With all the shit that's been going on, our characters have been killed off or mentally scarred somehow. Applejack still doesn't know about her sister's death, Fluttershy needs to keep her shed a secret, Leon is losing his equinity, and both Draco and Rainbow Dash need to head to Canterlot. What'll happen next? Find out now!

Rainbow Dash and Draco were each flying with their wings over Ponyville, daylight hitting the horizon, witnessing many Shamblers roaming the streets of the once vibrant town. Maybe I should strike up a conversation with her. I... I... I kind of want to speak to her… They were continuing their flight to Canterlot, when Draco spoke up. "Hey, Rainbow Dash... you do know that Tar Pony is Leon, right?" Draco said.

"Yeah… he told me that when we fought the deadheads outside. But he hasn't told Alan yet… it's really hard for him to when Alan sees him as a monster," Rainbow Dash said sadly.

"Alan's a smart kid… he knows when it's too dangerous or not. That's what kept us alive so far," Draco said admiringly.

"He gets it from Leon, doesn't he?" Rainbow Dash asked expectedly.

"Aw, hell no! He gets his smarts from Chloe. What he got from Leon was willpower, determination, strength… everything that was with Leon. Hell... Leon had a rough life since he learned he was an orphan. But with that fact, though, he's treated me, Chloe, Orion, and Alan like the family he never had. It's touching… but then he died, and it really hurt all of us... especially Alan. I don't think Leon would tell Alan right away, considering his condition," Draco explained.

Rainbow Dash absorbed what Draco had said, and it reminded her of when she adopted Scootaloo. She had taught her much of what Scootaloo knew, and sounded like Leon and how he showed compassion towards his son.

…

After their camping trip to Winsome Falls, Rainbow Dash had taken Scootaloo under her wing, and would help her in any way she can. "Just stick with me, squirt, and you'll beat any pony! Come on, I'll take you home," Rainbow said, but Scootaloo stopped when she said so. She looked at Rainbow with sad eyes, and began to tear up.

"Rainbow… I… I don't have a home," she said sadly.

"What? I thought you were staying at the orphanage in town," Rainbow said in confusion.

"No… they won't take me in anymore. I was thrown out because I'm too old to stay any longer," Scootaloo confessed.

"Why... why would they do that!?" Rainbow asked angrily.

"I don't know…" she began to sob, "but it reminds me of when I was… abandoned…" she couldn't finish, and she was on the floor crying.

Rainbow Dash walked up to her and comforted her. A light bulb came on inside Rainbow's head. "Hey, you know what? Screw those dirt bags… if you need a place to kick back, I can always help!" she said encouragingly. Scootaloo looked up with puppy eyes so adorable they couldn't be ignored by any pony.

She sniffled a bit before responding. "Re…Really? You'd do that for me?" she asked.

Rainbow reassured her. "I'd never let any pony down, including you!" She wrapped her wings around Scootaloo, and Scootaloo hugged back.

"I thought you never hugged ponies," Scootaloo said suspiciously, still sniffling.

"Well… you're the exception, squirt. Come on, let's go home!" Rainbow said, leading Scootaloo to her house.

…

Rainbow Dash had finished telling Draco about her experience, and Draco nodded in understanding. Didn't Leon help that place out? Maybe that's why it closed down... he wasn't there anymore. "So... is she your daughter, technically speaking?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment. "She's… a little bit of a smaller sister and a daughter. I consider her a sister when she does things on her own, but a daughter when she needs occasional help," Rainbow explained. She looked forward, and saw Canterlot. "There it is!"

They both flew near Canterlot, which seemed to be normal considering the circumstances. As they flew near, they smacked hard into something, and were stuck to it. They then skidded down slowly, and landed on the ground in front of the gates. They stood up, and determined there was a force field around Canterlot. They then saw some guards inside the force field, and called out to them. Though they were impenetrable, they were not soundproof.

The guards rushed to the gates, and each of them pointed some kind of device at the two. "Stay back, or you'll be terminated!" one of them said.

"Wait! We need to speak to Princess Twilight!" Rainbow said.

"Not without authorization from the Princess, you're not!" the guard responded.

"Wait… well that makes no sense!" Draco said.

Another figure stepped forward, dressed in a commander's uniform. "Rainbow Dash? Draco?" the figure asked. He was not a pony, and both of them wondered who he was.

"Yeah… can we go in?" Rainbow asked.

"Let them in!" the figure commanded, and the force field was lowered. They both entered the gates quickly, and the force field was quickly raised. Rainbow and Draco thanked the figure, and as soon as they saw him up close, recognized him.

It was Spike, Twilight's dragon and friend. He looked much bigger and older than last time, about the size of a mare standing on her hind legs and about a little bit shorter than Draco in height. He appeared more mature than before. His commander uniform was something the two fliers had never seen before; combat armor. It was digital camouflage armor and a matching helmet, with holsters on the chest and one on his right thigh, containing magazines and a pistol. Like Draco, Spike stood on two legs, unlike the ponies.

Rainbow Dash saw how Spike looked, and her wings popped up in an admiring fashion. She saw how amazed Draco was when he saw Spike, and took advantage of this. "Draco, remember yesterday how you said a certain some pony was 'a pussy' and 'couldn't do anything?' You've just been proven wrong," she said with a wide grin.

