Author's Note: With the recent release of highly acclaimed game The Last of Us, I was inspired to make an MLP story crossed over with elements from that game. Enjoy!

The Last of Us Ponies

Chapter 1: A Night Like Any Other

It was a night like any other, to say the least. The air was cool, the stars were out, and the citizens of Ponyville, Equestria, had begun to wind down after a long day of miscellaneous activities. The sun had only set a mere two hours earlier and yet the town was already covered in a blanket of calm darkness that was illuminated only by the lights of the stars, Luna's Moon, and the lamps and lanterns placed throughout the town. However, it was much darker out at Sweet Apple Acres.

Applejack was sitting outside alone. The dim lights of Ponyville danced over the glistening leaves of the apple trees, which seemed to create an orange aura around them. It hadn't been exactly an extraordinary day for Applejack. She had done her daily chores, visited Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner, got caught in a scuffle between Rainbow Dash and Rarity over a patch of mud ending up on Rarity's new dress, and had ended the day with a nice dinner alongside Princess Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy. Now it was time to simply relax.

"Hey, Applejack?" asked a soft voice from the darkness. Applejack turned to see her younger sister Apple Bloom emerging from the darkness. She had something clutched in one of her hooves. "Can I talk to ya?"

"Why of course, sugarcube. Sit down," Applejack replied with a smile. Apple Bloom giggled as she walked over to her elder sister and sat down. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

A guilty look appeared on Apple Bloom's face. She handed what was clutched in her hoof over to Applejack. It was a blue box with a few strings wrapped around it. "Sorry," she sighed.

"About what?" Applejack asked as she took the box and examined it.

"For forgetting about your birthday."

"Oh." Applejack thought back to her birthday party, which had been around three days ago, and remembered the fact that her kid sister had been nowhere to be seen.

"I got caught up in something with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. It was stupid of me to forget something as important as your birthday. I'm really sorry!"

Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Apple Bloom and pulled her in close. "Don't feel bad, sugarcube. I'm not angry. It could happen to anypony."

"Really? You ain't mad at me?"

"Of course not." Apple Bloom beamed up at Applejack and Applejack smiled back. Apple Bloom pulled herself out of her sister's grasp and looked at the box in Applejack's hooves.

"I hope you like it." Applejack opened the box and looked inside to find a simple piece of cloth. The cloth was made out of stitched fabrics and the fabrics depicted an orange mare and a yellow filly standing amongst a sea of apple trees. "I had Rarity make it for you. I even helped out a bit. It's not much, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else."

"It's perfect, Apple Bloom." Applejack smiled at her younger sister as she proceeded to wrap the cloth around her right foreleg. "Now, wherever I go, I can always be reminded of you." Apple Bloom's eyes teared up a bit as she gave Applejack a big hug.

"I love you, Applejack," Apple Bloom cooed. Applejack wrapped a foreleg around her sister and patted her head.

"I love you too, Apple Bloom," Applejack said happily.

Apple Bloom awoke later than night with a feeling that something was wrong. Her room was dark and quiet and the farmhouse was giving off its usual creaks and groans. The young filly couldn't understand it but she was completely overcome with a sense of dread and fear. The air was thick and she found it difficult to breathe.

She hopped out of bed and moved over towards her window. She pulled the shutters open and was greeted with a cool, refreshing night breeze. It was almost pitch black outside except for the light from the stars, Moon, and dim lanterns of Ponyville. Everything looked peaceful. Everything looked normal. And yet, it felt wrong. Everything felt terribly wrong. Even with the window open, Apple Bloom still found it hard to breathe.

The filly wondered if maybe she had just woken up from a terrible nightmare that she couldn't remember. Apple Bloom wished to accept this thought but her instincts told her that nightmares had nothing to do with the sense of fear that she was currently feeling. There was definitely something wrong. "I better find Applejack," Apple Bloom said under her breath as she moved away from the window and over towards her bedroom door.

Apple Bloom's fear only increased when she entered the upstairs hallway. It was quiet in the farmhouse...too quiet. Apple Bloom had lived in this farmhouse her whole life and had memorized every noise to expect to hear during the night. One of these included Granny Smith's soft, but noticeable, snoring from the room at the end of the hall. Tonight, however, there was no snoring. This concerned Apple Bloom for Granny Smith was hardly one to get up in the middle of the night, except for when it was time for the zap apple harvest. Apple Bloom quietly made her way down the hall towards Granny Smith's room.

