AMONG THE TROTTING DEAD

“Really?’ Blaze grumbled as he dangled from the harness, he was strapped in. “We could walk there!” He held up his bound front hooves. “I know the way from the ground a lot faster than the air!” He glared at Twilight.

Twilight stared into his bright orange eyes of his as he floated in front of her a few feet off the ground. “I know, but it will be faster if they fly you there.” She pointed at Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Jet Cloud hovering above them.

Blaze looked up at the pegasi as they messed with the ropes of his impromptu harness. “Fine…” He looked back at Twilight. “Still don’t trust me?”

Twilight was about to answer, but hearing the front door squeaking, she looked over and saw her brother and the other ponies staring at them. She saw Zecora behind her brother staring at Blaze with a solemn gaze. “She believes you.” She looked back at Blaze, “Which means so do I.”

“Blaze noticed Zecora and stared at her blue colored eyes. “Tell her, thank you.”

Twilight stared at him, trying to make out his emotions. Looking back at Zecora she let out a held breath. ‘One thing at a time, Twilight…’ She looked back at Blaze. “I will.”

Blaze nodded as he hung his head. “What happens when we rescue your friend and mine? We never really hashed out a plan?”

Twilight mulled over his words. “We’ll get there when we get there.” She watched Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Soarin, and Jet Cloud finished tying the ropes around thier stomachs. “We need to focus on the here and now.”

Blaze slightly smiled at her tone. “Sounds like you’re saying that from experience?”

Twilight blushed a little. “Yeah… crazy times.” She looked up at the pegasi. “You’re good to go?”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Let’s go stallions!” She flapped her wings harder. “The faster we get there the sooner we can save Fluttershy and Button Mash!” Her voice dripping with confidence.

“Not too fast!” Soarin huffed as they rose into the air. “We don’t know what we’re flying into.”

“There is a spot where we can spy into the camp.” Blaze called up to them. “I used that spot many times before…’ He let out a soft sigh as his mind began to drift to thoughts of a mare.

“What kind of spot?” Thunderlane looked at him skeptically.

“A small cove made form the branches off a tree on the meadows edge.” Blaze replied dully.

Rainbow Dash glared at the earth pony, trying to see if his words had lies within them… ‘How does AJ do it!’ She cursed to herself… ‘If AJ trusts him…’ She sighed. ‘For Fluttershy’s sake…’ Zecora’s words danced in her head.

Twilight watched as they flew towards the Everfree. “So, what should we do?”

Twilight looked back and saw Copper standing beside Applejack. “Prepare the camp.” She replied. “Just in case.”

Flying over the Everfree forest, Rainbow Dash and her fellow pegasi flew close to the forest’s canopy at a slow enough pace for Blaze to scan through the thicket, looking for any landmarks he recognized.

“How’s it going?” Jet Cloud asked.

“Can’t make out shit!” Blaze huffed. “Like I told your friend, it would be easier if we were on the forest floor!”

“Too dangerous.” Soarin huffed, hearing Blaze grumble, he ground his teeth together. “Look pal, we are only helping because you can help us in return! So, buck up!”

“Don’t remind me!” Blaze huffed. “The kindness of strangers… my ass…”

Rainbow Dash watched him glare at the canopy with dull eyes. Biting her lower lip, she stared out at the horizon. It was eerie how flat the top of the forest was. Like some invisible barrier that told the trees they could grow no taller. “You said it was a meadow?”

Blaze kept silent as he felt the wind on his face. “Yeah.” He finally replied. “Somewhere that way?” He pointed his bound hooves to his right.

Rainbow Dash looked down at him and let out a sigh. “Look,” She sighed as she flapped her wings. “I want to thank you.”

Blaze looked up at the prism maned mare. “And I want to thank you…” He looked down at his bound front hooves. “Even if it’s under less than favorable circumstances.”

Rainbow Dash felt a wave of shame wash over her. “Hey, when this is all over, we’ll make it up to you.” She gave him a smile.

“And my friends and I will do the same…” He stated flatly as turned his gaze to the forest below. “I’m not sure your friends will like it…” He mumbled to himself.

Rainbow Dash kept silent as she studied his dull demeanor. Thunderlane, Jet Cloud, and Soarin looked at her with skeptical eyes. “Dash?” Thunderlane softly spoke up.

“Yes?” Rainbow Dash looked at her colt-friend.

He got closer to her. “You think it a good thing to be friendly with him?” He whispered.

