Luna of the Dead

5 Months Later...

Early Spring...

Total 8 Months Since Outbreak...

Winter... Winter had been, uneventful. There were a few attacks, a few close calls, but the cold had seemed to stop the plague, or at least slow the corpses down. They had even encountered a few corpses that had frozen while standing. It had looked frozen to the core and no longer "alive", until it moved its eye to "look" at Apple Bloom. There was no stopping them, less you put a bullet deep in its skull. Winter had brought temporary relief, but winter was ending. Spring was coming to do what it did best: make it warmer, and melt everything once frozen in time. And still, through this hiatus of danger, they were no closer to saving Equestria, and with not seeing a single survivor in months, time was running out.

They had spent most of winter in a hut once inhabited by Apple Bloom's friend Zecora the Zebra. To their dismay, Zecora had been bit long ago, but had chosen to not turn. It was not a pretty sight.

The freezing cold had made in near impossible to venture out for to long. Despite Rarity creating makeshift winter-wear, this seemed to be one of the coldest winters in Equestrian history. It was as if the Windigos were feeding off of the death and misery and creating an Ice Age. They suffered through however, and were able to survive the long cold. But now with Spring here, this hut in the Everfree Forest was no longer safe. Attacks were becoming more frequent, and they got closer and closer to being overrun.

They had decided to move to the Crystal Empire. Celestia had done everything in her power to defend the Empire and manufacture a cure. It was now their best and only hope for saving Equestria. The others had been cautious of Luna's plan, but she was eventually able to convince everypony to leave. Last preparations needed to occur. Apple Bloom had said that she did not want to ever see the farm again, but she did need to stop by the clubhouse. Although there wasn't anything particularly important or valuable there, there were a few sentimental things she couldn't leave without. Spike wanted to follow Rarity back to the boutique, but she was very insistent that she go alone. Either do to emotional feelings about the boutique, or the thought about abandoning all of her hopes and dreams made them agree to let her go alone, so Spike tagged along with Apple Bloom. Luna needed to visit Canterlot one more time, and with her wing fully healed (despite her fears after flying on it with three passengers) she could make the trip in no time. They all agreed to meet at the train station in 24 hours, and then head to the Crystal Empire. When the sun had risen on the first day of spring, the three groups left the small hut that they had taken shelter in, and set out to say their last goodbyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

Apple Bloom & Spike:

They were at the Tree-House in no time. A warm, clear memory filled Apple Bloom's mind. It felt like Thirty years since Apple Jack first showed her little sister the clubhouse for the first time. Apple Bloom had personally replaced the broken boards and cracked glass with her own two hooves, and it had made the best HQ she could possibly want. Over the winter, it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The roof was once again leaking, the paint on the walls was beginning to peel, and there were even a few bullet holes in the windows and door. Apple Bloom's heart sank when she saw that it was nearly empty, and it appeared somepony had actually lived in there over winter.

"Oh no, there's nothin' left. Who would have stolen from a fillies treehouse?!"

"Death makes some ponies do crazy things. Twilight was always talking about how nervous she was getting about the morality of some ponies. They would act rude and cruel, and even attack innocent ponies."

Apple Bloom wandered to the middle of the room, where the faint lines of a square were barely visible. When she was fixing the clubhouse, she had found an empty space between the tree and the floor. The tree made a kind of bowl, so it was completely sealed, and Apple Bloom figured it the best place it keep any REALLY important things, so she made a secret door over it. She now opened this, and saw that it had been undisturbed. She grabbed out her Cutie Mark Crusader cape, her trusty hammer, and a photo of the Crusaders: Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Babs, and herself, along with Apple Jack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash in the background. Tears filled her eyes when she gathered her things, and she was just about to put the secret door back, when she saw a small bit of paper sticking out of the bottom of the tree.

"What's that?" Spike asked curiously.

"Ah don't know. Ah didn't put it there."

Spike bent over and grabbed the folded piece of paper. Apple Bloom went over to him, and Spike unfolded it. It was an envelope that said "Apple Bloom" on it. They exchanged worried glances, and Spike opened the envelope. He took out the piece of tan, wrinkled paper, and they both began to read...

~~~~~~~~~~

Rarity:

How happy she had been. A little pony, fresh out of college, ready to take on the world. Anypony in her shoes wouldn't have lasted a day, but Rarity had keen senses for fashion. Taking a part-time job at a thrift shop, she had accumulated enough bits to buy her very own Boutique, and then her life really began. Her boss had agreed to let her borrow a manikin, some fabric, and some sewing supplies. Rarity would never forget how generous that old colt had been, and she didn't let him down. Now, so many years later, it all had been meaningless. Rarity's eyes were swollen and red from tears that would not stop. Her once fabulous boutique, her home and future, was dull and grey, and foreign to her. The signs of the attack were still very visible, and nothing was the same. She slowly wandered through her untenable and cold house, reached the stairs, and moped all the way up them.

Her sewing room was disorganized and cluttered, and there was blood splattered on the walls and floor. Rarity's eyes quivered as she picked up her sewing box and a few rolls of fabric, which she placed in her saddle bags. The then headed over to the closet, and slowly turned the handle. She was about to retrieve the only thing left that she truly cared for, but she didn't see it.

Fear filled her heart, and she stepped back. "No...no,no,no. Not gone, cant be gone. NO, YOU CAN'T BE GONE! Did somepony take you?!" She began frantically looking around the room for it. She checked every room, every place, and even searched every corpse, but it was gone. She nearly tore the Boutique apart looking for it, and then looked at the clock. She had to meet at the Train Station in four minutes! She took a hard swallow, forced herself to accept that it was gone, and then flew out and into the dawn.

~~~~~~~~~~

Luna:

She lighted down on the balcony conjoined to her room. Luna was filled with memories. She had never told her sister how she really felt in their fillyhood, she never told her how sorry she was for loosing control, and she never told her that she betrayed her order to not build her own kingdom. Luna had never been one for following instructions to the letter, but there was a lot of regret she felt in not doing so, and she only wished she could tell that to her sister. But she couldn't. Celestia was gone, and Luna had to prove that to herself. The mare strolled into her room, and found her display. It had been a long time since she had needed to dawn her warriors suit, but she wouldn't start again now. Instead, she only grabbed her simplistic helm and her bound sword. There was an eerie comfort she felt in wielding them once again, but she knew she had to. Luna left the room and began wandering down the hall.

The castle was empty and inhabited only by corpses slowly decomposing. Flashes of emotion shocked her mind: misery, anger, desolation, hopelessness. The destructive romance of zombie ponies and living flesh had turned the castle into a graveyard. Luna's stomach twitched.

She was finally able to walk to the closed oak door of her late sisters room. Luna took a deep sigh, closed her eyes, and slowly creaked the door open. Upon opening her eyes, she saw that everything was the same: the window was still open, the room still a mess, and the bed still empty...

"EMPTY?!" Luna's heart began racing when she confirmed that the location her dead sister was placed was now uninhabited. "NO, it cant be... There's no way you could have turned! It's Impossible!" Luna flew out into the halls, terrified and in shock, desperately searching for her dear sister...