Deadbolts
A group of ponies sat under a rainbow umbrella, a picnic blanket beneath them, a bowl of fruit between them, and the white unicorn known as Rarity wearing stylish pink shades and sipping a glass of water through a straw.
"Ooooh, I wish the mailpony would just come already! I can't wait another minute to find out if Rainbow Dash got in or not!"
A purple unicorn with a tri-colored mane addressed the bouncing pink pony. "Pinkie Pie, you're more nervous than Rainbow Dash."
The blue pegasus stood confidently between the two unicorns, elbow resting on a table. "I'm not nervous at all. When I get into the Wonderbolt Academy..."
Pinkie pounced on Rainbow Dash instantly, shaking her with her hooves. "IF you get in! If you get in! Don't jinx it!"
The pegasus gently placed a hoof on Pinkie's chest. "I'm telling you, it's in the bag."
"Don't jinx it!"
"She is the best flyer in Ponyville." Applejack stated, taking a bite out of an apple.
A rainbow blur flew past the orange mare, nearly blowing her hat off.
"In Ponyville? I'm probably the best flyer in all of Equestria. I wouldn't be surprised if they just went ahead and made me a Wonderbolt on the first day."
After showing off her moves in the sky, the bragging pegasus flew backward and bumped right into the mail pony. Unbothered by her antics, he smiled and held out an envelope. "Got a letter here for Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow snatched the letter, ripping it open with her mouth. Her look of disappointment said it all. "I... didn't get in."
Her friends stared on in disbelief, and Pinkie Pie gasped in horror. How could the Wonderbolts reject Equestria's best flyer?
"Gotcha! Ha, you guys are so gullible. Like I wasn't gonna get in!"
Pinkie Pie tackled Rainbow Dash out of the air. The pair rolled in a cotton candy blue of colors. Pinkie Pie squeezed her friend in an energetic bear hug.
"I'm just sooooooooooo happy for you!"
"Uh... thanks?" The Pegasus squirmed as the pink pony squealed, embracing her even tighter. "Pinkie Pie? I kinda need to get going."
Pinkie gave her one final squeeze before releasing her. "Okay. I'm done!"
Rainbow checked her bruised ribs as her friend cheerfully bounced away. Once she was certain of no injuries, she flitted into the sky, doing a few loops before posing confidently.
"The sooner I get there, the sooner I get to show 'em my stuff! See you guys in a week!"
"Good luck!" Applejack called as her friend zipped past her and landed with a dramatic slide.
"Won't need it!" And with a running start, she was in the air once more and out of sight.
Pinkie Pie ran after her, stopping only to pull out a massive megaphone that reverberated, deafening her friends and shaking the mountains. "DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!" She lowered the megaphone. "Do you think she heard me?"
Rainbow Dash arrived in Cloudsdale, looking around the academy in awe. This would be her home for a week. She watched all the pegasi training to be Wonderbolts, and she couldn't hide her massive smile.
"Oh, yeah! This is gonna be sweet!"
Moments later, she was in line with the other recruits, awaiting the start of day one. A yellow pegasus with a fiery mane approached. She was wearing a suit, glasses, and a whistle.
This must be Spitfire.
"Well, lookie what we got here. Bet y'all think you're Wonderbolt material, don't ya?"
The recruits immediately stood at attention and spoke in unison.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Think you got what it takes to be an elite flyer?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Well then. Let me be the first to tell you..." Her lecture was interrupted by screaming ponies. She turned toward the cries. "What the hay is going on?"
"It sounds like somepony needs help!" Rainbow Dash stepped forward.
"Back in line, recruit! Leave this to a trained professional!"
"But, I..."
Spitfire was already gone.
There were murmured whispers among the other recruits. Desperate to prove herself, the opportunistic rainbow-maned pegasus flew toward the screams.
What she saw was the stuff of nightmares.
Pegasi were dropping dead off the clouds, fighting for their lives against... other pegasi?
Rainbow dashed forward, busting through a cloud as she dove to rescue a falling Wonderbolt. As she caught the hapless victim, she quickly realized something was wrong.
"What the...?"
The pony snarled and snapped at her!
Rainbow released the aggressive pony, kicking it away with her back hooves and propelling herself backward and into the side of a mountain!
Unable to gain air, Rainbow crashed to the ground, landing in Ponyville. "Ow... my wing..."
Her left wing took massive damage, leaving her grounded.
But she had bigger problems than her lack of flight as she realized she landed amidst a warzone. What in Equestria happened? Everything was fine when she left.
A large number of zombie ponies took notice of the injured pegasus and proceeded to trot toward her in awkward gaits. They looked unnatural... pale and missing chunks of flesh from their ears, faces, legs, and flanks.
All were unique in that aspect. The only thing they had in common was their lifeless eyes.
And the groaning.
