AN: Sorry about the long wait, guys. I've been feeling under the weather lately (sick, lack of motivation, etc.). Hopefully I can get the production up to speed next time. I WILL be seeing this story to the end, though. Don't you worry about that! Oh, an author notes will be on top from here on out.

Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 8: Brimstone Landscapes

With the security of Ponyville truly solidified, everyone's time and energy can now be focused on recuperating. Within the past few days, fruits and vegetables had been harvested successfully. The weather pegasus ponies were able to freely change forecast without fear of attacks. A return to normalcy was in sight for the ponies which boosted their morale. They were all in high spirits, though not quite the usual level of peppiness that was previously present. While Takeo, Dempsey, and Nikolai helped in the reconstruction of the town, Doctor Richtofen returned to Canterlot with Gersch in order to create more inventions. The imperial soldier remained with the Apple family to help them procure the harvest and reinforce whatever building needed tending to. Dempsey, Nikolai, and many of the ponyfolk were busy rebuilding the southern neighborhood. It was here that the Soviet demonstrated his expertise in carpentry much to the surprise of his colleagues. Despite being under the influence of alcohol, his decisions sped up construction overall.

"Dempsey, are you almost finished up there? I need to talk to you." Nikolai called out. The marine had been hammering in planks on the second story of a house.

"Yeah, just about done here," he replied back from the scaffold. "What is it? If its about the vodka, I'm telling you I'll get more of that stuff when we get back."

"No, it is not that. Though Nikolai does appreciate you still remember that. Follow me." After jumping down from the platform, Dempsey trailed behind the Soviet as he led them to a somewhat isolated area of town. Once he was satisfied with their privacy, he turned towards the marine with a stern expression. "This is very important. Have you noticed anything strange with Takeo?"

"Look, I know you hate the guy for some damn reason. If that's what this is about…"

"No, it is nothing like that. I mean he's been getting softer."

"Define 'soft' for me. I don't really pay attention once the carnage starts, ya know." The Russian sighed. Though he respected the American, even HE can get a little tired of his denseness.

"While I would never say this to his face, I have to admit that he's a good shot and a good killer. But ever since we teleported here to Equestria, his behavior's been less aggressive. It unnerves me greatly. I feel that he may become too soft and caring on the battlefield. This would mean more work for us, da?"

"Yeah, I don't like the sound of that at all when you put it that way. So what the hell do you want me to do about it?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, what if Takeo wants to stay and live here?"

"Okay, you know that's a load of shitballs. Tak keeps going on about honor for the emperor and crap like that. Knowing him, there's no way in hell he would ever abandon his country."

"Oh, come on! I'm sure you guys had those thoughts of staying here too! I mean, we teleported like fucking how many decades into the future? And there are still zombies! In fucking Mother Russia of all places too!"

"Damn, I'd be lying if I said otherwise. But we still have a mission to complete back home! Once Richtofen's done playing around here, we're going straight back to earth and fixing the mess there."

"That sounds alright. But let us drag Takeo with us. If he truly is attached to this place, then it will mean more suffering for him and more joy for Nikolai! Hyah hah!"

"Seriously, I sometimes think it's the booze that's talking and not you."

"You'd be correct in your thinking, comrade! This buzz of mine has been going for quite some time now. Come, let us resume the carpentry." As the duo returned to the construction site, they were approached by the Mayor of Ponyville.

"Oh, there you are, boys! I've been looking all over for you."

"What's up, Mayor?" Dempsey asked.

"Princess Celestia along with her royal ensemble and Doctor Richtofen are at the train station. They requested both yours and Nikolai's presence there. It seems like we're getting ready to move out to other cities."

"Sounds good to me," the marine grunted as he stretched out his limbs. "I've been getting a little bored of playing Bob the Builder around here."

"Right when Nikolai was finally getting comfortable, you go and push him out! It's like Red Army."

