Equestria: The Trotting Dead

About 15 years after Remedy’s arrival in Canterlot in 2023, we were happily married and had a six year old daughter. She was a Pegasus with a dark blue coat and a dirty blonde mane and tail, and we decided to name her Midnight Skies. We taught her what we knew on magic spells, and she grew very adept in spellcasting. She had earned her cutie mark as special talent in machines, and her mark was a piston and a gear. Remedy and I had purchased a small house in Ponyville, and we started a life there. No bombs fell, no computer systems became self-aware hell-bent on wiping out all of ponykind, no machines tried to take over. Life was all I had hoped for it to be.

I was sitting in the castle waiting room, talking with Rainbow Dash, who had joined the royal guard. I had applied for a job in the royal guard as well, and Celestia was happy to let me join.

“So I slapped Soarin across the face, and yelled, ‘Go sleep on the couch!’” Rainbow finished, laughing. I laughed with her as I finished up my doughnut and took another drink of my coffee.

“That’s awesome,” I said, shaking my head.

“So how’s Remedy and Midnight been?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They’ve been fine,” I replied. “Midnight’s eight now.” The captain suddenly burst into the room.

“We’ve got an issue down near the Everfree!” he cried. “Grab your guns and let’s go!” Rainbow Dash and I grabbed our pistol and shotgun and bolted off to the Everfree Forest with the rest of our squad.

When we reached our location, we set up our barriers and prepared for the incoming vehicle. I laid out road spikes and flew back to the guard cars and propped up my shotgun on the door.

“What do you think these guys are going to be armed with?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the road. “But if the road spikes don’t stop them, we will.” We heard a distant roar of an engine, and saw a car in the distance.

“Get ready,” the captain called, rifle in hoof. The fast approaching car ran over the spikes, flipping the car over onto the road. The car rolled into a tree before lying still on its top. I cocked my SPAS-12, loading a shell into the chamber. The driver side door opened, and a unicorn stallion carrying an AK-47 crawled out.

“Drop your weapon!” the captain cried over a megaphone. The stallion took aim and fired. We ducked as a volley of shots struck the doors of our cars.

“Return fire!” the captain ordered. The squad raised up and fired off their weapons. Pellets and bullets whizzed through the air, one of them catching me in the shoulder. Ignoring the wound, I took careful aim and fired. The shotgun blast struck the attacker, knocking him down dead.

“He’s down!” I cried. I flew over our barriers and picked up the road spikes. As I did so, I heard a roar, and then an explosion near me. I saw another attacker with an RPG, and I fired, killing him.

“Braveheart! Behind you!” I heard Rainbow Dash yell. I looked to see a falling tree, then it crashed on top of me and everything went black.

~~~

“Braveheart, I’m so sorry. I should have come with you to help. Remedy and Midnight are worried sick. I’ve told them that you’re OK, but Remedy won’t believe it until she sees you. I haven’t told you this before, but I quit the Wonderbolts for you. When Luna brought you to me, you meant the world to me, just as much as Tank. But, I also need to share a secret with you. I was the cloaked mare you saw at the Rainbow Factory. I worked there, and when I heard that they cut off your wings, I quit in rage. I was actually happy when Celestia and Luna shut it down. I had told them to leave you alone after Luna brought you here, but they must not have listened. I didn’t want this to happen. Any of this. Just, please get better. But if you do die, just, goodbye Braveheart. I’ll see you on the other side.”

~~~

I slowly woke up, everything hurting.

“Rainbow Dash?” I whispered. “Tell Remedy that I’m getting better.” There was no response. “Rainbow?” I quietly called again. Nothing. I looked over at a vase of flowers Rainbow Dash had put there. They were brown and falling apart. I touched the petals, and they cracked and fell at the touch. How long had I been out for?

“Doctor?” I called, a bit louder. I heard nothing. Not even the heart rate meter. Looking around, the IV bag was empty, and the needle was still in my hoof. I used my magic to carefully remove it. I sat up, and noticed the bandage around my shoulder and my midsection. They were bloody and the joints were sore. I removed an oxygen mask over my face. There was a cord going into my chest. I removed it as well and put a bandage over the hole. I must have been on life support. The machines were turned off, and nothing seemed to be on.

“Doctor?” I called again. Still no answer. I climbed out of the bed, and nearly fell over. I eventually was able to stand up, and hobble out of the room. When I opened the door, I saw a spare hospital bed rolled up against the doorframe. I moved it out of the way and started to walk around, looking for somepony. I hobbled through the halls, the lights flickering and buzzing. There was blood on the walls and on the floor. Upon rounding a corner, I saw two large doors, locked from the outside with a chain. Painted onto the doors were words that read “DEAD INSIDE STAY OUT”. I was confused. A decaying hoof suddenly reached out from the break in the doors. Horrified, I ran off in the opposite direction. I reached the main entrance of the hospital, and I opened up the doors. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw dead bodies wrapped in bandages, spread out among the lawn. I was terrified. What in Celestia’s name happened here? I suddenly remembered my family. I spread my wings and took off for Canterlot, since I was in the Ponyville Hospital.

