Chapter 19: Army of Darkness
Fletcher woke up with a slight gasp, looking around. He was still in the hospital room, he had just dreamed again. Ever since the kids were in a coma, he suffered the same nightmare over and over again, protecting them from a with Zombies overrun Equestria.
“I don’t want to bother you, Fletcher, but you should eat something.” He turned around to see a nurse with brown hair and matching eyes walking in, carrying a plate with broad on it. He recognized her, it was Wendy Thwaites, the same burse who had him patched up in Africa.
“Thanks.” He replied and took a bite. The stallion stayed with the kids, not leaving their side, praying day and night they would wake up, not able to imagine telling their parents and friends the news of them never waking up.
Wendy looked at the children with pity. “Poor things. I can't imagine how someone could do something so terrible. It's a miracle that they survived this. Someone's certainly watching out for them, thank the Lord. I'll do all I can but rest assured, I won't let them come to any more harm.”
“I know to appreciate that.” Fletcher gave her a weak smile.
“I know. When you were injured, they also stayed with you, not leaving your side. Like them, you must have a strong watcher, having survived at all.” She then sighed. “I don’t want them to suffer as my son did.”
“You had a son?” Fletcher asked surprised.
“I was mother and wife. Now I am neither. During the blitz, my son was trapped in a building and my husband went in to save him, but they never came out. I became a nurse to prevent others would have the fate I had.” She said with sadness in her voice.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Fletcher said with sympathy.
“Don’t be. Reminds me, we found out what purpose the eyepieces had. Turns out, they were a cross between a contact lens and acupuncture. A tiny needle pierced the pupil and send Deathshead’s orders to the brain. Wasn’t easy to remove, to avoid the shock killing them. Also, the drugs and chemicals were to boost their muscles, so they could carry the armor and weapons without trouble.” She told him and he took a deep breath.
“Did Blazkowicz get him?”
“Sadly, he escaped, but we managed to find out something…unnerving. The mission of William was to find out more about an Operation called Resurrection. As far as I know, it was led by Himmler, planning to resurrect Heinrich I. To do that, he needed an advanced synthetic humanoid host, in that case, Deathshead’s Super Soldiers.”
Fetcher shivered at the thought of the kids being used for this and becoming undead, something he couldn’t reverse. “Then good I managed to get them out quickly.”
“Yes. Your quick arrival forced him to rush things, thus the weak point in the antennas and ring, as well that he couldn’t replace anything as he did with his prototypes. But I think he wanted to directly utilize the kids as weapons of war against us.”
The unicorn then let a sigh, looking at the three children. Where the eyepieces had been, was a bandage now. “Then good we managed to act so quickly.”
He couldn’t tell how long it was before it became evening, only a lamp on a nightstand provided light and he blinked as he looked at the kids. They had a dark stripy pattern around their shoulders.
“What? No, it can’t be…” Fletcher mumbled in disbelief, the nanomites couldn’t have gone through and blinked again.
Their shoulders were normal and he groaned. “Maybe some sleep gets my head clear.” And he closed his eyes, drifting off.
“Fletcher, you’re okay?” A voice asked him and he opened his eyes, finding himself on a rooftop in Canterlot next to a radio with a loudspeaker attached to it. Behind him the kids, his three comrades and Grey Hoof, now awake.
“I’m fine. You?” He asked the Earth Pony.
“A bit exhausted but otherwise I’m good.”
“Ah! I see you made it back to the city!” a voice on the radio said, it was familiar to Fletcher but he couldn’t point his hoof on it. “We’ve established a base of operations near your position – if you can make it over here, I’ve got a mission for you!”
Just as they got to the stairs, the siblings pointed to two ponies in the rooftops in the distance, they were yelling for help as a Blood Hoof came from behind but Fletcher shot it and saved them both.
Then they moved down the stairs, coming to a bar with a Royal Guard and Allied soldier staying guard. “It’s getting pretty heavy out there. Someone needs to clear this place out.” The human said to the Royal Guard.
“I hear you. We’d better stay alert until we hear from Operations.” The Guard replied, then took notice of the group. “The grandmaster’s waiting for you at Operations. It’s just another couple of streets away, you must have seen it from the roof. Be careful!”
“Okay. Children, Grey Hoof, stay here, we’ll clear the streets.” Fletcher said and they nodded.
Outside, they saw barricades and mannequins with loudspeakers on the streets. “We’ve set decoys to clear Zombies from your path! Feel free to activate them!” The loudspeaker voice informed them and they tried it out.
The decoy played music that attracted the undead and they tried to hit it before it exploded, taking the zombies with it. Using this and their weapons, the soldiers cleared the streets quickly.
Together, they all moved across the street, coming past a bunker with a barbed fence next to it and into a ruined house, climbing up a small elevation before coming to a steel door with a caged zombie next to it.
“Excellent, you made it! Now just give me a few seconds while I run through the decontamination protocols!” The loudspeaker voice said and they heard a hissing sound. “Don’t worry, this stuff won’t hurt you, but it’s effective on Zombies!” True to the words, the zombie died and the door was opened.
Entering the first room was a small prison block. “Head on in, the Grandmaster’s waiting for you.” One of the guards said and they walked through, passing by another guard.
“We were hit hard. We lost quite a few good soldiers.” The second guard said to them.
The second room was a small hospital, leading to a big corridor connecting all other rooms.
Fletcher blinked in surprise as he saw a unicorn stallion in golden armor sanding at the doorway to the kitchen. Noticeable was that he wore a golden mask of a tranquil, cherubic young steed and his armor was damaged, exposing burned spots of his fur.
Fletcher recognized him. Solomon, his former archenemy. But the Knight knew there was no reason to attack him, they were all in this together.
“Good to see you kept the children safe, Fletcher,” Solomon said to him. “We have a situation. Your friends Wolf and Midnight were forced into the nearby hospital on their way back. That place was overrun long ago and we’ve not heard from them. I need you to find out what happened to them and the Intel they were carrying. Don’t worry, the kids are safe with us.”
“Okay. We see you later.” Fletcher smiled at the kids, they returned it.
“Be careful,” Dinky replied before he left with his three friends and Solomon stepped aside, so they could get into the kitchen.
They all three had a smile at the small toy train driving around the big corridor, somehow it made them happy.
