Zombies!

Sandy was playing in his field. Not the field, not a field- his field. Ever since his parents had gone off to celestia knows where, sandy had been pretty lonely. He'd seem some ponies pass, but they either ignored or tried to attack him. His parent's old farm had been pretty secluded, so most passers by didn't see it. If they did they just ignored it for some reason.

He was mostly living off grass and his dad's old food storage unit. Sandy didn't have any power though, most of the food rotted. He still had the undergrowth. Sandy had also been learning some magic- he still wasn't very good but he could at least levitate objects, which came in handy. He was lonely though- he really needed somepony to talk to. He supposed he'd find somepony when he was older. He knew his dad had left him a stick in the basement. He remembered dad had used it to threaten ponies who came too close. Made a pretty loud noise when you pulled the little switch in the middle. Dad had told him not to touch it until he was 16. He was only 8! It was annoying to think that.

He sighed, and went indoors. He was getting hungry and......

He heard voices outside.

"Well... This seems quite fine!" Said Fractured Fossil. After a while of being attacked by savage ponies, and being run out of his own home, he decided that his location would be a great resting spot. The Paleontologist fixed his glasses and strode down the field of what seemed to me a magnificent farm. It took a while to get there, and the wait seemed worth it. It took him a couple of minutes to reach the house in the middle of the field, due to how far it was form the entrance. First thing is first, check for anypony else, dead or alive. Fractured tried to find the latter. "Greetings! Is anybody currently living in this beautiful residence? My name Is Fractured Fossil and I do not wish to harm you!" He shouted as he knocked.

Recurve only had his crossbow, a few bolts, and scratch marks on the crossbow to show how many ponies he's killed. Whether they were alive or dead. He liked killing. And he got stuff from it, like food, water, sometimes ammo, and joy... But one of those abominations took a bite out of his arms. He bandaged it up, but it felt weird. There were times he'd get light headed, a little sick from time to time. But, he was a tough, ruthless stallion, and he could take it. He saw a farm in the distance. Then he saw a pony walk up to the door yelling. The Trotters would most likely get to him first, but he wanted the satisfaction. He ran over and put the pony in his line of sight. What sucked was he was still shining, so he was pretty visible if you were looking in his direction

Sandy looked out the window and saw a pony. He had glasses and looked like a scientist. Sandy also thought he saw something else- it looked shiny. Sandy decided to address the pony first.

"Um... Hi?" His voice was rather hoarse due to not having spoken in a while.
"What do you want? I don't want any trouble! You could be lying! Dad always said folk lie to get in here!"

Sandy was torn here- he wanted somepony to talk to but this stallion could be dangerous. He looked at the shiny thing in the distance, and started feeling uneasy. He decided to let the other pony in- hr didn't want him to get hurt.

"Come in actually, there's something over in those bushes and I don't want anypony to get hurt!"

He opened the door to let the scientist in.

Fractured heard another voice from inside reply. He didn't have time to answer back before the door opened. He did not see anypony inside. That was, until he looked down. "Oh, why hello small colt." The stallion walked inside and closed the door behind him. He inspected the young pony before him, he seemed nice. "I am very great full for your hospitality. Also, I am quite aware of liars, for I have stumbled upon many." He analyzed the rest of the room. He saw no older ponies. "Ehm... Might I ask where your parents are in an Apocalypse such as this one?"

Recurve peeked over and got a look at the opening. From what he saw, there was a terrified colt in there. He would want to torture the hell out of him. But, for some reason, he developed somewhat of a soft spot for him. This was a tough time. Especially for a foal. He may have hated them more than anything, but they don't get it easy. He lowered his crossbow and approached the house. Let's hope he doesn't notice the bandages, or know what a bite can do. "Hey, little guy." He wanted to throw up at that statement. "Mind if I come in too? I promise, I'm a nice pony" He forced a smile, and in his mind wanted to shoot an arrow straight through his own head

Sandy felt ok with the scientist- he seemed nice. However, he didn't like the other one. He didn't look like a nice pony. Then again, he remembered what his mum had once done for a visitor.

"Give me a minute. Mr fossil, could you do me a favour and keep an eye on him?"

Without waiting for an answer, sandy went into the basement. He came back with the stick, and pointed the loud end at the new pony.

"Okay, first off in answer to you Mr Fossil, my parents are gone. I don't have a clue where they went. Now, new pony. This thing? I know what it does and how to handle it. I also know that I don't trust you. Leave the thingy on your back at the door and then you can come in. I'll let you keep the knife, but if you try anything I won't hesitate to plant both barrels into your noggin. We clear?"

