Equestria, /HaS/, and the Untodes Korps

by Tyrannosaurus_Tux

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Human
Length: 18495

They've come.

They're here.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-11-01 23:45:24 UTC

Noncanon Pilot

Have you ever had one of those out-of-body experiences? Where you almost see yourself through someone else's eyes, as a kind of observer? I have one every time I close my eyes.  It’s always a different one. I can't control them; they may be my thoughts, but these things are not mine to command. It's always the same, each and every one of them. This brutal struggle. This yearning for food; for those odd things it sees scurrying around on those walls. For something so monstrous and frightening to be just a simple animal, obeying the common rules that bind all of us to this plane... It's odd. But I’m getting ahead of myself, telling you all this. Logic dictates that I start at the beginning.

It was like the opening to a play. The stage was all set; the curtains were ready to be drawn. The stagehands making it all possible had gone to great lengths to make sure that everything was to go perfectly. Their ‘actors’, to keep this metaphor going, were simply going to retire to rest, as they did every night, and awaken here. I didn’t know the specifics of how this place worked; that honor was reserved for the people that actually ran this little freakshow. Perhaps they enjoyed this, the raw emotion of a survival situation as extreme as this one. Maybe it truly was a show to them, one without a script and where the heroes weren’t guaranteed to win in the end. In the long and short of it, why they did it truly didn’t matter. In just a few short minutes, the show would start. I hope it was not too rude of an awakening for them.

I’d like to consider it a funny story, how the denizens of this land came to be. To anyone staring at them, the creatures almost all look the same. These horribly malformed beings, screaming and gasping and clawing at things on the wall unendingly. The things outside those walls that protect them are a fair bit more complex than that. I don’t mean to make this sound cliché, but they are the product of this twisted form of natural selection. It wasn’t about who was fit enough to survive in this environment. It was about what was capable of evoking the most fear, what garnered the greatest feelings of pure revulsion in someone’s stomach. A lot of people would think that this would instantly mean that they would be blood-encrusted, multi-eyed horrors covered in gnashing teeth barking and howling unintelligible babbling. In some twisted, cosmic sort of way, that couldn’t be farther from the truth of things. It’s these almost-human-looking things that are just a tiny bit distorted, just a little bit wrong, that garner the most horrified reactions. I’m not a man of science, nor an expert on the subject.

Of course, this isn’t my story. I just happened to do the casting for the background characters and a bit of set design. The real heroes of this story were long overdue to wake up, actually. I don’t envy them; don’t get me wrong. A starring role in this particular production is not something anyone should desire to have. Unfortunately for our heroes, they had very little choice in the matter.

I shifted and stirred in my bed, but several red flags rose in my mind almost immediately. This bed was too small to have been the one I climbed in. The atmosphere was all stuffy, and that couldn’t be, since I had opened the bedroom window last night. I opened my eyes, only to see grey. As the world came into focus, a sense of panic flooded through me. I tried to lift myself up, only to crack my head onto the bottom of the bunk above me, which raised even more questions.

Why am I in a bunk bed instead of my normal twin bed?

Panicking and in pain, I stumbled out of bed to see that there were other bunks like this one surrounding mine. As I finally recognized my surroundings, it became apparent that this was some sort of grey barracks, with bunks and mattresses and covers, all the same uniform colour. In the darkness, I could see occupants in the other bunks.

How did I get here?

I made my way down the bunker to a set of doors, my feet pattering on the cold floor. I was wearing only some thick, white pajamas.

What’s going on?

I grasped the door and pushed outward. I saw a set of staircases that led up and into the open. I cautiously walked up and saw yet more grey. The black sky was filled with stars, beautiful and bright. I looked around and saw several square buildings lined up in a row. At the edge of my vision, I saw a 50-foot wall surrounding the area and the buildings.

Am I in a military base or something?

I could see no flagpole or anything to indicate nationality of any sort. Just grey. I walked into the common area of this... compound and approached one of the featureless blocks. I reached out to touch it: it felt like it was really was just a featureless, smooth, metallic surface. It was then I heard a startled yelp from behind me. It came from the barracks.

Are the others waking up?

As I heard more yelling, I headed back underground. People were getting up and facing the same fears that I had. I didn’t recognize any of them, but I felt that I should help. I walked over to where someone was freaking out and asked him, “Hey, you know what’s going on?”