“Hey there, children.” A female voice said and they turned around to see a unicorn mare with a light gray hide that had a hint of blue, a henna mane and tail, and a frying pan cutie mark. “Are you hungry? After that long journey, you should eat something.” She pointed to a table.
All three followed her, they hadn’t eaten something since Fletcher’s group found them and could need something warm in their stomachs, seeing also a Pegasus stallion, having reddish-brown hide the same color as the mare’s hair, and a dark brown mane and tail, as well as a small goatee, standing at a stove, a sting flame came out of it.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not normal!? I was only trying to make a cup of tea.” He said dumbfounded before serving the food with the mare. As they were eating, they took notice of a gramophone playing music. It sounded nice and relaxing.
The kids heard the mare sigh. “I hope my son’s okay…”
“She got hugged by the stallion. “I’m sure he is, my dear.”
Fletcher and his friends just moved on as they heard the PA saying, “The generator sounds like it’s on its last legs. Someone go check it out.”
He nodded at his friends and they returned it, walking down to the generator room, seeing that the machine was smoking and stammering. The all did their best to fix it, not wanting that the children could be endangered if the generator would fail, then moved on the bunker door, where a US soldier waited for them.
“I’m sorry, I can’t open the gate just yet, the streets are swarming and our bunker is almost overrun! We could use your help in there, thinning them out! We’ve set up a radio out there. That seems to attract them – Turn it on when you’re ready!”
“Okay, let’s do this!” Fletcher walked out, followed by the others.
After finishing their meal, Dinky and the siblings smiled at the two adults. “Thank you, it was delicious.”
“Glad to hear it, Dinky.” The mare replied as Grey Hoof went to the medic to for a checkup and rest, before a voice called out,
“Dinky!”
She turned around and started to grin as she saw to whom the voice belonged to. “Pip! You’re okay!” She hugged him, seeing that behind him was his mother, Pinch, Noi, Rumble, the CMC and Tungsten, even Tootsie to her surprise.
“Yes. We managed to get out of Ponyville before it was overrun.” The little colt said with a sad voice. “Twilight…her friends…Blue Murder…they all held back the hordes…”
“We had never made it without them.” Nancy added.
“I see…” Dinky took a deep breath at the news and looked at her cousin with a relieved smile. “Tootsie, I thought I had lost you, when I…”
She couldn’t finish as Tootsie hugged her. “I thought so too when the Nazis captured us for…experiments. Sparks managed to save me just in time, but… the Blood Hooves got her.” She trembled slightly.
“I’m sorry, Tootsie. She was a great Big sister.” Dinky replied with sympathy.
Tootsie just nodded with tears in her eyes.
“I suggest you get some rest after all this.” Nancy interrupted and Dinky nodded, feeling a bit exhausted.
“Rest well.” Pip added as the three went to the beds and the unicorn fell instantly asleep.
“What the?” Blau mumbled in surprise as a green mist engulfed Dinky and suddenly…she was a Skeleton.
“Uhh…” Katja could only stare in confusion and fear.
Dinky wake up to find herself in a cave of blood and bones, Skeletons were fused to the walls, trying to reach out for her. “Where am I?” She looked around in fear and started to walk as she heard grunts of pain at the other end and gasped.
Luna was lying on the ground, a key rammed into her chest. The filly wasted no time to rush over and tried to pull it out.
“Arise!” A demonic voice said as she got thrown back and to her horror, she saw Luna standing up, now being a Blood Hoof.
Quick as a flash, Dinky opened her eyes and stood up, her friends looking at her with scared expressions. “Something wrong?”
“You…you turned into a Skeleton right in front of us!” Katja exclaimed in shock.
“What? I can’t remember anything, just drifted off to sleep.” She replied confused.
“Maybe...we just really need some rest right now...” Blau concluded.
After a hard battle, Fletcher and his friends had thinned the undead out that it was safe to move, getting informed that there was a radio in the hospital they should use.
With the streets now safer, Allied soldiers and Royal Guards patrolled the streets, taking care of stragglers, with the group, coming to the hospital just a few streets away.
“You down there! Help me!” Fletcher looked up to see Doctor Stable on the roof of the hospital chased by a Blood Hoof and quickly took it down. “Thank you!” The doctor said and ran out of view.
Then they entered the lobby, fighting some Blood Hooves as a loudspeaker turned on. “They turn on the living but not each other! They are changing before my eyes! Ah, my children!” It sounded like one of the other doctors, having gone insane.
As the group fought their way through the rooms, they heard it again. “I’ve infected all the patients now! They are unified, perfect!”
The way led them to a Surgery room and Fletcher took notice of something written in blood on the wall. You can still save them.
He had barely time to think about it as he heard the mad doctor again. “Ah! I have been infected! Now I will join them” He giggled insane.
Then they entered what looked like a morgue, bodies of Blood Hooves everywhere. A recorder was on a Table, Fletcher turned it on.
“This is…Midnight…” He sounded in pain. “I’m not going to make it…I know Command will…send someone to look for me and Wolf…Paradise knows whoever that is…If you’re hearing this…you have to send the attached message…to Operations. They can...decode it…the information is crucial! It…could reverse…this nightmare…”
Then it ended and the bodies groaned, started to get up, the soldiers stomped their heads or shot them into the heads with their pistols, yet Fletcher froze in shock as saw that one of the Blood Hoof bodies was a Pegasus mare, the lower part of her lips were missing, exposing two fangs. White Wolf.
She growled and lunged at Fletcher who tried to get her off him as she tried to bite him, holding her back as best as he could. Konrad shoved her of the unicorn and fired his pistol, knocking her back with every shot before the final bullet went through her head. “You’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” Fletcher said as he got up and spotted a Blood Hof on a balcony above, looking like a bat pony.
It raised its hooves. “Arise!” The undead yelled and all killed Blood Hooves, Wolf included got engulfed in a firing orange, standing up again.
The zombie was Midnight. Fletcher took a deep breath, aimed down his rifle and fired. The bullet went right through Midnight’s left eye and through the brain as he clutched his head, uttering gibberish.
Midnight’s body fell from the balcony on the ground and Fray lowered his head. Both his fellow knights were dead now, but at least he had put them out of their misery.
Knowing that he had to finish their mission, he moved on with his friends, coming to the radio, Doctor Stable checked his bag in a table next to it.