Just as mummy had taught him. Celestia, he missed mum......

Fractured Fossil winced at the talking that was given to this new pony. He let out a smirk. Cute, but it did seem rather dangerous. A stallion with such intellect would not dare tamper with a young one. "I am deeply sorry lad, but if weapons are something you would rather keep outside, I must confess I have a few of my own. Self defense... really." Fractured Lifted his saddlebags off of him, and placed them outside. "I have a feeling that you will need some company, only due to the massive threat that constantly dangers us. If it is not too much to ask, might I be able to stay?" Then he looked to the new pony, and nodded to confirm that this approach was a good one, and to follow.

Recurve stepped back, wide eyed because there was a shotgun in his face. "Is that how colts greet each other nowadays? My goodness. How rude. But, if you insist, I'll leave the crossbow outside." He took the crossbow off his back and placed it down on the porch. This kid meant business. "Now, may I come into your house... Please?" Mother of Celestia, that word... 'Please.' Ugh... It was horrid...But he wanted in.

"Fine. You can come in."
Sandy let the new pony in but kept the stick handy.
"Now, Mr fossil- thanks for that. You can stay, I suppose. I just need to know how long for." He eyed the other pony "same goes for you. How long are you staying?"

On the inside, sandy was elated. Company! Ponies to talk to! This was great! He lead the other two upstairs to show them their rooms.

"Well, I'm sorry but we only have 2 rooms- it was just me and my parents. You'll have to budge up in my parent's old room. There's a second matress under the bed, so one can sleep on that. I sleep in that room there." He pointed to the room with his hoof.

He went to the kitchen to make something to eat, leaving fossil and the other pony upstairs.

"Well, it sure was kind of this lad to let us reside in this establishment for the time being. Though I am not one who favors socializing with the young, we must deal with it." Fractured walked into his room, and inspected it. "Sir, if you haven't caught on already, my name is Fractured Fossil with a PHD in paleontology. I hope you don't mind IF I ask you for the same information?"

Recurve followed the colt around, and was shown to his room. Then he heard him say there was an extra mattress. "Awww, I was really looking forward to sleeping with him." He said sarcastically, and nudged over to Fractured Fossil. He looked over at Fossil, the fake smile faded. "My name is Recurve. Everything else is unimportant." He followed the colt downstairs, but almost fell down the stairs from a sudden shot of pain in his arm. "Damn things. Still hurts..." Of course, he was referring to the Trotters and the bite on his arm. He went down to the kitchen, waiting to see what the colt was grabbing to eat

Sandy was making himself a couple of daisy sandwiches. He heard Recyrve falling down the stairs. Still hurts.....?

"Er, what still hurts? Hey, is that a bandage? Did somepony hurt you? If their following, then get the hay out! This place is away from everypony, and I don't want them finding me!"

"Well thats that."

OzyManedias cleaned the fluid from THE PAN (see spoiler)

Spoiler:

and slapped the rotten-smelling bodily juices onto his back.

He had gotten lucky, he caught this... Thing unaware and silenced it before it was able to alert any others. He had slowly been collecting his miasma of death stench over the last couple Things he destroyed, and finally... FINALLY he had made it out of Ponyville. OzyManedias had a pretty good idea of how the Things worked.

1)They only needed their brain, so bash that.

2)they work by scent, so cover yourself in dead things.

3)Guns are a no no. (he got that from a foolish survivor who got a little too cocky)

4)Do not alert the herd.

5)DO NOT ALERT THE HERD.

He glanced out the window at the countryside. He noticed the soft white smoke of a chimney.

"Quod benedictio est de Cælo..." He whispered to himself. He hefted THE PAN and checked his water and food supply, and cautiously crept towards a certain cottage that housed three other survivors like himself.

His shadow stopped for a moment, pensive, then giggled childishly before following like any normal shadow should.

(Oz, wait your turn! If you want to join, wait for brawny to post, and preferably ask one of us first!)

Fractured Fossil heard the conversation coming from down the stairs, and a stumble that made him chuckle. The room seemed okay, it was not anything bad. He should go get his things from outside though. The paleontologist trotted downstairs, and saw the young pony making some sandwiches. "I hope it is not a bother if I brought my saddle bags upstairs? Feel free to inspect them if you feel the need to."

