When The Dead Start To Trot

“There it is!” Doctor Whooves yelled happily, pointing a hoof to the shape of Canterlot on the side of the mountain.

“Finally!” Filthy Rich exclaimed, not knowing what would soon happen to him. Neither Applejack, Twilight or the Doc told him that you'll eventually die if you're bitten.

He still laid on the bench of their waggon, obviously now pretty uncomfortable since he couldn't even really move anymore without being hurt. They had helped him getting in the front waggon and then left the others behind to be faster and use less coal.

“Hold on,” Twilight tried to comfort him, still not really knowing how to interact with him now that she knew he would probably die soon.

“How long?” Applejack asked, cutting it short.

“I guess about half an hour,” the Doc responded.

“Still so long?” Filthy Rich whined. “It's starting to somehow burn.”

Applejack began to be quite nervous about him. She never really had such a good relationship with Filthy Rich but she of course still didn't want him to end like this.

“Just relax,” the Doc responded, surprising Applejack he heard Filthy from this distance. Filthy didn't even speak loud.

“That's easy to say,” he answered back, holding himself in place to not fall off the bench. “You don't get hurt by doing nothing.”

“Don't stress yourself out,” Twilight suggested him. “That's not helping you in any way.”

“Burnin’? A few minutes ago, ya told us everything's fine,” Applejack asked curiously and also worriedly.

“At that time, it was. It just feels like the fever's coming up to my head and getting stronger with it.”

That sounded actually rather interesting to Applejack.

“So the fever's going up to the brain,” she concluded, already planning on telling the Doc and of course also Twilight when she got the chance. She felt like this information would be useful.

Applejack wanted to stop this awkward situation they were in or she felt like that at least and quickly changed the topic.

“What we're gonna do when we're in Canterlot anyways?” she asked, not meaning especially one of them to answer.

“There's only one thing to do: find a place to be safe,” Twilight answered. She could tell Applejack just wanted to change the topic and surely knew what they would do as soon as they're in Canterlot. She quickly nodded nodded her head in Twilight's direction. Twilight didn't feel too well while talking about that topic either.

“But what would we do if there is none?” the Doc asked, not even remotely close from his usual behaviour. He was usually quite the optimist.

“Why wouldn't it be, Doc?” Applejack asked back, writing a mental note to herself to ask him later why he asked that more or less pessimistic question.

“We should just reach Canterlot,” Twilight said, “ then we'll see what happens. It's not like we have another choice.”

Silence.

Without saying another word, Applejack left the room and went to the Doc. She felt a bit sorry about leaving her friend like that but there wasn't anything to say now.

“Hey, AJ,” Doctor Whooves greeted her, surprising her he knew her nickname.

“Ya know my nickname from Twilight, right?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “It is okay if I call you like that from time to time, isn't it?” he wanted to make sure.

“Why shouldn't it be? Ah mean, we're friends,” Applejack said, smiling a bit, knowing it wasn't the best time for that but except of Filthy Rich, it all went pretty good at the moment.

“Thanks,” the Doc said, keeping his eyes on the tracks. “It really means a lot to me, you know.”

“Even worse,” Twilight told Applejack about Filthy Rich's fever and burning feeling.

“Seems like it's almost time,” Applejack quietly said in a serious tone. “Look, if we're gonna have to kill him, Ah-”

“Don't talk like that!” Twilight interrupted, not wanting to hear something like this. “I can't handle this yet.”

“But it's like it is,” Applejack explained to her. “We gotta call it like it is.”

Applejack didn't know herself how she could get used to this world that quickly. Maybe she was just a survivor…

“Is something going to happen to me?”

Twilight and Applejack turned around slowly, both trying to delay the conversation with Filthy Rich who must have just woken up from his sleep. Unfortunately, he had heard their conversation a bit.

Applejack didn't want to tell him. He would surely freak out if he knew he would die soon and she couldn't blame him of course. She rather wanted to stab him in the brain while he was asleep - he wouldn't notice and would die without any pain - or when he was already dead if her preferred method wouldn't be possible.