Suddenly, Fletcher got an idea, he couldn’t tell why or how, remembering the words on the wall and grabbed Stable’s bag, running back to the bodies of his fellow knights. “Hey, what are you doing?” Konrad yelled and they ran after him.
To their surprise, they saw him using a syringe and the two bodies got engulfed in green mist, rising and…they were alive again. “It’s weird, I really do feel much better!” Wolf mumbled surprised, while Midnight held his left eye.
“Argh...Gonna' feel that in the morning. Did you have to shoot me through the eye?” He asked Fletcher, who countered,
“Had you liked it somewhere else?”
“No. Finish the mission for us, we are too weakened to do it ourselves. We better get back to Operations and rest.”
“Good luck, Fletch.” Wolf said and the two left with Doctor Stable close behind, Fletcher yet wasted to time to transmit the Intel.
“Transmission received! I’ll start decoding this straight away!” Solomon acknowledged on the radio and they moved into a safe house where he had news for them. “Top notch Intel from your fellow knights. It mentions something about a ‘vault of power’ and a ‘keystone’ but it’ll take time to decipher all of that. In the meantime, their Intel says Nightmare Moon’s got her filthy hooves on the Book of Souls and she’s using it to marshall the zombies over on the east side of the city! This could be your chance to take her out!”
Again, Fletcher took a deep breath. This wasn’t the princess anymore he had sworn loyalty anymore. The safety of the children and all of Equestria was depending on him.
Going out of the back of the hospital, a strange sight greeted them. Several ponies on the streets, frozen as statutes.
“Deputies!” The voice of Nightmare Moon echoed through the streets. “Your dedication to Equestria is commendable! Your sacrifice will be rewarded in the fires to come!”
The group then reached the entrance to a tunnel behind a closed gate, so Christopher placed an explosive charge on it. The explosion created a chain reaction, setting the buildings next to it on fire and flaming undead stumbled out.
They all used mounted MGs against the undead, mowing them down until was safe to enter.
Then they moved through the tunnels, shooting every undead they saw until they came to an elevator shaft for a cargo elevator, with Fletcher calling it. Two Blood Hooves climbed out of the shaft but were crushed by the elevator as it came down and the four friends entered it, realizing it was a safe room as it rode up.
The elevator stopped at what looked like a train station, a train was parked there. “For your own safety, please stand away from the platform edge.” A PA system warned, “Your luggage and equipment must be kept with you at all times. Loss of equipment will not be tolerated!” It added as Fletcher pulled a lever to release the train.
“This is an all-passengers notice: Stand back from the platform edge. The train at Platform B is preparing for departure. There may be loud noises and noxious fumes while the engines are tested and brakes released.” The PA system informed as the group defended itself from zombies coming from all sides out of burning elevators.
Among the normal were Skeletons, noticeable by the glowing hearts. Loud screams came from behind, seeing a zombie with a grenade in his hand, another Suicide Bomber.
Some zombies got mowed down by a stream of bullets from behind. It was a large zombie in a black uniform, another of those MG zombies.
Ford kicked the Skeletons and Hill managed to shot one Bomber in the middle of the horde, dealing massive damage as it took out most of the normal zombies, some lost only their arms. Fletcher and Konrad stayed on the move to avoid the MG fire, shooting the Elite whenever they got the chance. It was overwhelming but they brought it down eventually and the PA system notified them.
“The train is now ready for departure. You may proceed to board. Please ensure you have all of your assigned equipment and always give priority to higher ranks.”
With that, they boarded the train car at the back, being a safe house. “It seems Nightmare Moon’ using the trains to transport her troops to her zombie headquarters! You’d better keep your wits about you on this this train – who knows WHAT’s on board with you?” Solomon warned them on the radio. “Good luck!” He added before they moved out towards the engine.
On the freight cars, they fought zombies breaking out of wooden crates, some were armor, requiring several shots until the head was exposed until they came to the next safe house in the next car.
“My, my, what is Nightmare Moon up to? Crating up zombies for transportation and now she’s got body parts in storage? She’s planning something big. This ‘vault of power’ the Intel mentioned seems to be the source of this zombie outbreak – maybe you can stop this madness from here! I’ll keep looking into it. In the meantime, the sooner you deal with Nightmare Moon, the better!” Solomon informed them on the radio and Fletcher couldn’t agree more.
They came across a few Allied soldiers and a Royal Guard held in cells. “You’ve got to find the key!” One of the Allied soldiers said to the group and they looked for it, coming past zombie also trapped in cells, trying to reach out for them.
As they came closer to the engine, they strangely saw Skeletons in Stasis pods. “Okay…” Hill mumbled in disbelief as they reached the engine.
The door was thrown open and two MG zombies walked out, together with normal zombies. “Back up!” Fletcher yelled as the bullets of the MG42s hit the pods and the Skeletons jumped out as it cracked.
Taking aim, Fletcher and Konrad focused their fire on the elites, Hill took care of the Skeletons and Ford threw a grenade to deal with the normal zombies.
Just as they reached the cell car, they defeated all hostiles and moved to the engine, seeing two deceased guards in the driver sears, and a key hanging on the wall.
Fletcher took it and ran back to the prisoners and released them all. “Oh thank God we’re free! We’ll take our chances in the tunnels from here. Thank you!” One Allied soldier said to him and he nodded, going back to the engine.
Konrad used the breaks as the unicorn came back. “The old world is finished! The new Equestria will cover the globe and reshape history!” A female voce echoed and they saw a Blood Hoof unicorn in armor on a rostrum, the train station above it. Also a huge crowd of Zombies, both human and pony stood in front of the Alicorn.
The Pony race shall become one perfect species in death! All evil has been waiting for this moment, this time of ultimate rebirth!” Nightmare Moon announced as the stallion took aim, knowing he could end this here. “Unliving, undying, we have reached our perfection!” She finished and Fletcher pulled the trigger.
But what happened next was surprising and shocking.
The bullet stopped midair, just inches from Nightmare Moon’s face, falling to the ground and she looked at them, with she fellow Zombies turning around, way too many to fight.
They all took a step back, unsure what to do before William grabbed the Relic from Fletcher’s back and held it into the air. It glowed yelled and the undead stood down, turning back to the mare. She made a gesture for them to pass.
“How did you know?” Fletcher asked confused.
“Instinct I guess. We should move on, maybe there’s something in the woods that help us.”
Fletcher nodded and they walked through the woods.
