The Trotting Dead: Friendship Is Survival

Rainbow Dash looked out over what they were able to save of Las Pegasus. It’s been a month since Equestria fell and the living dead ponies seemed to multiply and spread. She knew she had to take action and stop the dead ponies from over taking the place and keep all the living ponies safe. Most of all Scootaloo. She wouldn’t be much of a big sister if she let the little filly die. “Dash the wagon is ready, to save energy we should gallop to Ponyville” Soarin suggested.

“I agree” Rainbow Dash said as she trotted to the wagon.

“I know one of the reasons you’ve decided to search ponyville a lot” Soarin said, “but don’t get your hopes up Dash, they may never be there”. She nodded and kept her hard look, but inside her heart broke at the thought of her friends. She wanted so much to find them. She wished she could go back in time and stop them from parting ways that day. She hopped into the wagon. “Remember only fly if necessary to save strength” Soarin reminded everypony. She was surprised how much pegasi really did rely on wind. Without the wind they were a lot heavier than they ever realized. But since the world had ended wind was rare. For some unknown reason the pegasi left couldn’t control the weather anymore. “Are we ready?” Soarin asked.

“Just waiting for the earth ponies who are coming this time” Spitfire said making sure they had everything.

“Who are they this time?” Soarin asked.

“It’s hard to say anymore” Spitfire said jumping out to the front of the wagon with Soarin. Rainbow knew she wasn’t lying. Since the trotters hit all living ponies had lost their cutie marks and nopony knew why. She had heard someponies say it was due to the magic of the alicorns vanishing that made the marks disappear. Soon a yellow pony with a white mane and tale and one with a brown coat and black mane and tale came running up to the wagon. “What are your names?” Spitfire asked looking at the ponies with one eye raised. “I’m Ambroise” The yellow pony said.

“And I’m Black Stone” The brown pony answered.

“Well jump in we’re heading out” Spitfire ordered, “Dash can fill you in”. The earth ponies jumped in the wagon with Dash and Spitfire and Soarin started to gallop as fast as they could. “Ok when we get to Ponyville we are to search for supplies and any surviving ponies. You have your weapons right?” Rainbow Dash asked. Ambroise held up her spear and Black Stone held up a big knife. Dash looked up at the sky. It’s eerie color gave her chills. She closed her eyes and silently wished for this to be the day she found her friends. They had been galloping for a while when Dash fell asleep. “Rainbow Dash!” she heard somepony call and her eyes shot opened. It sounded like Twilight. She sat up and realized she was in Twilight’s Library back in Ponyville. “What’s going on?” she asked, but Twilight simply walked outside. “Twi Wait!” Dash called as she flew up, “it’s not safe out there!”. She hurried outside, but stopped dead in her tracks. Trotters were just standing around. Looking straight at her. She also noticed she was in the middle of the everfree forest path. Then a bright light shown from down the path and Dash had to cover her eyes with her hoof. When her eyes adjusted she looked down the path and a pony stood in the light. She thought it looked like a shadow of Twilight. “Twilight?” she asked squinting her eyes. The shadow figure jumped at Dash and she shot up. “You ok?” Ambroise asked looking concerned. “Um yeah, bad dream” Dash answered. “We’re Here” Spitfire announced in a whisper. Dash looked and there stood the place she use to call home. Only it was lifeless and dull. Not to mention the few trotters she saw. “Ok Dash, we will do ground duty first then you and Soarin will search cloudsdale” Spitfire ordered and Dash nodded. They softly jumped out of the wagon and Dash grabbed her cross bow. Dash and Soarin walked side by side. Soarin glanced at her whenever he knew she wasn’t looking. He had feelings toward the mare ever since the time they were hurt during training for the equestrian games. Well Soarin was hurt, but Rainbow was just pretending. He thought she was the total package. Brave, smart, strong, and definitely beautiful. “Dash!” Spitfire called in a whisper and pointed at a close trotter. Dash took an arrow from the bag on her back and pulled it through her bow and aimed it at the trotter. She let the arrow fly and it hit straight through the trotters head and it went down. “Ok let’s start our search, be careful out there and keep your weapon ready at all times” Spitfire instructed. Dash nodded as they went their own ways to search. Dash searched stands that once had food at rather decent prices for anything edible left. That’s when she seen it. The tree her and her friends spent so much time in. She walked up to it and tapped the door. It fell off the hinges and slammed down. She walked in and other than thick dust Twilight’s place looked the same as before the trotters hit. She walked around and saw books laying everywhere. One caught her eye. It was a worn brown book. She knew it was Twilight’s from the golden alicorn head on the front of it. She knew it was Twilight’s favorite book. She took it with her everywhere she went. Dash’s eyes teared up. She could almost see Twilight sitting there reading the book. Going on about something she read. She hugged the book regretting every single time she called her friend an egg head. If she knew a day would come where she would never see her again she would have never called her that. “I miss you” she whispered. She decided to keep the book and placed it in her saddle bag. She looked around the library. Hoping for anything that could hint to where Twilight was, or just for anything useful. She looked to the second floor of the tree and noticed a twinkle. She went up the steps and it was coming from a half opened box, on a bookshelf. She picked the box up and opened it. Inside was a hoof sized stone. It seemed to swirl on the inside of it. It was a mixture, of purple, Light Purple, and pink. She wasn’t sure why, but she put the pebble in her bag. She felt it was something Twilight held close to her. That’s when she heard screams. She ran down and out of the tree house to see a pony being chased by a herd of about eight trotters. She could tell they recently turned due to their speed. She dashed to the other ponies and readied herself to fight off the herd. “You get closer and take out the earth pony trotters” Spitfired ordered, “they’re the fastest”. Rainbow nodded and flew a bit closer. She started taking out trotters. Spitfire lifted herself in the air and was getting ready to jet down with her hoof blades when a searing pain went through her right wing and she screamed out. Dash looked up and her eyes went wide as she saw a trotter pegasus munching on Spitfire’s wing. “FLYER!” she called out. Soarin soared as fast as he could and speared his hoof blade through the trotters head and it fell to the ground with a gross thud. She watched as Soarin flew Spitfire into a building below and she followed as the other two ponies fought the trotters. “Is she ok?!” she asked as she landed and galloped in.

“It’s her wing” Saorin said. Dash looked. A big chunk of Spitfire’s wing was missing and blood was pooling out everywhere. “I’m not” Spitfire coughed, “ gonna make it”.

“Soarin’s eyes filled with tears and Dash just looked down at the ground. “Soarin, you and” she took a deep breathe, “you and Dash take control. Guide the group back safely”.

“But, you’re our leader” Soarin said as tears fell. Dash’s heart broke for him.

“Now, you are Soarin” she said as she winced and touched his face with her hoof. They exchanged a tear filled look. “I love you Soarin, but you have to do it. I don’t wanna turn”.

“I..I can’t” Soarin started to cry as he leaned down to nuzzle Spitfire. Dash noticed the look of love in his eyes then.

“Please Soarin* Spitfire said in a raspy whisper. Soarin shook his head.

“I’ll do it” Dash said not being able to watch Soarin struggle anymore. Soarin looked up at her and Dash felt a jolt of pain go through her at the hurt in his eyes. Soarn nodded and gently kissed Spitfire’s cheek, “I love you too”. He turned and Dash pointed an Arrow at Spitfire’s head. She mouthed I’m sorry and shot the Arrow.