AN: Wow, haven't updated in what, a month? Sorry about the delay, guys. I truly have no excuses at this point. I was just lazy. In any case, I'm trying to get the ball rolling once more and dishing these chapters out weekly. If not, then bi-weekly.
Ascend Through Darkness Chapter 9 Operation Overlord
"While its great to see y'all again, I was hopin' fer a little more than four, if ya catch my drift." Rainbow Dash merely waved a dismissive hoof at Braeburn's statement.
"Nah, don't worry about it! Fluttershy here's a great medic. Dempsey, Nikolai and I can handle the wet works!"
"I don't doubt you at all, Dash. Its just that, well, one of your compadres is injured." At the mention of his wound, the Marine immediately fired up.
"This is no goddamn injury! Just a flesh wound, is all. I can easily walk this off."
"Aye, the Red Army loves an attitude like that. If you're lucky, they give you vodka to numb pain! But, none for snipers. Thank god I was in infantry!" While he was still perplexed by their appearance, Braeburn nonetheless welcomed them. If these were the saviors of Ponyville, then Appleloosa has nothing to fear.
"Great! With introductions out of the way, we're gonna need some help unloading, Braeburn."
"Unloading? What exactly did you bring with y'all on the trip here, Dash?"
"Hate to say it, but Doc whipped up some pretty awesome shit to kill with. Braeburn, was it? Don't you worry about a thing. You've got Tank Dempsey on your side!"
"Da, and a Russian bear! Your zombie problems will be over in no time!"
"Heh, well how can I be so glum around such confident fellas? All right, y'all! Unload the train!" At his behest, the conductor ponies and a couple of buffalo were hauling in the gear from the back. "So, uh, what do these things do exactly? Train looks mighty strange with those metal objects on the side…"
"Can we talk about this somewhere else? Preferably a place with seats and alcohol."
"Oh gosh, where are my manners? I guess I got caught up with all this that I nearly forgot! C'mon, y'all! We're headin' to the local waterin' hole."
"Please, let us hurry! My hands no longer shake. I can actually string together coherent thoughts!"
"You know what, Nikolai? A drink does sound pretty damn good right about now." Before Dempsey could walk (limp) with the group, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy blocked his way.
"Sorry, Dempsey. But you're going to have to check into the hospital with Fluttershy. With that bad leg of yours, we can't afford any mishaps out there."
"Grraaahhh, fine! Just bring me a drink if you don't mind." Both the marine and the bashful pegasus broke off from the gang to find the medic tents. While Appleloosa was not as large as Ponyville, it was certainly big enough for one to get lost without a map. "Hey, Fluttershy. You've been here before, right? Where's the hospital or whatever place they're using?"
"Um, yes, I've been here. Oh my, its been quite a while, though. I think we make a right at this intersection…" Remaining nonchalant to her fuzzy memory, Dempsey had nothing better to do than to follow her. Although he would never admit it to anyone, his leg wound was quite painful. Thanks to the hellhound's rather unnatural fire affinity, the puncture wounds and claw marks also burned. Medical supplies were rather limited on the train as they were reserved for the Appleloosans. But for what little they could use, Fluttershy did some excellent work on his leg. "Uh, D-Dempsey? Is, is your leg feeling better?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, its doing fine. The boys would've love a field medic such as you, Fluttershy. Quick and clean." Surprised by his words, she noticeably blushed.
"Oh my! Um, thank you for your words." He merely shrugged.
"Eh, I calls em as I sees em. Compliments are good to toss around the team to boost morale, you know."
"You sound like quite the leader."
"Yeah, I guess I was just cut out for being a squad leader. But its strange. Now that you have me thinking, everything before the zombies came in is fuzzy. I just can't remember…"
"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but, we're here." The pair stopped at a building with a large red cross adorned on top. Various tents were pitched right outside the vicinity of the hospital. Fluttershy and Dempsey saw the sick, the injured, and the casualties within each tent. Most were not a pretty sight. Inside the building, the ponies and buffalo were doing just as bad as the others. Frantically, nurses and doctors rushed from patient to patient, giving out the diagnosed medicine. There was one particular nurse that caught Fluttershy's eye. She was a young female buffalo, not as big or brawny as her bigger brethren. Said buffalo looked in her direction and visibly lit up.
