Just an Old Ponytale, Untold Stories...
Big Macintosh-
'The events that take place happen at the end of chapter 12 when Twilight arrives at the Apple family's farm to the start of chapter 13 when Big Mac returns from a very unsuccessful supply search.'
"Sounds like you've had it pretty rough Twilight." the red stallion commented as she finished explaining all that has happened, leaving out a few rather important details in her own defense. Twilight figured it best that telling them how this all came to be would only cause more harm than good at this point. "So... they even got Rarity, huh?" Big Mac continued, the small group around the lavender mare listening intently on news from the outside, considering most of them haven't even thought of leaving the safety of the farm since this outbreak.
Twilight started naming off all those that she had known to be infected, starting with her dear friend. "Yes. Rarity, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Flutter-" With sudden recognition of what she was doing, Big Macintosh held up his hoof, indicating to her to stop.
"We get it... Most everypony is either dead or infected by now..." He heaved a heavy sigh, the answer known by him to the next question, but he needed assurance. "Even Applejack..." The statement wasn't asked within a questioning matter, but more so of like he had already known, and Twilight's wincing at the mere mentioning of his sister's name was more than enough to convince him. "Figures..."
"I'm sorry Big Macintosh..." Twilight stated with deep sympathy as the stallion stood up and was heading towards one of the beds in the corner of the room.
"Don't be..." he said with a grunt while he laid on the home-made sleeping mat, the group still rather close as he spoke. "Ah kinda already knew anyways... and ah've made peace with the matter." With a rather forlorn look, he continued. "Just... don't tell Apple Bloom, or at least not now. We lost Granny Smith to one of the infected when they burst through the ground..." Big Mac yawned, setting his head down on his forehooves, using them like a pillow. "Good night y'all..." The group returned his good night with that of their own, all except Twilight, who was thinking of what to do...
A few hours passed, Big Mac now awake from his slumber only to find that most everypony else was now asleep. Observing the room, he notices a darkish colored pony walk by in the hallway, at first impression that it must be Twilight, considering she was nowhere to be found in the room. As he is about to stand, he suddenly realizes that his little sister Apple Bloom had cuddled up to him in his sleep, curled up in a ball and shivering beside him. Very carefully, the stallion eased his way around her, avoiding a few creaky planks in the floor since he knew all too well how light of a sleeper she was. Carefully sliding his forehooves under her head and gently moving out from under her, Big Mac finally is able to pursue the pony, who was most likely Twilight, and possibly figure out what the group was going to do about their current situation.
After a quick search through his own halls, the farm pony finally hears his target. He finds Twilight, quietly sobbing in the corner of the bathroom with the door barely open. Knocking before entering, Big Macintosh steps into the room, a shaky mare before him with the area just under her eyes stained a slightly darker purple from the tears. Big Mac... she states rather surprised, the stallion unsure whether she was just acting, or if she was legitimately startled by his sudden intrusion. I was... just washing up...
Twilight... he says, closing the door behind him. We need to talk... Twilight had slight fear of what he meant by 'talk'. With an uneasy voice, she spoke.
"Y... yes?" Big Mac cleared his throat as he started to speak.
"Listen, ya know all 'bout these infected ponies and how they can be stopped and all right? So I was thinking of letting you lead us, seeing as you're not only the smartest pony here, but also the most organized. Will ya help us?" The lavender mare kind of just stood there, her face in complete dumbfoundment. "Uh... Twi?" the stallion says, waving a hoof in front of the mare. "You alright?"
"Huh, what?" Twilight quickly glanced to her sides. "Yea, I'm fine... just a bit on edge is all..."
"I see... Well, ya know where to find us if ya need anything..." He started out the door, but as he left the small room, he allowed one word to escape his breath. "Leader..." Closing the entrance behind him, he continued towards his home-made bed which Apple Bloom was still sleeping rather lightly on. Laying down beside his only remaining family, he wrapped his hooves around himself, and slept through the night with thoughts of better days...
"Alright everypony, listen up." Twilight announced as she stood atop a soap box. "Big Macintosh has appointed me leader, and being as such, I believe it's my responsibility to assign a search party for food and survivors." Everypony in the room was dead silent as they now lent their ears to this mare. "I will need volunteers."
"I will!" an all too familiar voice called out. It was none other than Big Mac himself.