He said, “I-I don’t know. I just got in my bed last night at home with my family and now... I’m here? Do you know?”

I stepped back and said, “I don’t know either, man.”

Suddenly, previously unseen lights flickered on, bathing all of us in a bright light and waking up everyone. It seemed that this barracks was unisex, as I saw a few women get up and freak out as well. I told the man, “Hey, let’s get everyone calm down before anything happens.”

He said back, “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

We tried addressing everyone here while trying to hide our own uncertainty about the situation, looking to make some normality out of this nightmare. We found one-size pants and tee-shirts in drawers beneath bottom bunks. As we all put on the plain white shirts and grey pants, it became apparent that nobody had any idea what was happening. I went back outside and saw the brightening horizon. It was a comforting thing to see a sunrise in this forbidding place.

As more people filtered out of the sleeping area, the ground became crowded with dozens of people, maybe more. A sudden noise from the grey square structures caught our collective attention. The sound of machines whirring and clicking echoed through the complex, and as we backed off, several slots in the structures opened up, slots that one could fit a big, old television set. A man, perhaps brave, perhaps stupid, walked up and looked at the slots, apparently triggering a mechanical voice, which said:

“General Purpose Replicator active. Please input command.”

Everyone looked at each other, and a murmur grew. The man at the slots said nervously, “U-Um, can I have some shoes and socks, please? Size 10?”

“Dispensing product.”

One of the slots closed and a whirring could be heard, then a ding. The slot opened back up to reveal exactly what the man had ordered, and he cautiously withdrew his items. As he put them on, several more people gathered up the courage to ask something of the replicators.

“Some shoes?”

“Coffee?”

“Can I have a coat, please?”

These and other items were dispensed with the accompanying machine announcing their creation with the monotone voice, saying, “Dispensing product.”

People gathered more courage and got more creative with what they ordered: I saw people getting lawn chairs, food, drinks, and clothes. I even saw a guy ordering a laptop, and he got one. The mood definitely improved in the compound as people filled their bellies and as they got better accommodations for themselves in this grey land. I had ordered some simple doughnuts and hot chocolate and made my way back to the man I had talked to before. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, for what they were worth. But something odd started occuring when I asked for his name.

“Say, I didn’t get your name.”

“OH! It’s...”

“What’s wrong?”

“It seems silly, but... Commissar Alexer?”

“Say, that sounds familia--”

That did ring a bell. Something about a group?

“Well, what’s your name?”

“Why, it’s Tyrannosaurus Tux.”

After saying it, I felt rather ill. It seemed so odd and yet so natural that this would be my name. Some figment of my brain protested and tried to tell me what my real name was, but all that came up was this pen name or something.

As the group mingled and people became visibly more confused as to their location, the voice seemed to turn its loudspeaker on again and address the group, saying, “Is this sufficient?”

We all looked at each other, but Alexer spoke up, shouting, “Sufficient for what?”

“You have all been brought here that we may learn. Arm yourselves for the oncoming tide. We will reward you for as many data points as you can give us. Begin.”

With that, the voice cut out. Now we were understandably really concerned.

Brought here for some being’s learning?

Arm ourselves?

Oncoming tide?

Rewards?

Chills ran up our spines. A shrill shriek from a thousand mouths tore through the air. A new panic arose in the crowd, and they swarmed the replicators, ordering whatever weapon came to mind. I could see that most of them ordered guns and ammo and lasers or something, but they ordered a few odd things as well. Did the guy seriously think the replicator would give him a phaser? Why would that guy over there order a katana? Did he think he’d outlast this... horde whatever it is with a simple piece of iron?

As for me, the shock didn’t wear off until the first few shots were fired from the walls. People had made their way to the top and were blindly firing into the darkness. Or so I hoped. These mostly untrained and scared people were just grabbing guns and ammo. This could turn really bad. I just hoped nobody got hurt. I quickly ordered a M14 battle rifle from the replicator. I was rushing to the battlements when I shook from dread.

I was in the middle of nowhere.

This machine had just given me a gun because I asked nicely.

