Equestria Divided Tales

by Grenazers

House of Earthborn: Firespitters

Camp Helping Heart, a refugee camp located in the Earthborn territory. Founded by a former nurse, Helping Heart. This mare started this camp to help out those who lost their homes, most notably Old Ponyville. Soon the camp got bigger when more refugee from other parts of Equestria arrived, seeking refuge from the growing conflict.

In ten years, this small camp of a hundred ponies grew into a thousand. The camp itself consist over a hundred tents and a couple of makeshift buildings, surrounding the large camp are wooden walls built to keep out any hostile forces from invading.

Despite residing in the Earthborn territory, the camp is not affiliated with them. Acting independently, the camp grows its own food and gather its own resources.

Now why is such a large settlement not found on the updated Equestrian map? That is because five years ago an incident occurred. This incident caused the lives of all the camp's occupants and for the Earthborn forces to get involved.

According to the Earthborn troops that was sent there. They discovered that the camp not only held refugees but, also members of the Cult of Laughter. With some investigation, they discovered that the cults here were experimenting a some dark magic. Most notably their studies into necromancy.

However instead of a necromancy, the cultist created a deadly plague that spreads rapidly and killed everypony there. The Earthborn troops had to wear special suits, in order prevent themselves from getting infected. A group of troops was sent to clean up the place, including a couple of Firespitters.

---

"OK you ready, Rock Slide?" a pony in a brown bio-hazard suit and a gas mask asked his partner.

His partner also was also wearing the same suit as the other pony, they were carrying a rotting pony corpse over to a pit. "Yeah, let do this," he replied.

"OK, on three. One, two and three!" both ponies chucked the corpse into a pit, full of other corpses. The number of bodies has mounted into a small hill, down in the bottom of the pit.

"Come on, just one more and we'll light this pile on fire." The troops trotted away from the pit, to grab themselves another body. They found two bodies, locked into each others arms. The two troops grabbed one of the body and carried it towards the pit.

The two did the same process from before and toss the body into the pile. "Alright let's light them up." Rock Slide then picked up his flame thrower. "Mud slap man, can you doused the pile." he said to his partner. The pony named Mud Slap grabbed a barrel of flammable liquids, he then starts to pour liquids all over the pile.

Once he was done, he signaled his friend to light it up. Rock Slide activated his flame thrower and a long stream of flame came from the barrel of his weapon. The pile of bodies was lit on fire, its flame illuminating the area around them. Black smoke rose from burning corpses, the flame slowly enveloping the bodies away.

With their task here done, the two started to head back and rejoined the others. Before they could leave the area, Rock Slide suddenly halted. "Slide. Why you stopped."

The pony then raised his hoof, pointing at a specific spot. "Wasn't there a body over there?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

Slide trotted to the spot, with Slap following behind. "Don't you remember? This is where we took the last corpse, remember the two of them were in each others arms?"

"Oh yeah you're right," Slap stated, he then took a careful look around the spot. "Where the hell is it?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the two were alerted by the sound coming ahead of them. Standing there was the other corpse but, is standing up and is trotting towards them. Slide aimed his weapon at the trotting pony and shout at it.

"Halt!" he shouted, the doesn't respond and kept on trotting.

"I said halt!" he repeat himself, getting only the same result.

With the pony not stopping, Rock Slide fired his flamethrower and ignite the pony on fire. The cops just kept trotting for a bit, before collapsing on the ground. Watching the thing burn, Slide turn to talk to his partner, but was met with a walking corpse standing over a dead Mud Slap.

"Mud Slap!" Slide yelled, shocked to see his dead companion. This drew the walking corpse attention and trotted towards the pony. Slide aimed his weapon again and lit the creature on fire. Like the last one, it kept moving until it dropped.

Rock Slide thought that was the end of it but, he soon noticed more corpses surrounding him. The lone soldiers fired his weapon at the zombies, burning them to death. Slide did his best to fend them off, until one of them ripped his suit opened.