“Why should it?” Applejack asked back, trying really hard to sound innocent.

“I saw you two whispering a few times already,” he said, feeling like they tried to fool him. “You even sometimes looked to me; I did notice.”

“It's nothing, really,” Twilight tried to lighten the mood but without success.

“Come on, be honest with me,” Filthy Rich didn't give up. “Just tell me alrea-”

“The train then suddenly came to an abruptly stop. Filthy Rich was pushed back against the wall, Twilight and Applejack harshly fell to the ground.

“Doc, what the hay’s going on there?” Applejack yelled.

No response.

Instead, the Doc came to the three of them.

“A herd of walkers,” he coldly said.

Applejack felt like the Doc would say that they were doomed or something.

“But not that many. We can do this,” he quickly added after seeing Applejack's worried face.

“Can't ya just drive through’em?” she asked, thinking she knew what he wanted them to do.

“No. The train could take damage. Maybe not that much, but we can't take that risk. We are only about ten minutes away from Canterlot. What if there are more walkers than right now?” he tried to explain, not getting Applejack to fully understand him though.

“Then we'd have to kill’em all and things wouldn't change at all,” she countered.

“If it is an emergency, we will take the risk and drive through them, if they are too many. But we can manage them right now. Let's save this one chance of rushing through with the train for later,” the Doc as well countered after a few seconds of thinking.

Applejack had to admit that he was right.

“Yeah, Ah guess ya’re right.” She glimpsed at Filthy Rich. “What about him?”

“I can come with you,” he quickly said in a serious tone. “I mean, it still hurts but that won't stop me. Really, I want to-”

“Ya ain't comin’ with us!” Applejack interrupted, appreciating his offer but knowing he wouldn't last long. She didn't blame though, again.

“Come on! I'm just laying here being completely useless. Let me help you!” he said then in an even more serious tone.

“He means business,” Applejack thought, knowing he would eventually sneak out and fight along them even if he's meant to stay in the waggon.

“Besides, we can use one fighter more.”

“They're already near us!” Twilight shouted, looking outside the window.

She was right. Now, Applejack could even hear them approaching.

“Let's go then,” the Doc said and went out the waggon, holding his ice pickle tight. Applejack and Twilight then followed with the spear and the pistol. They had already learned that walkers are attracted by noise which the Doc found out a while ago in Ponyville but they didn't have any other weapon besides the one they gave to Filthy Rich, a simple but sharp knife which Twilight had brought with her as well.

“He got any experience?” Applejack quietly asked Twilight.

“A bit, yes. He killed a few of them before and knows how to do it.”

“No time to waste,” the Doc more or less shouted for whatever reason and ran towards the first walkers. Applejack, Twilight and eventually Filthy Rich followed.

Filthy Rich's fever of course didn't become any better and the pain coming with it made it no easier for him to catch up with them but he didn't give up. He wanted to help and proof himself as an useful part of the crew.

They quickly put down the first walkers but there came more and more. By the time Filthy Rich arrived, the other three already killed about a dozen of the walkers.

It went pretty good at first until the Doc’s weapon was stuck inside a walker’s head with more running over its dead body, catching the Doc weaponless.

“Help!” he yelled, trotting backwards, quickly tripping and falling on his back, the walkers still approaching.

Applejack wanted to get to him but then, a few walkers cut off her path, not allowing her to get through.

Twilight was busy as well since there were five walkers trying to bite her at once.

Filthy Rich saw his chance to proof himself - and to save one of his companions of course - and went to the Doc as fast as he could.

As he arrived, the Doc tried to push a walker off of him. He had to be careful of not getting his head impaled by the horn of the once unicorn mare.

Filthy Rich rammed the knife inside the walkers head just before it could bite the Doc.

He quickly got up and just nodded to him, letting him know he was thankful. He then got his weapon back and went back to fighting off the walkers.

Applejack was busy but she still saw how Filthy Rich saved the Doc's life. She wanted to make sure to thank him later somehow.

After a while without further problems, they put down all the walkers.