When I reached Canterlot, I walked immediately into my house, and found it deserted.

“Remedy?” I called. “Midnight?” There was no answer, and I started to panic. “Remedy?! Midnight?!” I cried again. Still no response. I was furious and crying at the same time. I looked on the mantle, and saw that the family pictures and photo albums were gone. My family must still be alive if they took the photo albums. I burst out the door, and was immediately smacked upside the head with something hard. I did a complete flip before landing on my back. My vision was blurred, and my nose was bleeding. I could hear faint speech, but then I blacked out.

~~~

I woke up restrained to a bed. I struggled to get out of the chains, but I heard a cock of a pistol. I turned to see a pale pony with a dark red mane holding a 9mm Beretta to my head.

“Were you bit?” the mare asked.

“What?” I asked.

“Were. You. Bit?” the mare repeated.

“Bit?” I questioned.

“Answer the question, or I’ll put a bullet in your skull,” the mare threatened. “Were you bit?” I looked down and remembered the bandages.

“No,” I said.

“Then how did you get the bandages?” the mare inquired.

“I was shot in the shoulder and a tree fell on me,” I said. The mare nodded and put away her gun. She undid my restraints and led me into the living room of her home. The windows were covered with thick sheets, and the door was locked and barred.

“Where is everypony?” I asked.

“Dead,” the mare said. “But alive.”

“How is that possible?” I wondered, confused.

“I don’t know,” the mare said. “The trotters just suddenly started coming.”

“Trotters?” I asked.

“What, you’ve never seen one?” the mare asked, surprised. “The undead, walking Equestria once more. We call them trotters. Even the Pegasus ones, since they can’t fly anymore. They’re not strong enough for that. The Unicorn trotters can’t use their magic, since they can’t remember how. They’ve all become trotters on the ground.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.

“Well, you’ll need to,” the mare said. “Otherwise, you won’t survive.”

“Survive?” I asked nervously.

“The trotters don’t know anything but hunt, kill, and feed,” the mare explained. “The only way to kill them is by destroying the brain. Just like you and me, they can’t function without one.” I looked toward the window.

“I have to go,” I said.

“You can’t go after dark,” the mare said. “Or at least I would not recommend it. They’ll catch you by surprise at night, when you can’t see.”

“I have to find my family,” I said.

“Chances are, they’re as good as dead,” the mare disagreed.

“The family photo albums were missing,” I explained. “They have to be alive.”

“Anypony could have taken a photo album,” the mare said. “But if you insist, go ahead. But at least wait until morning, and after I’ve had a chance to teach you a few things.” I nodded in agreement.

“All right,” I said.

“Good,” the mare nodded. “Try to get some sleep. You’ve got a long day ahead.” The mare left the room and gave me some privacy. I rolled over onto an inflatable mattress and closed my eyes. I heard a doorknob being turned, but the door didn’t open. I fell asleep, afraid as I was.

~~~

The next morning, the mare took me outside with an axe. She directed me to a lone trotter in the street.

“Aim for the side of the head, where the skull isn’t as thick,” the mare instructed. I approached the trotter, who had started to walk closer. I swung the axe into the side of its head, and the trotter fell limp. I dislodged the axe and looked back at the mare.

“Good,” she said. “Guns may make for a quicker kill, but the noise attracts them. That’s another thing. Light and sound attract the trotters. I would only recommend using a gun if you have no other option.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Now go, before it’s too late,” the mare advised. “I’ve heard that Fillydelphia is safe. Void of trotters. Try looking for your family there.” She gave me a pack with some food and supplies in it, and sent me on my way. I stepped out into the world, and started my journey to Fillydelphia.

I had gone to Canterlot Castle to see if anypony survived, and all I found were the guns from the royal guard. After I had taken them and a bag to keep them in, I kept walking. At a small section of land, I saw a wreck of cars on the street. I walked through them, hoping to maybe find somepony else. As I scavenged through cars for more supplies, I saw a small filly walking through the wreck with her teddy on her back.

“Little filly?” I called. “I’m a member of the royal guard. It’s OK. You don’t have to be afraid.” The filly stopped, and turned around, revealing her decaying jaw and flesh. She started to run at me, and I pulled out my pistol. I fired, and the bullet went clean through the filly’s skull. She fell dead, and I slowly lowered my pistol, shocked at what Equestria had become.

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