"I'm sorry, Nikolai. But these are orders from Your Highness herself. I'll lead you two to the train station." Without any other choice, the humans followed the elderly mare across town. After some minutes of walking, they find themselves on a paved road which led them to the outskirts of the town. Along the road, they witnessed ponies rebuilding and reconstructing damaged or ruined houses. Everypony was far too busy with their current tasks to give their usual friendly hello to the Mayor. She didn't mind this at all, of course.

"Boys, I must say, I do not know what we would have done without your help."

"Eh, this is nothing, really. Besides, I had to take a break from all the ass kicking I've been doing lately. Otherwise, I'll get the slightest chance of burning out, if you know what I mean."

"Ha! He only talks bigger than he walks. But trust Nikolai on this, Mayor. Dempsey does walk quite a bit for someone who isn't drunk, da?"

"Nikolai, is this your idea of a compliment?"

"Yes, it is. It's something the Red Army used to do in boot camp. They would compliment you on what you did right. Then they would berate you for not doing it well enough! It was a very strange system. Maybe it was experimental? I don't know."

"Huh…well, speaking of walking, how much farther till we hit the train station?"

"Not much longer now. Once we get up on that hill over there, we should be able to see the station."

"Hmph. Hey Nikolai, I'll race you. Loser buys the winner vodka!"

"You had me at vodka. You're gonna owe me more this time, Dempsey!"

"Oh, boys! Wait! You know I'm a little old for this!" In no time at all (perhaps in ten seconds flat), the two humans followed by the elderly mare had already reached the hill.

"Mayor, is that the station you're talking about?" Dempsey pointed at the lone building that stood out from the plains.

"Why, yes it is," she replied through breaths. "Strange. I don't see the royal carriage anywhere. But Princess Celestia's guards are still here."

"I see Richtofen and comrade Gersch. Come, we must see what they are in need of!"

"Oh great. Just when I was getting used to not seeing that Nazi's face around here…"

"By the way, you owe me some more vodka." The marine merely grumbled under his breath. The trio resumed their comfortable pace towards the train station. As they approached, the sounds of construction could be heard, along with the whirring of some mechanical device. "What's with all the klinking and clanking? Its making my headache worse!"

"Ah, Nikolai. I thought I recognized that complaining." Richtofen appeared from the entrance to the station. His visage was one of great happiness. To Dempsey and Nikolai, this only provided more nightmare fuel. "Hello, Mayor! How are you on this fine day?" He gave a gentlemanly bow to her. She giggled at his display. The other two merely rolled their eyes.

"Oh, I'm just dandy! Thank you for asking."

"Richtofen," Dempsey began. "What is it you have planned this time? And where's Celestia?"

"Calm your stupid head down, American. The Princess is off on royal business so she could not be here to give you two your next mission. Instead, I will be the one to give you it at her behest."

"Nikolai does not mind this. But can you guys stop with the fucking racket already?"

"No can do, my Cossack friend. You see, Gersch's team and I are remodeling the train here. We're fixing it up with multiple turrets for safe travelling. Before, the train was out of commission not because of the lack of conductor ponies, but because of the undead dangers that lurk out there. Sure, the train moves at high velocities, but reports say that there have been other infected creatures that aren't ponies. Manticores, dragons, and even buffalo!"

"Alright, we get it. Different freak sacs. We'll still kill em' the same way we always do. Can you tell us the damn job already?"

"Ugh, do you see why I hate you so much? Anyway, Appleloosa has sent Ponyville a letter of distress stating their dire need of reinforcements. Apparently, all of Equestria has heard of our appearance in their world. We'll be sending a small team with AMTs and other assorted goodies over there via train. This team will be including Dempsey, Nikolai, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy."

"Wait, why Fluttershy? This Soviet does not understand your way of thinking."

"Well, isn't it obvious? Oh wait, you're drunk most of the time. You see, they also need extra help for nursing patients. As you know, she is quite adept in the field of medicine and healing. With her caring and loving presence, the wounded and sick will recover at a faster rate. At least, according to Celestia, anyway."

"So when do we move out?"

"Tonight. We haven't much time to waste. Its going to be a long trip to Appleloosa, even at the speeds you will be going. Estimates have shown that you'll need at least a day and half to get there."

"But why would you send such a small amount of reinforcements? Hell, the Red Army sends trains full of men into the trenches!"

"Nikolai, it's all about strategy and spreading your forces evenly. It was something mein Fuhrer could not do. I've already informed the other two of the plans. We'll meet back here an hour after Princess Luna raises the night sky."

It was night time, and everypony was in the mood for sleep. While the sirens had been disassembled, the loud crackling of the AMTs firing at the zombies served as a satisfactory warning for the zombies' imminent and futile advance. It took the citizens a while before they got used to the noises outside. Dempsey and Nikolai once more traversed the same path to the train station. The lamps, illuminated by magic, gave off a warm glow with sufficient illumination. The two walked in silence, not really having anything to say to each other. Though their factions were allies in the war, these two only remained on the same side due to circumstances. At first, Nikolai appreciated and even complimented Dempsey's love of killing and firearms in general. However, this did not last very long as Dempsey did not actually return any of the compliments. It was best to describe their relationship as a rocky rivalry as opposed to being actual friends. Once they arrived at the train station, they met up with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

"Sup, Dash." Dempsey held out his fist for Dash to punch back with her hoof in a friendly gesture.

"Hey, Dempsey. Haven't seen you around lately."

"Just fixing up a few homes for some ponies, that's all."

"Yes, it was easy work. Carpentry is just one of Nikolai's specialties!"

"Yeah, I've been swamped with work as well. But, nothing to sweat about. Except for those search and rescue operations. It makes me miss those days of being a weather pegasus, actually."

"Tell me about it. The marines do it all the time. We were usually unsuccessful in our rescues, though." Just then, Richtofen, Gersch, along with some of the Royal Guards walked out of the station.

"Ah, good. Everyone is here. Gersch here shall commence with the mission briefing."

"Thank you, Doctor. As you all know, Appleloosa is in danger of falling to the zombie threat at hand. With Ponyville thoroughly secured, we can finally spread our forces to other towns and cities. I hope these few days of r n' r find you well. You won't be coming back to Ponyville until Appleloosa is fully secured as well. Albeit, it shouldn't be too difficult with the relatively small size of the settler town. Your mission is to set up the AMTs as usual around the perimeter of the town. However, reports have indicated that zombie buffalo are now within their ranks. These creatures are stronger and sturdier than your usual zombie. So, to counteract their presence, we've developed a special new weapon. These special mines have an incredibly large blast radius. Far bigger than your usual satchel charge or bouncing betty. Here, allow me to show you." Gersch used his magic to levitate a strange looking device from his backpack. It was no bigger than a pistol, and it had strange markings lining around its spherical shape. "It may look small, but this thing packs quite a punch. At the request of Richtofen, the team has dubbed this creation, 'Explody Bits.' It's lightweight, compact, and powerful. By using large amounts of magic and element 115, we were able to achieve this. And you don't have to worry about friendly fire either. They're fixed with an undead and 115 sensor. So even if you have 115 based equipment on you, it will not detonate unless a zombie makes contact with it. Speaking of which, you may want to bury these mines far away from important landmarks and buildings. However, if you are equipped with PhD Flopper, you can also use these as grenades. Just, don't throw it too close. You will be able to tell if they are about to go off when they emit a beeping noise. The faster it beeps, the closer it is to detonation. Its fuse time is relatively short as well. Any questions?"

"Yes, Nikolai has one. We've no ammo to spare. How the hell are we supposed to resupply our guns?"

"Not to worry. Richtofen and I have been hard at work recreating the Pack-a-Punch machine. Except this time, it gives out ammunition. We've dubbed it the Ammo-matic! Just place the weapon in the slot as if you were going to upgrade it. After a few seconds, your gun will be back with full ammo. The amount of magic and 115 we've put into this machine is rather large. We've only managed to create one so far. And even then, it has limited uses. But it should serve its purpose for now. If that is all, you four should get on the train and head out for Appleloosa immediately."

An hour had passed since the team had boarded the train. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were fast asleep in their bunkers while Dempsey and Nikolai remained on night watch. They looked out the windows to see the landscape had changed from grassy plains to a dry desert. For the umpteenth time that night, Dempsey had disassembled and reassembled his favorite gun, the Skullcrusher. Originally an M16, it was an assault rifle with multiple firing options. But for the marine, he enjoyed its three-burst action.

"Dempsey, you really need to take up another hobby, like me!" Nikolai said as he took another swig from his vodka bottle.

"What, you mean drinking? No thanks. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I want to at least keep my wits about me. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't poisoned yourself with the constant drinking and shit like that."

"At least I am not constantly taking apart and putting back my gun together. Anyway, I don't think anything will happen tonight. This Russian bear shall hibernate for now." After safely tucking away his bottle, the Soviet rested his head on the pillows and immediately began to snore.

"Hmph, snoozing doesn't sound so bad right about now…" He held back a yawn as he placed his guns by his side before lying back on the bed. But no matter what he did, Dempsey could not sleep. He would toss that way and turn another way but to no avail. He tried to lie still. That didn't work either.

"Agh, what the fuck?" he silently cursed to himself. Giving up on the idea of sleep, he walked around the other cars to simply sate the boredom. They were the only ones on the train besides the staff, so there was no risk of disturbing any other pony that was sleeping. Just as he was about to enter a different car, he heard an all too familiar voice.

"Fetch me their souls!" The demonic voice rang out like a banshee on a quiet night. Ghostly fog emanated from nowhere as the atmosphere took on a blue hue. Dempsey was on guard, aiming his gun at whatever apparition may decide to appear in front of him. Slowly, he inched his way back to the team, hoping that the voice may have woken them up.

"Nikolai! Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! You'd better be awake or I'm kicking your asses up!" If the demonic voice did not wake them up, surely his would. As if on cue, he heard a stampede of footsteps on the other side of the door.

"Damn it, Dempsey! What's with all the racket!" Nikolai complained.

"Yeah, we were all sleeping, ya know!" Fluttershy merely squeaked.

"Ha, you guys were about to enter eternal rest! Nikolai, get ready for a dog show. It looks like we have to throw Fido out of the house again!"

"Oh, they are trying to fetch our souls again? But I don't see them!" As if on cue, lightning struck outside several times, startling the ponies. Dempsey and Nikolai looked out the windows to be greeted by the hellhounds. They were surprisingly keeping up with the train, like a pack of wolves circling its prey.

"What was that lightning all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"Hellhounds. These guys are annoying as fuck and they're fast. But there seems to be a bigger pack than usual…" The ponies took their turn to look through the window to be greeted by a grisly sight. Living up to their name of hellhound, these fallen creatures seemed to be constantly on fire. They would leave traces of flame with each step they take which ate at the landscape. Their ghostly fire lit up the night, giving an illusion of evening. There were dozens on each side and they were getting closer. While the turrets were keeping them at bay, quite a few of them are already closing in on the conductor ponies.

"Oh, those poor creatures…Who would do such a thing to them?"

"Guys, we need to get out there and protect the conductors! Those dogs are gaining on them even with the turrets going full-auto! Fluttershy and I will make sure they don't get close to them. You guys should help thin the crowd with your guns!"

"Oorah! That sounds like a plan! You heard her, ladies! Let's blow up these damn beasts!" Opening the windows, the pegasus ponies flew out with the humans climbing on top of the train. Everyone got in their positions, ready to defend the train to the death. Dempsey readies his M203 grenade launcher which was attached to his Skullcrusher. Taking somewhat careful aim, he pulls the trigger and launches the grenade into a rather large pack of dogs, killing them in the process!

"Whoo! Did you see that fucker blow to smithereens?"

"Nice shooting, Tank! But you can only be bested by this Soviet!" Taking the large amount of targets to shoot into account, Nikolai opted for his second weapon, the R115 Resonator, which was the upgraded version of the RPK light machine gun. Spraying with reckless abandon, accuracy was something he did not care about.

"Whoa, Nikolai! We've gotta save SOME of our ammo. We're gonna have to kick some more ass when we arrive to Appleloosa, remember?"

"Shit, you are correct! I got carry away with the killing. At least I can rely on these turrets unlike Takeo! Da!"

"Yeah, they're putting in work. Nikolai, I'm gonna need you to hold the fort down while I check up on the girls! I haven't seen this many hellhounds before."

"You can rely on me, Tank! Just hurry up with what you have to do!" With the dangerous surroundings, Dempsey couldn't afford to slip up. Instead, he carefully crept his way forward on top of the speeding train. The rushing winds made it difficult for him to see clearly or even run. Eventually, he made it to the front box.

"Rainbow Dash! What's your status?"

"We're doing fine! The engineers are alright. Those rascals haven't even gotten close!"

"Oorah! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Wait a minute, what the fuck is that?"

"What? What's going on, Dempsey?"

"Looks like we've got some dive bombing zombies to deal with!" They looked to the skies to see a swarm of undead pegasus ponies blotting out the moon. Instantly, the turrets moved and locked on towards the new target and began to fire. "Damn it! With the turrets occupied like that, we've got to deal with these damn dogs ourselves! I'll stay here to give you girls back up!"

"Roger that, Dempsey! Fluttershy, we're gonna have to kill em all!"

"I know, but something doesn't feel right!" She screamed over the wind.

"Yes, they used to be dogs! But this is the best show of mercy for them! Trust me on this one." The timid mare could do nothing but nod in agreement. The fight raged on, with Dempsey and Nikolai picking off dogs and ponies alike from a distance while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy acted as personal bodyguards for the engineer ponies. However, the hellhounds began to grow impatient and leapt on top of the trains, surprising both humans.

"Ah, shit! Here they come!" Strapping his Skullcrusher onto his back, he pulled out his shotgun Hades. As they bounded for him, he blasted them away with a powerful force of incendiary rounds. The Soviet remained with his LMG as it remained effective even in close range.

"Dempsey! They're attempting to break inside the train! I'll go in and protect everyone else!" Not bothering to wait for a reply, Nikolai climbed through the window and disappeared from sight.

"Alright Fido. You wanna play? How about you fetch my hand grenade instead?" Pulling the pin on one of his frag grenades, he tossed it on the side of the train. The resulting explosion caught a few of the dogs, effectively dismembering and killing them. Unfortunately, a dog had managed to get a hold of his leg before he could react. In response, he blasted its head off with his shotgun.

"That's the last leg you're gonna hump!"

"Dempsey! What happened?"

"Nothing, Dash! Its just a flesh wound. Just concentrate on fucking up anything dead that gets close to the conductors!" In reality, it was no flesh wound that he suffered. The hellhound managed to snap rather hard on his right leg, leaving large gashes in its wake. Though he could not feel the pain due to the adrenaline, it would prove to be difficult to simply walk. "I can't believe I got so careless! These freak bags are gonna pay!" Fueled by anger, he pulled out his Skullcrusher once more and began killing anything that dared move. The battle lasted throughout the night. In fact, it was only when dawn came upon them did they realize how much time had truly passed.

"There's just no end to these guys!"

"We must hold out! Their numbers are growing smaller! Whatever you do girls, don't stop the slaughter!" While it was true that there were less of the enemy, it did not mean that their assault grew any softer. The ponies were beginning to feel desperate, but Dempsey was only growing agitated. "Damn it! These fuckers are eating up my ammo," After putting away his Skullcrusher, the marine pulled out his bowie knife. This particular knife was equipped with a brass knuckle grip which was also known as a knuckle duster. This allowed for quick melee attacks which would be followed up by a stab for the kill. As a whole, it almost reaches one foot in length, with half of it being the blade itself. "Alright, freak sacks! Prepare to meet the butcher!" As the zombies and hellhounds attempt to approach him, he would easily cleave through their bodies with one slice. Unbeknownst to him, Nikolai also had the same idea, though he had the luxury of fighting in a corridor. This streamlined his enemies into one direction, allowing him to never worry about an attack from another direction. Arguably, the ponies were doing somewhat better. While quite a few of the zombies and hellhounds targeted them, they were repelled back with ease. However, the flying at constant high speed was taking its toll on their stamina. Rainbow Dash was already used to the toil, but even she had to admit that she was getting tired. She could only imagine how Fluttershy was doing.

"Fluttershy, if you need to take a break, just land near Dempsey and help him out." But she refused. She had a job to do, and she was willing to fulfill it. "Fluttershy, this is no time to be stubborn! I know you're tired so just rest!"

"I…I can't! Everypony's relying on each other, and I must do my part."

"Just leave the front to me! I can take care of the conductors while you rest a little!"

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. But, I can't! No, I refuse to let you do this alone!" Though she was taken aback by her sudden assertiveness, Rainbow Dash was grateful for her friend regardless.

"Well, if you feel so strongly about it. Okay then! Let's show these creeps what happens when the mess with folk from Ponyville!" Feeling somewhat refreshed, they both felt a burst of energy surge through them. With their will to fight reinforced, they were all determined to live through this battle. It was when the sun had finally risen to greet Equestria for the morning had the fight truly ended. The damage on the train was visible. Numerous bloodstains, scratches, and dents had decorated the cars. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had finally descended from their flight and landed near Dempsey, who was busy inspecting his wound. Both ponies gasp as they saw his injury.

"That's no flesh wound, Dempsey!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Okay, so I fibbed a little. Big deal! Help me back into the train. I can't get in on my own." They complied with his command. Each pegasus draped one of his arms over their back. Carefully, the two fly him to the window, where he grabbed a hold of the opening and hoisted himself back into the train. The devastation of the fight was even more apparent indoors. The carcasses of the hellhounds remained lifeless on the floor. Bloodstains and burn marks littered the interior. It was going to be a pain to scrub them out. In the midst of it all was Nikolai, who had resumed drinking.

"Ah, Dempsey. I see you are injured."

"Boy, don't you sound concerned?" Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. The Soviet merely raised his hands in defense.

"Oops, didn't mean to insult your girlfriend, Tank! Hyah hah!"

"Watch it, bub! I'm positive I can kick your ass!"

"What, is a cute rainbow themed pegasus supposed to scare me? I'd sooner lose my manhood than get beaten by you!"

"Hey guys. If you haven't noticed yet, I'M FUCKING INJURED HERE!"

"Come on, everypony," Fluttershy interjected. "Let's just help out Mr. Dempsey with his wound and get along. I mean, if you don't mind, that is…"

"Whoa, Flutterguy can talk! I could've sworn he was a mute!"

"Nikolai, its Fluttershy. And I'm female."

It was evening when the train arrived. Everything was going according to schedule. It was the way Braeburn liked it. A nice, predictable lifestyle. Sure, he can handle mostly anything thrown at him, but he preferred the simple life. However, as he saw the train arrived, he noticed a few things that were awry already. Namely, the giant strange machinery that had been mounted on the sides of the train and the bloodstains. Nonetheless, he would remain here and greet the reinforcements in his own little way.

"Howdy, fellas! Glad y'all could make it to Aaaaaappleloosa!"