Rainbow Dash stared at the horizon and watched the clouds overhead slowly rolling across the sky. “We need his help… and he needs ours.” She looked at Thunderlane. “I know I was with some of the others who didn’t trust him… But I have to for Fluttershy’s sake.” She whispered with a sigh. Thunderlane nodded slowly as he turned his gaze to the horizon.

They flew in silence for what felt like ten minutes. The soft sounds of nature filled their ears. But the calm faded when they saw another pegasus several hundred yards in front of them. They stopped and hovered in place, watching the pegasus struggling to stay aloft. “Is it a trotter?” Jet Cloud asked.

“Looks like it…” Blaze’s words rang true as they heard the pegasus moan out a ghostly growl. “Shit…”

“We need to hide in the trees.” Soarin hissed a whisper.

“Are we near?” Rainbow Dash asked Blaze.

“I would know if we’re on the forest floor.” He pointed at the ground.

Looking back at the trotter pegasus and seeing that she hadn’t noticed them, Rainbow Dash pointed at the ground. “Slowly.” The others nodded as they descended into the forest. Blaze grumbled as he swatted at the branches that were in his way. Getting to the forest floor, Rainbow Dash took off her impromptu harness. “Look familiar?” She looked at Blaze.

Blaze scanned his surroundings. Feeling a chill run down his back he nodded with a sigh. “Yeah…” Rainbow Dash nodded as she took out her six-inch knife strapped to her left foreleg. Blaze looked wide eyed at her as she neared him. “Wait!” He felt the knife cut through his restraints. Opening his eyes, he stared at his free hooves and looked up at Rainbow Dash with confusion on his face.

“Why did you untie him?” Soarin asked.

“I’m not carrying him.” Rainbow Dash gave him a smile. “Are you going to?” She asked the stallions with a hint of sarcasm. The others looked at Blaze and studied his bewildered expression. “Well, lead the way.” Rainbow Dash pointed at the forest. Blaze slowly got up and took the lead.

Several minutes passed as they made their way through the forest. The ambient sounds and the far distant growls of the dead danced in their ears. “Dash?” Blaze spoke up.

“Yes?” She looked at the earth pony.

“I just wanted to say thanks…” He kept his eyes on the forest. “For trusting me.”

“We need to.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “We’ll be better off if we trust each other.”

“True...” Blaze stated with a dull sigh. Getting to a fallen tree, Blaze lifted a hoof in the air. The others stopped and looked around. “We’re getting close.” He peaked over the trunk of the fallen tree. “Strange?”

“Strange?” Soarin asked.

“Its quite?” Blaze scanned the forest. “They must be meditating.”

“Meditating?” Rainbow Dash asked as a distant moan of one of the dead echoed through the forest. “Or because of the trotters?”

“Maybe both?” Blaze climbed over the tree. “See that wall of ivy growing off that tree?” He pointed to his right.

“Yeah.” Thunderlane replied.

“We can see the camp from there.” Blaze started climbing over the tree. “Once there I’ll look for one of my friends.”

“Is this friend close to you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She dislikes Father if that’s what you’re asking.”

“If some dislike Father, why don’t they leave?” Jet Cloud asked.

“And leave their family, children?” Blaze retorted. “Like I told you Father has a firm grip on their minds… almost a firm grip.”

Getting to the natural blanket of ivy growing over a helpless oak tree. Blaze gently moved some of the leaves out of the way. He and the others peaked through the gap and scanned over the tents that made up the large commune.

“I didn’t know your compound was this large?”

“It was growing before the pandemic started.” Blaze’s eyes jumped side to side as he looked at the tents and noticed that some were sagging. He quickly glanced at Rainbow Dash and her friends. He looked back and stared at a tent at the far end of the camp. “Somethings wrong?”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“It’s quiet.” Soarin replied. “Isn’t it?” He looked at Blaze.

Blaze kept quiet as he scanned over the camp. Seeing a mare slowly moving around a tent, she felt his spine shiver. “Lilly?” He slowly exited the canopy they were hiding in and made his way cautiously toward the mare.

“Wait!” Soarin hissed. “Where are you going!” He and the others followed after him.

“I have a bad feeling about this?” Rainbow Dash’s wings twitched and her feathers puffed up.

Catching up to Blaze, they stared at the mare he stood in front of. Their eyes went wide as they saw the mare was turned. Her skin was pale and her fur’s color dull. Her milky white eyes stared mindlessly into space as her head whipped around.

Turning her attention to Blaze, Rainbow Dash saw him staring at her with emotionless eyes. She was confused by this, but she chalked it up to shock. “Blaze?” She whispered to not attract the trotter. “Is she one of your friends?”