"Alright. Anypony else?" Twilight asked as she looked among the rag tag group.
"I will too!" a mare said, stepping up to reveal that it was Berry Punch.
"As will I!" Mr. Breezy stated.
"And me too!" exclaimed Junebug.
"That should be plenty." Twilight said, the group of volunteers not exactly the team she had in mind. 'I guess they're better than nothing...' she thought to herself. "Alright team, head for the front door and I'll give you instructions from there. Everypony else, prepare supply bags for these brave ponies." Stepping down from the soap box, she was quickly confronted by Apple Bloom, the rest of the small crowd setting out to do their specified job.
"Twilight, you can't let my big brother go out there!" the little filly pleaded.
"It wasn't my choice. Besides, the others in that group need him." Twilight argued.
"But what if somethin' happens to him? What if they get him!"
"Please." the mare states with a smile and the wave of her hoof. "If anything, I'd think those zombies would think twice before messing with Big Mac. Well... that is... if they could think..."
"But Twili-" The purple unicorn cut her sentence short.
"Listen. He's probably already got his mind set. I don't see the point in trying to talk him out of it." she argued.
"But-" Apple Bloom stopped herself as she watched Twilight walk away, heading towards the front door. "Big Mac..."
Alright team, listen up! Twilight said rather firmly as she stood before the group in front of her while they put on the saddlebags that were filled with supplies. It s going to be very dangerous out there and- She was rather rudely interrupted by the stallion beside her, Mr. Breezy.
Yea... we know this... Ignoring his unnecessary comment, Twilight continued.
And we can t live off of cider and apples. Especially when the cider is made of the apples...
Can t be having too much fun with zombies around eh? Berry Punch implied.
So that s why we need you to go out into Ponyville and see if you can find anything that could be of use. Food, equipment, weapons, you name it.
Flower pots can be used for weapons! Junebug stated.
Y... yes... they can... Twilight said, rather confused about the statement. Shaking off the comment, she turned to face the rest of them. Good luck! The group nodded in agreement as they started out the door. Oh, and one more thing! Twilight called out to them. Don t trust anypony! Trust only each other!
"Will do!" Mr. Breezy yelled back, waving his hoof good-bye to her.
"So... where should we go first?" Berry Punch asked, looking at Big Macintosh as the group started off towards town.
"I think our best bet would be to check the nearest gardening shop for weapons and such!" Junebug said rather ecstatically.
"Why didn't we just grab something out of the barn? We was on a farm after all..." Mr. Breezy implied, bringing himself into the conversation.
"Because we don't know what's in the barn. Who knows how many of those things could be in there." Big Mac said, trying to end the the possibility of an argument, seeing as Mr. Breezy was a rather stubborn gentlecolt.
"I'd figured they'd leave after a while, like the ones who chased Twilight up here." the ginger maned stallion started to say, a disagreement almost a sure thing.
"Should we head back and check?" Junebug asked, rather oblivious to what they were supposed to be doing.
"Nope." the farm pony said with a stern tone. "We are out here to look for food and equipment, not search the building right behind the stronghold for infected that may or may not be there." He stopped and turned to look at Breezy. "Is that understood?" With a gulp and a slightly scared look, he slowly nodded his head, a bit annoyed as they continued, mumbling under his breath.
Eventually, the group of four reached their destination, the small city of Ponyville seemingly abandoned of all life, undead included."So..." Berry Punch said, taking a step forward ahead of the group. "What's the plan?"
"Ah say we stick together." Big Mac stated, looking at the other stallion with a glare, knowing he was about to contradict the idea.
"Well, I think that the less time we spend out here, the better off we'll be. I say we split into teams of two." Mr. Breezy says with a false feeling of intellect. Big Macintosh expected no less from him.
"Ah say that we stick together, unless you want to argue out here in the rain." the farm pony says, his look intimidating.
"You know I'd gladly do so, but we have more important matters to attend to." the stubborn stallion said as he started to trot off. "Come Junebug, let's go look in the flower shop for equipment while the other two find food."
"Don't you just walk away from me!" Big Mac yelled at the pony.
"Yay! Flower equipment! Bye Big Mac!" Junebug said as she followed Mr. Breezy.
"Junebug! Breezy!" he called, but they just ignored him as they continued their own way.
