Chapter 12
I woke up at 9:30 AM. Blizzard checked me in my cell. “How we doin' today, Lieutenant? Family good?”
“They're doin' great, Lieutenant. My daughter Scootaloo, she can almost fly.”
I took a sip from my juice. “Ain't that swell?”
He was about to walk away as he suddenly collapsed. The key fell next to me to the ground. “Lieutenant!” I unlocked the door to see what was wrong. No heartbeat. I tried to revive him and called for help, to no avail.
I found my weapon right next to the cell.
However as I checked my MP12, I heard a strange moan.
Turning around, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Storm was alive! But then he screamed.
Oh no.
I fired at him as he slowly stumbled towards me, his body shrugged the bullets off like nothing, he took a massive amount of damage before finally falling. It wasn’t easy for me, he was a very close friend to me, regret and pity filled my heart, he hadn’t deserved something like this. Inspecting his body, his fur had turned pale grey but otherwise, nothing else hinted that he was undead. “I’m so sorry.”
Also the cell blocks looked severely damaged.
This ain't right. Somethin' weird's goin' on here...
Then I heard screams. Where are those screams comin' from? Hordes of Guard and prisoner Zombie ponies emerged from their cells.
Run. Just Run. My brain told me.
So I ran from the zombies. Taking random directions, I lost them eventually.
Breathing heavily, I tried to understand what is going on here.
“Oh no, oh no, oh, what's happening? Did I land in hell or something? Or is this just a nightmare?”
My thought was interrupted by a children’s scream. The CMC!
I didn’t waste time. The scream came from the end of the corridor I was at the moment.
Zombies surrounded the foals, but I killed them all before they could harm them, yet felling guilty that they had to see this.
“You ok?” The foals looked up crying. completly shocked.
“Peter? You’re not one of them?” Dinky asked shivering.
“No I am alright. Are you bitten?”
“No, we aren’t bitten. Wait… how about my daddy? Did you…” Scootaloo was close to breakdown.
“Scootaloo, your father was possessed, he wasn’t a pony anymore.”
“Did you at least put him out of his misery fast?” She asked in shock, tears leaving her eyes.
“Of course. Any idea what is happening here?”
“We don’t know exactly. We were about to visit you, as some of the guards had to vomit and became zombies. They overrun the survivors. We managed to hide from them.” Sweetie Belle explained shocked.
“FETCH ME THEIR SOULS!” a demonic voice echoed through the corridor. The ground shake and heavy fog covered the ground.
“Don’t worry kids, I protect you.” Zombified dogs attacked but I gunned them all down. Even if I did not knew the dogs, it was not easy for me. Apple Bloom looked sad at them, hoping her dog Winona wasn't along them, as the zombie dogs were unrecognizable.
“We need to get out of here! Do you know a way out?”
“Yes but everything is locked. We need to find the warden’s key. My daddy showed me the office once.” Scootaloo explained still sad about her father’s death, yet determinated to help her friends to get out of here. Storm had it wanted so.
“Okay Scootaloo, lead the way. I cover you.”
While I was killing zombies, I couldn’t help myself but to quote the Weasel from mob of the dead.
“Five, six, seven, nobody's goin' to heaven; it was either you or me! Stop looking for me! 'Cause all you're gonna find, is death!”
We found the office and the key. It was above the Warden's Office, so Sweetie Belle and Dinky used their magic to get it.
A loud roar echoed through the building. “I'M COMING FOR YOU!” What now?
Out of nowhere, a zombified Shining Armor came around the corner. He was wearing his purple armor but it was blood-strained and was heavily-armored than a normal guard. Instead of his normal helmet, he wore a riot control helmet with a heavily damaged visor. Also, he was holding a club with his magic.
He took more damage than his comrades, but I killed him. “NOOOO! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO HURT ME?” he screamed. Every killed pony filled me with more regret, they all saw me as friends and me too, but…I did them a favor, putting them out of their misery. I couldn’t let the children have the same fate, no. I was exhausted and at my limit but I will fight to my last breathe to get them out of here alive. I could see the fear In the foal’s eyes, they didn’t want to die or become part of the undead. It also pained them to see their former friends like this.
“We need to move!” We moved through the cafeteria, the infirmary and finally came to a door, which I prayed was the exit door. Outside it was still light. The city streets were empty.
“Where is everypony?”
“I don’t know, Apple Bloom.”
“Peter, do you copy?”
“Tom, is that you?” I reached for my radio.
“Oui. We’re coming for evac. But be careful. Sensors are showing a Thermobaric Missile Strike heading your way. Eyes to the sky.” As I looked up, we all were knocked down, and I could hear my raised heartbeat and strained breathing.
“Peter, report status! Report status! Lieutenant, this is Tom. Do you copy? Does anyone copy? Is anyone out there? This is Tom. Do you copy?”
I came to when it was night. Parts of Canterlot were destroyed, burning. It was covered in fallout waste. “Welcome back, buddy. I thought we lost you.”
I checked the kids. “Are you hurt?”
"No, we’re fine.” Dinky helped Sweetie Belle up.