"Fluttershy? Is that you?"
"Little Strongheart? Oh, thank goodness you and you're tribe are alive!" The two met in an embrace as they reveled in each other's presence.
"While it is unfortunate that not all of the buffalo have made it out, most of us are well and breathing. I heard the news about Ponyville being rescued. Is it true that the saviors are here as well?" Dempsey got their attention by coughing loudly.
"You're looking at one of them right now." The female buffalo stared at the new creature that stood on its hind legs in front of her. She had never seen anything like a human before in her life. Little Strongheart tilted her head sideways.
"Not to be rude or anything, but, what are you?"
"A human. Part of the Marines, to be exact."
"Um, we'll get more on that later. But right now, we need to properly fix up his leg, Strongheart."
"Oh, yes, of course! With the newly arrived medical supplies, we should be able to heal up everyone in no time!"
"Richtofen, what is the meaning of this?"
"Yes, what exactly do you have in mind?" Princess Luna, Gersch, and Richtofen have met up in the war room. However, this time, the Nazi scientist had captured a zombie pony which was currently in a cage. It constantly gave out unearthly screams as it tried to reach its hooves out at the live flesh.
"As you all know, I've been constantly researching on your magics. After seeing all the successes of the merging of technology and spells, I realized that the possibilities are nearly endless! So, I thought to myself, what if there was a way to revert the process of the 115?"
"Wait, you're saying there's a way? Impossible! With my years on both Equestria and Earth, there was no way that technology or magic can reverse the effects!"
"Exactly. You can't have one without the other for this amazing piece of work I've created."
"Tell us, Doctor," Luna began. "How were you able to create such a device?"
"Well, I took some concentrated samples of the Ray Gun. Then, I had some of Gersch's team cast some rather complicated transmutation and reversion spells. Much to my delight, the spells melded together instead of clashing and creating some sort of magical nuclear reaction. The resulting transfusion of elements and magic created something I've never seen before! I was forced to create a new design for the dispenser of this energy."
"You mean this alien like object? It hardly even looks like a gun."
"Well Gersch, I had to stay away from the archetype of gun design. Any other conventional shape would simply not do! In any case, I wish to test this on a live subject in a controlled environment. Should anything go wrong, we at least have Gersch's team and Princess Luna to back us up. If all goes well, then our zombified pony here may return to normal! Alright, ponies! Get in your places! On my count, open the cage! One…two…three!"
"I can't help but feel bad for sending Dempsey to the infirmary like that."
"Bah, don't worry about him, Dash. He'll be out of there in no time. That brave American can take a hit and fight back two times as hard, if not more!"
"Gosh, Nikolai. Is Dempsey really as great as ya make him out to be?"
"Of course, Braeburn! Back in Russia, the Red Army would have probably promoted him to Captain, at least!"
"Huh, while I'm not all too familiar with rankins', I'll take yer word fer it. In any case, we're here! This is our local waterin' hole, The Salt Block. Under normal circumstances, it would be your normal bar complete with the finest drinks and salts. But now, it acts as a hotel and a temporary roof for those who had lost their homes."
"Yes, very heart wrenching. Now can we move along to those drinks?" Taken aback by his rather gruff attitude, Braeburn silently lead the group inside. Within The Salt Block, it was incredibly crowded. The ponies were either minding their own business on the bar or keeping their family company to coax themselves from the harsh reality.
"Sorry, y'all. Yer gonna have to make do with the space we've got available."
"Oh well. As long as you serve Russian vodka, all is good!"
"I'd rather have some apple cider. How can you even drink that stuff on a daily basis?"
"Well, Dash. First of all, vodka is the preferable drink of man. Hey, bartender! Give me your finest vodka." Said bartender warily eyed the new creature that sat in front of him. Nonetheless, this "Nikolai" was a customer, and Morton "Salt" Shaker did not believe in throwing out anyone unless they are too inebriated or rowdy for their own good.
"Will that be in salt or liquid form?"