It was a quiet walk for some time before they spotted a castle in the distance on a mountain. “That’s where they need to go.” Fletcher announced, he couldn’t’ tell how or why he knew this, seeing it was the castle of Sunless Island.
As they moved through a glade, the ground in front of them caught fire and burning ponies stumbled out screaming. They startled and took a step back. “Turn back…or stay forever…” A demonic voice warned before the ponies and fire vanished.
Yet they moved on, there was no turning back now
The way led to a house, the doors were locked. “Don’t come in here!” A female voice warned from inside. “Something’s happening to Aversion – it’s like he’s possessed! Aversion, you have to fight it!” She yelled before zombie screams sounded in the distance. “Oh gosh, I can hear them out here! Aversion! Aversion, don’t let it take you!
In response, the soldiers took positions, Konrad manned a mounted MG42 behind sandbags and they fought off a horde of undead, while the mare tried to encourage the stallion he could do it, saying mother’s here for him.
Suddenly they all heard him speaking in a foreign language and the mare pleaded him to snap out of it as a Fire Zombie appeared. He did fall quickly to the MG42 and the mare yelled, “Wait, Aversion! What are you doing?” And she screamed, followed by sounds of slaughter.
“Oh my…What have I done?” The stallion asked in shock as the door opened and the four took a look. A large buddle of blood was on the floor, Aversion, a earth pony with red mane, grey coast and a blue flame as cutie mark, clutched his head. “The voices! It was the voices! I can still hear them! They’re coming for me! Please, kill me!” He pleaded with a pained voice and Fletcher granted it, shooting him into the head with his pistol.
“Turn back…or stay forever…” The demonic voice sounded again. “You are not welcome…There is only death here…”
Yet they moved on and came to a safe house, being a bunker.
“They…they caught us by surprise!” A female voice sounded on a radio on a table. Fletcher recognized it, it was Fleur de Lis. “We escaped the city, we thought we’d be safe in the forest. They must be looking for the grave of Murgan the Red! They’ve started taking captives and…oh, the things they do! It is as if Murgan the Red itself has returned! My husband…oh Gosh, they took my husband!” she sobbed as they moved deeper into the forest and saw a terrifying sight as they heard the demonic voice again.
“Your blood will nourish us…The worms await your flesh…”
Sparkler, Carrot Top, Thunderlane, the other residents of Sunny Town, all were hanged up by chains, screaming and withering in pain. Fletcher took a deep breath and shot Sparkler into the head with his rifle, granting her mercy, his three friends did the same with the others, there was nothing else they could do for them.
Then they moved over a bridge. “We will rend you…Scream…scream for us…” The demonic voice echoed once again as the way led to what looked like a Sawmill, the gates locked.
But Fletcher took notice of a blue truck standing at the elevation, a Blood Hoof trapped under the wheel. It was the car of the siblings’ father, yet the car was empty, giving him hope the man was still alive, Christopher stomped the undead pony and the truck rolled towards the gate, creating a large explosion and fire, with burning undead stumbling out.
As they took care of them, they heard the echoing sound of a chainsaw getting revved and gasped in shock. A Large zombie with an armor plate covering the head, holding a chainsaw came out of the fire.
It charged at Fletcher and he ran as fast as he could, barely avoiding to cut torn apart, with his friends firing, getting the Zombie’s attention. Going prone to lower his heart rate from the running, Fray noticed the back of the head was exposed, so he fired his rifle and scored a headshot, taking the undead down before it could reach his friends. “Zombies using chainsaws…now I’ve seen everything…” He mumbled out of breath.
As the entered the sawmill, they saw Zombies getting transported on hooks out of the building. It looked like a ski lift as they came to the next safe house.
“Oh Gosh, what now? I’ve seen them dragging captives to the old quarry! They must be looking for the grave of Murgan the Red! But…this means there’s hope – perhaps my husband has been put to work in there! I pray he’s not part of one of those…those Blood Hooves.” Fleur said scared on the radio. “Oh Gosh, I can’t bear to think about it!” She added with a sob as the group entered the backyard of the sawmill.
The sound of a chainsaw being revved greeted them again, as they came to a small building in the backyard, seeing a chainsaw Zombie cutting open a body before the undead noticed them and they backed up.
Fletcher noticed a bunch of tree trunks hanged up by a crane and lured the Zombie under it, then shot the hook of the crane, causing the undead to be crushed by the tree trunks.
With that be dealt with, they moved on and entered the old quarry, exploring the dig site and came to what looked like an opened and dug out coffin.
As they blinked, they saw a ghostly Luna standing over the coffin with a ghostly Solomon and Supernova. “We have found it! Murgan the Red is here after all! Our collection is complete! Victory is assured, thanks to you, Solomon!” Luna praised him as it vanished and a loud scream greeted them.
Skulls hooved around the three pillars of the cave and the soldiers understood. They had to bring the cave down.
Konrad quickly manned a mounted MG at the end of the dig site as the zombies came, holding the horde back as the others shot the skulls.
As Fletcher shot the last skull, the cave started to collapse and they made a dash up the ramp into the safe house next to the MG.
“I can’t stand it,“ Fleur sobbed on the radio here, “I found him…oh, it was horrible. I already he was already dead before they did…that…to him. I…” She was interrupted by a chainsaw revving sound. “Oh Gosh! Oh Gosh, no! No, please, I-“ The mare pleaded before letting out agonized screams in a mix of ugly, wet, carving sounds, causing everyone to cringle and wince.
“Jesus Christ…” Ford mumbled in shock.
“Poor mare…” Hill added before they moved on.
Still, having seen Solomon at the dug site made Fletcher realizing something. “He was there, he is also responsible for this.” He mumbled with a hint of disgust in his voice.
“He may be, but I doubt he was aware of what this would trigger.” Konrad replied to him.
“Well, I'll know when this is over. I'll know if it's the last thing he ever tells me!” Fletcher slightly yelled with anger as they came closer to a cable car station. He wondered why his home was now on a mountain and no longer on an island but decided to think later about it.
As Fletcher came closer to the entrance, the doors got blasted out open, causing him to take a step back in surprise. It was a man wearing green camouflage with a cloth covering the mouth, armed with a MG42 and Fletcher stared in shock. “Konrad?”
“You left my children in a coma!” The father yelled angry and fired, forcing Fletcher to cover behind sandbags. “Don't you get it? It's all a lie!”