I had lost my MP12 but had still my sidearm a P16 which was an enhanced version of the German P12. I found an AK-74 nearby to a dumpster. Old but still gold to me. In Call of Duty Black Ops and Modern Warfare, the AK was my favorite weapon.
“That WMD should have taken you out. Our sensors showing that this wasn’t a normal WMD but some kind of bio-weapon. But why?” Tom wondered.
“Heads up. Something’s heading your way. Fast movers. Lots of them. Be careful.”
Then an animal-like shriek could be heard in the distance. A former member of Luna's guards was rushing at us. I killed him with a clean headshot, parts of his brain got exposed from the hit as he collapsed. While I couldn’t see who he once was, still, the guards were technically my comrades, I felt regret, pity and sadness for doing this but I had no other choice if I wanted that the kids survive this…nightmare. Yes, nightmare. All foals coudn't bear the screams, covering their ears, eyes closed.
Apart from Night guards, civilians attacked us. Most of them were Pegasi so they were very agile as they used their wings to jump to close the distance, rather to fly.
“What the hell are those things?” Tom asked on the radio. I knew the answer but the WMD had an EMP side effect, so I couldn’t use my radio. Was Cloudsdale the target of the Missile Strike? If yes, why was Scootaloo not one of them?
“Death from above!” Scootaloo screamed as an infected Rainbow Dash jumped at her but crashed into an infected Derpy. Derpy made a noise that sounded like, “My bad.”
I took them both out. “I am so sorry for that.”
“I-it’s alright y-you’re put them out of this horrible fate.” Dinky tried to block out the screams.
“Peter report. What the hell are we fighting out there? What the hell’s going on?”
“HELP!” Sweetie Belle screamed at the top of her lungs as a zombie grabbed her. I quickly turned around and shot the former guard which was Flash Sentry in the head. Sweetie Belle breathed heavily after she was free.
“You deserved a better fate.”
Another Night Guard jumped from a roof, and I could swear, It (sounded better then he at this point) briefly posed as though it was holding a weapon.
After I took it down, Tom spoke to me, “I am inbound with the extraction team. Get to the prison yard. Double-time!”
Go to the prison yard! I cover you!” The kids followed me to the yard, scared but they felt safe with me.
The zombie ponies seemed to lose us.
At the prison courtyard, we closed the door behind us, briefly seeing our reflections in the glass. I then lighted up a flare and looked up at the walkway to notice a dead Wonderbolt underneath of the barbed wire.
“LZ's up ahead. Get ready to bail out!”
As I threw the flare, screeches came from behind. We all turned around to find zombies approaching the door, banging on the glass and cracking it. Looking down at my side arm and an empty magazine, I threw them away, before backing up slowly, looking up at the opposite walkway to see more zombies coming, the kids screamed in fear as they dollowed me, almost in panic.
“Keep moving!”
We turned around and sprinted to the to the courtyard, jumping over some barbed wire and metal bars, while briefly looking behind us to see hordes of zombies closing in.
“Over here!”
A Gadfly arrived, revealing Tom inside, who then opened fire on the zombies with a light MG, alongside the Gadfly’s machine gun turret, mowing down the zombies.
“Come on, move it!”
I helped the foals in board, then jumped myself on board. I lost my balance, but Tom pulled me in, and then continued firing at the zombies who jumped at the Gadfly.
“Let's go, let's go!”
The Gadfly ascended. Tom then tended to the kids and me.
“Are you bitten? Soldier, kids look at me! Are you bitten?”
He inspected our arms and legs.
“What happened down there?... You're okay. You're safe now, children. There's not many of us left.”
Zombies could be heard screeching from a distance. We all looked outside towards Canterlot and the prison, where a horde of zombies were amassing at the gates, some of them jumping, with another horde coming over the wall from the west. Many of them were Wonderbolts and Guards.
“Jesus... You’re seeing this?”
Suddenly, a zombified Spitfire in uniform jumped up and pulled Tom out. The last thing, I saw and heard was his scream.
Everything was black. “Are… Are we dead?”
“No you aren’t Dinky. It was just a dream, you are safe now.” Luna came through a white light.
“Princess Luna!” the fillies were glad to see her.
“Hello my dear subjects. I apologize for not coming earlier.”
“That’s okay. I can understand why are you caring for them but why me?”
She smiled. “You helped us in a very serious and difficult situation. I wanted to say thanks. And also I help my subjects against their fears. And you should know I can also see the dreams of your follow humans.”
I sighed. “I just want to survive and see my family again. Is this too much to ask? I am tired of war, of the killing, everything! I just… I just want to see them again.”
I was about to cry as Luna putted a wing around me. The kids hugged me.
“Don’t cry Peter, we’re here for you.”
“Thanks, Sweetie Belle.”
“I can feel the pain. You lost many friends right?”
“Yes Luna. Even before the war. I still remember the most painful loss of all.”
Now everything changed to our house in 2014. New neighbors moved in a house that was completed.
“Greeting’s, we’re the new neighbors. Name’s Jimmy and this is my wife Sarah.”
