We went right to the front of the hospital. One of the soldiers standing beside the door nodded at us. "Your friend's been asking for you since you left."

I poked my head out the door and looked around. There she was! It was the big pony! She waved at me a little, laying on her belly. "You see Sasaki?"

Hiro slipped out around me. "I'm right here."

She smiled and reached right for him, snatching him up and bringing him closer to nuzzle at. "Sasaki! Good see you."

As her hoof went by me, I took a little sniff. Hiro was right, she did need a bath.

Hiro smiled at her, but it was a patient kind of smile. "We have to do something important, please set me down."

She did put him down, but looked determined. "I help."

He shook his head quickly. "No, no. You should stay here, at the hospital."

She thumped the ground in a powerful blow. "I help!" She put a hoof to her chest. "Strong, big. I help."

Homer slipped out last and sniffed around before looking up and up at Ground Stomper. "Wow! You're big!"

Ground Stomper smiled at him. "I big. Help."

I shrugged a bit. "She seems eager, why not let her help?"

Hiro looked at me like I betrayed him. "She can't even fit into the building!"

I considered that. "She can get us there faster, and help carry it back. Just 'cause she won't go inside doesn't mean much. Don't be a downer, Hiro. She really wants to help."

"I help..."

Hiro let out a breath as he sank a bit. "Very well... Ground Stomper, you must listen to every command I give. I'm the leader of this task, alright?"

She bobbed her head. "Yes." She sank fully to her belly. "Ride?"

That looked like fun! I bounced on over and scrambled up to be just behind her head. Homer climbed up to be just behind me. Hiro, being the worry wort, got to be third.

Ground pushed up to her hooves and started moving carefully through the city. Hiro pointed the way, and she followed it, at least until we left the military zone. Her hoof came down beside a bus and shouting came from it.

Several human heads popped out of the side of the bus, looking up at us like we were the weird ones. I waved at one of them, and that got the whole group to vanish back inside the bus.

Hiro frowned a little. "We probably just surprised them badly. Still, if we found survivors, the orders are to bring them in. They looked clean."

Homer tilted his head a little, then looked towards Ground Pounder's head. "No licking. Makes humans sick, then ponies."

Ground Pounder seemed shocked at the idea. "No licking." She even drew in her tongue and snapped her snout shut in case stray saliva would cause issues.

I slid down off of Ground Pounder. "I'll talk to them!" I bounced up to the door of the bus and gave a soft knocking. "Helloooo! We're friendly and we want to help. Anyone hoooome?"

A head popped free, and I recognized it! It was one of the, uh, shinto? Yeah, shinto! The one that shook a funny stick at me and made me all a mare again.

"Go away!"

I smiled at him. "Aw, don't be like that. We're with the guys in there." I pointed at the hospital. "They told us to get anyone that was still out here and was either not a pony, or at least minded their manners. You don't look like a pony." I spread my forehooves wide. "Thanks for making me normal again, by the way."

He frowned at me. "You're still pink, and a horse."

I shrugged. "I've been that since I was born, that is normal. So, want to come with us? Food and shelter better than a bus!"

I could hear other voices talking from inside the bus. The human glanced inside before looking back at me. "How do we know you aren't lying so we can come out and receive your foul infection?"

Hiro stepped up beside me. "Good day, sir. I am Hiro Sasaki, police officer. Despite my... condition, I'm still in active duty. I've been enlisted by the military to help gather people to safety. I can only offer my solemn word that you will be protected and escorted to the hospital."

The man gave a stiff nod, then vanished into the bus. The window snapped shut with a click. We could hear them talking, but now what they were saying.

Homer came up on my other side. "What are they doing? Why aren't they coming?"

I bumped against him. "They're scared. Give them a moment."

The front door of the bus slid open and a thin looking man in robes stepped out slowly. Slowly and weakly. Gosh, it looked like he hadn't eaten for a while. "Hello. If you are here to curse me, then let's end it quickly."

Hiro held up a clawed hoof. "Sir, I was being entirely genuine. We want to get you to the hospital. You look like you need care, and food. Please, tell your friends."

The idea of charging past him and giving every human a big ponifying smooch... It was tempting. Too tempting. I kept my hooves planted firmly on the ground and just nodded, keeping a firm grip on myself.

Homer panted softly. "You get to ride a huge pony!"

The man looked confused, so Homer pointed up at the quiet Ground Stomper. "See?!"

He recoiled in surprise. Ground Stomper raised a hoof in a little wave. "I... I see.... One moment." He retreated back into the bus and the door slid shut.

