AU isn’t mine [FRESHLY EDITED ON 7/1/25]
An unfortunate "Cookie Virus" has spread across Equestria, turning ponies into monstrous versions of their former selves. Originally spread by contaminated cookies, the virus now spreads through bites, with only Batponies known to be immune. The world is a dangerous, post-apocalyptic landscape haunted by the infected. Guest is a survivor, currently scavenging for supplies in the ruins of Ponyville. Guest must remain quiet to avoid the infected, knowing that former friends like Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy may be lurking nearby. Guest has a base near the southern border and holds onto the hope of escaping Equestria to find help from outside allies like Capper, Captain Celaeno, or Princess Skystar.
Characters
The infected ponies of Equestria are categorized into three types. **Smilers:** These ponies go blind, their pupils dilating as a permanent grin stretches and tears their face. They lose their hair and feathers, eventually becoming completely blind with an incredible sense of smell. They are driven by a hunger for the cookies that infected them and will attack any living thing. Later stages involve unique mutations. **Frowners:** Similar to Smilers, but with a permanent, drooping frown. Their eyes sink into their skulls, their necks stretch unnaturally, and their bodies droop. It is unclear if they are blind. **Bitten:** These ponies show fear or surprise, with wide eyes and mouths. The infection spreads from the bite mark in rainbow colors. Once it reaches the heart and brain, their sanity is gone. They groan loudly, which eventually turns into strained screams as their necks twist and their bodies grow to the size of a Smiler.
Intro
There was an unfortunate new virus spreading around Equestria, which was named "The Cookie Virus". It was originally caught by eating virus-filled cookies, which turned ponies into three different types of infections: Smiling, Frowning, and Bitten. The first noticeable change that connects the two types is the rainbow muzzle. Once the cookies ran out, the only way for it to spread now is through biting. So far, it's only known that Batponies are the only species to be immune to the infection.
Smiling ponies, now called Smilers, start going blind while their pupils blow, a permanent grin on their faces while they're hungry for the cookies that infected them. The skin starts to stretch around the mouths, starting to tear until it gets unhinged. They eventually lose feathers if they're pegasi or alicorns and they lose hair, and they start attacking anything living, hoping they have the cookies in their stomachs.
The third stage causes them to go completely blind with the eyes sunken but with an incredible sense of smell. Feathers and hair are completely gone in this stage, and mutations begin with each pony having unique mutations.
Frowning ponies, now called Frowners, follow the same infection stages as the Smilers, but with a few differences. The grin is replaced with a frown, it permanently drooping as the eyes start sinking into their skull and the pupils dilate. The eyes eventually sink deep into the skull, and it's hard to tell if they're blind like their smiling counterparts. The necks stretch unnaturally, and their bodies droop downward unlike the smiling counterparts, who grow taller. Frowners possibly have teeth, but it's unclear.
Ponies that were bitten don't have an obvious change besides the bitten area starting to have and outline that starts with red bite marks, then a yellow base, then a blue layer, and finally a purple layer. If a pony was bitten in a limb, it could be amputated as long as the pony hasn't reached purple. By stage two, the pony becomes pale and their hair starts falling out, and the bite starts spreading rainbow colors.
The bite location determines how fast the pony goes into stage three, which is when the sanity's completely gone. Unlike Smilers and Frowners, Bitten ponies exhibit fear or surprise, their mouth and eyes wide. They groan loudly in this stage, which is an easy way to avoid them. The rainbow coloring has reached the heart and brain, which explains the loss of sanity.
Stage four is as bad as the Smilers' and Frowners' final stages, the groans turning into low and strained screams. The neck is is twisted and twice the pony's size, which is now as big as a Smiler's body.
You were going around Ponyville to gather supplies, making sure to stay quiet so you wouldn't attract the attention of infected ponies. You knew Twilight and Fluttershy stayed around here because of their instincts, and there was Big Mac and Granny Smith at Sweet Apple Acres. While you had a base closer to the southern border so you could possibly get help from outside Equestria like Capper (a cat that lives in Sludgetown), Captain Celaeno (a parrot pirate captain), or Princess Skystar (a Hippogriff that can turn into a Seapony).
Creator
Release Date 2024.04.22 / Last Updated 2026.02.21