Recurve regathered his wits from falling down the steps. He noticed the colt was talking about his wound. Then he asked if he was being followed. It was a common problem, obviously. "No. Nopony followed me." He had an evil look in his eyes and an evil grin. "I made sure of that." He snapped back into normal expressions "I'm sure you've seen those ponies walking around aimlessly. Do NOT let them touch you. They have a nasty bite... Or do, I don't care"

Sandy first inspected fossil's bags. They looked safe, so he cheerfully let the scientist take his stuff upstairs
"Yeah, those are fine. No weapons or anything so I guess you're clear."
He then turned to the bad pony.
"I heard that if they bite you, you become one. If this is true, get the hay out. I've survived too long to be killed by somepony who got himself bitten and selfishly wanted to be comfortable in his final hours, even if it meant me and Fossil's deaths."

Sandy's dad had told him about the ponies like that. He also learned that he had a real fire in his eyes when passionate- he'd accidentally made a friend cry after telling him off for stealing from Sandy.

((Yeah, I'm after Brawny (I asked him :P) ))

Fractured looked at Recurve with an eyebrow raised. "So you were bit? Hmm..." The Paleontologist looked at the bandages. "Well... I won't deny that it is not true, the fact that you transform. Though being a stallion of science, I am also one of hope. I trust that you won't hurt us." The Doctor said this to try and lighten the mood a bit, though he knew that a bite meant death, then zombification. "Excuse me though, young stallion, but is it fine if I move my quarters to somewhere more vacant? I would like room for my equipment."

Recurve was being turned against now. All three of them knew what a bite meant. But he really didn't feel anything. Except for that random shot of pain on the steps. "I'm sure I have a lot of time left. It was only recent, and I haven't felt much." That was a dead lie. He was bit weeks ago. But they didn't need to know that. He got up on all fours, looking at the colt. "We haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Recurve." He shook his bitten arm a bit. He still had some pain, and it felt like it was falling asleep. "I'm feeling kinda tired. I'm going back upstairs." He walked back up the stairs, carefully this time, and lied down in the bed, about to get some sleep. Bad signs. Weak, tired, and a bite from a while ago...

Silent Smiles trotted in the countryside, looking for a place to stay for the night.
She had carried the heavy saddle bag for around a days travel, and she was tired.
Even though she was just a filly, Silent had been managing on her own for awhile.
She had lived in the city, with her...parents.
They knew ponies who owned a farm in the countryside, and were fleeing there with her.
Then...the zombies came.
Her parents told her to run, that she'd see them in a little bit.
She never did.
Getting out a photograph of the farm she was headed to, she compared it to the one right in front of her.
It looked almost identical, so she opened the gate and knocked on the door.
Hopefully, the people will remember her.
She visited this farm when she was very little, and knew the people living there.

Sandy let Recurve go up the stairs, but still didn't trust him. He was avoiding all contact on the bitten arm which suggested it hurt a lot. Did that mean he was close? He said the bite was decent but anypony can lie. Sandy resolved to keep the stick handy. He then heard Fossil's question.

"Sorry, I don't think we have anywhere else to sleep. I suppose there is the couch, and there might be a fold out bed in it, but that's all I have. This place was only really meant for my parents and me."

He heard a knock at the door. Had recurve led somepony here? If he had, zombie or no zombie, Sandy would either knock his head off with the stock or hand him over, so long as they left Sandy alone. Would free up space for fossil. He opened the door a crack, and looked out. It was a filly, about his age. He was puzzled- no parents around? His weren't but he just stayed on a secluded farm.

"Er, hello. What do you want?"

Fractured nodded towards Sandy, and he took the couch. He sat on it and emptied one pocket of his saddlebags which contained a few Fossils. On the table in front of him he started assembling them, having no time to have done it earlier in the apocalypse, he decided now was a great time to do so. This was quite fun, to him, as he logged all of the pieces and their positions. It wasn't much though, he only finished the legs. That was until a knock came at the door. He stood up cautiously, to see what was going on.

Recurve was in the bed, ready to go right into unconsciousness. But the fear of him turning was keeping him awake. He was getting scared of the inevitable. Odd, because he never felt fear. Even more odd, he felt as though he was becoming sick. He was burning up, exhausted, and felt like all around crap. He stared at the ceiling, moaning from sickness and drifting off into sleep. Could the bite finally be getting to him? Or was he just sick? We can tell with time, but from what he's seen, that's a bad way. Right now, he just wishes he had his crossbow. It was all he really had left. He lost his precious recurve bow, from which he got his name that everypony outside the Crystal Empire knew him as. He looked at his wound, and he finally fell asleep. He knew that neither Fossil or Sandy trusted him. He didn't care. He'd love to see them die. All he really needed was a place to stay. But that colt seemed pretty smart and he knew what he was doing. Not very common, but this is a zombie apocalypse. How common are those?