"Guess it's you and me then." Berry Punch said, now standing beside the stallion who stood there, dumbstruck by what had just happened. "C'mon. Let's get to searching. If anything, he was right about one thing. The less time we spend out here, the better."
"Ah suppose..." he said, a disheartened and defeated feeling coming over him...
It didn't take long for the two to search the entire area, considering that most, if not all, the stores had already been searched at one point or another. A few times they thought they had heard strange noises coming from behind a few walls, and even once did they think they heard a distant scream. Stepping outside of a house, Berry Punch looked to the stallion with dismay.
"I think I'm done..." sighing as she spoke. "We've been out here for what seems like forever searching building after building only to come up empty. Not to mention the constant noises..."
"Look, ah understand that you're scared, so if ya want, head on back to the farm. I'll catch up when I find... something..." Big Mac said, waving his hoof at her to shoo her away. She stood there, planting her front hooves firmly into the mud.
"No way! We're in this together! I just wish you'd see the reality of how pointless this seems..." she started to argue.
"Ah'm sorry, but ah don't..." Big Mac said, walking away and heading for the next house. Turning back and looking at the perplexed mare, he stated, "Coming?"
It's been an hour since their little quarrel, and still they have yet to find anything of use, unless they were actually going to bring back flower pots for weapons. Sitting down inside what was supposed to be their last stop, the two discuss what they were going to tell Twilight and the others. First, however, they were going to find Mr. Breezy and Junebug before even considering returning to the farm.
"Ah still can't believe that stubborn Breezy. Who does he think he is trotting off like that?" Big Mac complains, still sore about the earlier incident.
"Sheesh, you're still going on about that?" Berry Punch implied, thinking he was taking the whole 'split up' thing too seriously. "Yes, it might not have been the wisest thing, but who knows? Maybe he and Junebug found something and has already head back to the farm."
"Sounds just like 'em, to leave us out here wonderin' about 'em" Berry Punch felt that he had got the wrong impression.
"C'mon now... Don't look at it that way. I'm sure they were just like me earlier and just felt like they had gotten their fill of seeing empty houses... or lifeless bodies... or... other things..." She tried to get her point across to the stallion, but the attempt was vain.
"Whatever... Let's just head back... If they ain't there, then good riddance..."
"Big Mac! I... I'm surprised at you! You would just leave them out here?" she blared at him, his own stubborn attitude starting to pester her.
"Eye for an eye..." he coldly stated, feeling that he had made his point. "Let's get movin'..." The mare stomped her hoof into the ground.
"No..."
"What? What did you say?" Big Mac asked, anger now evident from his sudden and sharp tone. There were more strange noises starting to come from the walls around them.
"I said no..." she said with her own hint of fury in her voice. "I'm leaving with the same, kind hearted stallion I came in here with."
"I haven't changed!" the stallion flared, the noises around them growing even louder.
"Horse apples! The Big Macintosh I knew wouldn't even dare think of leaving another pony out alone in a situation like this!" The noises turned into a low rumble, growling from which could barely be heard.
"They'd be nothing but a hindrance anyway!" he retorted.
"Oh yea? And what about Apple Bloom? She'd be nothing but a hindrance too! Would you talk about her this way?"
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY SISTER LIKE THAT!" he screamed at her from the top of his lungs, throwing his body at the mare and pinning her to the ground. Her eyes grew to that the size of saucers, the confidence she just had leaving her and becoming replaced by fear.
"B... Big Mac..." Berry Punch softly whispered in hesitation as she looked into his eyes, the hatred with him obviously great. She didn't take into consideration the fact that Apple Bloom was the only family he had left. He felt pain, felt despair, but refused to let it show, resulting in an ever growing fire of hatred towards others. He had been able to keep that anger contained, locked away somewhere deep in his gut, but what she said... what Berry Punch had just coldly stated to him about the only pony he cared about anymore...
The fire within him grew brighter and brighter as he stood there, the mare underneath him pinned and helpless. There was a loud crashing behind him, but he didn't pay it no mind. All that mattered at the moment was what she said about his sister. Berry Punch took quick notice of the loud crash, and saw the slow pace of infected as they made way towards the two. In an attempt to get free, she squirmed and tried pushing her way from his grip, but everytime she tried, his grip grew tighter.
"Big Mac! Let go of me! Can't you see the infected behind you!" she yelled at him, still fighting his grip.
