//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Leaders // Story: The Trotting Dead // by ZombieBrony22 //------------------------------// CHARLE'S P.O.V After we cleaned up the town, we found Pinkie's Trotter. It was bad. Her stomach was pulled apart and her Trotter was embedded into the ground. "I got it." Rick pulled out his knife and got closer. He looked at the pink earth-pony one last time. They never really talked to one another. It's as if they never existed. Now, here we are, Rick looking down at a practical stranger with a face of guilt. Rick slowly raised his knife and embedded it in Pinkie's skull. I never felt sadder. "We're gonna bury her," Rick said with his voice cracking, "Like a civilization would." Pinkie's funeral was short. It was our first burial since we got the walls up. "I was there when she died," Maggie said, "I saw horses die like that, but actually knowing her, and watching her... Pinkie's last words to me were 'run'. So I ran while she... I for one will deeply remember Pinkie." Twilight stepped up. "When I first came to Ponyville, Pinkie was the first pony I met. Since then, we've always been friends. She told me that we need to change our ways. I never listened. But now... I think we need a new leader, someone who's been out there, someone who has something to fight for, someone who is respected and trusted by their people... Rick, can you please step forward?" She asked. Rick stood up and walked up to Pinkie's grave. "Yes?" He asked. "You and your people have been through a lot. You've all done things, some horrible, but it can't be worse than what I did. I killed people, every day for 5 months. And after, we still kicked people out, back out there to die. But now, I want a new leader: You." Twilight said. I heard gasps and murmurs in the crowd. But me and Spike had a small grin on our faces. "So, Rick, what's it going to be?" Twilight asked calmly. "Yes. We have lots of plans for this place." Rick said. "Wait, we?" Twilight asked. "Me, Maggie, Paul, Dewy, Applejack, Shining Armor, and Princesses Cadence and Celestia are going to build this place. Together." The crowd was now listening in silence. "We can all make this place a real home. A home for my family. A home for my children, a home for all of us. We can take others in, see what their talents are, and put that to use. I will be in charge of that. Dewy and Shining will be in charge of our defense force. AJ and Paul will be in charge of work shifts. Maggie and Cadence will be in charge of the newcomers. And Celestia," He turned to her. "I want you to be my co-leader. You know about this world, we don't know squat. So what do you say?" Rick held out his... "hand" I think they're called? Celestia, after a minute, took Rick's hand and shook it. The crowd cheered as our new leaders were ready to rebuild this community. I saw Twilight leave and I decided to follow her. "Twilight." I called out. "What, Charles?" Twilight asked. "Why did you leave? We're all having a good time." I said to her. "I can't be there. Not after Pinkie. I know why she died, I know why the herd came through! The western gut pile was dry and the sound of an explosion drew over those Trotters. There wasn't a guard on the wall... It was my fault." "Twi... it was no-one's fault. We made it. We're still here." I said trying to comfort her. "I just can't be there." Twilight said with her voice cracking. "Then let me walk you back. We don't know if there're any Trotters left." With that, me and Twilight were walking back to her castle. "Why?" Twilight asked. "Why what?" I asked back. "Why did you talk to me that day, why are you talking to me now? Don't I frighten you in any way?" She asked. "I talked to you because no-one else will. You don't scare me. I've seen lots of things while I was still in the labs." "Like what?" Twilight asked. "Like viruses capable of wiping out all of Equestria, unknown areas of Equestria with deadly creatures, and all kinds of other zombie viruses. Some worse than this and some better. You don't scare me, Twilight. You won't kill me, you won't try to tear me apart in my sleep. You're just... you. Why you talk to me? Don't I annoy you?" I asked. "No. You seem like me in a lot of ways. Only you had friends and I didn't." "And here we are..." I said. We were locked into each other's eyes. Like a bullet, Twilight held me in an embrace. "Rarity was my fault. My own friends are starting to hate me. The only people I can trust are you and Spike. Please, give me that much." She begged. "I promise." I said back. RICK'S P.O.V Me and Celestia were in the castle discussing our new plans for this place. "Okay, so here are what we have of safe zones." Celestia pulled out a map of Equestria and showed me. It had about 3 areas, not counting New Canterlot and Ponyville, circled and wrote as safe-zones. As for the rest, they were either marked with question marks, X's, or wrote as 'overrun'. "So, Twilight wants to go to Manehattan for supplies, huh?" I asked her. "Yeah. She says that we could use a dragon's blood as a cure." "She said Spike was bit about 2 years ago. Since I see him with Sweetie Belle every day, he can't turn." I said to her. "Well, first thing's first, what do we do with the Resistance and the Dazzlings?" Celestia asked me. "We let them go here. If they have a turf war, we deal with it." I said. Before we could talk more, Dewy came in. "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOIN' HERE?!" "Dewy, we can talk about it, but we need you to calm down." I said to him. "No, Rick. You don't get it. Those two tried to KILL me for DAYS, for WEEKS. There is no way I am settling down when the girls who sent me from rooftop to rooftop will be a house away!" Dewy said. "Look, please, just calm down. Tell us everythang. Just calm down..." I said to him.