//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Movement // Story: The Trotting Dead // by AstraPony //------------------------------// The suited pony took off her mask. Underneath it was a yellow pony with a wavy (and slightly messy) pink mane. "Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Yes... that's right," Fluttershy confirmed. All the other ponies in the room were shocked. Their jaws gaped open and one even dropped their half-eaten cupcake. "Why didn't you tell me it was you?" "I felt guilty about your crash, so I hid myself from everypony else." "But, you had nothing to do with my crash. Why would you feel guilty?" "I wasn't there to help you when you crashed." "Oh, Fluttershy! No matter if you were there or not, you couldn't have helped me. Don't beat yourself up! Don't be such a softie!" "Thanks... but I wish I was still there, just in case." "The past is in the past. Dust yourself off and move on. Besides, I'm fine! Well, except I can't fly; but other than that, I'm spotless!" "But your head!" "What about it? I'm fine!" Rainbow Dash objected. Just then, a hoof butst through the barricaded front followed by several groans of Trotters. "Trotters!" Fluttershy yelled to the others. "Pinkie! I told you this party was a bad idea!" Rainbow yelled at Pinkie. "Sorry..." the party pony said as her mane deflated. Something was clearly on her mind. "There's no time for apologies! Everypony to the castle!" Twilight ordered! "But its on the other side of town!" one pony interjected. "Fluttershy is the only pony with a gun! Now do you want to become the Trotters' next meal when they eventually burst through the door or do you want to live?" Twilight yelled. The pony didn't asnwer. "That's what I thought. Now everypony, on my count, we move! One!" The Trotters were starting to break through the door. "I can't hold them off much longer!" Fluttershy yelled back to the group. "Two!" a small, green, scaled body was climbing through the hole in the door, but in wasn't a pony. "Three!" the creature was through the door and was inside the small bakery. It had a purple belly and purple spikes going down from its head to its tail. Muliple small holes made from other Trotters were on its head, belly, and tail. "Spike?" Fluttershy asked, letting her gun down for a second. "Move!" yelled Twilight. Everypony move off their current spots and headed for the back door. Twilight directed everypony toward the back down. After Fluttershy exited through the door, Twilight looked back at the small Trotter. She quickly turned back around and followed the group, but if you looked closely, you would've seen tears forming in her eyes. As the group ran through the streets of Ponyville, many ponies were lost. In fact, only Fluttershy, Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash remained. But before they could reach Twilight's castle, a horde of Trotters blockes their path. Flustered, Twilight quickly looked around for a solution. Then she spotted it. "There!" Twilight shouted while pointing. "Carousel Boutique! Lets go!" Without hesitation, the others followed. Rainbow Dash had to kick the door down to get inside. What they saw shocked them. Sitting at a sewing machine, just sewing randow fabrics together, was Rarity. Her mane was a disheveled messed. Her eyes were bloodshot and twitchy. She was also muttering under her breath. "Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked while stepping forward slowly. "HAHAHAHA!!" Rarity cackled. "Welcome to Pot Roast Pickles! Would you like a dress?" Rarity held up the 'dress' she was working on. Rainbow Dash leaned over to the others and whispered "She's gone off the deep end."