AN: I do not own "My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic" or any of the characters mentioned in this fiction. I also do not own zombies. But I do own guns. Just in case…

2nd AN: This fiction is a collaboration between myself and a young gentleman I met on TV Tropes who goes by the handle "marston." The idea was his, the writing is mine.

Say Neigh to Zombies

Day 0 – The Great Muffin Disaster

It was an average day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the smell of fresh-baked pastries was gently wafting from Sugarcube Corner.

"This batch is gonna be great! I can tell! My Pinkie Sense's all a'twitchin'!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, as she threw open the oven door. In her excitement, she quickly clamped down on the hot muffin tin with her mouth and brought it onto a nearby table. After a moment, the pain of having a 300 degree piece of metal in her mouth finally registered and she violently shook her head and stuck her tongue out, "HOT HOT HOT!"

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash glanced at each other as they stood in front of the steaming tin, waiting patiently until Pinkie finished.

"OOell? Awnd oo goinb to hab one?" Pinky Pie asked, her tongue sticking out, as she moved uncomfortably close to Rainbow Dash. Dash in turn edged closer to Twilight, who herself took a step back.

Twilight chuckled nervously. "Shouldn't we wait for them to cool first?" She glanced at Pinkie's tongue, which appeared to be throbbing. "And, uh, shouldn't you get some First Aid?"

"'Nuh ooay, po-nay!" Pinkie replied exuberantly. Then she shook her head, returning her voice to normal. "Everypony knows that the best muffins are fresh muffins! C'mon! They'll be great!" She put her nose almost up against Twilight's and raised her eyebrows up and down. "Piiinkiiieee Seeennsse…"

Rainbow Dash snorted. "That's what you said about yesterday's batch." She edged closer to the muffins and sniffed at them. "Didn't a bunch of ponies get sick from them?" She sniffed at them again. "Also, didn't even Spike get sick?" She cautiously sniffed them a third time then stuck out her tongue disgustedly. "Besides, they stink!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight chided as she smelled the muffins herself. "At least give them a chance bef- Wow." She crinkled her nose and drew herself back. "They do stink…"

"What?" Pinkie Pie replied, flabbergasted. She also smelled the muffins and her face immediately turned green and she jerked her head backward. "PEE-YOO!" She turned her head and gagged for what seemed like an unnecessary amount of time, then immediately clamped down on the tin with her mouth and threw the muffins away. She frowned at her friends, with tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't get it… I followed the recipe exactly as Zecora said…" She went over to the counter which was still covered in mixing bowls, eggs and flour. She swiped everything to the side with one hoof and began searching for something.

"Wait. Pinkie…" Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "You mean 'She's An Evil Enchatress, She Does Evil Dances,' Zecora?"

Pinkie Pie turned around with a piece of paper stuck in her mouth. "Mmf. Mm hmm hm…" She stood on her hind legs and began to dance, although it didn't appear to look as sinister as her "Evil Enchantress" dance. "Mmm hmm HM hmn, mmph PHM mph-"

Twilight sighed and used her magic to snatch the piece of paper from Pinkie's mouth. As she read it silently, Pinkie Pie continued, "…her teas are deLICIous, she can prob'ly grant WISHES…"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "So…what, you guys are best buddies now?"

Pinkie Pie either didn't hear the pegasus or ignored her because she continued to sing and dance while Twilight confirmed Rainbow's "theory". "At the very least, they were trading recipes," she responded. "This is a recipe for muffins. Look."

Rainbow squinted as she read aloud, "Zecora's One-Cauldron Muffin Recipe." She scoffed. "Pff. No wonder they're bad. These ingredients sound gross!"

"Not to mention that you can only find some of these ingredients in the Everfree Forest," Twilight replied. "Pinkie, did you go into the forest to get these?"

Pinkie Pie, having concluded her song and dance, shook her head. "Nope! Zecora brought them to me!" She pointed her hoof toward several small bags that presumably held each ingredient separately. One in particular that caught Twilight's eye was a bag labeled "Solanum Root." She approached the bag and sniffed it, noting that it had the same pungent smell as the muffins.

"Say, Pinkie. Do you mind if I take these bags with me? I want to research this 'Solanum Root,' in particular."

