbed him by one of his overall loops, and tossed him down in the marsh where he sank. "You were a fine young lad... wish it didn't to be this way..." He said as he stepped of the boat and made way back to the plantation field. 

Half Past Ten

A groan emanated from the water where Dylan had been put. The dirt underneath seemed to shift and move on its own. The groan came again, but this time more of a howl. An overly bloated and armored arm came launching from the surface of the water, before the rest of whatever was on the end came up as well. His right arm was bloated and armored with extra skin and bone, but was callused and dry and dripped blood. His teeth and part of his face were missing along with his nose. His left arm was pretty much nothing, because of the fact that the bones had migrated to different spots in his body. 

His legs were uneven always walking with a limp, so he had to put on farther then the other... as if he were running. And finally, his head was caved in and his eyes were as black as night. Despite the fact of having his skull caved in, his brain was still intact. And what's worse is that he still had rational thought.

'He did this...'

He snorted.

'HE left me here...'  

He grunted.

'HE!'

A growl.

'WILL!'

He slammed his fist down.

'PAY!'

He gave a howl of anger before launching through the marsh hunting for his prey.



________________

As Charger ended his story about how the Green Flu was good in some ways, he silently shook off the memory that played in his head.

"So... how's 'bout we go get some tea or something, and relax... that okay, missy?" He asked Twilight who nodded and walked to the kitchen. He sighed as he recalled the memory one last time.

'As if I hadn't enough problems...' He thought to himself as he crunched the tiny fingers on his hoof. He still thought of that man... that monster...

'He will pay... I know it... DAMN him and those survivors he helped. He thought before he heard a tea kettle whistle and walked into the kitchen.
> Asphyxiation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Fourteen



Smoker couldn't hardly believe what he and the other infected had gotten into. First Tank goes on a rampage, and now they have to find a way to respond to Twilight without her freaking out.

The latter being filled in by Charger --thank god-- and he quickly pulled her over to have a nice, little chat. He sighed to himself and felt a hoof on his back. He turned to see Hunter giving him a somewhat withered smiled, even though despite the fact that Hunter was at least four or five younger then the others he most certainly acted older than them all. He had an idea just then, seeing Hunter's pointy teeth stare at him. 

As Twilight and Charger sipped their tea, Smoker came in with a smile on his face. "Twilight," he asked, "you wouldn't happen to know any... musicians would you?" He asked with a expecting smile on his face. Twilight thought a little and replied that she knew two of them: Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch. "Oh, really? Where can I find them, I wish to hear my old theme again." He said his eyes practically starry and filled with nostalgia. 

Twilight cocked her head a little to the right and then to the left. "Ummm... Theme?" She asked as he began to gush.

"Oh, well you see back on Earth where we came from, we all had different themes to go with what we did. My theme had heavy bass drums, with piano, violin, and female vocalist, Boomer had no music but a female and male singer it was quiet mesmerizing thinking back on it. Hunters' theme was intimidating and fast pace with a female singer, drums, and string instruments like a viola or violin. Charger had a theme with female vocals, violin, and and trumpets." 

Smoker kept going on about how the themes made them sound more frighting to the uninfected. Jockeys' was similar to Chargers, but the trumpet was more fast paced. Spitters' theme was more violin and string then anything else. Twilight listened carefully, and nodded every time he took a breath. 

When he reached the conclusion of the story, she asked him a simple question. "What were the names of your 'themes'?" She asked with a general curiousness. Smoker stopped dead in his tracks and turned on a heel. "Huh?" He asked making sure he didn't hear her wrong.

When she repeated the question, he replied with only one word. "Asphyxiation." He said with a straight face, meaning that he was serious. When he had said his theme 'name', the others joined as well.

"Pukricide/Enzymicide." Boomer responded.

"Contusion." Charger said with a somewhat chipper voice.

"Mortification." Spitter replied.

"Vassalation." Jockey giggled as he saw her face turn from one to shock to confusion.

"Exenteration" Hunter said. 

