Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 7 Unite to Defy
Night had finally descended upon the long, tiring day. With the sun fully set and the moon high in the sky, it was time for Princess Luna to travel to Ponyville. However, before she could depart, the mare felt a slight tugging on her wings and turned towards the source to find her sister. Luna turned to Captain Storm who quietly understood and left the sisters to their discussion.
"What is the matter, sister?" she inquired.
"Those humans, they have ulterior motives other than to just help us out. I can see it in the Doctor's eyes."
"Thank goodness I wasn't the only pony who noticed it. But it doesn't give us the proof we need. We must wait a while longer."
"I'd be more comfortable if we're dealing with ponies here, Luna. But these are humans, something we've only heard in legends. I simply want everypony to be cautious, including you."
"Yes, I know. That is why I will be asking around town to see how they gauged their new 'saviors.' If all goes well, then Ponyville will be able to rest peacefully for one night."
"One could only hope for the best during these times. Have a safe trip, Luna. I wouldn't want to lose you for good."
"Quite the worrisome elder sister, aren't we, Celestia?"
"I wouldn't be a good one otherwise, right?"
"Heh, too true. I shall return before morning."
Nighttime inside the Royal Palace had always been peaceful. Hardly any creature stirred in the blissful silence. The night guards made their rounds, usually finding nothing amiss. The only other beings that were awake were Doctor Richtofen and Gersch. After the meeting at the throne room, they had scheduled another meeting just between them within the war room.
"There is one thing that has been nagging at my head for the longest time." Richtofen began.
"Yes, what is it?"
"You may not have known this, but my group and I have been displaced from our original environment twice. Once was at Der Riese where my Wunder Waffe DG-2 overloaded the teleporter which sent us 20 years into the future. The second was when you gave me the coordinates to Ponyville."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Seeing that you've been around since the beginning of World War II, I wish to ask you what had happen in the 2 decades I was gone. Who won the war? Had the conflict resolved? I want every single detail that you can remember." Gersch sighed as he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes.
"First of all, the world that you have departed from is a dystopia. Ever since you 4 disappeared from Der Riese in that incident, your respective countries erased all files concerning you. The moment you travelled through time was the moment your existence had been wiped out."
"Nein, that's impossible! The fatherland would never leave someone as important as I!"
"Also, because of your disappearance, no one else had been able to contain the zombies. It spread throughout Europe like a rotten cancer. Nearly all of Europe had succumbed to the infestation. The war was no longer about the Allies vs. the Axis. It was more like humankind attempting to fix its own blunders. A truce had been called on all countries to stop fighting amongst each other. This in turn created the United Nations. Or rather, what was left of the world's nations. The major countries that survived included the Americas, Russia, most parts of Africa and Asia, Russia (of course), and Great Britain. We had to resort to nuclear warfare to keep the zombies at bay. And even then, it was not enough."
"Wait a minute. Are you saying because of we accidentally ripped the space-time continuum that the earth just went straight to hell?"
"That's precisely it. The four of you had a mission to complete. Ultimately, you failed. Despite our use of greater technology, the string of element 115 mutated to resist nukes. Sure, the force of the explosion would still destroy them, but the radiation proved to be detrimental. In a sense, we were narrowing the battlefield to the point where the fight was right at everybody's doorsteps. We couldn't traverse the war torn lands without expensive special suits to prevent radiation poisoning. The higher ups were beginning to get desperate. Anyone who was of able health was taught to fire a gun and forced onto the frontlines in a feeble attempt to keep the infection at bay."
"If our files were terminated, how did you know about all of this?"
"Even the 'dead' are potential victims of robbery. I did my own snooping around while trying to find a way to get back to Equestria, my home. Apparently, teleporters were the rage with Nazi and Soviet scientists. Once I became integrated into the highest of Soviet ranks, I had enough power to acquire many things. The reason I took up your files was because of Der Riese. I thought that by finding out more about your group, I would be able to return home."
"You know far too much for your own good, Gersch."
"That would be true, if you weren't the only existing member of Group 935. Nonetheless, your statement still stands. I have been digging a little too deeply into the element. It was during that time that I nearly perfected my device to send me back home. I would've left the scientists on a good note, going as far as giving the schematics away to the public. But, a fellow scientist by the name of Yuri Kravcheski stabbed me in the back by tampering with my gateway to Equestria. Instead, it sent me to an ethereal realm where Sam resided."
"That was when we first met you at that Cosmodrome. Tell me, how is Sam doing?"
"Last time I came in contact with the little girl, she still harbors a grudge towards you. I wouldn't be surprised if she's the master puppeteer behind Equestria's crisis."
"Fascinating. No matter how you boil the situation down, it all revolves around that incident!"
