The Trotting Dead

Snarling teeth met centimeters from Twilight's snout as Winona's muzzle snapped shut.

Twilight suppressed a shriek of terror and surprise as the rotting dog tried in vain to climb the tree.

She began to hyperventilate as the dog seemed to get a foothold on the tree, only to collapse back onto the ground and leap up at her again as if nothing had ever happened.

The purple unicorn couldn't help but notice that Winona's eyes were completely devoid of any life; just glazed eyes locked onto her body.

And those teeth...

Those snapping teeth...

Those were teeth designed for tearing and chewing flesh; what did Applejack feed her when they were both alive?

Twilight shivered at the thought of Applejack feeding Winona live or dead animals and switched her focus onto the matter at hoof.

Stuck in a tree: check.
Zombie dog trying to bite my face off: check.
Friends: not check.
...
Magic...?

Twilight closed her eyes and tried to focus out the snapping of teeth and the menacing growls that escaped Winona's muzzle so that she could concentrate on summoning even a drop of magic to deal with this threat.

But either because she hadn't eaten properly or taken care of herself, or the noise was too loud, Twilight couldn't manage to tap into her magical reserve long enough to pull out enough power; if there was any power in there to begin with.

Twilight sighed and stared down at the poor creature that was struggling to get at her; Winona was never a bad dog, but then again this wasn't Winona...

She felt sorry for the creature; forced or perhaps willing to put their own life on the line for a meal, a meal that could fight back and do more damage than it could dish out in return.

It was a pitiful existence, being a zombie, Twilight thought.

Breathing in and out deeply, Twilight felt the world fade away...

"So, where've you been?" Apple Bloom asked as she lead Rarity and the other crusaders through the rows of apple trees.

"We have been staying in Princess Luna's old castle, the one she built when she was Nightmare Moon that's in the Everfree Forest. It's rather defensible, and we have only seen a few, Trotters, as you call them, wandering the forest. It would appear even in death things are still afraid of that place." Rarity answered.

"Y'all've been hidin' out in some abandoned, run down castle this whole time? What've y'all been doing fer food?"

"Well, initially we raided what was left of Sugar Cube Corner, but that became too risky and Pinkie Pie decided she didn't want to go there anymore for some reason. Then, we figured that Sweet Apple Acres probably wouldn't have been affected, and we were right- in part. We started with the edge of the farm, until that ran out and we made our way inwards. And that's when we stumbled across your big brother for the first time..."

"Ah see...An why didn't y'all just...Ya know, move out uh here? Go somewhere else?"

"Apple Bloom, we were still trying to figure out where everypony was; who was alive and who wasn't. And on top of that, we were certain that Ponyville wasn't the only place that this had happened to since the Princesses didn't step in."

"Oh." Apple Bloom replied, seemingly interested but too focused on her task of leading to form a deeper reply.

Ah...The comforting familiarity of my own magical conscious... Twilight mused as she opened her eyes to blackness.

It seemed to stretch on forever, but before her sat a heap of purple, glowing powder.

My magic... Twilight thought in her own mind, smiling fondly.

She picked up a hooffull before closing her eyes once more and reopening them.

The setting sun beat down through the trees and Twilight was almost fooled that none of this was actually real...Until Winona's snarling dragged her back fully to reality.

The look on the old dog's face was almost enough to break Twilight's heart; it was a look of hunger, a needing to feed or its existence would falter and flicker out.

Sadly, it had to be done.

Twilight closed her eyes once more and gently wrapped her aura around Winona's head, slowly but surely engulfing the faithful canine's head before suddenly squeezing.

A sickening crack and pop sounded and Twilight refused to open her eyes.

She simply sat there on the branch, fighting back tears for the first being she had killed.

A being that she had known in life.

Apple Bloom let out a soft gasp as the group came across a small clearing.

Inside, laying on the grass were three bodies, one of which being a dog, and the other two being earth ponies.

Caramel and Granny Smith.

But Rarity seemed unaffected by the gore, trotting among the three headless bodies as she came to the base of a tree and simply stood there looking up.

It was then that Apple Bloom caught on.

"Twilight!" She exclaimed, causing the purple tail to flick and reveal a unicorn head with eyes, eyes that shot open and glowed with happiness at the sight of her friends.

Twilight Sparkle let out a happy squeal and carefully leapt out of the tree, tackling Rarity to the ground and clinging to her before the happiness that had consumed the unicorn melted away into sadness and regret.

"Rarity, I'm so sorry! I-I had no other choice, they would've gotten to me!" Twilight sobbed as her gaze avoided the three lifeless bodies.

Apple Bloom and the other crusaders, however, noticed them immediately.

Sure, they had brought Big MacIntosh down.

Sure, it had hurt because he was family.

But it had to be done or else somepony else could have gotten hurt.

But this...Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hadn't done this.

The three bodies of their friends in life lay motionless on the cold ground; the spot where heads should be ending in lifeless, bloody stumps that still dripped with the dark red liquid.

Apple Bloom shivered in disgust and tried to hold her stomach in.

Scootaloo wasn't too keen on that idea and let loose her own breakfast.

After spilling their guts to each other, Twilight apologizing as if she had just murdered a filly and Rarity struggling to calm her and tell her it was all justified, the pair trotted over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and edged them away from the clearing; towards the Everfree Forest.

"We are lost!" Pinkamena sung softly, her voice pricking Rainbow Dash's ears like needles.

She pressed her teeth together painfully in an attempt to fight back a retort for Fluttershy's sake; she could care less what happened to the annoying pink earth pony anymore.

They had been wandering this farm for what seemed like a few hours, and the sun was trying to hide behind the mountains of Canterlot.

Pinkie Pie was right, as much as Dash hated to admit it. They were lost; they had been lost ever since they left Rarity behind and escaped Big Mac.

But how was it even possible to get lost in an apple orchard where the apple trees were planted in rows so you could see straight down between them?

Whatever the reason, they were lost.

"Lostie, losty, lost, lost!" Pinkamena taunted.

Rainbow Dash spun on her hooves to smash them into Pinkamena's snout only to see Fluttershy beat her to the punch.

Pinkamena's eyes widened as she lay on her back, Fluttershy standing over her and glaring.

"HA! Nice job, Flutt-" Rainbow Dash began, only to receive a hoof to her snout as well.

Horseapples, that mare's got quite the punch... Rainbow Dash thought as she got to her hooves.

"What the hay was that for?!"

"Because you two have done nothing but fight since Twilight came back and I AM SICK OF IT!" Fluttershy screamed, spreading her wings and shooting up through the leaves.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkamena shared a shocked look before Dash reluctantly helped Pinkamena to her hooves.

"Uh...I'll...I'll go fly up and check which way it is to the Everfree...It's getting late, and maybe Rarity's already there..." Rainbow Dash stammered.

"Yea...You do that..." Pinkamena said, he voice soft and low as if she was lost in thought.