Blaze didn’t answer. He only walked up to the mare. He felt hot and clammy as he neared her. The trotter hearing the grass under his hooves, turned to face them. He watched as she tilted her head side to side as she walked up to him. “Lilly?” He softly asked as he watched her. “Lilly, what happened?” Her only response was a low growl.

“Shit.” Thunderlane hissed as he looked over his shoulders and saw a few more trotters a few yards away slowly making their way through the camp. “This place is gone.” He whispered with a loud hiss.

“Did a herd come through here?” Jet Cloud asked.

“Fluttershy’s not here?” Rainbow Dash felt her chest get heavy as she saw a few more dead mulling around a large tent that looked like it was used to serve food.

Blaze watched as the trotter approached. “Lilly…” He let out a sigh. “I’m sorry…” He reared on his hindlegs and pushed the trotter to the ground. Picking up a rock he got on top of her and smashed the trotter over the head. Several meaty thuds filled the air as Blaze put her out of her misery. Seeing the mangled face of his once friend. Blaze dropped the rock and fell backwards on his flank. “Damn it…”

Rainbow Dash stared at him, watching him shake like a leaf. “Blaze?” She called out, “It’s not your fault.” She told him as thoughts of her parents filled her mind.

“We need to get going?” Soarin commented as he saw a few trotters making their way toward them. “They heard us.”

“We need to check the camp at least?” Rainbow Dash pleaded.

“I highly doubt she’s here.” Soarin huffed.

“I need to know!” Rainbow Dash spat with a low hiss. “I need to make sure, I can’t do it again, I won’t do what I did with Twilight.”

Thunderlane looked at her and saw the determination in her eyes. “We’ll fly up and look, Blaze can hide in the forest until we’re done.”

“Some of trotters are pegasi.” Jet Cloud stated with a low huff. “They’ll fly at us.”

“I’ll distract them.” Blaze spoke up. “My friends are gone… If we can know the fate of yours, then I’ll have been of some use.”

Rainbow Dash smiled as she prepared to take flight when a laugh filled the air. They all felt their spines shiver as they heard more laughing. The trotters turned to face the sounds and began wandering toward them. A gunshot rang out as one of the trotters fell to the ground.

“Hide!” Jet Cloud hissed as they dove back into the safety of the ivy canopy that encompassed the tree. Shivering they peaked through the leaves and watched as the other trotters crumbled to the ground with more gunfire.

“Shit!” A raspy voice laughed. “Glad were finally clearing this place out.”

“Well with our friend taking his time, it has given us a great opportunity.” Another voice, lower in tone stated with a sigh.

“It will make it easier to finally clear this place out.” The raspy voice commented.

Rainbow Dash and her friends looked at each other with confusion on their faces. “Clear this place out?” Soarin asked.

“Did they attack this place or?” Jet Cloud wondered.

“Don’t know.” Blaze stated dully.

“When do you think we’ll hit that orchard on the hill?” The raspy voice asked.

“Hell, if I know?” The ponies that were talking came into view. The voices belonged to a thin looking earth pony stallion with a wavy mane and tail. The other was a muscular unicorn stallion with a crew cut mane and short tail. “Whenever the boss gets tired of waiting for an opening.” The unicorn stated flatly.

“Are they talking about Applejack’s orchard?” Jet Cloud asked in a whisper.

“I hope not.” Thunderlane replied.

“If they are mentioning it then they must’ve attacked Sanctuary?” Rainbow Dash asked. Blaze looked at her with a raised brow before he turned his attention to the stallions.

“Then, they must’ve.” Soarin replied.

The thought of Fluttershy dead or as a trotter or worse crossed Rainbow Dash’s mind. “Did they take her?”

“I don’t know,” Soarin looked at her and saw the worry in her eyes. “But we are not staying to find out…” He noticed Blaze wasn’t saying anything, he was only tapping his front hooves into the dirt in a nervous manner. Soarin knew keeping silent was key, but no reaction to what was happening was strange. “What should we do?” He asked him. Blaze looked over at him and moved his hoof over his lips like a zipper.

“The fuck!” The group shivered as they heard the strangers approaching their location. “What the hell happened to this one?” The unicorn asked out loud.

“I don’t fucking know.” The earth pony replied as he tried keeping several trotters distracted.

“You’re dense like a box of rocks Fletch!” The unicorn growled.

“Fuck you, Bolt.”