Draco could not speak, as he was in shock. Well, thanks for making me look like a fucking pussy, Spike. "Spike, what the… how… what have you been doing for the last five years since Twilight left?" Draco asked in amazement.

"Well, I felt that since she was the princess, I should do something to help the kingdom as well. So I joined the Royal Guard, and in the five years, rose in the ranks while rearming the Guard with new weaponry. Those things they're holding are Flameshots. They shoot fireballs, the only thing capable of permanently destroying those… things… outside," Draco explained. He spoke in a deep voice, unlike how he sounded years ago.

"Not true… those things outside can be destroyed by causing trauma to the head. We slayed a couple of them before we came over here," Draco said.

"Really? That, I didn't know. So what brings you two here? Are you the only ones left?" Spike asked.

"No, and that's why we came. We need either the Royal Guard or the CDC to send some help to Ponyville. We realized that the Shamblers have bitten ponies, which are now infected, turning them into Runners," Draco explained.

"Is there a way to tell the difference between them, other than their speed?" Spike asked.

"Yeah… the Shamblers are the ones who were dead before, and appear rotten and smell like shit. The Runners were former ponies, bitten by the Shamblers, and thus can run since they have not rotted," Draco explained.

"Got it, so that means we have to slay the rotten ones, and somehow find a cure for the bitten ones. Follow me, I'll lead you guys to Doc," Spike said as he escorted the two toward the CDC.

…

Arriving at the CDC, the two dragons and Rainbow entered the building. They saw how pristine it was; floors shining, walls white, and ponies inside performing multiple tasks such as cleaning tools, taking samples, and mixing chemicals together. They all turned towards the visitors, and greeted them. One pony in a hazmat suit walked up to them, and removed his mask. "Spike, Draco, Rainbow, welcome to the CDC!" Doc said excitedly. He was a navy blue unicorn with purple eyes, and was one of Leon's friends before he passed. "I am already aware of the situation, and am currently trying to resolve said situation. But with all the test subjects we had…" Doc motioned to a Shambler, tied to a table with every part of it restrained. It was growling, and had the muzzle on the Shambler not been on, would be gnashing their teeth at the ponies.

"Do you have any of the infected ponies? That's a dead one, and would probably do no good," Draco said.

"So far, no. They've been far too dangerous to capture, and we wouldn't risk any pony's lives trying to catch one," Doc said.

"Actually, we have a solution for that!" Draco said.

"Well, do share it with us," Doc said with hope.

He hesitated a bit before explaining. "Well, we have Leon, back from the dead," Draco said.

"WHAT!? REALLY!? That's incredible!" Doc exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, but as one of them. But he's different; it's like he has full awareness of his life before, and he's completely calm. We could send him in to you, if you'll take him," Draco said.

"He's… normal? That is amazing! Oh, what I find out each and every day! Of course I'll take him in!" Doc exclaimed. "How will we receive him, though?" Doc asked.

"We may need an escort, because if he were to come alone, well… you'd shit yourself. He's covered in tar, but is not a rotter," Draco explained.

Doc turned to Spike. "How about it, Spike? Would you follow them and bring back Leon?" Doc asked.

Spike nodded. "Sure, let me just tell Twilight and get geared up, and then we'll take off. Draco, R.D., wanna get suited up?" he asked.

"Would I!?" Draco asked excitedly, but calmed himself when Rainbow Dash snickered. "I mean, yeah, whatever."

They headed to the armory, and waved goodbye to Doc.

…

They arrived at the castle, and headed inside the armory. Rainbow did not want anything except one of the Flameshots. Draco suited up in combat armor similar to Spike's, except it was urban camouflage. Spike had armed himself with a SCAR-L equipped with a suppressor, extended magazine, and reflex sight. Draco holstered a M1911 pistol, received a weapon that bore resemblance to an HK G36c attached with a suppressor, ZF dual optic sight, and a Beta C-Mag drum. They both stocked up on ammunition. Both dragons also each took a grenade and a combat knife. "Wait, I thought weapons weren't around in Equestria anymore," Draco said.

"Twilight had repealed the weapon ban only to Royal Guard personnel. That... and she also had a thing for 'scientific discovery' in the design of weapons," Spike said. "Besides, so far only you and I can actually use the weapons. The ponies can only use those Flameshots, since they don't have fingers."

"Why don't we just fly to the cottage?" Rainbow asked.

"Because Stubby here doesn't have wings!" Draco replied, laughing hysterically at Spike. Rainbow found it amusing as well, and joined in. Spike glared at them, and they stopped.

"Really? You're going to rip on me because I don't have wings? Let's just go... the guns need to be used anyways," Spike said irritably.

"Fucking A. Look out, Shamblers; here comes a trio of bona fide badasses!" Draco said proudly as he, Spike, and Rainbow Dash stepped out of the armory and headed towards the gates. As the force field rose, they exited Canterlot, and headed back toward the infested wasteland that was once Ponyville.

Well, serious shit is about to go down! Draco, Spike, and Rainbow have all been armed and dangerous. Will they be able to bring Leon back, though, if he cannot control himself? Will the group make it to the cottage? And, will any more events cause the deaths of our characters? Until next time, everyone!