"Salt? Hm, sounds interesting. Give it to me then!"
"Very well. And what can I get for Rainbow Dash and Braeburn?"
"Glass of cider sounds pretty good right about now, partner."
"Um, I'll have what Nikolai's having."
"Oh? Looks like I'll actually see the day that Takeo's manliness will come to question by a rainbow themed pony! This calls for a drink!"
"Sounds swell. Now then, while we wait for our drinks, let me fill y'all in on Appleloosa's situation," Rainbow Dash's and Nikolai's attention were squarely focused upon Braeburn. "As y'all saw earlier, parts of our beloved town have been ravaged by the attacks. At first, it was just us Appleloosans. But then, the whole buffalo tribe sought refuge in our town. We figured that by stickin' together, we could outlast the zombies and potentially drive em' away. Unfortunately, this didn't work. Our food supply is runnin' low. We can't get any imports with the trains out of commission. To be honest, I was expectin' an army of warriors and soldiers. Never would I have thought that Ponyville would've sent us their saviors so soon!"
" Like I said, you've nothing to worry about, Braeburn! We've got a trainload of those crazy gizmos and some new things as well! Appleloosa will be safe once again in no time!"
"I ain't worried about a thing with y'all here, Dash. By the way, these gizmos, what are they exactly?"
"Hold that thought. Alcohol has arrived!" Morton returned complete with the group's orders. However, Nikolai was rather shocked with what he was displayed with. "Wait a minute, you're saying this little block of salt is all I get!"
"Trust me on this one," Morton replied. "It packs quite a punch." Taking his word for it, the Soviet placed the small block in his mouth. Instantaneously, it dissolved which spread the flavors of salt and vodka all over his tongue.
"Holy shit! That was three bottles in one block! Vodka you can eat! Am I in heaven? This must be too good to be true." Seeing the pure enjoyment that Nikolai had, Rainbow Dash followed suit and placed the whole block in her mouth. However, her reaction was not as jovial. It took nearly all her willpower to not blanch and cough at the overwhelming strength of the alcohol.
"Blech, I kinda regret picking that…" Nikolai patted her back in a rather uncharacteristically kind fashion.
"Heh heh, do not worry! The fact that you took that like a man earns Nikolai's respect."
"Uh, can we get back to current events here?"
"What? Oh yes, the gizmos. Anyway, what we got here is some sort of magical turret thingies that lock on to zombies and kills them. Richtofen made a shitload of these apparently as we have brought at least a dozen of them. And these little grenade mines are Explody Bits! It looks like fun, actually. It would be best to see in action, no?"
"If you say so, Nikolai. Oh, by the way, I'd like to introduce y'all to two special folks that dropped by our town recently. They've been kind enough to offer their help to our quaint little town."
"Really? Any traveler that's willing to help out sounds like a good pony in my book!"
"Funny you should say that, Dash. One of em' is a griffon! The other one is a travelling magical performer. In fact, she's about to put up one of her performances right now!"
"Oh no, please don't tell me…" The lights dimmed, the ponies began to crowd around the indoor stage. The headlights swiveled around for a little bit before staying on the center. A feminine voice echoed throughout the room.
"Ladies and gentlecolts! Prepare to be astounded and baffled by The Great and Powerful Trixie!" The curtains slowly unfurled to a rather familiar unicorn. "Greetings, folks of Appleloosa! Naturally, I am so glad all of you are here to enjoy the fine beverages and my shows. Now then, without further ado, let us get this show on the road!" Nikolai was far too immersed with his conversation with Morton to actually pay attention to the show. Braeburn, on the other hand, noticed Dash's clear disgust with the unicorn on stage. She turned to him without changing her expression.
"Tell me this, Braeburn. Is the griffon in question Gilda?"
"Heh, at least we can get introductions out of the way then! I'm assumin' you've got some history with the two already."
"Yeah, none too well either," the pegasus sighed irritably. "Why can't things ever be simple?" The Soviet turned to his allies, a smile of pure mirth graced his features.
"I take back all those nasty things I've said about you ponies. You guys sure know your vodka!"
"Okay that's so awesome now can we set up those gizmos and get the hell out of here?"
