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Art (c) Jailbird
My Little Pony (c) to Hasbro", "writing": "Chapter Twenty-Four:\nWhen All Hope Fades\n\n\tTwilight climbed the last few steps stopping before the huge double doors, her body ached in ways that she couldn't describe. She was getting muscle cramps in muscles she didn't even know she had. Her stomach was in a constant state of nausea, her head throbbed. She was pretty certain that she'd caught a cold, maybe even something worse. It didn't matter now though, she finally made it. She knew that with the combined efforts of all the princesses, they'd be able to come up with something that would end this terrible sickness. Her wrist and arm hurt when she turned the knob, putting her weight into the large door as it slid open just enough for her to slide between them into the throne room.\n\n\tTwilight expected to see Celestia atop her throne paging through a book. Luna rushing between the multiple stacks of books spread throughout the room, while Cadence lay on a chaise lounge making notes for the components to make the cure. What she found was entirely different, heartbreaking. The entire throne room was void of life save for two tall gaunt figures across the room pounding on the closet door. They drug their claws along the wall, door, and floor, leaving deep scratches. The wood ground away with each desperate grasp at the door.\n\n\tOne of them wore Celestia's crown, it dangled from on misshapen ear., the other had a lump at it's belly where it carried it's unborn child. When Twilight saw them she froze, her body quivering. Not from fear this time, but from anger. Twilight was angry, not at Celestia, or Cadence, but because everything that her and her friends had worked so hard to overcome this evening, It all meant nothing in the end. There were no princesses that were going to make things right. There was no riddle game to be won. It was nothing more than survival of the fittest.\n\n\tThrough her anger came a moment of clarity. Where was Luna? If these two infected princesses were banging on the door, then there was a good chance that she was in the closet waiting to be rescued. It wasn't much of a chance, but better then giving up. Twilight needed a plan and fast. From the main throne room there was another door leading to Princess Celestia's and Luna's private chambers. If only there was a way Twilight could lead them through the door and down the hall and find a way to double back to the throne room.\n\n\t“Twilight?” A tiny voice came from behind her. She turned, her heart leaping to her throat. Scootaloo managed to find her somehow. “I got worried about you, so I came looking.”\n\n\tThis moment of terror drown out everything in the room. Twilight was sure the color had left her face, maybe even her entire body. “What's going on?” Scootaloo asked, her words shattered the otherworldly feeling that engulfed Twilight. It was then that she noticed the two infected had stopped banging on the door. They were now smelling the air, craning their necks around to see Twilight and Scootaloo standing by the door. There was no remnants of her mentor or sister-in-law to be seen. They were monsters now, nothing more. They shrieked and started bounding across the room on all fours towards them. Everything slowed to a crawl, Twilight had enough time to take a deep breath before she took Scootaloo's hand and darted through the other door. They were through slamming the door behind them, holding it closed before Twilight exhaled.\n\n\t“What are you doing here?” Twilight grunted as the door shook and throbbed with the pounding of fists and raking of claws. With each hit the door felt it was going to collapse in on them.\n\n\t“I was worried about you and...” She whimpered pushing back against the door, her hooves struggling to grip the tile floor. “It sounded like something was coming through the wall of the room and I got scared.”\n\n\t“Sweetie...” The door bounced so hard it cut off what she was trying to say. “I'm not mad at you, but you couldn't have picked a worse time to show. Those two infected, they're Celestia and Cadence.”\n\n\t“What...no? What are we going to do?” Scootaloo pushed her palms against the door, her head hung low as she pushed with all her might.\n\n\t“I think Princess Luna is trapped in the closet in there. I can't reach her with these two ugly f...butts hanging around.”\n\n\t“What are we gonna do?”\n\n\tTwilight closed her eyes trying to concentrate, all she needed was a spark of an idea. Anything would help. “Twilight, what if you hide behind the door and I lead them away.” Scootaloo's voice was trembling under the weight of her idea.\n\n\t“I can't ask you to do that.”\n\n\t“I have to, I messed everything up by coming after you, when you told me to wait for you. Now things are really bad.”\n\n\t“Scootaloo, I...can't...but there may be another way.” An idea started forming. “At the end of this hall to the right is Princess Luna's bedroom. Get there as fast as you can, count to ten and scream as loud as possible. Then close the door and lock it, do you understand?”\n\n\tScootaloo repeated the instructions word for word and Twilight smiled. “That's a good girl, now go. Remember, count to ten, it's crucial.”\n\n\tScootaloo stepped away from the door breaking into a run. When she reached the end of the hall she turned and looked back at Twilight, who smiled despite her overwhelming fear for the young Pegasus. They exchanged a nod and Scootaloo disappeared around the corner.\n\n\tTwilight took a deep breath and stepped away wedging herself between the door and the wall. The infected tore into the hall screeching and howling in hunger driven mania. Twilight could hear them sniffing and grunting, their claws digging into the floor.\n\n\tOne of them sniffed hard a choking gargling sound rumbled in it's throat. Twilight could see it's hulking shadow rear it's head back letting loose a shriek, before slamming it's body against the door nearly smashing Twilight. It pressed it's nose to the door sniffing and clawing at the wood. Twilight knew it smelled her, it knew she was there. Why hadn't Scootaloo screamed yet? More than ten seconds had passed. A claw gripped the edge of the door, trying to feel around behind it, looking for Twilight.\n\n\tThen the scream echoed from down the hallway, it was followed by the slam of a door, both creatures grunted and wailed as they tore off down the hall towards the source of the scream. Twilight didn't wait for them to change there mind, instead she ducked back into the throne room slamming the door behind her.