And now, as I neared the wall, I saw exactly why people saw cause for concern. Theseinhuman monsters were attacking us in hordes. These gangly, thin, white and grey things had what looked to be mutated, elongated limbs and claws and teeth. It was just horrible. It was a strange sort of comfort to me, though, that these monsters weren’t bulletproof. As I watched, rifle clutched in my idle freaking hands, scared people with limited firearms and military experience with these automatic weapons hit their marks occasionally. It was a miracle people didn’t accidentally shoot each other or something. As I numbly observed, I noticed a golden light lance leap from one of our weapons into the torso of one of those things. So he had gotten his phaser after all. I saw as people fumbled with safeties, magazines, and other parts of the guns. I then listened to the sound.

The monsters down there were singing their symphony, a collective voice one of a shrill, unending shriek. Then I noticed a man with a rocket launcher.  He wasn’t checking his backblast, and the resulting explosionevent caused a man to be in the danger zone. He was thrown off the battlements, surely dead. I got angry. Angry. He didn’t even notice his mistake. I dropped my rifle and ran over to him. I ripped the rocket from his hands and shouted in his face. I pointed down to the man lying at the bottom of the wall. “Are you insane? Look! See what you did! Freaking maniac! Watch the back-blast, idiot!”

With that, I threw the weapon over at the monsters. I then walked over to grab my battle rifle and told him, “Now go down there and see if he’s still alive.”

He then rushed down the battlement stairs. With that bit of anger fueling my actions, I racked the action of the rifle and shot blindly. I was feeling so much rage at the outrage of this whole situation that I doubted I hit anything. As the gun clicked empty, I threw it at the monsters and screamed at them. My adrenaline was wearing off, and I noticed that even if the monsters did reach the wall, they would get shot off the wall anyway. Were we safe after all?

It’s such an interesting thing to watch. Given the power to make anything, they simply create the first thing that pops into their head. I can’t honestly blame them. Dropped into a world I barely understood, being accosted by monsters on every side, I would be frightened as well. I’d be no different. Still, I wonder when it will dawn upon them. The value of what they have within those walls is without measure. The ability to simply ask for anything, and have it right there, waiting for you.Maybe when the panic subsides and their minds can think clearly, they’ll start really exploiting it. I can’t wait to see what they come up with. In that sense, I’m just another viewer of this macabre production.

Don’t mistake me as some kind of omnipotent force, some all-seeing eye into each and every one of their lives. I only know what I myself can see from all the way up here, and, when my eyes are closed, what those shambling beasts on the ground care to look at. My viewpoint and information on this mess is as limited as theirs. We’re both trapped, the two of us.It’s just under very different circumstances.

Without scripted events and happenings, sometimes things go in ways no one expects them to. The hero surviving against all odds, only to be crushed by his own simple mistake in the eleventh hour. The players bending the rules of the game to gain an upper hand. Or, in this case, interlopers from the last place I would expect. I almost want to laugh about it, how deeply they contrast with one another. Wonderful beings of pure light and friendship, coming to a nightmare land like this one. Of course, the mess they’ve gotten themselves into was hardly something to laugh at.

A barge hit the rocky beach, and somepony gave the disembark order. Armored ponies thudded on the beach, securing a perimeter for the VIPs shortly disembarking. 6 more ponies nervously jumped off the ship, also landing hard on the cobble beach. A nervous Fluttershy softly said to Twilight, “I don’t like this.”

“I know, Fluttershy. I know. A dark island, appearing off our coast? Still, the Princesses have trusted us with the Elements of Harmony. We’ve also got royal guardsponies with us.”

Rainbow Dash cut in, saying, “Yeah, don’t worry. All these royal guards can kick the flanks of whatever tries to hurt us! Isn’t that right?”

The golden-plated pony that Rainbow Dash had addressed ignored her. Rainbow simply huffed and said, “See? He’s just doing his job. Now let’s go do ours!”

A pegasus guard landed suddenly beside the group, startling them all to varying degrees. She gave a sharp report, saying, “Lady Sparkle, there is a compound in the distance. It seems to be under attack by monsters. The defenders seem to wield many strange weapons. What do you advise?”

Fluttershy spoke up, “M-Monsters??”

The guard nodded an affirmative and waited on Twilight’s word. Twilight nervously asked, “W-What kind of monsters?”

Another scout guard ran up to the group and said, trying to catch his breath, “The monsters aren’t like anything we’ve ever seen. They seem to be bipedals with long claws on their arms. They seem content to ignore us in favor of attacking the compounds.”

Applejack spoke up and said, “So there’s more than one?”

The tired guard nodded. Twilight sucked in some air, put on a show of bravery, then said, “Take us to the nearest compound, then!”

A detachment was left with the barge, and the force moved onward.

“This place’s a dump.”

Other than the childish wording, Rainbow Dash was right. This place could be safely described as a wasteland, pure and simple. There was only entire fields of rough, smooth gravel that sort of crunches beneath their hooves. Pinkie Pie seemed most amused by this. “Heehee! It’s almost as if I’m walking on cereal!”

She was quickly shushed by the guards as they heard and felt the combat in the distance. They heard explosions and screaming of what sounded like both ponies and monsters. The guards motioned them on, and they quickened their pace.

As the pony group crested a hill, the sounds gradually died. Soon there was no cannonfire and no screaming. They got a look at the compound, and their stomachs turned as they beheld what they saw.

Massive grey steel walls with figures atop them were surrounded by the dark red ichor and greying masses of dead monsters. It was unlike any horror they would’ve conceived, yet there it was, threatening to consume them all with dread and terror. Dread not only for the dead monsters that even as they lay dead menaced them, but for the compound and the figures atop the wall. What terrible power must they have that could enable them to destroy these monsters in such a horrific fashion?

“I think we should just wave our flag of peace and hope they come to us.”

“Hey! See that, Tux?”

“It’s a white flag!”

“Should we check it out?”

“Pff, okay. I'll go grab Redshirt and Classy. We’ll be the welcoming party.”

“See? It’s working! Four of them are roping down off the wall!”

“Should I plan a party?”

“Now what in the hay would we have the party for, Pinkie?”

“So we can celebrate their not dying at the teeth and claws of the spookies, duh!”

“Are those...?”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Ponies!?”

“Now I’ve seen everything...”

“Wait, where are her wings?”

“Shush!”

“They look terrified, Twilight!”

“I think they’ve just been assailed by a demon horde. We should be fine. Just smile and wave, sugarcube.”

“I do have to point out that their garb could be much less dreary, darling.”

“Smile and wave, Rarity.”

"Darling, they're wading through a field of corpses."

"Shush."

The group and I had finally made it to within talking distance of the ponies.

Ponies.Jeez.

Classy whispered, “So... what should we do?”

I looked back to the string of people behind me and shrugged. “Just be ready to fight if they turn hostile or something.”

“But they’re ponies! I can name each and every one of them!”

“Just stay there.”

I approached Twilight and finally waved back. I said, “Good afternoon!”

Twilight then approached me and returned the friendly gesture. She then looked behind me and my mood cracked. I fell to my knees, blurting out, “Okay so you must understand that we’ve just had pretty much the worst day ever. First I don’t even wake up in my bed but in that...” I pointed behind me, “...freaking place. Wake up next to people I don’t even know and then get told by this eldritch voice to defend ourselves. We’re kinda scared.”

“Hey, lookie over there!”

There was a giant black spire way to our right.

How did we not notice that?

“I’d say we should head there.”

A very soft voice suggested, “D-Do we have to? It looks scary.”

I sighed. “Come on, let’s go.”

Twilight said with a start, “Wha- Why?!”

I shrugged again. “It’s pretty obvious where we need to go to reverse this mess.”

I rose and walked past some flabbergasted humans. I shot a look at them and said, “Look, the writing’s pretty much on the wall here. We probably need to get as many as will come and I don’t know, storm the tower or something. I dunno. Let’s go, guys. Into the base.”

I left them to go begin the grueling task of navigating the field o’ gore. Yuck.

They would never have listened to me anyway, but this little experiment of theirs had quite a few… design flaws.It’s obvious they’ve never had dealings with humans before. You see, they created an island full of monsters and gave their test subjects the power to make anything it wanted, before setting them off to collect some data points about something or another. At this point, the data they are trying to collect is likely all wrong; the humans, using the tools given to them, have broken free of their containment and have killed damn well near every one of these things in the whole land. Humanity finds the unknown scary. So when they first landed here, yes. These things were scary. Virtual unknown assailants coming at them from all sides. The moment they figured out they could be killed was the moment they ceased being so frightening.