The door to Granny Smith's room was wide open, which was not normal as Granny Smith usually left her bedroom door slightly ajar. Apple Bloom peered in through the doorway to find a mostly dark room. The filly reached for a light switch but found that the lights weren't working. "Horse apples," Apple Bloom cursed under her breath as she carefully made her way through the dark room. She was making her way over to the window in order to get a bit of outside light into the room. "Granny Smith? Are ya there?" There was no response. Apple Bloom gulped a bit as she found her way over to the window and pulled the shutters open. The dim light of the stars and Moon shone through the opened window. Apple Bloom was surprised to find that Granny Smith wasn't in the bed nor was she anywhere in the room. However, the filly noticed something on the bed that sent shivers down her spine. In the middle of the bed, there was a large pool of blood. "Oh Celestia. Granny Smith!"

Apple Bloom rushed out of the room and down the hallway towards Applejack's room. "Applejack! Applejack!" cried the filly as she pushed her sister's door open. The window was open in Applejack's room and, shockingly, there was nopony there. Apple Bloom almost flew out the room and down the stairs into the first floor hallway. She then charged into Big Macintosh's room but was horrified to find that it too was empty. "Oh no! Oh no, no, NO!" Apple Bloom ran into the living room and looked around frantically. "Applejack?! Big Mac?! Granny Smith?! Where is everypony?!"

Suddenly, the front door burst open and in ran Applejack. A lantern was hanging from her mouth and she was panting something fierce. Applejack quickly placed the lantern down on the table and closed and locked the door behind her. Through the dim light, Apple Bloom could see that Applejack was terrified. "Applejack? What's going on?" asked the oblivious, but frightened, Apple Bloom. Applejack turned towards her kid sister and approached her. Apple Bloom could see tears rolling down Applejack's face.

"Apple Bloom. I want you to say here. Don't go outside! Don't get near the windows! Don't get near the doors!" Applejack ordered.

"What's going on?! Where's Big Mac?! Where's Granny Smith?!" Applejack seemed to shudder upon hearing Granny Smith's name.

"Just...just stay with me and I'll keep you safe." Applejack picked up the lantern, grabbed Apple Bloom's hoof, and pulled her into the kitchen. "Just sit at the table for a few seconds, okay?" Applejack quickly walked over to the kitchen door and checked to make sure that it was locked. Just then, Apple Bloom heard loud knocking emanate from the front door.

"Applejack! Something's at the front door!" Apple Bloom cried. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the house and was quickly followed by heavy footsteps and raspy breathing. Applejack grabbed Apple Bloom and pushed her behind her. Apple Bloom shook as Applejack grabbed a knife from the counter.

"Just stay behind me, Apple Bloom!" The two sisters froze as a dark figure entered the kitchen. Through the dim light of Applejack's lantern, Apple Bloom could see that the dark figure was none other than Granny Smith; however, something was definitely wrong with her. Her eyes looked foggy and warped, blood trickled from her mouth, her veins popped and bulged against her green skin, pieces of her coat were falling off, her mane was strewn and dirty, and a crazy look was in her eye.

"Oh my Celestia!" Apple Bloom cried as tears began to form in her eyes. "Granny Smith?!"

"Stay behind me, Apple Bloom!" Applejack ordered. Granny Smith screeched angrily as she stumbled her way over towards her two grandchildren. "Granny Smith! It's us! Applejack and Apple Bloom!" Granny Smith screamed again as she stumbled a few more steps forward. Tears were rolling down Applejack's face and her body was shaking as she raised the knife at her grandmother. "Granny Smith, please don't make me do this!" Apple Bloom was frozen. She didn't know what to think of any of this. Granny Smith stood up on her hind legs and let out another screech. "Granny Smith! PLEASE!" Suddenly, something blunt came down on Granny Smith's head. There was a sickening crack and the two sisters jumped and screamed in surprise. Granny Smith now lay on the floor, screaming and twitching in angry pain, while Big Macintosh stood over her with a large shovel in his hooves.

"Big Mac!" gasped Apple Bloom. Her big brother's face was emotionless but she could tell that he was hiding back a river of tears. Granny Smith looked up at Big Mac and screeched. Big Mac raised the shovel. "Big Mac! Wait!"

"I'm sorry...Granny," said Big Mac as he brought the shovel down over her head. Apple Bloom closed her eyes as she heard several more cracks. When she opened her eyes again, Big Mac was sitting a few feet from Granny Smith's body. Tears were now rolling down his face and he was crying something fierce. Applejack was crying as well. Apple Bloom couldn't let any tears fall. She was so much into a state of shock that her body couldn't register what had just happened.