\n\n\tTwilight wedged a candelabra under the twin door handles, blocking the infected out of the room. The damage to the door was severe, she doubted it could withstand another barrage from the beasts, but it would at least buy her enough time to check on Luna.\n\n\t“Luna?” Twilight called, turning towards the door.\n\tA muffled voice called back. “Twilight? Twilight Sparkle.” The door swung open and Luna stepped out, there was a crazed look in her dark eyes. She darted forward embracing Twilight. “Oh goddesses, it's so good to see you.” Tears swelled in her eyes as they touched horns.\n\n\tLuna looked terrible, her hair was a mess, her clothes were torn and soiled. She smelled stale and sweaty. There's no telling how long she's been locked in the closet, but Twilight didn't have the energy to ask. When she pulled away from the hug, Luna pulled her back, tighter this time. “Just a moment longer.” She uttered, Twilight wrapped her arms around Luna's trembling body.\n\n\t“We didn't hear from you for so long, we thought the worse. It was so terrible...Cadence was the first to get sick, we didn't know how fast the virus moved through her system. Something to do with magic, it makes it grow faster, but then there was no magic. We couldn't our magic...” Luna panted frantically, her eyes darting around the room. “Where are they? Celestia...oh god Cadence bit Celestia. Celestia was caring for her, when she was sick. There was so much blood everywhere.” Luna gripped Twilight's forearms so hard her fingernails dug into the skin on her arms. Twilight winced and tried to pull away, but Luna kept talk in her crazed tone. “Then Cadence turned on me...I locked myself in the closet. I heard Celestia call for me, why didn't Cadence go after her? Then the bodyguards...they got bit too.” Her eyes went strangely lucid for a moment. “How did you get in here?”\n\n\tTwilight slapped Luna hard across the face, her ears laying back. “I know you've been through a lot Luna, we all have, but I need you to calm down. Do you understand?”\n\n\tLuna nodded slowly reaching up to touch her cheek. “I'm sorry Twilight.”\n\n\t“It's okay.” Twilight looked down at the blood droplets seeping through the small cuts on her forearms. “Discord is behind all of this. He set up a game for me to play, something to do with knowing what true friendship is. I was suppose to confront him at his house and play a stupid riddle game. If I won, he'd change everything back to the way it was.”\n\n\t“You lost?” Luna panted, touching her chest.\n\n\t“No, he was infect by the time I got there.” Twilight explained.\n\n\t“And your friends?”\n\n\t“It's was just me and Scootaloo at the end. Now there's you.”\n\n\tLuna nodded. “Where is she?”\n\n\t“She's the one who led the infected away so I could come get you. She's hiding in your room.” Twilight turned and pointed to the battered door that the infected had gone through.\n\n\t“My room...no. That's where...oh god we have to save her.” Luna's eyes went wild again.\n\n\t“Where what?”\n\n\t“That's where Cadence is...was.”\n\n\tTwilight heart stopped cold, the scream she'd heard had been real. The infected in the throne room hadn't been Cadence at all. Twilight felt light headed, woozy as the realization set in. She'd sent the young filly to her doom for the sake of plan that might not work. Another bad decision that would haunt her.\n\n\t“She's gone isn't she?” Luna voice cut like a knife, at least Twilight wished it had been a knife, to put an end to this everlasting nightmare.\n\n\tA heavy thud shook the door off of it's hinges. A shriek followed, it was smaller and high pitched. Twilight knew right away that Scootaloo's mutation had been instantaneous, because of Cadence's advanced infection and now she was back to get Twilight. The thud was joined by another and then another. There were four infect now pounding on the door and it wasn't going to hold them back for long. Luna grabbed Twilight by the shoulder and shook her, snapping her out of her thoughts.\n\n\t“There's a way...” Luna whispered as if she'd remember something that she'd been struggling to retain. “It's a cure. I read it in one of Celestia's book before things went to hell. All we need is the Draconquus' Bible, did you happen to find one while you were in Discord's house.”\n\n\tTwilight's heart twisted in her chest, the churn must have reflected physically in her face, because Luna's eyes went sad. “You found it, but you didn't take it with you?”\n\n\t“I did, but I lost it somewhere along the way.” Twilight hugged her body feeling sick.\n\n\t“Then that's it...” Another strong hit to the door and one of hinges broke free from the wall. “There's no hope left.” Luna knelt down on the floor at Twilight's feet. “...it's over.”\n\n\tEverything slowed down to a crawl, playing out like nightmare or a memory that was doomed to repeat it over and over again. The door ruptured in behind her as the four infected piled into the throne room and they were closing fast. Luna gripped Twilight by the collar of the coveralls and started pushing her back, before shoving her into the closet. “There will always be a chance, as long as one of us still has hope.” Luna slammed the door, throwing Twilight into darkness.\n\n\tLuna's cries echoed through the chamber and everything went quiet. Twilight ragged breathing was the only thing Twilight could hear. The infected hadn't noticed that she was locked in the closet yet. “You were our last hope...are our last hope.” Luna whispered, a small dark fur covered hand crept under the door.\n\n\tTwilight took Luna's hand in her's laying on her side so she could see one of Luna's large dark eyes looking in at her from under the door. A slack smile played across her weary face face. “I'm sorry I failed you.” Twilight's words were strained with tears, coming out as a swelling huff of sobs.\n\n\t“There's always a chance as long as one of us has hope.” Luna blinked slowly, her breath coming out in slow pitches. The infection was already taking hold of her.\n\n\tTwilight closed her eyes and started crying. “Then there's no chance, because I have no more hope left.” Twilight broke into loud sobs that only brought a steady pounding to the door. The infected may have not known she was in there before, but they did now, and they were determined to get her.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Chapter Twenty-Four:
When All Hope Fades