“No!” Fletcher yelled.
“You’re no hero!”
“I tried to save them!” Fletcher yelled back but it didn’t matter for the angered man.
“You can't save anyone!"
“I tried!!!” Fletcher yelled almost desperate.
“This is all your fault! YOURS!” The father yelled angry, not flinching by the bullets of the others.
Realizing he had no other choice, Fletcher took aim and fired his rifle, scoring a headshot on the father of the siblings and he fell dead with blood splattering from his head. “The only villain here is you, Fletcher. There's only you.” His voice echoed in Fray’s head before Escher put a hand on his shoulder.
“We had no other choice, we had to defend ourselves.” He said with sympathy as Fletcher sighed.
“Yeah…” Yet he had caused that the siblings were now orphans, just as Dinky. The only thing he could do after this was over, was to take care of them.
After they took the cable car, Fletcher saw Lyra, together with a blue unicorn stallion hugging her, sitting on a bench.
Are you okay?” Fletcher asked both, “What are you doing here?”
The stallion looked up to him. “We escaped from the castle, but we dropped our supplies when zombies attacked us further up the path! We daren’t go back for them – can you find them for us?”
Although the knight had already another mission, he knew he couldn’t leave them here.
“Sure thing.” Fletcher replied and he moved on with the others
Just before the castle was a small hut, and he saw another pony sitting on another bench. “Are you lost too?” Fletcher asked and the pony looked at him.
“The princess’ expeditions have been raiding burial sites across the globe and taking their contents. I believe there’s such a site direct under this castle. My research convinces me there is a treasure in that crypt. It should be in a secret comportment under one of the coffins – the princess might have missed it! I don’t care if the world’s gone mad – that treasure has been my life’s work! Please recover it for me” Remember, the big coffin in the Crypt!”
Even though Fray saw little reason in this kind of situation, he realized recovering this treasure could probably prevent worse if Nightmare Moon would get it too.
“Alright.” Fletcher replied, although he couldn’t remember anything about a crypt in his home as they approached the castle, finding a saddlebag next to a killed Blood Hoof. Then they moved to the front gate, it was closed, seeing several large zombies covered almost entirely in thick durable armor on the other side, stumbling around.
With the front entrance blocked, they walked over a wooden bridge to the right and came to the right side of the castle before an air raid siren sounded.
Two snipers appeared on the roof and three officers became visible in the upper windows. Fletcher and Konrad shot the snipers before they could react, the Allied soldiers managed to do the same with the undead officers before they could summon their minions.
At the ended of the way, were some crates and armored zombies broke out, one of them was a large armored zombie. The group seemed lucky as they fired, managing to shoot through the helmet's eye holes, killing all with only one bullet each
The wall to the left was bricked, so Ford placed an explosive charge and shot it, blasting it open, then moved through the cave and came to what looked like the crypt. Fletcher examined the big coffin and found the treasure, putting it into his saddle bag.
By this action, some Skeletons awoke from other coffins, but the group quickly took care of them by kicking them, then moved into the first safe house that looked like a wine cellar. Two dead ponies lay on the ground, Fletcher recognized them as service personal of the castle as a recording started.
“Are you ready for this, my friend?”
“Yes – this is better than remaining in my cell until they come for me. I thank you for releasing me.”
“No-one deserves a fate like that. But now, it is time. Goodbye, my friend.”
“Goodbye.” The gunshots sounded, followed by the bodies clashing against bottles as it ended.
Going out, they were now in a kitchen, seeing a cell in a small room on the right, with a trapped staff member. “Oh, thank you, you’re here to safe me! All the others…HE took them and…ATE THEM!” The staff member exclaimed in horror. “He’ll come for me soon, I know he will. Please, you have to get me out!” Suddenly there was a loud roar and the eyes of the staff member became small in terror. “My Gosh! That’s him now! He’s coming for me this time! Help me, please!”
A door at the end of the kitchen opened and a large unicorn Blood Hoof came out.
It fired lethal spells while slowly walking towards them.
The group backed up to avoid getting it but the small kitchen didn’t allow much space to move, so they tried to kill it as fast as possible.
The undead unicorn screamed in pain with every shot it took, but was not stunned at it.
Come on, come on! Fletcher cursed as he reloaded and the undead came closer, firing again and it finally fell. And he went into the room the undead had come out, finding a key amongst half eaten bodies and freed the staff member. “You saved me from becoming this thing’s breakfast! Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine now. I’m sure I can find a way out. Goodbye!”
Moving on, they came to a large dining room and saw several Skulls floating and Skeletons in armor were summoned from the ground.
Christopher and William kept them busy while Fletcher and Escher shot the skulls, with all Skeletons falling apart the moment the last skull was destroyed. Then the door at the other end opened and another large armored Zombie stumbled out.
“Help me! They’re going to get me!” Fletcher looked up at a balcony, seeing another staff member chased by two Blood Hooves, and quickly killed them with headshots. “Thank you!”
Then Fletcher saw how Ford shot the armored undead and the helmet flew off, so the unicorn finished it and they moved through the corridor to a large hallway and with a echoing scream, a MG and fire Zombie summoned from the ground.
Fetcher and the German officer focused on the armed Zombie, the Allied snipers on the fire zombie, keeping it’s minions at bay by kicking them. All relocated to stay at a distance, defeating both zombies eventually.
They entered a conference room with a painting of Luna at a wall and the key on a desk, Fletcher collected it and they saw Luna sitting at the desk, Supernova next to her, her guards sitting on chairs.
“The Wolfsong Expedition reports success! When we gather the remaining materials, we will be ready to begin! Success, my deputies, is inevitable! Now, return to your duties!” She ordered and walked through the painting. Fletcher removed it and behind it was the next safe house.
To their surprise, they saw Blood Hooves trapped in an incinerator and Ford turned it on, burning them to avoid having to fight then later as the radio turned on.
“My work for the princess is almost complete. Once I find the first…ah…’volunteer’, I can power up the machine. It will be a revolution in communication! Our enemies will finally they shouldn’t have attacked Equestria and accept the princesses’ superiority…” An unknown male voice said before Fletcher opened the door and walked down a corridor. What they saw at the end was beyond their imagination.
A large machine, a pool of blood and stumbling Blood Hooves in the middle, conveyor belt going into the pool and up, a large tesla ball at the top of the machine.