"Richtofen, you unknowingly brought two entirely different worlds to near extinction. The only reason I am helping you now is because of your capabilities."
"Ja, ja, ja. Don't fret over it one bit, my friend. I always believe in cleaning up after myself."
"For everyone's sake, I hope so. I believe I am done for the night. I shall retire to my bed. Oh, one more thing, Richtofen."
"What is it now?"
"Do not underestimate us. Good night, Doctor."
"Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer, eh?"
It had been an incredible amount of time since Luna personally visited Sweet Apple Acres. Even with the passing millennia, certain aspects of life have not changed. This was something she appreciated. It was here where she decided to make her stand against the attacks, should it ever occur. After all, she did promised that cute little filly she'd protect them. While she stood guard amongst the rows of trees, she heard the flapping of wings.
"Princess Luna. I've come to report to you." Captain Storm bowed to her.
"Any signs?"
"None. It looks like things will be quiet, for once."
"Excellent. The citizens shall have their respite tonight." There was a brief silence between them until Storm spoke up once again.
"Princess, if I may ask what do you truly have in store for these humans?"
"My sister, Gersch, you and I are the only ponies who know about their background. We should keep things that way. As for what I wish to do with them, well, I don't know. Would it be right to send them straight back home after all is done? Do we just forget about them as if they never existed?"
"As much as I dislike their lot, it wouldn't be fair to them."
"Yes, that's true. I do wish to regard them as heroes, but things aren't that simple. At least, to these ponyfolk, they act as saviors. Really, the only one who seems decent is Takeo. Nikolai is an alcoholic, Dempsey might be able to reform, but Richtofen is just plain evil. How they deal with him is beyond me."
"Let's just hope they decide to go back to their homes after this mess is over with. Otherwise, we'll have to take matters into our own hooves."
"I do not look forward to that at all. I should be heading back to the palace for the coming morning. I want you to remain here to protect Sweet Apple Acres."
"I shall do as you please, Princess. Have a safe trip."
She had no idea how long she had stood in front of his door. All Fluttershy knew that it was already sunrise. She paced nervously back and forth, wondering how she should approach him.
"Um, hello? Are you awake yet, Takeo?" Despite her efforts, she could not bring her volume above a squeak. Deep down inside, she hoped that he would hear her. But at the same time, she feared that he might react violently to her intrusion. The bashful mare wouldn't dare knock either. What if he disturbed his rest? Before she could come to any crazy conclusion, the door clicked and swung open to reveal a half naked Takeo, dressed only in pants.
"Fluttershy, what is wrong at this early hour?" He rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to rid himself of drowsiness.
"Oh, uh, you see, I was just –oh my I'm such a wreck…" Takeo was getting slightly annoyed by her shyness until he spotted the harness around her back. It had a first aid kit strapped on top of it.
"Do not tell me you're still worried about me," her barely audible words now turned to a timid squeak. He smiled for the umpteenth time since his arrival to Equestria. "Come in." She slowly walked into the room. He took her personality into consideration and quietly shut the door instead of slamming it. "You really don't have to this for me."
"Oh no, I insist. Isn't it uncomfortable with all of those wounds? Um, if you don't mind lying on the bed…"
"Of course. So, Doctor Fluttershy (heh), how long will this take?"
"…Just a few minutes…" True to her word, the entire process did not take as long as Takeo had expected. Fluttershy was no stranger to bandaging and cleaning lacerations.
"Arigato, Fluttershy-san. You'd make a great field medic."
"Oh my, its nothing really. You start to see a wide variety of injuries after caring for animals for a while…"
"Hm, so you're a veterinarian. In any case, keep those medical skills of yours nice and sharp. We may not know when we'll need you the most." Once again, she was unable to speak. Instead, she squeaked. "Too flustered to talk, are we? It's alright. Let's just get some breakfast now."
Everything was being set in place. The clock would soon strike noon, and the teams had already been assembled. With Sweet Apple Acres being the most ground to cover, Richtofen and Gersch decided to watch their experiment here. With more targets to acquire, it would be more likely for the AMTs to extract element 115 from the zombies. Throughout the night, the two scientists had been tinkering with the machinery. The Nazi doctor knew that the zombies would be a perfect, almost unending, source of the element. So, with the help of Gersch and his team, they were able to add another feature to the turrets which allowed them to absorb whatever element the zombies had in their body. With the turrets placed in their proper locations, all Ponyville had to do was wait. Should any of the AMTs malfunction for any reason, it would leave Ponyville ripe for the picking. With this in mind, the humans and the ponies remained at their original stations, save for Richtofen.
"Hey Doc," Applejack started. "How sure are ya that these robots will work?"