The young man gave me his hand. Fresh married and 23.
“Name’s Peter and this is my wife Katrin and our son Otto. You look nervous.”
“I am in my training as policeman.”
“Good luck, you need it.”
After some time, he completed his training. We became good friends.
“What happened?” Scootaloo asked.
“Let’s just say, his first day on the job didn’t end well.”
I was during a walk in the evening and it rained. Then I heard shots and squealing tires.
I started to run. Around the corner was a patrol car with turned on lights and a wounded policeman. It was Jimmy! “This was… just a traffic stop… I didn’t saw the gun…”
“Shh, you’re going to be fine.” I called an Ambulance and stopped his bleeding.
“Shot on his first day?!”
“Unfortunately yes Apple Bloom, but the police got the suspect as he tried to shot the next policemen.”
Now we were in a hospital room. Sarah was sitting on a chair next to Jimmy.
Suddenly, the EKG showed a flat line. “NO! Don’t leave me!” I was next to her when it happened.
"Killed on the first day on the job. Nobody deserves that.” Luna was disgusted.
“But it is sadly true in the human world.
War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other.” I chuckled. “Some people say that war is a game. But there are too many little white crosses out there to be a game. But they are also right. Our commanders have the privilege to play it for the very highest stakes. Do you know why? Because if they do not, there are those who will play. And then, there will be even more little crosses. The high ranking generals are safe behind the frontlines, while we soldiers are risking our lives. But our commander is very caring for our lives unlike the Russians. And I am grateful for that.”
“I know, but I wanted to talk with you about something else.” Luna looked away blushing.
“I have visited your world and I am… interested in those games you play.”
One point for the fandom.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Your wish is my command.”
I showed them how I played Payday 2 with Tom once.
“This is Payday 2, a first person shooter. You know my job before the war and here… you play as a heister fighting the police.”
They saw how we both took the blue SWATs down. I was Dallas, Tom his brother Houston. We were playing Watch Dogs on Hard, day 1. “As you can see, the AI of the cops is very stupid compared to real life.”
“They don’t even care for the hostages.” Dinky commented.
“I know. Aside from the lack of realism, this can lead to a surreal situation as the players, playing as crooks, are trying to keep the hostages alive, while the police do not appear to care for their safety.”
“Who’s this guy?” Scootaloo pointed to man in a green suit of heavy armor, which visually resembled a bomb disposal suit.
“This is a Bulldozer. An Armored Assault Unit having high health and headshot immunity until its faceplates are blasted off. They are armed with a shotgun and you need to aim for the head to bring then down quickly. Apart of them, there are Snipers, Shields, Tasers and Cloakers.”
“Cloakers?”
“A special enemy, Sweetie belle, that attacks players from unexpected angles with a kick that incapacitates in one hit. Annoying.”
I got downed by one but got revived by Tom with inspire Aced.
“That noise is really annoying!” Scootaloo was holding her ears as out of nowhere, a Cloaker charged at her, she screamed covering her head but Luna blasted him with her horn.
“Nobody harms my subjects!”
“Nice shot.”
“Thank you.”
Her ears twitched. “Oh dear, I can hear the mind of a young colt. It sounds like the little one is hurt. It’s your son.”
“There’s no time to waste!”
“Right! Allons-y!” Dinky exclaimed.
“Daddy…” I heard Otto crying.
He was curled up into a ball, nothing but blackness.
Luna trotted to him.
“Shh, little one… I’m not going to hurt you. Please don’t’ be afraid.” She spoke in a caring and calming voice.
“Princess Luna? This is really you?”
“Yes I am.”
He slowly stood up. “But-but you can’t be real. You’re only a fictitious character in a TV show.”
“Maybe but Equestria real exists. And I have someone who wants to meet you.”
She stepped aside to reveal me.
“Daddy, is that really you?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I can't believe it! You're alive!”
He hugged me tight. “After you were reported MIA, we prayed that you would return!”
I rubbed his hair. “I am safe and sound in Equestria. I don’t know when I am coming home, but I will I promise you that.”
“Let’s make this dream even better.” LunaÄs horn glowed.
We found ourselves in the living room of our house. My wife was sitting on the couch, sobbing, before she looked up and saw me.
“Peter, is that you?”
“Yes Katrin. And I brought some friends.”
“Hello Mrs. Hartmann.” The kids greeted her.
“This can only be a dream. But if it is, why did you appear out of nowhere?”
“Because of me.” My wife bowed at Luna.
“Then I want to enjoy every minute of it.”
My son chatted with the foals about the show and how much of a fan he was of them, while they talked how much they reminded me of him. The fillies blushed at their fan. I kissed my wife as we watched the kids playing together.
“Too cute!” the kids lay flat on the floor, tongue hanging out while Katrin laughed.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry, I am a doctor. But I could need some assistance.”
I whispered in Luna's ear what to do and she agreed.
We tickled the kids until they tried to catch their breath. As Fluttershy would say: “Always works.”
“Well, that was fun. But now, it this time to wake up.”
“We will wait for you, daddy!” Otto said before Luna's horn glowed.