AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

Blaze gritted his teeth at the cold consuming him. If he had to guess, he’d been clinging to the spare tire for about three hours or so. Wanting to fall asleep from the wear and tear on his body, his eye lids began to slowly flutter close. Feeling the truck jerk, he jolted awake and hugged the tire for dear life. Feeling the truck slowing down to ten miles an hour. He lowered himself as they drove past a gate. Seeing the well-kept homes that surround him, his confusion grew as they drove for a few more blocks until the truck pulled into a warehouse.

Seeing an opportunity, he jumped from his hiding spot and stumbled up to another parked truck on the other side of the warehouse. Taking several deep breaths, he slowly peeked around the truck and saw that no one noticed him. Turning his attention back to the truck he was on, he watched as Zipper and Cobalt dragged Pinkie and Copper out of the truck and through a door at the other end of the warehouse.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the side door beside him and peeked out. Seeing that night was approaching, he gently shut the door and crept through the streets, looking for a place to hide and gather his strength. Seeing a garage along the fence that surrounded the town, he stumbled over to the building. Testing the door, he pressed his shoulder into it and stepped inside.

Staring into the dimly lit space, he glared for a light source, when all of a sudden, the lights overhead turned on. “Don’t you move!” A feminine voice commanded.

Blaze slowly turned around and saw an earth pony mare aiming a rifle at him. “Lotus?” He gave her a puzzled look.

“Blaze?” Lotus felt her chest tighten as she studied his battered state. “What the hell happened to you?”

The Governor sat at his desk as he looked at several reports from his scouts about a nearby town to their south teeming with trotters. He frowned at the speculative number given in the report, six-thousand. He looked out his window and stared at the darkening landscape. Seeing some of the guards lighting streetlamps and or lanterns, he placed his head in his hoof while bringing the document closer to his face.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked up at stared at Aloe lying in their bed. “Looking over the scout’s reports.”

Aloe sighed as she rolled on her side, resting her head in her right forehoof. “Any word on Zipper and his expedition?”

“No, not yet.” He took a sip of his whisky. He noticed her seductive smile. “You’re giving me that look again.”

“Is that a bad thing?” She blew him a kiss.

He smiled as he walked over to the bed and kissed her. “God, I love you.” He nibbled her ear, his bat wings fluttering.

She giggled as she pulled him onto the bed. “Show me how much…”

Hearing a knock on their door, the Governor sighed as he pulled away from her embrace. Opening the door, he saw Zipper with a smile on his face. “Zipper?” He looked back at Aloe, who’s eyes looked at him with an air of curiosity. “Anything good?” He stepped out of the room, motioning Zipper to follow him.

“We found the base, but we ran into an issue.” Zipper sighed.

“What kind of issue?” The Governor placed a hoof on Zipper’s shoulder.

“We ran into someponies.” Zipper looked over his shoulders. “Which turned out to be a good thing.”

“What do you mean by good?” The Governor narrowed his eyes.

“Ran into my old friends.” Zipper smiled.

The Governor’s eyes widened as he looked back at his door. “Are they with you?”

“Yeah, two of them.” Zipper sighed. “Pinkie and Copper, two little earth ponies. But they didn’t come willingly.”

“What condition are they in?”

“A little beaten up.” Zipper shrugged his shoulders.

“How were they before you roughed them up.” The Governor gave him a flat stare.

“They looked fine.” Zipper rolled his eyes. “They seem to be held up in a place that’s well stocked.”

“Is it close?” The Governor gave the earth pony a raised brow.

“Not sure?”

The Governor tapped his chin. “Find out where this place is. We don’t know if they’re dangerous.”

“My brother is with them.”

“And if he is,” The Governor placed a hoof on Zipper’s shoulder. “I still need to know if they’ll play by the rules.” The Governor let out a heavy sigh. “Get him to talk!” He huffed as he stepped back into his room. Zipper gritted his teeth, staring at the Governor’s door for several seconds before heading down the stairs to the basement.