"Well, according to my calculations, there's a one percent chance that they will malfunction. Now let's see here… we've deployed 18 of these around Ponyville…which means that you shouldn't fear any failure on the machine's part."
"Them fancy mathematics of yours better be right. For everypony's sake."
"You ponies worry far too much about your life. Place more faith in the Doctor, ja?" Though she still didn't believed his words, Applejack nodded regardless. The entire Apple Family remained outside to witness the "robots" work their magic, so to say. Takeo and Richtofen remained ready with their weapons drawn while Gersch restlessly scribbled notes on his scroll. In the distance, a loud siren could be heard wailing. As if on cue, the ponies became edgy, tensing themselves up for the battle ahead.
"Y'all better get ready. Them undead varmints are approaching!" Just as Applejack said, the zombies loomed over the hills, anxious to feast on the living. But, the AMTs closest to the horde whirred to life, and began to fire various offensive spells at them. They proved to be incredibly effective, much to the delights of the scientists.
"Ha ha! Look at this! The devastation that is at hand is simply marvelous!"
"This is wonderful! I'll get these notes sent to my team immediately so that we may begin the mass production!"
"Wait! It is too soon to be sheathing our swords! Look over there." Takeo had pointed out a small grove where there were less of the turrets. Some of the zombies had managed to break through the defenses.
"Gersch, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" There was a dangerous glint in Richtofen's eyes as he looked towards the elder unicorn. A similar glint could be seen in his eyes as well.
"More power is needed, yes?"
"Alas, we shall tweak it up another time. For now, we've got some children to discipline here…" With his dual shotguns, the Nazi charged into the fray.
"My blade shall exact death upon these cretins! Applejack, remain here with your family."
"No way, no how! I'd never back down out of a fight and I'm sure as hell I won't start now!"
"Listen to me, Applejack. If those turrets go haywire, they may shoot at us. I am here to protect the Apple Family and that includes you. I will not allow you or any of your kind to die in vain anymore!"
"But-"
"I know you are a capable fighter. This I do not doubt. But if Richtofen and I were to perish, saving all of Equestria would be difficult. Let's keep the casualties to a minimum." Before she could make any sort of rebuttal, Takeo had run off.
"Oooohhh, sometimes these humans just grind my gears!"
"Well, don't you two make a lovely couple?"
"What are you implyin', Big Mac?"
"Oh, its nuthin'. I just calls em' as I sees em'."
"Whatever, forget about that! Right now, we need to help out Tak and Doc!" However, before she could rush in, Big Mac stepped in front of his little sister. "Big Mac, if you don't mind, there's killin' we've got to do out there!"
"No can do, little sis. You heard Takeo. I'm not gonna have this argument with you again."
"Come on, Big Mac! How can you be so calm?"
"If you lose your cool in the heat of battle, you may find yourself among the dead and dishonorable. That's somethin' he told me before and its somethin' I can agree on."
"But he doesn't understand the pain of losing loved ones, does he?"
"Yer gonna have to talk to him about that yerself, Applejack. I'm in no position to spill the secrets of a fellow colt, er, man. But my statement still stands. You are not going to fight." Finally defeated, she stomped her way back to the barn. The colt let out an audible sigh as he turned to witness the battle at hand. "Don't do anything stupid, Takeo…"
"Do not worry, Big Mac," Gersch said. "I've designed these turrets so that no friendly fire will ever occur. A stroke of genius on both mine and Richtofen's part, if I do say so myself."
"Yeah, about those turrets… Can we really trust our lives to these robots?" Taken aback by his statement, the unicorn could do nothing but stare at the farmer colt with an incredulous expression for a while.
"Most certainly! They just need their daily charge of magic and the AMTs will be good to go! Right now, we need to figure out how many to deploy and Ponyville will be safe. I promise you that."
"Oh, is that what you've been writin' down on the scroll?"
"No, I've been doodling the past few hours."
Once the fighting was over, everyone had gone to the town square to discuss the next step in freeing Equestria from the dead. Once the turrets got started, it became incredibly obvious that they would be a key component in the battles to come. While zombies did manage to get through the turret defenses, they were in no shape to feast on pegasus guards.
"Gather around, everyone. Are we all here? Good. Ahem, it is with great pleasure that I announce the AMTs, a product of I, Doctor Richtofen and Gersch, a smashing success." Everyone cheered and applauded at the good news. "The citizens of Ponyville can finally rest easily. No longer will you poor ponyfolk have to sleep with one eye open! The constant wailing of the sirens are no more. Naturally, this would call for a celebration, but we must hold out on that for now. Sorry, Pinkie."
"Its okay! I understand completely!"