"Sure!" Pinkie replied. "If you can figure out why my muffins keep coming out bad, I'd really appreciate it!"

Twilight smiled and placed the bags into her saddlebag. Then she said, "Well, I should get going. I want to check on Spike anyway." She then left the bakery. "See ya!"

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie Pie replied after her. "Say Rainbow Dash! Wanna stay and help me make some cupcakes?" Pinkie's smile grew unnaturally wide as she awaited an answer.

Dash leaned away from Pinkie and chuckled, "Eh, no thanks… I, uh…think I'll hang out with Twilight some more." She turned to leave but stopped when Pinkie Pie asked, "Is it because of that story where I lure you into a dark, spooky basement, then brutally torture you and kill you and make you up into cupcakes and feed you to our friends?" Oddly, Pinkie's smile never left her face.

Rainbow Dash stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly. "No, Pinkie, it is not 'because of that story where you lure me into a dark, spooky-' blah, blah, blah… You know I hate that story. It makes me look like a total wimp."

"It really does," Pinkie nodded.

Rainbow sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm outta here. See ya, Pinkie." She turned and flew out of the bakery after Twilight.

After everyone left, Pinkie Pie started cleaning up her bowls. "Sheesh," she said to herself. "It's not like I'd actually do that… Besides, pony-flavored cupcakes would taste terrible!" She then resumed cleaning while humming her "Not-Evil Enchantress Zecora" song.

"So, what's the deal with Pinkie Pie's muffins, Twi? Do you think Zecora would give Pinkie Pie a bad recipe because we were jerks to her before?" Rainbow Dash was hovering around Twilight as she made her way back to her home.

"I don't know, Rainbow. I don't think Zecora would intentionally give Pinkie Pie a bad recipe. It doesn't seem like her. After all, she helped us when we were affected by the Poison Joke and we thought it was her fault, and then she helped Apple Bloom when she chipped her tooth. Not to mention when she came and told ghost stories during the Nightmare Night celebration…"

"So, it's Pinkie's fault that the muffins are bad."

Twilight stopped and thought for a moment as Dash continued to hover around her. "I don't think so…" She rested her chin on her hoof. "At least…I don't want to think so."

"D'ya mind if I stick around and help you research?" Rainbow Dash landed in front of Twilight and looked at her expectantly. Her countenance fell when Twilight responded with a chuckle, "Rainbow…I doubt that you'll want to hang out and help me do research. After all, it's going to be a lot of finding books and scrolls and reading. You'll probably get bored and doze off or something. I'm not even sure where I would start, or if I have the right books, and I'd really hate to waste your time when you could be out doing something more fun…"

"Pff, fine," Rainbow snorted. "Have fun with your dusty old books. I'm going to go see what Applejack is up to." She quickly flew off, leaving a puff of dust in her wake.

I can't believe Twilight just blew me off like that, Rainbow Dash thought as she flew toward Sweet Apple Acres. "Oh, let's hang out, Rainbow Dash." "Pinkie Pie made another batch of muffins and it would be nice if we tried them for her, Rainbow Dash." "We'll have a good time, just you and me…" Rainbow huffed. Ok, so she didn't actually say that last part, but that's totally what she was implying. Geez, just make up your mind. Do you wanna hang out with me, or not?

Why don't you make up yours, Dash?

Who said that?

I did. Or, more properly, you did. Look, if you like Twilight, why don't you just tell her like a sensible pony instead of beating yourself up like this? It's not fair to take your frustrations out on her, either. She's a very busy pony and you're not exactly being forward about your feelings for her.

Shut up.

You know I'm right.

So?

I'm just sayin'. Grow a pair and come out and tell her!

Your face should grow a pair.

Real mature…

Rainbow Dash chuckled at that last part. She always had the best comebacks.

"Hee-YAH!" Applejack's signature 'Apple-Buck' shook the stout post that she used to practice her kicks in the off-season. "Boy howdy, that was a good one! This Applebuck season's gonna be a snap!" she remarked, wiping her brow. Suddenly, she saw a light blue streak heading toward her. "Oh, dear…" She braced herself for impact, but surprisingly, Rainbow Dash managed to make a perfect landing on top of the practice post.