Realizing that he is exposed to the plague, ergo he is infected. Seeing no way out of this, Slide decided that if he was going down he'll go out with a bang. Breaking his fuel barrel opened, the soldier shoved his weapon into the barrel and pulled the trigger.

The results were a fiery explosion, incinerating himself and those walking corpses near him. The explosion was big and loud, it can be seen and heard from all over the large camp.

---

Five minutes ago

Near the center of Camp Helping Heart, a bunch of Earthborn troops was moving around supplies in their temporary base of operation. Here is where they gather and collect more fuel for their weapons. The one leading this operation has been a recently promoted soldier, Captain Caramel.

Before the promotion, Caramel was good soldier, He listened and followed orders. But, being a leader, Caramel has some doubt of his leadership skills. He mostly relies on his blue friend, Lt Noteworthy.

It was quite strange how these two have changed in the pass fifteen years. Before Caramel has been just some pony who did odd jobs around Ponyville. His friend Noteworthy was the only one who had a career, a musician. Sadly that career was not in demand, so with no choice but, to join the army. To this day the blue stallion hasn't played his instrument for a long time.

Today is the first time Caramel was given command over a platoon of ponies. The was a total of twenty of them here, including himself and Noteworthy. Looking around Caramel sighs, glad to see everything going smoothly.

BOOM!

The sudden explosion stopped everypony in their task, and looked in the direction of that explosion. Fearing that something my have happened to his troops. Caramel ordered Noteworthy and three other troops to accompany him on his way to the source of the bomb.

He left the base making Sgt Expendable in charge while they are gone. As the five galloped to the location, they spoke among themselves about what they would find there. Why the three debated, Carmel and Noteworthy were more focused on the task at hoof.

They arrive on the scene but, only found a burnt mark on the ground and burnt up bodies. Investigating the scene more the group found two bodies that belong to them. One was still wearing his bio suit albeit, torched up. And the second with his bio suit and his broken flamethrower.

Seeing that this pony was at the center of the explosion, Caramel conclude that he was the cause of explosion, Now the question was, why?

His answer came to him when his troops alerted hm of the presence of several ponies surrounding them. These ponies are no longer alive, their bodies darken losing its bright colors, and their eyes being completely voided of life.

These five didn't need to know these ponies were and acting on instinct, they went into battle position. Noteworthy and one of troops, Napalm were the only one wielding flamethrowers. Because of this they went on the offensive and started burning these trotting corpses.

The other three, including Caramel only had melee weapons. And since their bio suit doesn't exactly give them much maneuverability, they chose to be more defenses, waiting for a target to get close before striking.

These five ponies held their ground, slaying any of the zombies that got near them. Then one of Caramel's troops got too close to a three of them. The pony managed to slay one but, the other two swarmed him. Breaching his bio suit and killing the pony inside.

Seeing his comrade getting mauled, the other pony panicked and gallop out of there. Only for him to be attacked by a corpse when he reached a corner. With two dead, this left only Capt Caramel, Lt Noteworthy and Specialist Napalm.

"Shit the other guy is gone!"shouted Noteworthy.

"I'm almost out!" yelled Napalm.

Caramel stood there, frozen in shock of what just transpired. In ten seconds flat, he has already lost two of his troops. Seeing his friend in distress, the blue pony decides he should step in.

"Quick let's fall back to base!" he said, getting Caramel out of his shocked state.

At the same time Napalm's flamethrower was out of fuel, he was resorted to using the bayonet attached to his weapon to fight off the trotting corpses.

The three galloped across the rows of abandoned tents, encountering more of the rotting bodies along the way. The trio eventually got the base but, they found it in disarray. Zombies were roaming around and bodies of soldiers lay scattered across the floor.

Seeing no one here the trio were soon assaulted by more of the trotting corpses. The three broke through them and galloped in a random direction. Noteworthy finally ran out of fuel and forced to use the weapon's bayonet. They then came across a big group of corpses.