After several attempts, Copper finally managed to remove the blindfold over his eyes. Blinking away the stress they felt, he opened them an found himself bound to a chair in a small storage room. The dim lightbulb overhead emitted enough light to illuminate him and the table that hugged the wall on his right.

Seeing some garden and mechanical tools on the table, Copper swallowed his fears as he tried to find a way out of his predicament. Looking at his hooves that were tied to the chair’s arms, he tested his restraints and found they were too strong to break right away.

Hearing the door open, he saw Zipper slowly walking up to him. Copper shivered at the menacing glare he was giving him. “So, how do you want to do this?” Zipper asked as he pulled up a chair and sat beside Copper. “It's all up to you?” Copper girted his teeth as he kept his eyes forward. “Trying to act all tough?”

“Where’s Pinkie?” Copper growled.

Zipper smiled. “Come now, I’m the one asking, you need to answer.” He laughed. “How are the others?” He studied Copper. “You seem like you’re doing well?” Again, Copper stayed silent as he glared at Zipper.

Zipper frowned. “What about my baby brother?” Zipper’s mood soured. “You can’t tell me he’s alive and hold off on where he is?”

Copper looked away from him and turned his attention to the door on the other end of the room. “Where’s Pinkie?”

Zipper laughed. “Maybe she’ll tell me?” He lowered his head and got in Copper’s face. “She’s always so talkative.” He gave him a sly smile. In an adjacent room, Pinkie listened in on Zipper’s questioning. Her body shivered as she heard him laugh. “Tell me something?” Zipper asked. “When she’s scared and holding you close… and her trembling body is close to you. Her soft lips touching you?” He placed the pointed end of his prosthetic against Copper’s neck. “Here, and here.” He slowly moved it around, until placing it on his chin.

Zipper gave a smirk. “I remember you?” He chuckled. “You’re the sneaky one. The one who sided with her when she stole our truck. Sided with her when Iron’s Ridge was overrun with Trotters.”

He stood up and placed his foreleg on Copper’s neck. “Now I want to know where my brother is!” Copper growled at the pressure, his throat felt dry, the pain emanating from his neck was horrendous. “I want to know where Twilight is?” Gritting his teeth, Copper threw his head forward breaking Zipper’s snout.

Zipper growled as he held a hoof to his snout, his eyes glaring at the blood on his hoof. He spat out some blood and gave Copper an unamused smile as he punched him several times. “Now I want to know where you’re all hiding?” He punched him again this time in the face. “I what to know where your camp is?”

Copper just glared at Zipper and spat in his face. Zipper frowned as he unleashed several more punches. Pinkie began to cry as Copper’s painfilled moans filled the room. She pulled against her restraints in a vain attempt to rescue him.

Blaze quickly consumed the rest of his meal. Lotus stared at him with bewildered eyes. She stared at her lap, tapping her hooves as her mind mulled over what Blaze told her. Finally collecting her thoughts, she took a deep breath. “Are you sure what you saw is true?”

Blaze held the last scoop of his meal to his lips as he looked at her with an air of contempt. “That’s how I got here?”

Lotus frowned at his expression, before looking at the floor. “Shit…”

Blaze rolled his eyes. “You’re surprised? What you’ve said about this Governor, you shouldn’t be?”

“I held out hope, for my sister’s sake.” She replied returning her attention back on him.

He sighed as he placed his empty bowl on a nearby table. “So, what do we do?” He looked at her with a serious stare. “I need to rescue them.”

Lotus stared at him skeptically. “We need to do this without getting my sister killed.”

Blaze looked out the cloudy window of the garage door. “We, will, but our priority is getting them out of here.”

Lotus just stared at him with dull eyes. “Why do you want to help? Didn’t you leave them?”

Blaze glared at her. “Because it’s the right thing to do.” He shook his head. “What about you, don’t want to help your friends?”

Lotus frowned. “Of course I do.” She moved her bangs from her eyes. “But my sister is my only priority.”

Blaze nodded. “I know.” He looked at the window once more. “So, tell me the lay of the land.”

