The Afterward

Chapter One - Afterward

Pony's POV.

3 WEEKS AFTER THE INFECTION

After the whole infection ended, we went home. Or, more accurately, I went home. Zee and Zuzy were taken into foster care by Mimi (Giraffy volunteered to help once he got back). Giraffy had to be taken to the hospital for a few hours to check if he was all right and to get him away from 'criminals and guns and stuff'.  And now I'm making a speech, written by Mimi, in front of the News Stations. The platform's surrounded by animals quietly whispering to each other and I take a deep breath, exhale, and then stumble over my own feet the minute I get up onto the stage. No one notices or cares (thankfully). The sheet's in front of me and I start to read.

"Uhm. Hello, Lucella."

Great. This is going terribly. Pull yourself together, Pony, you're a saviour!

"As the times of post-apocalyptic terror draw to a close, we're faced with one undeniable truth--we have to move forward. Break the boundaries. Help each other. I was fortunate enough to have my friends with me during all of this," Mimi didn't add that part, so I took the opportunity to say it, look back at them and smile. I go back to the script. "And along they way, we've made new friends..." I read the next line.

And stop.

It's sitting in front of me. I have to say it. 'And we've lost friends, too'. The words seem to be strangling me because I make a weird noise and then stare at the paper for heaven knows how long.

"And--and, um. We've lost... I..." I can't focus. The paper blurs in front of me and I struggle to keep reading.

I don't know why, but then it hits me. I was a bad person. I was a selfish person and even if I saved the world I still wouldn't have saved her.

"I'm sorry, I just need a minute--" and I have to run off the stage and into a small room in the Town Hall. I curl up there and stare at the floor. "Pony? Are you there?" Mimi opens the door, panting. "I'm sorry, Pony. I should have... I tried not to mention it. But it just had to be said."

"I killed her."

"You didn't kill her, Pony. You hear me?" She grabs my shoulders and tries to shake sense into me. "You. Did. Not. Kill. Her."

A few hours later, we're in a car which is going to drop me off home. As we drive along the roads that I volunteered to help clean up, we pass a couple of animals who are screaming at the top of their lungs and waving signs. "Hey, who's that?" I ask, pressing my nose up to the window.

"Eh. Probably just a couple of Anti-Infection-Ending idiots. They don't want the infection to end," The driver says. Mimi and Giraffy are in the car with me and they don't seem to care. It's weird, because the signs didn't say anything like 'Stop The Recovery' or 'Bring It Back', but they say 'Find Them'. Maybe their relatives or something got lost in the infection.

I have a strange dream that night. I'm stuck in a long hallway and can't see a way out. It just goes on and on and on.

Until I reach a door randomly placed in front of me, and, being the usual idiot I am, I open it. There's black behind it. No objects. No people. Just space. No. It's not just space.

An disembodied voice begins to speak to me.

"Hello, Pony. Long time no see."

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OoOo  A cLiFfHaNgEr!

Wow, this is actually really short. You've probably guessed what or who was speaking to Pony. If not, that's fine. 

I am making a cover for this story, so watch this space. Also, I have a life. I won't be updating every week.

Credits: 

Piggy by Minitoon & Co

Story by TrenchcoatsAndTuxedos