“Ah'm sweatin’ like Ah haven't in months,” Applejack thought to herself, sweeping some sweat pearls off before they could get in her eyes.

“It was close for me this time,” Doctor Whooves said, taking deep breaths and turning to Filthy Rich. “You saved my life. I do not know how thank you but-”

“We're companions, right?” he interrupted the Doc, slowly going back to the waggon. “Let's go, shall we?”

Twilight, Applejack and the Doc followed him back to the waggon door. Filthy Rich tried to open the door.

“It's stuck!” he gritted his teeth, harshly pulling the door.

“It's just old,” Twilight told him and wanted to use her magic.

“No! I got this,” he suddenly said, causing Twilight to startle a bit and stop her magic.

He pulled and pulled more, grunting slightly. Eventually, the door let itself be opened, although pretty harshly, knocking Filthy Rich to the ground.

Applejack had to chuckle a bit at that. She knew it was kind of rude but it simply looked funny.

“Everything’s fine? Ya didn't-”

“No! Get back!” Filthy Rich yelled in fear. Twilight, Applejack and the Doc didn't realize at first what he meant but then, Applejack understood and ran to him but was attacked by a walker who also came from around the train. She quickly put him down.

Filthy still wrestled with the other walker that just attacked him. Due to the attack, he had dropped his knife and now had to use his own hoofs to get it off.

It wasn't much time but while Applejack had to kill the walker trying to bite her in order to not get bitten, Filthy Rich slowly lost the fight. His infection made him weaken every second and he wasn't strong enough anymore. Being hit with the waggon door wasn't much better. Twilight and Doctor Whooves came too late as well.

The walker got his arms out of the way and took a bite out of his throat.

Applejack could only see what the walker did, finishing it as soon as he ended his meal.

Filthy Rich laid on the ground with widened eyes, unable to say anything. Applejack and the others could see the throbbing flesh of his throat, blood spilling out completely visible for them to see.

Filthy Rich gagged, having got some of his blood in his mouth somehow.

Applejack stood there in disbelief. She could feel her last meal coming up. She couldn't hold it back.

Doctor Whooves could feel it too but he managed to hold it back.

Twilight could feel tears coming to her eyes. She felt like she was responsible for that since she could have simply opened the door.

Filthy Rich could slowly see his life fading away. The infection together with his new throat wound was too much to take.

Doctor Whooves looked at Applejack, pointing a hoof at himself. Applejack shook her head. The Doc still wanted to do it himself but Applejack slightly pushed him back, showing her seriousness.

Twilight was in no condition to do it. She looked with widened eyes and a traumatised look at Filthy Rich, her whole body shaking the whole time.

Applejack took the knife Filthy Rich had dropped earlier. She once again had no clue why it didn't traumatise her as much as Twilight; why she could just do it.

The last thing Filthy Rich saw was Applejack bending over him, holding a knife.

Then, he was no more.

“Stop it!” Applejack yelled at Twilight who was sitting in a corner of the waggon.

“I could just have closed the door and he wouldn't have got bitten,” she mumbled to herself once again. “He wouldn't have got bitten.”

“He was already bitten,” the Doc said once again as well.

“For Celestia’s sake, how long ya plan to keep goin’ on like this?” Applejack asked annoyed. “You've been actin' like this since it happened!”

During this time, Applejack and Doctor Whooves had tried to bury Filthy Rich but they had no shovels which made it almost impossible to make a grave for him. They had not given up that easy but it didn't work out. They also looked if there could be anything useful around in the area since they didn't have any food but they found nothing.

Applejack finally lost her patience. She went to Twilight and slapped her hoof across her face, making her stop repeating her sentences over and over again.

“He was already bitten! He'd have died soon anyway!” Applejack shouted at her, hoping she'd finally understand it wasn't her fault nor would he have survived.

The Doc didn't say anything. Instead, he simply trotted towards the front part to get the train moving again.

Until Applejack and Twilight could hear and feel the train moving, it was completely silent. After a few more minutes, Twilight broke the silence.

“You're right, Applejack.”

