Chapter 25: Crystal Empire
Rarity ran for an unbelievable amount of time before coming to a stop. She looked around at her surroundings exhausted. Behind her in the distance she could hear water running, a waterfall to be exact. "Is that…Neighagra Falls? That means…the Crystal Empire…is in that…direction." Rarity pointed north weakly. "Have I…really been running…for that long?" Rarity nodded and began making her way to the empire. After about thirty minutes, Rarity collapsed onto the ground to tired to continue. Not too far away, Rarity could hear the flapping of wings. Rarity tried to stand but it was useless, she couldn't move her legs more or less stand on them. She then blacked out as Judith began crying. The crying soon faded as the world around Rarity darkened.
"Come on Rarity, get up and move." Rarity looked up to see Rainbow Dash kicking her hoof. "I knew you were too pathetic to take care of that filly, you couldn't even protect your own sister."
"I'm doing just fine Rainbow Dash, why do you care anyway?" Rarity asked sitting up.
"Oh please, everypony thinks so. Just look around you, you're hopeless without us. You even made yourself faint from exhaustion, PA-THE-TIC. What do you say you just wake up and take care of her, not that you can save yourself now." Rainbow Dash faded away.
Rarity woke with a start and noticed a walker near her hoof and kicked it in the face. She stood up and then noticed a pain in her hind leg. She looked back and saw a big bite on her leg. "Oh no, I'm screwed, there I said it and I don't care." She looked up and saw that the walker she had kicked has a rainbow mane. "Way to take care of yourself Dashie not that I have any room to talk." Rarity backed away from Walker Dash and began running toward the Crystal Empire. "Maybe it will be safe there but that's just wishful thinking I'm sure."
The Crystal Empire soon came within view and Rarity could feel the fever hit. If she hadn't been so focused on getting to the empire, she would have noticed that the bite began to sting. She began shaking weakly once she stopped running. "The Crystal Empire, in ruins." Rarity walked into the city and looked around.
All around her buildings had fallen and crumbled. Fires burned the leftover buildings. Dead bodies lie on the ground but it was anypony's guess as to which bodies are undead and which weren't. In the distance, the Crystal Empire flag blew in the wind, ripped and beaten down.
Rarity hadn't had much more time to look before hearing the groaning of walkers behind her. Rarity took off for the castle hoping to find somepony still alive. "Don't worry Judith, I'll get you someplace safe." Rarity said as it registered that the little foal had been crying. Once she made it inside the castle, she closed the door and began barricading it. At this point her vision became blurry and she began feeling dizzy. "Hello, is there anypony in here?" Rarity shook her head to try and keep herself from blacking out. Rarity then heard a voice she hadn't wanted to hear. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh Rarity, I can't possibly let you go. My boss wouldn't like that." Nightmare Moon smiled.
"What do you want; I'm already as good as dead, why come to me?" Rarity asked trying to hide Judith behind her.
Nightmare Moon chuckled and moved closer to Rarity. "I realize that and all the better. Give me the foal."
"What good is she to you, why would you want her?" Rarity backed away trying to stay awake while keeping Judith safe.
"She isn't any use to you either but if you insist on keeping her for yourself then be my guest, you'll be part of the undead army soon enough. Do you really think that she is safer with you then me?" Rarity nodded ever so slightly and then collapsed onto the ground. Her breathing stopped as well as the rest of her organs. "Like I said, I could wait." Nightmare Moon walked over to Judith and picked her up.
"Well done, now I must apologize, no I don't." Bête Noire shot a small beam of magic at Nightmare Moon. She began flinching and shaking wildly as the magic coursed through her.
"What…are you doing?" Nightmare Moon then fell to the ground and though her organs stopped, her body continued to move.
"I'm simply ending your pitiful life. Your usefulness has come to an end Nightmare Moon. All I need left to do is take care of the little Alicorn Princess." Bête Noire began to absorb Nightmare Moons body into her pages leaving Luna dead and ready to awake as the books minion. "Now where is Twilight?"
"You called?" Twilight said flying into the room through a hole in the wall. "You know that this place is ready to collapse right?"
"So my prey comes to me." Bête Noire said as the castle shook for a moment before settling. The book shot some magic up at the ceiling creating a hole and causing more damage to the castle. The castle began shaking more as it got ready to collapse. "Shall we leave this building?"
"I think that only I'll be leaving. You've screwed with my mind and now I'll make you pay. Don't get me wrong, I don't care that my friends have all become walkers. In fact, I've brought my friends here to help me." Behind Twilight came Walker Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and even Spike. "I don't know what happened to Spike but he is here now. Oh look, there is Rarity." Rarity began moving and then opened her eyes.
"Now isn't that naïve, you really think that they are with you?" Bête Noire opened up and shot a beam at each pony and the little dragon. The six flinched and then stood there groaning. "Feast on her flesh."
"They wouldn't-" Twilight looked at her old friends who advanced on her. "What are you doing, you follow me." Twilight said as she was tackled by the six. Twilight shoved them off with her magic and fired some magic at Walker Dash. Before she could fire at any of the others, Twilight was again pulled to the ground. In a hurry, Twilight pulled out the page that she had acquired and began reading the spell. Twilight fought as she read the spell. Just as she was reaching the end of it, she blacked out only able to whisper the last few words beforehand.
"That was hardly the fight I expected before your demise but perhaps you'll fight harder when you wake." With that said a bright flash swept over all of equestria.
A/N: This is going on a little longer then I had expected. I hope you enjoyed and please review, thank you.