Twilight face and inner mind had never been so... disgusted. These are all ways to die... Except for Spitters' and Jockeys' themes... Smoker coughed again to get the rational thought from her head. His smile never left his face, Jockey eventually came from behind and jumped on his back riding like a, well, horse. 

'JOCKEY! Get off! Now!" Smoker yelled, but for Jockey he didn't hear anything. Charger came rushing towards the two and tried to pull him off of Smoker's back. Jockey manipulated Smoker's legs and ran him walls and spun him in circles, all the while Jockey giggled like a made mare.

"HHEEHEEEEEYRRRAAA! RIDE 'EM COWBOY!!!" He screamed up in the air as they both flew outside. The neon white colt, who was now straddling the back of the sickly green unicorn, laughed as loud as he could, in the process waking up the entire town. 

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Ugh... What the hay?!" 

"Can't a mare get her beauty rest!"

The last voice sounded familiar. Out of the building that said the words "Carousel Boutique" a white unicorn mare with purple locks and a triple diamond cutie mark walked outside the see...

...A neon white Earth Pony doing a rodeo show in her front lawn on top of a sickly green Unicorn Pony. The white pony all but screamed with unbridled rage and shock which shocked the two ponies out of their squabble. 

And to have Charger howl and smash into both of them. 

"You giggling sadistic moron! THINK with your BRAIN! Not your actions! God damn it, I was this close of getting you offa Smoker, and look what ya DID!!" Charger screamed at Jockey with everything but mercy. "And, and that's not all! What you do with the pink one huh? Have a nice screw did ya?!" He grabbed Jockey and rose to his hind legs. With Jockey in place with his hoof and the stubs that where once fingers, he slammed him down so hard the ground cracked under him.

Jockey let out a pained yelp, and was raised again and slammed down with the same, if not more force then last time. Charger, with a snarl on his face, threw Jockey through the window of the boutique and snorted in anger and disgust. He slowly limped away, his left being more larger than half his body, and walked away into a nearby forest not even bothering to see if Smoker was okay or not. 

Jockey was torn... He couldn't believe what had happened between him and Charger... 

Glass was buried in his hide and probably all his bones broken, but still Jockey stood up and looked at where Charger had limped off to. With a sigh and a frown he wandered back to the library in tow of Smoker, who was now looking more concerned then angry. 

"I-it's all my fault..." Jockey said as he looked again towards the forest, hoping Charger would be alright on his own. 
> Contusion 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Grounds For The Dead: Chapter Fifteen



To say Charger was angry would be an understatement. He was down right furious. Jockey knew better than to act like that... and to another infected no less! Charger beat large left hoof into the ground, panting in anger. His hazardous green eyes lit up suddenly, the luminescence of the color lighting everything in his way. 

"Damn it Jockey... even your stupidity is making me go back to how I was before..." He muttered to himself and looked around. He found himself in an old castle, the windows gone and broken, the walls themselves were crumbling. Why, a good clean charge and the place would topple. Over on the other side of what used to be a pedestal, where light blue and purple pieces of armor broken in battle. He stared at the them before picking one piece up and stabbing it into his left arm. He felt the pain, but didn't show it. He removed the piece and looked at the rushing blood.

'Nope... not a dream...'  

"Tell me... why have you come to my castle?" A luscious voice said from behind him. He jumped onto his hind legs and turned around to see his potential attacker. She was a black unicorn pegasus, with a mane that flowed like smoke and held stars and galaxies. It was like staring into the embodiment of the night. She, herself, noticed Chargers' deformities, and looked down at him with faux caring eyes. "Why is one my subjects so... like this? Where have I been all this time?" She asked herself but mainly to him.

Using his right hoof, he placed it on his shoulder and sighed. "I have something known as the Green Flu, where I came from anyway..." He told her, hoping she was listening, "It changes my kind into... monsters that killed everything that wasn't us. We were insane and attacked everything that moved." He said spilling everything to her. How they followed four survivors of the apocalyptic world they lived in, all the way to where they "died" on the bridge only to end up here. 