"Yes... I can hear them..." The stallions voice sounded rather... calm.
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Berry Punch roared at him.
"An apology..." She stopped, and looked at him with a completely blank stare before busting out in a complete outrage.
"WHAT! You're going to hold me down here with infected zombie things right behind you until I give you an apology!" His expression never changed.
"I didn't hear the word 'sorry' in any of that..."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!" The infected grew closer to the two, the stallion above her not budging a single bit.
"Does it look like I'm playing?" Big Mac coldly growled, his rage slowly building back up as he applied more pressure to his grip.
"Stop Big Mac! You're hurting me!" Berry Punch whined as she felt his hooves dig into her.
"Then say you're sorry!" He pressed even harder.
"FINE! Alright! I'm sorry!" The infected were only hooves away now, yet he didn't release his grip.
"You're sorry for?" the stallion asked, paying the low growls of zombies literally right behind him no mind.
"For insulting you and your sister! Now please let me go!" She felt the pressure of the farm pony's hooves finally lift.
"Apology accepted." Having said that, he quickly rears a back leg and bucks one of the infected behind him right in the face, knocking the other two around it to the ground. "Come on... let's head back..." This time, the mare had no problems listening to him. As the two stepped outside, back into the rain, they heard what they thought to be another distant scream.
"That scream sounds a lot like..." Berry Punch started before Big Mac cut her off.
"We don't have time for-"
"HELP!" the distant voice called. It was all too clear to the mare who the shriek belonged to.
"Junebug?" she whispers under her breath, just loud enough for Big Mac to hear.
"Are you sure?" he asks with a rather suspicious look on his face.
"HELP!" the voice called again. Berry Punch suddenly dashed from her position, heading straight for the origin of the call.
"There's no doubt! It's gotta be her!"
"WAIT!" Big Mac called, but he wasn't quick enough. She was already gone, and he was left standing there, not knowing what to do. 'Should I go after her?' he kept thinking to himself before finally deciding that he had no other choice. "This is going to end badly... I just know it..." With that thought, he set out for the mare, knowing that nothing good was to come from this...
A few minutes passed as he called out for both mares, the cry of help now gone. "This isn't good..." he told himself, a lack of determination suddenly hitting him. "Maybe it would be best for me to-"
"Big Mac!" another much more familiar voice called. It had to be Berry Punch.
"Berry Punch? Where are you!" he called out, peering through the rain for any indication of life.
"In the garden shop! Hurry!" He quickly dashed to the farthest building, by sheer luck that it was the shop. He hesitantly stepped inside, a rather loud whisper escaping his lips as he called for her.
"Where are you?" he said with his high whisper.
"Behind the counter..." a much weaker voice called. It was still hers, but something about it was... different. Looking over the counter with sluggish pace, he suddenly found himself staring at the mare, bleeding from where there used to be her back left leg.
"Berry... what happened..." he asked with great shock to the situation.
"I got bit... and had to amputate the infected ligament..." Big Mac could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"What about the bandages in your supply bag?" he asked, coming around and carefully putting the mare on his back, the blood from the wound sliding down the back of his coat.
"I used it... on Junebug... but, they jumped us... I made it out... but from what she told me... she and Breezy weren't as lucky..." her voice started to fade.
"Oh no you don't! Don't you quit on me!" he said just as he prepared to step back outside. Just as he did so however, one of the infected crashed into him from the side, a rather sharp pain coming from his flank as it tore into his skin. "GHA!" he screamed in pain, rolling over and knocking the infected pony into the ground. Big Mac could already feel the effects of the bite as he picked up the unconscious mare, slowly but surely dragging her and himself back towards the farm.
"Don't worry Berry Punch... Ah'll get us back..." there was no response from the body on his back, the muscles of which were completely limp. It was a rough trot back, the constant scare of being followed becoming a realization as his house came into view. "Ah guess they picked up on our trail..." he said, crashing down hooves away from the front door. "Come on body, don't fail me now..." Big Mac stated, using his front forehooves to crawl up to the front and knock furiously. The door was answered by none other than Apple Bloom herself.
"Who is it!" the sweet filly voice from inside yelled.
"Who else?" Big Mac answered, a tad bit of sadness in his tone while he prepared to see his sister's expression as she slowly opened the door...