"Granny...Smith?" Apple Bloom cooed.

"Come on, Apple Bloom," said Applejack as she wiped her tears away and took her sister's hoof. "We need to get out of here."

Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Big Mac quickly made their way out of the farmhouse. "Applejack. Big Mac. What's happening?!" Apple Bloom asked as she let a few tears fall.

"We...we don't know," Applejack replied. "I heard Granny Smith-" Applejack choked a bit. "I heard Granny Smith walk past my door. She then disappeared and Big Mac and I went out to find her. Eventually, she found me and...she chased me back to the house where-" Applejack fell silent.

"There could have been a way to save her," Big Mac said suddenly. "I didn't want to do it. It's just...she was coming up on you two and...I had to protect-"

"Please, brother. We can talk about this later. Right now we need to get help." Suddenly, a series of screams reverberated through the air. The three siblings were caught completely off guard.

"What's happening?!" cried Apple Bloom.

"It sounds like it's coming from town!" Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Big Mac then ran as fast as they could in the direction of Ponyville.

The three Apple siblings arrived in town to find a horrible sight. Ponies were running through the streets and screaming as other ponies who looked to have the same features as Granny Smith chased after them. Two bloody ponies turned towards the siblings and charged. Big Mac readied his shovel and quickly took care of the two ponies. "Go, go, GO!" Big Mac ordered to his sisters. Applejack placed Apple Bloom on her back and began running.

"Where are we going?!" asked Apple Bloom.

"The library!" Applejack replied. "Twilight must have some way to handle this!"

Apple Bloom tried her best not to look at the carnage around her. Bloody, zombie ponies ran throughout the streets of town and chased after any pony that was normal. Apple Bloom looked for any sign of anypony she knew but couldn't recognize anypony through the darkness. Fires had been started and several buildings were ablaze now. "Just close your eyes, Apple Bloom!" said Applejack. "Don't look at them. I'll protect you! I promise!" Before Apple Bloom closed her eyes, she noticed the cloth she had given Applejack was still wrapped around Applejack's foreleg.

They eventually made it to Twilight's library. "Is she here?" Big Mac asked.

"There's only one way to find out," said Applejack. Applejack ran to the door and kicked at it furiously. "Twilight! TWILIGHT!" Suddenly, Applejack noticed a note on the door. She looked at the note. It read: Sorry, I'm not here right now. I've been summoned to Canterlot to discuss some urgent matters with my fellow Princesses. See you soon, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack let the note fall to the ground. "Well?" asked Big Mac.

"She's not here! She's been called to Canterlot! Oh of all the times for this to happen!" Applejack cried.

"We need to find our friends! We need to get out of here!" Apple Bloom said. Applejack nodded.

"Yes! That's exactly what we need to do!"

"Run! I'll protect you two!" said Big Mac as he readied his shovel. Applejack broke into a run once again and Apple Bloom held tightly onto her sister. The screams of ponies and bloody ponies rang out around them. Lots of tears were now rolling down Apple Bloom's face.

"Applejack...I'm scared," Apple Bloom croaked.

"Don't worry, sis. I'm gonna keep ya safe. That's a promise," Applejack said back at her sister. Apple Bloom looked up towards a building they were passing by. It was a three story building that was almost completely on fire. One of the supports suddenly snapped and the entire building began to fall towards them.

"LOOK OUT!" Apple Bloom cried. Applejack saw the falling building and leapt forward. Apple Bloom screamed as the building crashed the ground behind them. A shower of fire, sparks, wood, and smoke flew through the air around them. Apple Bloom looked back to see that Big Mac had disappeared. "BIG MAC!"

"Don't worry!" called Big Mac from the other side of the wreckage. "I'm fine. I'll met y'all out of town!" Apple Bloom tightened her grip on her sister as Applejack continued to run through the burning Ponyville.

"Just hold on," said Applejack. "We're almost there. Just hold on. I'll keep you safe. I'll keep you safe, Apple Bloom." Apple Bloom watched as other ponies ran alongside them. She noticed Rarity and Sweetie Belle among them.

"Sweetie Belle! Rarity!" Apple Bloom called. The two pairs of sisters met and began running alongside each other.

"What in the name of Celestia is happening?!" Rarity asked.

"I don't know! We just need to get the hay out of town!" Applejack replied.

"Where's Princess Twilight?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"She was called to Canterlot!" Just then, a fiery explosion erupted from behind them. Apple Bloom turned around to see Ponyville caught in a cloud of fire as several bloody ponies marched after them.