Lotus picked up her cup of tea. “Well, there’s a fence that surrounds about ten percent of the town, three streets and about four blocks. There’s a main gate on the west side of town, and a smaller gate on the east.” She took a sip. “Guards patrol the gates every hour of the day. And the locals will notice you, you’re an outsider.” She sighed as she placed her cup on her lap. “Luckly its nighttime.”

“This place is well guarded.” Blaze adjusted himself in his seat. He listened to the distant sounds of ponies mulling about. “You like this place?”

Lotus stared at her reflection in her cup. “No…” She finished her tea. “This place doesn’t feel right.” Blaze slowly nodded as he opened a drawer and saw a pile of metal pipes, wires and VCR motherboards. A chill washed over him as he picked up one. “You have a plan in mind?” Blaze looked at her as he fidgeted with the pipe in his hooves.

Zipper glared at Copper as he studied his battered state. Spitting out his tobacco he laughed as he walked out of the room. Taking a deep breath, he sighed as he walked out of the basement that was under the bank and ascended the stairs to the second floor.

Seeing the Governor and Cobalt were walking to the Governor’s room, he let out a huff. “Governor!”

The Governor looked over his shoulders. “Yes, what is it? Did you get him to talk?”

“No, he’s stubborn.” Zipper growled.

The Governor studied the dried blood around Zipper’s snout. “What about the mare?” The Governor sighed.

“I was about to get too her.” Zipper placed some tobacco in his mouth.

“No, I’ll take care of it.” The Governor looked at his watch. “I won’t be long.” He made his way to the stairs when he saw Aloe walking up them. “Hey darling.”

“Hey,” Aloe saw Zipper and Cobalt near their room. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I just need to take care of something.” The Governor smiled.

“Need help?” She tilted her head.

“No, I got it.” He kissed her head. “I’ll be back soon.” He walked down the stairs.

Pinkie shivered as she stared at the table in front of her. She glared at its worn finish and the battered state it was in. Slowly looking at her surroundings with tear-stained eyes she saw that the room she was trapped in was some sort of storage room. “Looks like you’re in a bind.” Jerking in her seat, Pinkie looked forward and saw her sister Marble sitting on the table.

“I’ll get out of this.” Pinkie tested the duct tape that bound her hooves to her chair. “I need to.”

“I told you, your time would be up.” Marble scoffed.

Pinkie shivered as she stared at her sister and saw the uncaring smile she was giving her. Before she could reply, she heard the door to her room opened reviling a bat pony. The aura he gave off unnerved her as he approached the table and took a seat opposite of her.

The Governor smiled as he placed his hooves on the table. “Look, we got on the wrong hoof. We’ll take you back to your ponies and explain this was all a miss understanding.”

“I want to speak to Copper!” Pinkie blurted out.

The Governor sighed as he shook his head. “I can’t let that happen. Your group is dangerous.” He narrowed his cat-like eyes. “You left one of my ponies for dead after your group let your last settlement fall to the bitters.”

“That wasn’t our fault.” Pinkie hissed. “Things got out of control and ponies panicked.”

He shook his head. “Just tell us where they are, and we’ll bring them here.” He softened his eyes. “You’ll be safe here when we go get them, I promise.”

Pinkie stared at the stallion. Copper’s groans and cries replayed in her mind as she mulled over his words. Slowly she looked at him once more and frowned.

The Governor sat back in his seat and gave a disappointed shake of his head. “No? Fine. We’ll try another way.” He slowly stood up and approached her. Pinkie shivered as he lowered his face, his lips inches from hers. “You’re a timid little thing, aren’t you?” He kissed her on the cheek. “I wonder if you’re the submissive type or…” He kissed her on the lips.

Pinkie pulled away, but the Governor placed a hoof under her chin and pulled her back in his direction. She cowered under his gaze as he lowered his hoof to her vagina. She shivered as he rubbed her clit. Smiling, the Governor took out a knife cutting her restraints. Before she could take advantage of this opportunity, he held the knife to her throat. “Now, you’ll do as I say, or I’ll bring you Copper’s head.” He said softly as he ran his tongue across her neck.