\tTwilight climbed the last few steps stopping before the huge double doors, her body ached in ways that she couldn't describe. She was getting muscle cramps in muscles she didn't even know she had. Her stomach was in a constant state of nausea, her head throbbed. She was pretty certain that she'd caught a cold, maybe even something worse. It didn't matter now though, she finally made it. She knew that with the combined efforts of all the princesses, they'd be able to come up with something that would end this terrible sickness. Her wrist and arm hurt when she turned the knob, putting her weight into the large door as it slid open just enough for her to slide between them into the throne room.

\tTwilight expected to see Celestia atop her throne paging through a book. Luna rushing between the multiple stacks of books spread throughout the room, while Cadence lay on a chaise lounge making notes for the components to make the cure. What she found was entirely different, heartbreaking. The entire throne room was void of life save for two tall gaunt figures across the room pounding on the closet door. They drug their claws along the wall, door, and floor, leaving deep scratches. The wood ground away with each desperate grasp at the door.

\tOne of them wore Celestia's crown, it dangled from on misshapen ear., the other had a lump at it's belly where it carried it's unborn child. When Twilight saw them she froze, her body quivering. Not from fear this time, but from anger. Twilight was angry, not at Celestia, or Cadence, but because everything that her and her friends had worked so hard to overcome this evening, It all meant nothing in the end. There were no princesses that were going to make things right. There was no riddle game to be won. It was nothing more than survival of the fittest.

\tThrough her anger came a moment of clarity. Where was Luna? If these two infected princesses were banging on the door, then there was a good chance that she was in the closet waiting to be rescued. It wasn't much of a chance, but better then giving up. Twilight needed a plan and fast. From the main throne room there was another door leading to Princess Celestia's and Luna's private chambers. If only there was a way Twilight could lead them through the door and down the hall and find a way to double back to the throne room.

\t“Twilight?” A tiny voice came from behind her. She turned, her heart leaping to her throat. Scootaloo managed to find her somehow. “I got worried about you, so I came looking.”