But their killing of every beaston this island posed another problem. Now, I’ve said it many times, but I don’t know the full details of this little experiment. What I do know is that they’re not supposed to be the dominant force here. This test of theirs is falling to pieces. They don’t have to hand me an order to tell me what I should be doing. They want new beasts. Unfortunately for our test subjects, I know of something that will fit this bill to the letter. Understanding is the bane of fear. Understanding what you’re up against removes the veil of fright from many a situation. So I thought about it. An enemy that couldn’t be understood. No, could not even be described, lacking in all form of identifiable features and shape. Completely alien in visage, the very concept of incomprehensibility given a shape and form.

And as I think it, it is. Forgive my grammar; it’s a hard topic for me to explain. My thoughts are what bring these creatures to life. That’s the simplest way for me to phrase it without soaring clean over your head. It’s a bit more complex than that, as many things are, so I’ll attempt to simplify a few of the more intricate steps of the process. This place builds upon the ideas of what I have; it implements them in its own way. These shadows that I had dreamed up mere moments before were altered by the land and grown by it. I speak in many metaphors, but this is more of a literal description. These unknown things became a forest around the tower. A forest of dead, lifeless trees, sitting perfectly still. Awaiting someone, anyone, to dare venture inside.

After that little meet-up, and deciding I didn’t quite want to wade through a pile of corpses, we cleared an ashy path by way of phasers. I told Redshirt to “set it on turn to ash” and he just gave me a look.

Anyway, the ponies looked at all the fearful faces around them and were in varying degrees of shock, fear, and... empathy? I took a look as well, and... yeah. I could see why they felt sorry for us.

What’s happening?

First I wake up in this place only to fight for my life, and then I see My Little Ponies. I took a deep breath. Now was not the time for such pointless reflection. Best to focus on what’s about to happen. I told Alexer, “Right. Time to buck up and see about that tower. Here’s what we’ll tell everyone to grab...”

It took a while, and some heated discussions between me, Alexer, Hood, and a few others who wanted to speak their mind, but we conceded that we were not better off trying to get advanced robotics and suits from the replicators, seeing as getting those would require skills that we neither had nor had time to learn how to configure them. Suits of armor were also a no-go, seeing as those things looked like they could just claw through armor anyway. After some encouragement, most of the compound conceded to going with us. A skeleton crew would maintain the compound with heavy weapons they were fixing to the walls. With that, we departed. We all had advised everybody to take up a safety partner so that we wouldn’t lose anyone without noticing it. Much safer for everybody involved.

We set off after about noon, after we had filled our bellies with convenient hot food. Me and Alexer had advised everyone to pack rations and water in addition to our choice of kinetic and energy weapons. It just seemed the safer option, even if it caused all of us to strain under our loads.

But that was for the best, I felt.

After travelling for several hours in silence, we crested a hill and finally saw the base of the obsidian tower. There was a dark, dead forest that surrounded the tower, and as Alexer saw it, he scoffed. He said, “All it needs now is Saruman and a bunch of Uruk-hai.”

I glanced over to him and said, “Please don’t jinx this.”

Alexer shrugged, and we made the descent.

I looked behind and saw our little group had formed into a line. A chill creeped up my spine, and I halted the group. “Anyone needing a rest? Alright, take five. After that, Peaches, Militant, Handyman, and Balt will take point in pairs so that nothing really catches us by surprise from the front. Seal, Redshirt, watch our left as we march. Swarmlord, Wes, watch our right. Aviator and Kabar will watch the rear of our column. Keep your heads on a swivel, everyone. I suspect something’s very very wrong with this place. Water up and grab a snack.”

As everyone rested their legs and slipped off their packs, I approached the middle where all the ponies were and asked, “How are you all?”

The guards gave no answers, but the 6 others all said some variation of “I’m fine” and “This place is creepy.” Nothing too concerning. I then waited for the five minute mark while listening to people idly chatting to themselves.

After the 5 minute mark, I pushed myself off the rough cobble and grabbed my stuff. Everyone saw and did the same. We then set off again wordlessly into the silent forest. Everybody held their positions around our little caravan of men and ponies. The dead trees seemed really off, but they seemed to be normal and had normal texture and mass, even if they were all taller than houses. We weaved around the trees as they came and found that the closer we got to the tower, the foggier it got, even if there was no fog as we entered the forest. Alexer called everyone into a tighter formation, and our nervousness grew as the fog got thicker and thicker. Everyone stopped when someone called out, “Hey guy! This tree’s really weird!”

Everyone’s heads turned towards the guy approaching the tree. I think his name was Imperaxum. As everyone saw Imperaxum approach it, we all came to the same conclusion.

