The Trotting Dead: Friendship Is Survival
It was a just another normal, beautiful day in Ponyville. Twilight was sitting at the train station with her friends as they waited for their trains. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come with one of us sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“You’re more then welcome to come with me darling” Rarity said, “I’m sure Princess Celestia would love to see you again and introduce you to the new stallion in her life”.
“I’ll be fine guys and I’m sure Prince Shadow Hoof is a nice stallion and I’m sure I’ll meet him when I get the chance on Sunday” Twilight said as a familiar colorful train pulled up and a pony dressed in a vest and hat stepped out. “All ponies heading to Cantorlot, Las Pegasus, and Dodge Junction all aboard!” he called out blowing his whistle.
“That’s us” Rainbow Dash said looking at Rarity and Applejack.
“I do hope Celestia likes this dress* she said pointing to a dress bag hanging on a pull rack.
“I know she will * Twilight said trotting over to Rarity, “just like I know Rainbow will blow away the other ponies in the golden wings race and Applejack will have an amazing time with her family in Dodge Junction”. The girls hugged and Rainbow Dash followed by Scootaloo, Rarity followed by Sweetie Belle, and Applejack followed by Apple Bloom boarded the train. The girls waved to each other as the train made a loud gasp sound and pulled off. “He’s here!” Pinkie Pie said hopping up and down as a yellow pony in a poncho with a rubber chicken on his back walked toward them. “Hello Pinkie Pie!” Cheese greeted as they hugged.
“Hello” she said back, “ready for a super duper weekend in Manehatten?!”
“You bet I am!” Cheese said with a big smile.
“If you don’t mind me saying you two make a cute couple” Fluttershy said.
“Well of course we do silly” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“When is the next train coming already!” Spike called.
“Somepony’s in a hurry” Twilight teased.
Oh don’t mind him. He’s just excited to see the museum of rare gemstones I’m taking him to in Fillydelphia” Fluttershy said.
“So many yummy jewels to stare it” Spike said drooling. The girls giggled as another train pulled up. This time a mare jumped out. “Calling all ponies heading for Manehatten and Fillydelphia. All aboard!” she yelled blowing her whistle. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie hugged as Pinkie, Cheese, and Fluttershy with Spike boarded the train. Twilight waved as they drove off. She sighed. “I’ll miss them, but atleast I have all weekend to study, before I head to Cantorlot myself for the wedding”. As she trotted home she noticed the sky was a weird grayish green color. “Odd” she said as she entered her library.
Meanwhile in the everfree forest Forest Song just arrived home from collecting some rare plants in the forest. “Z, I’m home!” she called as she walked in. “I’m sure my eyes do not deceive, have you brought new herbs for me?” Zecora asked.
“I might have, I just need to check the books” she said as they kissed like they always did when one returned home. “The scent of cherries I do smell. I think I may have cooked our dinner well” Zecora said walking into the little kitchen area of her hut. “I’m gonna fetch some water to boil, I’ll be right back” Forest Song said as she trotted outside. She and Zecora met five months ago when she first moved to Ponyville and she was instantly smitten with her. As she was collecting jars of water from a close by stream a loud clap of thunder that shook the ground hit and a bolt green lightning could be seen. “What the hay?!” she screamed. She hated thunderstorms. Though this one seemed a little too strong. She figured it was maybe the work of a over dramatic pegasus and trotted back inside.
At the Cantorlot castle Celestia was sitting in her room. She was deep in thought brushing her mane as Luna walked in, “Big sister, is everything ok?”
“I do not know Luna” Celestia said putting her brush down and trotting to the window, “I feel as though something is amiss some how”.
“Are we not sure that it is not just prewedding jitters my sister?” Luna asked hoping to ease the worry in her older sister.
“I hope so my dear sister” she said turning to face her, “Sunday is a big day for me and my love Shadow Hoof. I want nothing to ruin it”.
“I will have Prince Shadow Hoof and the shadow guards prowl the castle one last time for the night” Luna said as a guard entered the room. “Your highnesses” he said as he bowed, “Lady Rarity from Ponyville has arrived”.
“I will go order the shadow guards big sister, you go greet our guest” Luna said as she exited the room. Rarity was in the ballroom of the castle where the wedding was to take place. She was in shock at all the decorating that had been done so far. The color theme was black and white. They had a black arch with white roses clipped around it, a big buffet table with a white blanket over it, and matching silver ware, white chairs at each table, and black and white balloons hung up everywhere. “Rarity, so lovely to see you” Celestia greeted as Rarity bowed, “like wise princess, I hope you love the dress” Just before she unzipped the dress bag a big clap of thunder shook the castle followed by bright green flashes of light. Ponies started screaming. “Your highness!” a guard called galloping in, “we think we are being invaded!”
“By who?” Celestia said, her voice taking on authority.
“We are not sure” The guard said. Suddenly blood curdling screams could be heard. Celestia flew to the balcony and looked out over it. Ponies were slowly trotting around. Their fur was gray, and their eyes pale green and lifeless. Some had chunks of fur and skin ripped or peeled off. Some has missing body parts, and some where even biting into living ponies. “What in Equestria is going on?!” she asked herself out loud. Suddenly the lights all went out and a huge green flash overtook the entire room.
Shadow-hoof then dives toward the balcony where he, Midnight, and Dawnstar gallop towards the room his fiance is in. The two Shadow guards go towards the door to help the royal guards fend off the intruders while Prince Shadow-hoof gallops to his love. "Sweetheart are you okay???" he says as he goes as fast as his long legs can carry him as he sees a green shimmering light glow around Celestia and Luna. Celestia looks downwards to see the light then to Shadow-hoof and says " I love you." As Shadow's hoof reached to Celestia’s and touched with a slight grasp Celestia and Luna both disappeared. Shadow-hoof then pounded at the ground where his love disappeared screaming " Give her back! Give her back!" tears started forming in his eyes as he yelled while Rarity and other ponies hid behind the throne. Shadow-hoof eyes turned from a sapphire blue to complete shadowy darkness as shadows shimmered around him. Prince Shadow-hoof slowly approached the door where the guards were trying to seal it shut to keep the intruders out. "Let them in." he said as he is consumed by anger and shadows around his body. The guards obeyed and fell back behind Shadow-hoof to help fend them off. But as soon as the doors opened Shadow-hoof opened his mouth and a ball made of complete pure shadow energy formed and was released to the horde sending a group of them flying not ever to come back. "We must get this filth out of this castle!" he exclaimed as he charged head first with the guards into battle. The momentum of the pony guards and the prince were powerful enough to send the infection packing from the castle. But who was to say Canterlot was the start point of infection. "Seal the gates, we are in lock down. " said Shadow-hoof after the battle as he calmed down and meditated on the throne grieving over his lost fiance. The guards do as he commands and seal the gates to the castle.
The Trotting Dead: Friendship Is Survival
CHAPTER ONE: One Months Later….
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.