"Good, with that out of the way, let us continue. We will be resting up in the next few days. But after that, we must spread the technology all across Equestria. From Fillydelphia to Appleloosa, we must secure as many cities and towns as possible. Once we've got that under our belts, we can finally search out the cause of the problems. Our sources indicate that we must look for a giant meteor that has crashed into Equestria. Despite this being our only hint, I'm quite positive that it will be simple to find such a strange object, ja? In any case, the AMTs altogether have collected a large amount of 115. In other words, my team and I should be able to resupply our ammunition easily as long as I can recreate the machinery necessary for the job. Now then, without further ado, let's party!" And party they did. Though the humans have only heard of the legendary skill of Pinkie Pie, this would be their first time ever experiencing it in person. However, amidst the festivities, Applejack herself was not in the mood for partying. Quietly, she stepped out of the pavilion and walked around town. It was a cloudless night. The stars and the moon illuminated the darkness that the lamps could not penetrate. The earth pony found a bench with a nice view of the sky and situated herself comfortably. The words of Takeo and Big Mac still echoed in her head. Applejack had no idea how long she had been sitting there for it seemed the attendants were leaving one by one. Had the party ended already? Or had time passed by so fast for her that she had not noticed? Either way, she did not truly care as long as she remained alone. Unfortunately, as soon as that thought passed through her mind, she saw two figures approach her.
"Aw, phooey…" she whispered to herself. As the figures neared, she recognized them as Takeo and Twilight. While she didn't mind Twilight, Applejack definitely did not feel like talking to the Japanese.
"Hey Applejack. Everypony was starting to get worried so Takeo and I looked for you."
"Sorry to worry y'all. I just needed some fresh air and alone time."
"Oh, okay, if you say so. Come on, Takeo. Let's head back."
"Yes, I will be with you in a bit." Twilight surprisingly caught the hint and went on ahead. "May I sit with you, Applejack-san?" Silently, she scooted over to make space for him. "You are probably wondering about what happened earlier…"
"You're darn tootin' I'm wonderin'! In case it wasn't obvious, I've been wonderin' all night! Now what is that you and Big Mac have been talkin' about behind my back?"
"Its nothing new. Just concerns over the future."
"Right… Ya know, that's funny because Big Mac mentioned something about yer past. Is there somethin' you're not tellin' me?" Though he did not show it, Takeo was getting incredibly agitated by Applejack's accusing tone. Nonetheless, he remained cool and collected.
"Do you truly wish to know the horrors of war? Very well then. You know what it is like to lose family and loved ones."
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Imagine that pain. Now magnify it to your heart's content. At least we are dealing with dead enemies here. Back at home, we were engaged in a war. And the world was the stage. Every single country and faction was involved in the bloodbath. Death became so common to the point where counting the bodies became a mundane task. It was a strange, harsh reality that soldiers had to deal with. Naturally, I was no stranger to all of this. The Masaki clan has had a successful line of samurai and bushido for the past few centuries. The more enemies I had slain, the more honor I receive. Still, being surrounded by mutilation and dying brothers tends to wear you down. The way we murdered men out there was nothing short of inhumane. Any prisoner that we'd capture would be subjected to our torture. It was an old method of getting information and 'relieving' stress. To this day, I still see them in my nightmares. Their arms being slowly twisted off or their eyes set ablaze by cigar… You can call World War II a true hell on earth. Compared to what I've seen there, your crisis is child's play!"
"Oh my gosh… I, I'm so sorry. I had no idea!"
"It would be best if we kept it that way, Applejack-san. War is not for the meek of heart. If you think its bad now, you would have never survived a day in a foxhole." At this point, tears were beginning to form in the pony's eyes.
"But why? Why would you kill your own kind? I don't understand y'all one bit…" Takeo had placed a hand on one of Applejack's shoulders and began to rub it in a comforting way.
"I suppose, when you boil it all down, humans are a violent and evil race. We won't do anything out of pure kindness unless we are rewarded somehow."
"I don't believe you! If anythin', you've got to be the sweetest, kindest, human I've ever met! Even now, you're comfortin' me with pure good will! I'll…I'll never understand y'all…" After all of the death, after all of the heartache she endured, Applejack finally broke down. She cried and cried into Takeo's lap. She had finally let out all the frustrations and all of the sadness that have been accumulating through tears. For now, Applejack was done being the powerful, reliable pony that everyone else looked up to. Just for this moment, she was the one that needed a shoulder to cry on. All Takeo could do was to stroke her back in an effort to comfort the mare. Throughout that long night, if one were to listen carefully, they would be able to hear the soft wailings of a strong and admirable pony. Unbeknownst to the two, a certain purple unicorn had been spying on them through the bushes.
"I was right to place my trust in you Takeo…"
AN: Boy, I sure do love line breaks. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My creative juices were running low and I needed a small break.