Pinkie felt sick as the Governor ran a hoof down her chest in a seductive manner. She squinted her eyes shut and nodded. “Good…” The governor threw her head to the floor causing her to arch her backside in the air, exposing herself to him. Feeling his erect penis pressing up against her vagina, her heartrate increased as the inevitable began to playout in her mind.

Panic overwhelmed her as she felt him enter her, his body weight pinning her in place as he mounted her. Unable to fightback, her eyes began to well up with tears as she tried desperately to move her mind elsewhere. “Pathetic…” Opening her eyes, she saw Marble in the corner of the room. “Couldn’t save yourself, like you couldn’t save me…”

-The Fall of Nickelrite-

Pinkie stared out the window of a four-story apartment that overlooked Rock Berry Street, one of the many side streets connected to the town’s main street. Seeing a group of soldiers fighting off a large group of trotters that escaped from the containment cages, Pinkie’s eyes drifted to the horizon seeing the last slivers of the sun slipping away.

Hearing a large explosion coming from somewhere within the town, Pinkie stepped away from the window and looked over at her sister Marble sitting on the floor, her pale looking body soaked in sweat. Her eyes sunken in and dull. Shivering, Pinkie walked up to her and moved her bangs from her eyes. “Marble?”

“I’m okay…” Marble shivered. “Where’s Ma and Pa?”

“I think they’re on the other side of town.” The sound of gunfire drew Pinkie’s attention.

“Are Maud and Limestone with them…” Marble let out a heavy cough.

Pinkie turned her attention back to her sister. Her face grimaced as her eyes slowly drifted to the bite mark on her sister’s left hind leg. “We need to bandage that wound.” Marble wanted to state her disagreement, but she only nodded and hung her head as she fought the migraine pulsing through her skull.

Pinkie sighed as she unholstered her pistol from its holster and stepped up to the door. Placing an ear to it and hearing nothing, she lifted her sister up off the floor. “Ready?” She asked. Marble nodded weakly.

Throwing open the door, Pinkie and Marble slowly tip-hoofed down the hall. Pinkie’s eyes darted around. The flickering lights above unnerved her. Getting to the stairs, she stared down the steps. Seeing that it bent into a u-shape, she bit down on her pistol’s handle. “Stay here.” Marble nodded as she leaned against the stair’s railing.

Pinkie slowly crept down the stairs. Getting to the set of other steps, her eyes widened as she saw about thirty or so trotters franticly trying to make their way towards the sounds of the outside world.

Timidly stepping back, the wood under her hooves groaned. She shivered as the squeal echoed down the hall. Several trotters stopped and turned their gaze toward her. One let out a growl as they dashed toward her.

Panicking, Pinkie ran up the stairs and nearly tackled her sister as she dragged her back to the apartment they came from. “What’s…” Marble asked but her mind was in a fog.

Pinkie didn’t answer as she slammed the door shut behind them. The dead slammed themselves against it causing it to bow and flex as they desperately fought to get to their next meal. Quickly scanning the room, Pinkie saw the closet and dragged her sister in, giving the door one more glance, she saw the wood around the handle starting to split. Cursing under her breath she shut herself in the closet.

Static silence filled Pinkie’s ears as she stared at the bare hampers lit by her flashlight pointing at the closet’s ceiling. The bar that once held hangers full of shirts and or dresses was now adorned with a few bare hangers. Feeling a chill, she turned her gaze to the closet door.

Time… Time seemed to be a blur… seemed like hell. She didn’t even know what time it was or how many hours had passed. The silence that engulfed her, unnerved her. Unnerved her enough to beg for the sound of gunfire, screams, anything…

Seeing a shadow in the gap under the door, Pinkie shivered as she watched it move past the door. Hearing the muffled groan of the monster on the other side made her feel sick.

Hearing a moan near her right ear, her attention turned to her sister Marble. Her blood ran cold as she saw the state her sister was in. Her sister’s body felt hot and clammy. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. Her skin was so pale, it made her fur look ghostly. “Marble?”