Eventually, the two pairs of sisters managed to get away from the town. In fact, they quickly found themselves to be alone. The orange glow of the burning Ponyville could still be seen when they stopped for a quick rest.

"Have you seen the others?" Applejack asked.

"You mean Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy? No," Rarity replied sadly. "I didn't see them."

"Did you see Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"No," Apple Bloom replied as she shook her head.

"Where's the rest of your family, Applejack?" Rarity asked suddenly.

"Big Mac got separated from us a little while ago," Applejack replied. "As for Granny Smith...she's...she's gone." Rarity stepped forward and hugged Applejack.

"Oh Applejack. I'm so terribly sorry." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat down next to each other. Sweetie Belle wrapped a foreleg around Apple Bloom.

"I'm sorry, Apple Bloom," squeaked Sweetie Belle.

"Thanks, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom replied with a fresh wave of tears. Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes nearby.

"Who's there?!" asked Rarity as she aimed her horn. A shaking figure emerged from the bushes. He appeared to be a normal pony but he was shaking fiercely, parts of his body were burned, and he had a crazy look in his eyes.

"It's over. It's over. Everything's over," the stallion stammered.

"Do you need some help?" Applejack asked.

"STAY BACK!" Apple Bloom realized that the stallion was holding a knife in his hooves. "You could be one of them. You might have been bitten."

"None of us is like those zombie ponies. We're all normal here."

"NO! I can't trust anypony. Stay away from me!"

"We're just trying to help," said Apple Bloom as she stood up.

"Stay back, Apple Bloom!" Applejack hissed. The stallion pointed the knife at Apple Bloom. "Don't you point that at my sister!"

"Then stay away from me!" snapped the stallion. Applejack stepped towards the stallion.

"First, point that somewhere else!"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" The stallion pointed the knife at Applejack.

"Look, none of us here knows what's happening. I think you should just put down the knife and-"

"NO! You're all infected! You're trying to worm your way into my mind!"

"What rubbish!" snapped Rarity.

"EVERYPONY'S INFECTED! EQUESTRIA HAS FALLEN! THE END OF TIME HAS COME!" The stallion had clearly lost his mind. Apple Bloom took a step back. Unfortunately, she ended up stepping on a twig that gave off a loud sound as it broke. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" The stallion then threw his knife. Applejack lunged forward, tackled the stallion, and knocked him unconscious. Sweetie Belle gave a loud scream.

"OH MY CELESTIA!" cried Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom noticed that Sweetie Belle was looking not at the stallion but at her.

"Oh my...APPLE BLOOM!" cried Rarity.

"What is it?" Apple Bloom asked. Just then, a surge of pain rushed through Apple Bloom's body. She looked to see that the stallion's knife had lodged itself in her body and a lot of blood was spilling out. Apple Bloom became extremely dizzy and fell to the ground.

"APPLE BLOOM!" cried Applejack as she saw what had happened. Apple Bloom tried her best to focus as Applejack ran to her side. "Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Applejack knelt at her sister's side while Sweetie Belle and Rarity looked on in sad horror.

"Applejack...I feel...tired," Apple Bloom sighed. Tears rushed down Applejack's face.

"You're gonna be okay, Apple Bloom. Everything's going to be okay."

"Applejack...I'm scared."

"Don't be. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay!"

"Don't forget about me, Applejack." Apple Bloom could feel her grasp on the world slipping away. She couldn't even see Rarity or Sweetie Belle anymore. All she could focus on was Applejack's face. "Promise me."

"Apple Bloom...don't-"

"Promise me...that you'll always remember me."

"I...I promise, Apple Bloom!"

"Thank you...I love you, Applejack." Apple Bloom reached a hoof up and touched her elder sister's face.

"I love you too, Apple Bloom." Apple Bloom smiled as she let her hoof fall to the ground. "No! NO! Apple Bloom! Please! Don't go!" The world began to grow dark. Applejack's voice grew further and further away with each passing second. Apple Bloom knew that this was it. She was going back home to see Granny Smith; and maybe even Mom and Dad were there waiting for her. She felt sad...but she also felt happy. She would see Applejack, Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and everypony else again, in time. Then they would be able to pick things up where they left off. Apple Bloom found herself smiling at this thought. "Apple Bloom! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I promised that I'd protect you and I failed you! I'm sorry, Apple Bloom! I'M SORRY!" Apple Bloom wanted to tell her sister that she forgave her, but she didn't have the strength. With her last look at life being Applejack's teary face, Apple Bloom gave her last breath and let go.