“You down there. Oh, thank goodness. You’re still normal! You can put a stop to this!” A female voce said and they ran up the stairs to the top, seeing a deer siting in a chair next to the ball. The fur was completely blue, along with the eyes, twitching. “I can help you – I’m connected to everything that goes on in this castle. If I can hold out…just a little longer, together we can find a way to destroy this place!” The deer explained with a pained voice and Fletcher recognized the voice. It was Dawnwind.
He and the others nodded, going through a door leading on the balconies. “I’m unsealing the doors now.” She said over the intercom and an alert sounded. “Okay, there must be something around that can destroy this machine! Search every room!”
Fletcher went into a library on his left and found an explosive charge and heard a phone ringing on a table. For some reason, he couldn’t help but answer it and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, screaming and clutching it as he saw how a copy of him got impaled on the wall before it stopped. “What the hay was that?” He groaned.
“Perfect! Keep looking for more explosives like that!” Dawnwind’s voice sounded on the intercom.
As he walked out, he saw that the others had separated to search the rooms and the female deer sounded again on the intercom. “That’s it! Now, return the explosives to me – quickly!” She said and opened a safe house for them, where a recording started.
“Who would have thought it…” It was a female speaker, Lyra as Fray recognized. “… Mosquita, Gyps the Glorious, Qiron Khan, and now the princess believes she’ll find the bones of Murgan the Red herself in the forest! Could she really be planning to complete plan Z?”
Then it ended and Ford picked up a Panzerfaust as they exited the safe house, coming back to Dawnwind.
“Ah! You made it! Quickly now, place those explosives on the generators!” She explained and they did as told, walking to four generators placed around the ball. “Now you must leave me here! It’s too late for me – save yourselves! I can’t hold on much longer!” The deer yelled in pain and Fletcher wasted no time with his friends to ran through an opened door before the charges exploded and the entire castle rumbled.
In a matter of seconds, everything was on fire and burning Blood Hooves stumbled out of the rooms as the group ran down the stairs and through the front door.
Both they were now between the gate and the armored zombies seen earlier. Ford fired the Panzerfaust at them and tore them apart, clearing the way and Fletcher operated the gate controls to open it and they walked back to the cable car. It saddened him a bit to see his home in flames, but knew it could be rebuilt.
He then gave the treasure to the Archaeologist, who was surprised. “You found the treasure? That’s incredible! Exactly as my research told me! And the body was still there – so the princess’ only retrieving certain corpses. What on Equestria is she up to?” He wondered, though Fletcher had no clue and gave the supplies back to Lyra and the other unicorn, who smiled at him.
“You found our supplies! Thank you! Now at least we have some small hope of reaching civilization!”
“We must help each other in times like these.” Fletcher replied as he saw the two staff members next to the cable car, both also smiled at him.
“I had died on that balcony hadn’t it been for you.” The first thanked him.
“It’s actually a pity about the pony you had to kill, he was our best cook before…you know…” The other shivered at the thought and Fletcher just nodded looking at the key and relic.
Both started to float into the air and the relic pieces turned outwards as the key inserted before falling back into his hooves, he looked at it in awe with his three friends.
Then they took the cable car down and went back to Nightmare Moon’s fortress, seeing undead humans and ponies walking over a bridge into it before a gate closed.
Fletcher then moved a large bolder and it rolled through a cave, it led to a cliff under the base, connected by catwalks and managed to it through a side entrance.
The way ended at a console next to an elevation, undead humans and ponies stumbling near a fan. Fletcher pushed the button on the console and activated the fan, sucking the undead in and tearing them apart, clearing the way.
Walking through the facility, this part looked like a processing plant as they saw undead moved on hooks before coming to a hatch and jumped down, and ended up at a filled charnel pit, so Fray used the wheel to drain it.
“I sense intruders in the charnel pit! They must not be allowed any further!” Nightmare Moon ordered through an intercom as the group dropped down and Blood Hooves rose from the ground. “Drown! Drown and rise again as my minions!”
Yet the group didn’t have any of that and dealt with the undead quickly, stomping them before they could get up. “I will not put up with this insurgency! Destroy them now!” She yelled and a group of heavy armor zombies broke through a gate on the right.
Despite needing several shots to get rid of the helmets, the group mastered it with easy due to their previous experience. “Enough! Seal the Charnel pit! Crush anything inside!” The Alicorn yelled angered and the ceiling slowly came down, together with a Chainsaw Zombie coming from the same gate.
Escher, Hill and Ford made a dash for the gate as Fletcher kept the undead busy, seeing how he lured them around until the celling was almost at head level, then, dove through the gate and the undead was crushed by the ceiling.
The first safe room was just at the end of the gate, looking like an improvised armory and a recording started.
“I’ve been sneaking around the tunnels long enough to see everything now.” A male voice said, Fray recognized it as Peregrine, an officer in the Royal Guard. “The dead arrive by the hundreds. And they’re being armored…and trained! This army is unstoppable! Everyone they kill just makes their way back here – and joins them! I doubt I can remain undetected forever…there is no hope…”
Then it ended and the soldiers fought Blood Hooves through a factory part, coming to a large gate and Hill picked up a Panzerfaust as the gate opened. At the other end, was a large machine, armored Zombies stepped out and they realized: It was an armoring machine, “producing” The large armored undead.
“We hold them off, find a way to shut it down!” ill yelled at Escher and Fletcher, fired the Panzerfaust at the horde, creating a large explosion and the two ran down a ramp, coming to what looked like the heart of the machinery, judging by the large gear wheels.
A MG Zombie guarded it and opened fire, hinting they were on the right track as they returned fire until it went down and saw an open hatch, leading into the machine. Konrad threw a grenade into it and it created a large chain reaction.
“Remain at your posts! This is merely a minor setback! Nothing will stop my Army of Darkness!” Nightmare Moon ordered as the machine went up in flames and the two got back to the others and into the next safe house just at the end of the gate.
“The others have left me.” An unknown male voice said on the recording. “They seem to think they can do something about the princess’ dark shrine. But there’s nothing anyone can do! Hay, what if they were right? We should at least try to stop this madness. I mustn’t be such a coward, I should follow them, help them! Yes, we must stay together. Wait, my friends, I’m coming with you!”
They then walked among the corridors until they came to a large window, sein the undead Alicorn making a speech to her undead soldiers.