"What? But we just got here! It would be rude of us to leave Appleloosa without staying to delight in its pleasures!" She cocked an eyebrow at Nikolai's sudden interest in other's feelings.
"It's the booze talking, isn't it?"
"Heh heh, I'm drunk. Big surprise, eh?" The pegasus's only reaction was a facehoof.
"Richtofen, I think we can safely call this experiment a failure."
"Nein, it wasn't a total loss of time. We at least know it works to an extent."
"I've witnessed death countless times in many forms. Exploding ponies are something I will never get used to. Excuse me, gentlecolts. But I must leave."
"Hm, I take it Princess Luna isn't a fan of gore?"
"Its no wonder the Soviets hated Nazis so much…"
"My goodness! The test subject is all over the floors, und the walls, und the ceiling! What's more important now is that we clean up this mess so that I can continue perfecting this machinery! You know, once it is done, perhaps I shall call it the 'Lazarus.' Ja, its got that nice ring to it…" Gersch shook his head in shame as he spoke under his breath.
"Such disregard for life. I am starting to regret working with you."
Patience was something Dempsey was not well known for. Whether it is waiting for the pack-a-punch machine to work its wonders or anything else, keeping still was something of a chore for the Marine. He rested his head against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. The hospital was far from quiet as the moaning from the injured and the chatter between doctors and patients went on. At the very least, he had Fluttershy and Little Strongheart for company. While the girls were working on his leg, Dempsey filled the buffalo in on him and the technology they had brought with them. While she did not fully understand the magic, let alone the technology, the buffalo did realize that the humans may just be the key to saving all of Equestria.
"I see, so the AMTs are stationed at key locations around Ponyville. Once activated, it aims at the zombies and fires spells at them. Is that correct?"
"You got it right, toots. You know, for something that functions so simply, it sure is complicated as hell on the inside. I really don't know how Doc does it. Not sure if I want to know either…"
"Well, in any case, we've finished up on your leg. While you are able to walk, you won't be able to run for long. After all, we want that wound to heal up as soon as possible."
"Much appreciated, girls. Its nice to finally have some female company."
"Its no problem at all, Mr. Dempsey. Now if you'll excuse us, I must give Fluttershy a small tour around the hospital." He knowingly nodded at them. Once more, he reached for his Skullcrusher and checked the ammo supply. Despite the brutal fight his team had on the train, there was plenty of ammunition for him to spare. And he hadn't even touched his other weapons yet either! Should there be another attack on the way back to Ponyville, he would be more than ready, at least. But, he couldn't help but wonder. First, it was Element 115 that somehow ended up here in a different world. And with the hellhounds, the demonic voice has also reappeared. It was as if these two entirely different worlds are colliding and merging at the same time. At this point, the Marine would only be somewhat surprised to find a tank or a helicopter somewhere in Equestria. Not one for long contemplative sessions with himself, Dempsey collected his weaponry and limped briskly outside the hospital to get away from the noise and stench. The faster he gets the mission done, the sooner they could all return home to fix the zombie apocalypse back on their world. However, he couldn't help but think what would happen if he and the others were to just forget about earth and spend the rest of their lives in Equestria. It was almost like a vacation, not dealing with the undead on an hourly basis. Ponyville was a nice place. Canterlot seemed somewhat antiquated yet modern at the same time. The Marine really wanted to visit Manehattan, just to see if it really was a pony version of Manhattan. He couldn't help but chuckle at the obvious horse pun. Suddenly, he heard a loud bird call. He looked up into the evening sky to see a winged creature descending to earth and landing right in front of him. It had wings and the head of a bird and the forelegs were talons. But everything else was that of a lion.
"Man, this place just gets weirder and weirder."
"Sup. Heard you were part of the reinforcements. The name's Gilda." She extended one of her talons to Dempsey.
"Yeah, that's right," he said while shaking her talon. "The name's Tank Dempsey."
"You seem like a pretty cool guy. At least you're not like those lame ponies back in Ponyville."
"Where I'm from, you won't get far by acting sweet and cuddly. So Gilda, why don't you fill me in on Appleloosa's situation? I also need to survey the general area and find some key locations for the AMTs."
