//------------------------------// // Wave Nine- You're On Your Own // Story: Spiel der Untoten // by Final Draft //------------------------------// “A teleporter?” Gemini asked, walking up to the mechanical marvel that had been constructed on the rooftop. Wires and cables ran from the steel capsule to a giant antenna of sorts that coursed with electricity. The capsule itself was covered in light bulbs that flickered from time to time. “Hell yeah, we’re getting out of here!” Ruble said joyously, rushing forward. He jumped into the teleporter without caution and looked around for an initiation switch. A large red button protruded from a panel in the back, and he smashed his hoof down upon it. “Round is starting, everypony in!” Tank shouted. He pushed Gemini and Crescendo into the telporter before hopping inside as well. The machine crackled with energy and shook violently as it prepared to tear through space and time. “Why aren’t we going anywhere?!” Gemini shouted over the noise of the machine. She looked out in horror as the first zombies of wave nine began trotting towards them. The three stallions that accompanied her began firing on the enemy. The zombies fell, but many more replaced them. Ruble was responsible for the majority of the kills; only needing a second to reload his weapon. He popped a new magazine into his AN94 and gunned down a bloated pegasus zombie that had just jumped one of the roof’s barricades. It fell and a Max Ammo Power Up hovered above its body. “I’m going for it!” Ruble shouted, jumping out of the teleporter. “Get back here!” Tank shouted from the teleporter. “This thing could leave any—” With a bright burst of light, the teleporter disappeared from the rooftop, leaving only a smoking scorch-mark in its place. “—second!” Tank shouted before being flung backwards into the teleporter’s control panel. Gemini screamed as she was pressed against the wall, held in place by the force of motion. Crescendo was pinned upside down right next to her and clamped his eyes shut, hoping not to vomit. The three disoriented ponies fell to the ground as the teleporter finally came to a stop. Tank was the first to recover and stood up to survey their new surroundings. From the books that lay on the floor, it was apparent they had been transported to a library. “MAX AMMO!” The voice echoed around the library and the ponies felt their saddlebags suddenly get heavier. “It sounds like Ruble is not dead yet,” Crescendo commented. Tank grunted and drew his weapon, walking through the dimly lit library. Torches flickered from the walls and something shiny hung from a chandelier. “I have established that shiny is important,” Gemini said, adjusting her glasses as she looked up. “What do you surmise that is?” Tank and Crescendo looked up at the object and squinted. It was too far away to make out any real detail, so tank raised his weapon. “Let’s find out,” he said. Before Gemini could object, Tank fired a couple rounds at the chandelier. Glass shattered and several pieces fell to the floor, but the chandelier remained intact. The object in question still hung from its perch. “That’s your best problem solving capabilities?” Gemini asked angrily. “Shoot at it?!” Tank, a pony with iron nerves, suddenly found himself a bit nervous as the unicorn mare approached. “Uh, it usually works,” he said, trying to defend his actions. “Really?” She asked with sarcasm. Tank looked around nervously so he could avoid Gemini’s piercing glare, and he noticed a few zombified ponies trudging their way from the shadows. Crescendo had also noticed, and began firing at the zombies. His gunfire drew the attention of Gemini, and she readied her ray gun. More zombies swarmed their location as unseen barriers were broken down. Gemini’s hooves shook as she fired her weapon into the hoard. As the blast of energy hit the zombie, the light in its eyes turned from blue to a blinding white. The zombie fell and the light from its eyes streaked toward the overhanging chandelier. The shiny object above absorbed the light and began to glow slightly. Only Gemini had witnessed the phenomenon and began to draw her own hypothesis. The object on the chandelier must be similar to the one on Tank’s neck. It needs energy that can only be drawn from the zombies. But the zombies have to be killed in a particular way, it would seem. What am I doing differently from Crescendo and Tank? She broke from her thoughts and fired her weapon again. This time, Tank bore witness to the strange occurrence, and he turned to watch as Gemini gunned down even more zombies. No matter where she struck them, they all released their light, and it flew toward the chandelier. After a moment, Tank asked, “How are you doing that?” “I have some theories!” Gemini shouted, trying to reload her weapon. A zombie galloped through the hoard of slower ones and snapped its teeth at Gemini. “INSTA-KILL!” the unseen mare shouted. Gemini turned and bucked the zombie, snapping its neck as her rear hooves collided with its chin. The light in its eyes simply extinguished. “I now have two less theories. It is NOT because I’m a mare, and it is NOT because I’m a unicorn!” Tank watched as she finished reloading and shot down the zombies approaching her. Every last one had the light sucked from its eyes as it fell to the ground. “It’s your weapon,” Tank said. “It’s because it’s a wonder weapon.” “Oh. Neat,” Gemini