Luna of the Dead

Everything was spinning. Light was starting to creep back into her eyes, and blurry shapes were beginning to form. She raised her hoof to wipe her eyes, but pain shot through it like a lightening bolt. It came into focus, and she could tell that it was bandaged up in a splint. Her head was groggy and she couldn't remember what had happened. She turned her head to view her surroundings, and was startled by the little red-haired filly standing near her.

"Yer awake! Ah thought you'd be asleep fer'ever. Ah'm so glad yer awake."

Luna was surprised. Apple Bloom was...smiling. She hadn't smiled since the farm, but here she was, excited. What was going on? "Ah, Apple Bloom. It is good to see you, but what happened? All we remember is sneaking up to the boutique, and then darkness. Do you know what happened?"

"Oh yeah, about that. Rarity's awful sorry about shootin' ya. She said that she couldn't be too careful. Some ponies have gone completely bonkers and formed Raidin' Parties and such. They'll do just 'bout anything ta survive; even murder other ponies."

This news disturbed her. First of all, she had been SHOT! Secondly, kind and good-hearted ponies had fallen so far into desperation that they were murdering each other for supplies. How had everything gone so wrong?! Celestia had trusted her to take care of Equestria, to save it from collapse, and she was failing. Things were getting worse, and she could do nothing to stop it. Luna's stomach growled. The world was ending, and she was hungry?! She didn't know why, but that angered her. How could she want food when everything was flying down a highway to hell?!

"Ya sound hungry. Ah brought ya some food. Rarity says you should eat some food and then get some rest. Rest'll make your leg and wing heal faster."

The kindness of Apple Bloom was enough to snap Luna out of her mental rage, and she smiled at the filly. If this pony could still be this cheery and kind, even in these dark circumstances, maybe there was hope for the rest of Equestria. Luna began to eat the hot soup and alfalfa sandwich, and Apple Bloom left her to herself. Apple Bloom rejoined Rarity and Spike in the Boutique's main room, where they were both sitting and eating sandwiches too.

"How is she?" Spike asked nervously.

"She's alright. She's gonna get some rest and regain her strength"

"I really am VERY sorry about that. You just can never be too careful these days. To think, I SHOT PRINCESS LUNA. That has to be the worse possible thing I've ever done. I really do hope she can forgive me."

"Ah'm sure she will. She understands what it's like now, and she knows you were just being safe." Apple Bloom sat by her plate, completing the circle. She began munching on her sandwich. It was nice to have a meal amongst friends with decent food again. The Apple's had been eating canned food for the past few weeks, so Apple Bloom was excited to have a normal sandwich again, even though she didn't much care for alfalfa. She chewed for a while, swallowed, and asked, "So what did ya do after Twilight declared we use Operation:18 Rarity?"

"After we all retreated, I did what everypony else did: seal myself inside. Let's see, that was about two months ago, right? I kept myself busy making new outfits, such as the survival gear I was wearing when you all showed up." Rarity, true to her nature, had spent a majority of the apocalypse keeping her self busy with her favorite hobby: creating new outfits for the everyday pony. Unlike her usual style, however, her more recent creations were more about functionality rather than excessive fabulousness. Her favorite outfit was a "Zombie Survival" suit of light and stylish body armor. It was effective for stopping bites, bullets, and even had a matching helmet. All of the armor plates were sewn into what resembled a trench-coat, made out of a strange fabric that neither Spike nor Apple Bloom had seen before. Rarity had said that it was a very rare material, and had refused to say what it was called. "Company Secret" she had said with a grin.

"What happened to Sweetie Belle when Twilight gave the order?"

"Oh, she uh... was evacuated, after the "Town Hall" incident. She refused to leave. She wanted to stay and help us defend, but I told her it would be safer if she evacuated with our parents. We were finally able to get her to agree, on the promise that I join her once they send in the next airship. I've been waiting here for them to send another, but as you know, there hasn't been one in almost two months."

Apple Bloom's eyes dropped to the floor. Knowing that Sweetie, while in a safe location, was SO far away really depressed her. It wouldn't make everything better, but having the peppy young unicorn around would certainly brighten up her life. Someday she would see her again. She promised herself that. Apple Bloom would find some way to reunite with Sweetie and Scootaloo, and then everything would be better.

"Does anypony hear that?" Apple Bloom snapped out of her thoughts after Spike's question. Hear what? She didn't hear anything.

"Yes, I...I think so." Rarity rose to her hooves and wandered over to the window. She starred out at the darkening sky. Under the pale moonlight, she could see bumpy shapes on the horizon. She leaned closer to the window, when a flash of dull colors flew past her. Rarity jumped back, and Spike and Apple Bloom quickly stood up. There was a tapping on the roof, almost as if somepony was trotting around up there. Rarity looked back out the window, and she could see the slow, staggering figures of ponies. But not living ponies.

*tap tap tap*. The roof echoed the sounds of somepony trying to break their way inside. Rarity quickly threw on her survival outfit and magically picked up her scooped hunting rifle. Spike grabbed a large kitchen knife while Apple Bloom raced out of the room to go and rouse Luna. Rarity went about locking every door and window she could, and then her and Spike headed up the stairs t get to the balcony. They galloped through the hall to get to the door that opened to the balcony, but a large explosion of glass pounded into them. The both got back up, and saw that the cause of the broken window was a blue pegasus standing in the debris. It was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane...