AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

Lotus stared at the calendar on the wall. She had no idea how accurate it was. She hadn’t seen one since Iron’s Ridge. She frowned as she stared at the numbers in their squares. ‘The tenth day of the sixth month of nineteen-twenty-four.’ Hearing the playful cheering of children seeping through the opened rollup doors, she looked down at the glass canning jars in front of her on the table she sat at. “Two months?”

“What was that?” Mrs. Tyme asked as she looked up from the pot filled with boiling water.

Lotus puckered her lips as she stared at the jar in her hooves. “Just remembering.”

“Remembering what?” Mrs. Tyme slowly took out several jars that were filled with figs from the pot and gently placed them on a towel to cool.

“Just how long my sister and I have been in the wilderness.” Her mind drifted to Willy Pette. “Surviving on our own.”

Mrs. Tyme smiled as she watched her slowly filling the jar with the last scoops of figs. “Well now you’re not.” She placed a hoof on Lotus’ shoulder. “You’re safe now, been safe for two months now.” Lotus slowly nodded, her eyes never leaving her work. Mrs. Tyme’s smile faltered a bit. “You still plan on leaving?”

Lotus remained silent as she twisted the cap tightly to the jar. “I’m not sure.” She finally spoke.

“It’s your sister.” Mrs. Tyme smiled knowingly. “She’s been proving herself to be a very valuable member of the town.” She smiled. “She’s great with kids, was she a teacher before everything fell apart?”

“No…” Lotus looked out the window and saw a large group of children playing in the grassy field that surround town hall. “We were masseuses.” She looked at Mrs. Tyme with a smirk. “But she always wanted to be a mother.” She placed the jar in her hooves with the others. “But she didn’t have much luck with stallions.”

Mrs. Tyme slowly nodded. “What about you?”

Lotus shook her head. “Was too busy with my work to partake in such things.” She dismissed the idea with a wave of her hoof.

“We’ll I think you can give it a shot.” Mrs. Tyme laughed at Lotus’ wide-eyed expression to her statement. “Heck, we all have to do our part in growing our numbers if we want to grow our little town.” She let out a soft hum. “Well, that’s what the Governor thinks anyways.”

Lotus tilted her head. “He wants to breed us out of this mess?”

“Well, more bodies mean more hooves that can help build, fight, and grow.” Mrs. Tyme clapped her hooves together. “Think about it.” She smiled. “We can regrow civilization, make the princesses proud, bring back Equestria from the brink!”

“With Mulberry as the new capital?” Lotus questioned with a raised brow.

“Yes.” Mrs. Tyme giggled. “I for one look forward to the day.” Her smile left as she stared at the wall that surrounded the town. “This life can’t be forever, can it?” She looked at Lotus if pleading for a confirmation to her hopes and dreams.

Lotus wanted to confirm them, but after everything she saw, how could she. “No, it won’t.” She lied, so she could keep things diplomatic. She didn’t want to be thrown out of town for making the Governor’s ponies depressed and worried. “We will rebuild.”

Mrs. Tyme smiled. “I’m glad you think so.” She looked at the last batch of jars. “Let’s finish this up. I’m sure you’d like to check on your sister.”

Lotus slowly walked down the street, she lazily scanned the multitude of ponies mulling about, uncaring of the world outside the walls that protected the town. Thinking of said walls, she looked at a pony to her left standing watch, slowly panning their rifle across their line of sight for anything or anypony lurking close by. Hearing muffled screams, she turned around for the source of the noise. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, her body shivered as Iron’s Ridge crossed her mind. ‘Am I losing it?’ She placed a hoof to her forehead and groaned as she felt a migraine coming on. “Damn it…”

“Are you okay?”

Lotus’s head shot up; her eyes fell on her sister who stood in front of her with a saddlebag strapped to her back. “I’m fine…” She pointed at her saddlebag. “Where are you going?”

“Oh…” Aloe blushed. “Just running errands for the Governor.” She shifted her hips side to side to jiggle the contents of her saddlebag around. “This just saves the number of trips I have to make.”

“What kind of errands?” Lotus looked at her sister skeptically.

“Just simple stuff.” She opened her saddlebag and showed her several items within.

Lotus glared at the items, most of them were plastic containers filled with medical items and or tools. “He’s not overworking you?”

“Lotus, I’m fine!” Aloe grumbled as she clipped the latch on her saddlebag’s flap. “He wouldn’t do anything like that.” Louts rolled her eyes. “Why are you still skeptical of this place?”

Lotus looked around seeing if any pony was looking at them. “This place still doesn’t feel right.”

“You’re so paranoid!” Aloe grumbled. “This place is not Iron’s Ridge!”

“Aloe…” Lotus choked on her words, words she’s trying to form. “We can’t let our guard down.”

“Even with Zipper here?” Aloe threw up a hoof. “No pony is going to harm us!” She shook her head as she walked away from her sister. “I’ll see you during supper!”