That tree reallyis weird. It looks like rubber if rubber didn’t shine. Or looked like if the infinite black void was somehow condensed into a material and shaped into a tree.

As Imperaxum reached out to the “tree” I had the thought that perhaps he shouldn’t touch it. I opened my mouth to say something, but the tree struck Imperaxum with one of its “branches”. He fell backwards, clutching his face, and the world exploded into chaos.

“Trees” were starting to reform into something truly monstrous. There were genuine trees, but some of them turned into humanoid... dark-men. They had the same texture and height as the trees, but they were really, really thin. They reached at us with long claws. We stuck back with our weapons, and as I unloaded my new shotgun into the tree that had struck the member of our group, I noticed that it wasn’t quite falling down. Instead, it was unwinding somehow. Instead of bleeding, the gaping mass just unravelled into flailing tendrils. It stopped to clutch at its new “wound,” its featureless obsidian head looking down as if regarding it, and looked up at me. I yelped, then blasted it in the face. Its head recoiled, and as it came back into view, I saw tendrils flailing about its face. So I blasted it again. Now it looked even worse, and it was still standing. I look around for anything that could help, and then I notice Redshirt using his lone weapon, the hand-phaser, to disintegrate the creature. I called out, “Use disintegrating weapons!” for all the good that this would do, as only a handful of us carried energy weapons that could disintegrate entirely. I was knocked back on my back from the sweeping claws of the former tree.

Alexer called out, “Close up and form a firing circle!”

I got up, clutching my face, and we all moved to present our backs to each other. As people with kinetic weapons like rifles crippled the darkmen by shooting off their thin legs with their rapid fire, the slower-firing energy weapons that the few of us carried allowed us to vaporize the threats as they tried to reform and charge at us again. After a bit, they stopped coming, and the fire stopped, but I still heard distant gunfire and discharge of weaponry. A murmur grew in the crowd that surrounded the ponies, guards and all.

“What’s going on?”

“Did they abandon the compound?”

“Are there others like us?”

“Is there something worse than those things out there?’

“What should we do, help them?”

“Look, it’s that spire again!”

As we looked to where the droopy, bandaged and bleeding Imperaxum was pointing, we all saw it, too. The fog had receded enough for us to see the ghostly visage of the dark spire rising impossibly high above the white pea soup. Someone shouted over the crowd, "Come on! Let's get out of this cesspit!"

With a somewhat subdued cheer, the group continued. We were all understandably extra wary of the forest around us, enough for Alexer to have everyone just go in a tight circle again around the pony guards who surrounded the mane six. Soon enough, the obsidian and foreboding entrance to the tower seemingly manifested clear from the fog. The double-doors, taller than a man, had giant hanging door knocks fixed to the middle of the doors. I sent Balt and Handyman to open the doors while we established a perimeter. The men entrusted to open the door heaved against it, then experimentally tugged one of the giant door-knockers. The door shifted. We all moved to assist.

Normally, I can see them from all the way up here. Scurrying around like insects amidst a sea of horrors I throw at them. This was different. For the first time in a long time, I couldn’t see them. I heard them. That sound of the tower’s doors being simply moved aside. Like they were nothing. Like this tower was just another obstacle for them to overcome on their way out of here. They seemed… no. They completely failed to grasp the severity of their situation; of their new place in this world. They stood at the foot of a God, at the very feet of Mount Olympus itself, not with awe, but with defiance. Like Icarus, they sought to ascend. High up into the sky, to touch the celestial bodies themselves.

I need not point out what happened to him when he tried that. His wings burned, and he fell back to earth. I’m certain all of them, at least on some level, realise what they’re stepping into. Out there was their world. Now, they seek to go behind the curtain; head backstage. I’d like to warn them, or at least try to stop them from coming up here. I made those things outside the tower; every last beast was my design. But inside this tower I feel… nothing. A void. And yet I know that there are things inside this tower. Things untouched by the light of day and completely ethereal in nature. The powers that run this place. They’ve taken what they’ve learned from the previous two monsters. They’ve made something so perfect in both gut-wrenching terror and unstoppable lethality and they put who knows how many of them into this tower. I cannot help them, nor can I interfere. Anything I try to imagine will just be another obstacle in their paths.

But you’re not here to listen to me ramble about my plight; my situation at the top of this tower. No, you want to know what the real heroes are doing on their way up here to probably kill me, so I won’t keep you.