Applejack who had turned her back to Twilight and had been looking outside the window then turned back around.

“You would never lie. Besides, I couldn't have known there was a walker coming.”

“Exactly!” Applejack approved, happy her friend finally calmed down and realized it wasn't her who killed Filthy Rich.

“Let's get goin’ then,” Applejack told her her and helped her up. Together they went to Doctor Whooves.

“And? How’s it goin’?” Applejack asked him, seeing they weren't that far away from Canterlot anymore.

“Under these circumstances, relatively good, I guess,” he truthfully said. “ Of course I can't forget Filthy Rich's death but look there!” He then pointed towards Canterlot that was closer than Applejack would have thought.

“We'll be there in like two minutes,” he said, now obviously more happy. “Safety is near!”

“About time,” Applejack shortly answered. “We've been out for long enough.”

“Canterlot won't fall,” Twilight added, sounding surprisingly self-conscious. “Celestia will keep everypony there safe.”

“I think so too, but even Celestia has her limits,” the Doc carefully told her, naturally knowing Twilight's trust and her loyalty to her.

Seeing Twilight's glare, he quickly added, “She will just need some help is what I mean.”

Applejack could see her friend's look, just wanting to hold him a presentation about how powerful Celestia really can be and is so that she decided to stop it before it could start.

“We just shouldn't be too safe either. Anything could happen at anytime,” she explained, luckily stopping her from picking on him for at least the rest of the train drive.

“When we were in the school, we thought we were safe as well but then, the walkers just took it,” the Doc explained further. “We can't forget that we will never be safe… We will never be safe…”

“Ah know how much ya trust Celestia but he's right, ya know? She's not almighty,” Applejack just wanted her to understand.

“Yes, yes, geez!” she shut the two of them up. “I get it!”

After some time of once again awkward silence, they reached Canterlot.

Even before the train stopped, it was completely clear the city was still inhabited which wasn't a huge surprise itself but it was now way more guarded than it has ever been before which isn't a surprise as well though.

As soon as the three of them got outside the train and stood in front of the gate leading in the city, they were treated with at least six guards approaching them and holding their guns, pistols and even a machine gun in their faces which actually scared Applejack a bit.

She was totally surprised at them doing this with Twilight. She could understand them and why they would do this to two strangers but to a princess, to princess Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship, known all over Equestria?

“I am princess Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight shouted at them angrily.

“We already had a unicorn mare here who said she'd be a princess by cutting off some pegasus’ wings and taping them on her body!” one of the guards, a large stallion with an extremely deep voice and green fur, told them. “We ain't letting you in like that! The city's full enough as it is!”

Applejack couldn't believe him somepony would have cut off somepony’s wings and taped them up. This story seemed way too off for her.

On the other hoof, she would never have thought Daisy would actually try to kill Doctor Whooves, too. She's been simply insane.

“We're gonna get in!” Applejack growled at the same stallion annoyed and angry. She didn't have the nerves for something like that right now.

“Y’all won't!” he then growled back.

Some guard in the back pulled out a walkie-talkie and began speaking with someone. Applejack who was still arguing with the guard and was tried to be stopped by Doctor Whooves did notice but heard nothing about what this guard was talking about.

After two more minutes of arguing, Applejack was just about to tear the guard to shreds before the guard with the walkie-talkie came towards them and somehow managed to stop his workmate and Applejack.

She turned to Applejack and her two friends.

“You can go in.”

She didn't say anything else except those four words. Applejack would have been really happy to seemingly get some piece but she didn't calm down from her arguing yet.

“Why now and not sooner?” the Doc asked, immediately realizing that it sounded way more provocative than honestly surprised and wanted to apologize.

“Just get in before they change their mind!” the female guard snapped back.

“Who's 'they’?” Applejack asked, slightly turning to the guard while already walking to the gate leading into the city. Twilight and Doctor Whooves followed her.

The guard didn't answer and only looked back with a hateful glare.

Inside the city, it looked nothing as fancy as usual. It was dirty and mixed up everywhere and a lot of ponies laid somewhere on this very same ground, some of them looking traumatised, some looking sad and others didn't seem to show any kind of emotion, still differently to Maud Pie though.

