The Trotting Dead

"NO!" Twilight Sparkle gasped as she sat up in bed, sweating profusely and panting hard.

She let out a groan as she closed her eyes and tried to calm her body before a splitting headache suddenly tore it's way through the frail mare's head.

Suppressing a scream of pain, the unicorn rolled out of bed and fell to the floor while clutching her head and horn in tremendous pain.

What in Celestia's name is going on?! she thought desperately, which only elicited more pain.

Twilight Sparkle panted softly, attempting to do the unthinkable: not think.

Eventually, the pain left her head completely and Twilight groggily got to her hooves.

"Spike..." she called out wearily, eyeing the little basket her assistant usually slept in.

But something was off about it...Spike didn't usually make his bed, and it wasn't made in this case, but the fact that it was overturned set the librarian on edge a bit.

"Spike?" she asked, more clearly this time.

Not a soul responded to her call, and so Twilight Sparkle carefully descended the staircase to the main floor.

"Spike? Are you here?" she called out again before slowly making her way into the kitchen.

The entire treehouse was devoid of life, save for herself, Twilight Sparkle realized as she set hoof into the kitchen.

Everything was so dim in here, yet Twilight's internal clock told her it was nearly sunhigh and time for lunch. Twilight quickly realized the odd reason for her dim house and quickly set to work removing the planks of wood that had been hastily nailed over the window.

"What the hay was Spike thinking? Why did he board up the windows?" Twilight asked herself as the final plank came off.

Twilight Sparkle sighed softly as she looked out into her 'backyard'. It really wasn't a backyard, but it was the outer edge of Ponyville. Twilight enjoyed seeing the few trees that took up residence behind the larger library and admired the dew-laden grass in the morning. She smiled slightly when she saw a pony in the distance bow down to eat at the grass.

"Today's going to be a good day." Twilight declared as she went about the tree, removing more planks from the windows and, surprisingly enough, a few larger ones from the door.

Spike must have been reading those ghost stories again. Twilight mused as she began reshelving a few books.

Spike, Celestia bless the dragon's little heart, enjoyed reading as much as Twilight did but he tended to believe quite a few of the stories to be fact rather than beautiful tales of fiction.

After the last book was shelved, Twilight turned around to view the entire room and her work; but not before noticing a single scroll rolled up and set on the table.

Unfurling the letter, Twilight cheerfully read.

Twilight,

Don't go outside. Don't unboard the windows or doors. Already sent letters to Princess Celestia but she wont answer.

Don't look in the basement.

I'm so sorry, Twilight...

-Spike

Twilight arched an eyebrow and set the eerie note back down on the table.

Something was off here.

Something was incredibly wrong.

"Spike...?" she called out, hoping- praying to hear the little dragon's reassuring voice as she cautiously approached the door to the basement.

Something smelled...Bad beyond the door, and it wouldn't give way to the unicorn until a forceful push from her magic sent the barricaded door bursting open.

Twilight Sparkle took a few steps back as an acidic smell washed over her and she felt the need to puke.

"Spike!?" Twilight called out more desperately now as she held her nose and descended the staircase.

She froze as she reached the landing and stared in horror as a small, purple and green body hung from a rope attached to the ceiling.