The group stepped inside, stopping just short of where the light from the door ended and where the shadows begin. In the darkness, we could barely see that the interior of the spire was nothing but a giant staircase that led to the blackness above. I swallowed and said, “Well, the only way is up. Shall we?”

The stillness of the tower was broken when our group clambered up onto the huge wide staircase that led to the top. We kept to single file and hugged the wall of the tower, since there was no railing. Those of us who brought flashlights turned them on and swept them from up to down, side to side, trying to root up any indications of danger. The ponies who were unicorns summoned up lighting spells to aid in the dark. The trek was mostly silent, but the darkness almost threatened to choke us as we worked our way up the stairs. We all scanned the bare surfaces, ever alert for incoming threats, but the silence was taking its toll.

After a while of numbing silence, the screams began. They came from below, and echoed throughout the tower. They got closer. We started firing blindly into the darkness. Bullets sang into the darkness, and beams of fiery death leaped to scorch the abyss. The abyss seemed to shift, but the weaponry did no discernable damage. If that wasn’t bad enough, the flashlights all died and the lighting magic the ponies Someone shouted, “Run!”

We didn’t argue with that. The wails of the damned chased us up as we screamed. We fired and ran but the darkness threatened us even more. We stopped some times but as the darkness manifest chased us, our panic increased. We couldn’t fight this. We couldn’t scare it off. We dropped our guns and ran. I couldn’t quite describe how scared I was at this point. I was definitely about to die, and I didn’t know what I could possibly do to stop it.

I glanced behind me, and saw men getting swallowed up. Their shrieks of terror were simply muffled by the darkness that chased all of us. I kept running. I didn’t look back, but I kept hearing the screams. I then made the mistake of tripping. I cracked my head on the stairs, and I saw stars. There was a shout, and everything went white. I thought I was dead, but I still felt the splitting headache and the stairs beneath me. I heard rushing wind and the unholy shriek somehow intensifying, which caused me to scream for my life. Then, silence. I was roused and brought to my back, when I saw the concerned face of a guard.

“Are you injured?”

“Urgh, my head...”

“Cast a healing spell on this one, medic.”

As my head cleared, I saw several prone people on the stairs, some being looked over. I looked into the face of the guard and asked, “What happened?”

He looked down the now relatively normal staircase and said, “The Elements were used against that thing. It worked perfectly. We’re safe now.”

The guard then looked up and added, “ Now to see what’s behind that door.”

I looked over to where the guard was looking, and saw that we had made it. The staircase ended and there was an ominous black door that looked to be our destination. I got up and looked to see if I could help before we breached the door. Because we had discarded our weapons, it was decided that the armored ponies would go first.

With all my contrived monologues and banter, you really would think I would be far better prepared to greet them when they opened that door. When that screaming finally subsided, I had thought every last one of them had died. Then, the door flew open, and there I was.

The door busted open, and guard ponies established a perimeter inside. We all hurriedly followed in, and saw him.

He was just a man.

He had some normal street clothes, and he looked more shell shocked than any normal guy had any right to be, but other than that, he seemed okay. He had crossed his arms and looked sorrowfully at us. He didn’t move as the guard ponies surrounded him, and as the rest of us stood in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by that voice again.

“The experiment is over. The data points have been collected and evaluated. The process will take some time. We thank you for your contribution.”

Then everything went black.

Fog

Aryanne was reading a strange book in her quarters on a cruise liner on... well... a cruise. She had found the text when she moved into Ponyville, but she hadn’t been able to make anything of it. She had recently become friends with Twilight Sparkle, though, who had given her a phrasebook so she could read the script within the book, albeit slowly. She regularly looked back and forth between the old book and the pamphlet and tried to make sense of the cryptic and strange lettering contained within. She yawned and looked at the tableside clock.

“Oh, look at zhe time. Dinnertime.”

Her stomach concurred.

She set her reading to the side and set off to the cafeteria. The winding hallways proved no real obstacles, but Aryanne took a detour to go outside. The smell of the sea filled the air, and she breathed deeply, enjoying the sight of clear skies and rolling waves. Aryanne looked to the bow of the ship and found an unsettling fog in the distance.

Zo much for perfect weather for zhe concert.

On the itinerary, there were some orchestra ponies from Canterlot performing on the Manehatten, and there was supposed to be a beautiful meteor shower. That fog might change matters, though.