We could hear him talking excitedly, and others responding. A few moments later, the door slid open again and a woman stepped out. She wore a different kind of robe. She looked as hungry as the guys though. "I will come with you."

Hiro smiled cautiously. "I'm glad to hear it, ma'am, but what about the others."

She turned and scowled into the bus. "They will cower and die here like mice." She stepped off the bus lightly. "Even if this is some elaborate ruse to curse us, which I don't think it is, I'd rather live on and find a cure, than die in a hole and claim moral victory in death."

Another man suddenly emerged. "Wait! I'll go with you!" He hurried up to stand beside her.

She smiled a little. "Oh, you just needed someone to be first?"

He gave a nervous laugh. "Maybe so... Forgive me."

Another popped out, the original one in charge. "I will come as well. Perhaps the purification ritual will be useful."

With his coming, the rest of the bus emptied out. We had about ten people in total.

Ground Stomper tilted her head. "I take back. You wait." She pointed a hoof at the malnourished people. "Climb. I... give ride."

It took some doing, with Hiro, Homer, and I helping people get up into position, but we eventually got them up there, clinging to Ground Stomper. She rose up, and began walking back to the hospital, nice and slowly.

While she was gone, Hiro turned to me. "She still wants me to be more than a friend! Did you see how she reacted to even seeing me?"

I smiled at him. "I saw a mare that really needed a friend, and you're her first friend. Be nice."

He grunted. "It's not about being nice... She could kill me without even meaning to. I'm too small for what she wants."

Homer tilted his head with confusion. "What does she want?"

Oh gosh. "Well, you see, when a mare and a stallion really love each other a whole lot..."

Homer picked up on it quickly. "Oh!" He squinted a bit, maybe trying to imagine it. "She's big."

Hiro threw his forehooves in the air. "Big is an understatement!"

Homer raised a brow. "Are you big enough for her?" His eyes wandered right for Hiro's hindlegs. I couldn't help but burst into giggles.

Hiro groaned in frustration. "I'm not big enough for her on any level!"

Homer reached out and put a paw on Hiro's shoulder. "You have a big heart."

Hiro was caught up by that, then a little quirk of a smile appeared. "Okay, I guess I'm big enough one way."

We felt the soft rumbles her approach. Ground Stomper came back with a satisfied expression. "Done. All... good. We go?"

Everypony climbed up on Ground and our trip to the grocery resumed! We could see some other ponies, but the sight of Ground Stomper lumbering along was enough to make most dart out of sight and vanish.

Except one. A brightly cyan pegasus flew with us. She didn't have the rainbow mane or tail of Rainbow Dash though, instead a dark blue. "Hiya!"

I waved at her. "Hi there."

Ground nodded towards her. "Hello."

The pegasus grinned. "You talk!"

Hiro tilted his head a little. "We do. So do you, it seems?"

She bobbed her head. "It's been so lonely! No one wants to talk at all... Well until now. Can I come with you?"

Hiro pointed back to the hospital. "We have a whole community of us ponies there. Go there. Walk, don't fly. Explain to them I sent you, Hiro Sasaki, and they'll let you in."

She clopped her forehooves. "Seriously?! Are you sure? I saw some try to go in there and they aren't... around anymore..."

"Be slow, walk calmly, and introduce yourself. They'll let you in."

She nodded firmly. "I'll do that, thank you!" She darted in and smooched Hiro on the nose, then Homer, and me.

She went for Ground Pounder and looked a little confused what part to go for, but she settled for the top of Ground's snout. "See you there!" And off she went.

Homer gave a firm nod. "We're doing good!"

But it was time to search the grocery store. It looked boarded up with wood over every single bit of window space. Even the door was boarded up. Hiro frowned a little. "Someone may be here, and fortified against invasion. Let's be cautious."

Ground Pounder made a little pushing motion with a hoof. "Knock over?"

I shook my head quickly. "No! You might hurt somepony inside."

We all slid down to the pavement. Ground Pounder nodded lightly. "I wait."

Hiro stepped towards the store and looked at its windows, boarded up as they were. I went for the front door and gave a pull on the handle there, but it didn't move at all. "Should we try knocking?"

Hiro nodded. "If someone's there, we may find out. Actually, just in case, why don't you wait back there, Pinkie, and let me knock?"

I didn't see what the danger was in knocking, but I went back and Homer waited beside me. Hiro stepped forward and gave a firm clopping knock with a hoof. "Anyone home? This is the Police, we're here to help!"

He didn't expect what happened next.

Author's Notes:

I have to go see a doctor. But when I come back, another chapter to hit our at least 4k of the day, promise! That will also be when you all get your vote!

This is the biggest typo of them all...