Marble struggled to look at her sister. “It… Hurts…”

“Don’t talk.” Pinkie looked at the closet door. Hearing nothing, she turned her attention back to her sister. “Just rest.” She ran a hoof through her sister’s mane. “I’m getting you out of here.” Her eyes drifted to the bite mark on her sister’s leg. She felt a cold shiver wash over her as she saw the gangrenous state it was in.

“We’re going… Home?” Marble gave a halfhearted smile. Pinkie smiled back as she tried to sit up, but Marble growled out in pain. Quickly Pinkie sat back down and held her sister close. “Everything hurts…” Marble cried.

“I know…” Pinkie fought back her emotions.

Marble drunkenly stared at her sister. “Am I dying?”

Pinkie just stared at her sister. She didn’t know what to say. Her mind raced over so many answers. “No…” She kissed her on her forehead. “You’ll be fine.” She waited for a response, but Marble never gave her one. Several minutes passed, and still, no reply came.

Panicked, Pinkie lowered her ear to Marble’s mouth. Hearing nothing, she placed a hoof and felt no breath. Placing a hoof on her sister’s chest, she felt no heartbeat. “No…” Pinkie pulled her sister close. “No…” She began rocking her. “NO!” Her emotions boiled over. The trotter on the other side began throwing itself against the closet door.

Pinkie didn’t care, her twin, her baby sister was gone, and it was all her fault. “I’m sorry!” She looked at her sister and stared at her hollowed eyes. Marble’s limp body was her only response. Pinkie’s mind swam with grief, and she held her sister close. “Marble…” Pinkie cried as she ran a hoof through her mane. Hearing a groan, Pinkie’s heart skipped a beat. “Marble?” Pinkie ended her embrace and held her sister out in front of her.

Marble’s eyes slowly drifted to her sister. Her head slowly moved side to side as she became more alert. Pinkie’s blood ran cold as she saw a milky haze consuming her sister’s vibrant purple eyes. “No…”

Marble hearing her sister, lifted her head and stared at her for a short second, before she lunged at her, her teeth snapping and snarling. Pinkie held her sister back as she stared her sister’s eyes. Uncaring and unloving. “Marble! Please!”

Pinkie’s cries aggravated her sister and the trotter on the other side of the door. Marble snarled and swung her hooves, desperate to sink her teeth into sister’s flesh.

“MARBLE!” Pinkie cried. “Don’t make me do this!” Marble kept snapping and hissing. “Please!” Still her sister kept trying to kill her. Pinkie hoped, begged to see if her sister still remained, but with her sister coming within inches of her neck, Pinkie closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face. “I’m sorry…”

Pinkie threw her sister off of her. Marble stumbled back but quickly stood up. Pinkie just managed to unholster her pistol when Marble tackled her once again. With all her might, Pinkie used every ounce of energy she had to keep her sister at bay. With her pistol in her mouth, she aimed it at her sister. But she couldn’t do it.

Pinkie stared at her zombified sister and saw her morph into a younger version of herself. She saw the happy smile on her face. ‘I love you.’ She sung. Tears rolled down Pinkie’s face. “I love you too…” She fired off a shot that tore through Marble’s chest.

Blood poured out of Marble, but she kept up her assault. Fear and shock overwhelmed Pinkie. Her emotions began to consume her as she felt how cold Marble’s blood was. “She fired another, but Marble was still alive. Finally, she fried a shot at her sister’s skull. Brain matter and blood coated the closet and Pinkie.

Pinkie laid still, marinating in Marble’s fluids. Her body shivered as she felt her sister’s lifeless corpse slowly sliding off of her. Her grip on her pistol faltered, causing it to slip out of her mouth. She let out a moan as tears poured from her eyes.

-Present Day-

Copper stared at his lap. He stared at the drops of blood that dotted the chair and his fur. His body ached and his right eye throbbed every time it moved around. Hearing the door to his room open, he lifted his head and saw Zipper giving him a smirk. Copper frowned, “Ready for round two?” He spat.

