The Dreamer Virus (Sombra's Journal)

I have officially started my first day of travel. It took me a bit to get going as I had to find a good place to stash the supplies I wasn't taking to keep them from going rotten too fast or the dead being able to get their nastiness all over them. I packed my bags with everything else, and thanks to Puzzle's storage spell I was able to get a good amount into my bags before I headed off. Which in of itself was a bit of a fight. One of the dead had gotten either very smart, or very lucky and waited until I lowered a ruby to go for me. I'll admit I panicked and only just barely managed to blast it before it could attack me. I've got to remember to keep a level head at all times, losing my focus for even a moment won't end well for me, especially if I want to keep traveling light and not start lugging around some sort of weapon.

In the meantime, it's started to rain pretty hard, so I've managed to climb myself up into a tree to keep myself safe and dry while I wait for it to either pass or die down. Even with the light from my horn and a shield to keep the rain off me, they'll be useless it it's raining too hard for me to see. I found a decent map and a compass in my bag so I'm able to plot out a route and get a good idea of the best route.

Right now I'm keeping to the edge of the Everfree forest and will keep on it until I hit the train tracks, from there I can go towards Puzzle's great-grandfather's place and maybe stop to rest for a bit or even set up for the night if it's not too unsafe. After I rest, I might swing by Sweet Apple Acres and pick some apples then use the old water tower as a vantage point to get a look at Ponyville and see what their undead situation looks like and either head in to scavenge or just avoid it all together until I hit the train station. I can keep following the tracks from there and they'll lead me straight to Canterlot.

I'll have to be careful when I hit the river. The bridge doesn't have much space on either side of the tracks and the railing is on the short side. A fall in could spell the end for me, there's also the small bit of forest by it where I could be ambushed from. Be it by the dead or other survivors. The same might go for the tunnel at the base of the mountain Canterlot sits on. I don't fully know how the dead work here and for all I know a dark tunnel like that could be like a nest for them.

Speaking of the dead I've noticed they're somewhat sporadic in their peculiar behaviors. As I've traveled, the few I've seen have acted like loners, and even snapping at other undead that get close to them, to the point I've observed two snarling at each other over a scrap of meat, a stark contrast to last night when they were grouped up trying to attack anypony they saw. It also seems the rain has some sort of calming effect on them. Several have looked up the tree at me and could care less that I'm here and have just continued on their way. I do know a few rain spells so maybe I could utilize this odd quirk of theirs, once I study it a bit more. If I didn't need the rest I would also study their night behaviors. Anything I can found out about them would be highly beneficial to not only mine, but other's survival.

It almost suggests herding behavior or maybe instincts like the ancient ponies. It was safe to split up during the day and more beneficial that that, then group up at night to help ward of predators and more easily find food, finally being at ease during the rain as it kept their scent hidden from predators and day rain made the fruits and plants they ate stick out more. While I highly doubt they're worried about predation from anything else, it could still be a clue to what has caused all this and how to survive it.