Bolt rolled his eyes as he studied the mangled head of the trotter. “This looks fresh.” He looked at his surroundings. “Whoever did this isn’t far?”

Fletch let out a huff as he dodged one of the trotters as it took a swing at him with its teeth. “Who the hell cares, lets finish off the rest.” Bolt frowned as he walked up to the trotters and stabbed each in the side of the head with his knife.

“The hell!”

“Shut it!” Bolt growled as he drew his shoulder mounted rifle. He glared at the tree line that hugged the meadow and gave it a menacing smile. He bit down on his rifle’s mouth trigger. Several shots rang out as the bullets from the 8.45mm rounds tore into tree bark, dirt and flesh… Jet Cloud let out a yell as one of the rounds clipped his right wing’s alula. Another round clipped Rainbow Dash’s left ear.

“You fuckers show yourself!” Bolt growled.

Soarin held a hoof over Jet Cloud’s mouth as they hunkered down in the dirt. Rainbow Dash felt her own blood trickle down the back of her head, soaking her prism-colored mane. She let out a held breath as she looked at her friends and Blaze with wide eyes. She felt her blood run cold as she heard Bolt neared them.

Blaze seeing her fear swallowed his own and jumped out of the brush. Thunderlane was too slow to stop him as he exited their hiding spot holding up his hooves “We’re coming out.”

“Shit what is he doing?” Thunderlane hissed under his breath.

“Doing the only thing we can do.” Soarin stated dully as his survivalist training took over. “Got to play this safe…” He looked at Rainbow Dash and Jet Cloud. “Follow my lead.” He also crawled out of the ivy canopy. “Don’t shoot.”

Bolt watched as four more ponies came out of their hiding spot. “Shit!” He laughed. “A whole group.” He looked at Rainbow Dash and gave her a smirk. “We’re did you come from?”

“None of your business!” She growled.

Bolt laughed. “Fletch get the ropes.” He aimed his rifle at them. “The boss is going to love this.” He looked at Blaze and gave him a sly smile. “You did good.” He activated his horn and tossed Blaze mouth held pistol. “Though, I was expecting to meet at the orchard, but fuck it, improvising is more fun!”

Blaze caught the pistol and slowly stepped away from Rainbow Dash and her friends. “You?” Rainbow Dash felt sick to her stomach. “You lied to us?”

Blaze looked at her with a blank expression. “Sort of.” He looked around the camp. “I lied about needing to save my ‘friends’.”

“You son of a bitch!” Thunderlane growled as he stepped up closer.

Hearing a click. Thunderlane stared at the pistol aimed straight at him. “The boss needs you for what he has planned.” Blaze smiled. “Now play nice and follow.”

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash looked at Blaze. “Was she here when the camp fell?”

Blaze cloud hear the anger and pain in her voice. “I…” He looked away as a mare drifted across his mind. “I don’t know and I don’t care. Now drop your weapons and follow!” Rainbow Dash stared at him and showed her teeth as her and her friends reluctantly followed them out of the forest.

“That’s harsh.” Bolt laughed.

“Shut it!” Blaze spat as he took the lead.

“Slowly becoming one of us.” Bolt laughed even harder, but this time Blaze remained silent as they made their way out of the forest.

Ratchet sat in a rolling chair beside a large oak desk. He stared out the window behind him eyeing Ponyville and its surroundings. He eyed the farmhouse of the apple orchard on the hill. Seeing distant silhouettes of ponies mulling about he let out a sigh as he looked over at a mare in the corner of the room. “What do you think Mayor?” He looked back at the orchard. “You think we should hit them next?”

The mare let out a low growl as she thrashed against her restraints.

Ratchet let out a sigh as he stood up and walked up to the mare. Stopping just a few feet from her, he watched her snap her teeth at him. He stared at her milky-white eyes. “It’s a shame…” He levitated over a bottle of whisky and opened the bottle. “Ten years I waited.” He frowned. “Waiting to get back at you for locking me up!” He pointed the bottle at her. “And you had to go and do this to yourself…” He opened the bottle and took a swig of the liquor. “Damn. At least you’re of some use to me now.” He looked over at the orchard. “Bet they are stocked there?”

“Boss!” A pegasus pony wearing an orange jumpsuit and a police stab proof vest ran into the room. “Blaze is back!”

Ratchet smiled as he looked at the pegasus. “Great news Berry.” He walked up to her and placed a hoof under chin. “Bring them in.” Berry bowed and ran out of the room. He smiled as he sat back in the chair and placed his elbows on the table. Resting his head in his hooves.