"Oh, sweet Celestia!" Unable to fly, Rainbow Dash took off on hoof into the nearby forest.
She ran what felt like forever until she stumbled across a familiar treehouse. Galloping up the stairs, she pounded on the door with her hooves, hoping somepony, anypony, was inside.
"Hello!? Is anypony in there! It's me... Rainbow Dash! Open up!"
The door opened.
A small, orange filly with underdeveloped wings quickly ushered Rainbow Dash inside. Before she could say anything, the filly quickly hugged her leg.
"Whoa... hey, Scoots... are... are you okay?"
Scootaloo quickly locked the treehouse door and turned toward the older pegasus. "We need to be quiet."
"Quiet? Scootaloo, what in Equestria is going on?"
"I... I don't know. It... it happened so fast... I... I..."
"Whoa, calm down." She sat down, placing her hooves on the filly's shoulders. "Where is everypony? Why are you here alone? Where's the other crusaders?"
"I... I don't know. My aunts told me to find a place to hide. This was the first place I thought of. It was empty when I got here."
"Look, Scoots. I know you never brought them up before, but... where are your parents? Why didn't you go to them?"
"They're never around. They travel all over Equestria and beyond. They're adventurers. I mostly live with Aunt Holiday and Lofty."
Rainbow nodded and stood to look out the window. "Looks like I lost them, but flying is out of the question. I messed up my wing pretty badly when escaping Cloudsdale..."
Scootaloo's ears fell.
"I'll be ok. We just need to find the others... and figure out what's going on."
Once she was sure it was clear, Rainbow Dash stepped outside. "Stay close to me, I'll protect you."
Rainbow crouched low, sneaking through the forest with the trembling filly by her side. Based on what Scootaloo told her, it was too dangerous to return to her house.
And they had no way of knowing where her parents were.
But with her aunts gone and parents missing, Rainbow was instantly aware of the parental role she was thrown into. Until they found help or fixed whatever was wrong with everypony, she'd have to act as the filly's caretaker.
Ponyville was inaccessible.
Everyone was dead.
Including those roaming the streets.
It was hard to tell who made it out or where they may have gone.
As she looked around, she spotted two ponies in the distance.
"H-hey! Over here!"
The two earth ponies approached. The older one, a stallion with a beard and a pilgrim's hat, spoke first. "Who art thou? And why dost thou raise thy voice in this place?"
"Sorry... It's been a crazy day. I'm just looking for my friends. Name's Rainbow Dash, and this is Scootaloo."
"Peace be unto you both. I am called Igneous Rock Pie, and this is Maud Pie, my daughter."
"Pie? As in... Pinkie Pie?"
Maud spoke this time. "Yes. She's my little sister. You know her?"
"Well, duh. Everyone in Ponyville knows her!"
"Tarry, art thou one of her companions of whom she oft speaks? I pray thee, reveal unto us her whereabouts."
"I wish I knew. I came here looking for my friends, but... everypony is gone."
Igneous and Maud shared a look of concern. "Verily, this place holds no safety. Come, and we shall restore thee to our farm. It is a place set apart, and thou art surely in need of succor. I shall mend thy wing in the solace of our home."
"Uh... sure. Thanks."
With that, the four ponies departed Ponyville on hoof. The journey would take all night and half the day, but at least it was just her wing she had broken.
"Man, that took forever... I could have gotten here faster if I could fly..."
"Maud, go within and see unto thy sister. And thou, tarry upon my porch, and I shall look upon thee."
Rainbow took a seat as Maud went inside. Igneous approached with a first aid kit in his mouth. Placing it beside him, he proceeded to examine her mangled wing.
Scootaloo watched from nearby as Rainbow stretched her wing, flinching in pain. "Ow..."
"I am no healer, yet shall I mend thy wing. Though flight shall tarry, thou shalt be well."
"Are you saying I can't fly?"
"Verily, for this season, yea."
"Can you please talk normally!"
"For how long?" Scootaloo spoke this time.
"A week, yea, even unto two."
"Two weeks? Grounded? Me?!"
"Fear not, young maiden, for this tribulation couldst be greater than it is."
Rainbow Dash huffed in annoyance as Igneous finished wrapping up her wing. "Thou art welcome to tarry here this night, until thy strength be renewed. Yet, I keep not an inn. My house doth overflow with mine own, and another kindred, adrift, doth find repose in the barn. If it please thee, thou art welcome to share their shelter."
"Yeah, fine, thanks... I guess..."
That night, the pegasi took shelter in the Rockfarm's barn. It wasn't like other barns.
No straw.
No Chickens, cattle, or pigs.
Instead, it was filled with rocks.
It was a difficult night, but eventually the pegesi drifted off to sleep. Thought in their minds, they worried for the safety of their friends and families.
One question lingered.
Would they ever see them again?