\tThis moment of terror drown out everything in the room. Twilight was sure the color had left her face, maybe even her entire body. “What's going on?” Scootaloo asked, her words shattered the otherworldly feeling that engulfed Twilight. It was then that she noticed the two infected had stopped banging on the door. They were now smelling the air, craning their necks around to see Twilight and Scootaloo standing by the door. There was no remnants of her mentor or sister-in-law to be seen. They were monsters now, nothing more. They shrieked and started bounding across the room on all fours towards  them. Everything slowed to a crawl, Twilight had enough time to take a deep breath before she took Scootaloo's hand and darted through the other door. They were through slamming the door behind them, holding it closed before Twilight exhaled.

\t“What are you doing here?” Twilight grunted as the door shook and throbbed with the pounding of fists and raking of claws. With each hit the door felt it was going to collapse in on them.

\t“I was worried about you and...” She whimpered pushing back against the door, her hooves struggling to grip the tile floor. “It sounded like something was coming through the wall of the room and I got scared.”

\t“Sweetie...” The door bounced so hard it cut off what she was trying to say. “I'm not mad at you, but you couldn't have picked a worse time to show. Those two infected, they're Celestia and Cadence.”

\t“What...no? What are we going to do?” Scootaloo pushed her palms against the door, her head hung low as she pushed with all her might.

\t“I think Princess Luna is trapped in the closet in there. I can't reach her with these two ugly f...butts hanging around.”

\t“What are we gonna do?”

\tTwilight closed her eyes trying to concentrate, all she needed was a spark of an idea. Anything would help. “Twilight, what if you hide behind the door and I lead them away.” Scootaloo's voice was trembling under the weight of her idea.

\t“I can't ask you to do that.”

\t“I have to, I messed everything up by coming after you, when you told me to wait for you. Now things are really bad.”

\t“Scootaloo, I...can't...but there may be another way.” An idea started forming. “At the end of this hall to the right is Princess Luna's bedroom. Get there as fast as you can, count to ten and scream as loud as possible. Then close the door and lock it, do you understand?”

\tScootaloo repeated the instructions word for word and Twilight smiled. “That's a good girl, now go. Remember, count to ten, it's crucial.”

\tScootaloo stepped away from the door breaking into a run. When she reached the end of the hall she turned and looked back at Twilight, who smiled despite her overwhelming fear for the young Pegasus. They exchanged a nod and Scootaloo disappeared around the corner.

\tTwilight took a deep breath and stepped away wedging herself between the door and the wall. The infected tore into the hall screeching and howling in hunger driven mania. Twilight could hear them sniffing and grunting, their claws digging into the floor.

\tOne of them sniffed hard a choking gargling sound rumbled in it's throat. Twilight could see it's hulking shadow rear it's head back letting loose a shriek, before slamming it's body against the door nearly smashing Twilight. It pressed it's nose to the door sniffing and clawing at the wood. Twilight knew it smelled her, it knew she was there. Why hadn't Scootaloo screamed yet? More than ten seconds had passed. A claw gripped the edge of the door, trying to feel around behind it, looking for Twilight.

\tThen the scream echoed from down the hallway, it was followed by the slam of a door, both creatures grunted and wailed as they tore off down the hall towards the source of the scream. Twilight didn't wait for them to change there mind, instead she ducked back into the throne room slamming the door behind her.

\tTwilight wedged a candelabra under the twin door handles, blocking the infected out of the room. The damage to the door was severe, she doubted it could withstand another barrage from the beasts, but it would at least buy her enough time to check on Luna.

\t“Luna?” Twilight called, turning towards the door.
\tA muffled voice called back. “Twilight? Twilight Sparkle.” The door swung open and Luna stepped out, there was a crazed look in her dark eyes. She darted forward embracing Twilight. “Oh goddesses, it's so good to see you.” Tears swelled in her eyes as they touched horns.

\tLuna looked terrible, her hair was a mess, her clothes were torn and soiled. She smelled stale and sweaty. There's no telling how long she's been locked in the closet, but Twilight didn't have the energy to ask. When she pulled away from the hug, Luna pulled her back, tighter this time. “Just a moment longer.” She uttered, Twilight wrapped her arms around Luna's trembling body.