responded. “Hey, which of you grabbed the insta-kill?” Both Tank and Crescendo looked to each other and back at Gemini. “It must have been Ruble. It would appear he has not yet blown himself up in our absence,” Crescendo laughed. Even Tank cracked a smile. “What will happen to him if he dies?” Gemini asked. She received no response, because at that moment, all the chandeliers in the library lit up. The light from the last zombie she’d killed had apparently sated the object’s hunger for energy. Slowly, the central chandelier was lowered by its chain to the floor. A golden tiara with a six point star hung from it, and sparkled ever-so-slightly. “Take it and let’s go,” Tank said. Gemini approached the tiara and as she brought her hoof up, the tiara teleported onto her head. Just like with the necklace Tank wore around his neck, the object could not be removed by force. But unlike Tank, Gemini actually liked the accessory. The three ponies trotted through the library, looking for an exit. A marble pillar had come down and taken out the staircase to the upper levels, and nearly every hallway was blocked by piles of burning books. Eventually, they reached a closed door that could be bought open with points. Tank removed his coin and grinned at his total. The loss of 1500 points didn’t even faze him as the door opened. The library’s lobby was on the other side, and one of the strange perk machines was set against a wall. It hummed to life, as if it had been expecting them, and a piano began playing. When they need some help, They reach for the root beer shelf. YA THIRSTY PARTNER? “Thank Celestia; it’s Double Tap,” Tank said, trotting to the machine. He dropped in his coin and it vended a bottle of what was clearly root beer. Crescendo and Gemini walked over and watched as the alicorn chugged the contents of the bottle. “What does this one do?” Gemini asked curiously. “You’re gonna fire faster, and every time you pull the trigger, you’re gonna fire two bullets at once,” Tank replied, smashing the empty bottle on the floor. Crescendo deposited his coin into the machine, but Gemini stood there perplexed. “But how does a beverage effect the fire rate of our weapons?” the unicorn demanded. “And won’t we consume ammo faster? This beverage is scientifically unsound!” “How it works is none of my concern,” Tank said, reloading his weapon. “What it does is make us twice as effective against the zombies. You NEED it after round ten.” Gemini stepped over the broken glass of Crescendo’s bottle and reluctantly inserted her coin into the machine. A bottle vended and her coin was returned to her with 2000 less points. “Does it at least taste better then that Jug stuff?” she asked, sniffing the contents of the bottle. “No,” Tank and Crescendo replied in unison. Gemini frowned and drank the root beer. Like the others, she smashed the bottle to the floor. “Why? Why do we do that?” Gemini asked, looking down at the broken glass at her hooves. “That could have been recycled, but, I couldn’t help myself.” Several zombies poured into the lobby from the doorway and the three ponies turned to fight. Tank burst fired into the crowd, sending two bullets into the zombie’s heads with a single pull of the trigger. Confetti rained down and slowed the ones still standing. Tank indicated to his kills and asked, “See? Twice as effective.” Gemini fired her ray gun at the zombies but only one energy shot came out. “Wait, that was only one!” she shouted angrily. “I failed to mention it doesn’t work for the ray gun, the ballistic knife, orrrr grenade launchers,” Tank replied. Gemini angrily fired the ray gun into the zombies. Both the weapon and her tiara glowed occasionally through her rampage. In total, she fired twenty-seven shots before needing to reload. The glow occurred exactly seven times. “Wait, that thing only holds twenty shots, and that was definitely more than twenty,” Tank said, angry at being surprised yet again. He was the master of this game, but it seemed the rules had changed. “Yeah, it’s like I magically didn’t use ammo every time it glowed,” Gemini commented, looking at the ray gun. She went back to firing and cleared out the lobby by herself. The tiara glowed several times, awarding Gemini six extra shots this time. No more zombies entered, and the room went quiet after the last zombie fell. While Gemini and Crescendo boarded up the windows, Tank sat in thought. Magically didn’t use ammo? Is that what the tiara does? And mine? It sends out confetti…and laughter…why the laughter? How many more of these things are there, and what are they for? “THE POINTS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!” The three ponies looked up in surprise at hearing the voice. “Ruble must still have some zombies on him,” Gemini stated. She and Crescendo continued boarding up windows, taking advantage of the additional points. Magic…Laughter…Damn! I know there’s a connection! Tank tried to focus on his own thoughts as the other two began singing one of Crescendo’s songs. After a moment, Gemini and Crescendo’s harmony—Harmony! That’s it! Magic and laughter were two of the six Elements of Harmony! Tank stood up triumphantly, a big smile on his face from his epiphany. It did not last long however, as a dense fog rolled out over the lobby. Gemini and Crescendo quickly flocked to Tank, getting as close to him as they could. “FETCH US THEIR SOULS!