Lotus watched her enter into another building a block down. “I’m trying to protect… you…” She mumbled, looking down at the ground, staring at the bright grey concrete of the sidewalk with quivering eyes. She frowned and let out a hissed growl as she stormed over towards the northern gate.

She ignored the murmurings of ponies she passed. Her eyes stayed focused on the gate. Seeing Zipper standing on the catwalk over the gate, conversing with another earth pony stallion, she chewed her cheek as she stormed up the steps.

“Hey Lotus!” Zipper smirked, “What’s gotten you into a twist?” He asked with a laughed as she walked up to him. She didn’t answer as she grabbed the rifle from his hooves. “Hey!” She ignored him as she sat by the parapet and aimed the rifle at the road that vanished into the forest, heading to places unknown.

“Looks like somepony is eager to get cracking.” The stallion talking to Zipper laughed as he crossed his forelegs over his chest.

Zipper bit his cheek as he sat beside her. “You and your sister got into it?”

Lotus didn’t answer as she looked through the scope. Seeing a trotter stumbling onto the road, she clinched her jaw and fired. A loud crack echoed out across the town. The trotter’s skull erupted into a fine powdery mist as its body crashed onto the asphalt.

Zipper stared at the dead trotter about a hundred and twenty-five yards away. “Good shot…” He crossed his arms.

The Governor sat at his desk that sat in front of the window overlooking the street below. His catlike eyes scanned the items he had written down into a large binder. A manifest of all the supplies the town had accumulated. He frowned as he saw several essential medical items were low as well as ammo for the weaponry they had. ‘Can’t take back Equestria with just swords…’ He looked out the window at his humble settlement. “You can… Just have to throw more bodies at it.” He saw a figure in the corner of his vision. Seeing the figure was Aloe, he smiled, his fang sticking out as he did so.

For the past two months Aloe and her sister had been slowly proving themselves to be capable members of his town. Lotus was a cable organizer and marksmare. A great asset for guarding the walls he mused as his thoughts drifted to Aloe. His eyes drifted back to Aloe and saw her making her way to his building. He smirked as he stood up from his desk. ‘Aloe, Aloe, Aloe…’ She was a great addition as a caregiver over the youth. But she was very shy. She’d always melted every time she was around him. He smirked as he found that aspect about her quite adorable.

Hearing a knock, he walked over to his door and opened it. Aloe gave a little squeak as she looked up at him. “Um, hello, Governor.”

“Hello, Aloe.” He smiled. “What do you need?”

“I’m here to drop off lunch.” Aloe pulled out a small cooler. She gently placed the item on the floor.

The Governor’s bat-wings twitched as he lifted the lid. Seeing a large hay sandwich and a bottle of orange juice and an apple, he smiled as he looked at Aloe once more. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome…”

“Have you eaten yet?” He asked before she could leave.

“Um, no.” She blushed.

“Why don’t you join me.” He nodded his head into his room. “I can’t eat all of this.”

Aloe’s face felt hot. “Well, you said you wanted to get this all done before…”

“Well, I’m telling you to take a break…” He eyed her. “So come on in.” She nodded and entered the room. “Besides, we haven’t spoken much for these past months.” He closed the door, “I’d love to get to know you more.”

Aloe looked at the stallion as she timidly scanned him. “Y-You do?” She sat the cooler on the table. She slowly scanned the room and was awed at how large and homey it looked. “I’m not a very fascinating mare.”

“Just my type.” The governor helped her unload the food from the cooler and grabbed some plates. “Want a mimosa?”

“Mimosa?” Aloe looked at the bottle of orange juice. “You have champagne?”

“Of course.” He laughed, “We aren’t uncivilized.” He walked over to a small fridge, opening it, he pulled out a bottle. “I have some champagne glasses in that cupboard next to you.” Aloe opened the drawer. Musty smells struck her snout as she leaned in and picked up two glasses with her mouth. Watching her set them on the table. He smiled as he opened to bottle of orange juice. “What was your life like before the world changed?”

Aloe watched the champagne mix with the orange juice. “Calming… Peaceful.”

“How so?” He looked at her with a warm smile.

“Ponyville was a simple place.” She picked up her glass of mimosa.

“I can relate.” He picked up his glass and toasted her.

“Where did you live before Mulberry?” She timidly sipped her drink.

“I lived in Baltimare.” He looked out the window. “I was a political journalist.” He saw the look she gave him. “It was calming environment for me. I like the hustle and bustle life of a journalist.”

Aloe sat her drink down and placed the sandwich on a plate and cut it in half. “Did you report on the sickness when it was starting?”

“No, I was camping with my brother and my daughter.” He frowned at his meal.

Aloe timidly tapped her hooves as she watched him take a bite. “Are they, you know?”

“Yeah…” He gave her a smile to calm her nerves. “But I keep going for them.” He took a sip of his drink. “I have to.” Aloe smiled, but it slowly faded. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh,” She quickly swallowed her bite. “In the biggening I didn’t think that way…” Her shoulders slummed a bit. “I wanted to give up,”

“But?” The Governor tilted his head.

