It had been a long run. Just one night evading dangers had them feeling half-dead. Exhausted, they collapsed on yet another rooftop. "I'm gonna die..." "I can't feel my wings." "I cain't take no more!" "I'd kill for some chocolate milk rain right about now." Some of the group members complained. "We should rest here for now." Twilight suggested. "I'll put up a barrier to protect us while we're asleep." Within two minutes, a large purple bubble surrounded them all, then popped and splattered around them. A faint lavender glow remained, just so it wouldn't draw too much attention.


At, daybreak, Applejack and Vinyl Scratch were the first ones up. Applejack was up because she was fearful of another attack, and Vinyl Scratch because she was hyped up on her own negative adrenaline.
Twilight rose next, sleepily rubbing her eyes with her hooves. "Morning, girls." "Mornin' Twi." Applejack managed. "Good morning Twilight." Fluttershy sleepily responded. "Wait. Do you hear that?" "Hear what, Shy?" Rainbow Dash was nervous with her speech. "It sounds carnivorous. Oh, it isn't a bear, it's... It's..." Fluttershy turned around, soon collapsing after she witnessed the following ghastly sight.

"Unless she got out of the bubble, I don't know what could've happened!" Twilight cried in her defense.

The group was panicking, screaming even. "PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash shouted, valiantly leaping to her friend's aid. Rainbow had her forehooves outstretched for Pinkie Pie to grab. The pink mare's strength was fading, and fading fast. She'd managed to keep the disgusting thing from biting her this long, and it was a miracle she could keep it up.
A gunshot rang through the air, an armor-piercing bullet pegging the zombie, ending him finally. Pinkie Pie breathed a long sigh of relief. "Thank you... Eh, who are you?" She queried looking up at her savior. "Name's Takashi. And you?" "I'm Pinkie Pie. The pegasus you almost shot's Rainbow Dash, and I guess the others can introduce themselves."
The ponies went around, giving names and showing off their cutie marks to their rescuers.

The circumstances may have humbled a certain blue equine, as her name didn't include "The Great and Powerful." Her name was just Trixie Lulamoon, of Magic City.

Some time later, the group found themselves near the school, the breeding grounds for the city's infection. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Kohta warned Rarity. "Why, thank you for the heads up. I simply wouldn't have been able to tell if the building was dangerous hadn't you come along." Rarity was getting pissed, and fast. "Happy to help!" Kohta cheerfully replied, oblivious to her foul mood.
"We're going to have to risk it." Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "What? Twilight, are you crazy?" Rarity whisper-shouted, pointing at the shambling figures not too far away. "We'll be good. They haven't heard us yet." Twilight reassured, taking the first step toward the blood-spattered architecture.

"I think we'll be okay. Twilight's an egghead, so she must know what she's doing." Rainbow Dash went on, fluttering above and ahead the group. Fluttershy gasped and took into the air with Rainbow Dash. Two lookouts are better than one, right? "I second that." The timid pegasus hurriedly spat.

The Mane Six went ahead, taking turns on lookout position as they went onward. Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, Trixie, Takashi, and his friends trailed behind, some scouting for danger, some searching for supplies.
Twilight's plan was to look for supplies others may have left behind, such as notebooks and pencils, medicine and food. These could come in handy with her scientific background. If they were lucky, there was a possibility of sending out an SOS message to the Princess.

So far, they'd yet to come across anything useful.

Suddenly there was moaning. A low, bothersome groan, like that of a dying mammal. Heads were turning, searching for the source of the noise. "Oh crap." Twilight said worriedly as her ears fell. "What's the problem, Twilight?" Fluttershy spoke with a shaken voice. "I hear... I hear... Them." She began backing up and looking behind her to shoo off her comrades. A student, still living, trudged toward them. "What the? Ponies? I'm seeing things... I guess if I make some noise they'll get me and end me." He seemed sick. His voice sounded off and his eyes kept shifting. He looked beyond ill, with body language to match.

"It's about time I die anyway..." He seemed to whisper to himself. Covering his ears with his hands, he tilted his head up and let out the most psychotically-timed scream. More moaning. No, hissing. Moaning, hissing, and gurgling came from all directions.
The undead burst through windows, hands grasping for the faintest fiber.
"No use being quiet now. RUN!" Twilight bellowed. Takashi readied his bat, and Kohta his gun, and the teens were off, bursting through the doors they came through. Rainbow Dash galloped toward the metal divider between the doors and kicked it with all her might, breaking it completely. The new opening allowed for the oncoming ponies to gallop out at full speed.

Even with the new advantage, the horde was gaining. "I... I've got to do something." "Don't worry, Dash, we've got this!" Twilight called to her aerially stagnant friend. "No we don't!" Her blue hooves crossed over her chest in thought. A thought made itself clear and known, and tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'm going in." She said.
Twilight and the others came to a skidding halt. "What? No." She said angrily. "If I don't they'll catch you guys. I don't want that to happen. Goodbye guys. It's been good..." Rainbow Dash saluted her friends and went back toward the horde.
"Wait!" The others looked around for the creator of the outburst.
Through a group of teens, Trixie came forward. "I'll go. Trixie has always needed to be taught a lesson anyway." Twilight's eyes went wide. Not Trixie! She... She'd always had a...

This couldn't happen.

This particular purple unicorn wasn't about to lose her friends. She frantically searched the area, and everywhere she looked she saw grey. Grey concrete buildings, grey ground, grey sky. Grey.

A splash of yellow and green caught her eye. A senile old woman passing by, unaware of her surroundings. Using her magic, she picked up the old woman and brought her closer.

"Hel-lo there." She said kindly.

"Why hello, love."

"Ma'am, could you do me a favor?"

"Absolutely!"

Twilight's eyes turned solid white, black liquid dripping from her tear ducts.

"Could you... Die for me?"

The woman barely had time to think before being thrown to the zombies clamping for the group. Twilight spoke an uncharacteristic line to her mates in a harsh, grave voice.

"Let's go while they have her."