At least Applejack thought like that.

Most of the buildings were busted and completely locked, making it pretty much impossible to get into them again with no special equipment or tools.

Even the castle of princess Celestia and her sister Luna seemed to have darkened. It didn't shimmer as beautiful as usual when you would take a walk or go shopping in Canterlot, enjoying the sun and the beautiful view of the castle.

Now, it seemed like it was abandoned for at least a few months and nopony took care of it and just left it to rot.

“That's the so called 'safety’?” Applejack asked kind of ironically. She knew it was once again not real fitting but she didn't care.

“Applejack!” Twilight snapped back.

Applejack didn't respond. She looked around more and saw that like 95 percent of these ponies couldn't defend themselves in their momentarily condition.

“It's so weird being in a city with that many ponies around,” the Doc mumbled to Applejack and Twilight. “I am so used to be with just one or two ponies at once.”

“Ya 'got used to us' in that little time?” Applejack asked back, surprised about his statement.

“I guess,” he shortly answered. She didn't quite believe him.

“Can we first go to Celestia and then search the others?” Twilight broke their 'discussion'.

“Relax, Twilight,” Applejack told her friend more calmly. “Can't be hard to find the ruler of whole Equestria.”

“She's busy right now, believe me,” Twilight countered seriously, “especially in a time like that.”

Applejack suddenly felt the need to ask her a question she had had on her mind for a whole while already but never found the time to ask it.

“Where've ya been before we found ya at the train?”

Twilight didn't respond.

“Twilight?!”

Still no response from her friend. She didn't even turn to Applejack. She just looked forward towards the castle.

After giving up her hope of receiving an answer to her question, Applejack returned her gaze back forward. Doctor Whooves simply looked forward as well. She didn't like the mood this place was giving the three of them.

They walked without saying or even hearing anything for a while before eventually reaching the castle. It looked even worse seeing it from near. Like the train station, the castle was now way more guarded than ever.

Applejack expected having to argue with the guards again but they had luck. Princess Celestia herself already stood in front of her guards waiting for the three survivors.

As they came near, Celestia left the protection of her guards and approached them.

“Twilight! I am so happy to see you're alright! I thought something has happened to you, with you being gone for so long,” she said relieved in her usual calm voice.

That helped Applejack answering her question at least a bit. She seemed to have helped Celestia and Luna holding everything up in the city.

“Don’t worry about me,” Twilight told her mentor. “I can keep myself alive.”

Celestia smiled at her and then turned around to Applejack and Doctor Whooves. She didn't even seem surprised that Applejack was here although she laid in a coma for a few months while the apocalypse started. She was at least sure Celestia would have heard about her incident from Twilight.

“Welcome, you two,” she officially greeted the two of them. “Welcome to safety.”

“Anypony?”

No answer. He couldn't hear anything except his own heavy breathing and slight panting.

He could manage to get down the stairs of the now fourth house he had gone into to search for sompony.

He didn't have any problems surviving for the whole time since he once had found a little farm house far away from most walkers in which was a pretty huge amount of food. He could live there without real problems except a few problems within the house itself while looking around the area to search somepony to not only get some help from but also to spend his time with.

He also now needed to plunder houses since his supplies were slowly running out.

He had found nopony upstairs except a trapped walker in the bathroom he had quickly killed. That he found out it's necessary to stab them in the head to destroy or at least damage the brain had been completely random. One walker had got him from behind and he had stabbed it there where his knife got first which has been the head.

“Somepony!” Stellar Eclipse yelled again, standing on the terrace and looking on the dirty, empty street he had found nearby his new farm house home.

Silence. Like every time he did that.

“Hey!” somepony suddenly yelled back. Stellar Eclipse was shocked at seemingly actually finding somepony.

“Help!” the same voice yelled again.

He went down the few steps of the terrace.

“I'm coming!” Stellar Eclipse yelled at that somepony he had just heard and tried getting there as fast as he could.