Zipper just smirked as he stepped to the side. Copper’s eyes went wide as he saw Pinkie being led by gun point by the Governor. His heart sank as he saw her bruised body and defeated demeanor.

The Governor handed Pinkie to Zipper who placed his prosthetic leg over her shoulder, holding the sharp end of it to her neck.

The Governor kept his eyes on Copper as he held the pistol to Pinkie’s head. “Where’s your camp?” He growled through clenched teeth. Copper stayed silent as he stared at Pinkie, giving her an encouraging nod. Seeing that he wasn’t flinching, he aimed the pistol at him.

“WAIT!” Pinkie sobbed. “Please don’t!”

“Where is your base?” The Governor asked.

Copper shook his head. But Pinkie replied with a sob. “We made camp in Poppies Grove.”

“The national park?” The Governor laughed. “You managed to clear that place out?” He gave Pinkie a raised brow. “How many are you?”

“Thirty-four.” Pinkie gritted her teeth, as she fought to control her emotions.

The Governor sighed as he kept his gaze on Copper, he laughed as he looked at Pinkie. “Impressive…” He holstered his pistol and walked out of the room, but before he left, he noticed Pinkie on the verge of a breakdown. Looking back at Copper, he smirked as he placed a hoof under Pinkie’s chin. Feeling his touch, Pinkie sobbed, “Hey, don’t cry.” He scratched her chin. “You’re safe.” He looked back at Copper who was glaring daggers at him. Nodding to Zipper, he left the room. Zipper smirked as he pushed Pinkie into the room.

Finally alone, Pinkie let her emotions take over as she crawled up to Copper. “Pinkie!” He felt a tightness on his chest. “Pinkie what did he do to you?”

Pinkie lifted herself up. “Copper…” Her forelegs wrapped around him as she buried her face in his lap. Understanding what occurred, Copper glared at the door and let out a primal scream.

Blazed stared at the pile of pipe bombs he made. Eyeing the haphazard constructed receivers wired to them and seeing they were in good shape, he opened the saddlebag beside him. Hearing the howling winds seeping under the door he let out a sigh and began gently loading up the bag.

The door to the garage swung open. Lotus kicked the door shut with her hind hoof. Shivering, she took off her hoodie as she walked up to Blaze. “Here I got some flashbangs and a pistol for you.”

Blaze stared at the weapon. “They’re well-armed here.”

“Yeah, this place is something.” She gave him a curious look. “You think you can do this?”

“I’ve done it once already.” He looked back at her. “I think I can, with your help.”

Lotus smiled. “Good, I’ll need to get my sister once you get the bombs planted.”

“Where is she?” Blazes threw on his saddlebag.

“She’s at the bank, second floor.” Lotus sighed as she slung her rifle on her back. “Can’t wait to give that jerk a punch to the…”

Blaze hit Lotus in the back of the head with a large metal pipe. Staring at her limp body, he bent down and placed an ear to her lips. Hearing her breathing, he quickly removed her rifle from her body and placed it on his back. “Sorry, but you wouldn’t like the next steps of the plan.”

Blaze stepped up to the door and peaked out. Seeing that the streets were quiet, minus the guards patrolling the fence, he unholstered his pistol and silently crept up to several parked putter-trucks and placed an explosive under one of the truck’s wheels. Arming it, he looked down the street and seeing it was clear, moved further into town.

Getting to an arena, he stared at it with bewildered eyes. Slowly approaching, he stepped onto the course dirt and stared at the empty stands that were barley illuminated by the lonely oil streetlamp to his left.

Hearing the sounds of rattling metal, he let his curiosity carry him. Getting to the source of the noise, he frowned at how dark this area of the arena was. Pulling out his flashlight, he turned it on and was meet with about thirty trotters within a large cage. Sensing his presence the trotters began gnashing their teeth and sticking their hooves through the gaps. Blaze kept staring at the dead. His flat expression slowly morphing into a smile.