Blaze, Fletch, and Bolt guided Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Jet Cloud into the room. “Welcome!” Ratchet smiled as he lifted his hooves in the air. “So, these are some of the ponies from that orchard you’ve been telling me about?”

Rainbow Dash gave the stallion harsh eyes, but the sounds of a trotter drew her attention. Her and her friends saw the tied-up trotter in the corner of the room. Rainbow Dash gasped as she recognized the mare as the mayor.

“Who are you?” Soarin asked bluntly.

“Me?” Ratchet ignored Rainbow Dash’s panicked expression. “Just somepony trying to make it in this cruel world we find ourselves in.”

“And they?” Soarin pointed his head at Blaze and his possie.

Ratchet smiled as he sat up off the chair. “Just ponies giving me a hoof.” He laughed as he walked up to them. “And him.” He motioned to Blaze. “He’s a very helpful pony, helped us attack his old home and found out where all that nice food in that little cabin was coming from.” He placed a foreleg over Blaze’s shoulders. Blaze flinched as he felt the stallion giving him a squeeze. “So, my question to the four of you. How many live on the orchard?”

Rainbow Dash broke from her fear and stared at the stallion. “Not telling you!” She snarled.

Ratchet bit his cheek. “You sure you want us to do this the hard way?”

“You don’t want to mess with us!” Thunderlane snorted.

Ratchet laughed. “Mess with you?” He shook his head. “From what Blaze told me, you’re just a glorified daycare center.” He picked up a bottle of whiskey he’d been drinking and took a sip. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Not if you want a fight!” Rainbow Dash stated flatly.

Ratchet was taken aback by her tone. “A fight?” He laughed. “Fisty, coming from a small group like yours.”

“We can handle ourselves.” Rainbow Dash smirked.

Ratchet smiled as he thought over her words. “We’ll see about that!” He walked up to Jet Cloud and noticed his injured wing. “I need to send a message to your group. Surrender the orchard or…” He activated his horn and grabbed Jet Cloud by his neck. “Or join the dead!” He threw him over to the trotter in the corner of the room.

Before Jet Cloud could make sense of what was happening the trotter sunk its teeth in his back. He let out a scream of terror and pain as the monster tore at his flesh. Ratchet smiled as he watched Rainbow Dash, Sorin, and Thunderlane looking at the display of horror with terrified eyes. Blaze kept his pistol aimed at the trio, but his eyes looked away and his ears laid flat as he thought of the mare in his dreams.

Twilight sat on the porch sipping her tea as she listened to birds singing their late afternoon melody. Letting out a sigh she looked at the horizon of Ponyville, staring at its eerie silhouettes through the haze of fall air. “Twily?”

Twilight looked over her shoulders and saw her brother standing under the front door. “Yes?”

Shining sighed as he sat next to her. “You think we made the right choice?”

Twilight stared the town’s horizon. “What choice did we have?” She looked into her cup. “He’s our only lead we have for Fluttershy.” She tapped her cup with a hoof. “But I am getting worried.” She looked at the setting sun. “They been gone for a while now.”

Shining nodded. “They should be back soon.” He turned his attention to the orchard’s gate. Seeing four figures his eyes lit up as they came into focus. “Holy shit!” He stood up “MAC! RARITY! GET THE OTHERS!” He ran toward the group.

Twilight shivered as she saw Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin guiding a trotter by rope that was tied around its neck. Getting closer she saw bruises adorned their bodies and the trotter… the trotter was Jet Cloud. “Oh no…” She held a hoof up to her lips as she stopped just a few feet from them.

Thunderlane and Soarin stopped and pulled on the ropes to keep Jet Cloud in place and tame. Rainbow Dash kept walking up to Twilight, before her limbs gave out and she collapsed against Twilight. “What happened?” Twilight asked, her voice coated with fear.

Rainbow Dash held back tears that fought to escape her eyes. “He lied…” She held onto her friend. “He lied about everything!”

“Shining?” Rarity called out as she arrived with the others. “Shining what happened, what’s all the… Oh dear sweet Celestia!” Rarity saw the zombified Jet Cloud. Seeing her friend breaking down, she sat next to her and ran her hoof through her mane.

“What the hell happened?” Applejack asked as she eyed her boyfriend and the zombified Jet Cloud.

“Was it Sanctuary?” Shining growled as he looked at Soarin.

“No…” Soarin looked down at his hooves.

“Then who?” Copper asked.

Soarin let out a sigh as he looked at the group. “Some fucker named Ratchet…”