Fallen Flyers, Chapter 1

TW❗⚠️: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EXTREME GORE! PLEASE CONTINURE READING WITH CAUTION, OR LEAVE THIS PAGE NOW!

CASSIE'S POV

The survivors of the apocalypse gathered together in small groups, trying to find some sort of hope in the midst of the despair. We prayed and hoped that someday, Equestria might be restored to its former glory. That day never came, and we had to make the best of what was left.

 Everywhere everypony looked, they saw death and destruction. Some of the bravest ponies sacrificed their lives to protect their friends and family from the undead horde. Only a few survived. 

It's 2055 now. I didn't think I'd live to see another year. Frankly, I didn't think any of us would, especially Mom. 

Keeping track of the days around here is hard, but we manage. The zombies have been calm this month, giving us some time to mentally rest. I think we all needed it. As of now, it's only Me, Mom, and Dad, and we live in the same commune as Simon and his family. Sandra and Simon grow the commune's crops, and trade them with us for flares, batteries, whatever we can get our hands on. Magnolia just turned 18, so we celebrated that recently. My 18th is coming up soon too, I wonder if anyone remembers. We try to make the most of what we have around here, decorating the house with trinkets; things we find outside. 

I have to meet up with Simon today if i can, we need hemp seed oil if he has any left. I can give him some of these flares I found, or maybe some batteries if we have any to spare. Simon II, his dad, is still doing rather well. We call him Weedman, he prefers it. He helps on the farm still, which I'm surprised about since he's nearing 71. Sometimes he has slips in his memory, but he does his best. Eleanor used to be very lively. It kind of hurts to know she's gone. She used to help guide Weedman in the right direction sometimes, before she fell to the monsters. Nowadays, he sort of just rotates staying with Sonia and Golden some days, and Simon and Sandra the others. When I was a kid he wasn't as bad, but the apocalypse takes a toll on ponies. 

THIRD PERSON POV

Cassie gets her bags together, filled with spare batteries of different types and dusty old flares. leaving her tent, which she is thankful to have to herself, she heads down to Simon's. 

Shaking at the zippers on the tent door, she tries to get his attention. "Simon, it's Cass, u here?"

He didn't answer. 

"Where the hell..." 

She went off to look for him, maybe he was in the fields. kicking through the harshly sharp grass and thick corn field that always leaves scratches on her hind legs. She hated having to go through the fields, but she knew she had to anyway. There he was, with Sandra, his wife, planting hemp seeds. 

"I should've known you'd be out here." cassie says

"Why are you out here alone young lady?" Simon jokes. He knew she didn't need anyone to watch over her. 

"Looking for you guys. Got any hemp oil? We need it for Mom, her legs are getting really bad again. I brought some various batteries and flares for exchange." Mary, her mom, had been dealing with heavy inflammation in her wings. The swelling was really painful. 

"Yeah, we should. What batteries do you have?"

She dug through her bag. "Hmmm, uhh 2 AA... 3 C's... and uhh..." she dug more. "2 9 volts." 

"We'll only need the C's, and we'll take the 9 volts just in case, but if there's an emergency feel free to grab them back." he was very generous. 

"Thank you. Here's those, and the flares. We shouldn't need them." She handed everything over.

"C'mon kid." he led her back to their tent. Once he arrived, he unzipped the excuse of a door, and ducked his head inside. It was a huge tent, nearly the size of an RV. Walking towards the back, he grabbed a bottle of hemp oil off of a table and handed it to her. 

"Here you go. Gimme that bottle back when you can."

"Will do. Thanks again." she said before leaving. She flew off to her parents' tent. 

"Mom? You in here?" she asks as she enters.

"Where the hell else would I be?" Mary was very moody nowadays. Cassie was used to it, she knew she had every reason to be. 

"I brought you hemp oil from Simon and Sandy. I'm gonna use it to make you a tonic for your wings." 

"Hm, alright. Thank you my love." Mary responds. She was thankful for Cassiopeia. And for Atlas, her husband, who had just come home. 

"Full house! What are you doing here?" he asks cassie.

"Why do you ask like i never come by?" Cass asks back with a slight laugh, she knew her dad was joking.

"Cause you hate us!" 

They all laughed. 

CASSIE'S POV

I love my mom. She's my biggest inspiration, even if she is all moody and rude lately. I know it'll pass, it's not her true nature. 

This tonic I have to make stinks. I hate the smell of animal fat. This better help her. 

After an hour or so of mixing and cooking, it was done. I handed it off to her, she used her magic to apply it to her wings, and wrapped them with some old clothes. I think they used to be scarves. They were wrapped like bandages. Dad helped me clean up, and I let them keep the leftover oil. I knew they'd need it much more than I would.

I spent the day with dad after that. We went and searched for food, hunting smallish things that are big enough to cook. I was proud to help them both today, that's what we all need in times like this. 

RADIO'S POV

"We have to go out and find food again, Radio" 

"I don't wanna.."

"Whatever, come on." 

I got up and grabbed my backpack. I made sure my radio was turned on, so did Morse. We usually have to split up, so they come in handy. If we stayed together, we'd take ages to find anything. We used to scavenge with Silent, but he's off...somewhere. I haven't seen him since last December. I miss him a lot, and I still wonder where he went, and why. He made me feel so safe. I feel like I'm faking that feeling now. 

The creatures aren't seen as much anymore where we stay, so we're usually able to scavenge worry free. We live north of town, near the water. You'd think they'd love it over there but that's not the case. They hate water, actually. I don't know why that is, I don't really care. 

It's been a while since we've seen one of those freaks anyway. 

"We'll be fine." I said to myself. He didn't hear me. Sometimes I have to say it out loud to know it's true, or I'll feel like I'm making things up. 

We walked around for an hour or so, separated the majority of the time. I found some apples, and I thought everything was fine, like it has been lately. Shame on me for letting my guard down.

THIRD PERSON POV (GORE AHEAD) 

*The radio she holds emits a bit of static before she can  hear anything..*

"Radio, you have to get down here. I'm by the river under the old houses. We have a problem..." It was her brother, Morse. He was... whispering? 

She clicks the button on the side and responds. 

"What do you mean, problem? Can't you just like... leave? Just turn around?" 

"You absolute idiot, just get down here please, I'm hiding in a fucking barrel. "

"Copy. " 

She put the radio back on her hip, and made her way south. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary the whole way there, she was convinced his situation wasn't that big of a deal. "It wouldn't be the first time he cried wolf." she thought. 

She was so, so desperately wrong. 

Metal barrels scattered everywhere. That was normal, but there were more than usual. These ones were a neon green, different from the usual blue steel. 

Bloody hoofprints covered the grass leading up to the water. The water itself was an unpleasant shade of brown, with various limbs and body-matter floating at the top. 

"Where the fuck is morse?" she thinks. She couldn't find her younger brother at all. 

Radio felt a repeated thump through her hooves, something was running towards her. Before she could even think, she felt it coming and dodged out of the way. 

*CRASH* 

A zombie flies into a two by three tower of neon barrels. She smells a foul, foul stench emitting from the punctured barrels... they began to expand, like that of a lithium battery. 

*POP* 

TO BE CONTINUED 

thank you sm for reading!! if yall like these ill post pt 2! the rest of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2 are up on my wattpad now! check out my blog for the link!