The mare smiled and looked down at Charger. "My little pony, I can give you back your form if you want. It will be just like how you got here before." She said with a small smile and her horn began to glow a soft starry aura. Charger nodded his head, the thought of being back to normal... wow. Suddenly her soft smile turned evil and malicious. Lightning cracked above them as her starry magic promised to do just that.

And then some...

_______________

"Jockey, please come out of there, it's been an hour already!" Boomer said coaxing Jockey to come out of the closet (*Snirk*) he was locked in. Jockey only replied with a series of laughs and crazy screams that Boomer and the infected only could understand. "Well I never! Hold your tongue boy, no use of that language in front of the lady!" Boomer scolded but no reply from the closet this time. He sighed heavily before turning back to the group, letting one of them try. 

After a fruitless fifteen minutes, Tank was just getting ready to beat down the door. Twilight gave him a stern look and shook her head. "J-Jockey? C'mon it's okay, you'll be fine." She said into the closet and a series of screeches were heard on the other side. Jockey, please, I know what it's like..."

The door of closet opened only slightly, allowing him peak through the crack. "What would you know about it? Charger's like a brother to me, all of us are family and though we have MAJOR differences, we still stick together and work as a team... but Charger yelled at me... and hit me and... no..." He whimpered and closed the door of the closet again. Jockey was a miserable wreck. The front door suddenly burst open and an orange mare with a stetson hat upon her head burst in. 

"Twilight! Some monster is-... Twilight, what did we tell you about using live ponies as test subjicts?" Applejack said clearly confused. 

"No time for that, you said a monster?" Twilight asked now more concerned for this.

"Yeah, it was some giant! A big honking arm, with this little scraggly arm that flailed everywhere. It stood on two legs and-" She was cut off Smoker grabbing her by the waist an pulled her towards him with a serious look in his eyes. 

"Where?"

_________________________

He's never felt so alive! Having the freedom he wanted, the joy he needed. He could ram buildings and they would topple, not stop him midway. The ponies around ran away from him, seeing that it was fruitless to fight. That's what he wanted, to be feared by the living again. A small filly, orange coat and purple mane, was beneath him, completely vulnerable and helpless to do anything... and in the view of his mercy. He raised his fist to crush the filly, just as he was about to let it fly home, a rope of some kind wrapped around his arm.

Seeing the pinkish color of the rope, he knew it belonged to one pony. He growled, turned, and groaned at Smoker.

"Charger! I have two things to ask: One, why are you freaking out, attacking the very peo- ponies that saved our asses, and two, how did you change back?!" Charger replied with a series of grunts and howl like sounds only the infected could understand.

"You... made a deal with a mystical mist?! Charger you are an absolute MORON!" Hunter yelled, his teeth bared for combat. Tank and Witch both had masks of irritation, but at the same time looks of war lords. Boomer, still keeping to himself, hadn't even bothered putting on a brave face, but Spitter had acidic drool leaking from her maw, burning the ground and her lips. Smoker retracted his tongue, and gave Charger the look of a predator and took one step forward.   

Charger gave a sound similar to a dog barking, and snarled, his face moving as his jaw moved up and down. Suddenly, a dark blue smoke began twirling around him, and inside the mist was the face of Nightmare Moon. 

"Hahahaha! Hello again Elements of Harmony, and these must be the creatures Charger was talking about... Yes, each one with a unique 'Mutation' as he calls it. And it shows..." She said gesturing towards him. Twilight and the other five (Excluding Fluttershy) cased a disgusted look towards the mist, but Smoker and the other infected growled and began showing their true natures again, even Boomer was beginning to dribble bile.

"What do you want, Nightmare?" Twilight ask. Nightmare only smirked and pointed with a ghostly tail towards the infected. "Them", she said, "I want them!"

If Tank still had hands, they would be balled in fists, if Witch still had it in her, she could scream so loud it could pop the eardrums of those around her. Now was do or die, because Nightmare Moon had Charger in a deadly grip, and the only way to save him, is by giving themselves up...