\t“We didn't hear from you for so long, we thought the worse. It was so terrible...Cadence was the first to get sick, we didn't know how fast the virus moved through her system. Something to do with magic, it makes it grow faster, but then there was no magic. We couldn't our magic...” Luna panted frantically, her eyes darting around the room. “Where are they? Celestia...oh god Cadence bit Celestia. Celestia was caring for her, when she was sick. There was so much blood everywhere.” Luna gripped Twilight's forearms so hard her fingernails dug into the skin on her arms. Twilight winced and tried to pull away, but Luna kept talk in her crazed tone. “Then Cadence turned on me...I locked myself in the closet. I heard Celestia call for me, why didn't Cadence go after her? Then the bodyguards...they got bit too.” Her eyes went strangely lucid for a moment. “How did you get in here?”

\tTwilight slapped Luna hard across the face, her ears laying back. “I know you've been through a lot Luna, we all have, but I need you to calm down. Do you understand?”

\tLuna nodded slowly reaching up to touch her cheek. “I'm sorry Twilight.”

\t“It's okay.” Twilight looked down at the blood droplets seeping through the small cuts on her forearms. “Discord is behind all of this. He set up a game for me to play, something to do with knowing what true friendship is. I was suppose to confront him at his house and play a stupid riddle game. If I won, he'd change everything back to the way it was.”

\t“You lost?” Luna panted, touching her chest.

\t“No, he was infect by the time I got there.” Twilight explained.

\t“And your friends?”

\t“It's was just me and Scootaloo at the end. Now there's you.”

\tLuna nodded. “Where is she?”

\t“She's the one who led the infected away so I could come get you. She's hiding in your room.” Twilight turned and pointed to the battered door that the infected had gone through.

\t“My room...no. That's where...oh god we have to save her.” Luna's eyes went wild again.

\t“Where what?”

\t“That's where Cadence is...was.”

\tTwilight heart stopped cold, the scream she'd heard had been real. The infected in the throne room hadn't been Cadence at all. Twilight felt light headed, woozy as the realization set in. She'd sent the young filly to her doom for the sake of plan that might not work. Another bad decision that would haunt her.

\t“She's gone isn't she?” Luna voice cut like a knife, at least Twilight wished it had been a knife, to put an end to this everlasting nightmare.

\tA heavy thud shook the door off of it's hinges. A shriek followed, it was smaller and high pitched. Twilight knew right away that Scootaloo's mutation had been instantaneous, because of Cadence's advanced infection and now she was back to get Twilight. The thud was joined by another and then another. There were four infect now pounding on the door and it wasn't going to hold them back for long. Luna grabbed Twilight by the shoulder and shook her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

\t“There's a way...” Luna whispered as if she'd remember something that she'd been struggling to retain. “It's a cure. I read it in one of Celestia's book before things went to hell. All we need is the Draconquus' Bible, did you happen to find one while you were in Discord's house.”

\tTwilight's heart twisted in her chest, the churn must have reflected physically in her face, because Luna's eyes went sad. “You found it, but you didn't take it with you?”

\t“I did, but I lost it somewhere along the way.” Twilight hugged her body feeling sick.

\t“Then that's it...” Another strong hit to the door and one of hinges broke free from the wall. “There's no hope left.” Luna knelt down on the floor at Twilight's feet. “...it's over.”

\tEverything slowed down to a crawl, playing out like nightmare or a memory that was doomed to repeat it over and over again. The door ruptured in behind her as the four infected piled into the throne room and they were closing fast. Luna gripped Twilight by the collar of the coveralls and started pushing her back, before shoving her into the closet. “There will always be a chance, as long as one of us still has hope.” Luna slammed the door, throwing Twilight into darkness.

\tLuna's cries echoed through the chamber and everything went quiet. Twilight ragged breathing was the only thing Twilight could hear. The infected hadn't noticed that she was locked in the closet yet. “You were our last hope...are our last hope.” Luna whispered, a small dark fur covered hand crept under the door.

\tTwilight took Luna's hand in her's laying on her side so she could see one of Luna's large dark eyes looking in at her from under the door. A slack smile played across her weary face face. “I'm sorry I failed you.” Twilight's words were strained with tears, coming out as a swelling huff of sobs.

\t“There's always a chance as long as one of us has hope.” Luna blinked slowly, her breath coming out in slow pitches. The infection was already taking hold of her.

\tTwilight closed her eyes and started crying. “Then there's no chance, because I have no more hope left.” Twilight broke into loud sobs that only brought a steady pounding to the door. The infected may have not known she was in there before, but they did now, and they were determined to get her.", "pools_count": 0, "title": "My Little Pony: Friendship Means Family Chapter 24", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/rtf", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "0", "rating_name": "General", "ratings": [], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "30" }