“My sister and Willie Pette kept me going.”

“Do you still have those thoughts?” He placed a hoof on hers.

She blushed at the affection. “No…”

“Good, can’t have that mindset if we plan to take back Equestria from the dead.” He patted her hoof as he looked out the window watching the trees sway with the breeze.

“You think we’ll be able to rebuild?” Aloe tapped the table with her hooves.

“We have to.” He let out a sigh as he looked at her. “Well, that’s enough about me, I want to know more about you.”

Aloe swallowed the last of her sandwich. She bit her lower lip as she mulled through her thoughts. “Well as you know I’m from Ponyville.” The Governor smirked as he watched her talk. Her flustered appearance was adorable, and her apprehensive tone of voice music to his ears. “Before, before the world fell apart, my sister and I were masseuses.”

The Governor’s ears perked up. “Masseuses.”

“Yes.” Aloe smiled as she remembered her simple life… so little worries back then. “It’s my cutiemark after all.” She giggled. “As well as my sister’s”

“Twin sisters in the same line of work.” The Governor smiled, but it slowly left as he looked out the window. “What job do you want to do now?”

Aloe’s smile faded as she stared at her hooves. “I’m not sure…” She tapped her hooves together slowly. “Do whatever I can to help.” She said in a questioning tone. Silence filled the air for some time. The ticking of the clock echoed in Aloe’s ears causing her left eye to twitch and a bead of sweat formed on her brow. But before she could break the tensions that she was feeling, the Governor broke it for her.

“Want to use your special talent?” He kept staring out the window. His eyes watching his fellow ponies mulling about, doing what was expected of them. Aloe didn’t know how to respond; her voice was stuck in her throat and her body felt hot. He noticed her flustered appearance and gave her a flirty smile. “I’d like a massage and I know just the pony.”

“Me?” She finally spoke. “I-I don’t know, I don’t have any lotions or oils!”

He let off a chuckle. “I may have some items in the bathroom, but…” He placed a hoof under her chin. “I just want a simple massage, nothing fancy.” His touch melted her worries, and his intoxicating eyes consumed her. She slowly turned her head and rubbed her cheek in his hoof as she gave a timid nod.

Aloe’s cheeks were beet-red as she looked down at the Governor lying down on his bed, his face in his pillow, his bat-wings spread out. Swallowing her nervousness, she sat on a stool beside the bed and placed the bottle of lotion on the nightstand. “Firm or soft?” She asked softly.

“Somewhere in the middle.” He softly spoke as he reburied his face into his pillow.

She gently placed her hooves in the center of his back. She was taken back by how soft his fur was. She never had a bat pony client, so this new experience was something that excited her. Memories of her time at her spa tickled her mind as her hooves moved gracefully across his back.

Taking a quick glance, she saw that his face was still buried. From the way his muscles moved, she could tell he was enjoying it so far. Blushing, she worked on his upper shoulders, working on the left side for a few minutes and then moving to the other side of the bed to do his right side.

“You said you’ve done this before?” The Governor asked in a joking tone.

Aloe rolled her eyes. “Very funny.” She softly replied, her mind was at ease as she crawled on the bed and gently sat on the base of his flanks. Her hind legs draped over the sides of his hips. Finding the position, she was in, to have been a very lewd one if he was facing the other direction. She fought of her blushing and poured a generous amount of lotion on her hooves.

Putting her body weight into it, she rolled her hooves across his back before working the kinks she felt in his shoulders. “I can tell you’re under a lot of stress.” She spoke as she worked the muscle at the base of his wings.

He let out a sigh as is wings twitched from the sensation. “A little…” He sighed as she put pressure on his shoulders. Hearing a nervous mumble as a response, he opened his eyes and looked out the window as saw the sun nearing the horizon, maybe about seventeen or eighteen hundred hours. “Seems like you’re a little nervous yourself?”

Aloe’s cheeks felt hot as she tried to find the words to his question. “A… Little…”

Feeling her body weight lift off of him, the Governor rolled over. Aloe stared at him with wide eyes as she sat back down on his waist, her legs hugging his sides. If she thought she couldn’t be even more nervous, she felt his penis pressing up against her. “What’s bothering you?” He asked.

Aloe just stared at the stallion. The position she found herself in was beyond embarrassing, but yet, she admired this stallion. Found him… attractive… Her sister came to mind. Her sister distrusted him… “My sister…”

“And what about your sister, is bothering you?” He gently wrapped his wings around her. Their texture sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

“She…” She let out a heavy breath. “She’s still doubting this place,” She looked away to stop lewd thoughts of the bat pony from entering her mind. “Doubts, you.”

He let out a sigh as he placed a hoof on her chin and gently forced her to look at him. “Do you?” He pulled her in closer, their lips just inches apart. Feeling aroused and her emotions scattered, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He let out a happy sigh as he slowly opened her mouth with his tongue.