The three prepare themselves, getting ready to fight the horde of monsters. Luckily something lit the horde on fire wiping them off. They looked in the direction of where the flame came from and spotted two of their comrades. One of the two waved his hoof, indicating the three ponies to follow them.

The trio galloped after their rescuers, which led them into one of the makeshift structures. As soon as all three got in, one of two closed and locked the door.

"Thanks for saving us out there," Caramel said, looking at the pony who saved them.

"No problem captain."

Hearing his voice, Caramel recognize the pony as Pvt Roadblock.

"Who are guys," asked Napalm.

"I'm Roadblock," he answered. He then turned his attention to his partner that just trotted in. "And my friend there is Crackles."

Crackles just waved his hoof to the trio of ponies.

"Well you know me and my lieutenant, this pony here Napalm." Caramel introduced his third companion to the two.

"Man gotta say it was lucky you two found us. Otherwise we be dead by now." Napalm thanked two ponies.

"Hey you were lucky we came across you guys."

"Wait, came across? you two were heading somewhere?" Noteworthy questioned.

"Yeah, we were heading to the camp's gate when we spotted you three. We originally wanted to get of here." Roadblock explained.

"Good then that is what we have to do next, we'll need to head back the gate and regroup with the guards station there." Noteworthy said, talking about their current objective.

An hour passed and the five ponies finally left the building and headed off to the gates. They snuck around the tents as not to draw the corpses attention. Along the way they noticed numerous of these creatures heading towards one direction.

They ignored it and continued on. Only then when they were forced to sneak near the walls did they see where the dead trotters were heading to. Along the wall numerous corpses were pounding on the wooden walls. Some of them used weapons, resulting in more damage to the wall.

Seeing these things attacking the wall made Caramel realized something. "Guys we can't leave," he stated, earning a shock from his troops.

"B-but sir, why?" asked Roadblock.

"Private look at them," he pointed the corpses facing the wall. "Those things don't affect by the plague but, they can carry it. This makes them extremely dangerous, if these things managed to break out they spread the plague around."

Realizing how grave that sounds each of the troops listen in on Caramel flan. "First one of us has to reach the gate and warn Captain Brass. Tell him to have troops patrolling around the wall in case they break through," he looked at the three. "Any volunteers?"

Roadblock raised his hoof but, instead of suggesting himself, he suggest Crackle should go. He explained that Crackle has a family waiting for him at home, and he doesn't want his kids go through life without their father.

Crackle said his goodbyes and headed to the gates. With that done, Caramel proceeds to the next phase of their plan. They go back to base and gather some flamethrowers and fuel, then they trot along the wall burning any corpses they find.

And with that Caramel's plan was set into motion. When went back to the base to gather weapons and fuel, they encounter three other survivors doing the same. Caramel explained the situation to them and the three agreed to aid them.

With the additional soldiers the group trotted along the walls burning and killing any of the ghouls they came across. They went from one side of the wall to wall across the camps. Caramel and his troops incinerated over hundreds of corpses, their charred bodies lining up against the walls.

After hours of doing this the group finally burned the last group of zombies. Just in time too, they have already used up all their supplied fuels. With the their task down the group finally decided to head towards the main gate.

As soon as they got there they were faced with rows of Firespitters aiming their weapons at them. They were escorted to be decontaminated which took another hour to be over. Once done Caramel left to find Captain Brass and give the old stallion his full report.

After hearing his tale, the old captain congratulated Caramel for his amazing action inside. He'll tell the higher ups of his accomplishments, and he'll have a high reputation among them.

Caramel left his office and reunite with his friend, including Napalm, Roadblock, Crackle and the rest. They decided to hit the bar for their celebration. Inside Caramel's head any doubt about his leadership skills disappeared. He has proven himself in the field, and he'll prove himself in the next mission as well.