“The ancient vault beneath our hooves promised power but we did not realize how much until we were released from the bonds of life. To hear it’s true message! Plan Z was just the beginning! We are indomitable! Victory over pain! Victory over fear! Victory over death itself! None can stand against you! If any of you fall, then more shall rise to take your place! The flames of the old world will warm our cold limbs! We will bring the gift to death to all, and swell our ranks! We shall be united, one race of death! We will bring not a new dawn, but an eternal night that will consume the world! Only the dead will remain to rule this realm of Darkness! March out to crush them all! Now I will unleash the full power of the Hellmouth! Now…the world will BURN!” She exclaimed and walked through a portal.
Then they moved down a hallway, coming to what looked like an ancient chamber and it led to an ancient vault, a Plinth in front of it. Fletcher placed the Relic on it and it started to glow. “They are unlocking the vault! Get down there and stop them!” Nightmare moon yelled and Blood Hooves fell through the ceiling.
The group stood their ground, fighting them off with easy. “Enough meddling! Slaughter any living thing you find!” The Alicorn ordered as her minions got killed on by one. “Kill them all! For Equestria! And the new order!” She yelled frustrated before all her minions got defeated.
“Persistent fools! You only delay the inevitable! Very well. Come to me. It is time I dealt with you myself!” She announced as the group entered the next safe room, with another recording starting.
“Everything is in place.” A female voice said, sounding like Daring Do. “If the ritual in the Book of Souls is completed, the spirits of the most evil people in history will be revived. Their combined power will open the Hellmouth and the dead will rise! If we only hadn’t found those Tanese texts. I truly hope the princess wins this war and never resorts to this terrible plan!”
Knowing it had to end here, the group left the safe room and came to a portal, statues of frozen ponies in front of it, probably the ones who had tried to stop her before and they walked though. Before them was a statue of Luna, the undead Alicorn on a platform high above it. “Dead will come to all!”
The entire ground shook heavily as the statue collapsed and a giant demonic version of herself rose out of the hole. “Equestria will never fall!”
Fletcher looked around and saw a door on his left. “Cover me!” He yelled and bashed on it as the others kept the Blood Hooves at bay Nightmare Moon had summoned.
As he did so, the Alicorn taunted how death was their only escape, that she commanded the dark powers, that she shall rule alone as he succeed and came to a door with floating skulls over it.
Fray used his MP40 to destroy them and saw a Skeleton inside and got an idea. He picked it up and carried it towards the Hellmouth, covered by his friends and threw it in. “No! Mosquita! How dare you!” Night Moon yelled as her demon version retreated into the Hellmouth and she clutched her head in pain. Fletcher took aim and fired at her head. “You will not stop me!” She yelled as her large version came out again and Fletcher went to the door on his right, bashing on it until it was open while his friends held the undead back.
He had to shot some skull again and found another Skeleton behind it. It looked like a Griffin, yet knew what to do with it and carried it back to the Hellmouth, throwing it in.
“Gyps the Glorious may be gone, but I am invincible!” the mare taunted before clutching her head again and Fletcher fired another shot.
Having seen a third door to his left, he shot again some skulls and found a third corpse. Again he was covered by his friends and threw the Skeleton in.
“Murgan… the Red… lost! I…will…not…give… in!” Nightmare Moon yelled as her demonic version turned around and grabbed her. “No…impossible!”
It turned to stone and broke into pieces, with she landed in front of the snipers, not moving. But Fray knew that wasn’t the end and threw her body also into the Hellmouth.
“It’s over…” He let out a sigh of relief.
“No, we must close the Hellmouth.” Hill replied and grabbed the Relic from Fletcher’s bag, throwing it into the Hellmouth and Fletcher shot it. It started a chain reaction and everything started to collapse, and they ran out a fast as they could.
Konrad barely avoided a strike by a undead human and reacted by punching him with his fist in his face as strong as he could. The head of the Zombie was gone, still, Escher shook his hand in disgust.
Christopher head-butted two Blood Hooves that were in his way, but slipped and fell to the ground. Hill quickly helped him up and they ran out of the front gate.
As Fletcher ran outside, he ducked to avoid a strike by a Blood Hoof and raised his rifle like a bat, hitting the undead pony with it and cut the head clean off.
Then he ran into a dark tunnel, losing track of the others. “Guys?” He called out but got no reply.
Walking through the tunnel, he saw at the end of it a great expanse of sheer, black stone that felt oily on the hand. The space between the floor and the podium where the bed was placed covered by even rows of a candles burning blue flame, the holders carved into the shape of alicorns calling down falling-stars. A true majestic sight and he recognized it as Luna’s chamber.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something golden flashing. Curious, he walked towards it, seeing a unicorn stallion in dazzling golden armor and a trailing gown of white with ribbons of saffron, ochre and crimson, having a collar made of giant dove wings and the back of his shoulder pads curved upwards into a great arch above him like a halo, his hooves being made of brass and a golden mask of a tranquil, cherubic young steed, painting a picture of the children being on life support.
“No matter how hard I tried, I could never escape the reality of what happened. That was my downfall. There. Finished.” He turned towards Fletcher. “I hope you like it.”
“What the hay is going on?” Fray asked confused.
“Your eyes are opening. It hurts, doesn’t it?” The stallion replied and pointed at the picture. “Go on - What do you think?”
Fray looked at it for a few seconds. “You did this.”
“No. You did. Your actions brought four children into a coma. Somepony has to pay for your failure, Fray. Who’s it gonna be?” He walked away, Fletcher followed him.
“Solomon, is that you?"
"You tell me, Fray."
“I'm done playing games, Solomon."
"Oh, I assure you, this is no game.” As Solomon said this, Fletcher came to a hospital bed with a body on it, covered by a white blanket.
He removed it, seeing the dead body of Solomon. He looked at it in surprise before taking the Luger out of Solomon’s holster and it crumbled to ash and the slight sound of Celestia crying echoed. “It seems reports of my survival have been greatly exaggerated.” Solomon said as he walked up next to him.
“This is impossible.” Fletcher looked at him.
“Oh, I assure you it is.
“How?”
“Not how. Why!” Solomon exclaimed. “You never meant to come here...” Those words made the Eternal Knight realize: He should have get them back to Equestria straight away.
“What happened to them was out of my control.” Fletcher mumbled.
“Was it? None of this would have happened if you’d just stopped. But on you marched. And for what?”
“...I tried to save them.”