"Hiya, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash called out.

Applejack opened one of her eyes and saw that the pegasus hadn't crashed into her. She immediately called out in her typical cheerful manner, "Well, howdy there, Rainbow Dash! What brings you to Sweet Apple Acres?"

Rainbow glided down from the post and landed in front of Applejack. "Oh, not much," she replied casually. "Just wanna see what everyone's up to."

"Well, Big Mac's still laid up from Pinkie Pie's Great Muffin Disaster of…Yesterday, Apple Bloom is with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle doin' Who-Knows-What tryin' to get their Cutie Marks, and I'm practicin' for Applebuck season. Watch this." Applejack bucked the practice post again, causing it to shake even harder than last time.

Rainbow Dash let out an impressed whistle. "Not bad, not bad…" Then she crouched down into a runner's stance. "I'll bet you still wouldn't be able to beat me in a race! First one to the other side of the orchard wins. Whaddaya say?"

Applejack smiled. "Shucks, you know I can't turn down a challenge." She cast a sly glance in her rival's direction. "I mean…if racin' you was actually a challenge…"

"Oh, it's on!" The two ponies crouched down beside each other. "Ready?" Rainbow asked.

"Set…" Applejack replied.

The two shouted together, "GO!" and they bolted from the "starting line" in a mad dash for the other end of the orchard.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CLOTHIERS GO!" Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle raced around Carousel Boutique gathering all the fabric they could get their hooves on while Rarity looked on in exasperation.

"Please, girls!" Rarity cried dashing from corner to corner of her boutique, resetting mannequins and re-hanging bolts of fabric, "Scootaloo! Please, place that back where you found- Sweetie Belle! That is not a toy! Apple Bloom, plea- AUGH!"

*ding-a-ling*

The Cutie Mark Crusaders halted their quest just long enough for Rarity to yank off a large bolt of fabric that they happened to be entangled in, causing them to roll across the floor. As Rarity hung the cloth back up, she greeted, "Ah, hello there. Sorry it's such a mes- Oh! Fluttershy! Am I glad you're here!"

"Hi, Rarity." Fluttershy glanced around at the torn up shop floor. "I was walking by and I head such a commotion, so I thought I'd see what was going on."

Rarity flipped her mane and sighed. "Oh, it's nothing much. It's just that…Sweetie Belle," motioningtoherlittlesister, " and her darling…friends," motioning now to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, "have decided to get under my mane and make a complete disaster area of my shop!"

"Oh, that's terrible! Is there anything I can do to help?" Fluttershy started to pick a piece of fabric off of the floor.

Sweetie Belle frowned. "We're sorry, Rarity… We were only trying to help…"

Rarity stepped toward her sister. "I know, Sweetie Belle. But, please ask me before you and your friends just start tearing fabric off of my skeins."

Apple Bloom also apologized, then nudged Scootaloo, who did the same. "Maybe… We'll help you get cleaned up."

Before Fluttershy or Rarity could object, the Cutie Mark Crusaders sprung back into action. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CLEANERS GO!"

Twilight frowned. Spike had spent the entire morning sleeping, and it didn't seem as if he would wake up anytime soon. The soup that she had made for him and left beside his bed remained untouched and had gotten cold.

"Boy, this is serious…" She pulled Spike's blanket up to his ears and left him sleep. "I hope he gets better soon… I wonder how the other sick ponies are doing."

She walked over to a desk that she had set up near her bookshelves. One by one, she pulled Zecora's ingredients from her saddlebags and placed them on the desk. Then she arranged them in alphabetical order, taking great care not to spill any. "Well," she said to herself. "First things first." She pulled all of the books that she possessed that had anything to do with plants from the shelves and placed them in a large circle around her. She sighed. "This is gonna take a while…"

Spike moaned and turned in his bed.

At least he's still making noise, Twilight thought with relief.

Deep in the Everfree Forest, Zecora was in her hut, gathering ingredients for a potion.

"Where did I place my Solanum Root?"

"I thought I had it next to the Passion Fruit?"

She looked around her hut for a while longer before coming to a startling realization.

"Oh no! With Pinkie Pie of Ponyville it now resides!"

" Hopefully to not make my muffins she decides!"