Chapter Twenty-Five:
One Last Moment...

	Luna's change was quick, quicker than Twilight had expected. She held her hand for as long as she could, but once it started twitching she forced herself to pull away. Then the hand crept back from under the door. Twilight could see Luna's stuttering movement, the grunts and groans of her changing. The first form of the infection was still very much Luna in essence. Her moans were hollow and inhuman, but her voice still echoed of Luna's. It was a macabre thought, Twilight mused as she sat up and rested her back against the wall, but what other kind of thoughts  should she have at the end of things.
	There was no hope left. It had faded the moment Luna mentioned the book that she'd found in Discord's house. If there was some way to find it, maybe... “Just stop it, Twilight.” She said to herself, clutching fistfuls of hair, pulling hard. “There's no way...” Twilight mentally retraced her steps, getting back to where she'd dropped the book was an impossibility. “Maybe, you should just give it up” The voice that came from her lips, didn't sound much like hers, at least not in words she spoke. Twilight couldn't remember what it felt like to give up. It felt worse than any other emotion she'd felt tonight. 
	A hot tear traced her cheek catching on the smile that swelled across her lips. She pushed herself up from the floor and took doorknob in her hand. “Maybe it won't be so bad, being one of them. It has to be better then being the only one left.” Twilight turned the knob slowly, listening to the latch sliding away. “A new adventure.”
	Somewhere in the throne room a door burst open. “Yeehaw, you mother fuckers.” The voice sounded familiar, like it had come from a dream. It was followed by screeching from the infected. There was loud hollow thunk and the sound of a body hitting the floor, then another one. “Is that all you go, your highness.”
	“Applejack?” Twilight uttered before bursting through the door, hitting the infected Luna smashing her against the wall. She crumpled to the floor, out cold.
	Applejack stood in the center of the room wielding an oddly shaped two handed gun, she pump the slide lock and fired at the small infected that use to be Scootaloo. A bolas projectile wrapped around it's tiny body, the force of the shot throwing it to the ground. The infected Cadence and the unknown infected from before were all wrapped up and laying on the ground next to her.
	The largest one, the one that wore Celestia's crown charged at Applejack, who pumped the slide lock again. “Crap.” She grumbled, tossing it to the floor. Just as the infected was coming down on her. Applejack drew a familiar looking device from the back of her jeans. It was the Tazer Twilight dropped during the fight with the infected bodyguards. She too aim and pulled the trigger, a long thin wire shot out from it hitting the infected in the chest. There was a loud buzzing sound like a thousand angry bees and then it was drown out by screeching cries of the once Celestia. It's body convulsing and shuttering before it fell to the ground unconscious. Applejack let out a long exhale and tossed the device to the floor.
	“Applejack, you're alive. I thought Braeburn got you.” Twilight whispered, tears were in her eyes.
	Applejack paced over to her, smirking and rubbing the back of her neck. “Hey Sugar Cube. Yeah he tried to get fresh with me, forced me to knock him out anyway.”
	Twilight threw herself into Applejack's arms, clinging to her. “It's so good to see you.” Without thinking she pressed her lips to Applejack's in a tender peck.
	Applejack pushed back into the kiss, caressing her fingers down between Twilight's soothingly. When she pulled away, they shared an awkward smile, both of their faces bright red. “Me too, goddess I sure missed y'all.”
	“How did you get here?” Twilight pulled away looking into her eyes.
	“It weren't easy, I can tell you that much. After I tied Braeburn up, I got to sitting around thinking, then it hit me. I forgot to give you the book I've been hauling around since we went swimming. I thought it might be important.” Applejack reached into a grease stained bag pulling out the Draconquus Bible. “Then I took one of them other handcarts and came after you...”
	Twilight took the book from her, running her fingers along the ancient cover. “You...found the book. This is the secret to fixing everything.” Twilight gasped, her fingers starting to tremble. What Luna had said was true, there's always a chance as long as one has hope. Applejack was the one hoping for their success the whole time. “You saved us all.”
	“You sure? I looked through it and I can't understand a lick of it. It looks like it's written in some funny language.” Applejack cocked her head.
	Twilight opened the book and sighed. “Dammit, I can't read this, it's Draconuus.  It was on my list of languages to learn.”
	Applejack giggled and shook her head. “Man Twilight, you sure are an ambition cuss. I'm struggling to just learn how to make full sentences.”
	“I might not be able to read it, but maybe Celestia has a potion recipe or something that could help me read it.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around the room at all the books spread along the floor. One of them must be a book on potions.
	Twilight bent down to pick up a book when she heard a screech. Everything happened so fast that she couldn't process it until it was over. The infected Luna lurched towards Applejack, Twilight planted a strong hand into Applejack's chest pushing back away. The feeling of teeth tearing into her skin hurt more than she could have imagined it would. The fountain of blood that sprayed out would have been the most terrifying thing she'd ever seen if it hadn't been for everything that happened tonight. Twilight stared deep into the milky wells of Luna's eyes as she whispered. “There's still a chance, as long as one has hope.” Then Luna flew away, Applejack kicked her so hard that she struck the wall and crumpled to the floor once again. When Twilight fell backwards, she felt warm hands wrapping up across her back, cradling her before she hit the floor.
	“No...no, Twilight...oh shit hon.” Applejack ran her fingers along Twilight's cheeks. “Why'd you do it?” She pressed her muzzle to the side of Twilight's face, sniffling and sobbing. “Why?”
	“I couldn't bare to see you hurt.” Twilight whispered as she closed her eyes for moment to rest. 
	A heavy weight rested on her stomach and she could hear Applejack grunts echoing in her mind. Then she was weightless, shaky but light as a feather. Applejack's comforting voice kept cutting through the darkness. She was talking about getting somewhere safe, somewhere they can figure stuff out.
	There was crunching sound, the feeling of turbulence as a warmth washed over her. “I got you, Sugar. Hold on.” It was Applejack, there was a hint of realization of what was happening. Applejack was carrying her, but to where. There was no sanctuary left for Twilight. The warm feeling grew stronger as she thought of her dear friend struggling at the end of everything. One list ditch effort, one last moment of hope.
	There was the creaking of a door on it's hinge, a cool rush of something against her back. It was soothing against her already fevered body. Then the sound of a door closing and the safe sound of a lock sliding home. It tickled the comfort nerves of her brain. They were safe and sound now she heard the last fading hope whispering into the swelling warmth inside of her. Then a pale light flooded against her eyelids, forcing her to open them.