//------------------------------//
// 1: Everfree Forest 
// Story: Left 4 Ponies: Get to Sweet Apple Acres! 
// by Silver Arctic Wolf 
//------------------------------//

Trapped in a dark forest, four ponies ran for their lives as a horde of pale ponies and sickly forest creatures closed in on them. 
“Hey, back off!” Rainbow Dash shoved away a groaning pony before it could bite her face. 
Seeing that the horde was upon them, the group turned around to make a stand.
Applejack bucked a zombie in the face and sent it sprawling against a tree. “Tarnation! We just had to be stuck in the Everfree Forest when this craziness hit, didn’t we!”
“It’s a good thing we were, Applejack!” Twilight said. “According to that letter Spike sent, Zecora might be able to brew a potion to cure everypony, but she needs some herbs that only grow here.”
“Land’s sake, you gotta be kidding me! We have to look for herbs out here when we’re getting attacked on all sides?!”
“Yeah, seriously! How is it fair that all the rest of the survivors are barricaded at Sweet Apple Acres, and we’re out here doing errands in a crazy zombie apocalypse to save everyone in Ponyville’s sorry hides?! You guys aren’t just pranking me again, are you? If you’re trying to get me back, then that is so not cool, because I haven’t even pranked anyone in weeks!”
“No, Rainbow Dash, this is no prank,” Applejack answered.
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Come on, girls! We have to do this!”
“Alright, alright. Twilight, you focus on getting those herbs, and we’ll hold off these zombies,” Rainbow Dash said.
“You can count on us, Sugar Cube.”
“Good, because I think I see some over there-”
“Hey, wait a minute… Where the hay is Pinkie?!” As she knocked aside zombies, Rainbow Dash stole a few moments to cast worried glances about the forest, searching for their friend.
“Tarnation! Not again!” Applejack pointed her hoof off in the distance, where Pinkie was merrily bouncing down the path. “Doesn’t that filly know we have to stick together?!”
“Ack!” Twilight gasped when she saw a swarm of zombies surround Pinkie. Pinkie’s cry for help reverberated through the trees as the monsters gnawed on her limbs. “Come on, I’ve got the herbs, we’ve got to help her!”
After shoving a bundle of herbs into her saddlebag, Twilight cast a spell of teleportation to get them closer to Pinkie, and the three of them unleashed a thrashing upon the zombies that had surrounded her.
“Mighty sorry, y’all,” Applejack said to the injured zombies. “We’ll be back once we’ve got the antidote to cure ya.”
“Ow, ow, ow!” Pinkie said as she rubbed her injured forelegs. In a quiet voice, she said, “Thanks for helping me, guys…”
“Pinkie, you’re bleeding!” Twilight cried out in alarm. “Hold still so I can bandage you up!” She took a med kit from her saddlebag and began first aid, much to Rainbow Dash’s chagrin.
“Twilight, stop healing her!” Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves in exasperation. “First of all, those’re just scratches; second of all, it’s her own fault for constantly running out so far in front of us; and third of all, you’ve already used four med kits on her! What if the rest of us get injured?!”
“I am not leaving anypony behind, Rainbow Dash! And we will deal with any shortage of medical supplies when and if it occurs!”
“Ugh! Fine, whatever!”
“Hey!” Pinkie chimed in. “That reminds me of this story, this one time, when me and my sister Maud were looking at some rocks, and-”
Applejack, who was standing on the lookout for any more zombies, cut Pinkie off: “Is now really the best time, Hun?”
Pinkie hung her head. “I guess not…”
“Alright, I’m done here,” Twilight said as she finished tying the ends of the bandages. “Let’s get a move on.”
“And this time, Pinkie, don’t march off on your own!” Rainbow Dash scolded.
“Okay dokey lokey!” After saying this, Pinkie immediately bounced down the path.
“Hey! What did I just say, you-!” Rainbow Dash bounded after her.
“Rainbow Dash, wait!” Twilight cried out, a look of horror etched onto her face.
“Raaaaaggghhh!”
A shrill shriek echoed through the forest, and from the treetops something leaped. The thing flew right through the air, straight at Rainbow Dash, landing right on the helpless pegasus and pinning her to the ground.
“Uwwwaaaah! Help me!” Rainbow Dash cried out as the zombie grabbed her limbs. “Help! She’s trying to put me in one of her frilly dresses!”
The zombie on top of Rainbow Dash was none other than Rarity, cackling madly as she shoved a white gown onto the struggling Rainbow Dash. 
“Land’s sake! Leave her alone!” Applejack spun her lasso over Rarity and pulled her off of Rainbow Dash. On account of her continued snarling and lunging at the trembling Rainbow Dash, Applejack didn’t see much choice but to pull the end of the rope over a branch and suspend Rarity in the air.
“Oh, Rarity…” With tear-filled eyes, Twilight turned her gaze from the raging zombie that had once been her friend.
Applejack put a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders. “Don’t fret, Sugar Cube. It’s like you said: we’re gonna get the cure and save ‘em.”
“I hope so, Applejack. I hope so.”
Applejack tipped her chin at Rainbow Dash. “You alright, Rainbow? Not scared, are ya?”
“Wh-what? No way! I wasn’t scared!” Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash grabbed ahold of the dress Rarity had forced onto her and tore it off. “Anyway, maybe you should be more worried about Pinkie being scared, you know, since she ran off and she’s all alone out there. Anyone see her?”
Twilight cast a spell to emit light from her horn, and squinted as she scanned the area. She gasped and her eyes widened when she saw a group of zombies attacking something. “Oh no! She’s getting swarmed again!”
“Ugh, are you kidding me?!” Rainbow Dash dashed to the rescue.
“Wait, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried out.
“Waaaah!” Rainbow Dash shrieked out in horror when a zombified Scootaloo jumped on her back. Scootaloo covered her eyes, which kept Rainbow Dash running around and screaming blindly. Scootaloo snorted and cackled as she steered Rainbow Dash deeper and deeper into the woods, away from her friends and towards her doom.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Ugh… Come on, Applejack, let’s go save them.”
“I think we’re in for a long night, Sugar Cube...”