“You're no savior. Your talents lie elsewhere.”
“That isn’t my fault.”
“It takes a strong stallion to deny what’s right in front of him. And if the truth is undeniable...You create your own.” Solomon countered. “The truth, Fray, is...that you’re here because you wanted to feel something you’re not. A hero.” He paused.
“I’m here because you can’t accept what happened to Dinky, Katja and Blau. It broke you. You needed someone to blame. So you cast it on me.” Solomon looked at where his body had been, then at Fletcher. “A dead stallion. I know the truth is hard to hear, Fray. But it’s time. You’re all that’s left. And we can’t live this lie forever...”
Solomon pointed a Luger at him. “I'm going to count to five, then I'm pulling the trigger.”
Fray held his head. “You're not real... This is all in my head...“
“Are you sure? Maybe it's in mine. ONE.”
No... everything... all this... It was your fault.” Fray pointed his pistol at him.
“If that's what you believe, then shoot me. TWO.”
“I didn't mean to hurt anypony.”
“No one ever does, Fray...THREE.”
Fletcher pointed the pistol at himself for a moment as Solomon said, “FOUR. Is this what you really want, Fray?”
Then Fletcher fired at Solomon. He dropped his gun, which shattered like glass. “It takes a strong stallion to deny right in front of him... Stronger than you were.” He saw Solomon slowly shattering like a mirror.
“Whatever you say, Fray. No matter what happens next, don't be too hard on yourself. Even now, after all you've done, you can still go home. Lucky you.”
With a slight gasp, Fletcher woke up in the hospital room, the beeping sound of the EKGs sounding in his ears, looking at the children who were still in coma.
He couldn’t tell if this had been a dream or what it was exactly, but it made him realize: It wasn’t his fault. He had done what he could.
The stallion stared as he realized he had pointed his pistol at his head and dropped it.
Fray breathed heavily, not able to believe he had almost committed suicide. He then sighed and walked over to the kids. “Please, children, hold on. I don’t want to lose you.”
Then he started to sing an old song he knew.
♫ Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright
Fight on just a little while longer
Fight on just a little while longer
Pray on just a little while longer
Dinky, Katja and Blau were currently playing with their friends, hoping Fletcher was alright. “Do you think Equestria can recover from this?” The grey colt asked everyone, but none of the, could form an answer before Solomon walked up to them.
“Be not afraid, children. Celestia protects.” He said with hope and the three smiled weakly.
“You are very optimistic, despite all this. What happened to Celestia?” Dinky asked and he lowered his head slightly.
“She went missing shortly before the Attack. Celestia had ordered me to assist Luna I had no idea what Plan Z would unleash.” Solomon had a slightly sad tone, then rose his head. “But I’m confident Celestia’s still alive out there. After all, she survived many things.”
Katja then pointed at this burns. “How did this happen?”
The unicorn looked at it for a moment, then back at her. ” One of the damned creatures struck me. But fear not. Celestia's fire protects. I cannot imagine what drives Nightmare Moon with such hatred. Evidently, she did not wish to disappoint her sister.”
Before anyone could reply, they heard hoof steps and saw Midnight and Wolf walking in. “Welcome back. Your Intel proved to be very vital.” Solomon greeted them.
“We know.” Midnight replied and Dinky had to think of Fletcher.
“I hope he will make it.” She shivered at the thought of being becoming victim of the undead, before Solomon gave her a hug.
“I’m sure he will. He went so far to get you here, I doubt he will fail now.”
“Mom!” A male voice called out and they saw a blue unicorn stallion hugging the mare that had served food.
“My son! You’re okay!”
The kids saw Lyra next to them, smiling at the heartwarming scene. They did too, it looked like a good ending for all.
Suddenly an alert went off and red lights blinked. “What’s going on?” Dinky asked scared.
“We got a breach! Quick, get to the safe room!” Solomon advised before the saw Blood Hooves coming up the stairs and he fired a MP40 at them, Wolf and Midnight did too. “Back into the grave!”
They ran towards the safe room, hearing screams, not seeing their friends anywhere before tripping.
Hearing a terrible groan, they couldn’t believe their eyes. A Group of Blood Hooves closed on, and they crawled backwards. Among them were Nancy, Lyra, the two unicorns and the Pegasus, all having bite marks on their throats. But most horrible was, the other foals were among them too, a chunk of flesh on their shoulders was missing.
Also, they saw Solomon and the two knights. The former had his mask torn off, reveling the red eyes and coat.
“Pip…no…please…” Dinky whimpered at her friend as he came closer to her and she closed her eyes, hugging the siblings and they hugged her.
This was the end. They would die.
Clash!
The sound of bodies hitting the ground greeted them and they slowly opened their eyes. All blood Hooves laid dead on the ground and a ghostly unicorn with two knives stood in front of the bodies “Fear not, children, you are safe.” He said and they recognized the voice.
“Y-you? Q-Quince…” Dinky stuttered in disbelief and he held up a hoof.
“I mean no harm. I am here to help”
“H-help? W-why?” Blau and Katja asked in unison.
“Because, thanks to you, I finally found peace.” He paused for a moment and weakly smiled. “You helped me, so I help you. It’s all a dream.”
“He’s right, children.” Another male voice said and they saw a stallion covered in bright light, unable to recognize him. “It’s all in your head.”
“Who are you?” Blau asked confused.
“A friend of your parents, Blau Streifen. And I only want the best for you.”
“And for Fletcher’s sake.” A young female voice said an as the three blinked, they saw four entities in a great green glow, also looking like ponies, one of them a foal. “He suffered so much, already.”
“Yes, he has.” A more mature female voice next to the foal said. “He blamed himself for many things he isn’t to blame.
“And he blames himself for what happened to you, thought he did what he could.” Another voice, belonging to the third of the entities said with pity.
“He needs you, children. It’s time for you to wake up. A third female voice said before everything faded and they heard an echoing sound greeted their ears.
♫Sing on just a little while longer
Sing on just a little while longer
Sing on just a little while longer
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright♫
Hearing also a faint beeping sound, Dinky and her two friends opened their eyes and they quickly realized they had oxygen masks over their mouths, connected to EKGs, feeling numb.
As their vision cleared sufficiently, they saw a unicorn stallion sitting on a hair beside them, humming something and Dinky managed to smile weakly.
“Fletcher…if I could…I would hug you…”