"The AM what? Well anyway, things aren't looking too bright. Parts of the town are destroyed. Casualties are mounting. If nothing drastic is done, Trixie and I are heading out of town before we become zombie food."
"Now why am I getting a strong sense of déjà vu here?"
"You said you needed to know the area? Hop on, I can give you an eye from the sky."
"Wait, are you sure?"
"Normally, I wouldn't do this for anyone. But given the situation that we're in, I think I can make this exception."
"No, I'm not talking about that. Are you sure you can carry me?" She merely scoffed.
"Hmph, I'm stronger than I look, ya know. Now will you hurry up? I doubt we have much time before the zombies come back again," Doing as he was told, he climbed on top of the griffon. She did not even budge at the extra weight of the human. "Make sure you have a firm grip around my neck. Don't want you falling off or anything." Once secured with his grip, they took off into the skies. While Dempsey's experiences with flying were limited, he was no stranger to heights either. While it was night time, the town remained visible through the combination of the moon and the light from the buildings. Off in the distance not too far off from Appleloosa, he saw the apple orchards.
"Just like in Ponyville…" he thought to himself. There were some cliffs overlooking the general area, but he doubt the AMT's range would allow it to be stationed so far. Overall, the land was barren. There was nothing but flatlands and cliffs as far out as he could see, even from such heights. They would be able to foresee the enemy's approach from miles away. "Alright, Gilda. Reconnaissance time is over."
"At least you didn't take your time," she remarked as the descended to land once more. "So, who else is here besides you?"
"Eh, let's see…There's Nikolai. He's alright, just a huge drinker. Then there's Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy." As he mentioned the names of the pegasus ponies, Dempsey could've sworn he saw the color drain from Gilda's face.
"Did you say, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?"
"What, you got some shit between them?" She looked away from the Marine.
"You could say that…" Her voice this time was lacking in toughness. Instead, it was replaced by something akin to shame and bashfulness. Even Dempsey knew something was up with Gilda.
"Hoo boy…that can't be good. Look, if possible, can you spare the drama crap until the zombie problem is over? We can't really afford any life threatening mistakes out there."
"The hell do you take me for? I'm no pansy!" Dempsey raised his hands up defensively.
"Whoa, slow down. I'm just saying that if you have issues to resolve with those two, do it later," He was surprised with his reaction. Dempsey is the kind of man who takes shit from nobody. But, here he was, not even shouting at this creature he had just met who had given him attitude. Maybe it was just hanging out with colorful ponies that made him change somewhat. "In any case, we need to round up everypony and get a strategy going already. I want to get this over with. Fuck, did I just say 'everypony?' Really?"
The clock had struck midnight. Everyone important had gathered around a campfire in front of Sheriff Silverstar's office. Dempsey, Nikolai, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Little Strongheart, Chief Thunderhooves, Sheriff Silverstar, Braeburn, Gilda, and Trixie were all present. Dempsey looked at everyone in the eye to make sure all attention was on him. Once satisfied, he began the briefing.
"All right, everyone. Here's the plan. We're gonna have to concentrate most of our AMTs near the orchard. We can't afford to have Appleloosa lose any more of their food supply. While the train that we arrived in had given us extras, it can only buy so much time before starvation kicks in. After all, an army walks on stomachs! As an extra precaution, we'll also be setting up some Explody Bits in the general vicinity outside of the orchard. The blast range is incredibly huge, so we must use them sparingly. Ugh, that was awful to say… Anyway, my group consisting of Rainbow Dash, Sheriff Silverstar, Braeburn, and Trixie will cover the guys setting up the AMTs around the orchard. Meanwhile, the rest of you will help with the defensive perimeters around Appleloosa itself. Do whatever you deem necessary to protect the town and its inhabitants. Any questions?" Trixie raised her hoof.
"While its not a question, it is more of a correction. You forgot 'The Great and Powerful' after my name." Everyone in the group rolled their eyes simultaneously. Even after her rather forceful humbling in Ponyville, she remained very much the same.
"If that's all, then let's get Operation Overlord started! Let's move out, everyone! Oorah!"