Looks too big to be completely dispersed by pegasi.

Aryanne’s stomach reminded her of what she was outside her room for, and she took the long way to the cafeteria. Ponies had already seated themselves and were being waited on by some of the staff. Aryanne looked over the tables, and her attention was drawn to Twilight Sparkle and her friends waving her over. Aryanne smiled and sat down and said, “Hi, girls? How has zhe vohyage been treating you?”

Twilight said, “We’ve been fine. Right, girls?”

A chorus of concurs went around the table. Pinkie Pie nearly bursted out of her chair when she said, “I can’t believe how much fun there is to be had in the middle of the ocean! Woo!!”

Aryanne smiled. What Pinkie had said was true. There were dance rooms, exercise rooms, and even an onboard water park. The fillies and colts onboard loved that.

Aryanne and her friends had spent the voyage so far with each other, getting to know each other better and just generally having a grand old time.

"Vat vill you be having tonight, Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie stuck her nose in the menu and scanned the contents intensely. Finally, she drew back and pointed on the menu, "Oooh! I've never had Mozzarella sticks with sauce before!"

The girls all looked into their menus, and sure enough, there was an unfamiliar entry with the cheesy breaded treats.

As they considered what they would have in addition to the treat, a voice came over the crowd. “May I have everypony’s attention? Due to the heavy fog rolling our way, there will be a change in the itinerary. The concert will simply play now on the stage there, instead of outside as was scheduled. Have a good night.”

Vell, dinner unt a show. Zhis should be gut.

The dinner proceeded wonderfully, with all sorts of delights being sampled, until eventually it came time for Aryanne to retire, but she couldn’t sleep what with the sweets she’s eaten.

Now that she had some time before shuteye thanks to a wave of sugary energy, Aryanne decided to transcribe some translated text of the book to burn off energy. She got back on her bed and started the translation.

The words formed on the extra paper as Aryanne translated. Letters became words, words became sentences, and sentences became paragraphs. Before she knew it, she had several pages filled out, and she yawned before collapsing face first in the book. Her dreams were of toffee and they weren’t interrupted as she slept.

Strange characters soon floated into her unconsciousness, and she absent-mindedly muttered them as they appeared to her in her sleep. They flowed from the memory of the dinner to the late-night study, and she mumbled some nonsensical transcribed words as they came to her in the order she transcribed them in.

Ma'ku'kan eshishet rhol,

vamun'drai Ma'rai es shol.

A red light shone from somewhere in the room, but it went unnoticed as Aryanne continued.

Bla’hstka vast hest vest tuu’uns... trevant eh’tvan witopa. He'art veest unt vast nu'vatkar NAZPNU UNTOTESTIES!

The red glare grew brighter and brighter until it disappeared altogether. Aryanne turned in her sleep, and she remained silent for the rest of her slumber.

-3 Days Later...-

The fog had not improved. If anything, it had grown even worse. The pegasi sent out to clear it blacked out from unknown causes and had to have their unconscious bodies fished from the water more than once. Even Rainbow Dash, the most qualified Weather Pony on the Cruise Liner could not keep the fog away. The Captain of the Yacht, Silver Laurels, ordered that attempts to clear the fog should stop, lest we lose a pegasus to this mysterious fog.

What was worse was the fact that the crew had no means of knowing if they weren't going in circles or not. Silver Laurels had ordered ahead full, but the only sign that they were moving forward was the wake the ship left in its movement.

Aryanne and her friends stared ahead into the fog, longing to see anything other than grey off the bow of the ship.

“Zhis fog is most ohpressing. How much more must zhis fog last?”

Twilight shook her head and said, “I don’t know Aryanne. This fog almost seems...

Magical.”

“Vatever do you mean? Somevone made zhis?”

“I don’t exactly know. I don’t know how someone would create this much fog, let alone even why.”

“Perhaps zhis is a new enemy?”

“I hope not.”

The boat creaked and lurched, sending everypony on the rail over and into the surf. A Seapony shouted,  “Ponies overboard!”

Other ponies quickly got back on their hooves and tried to spot the fillies.

“Bleh! Bleh! Saltwater!”

Rainbow Dash again wiped her tongue with her hooves, trying to get the taste out of her mouth as she sat in the surf. She paused. “Huh?”

All the mares that had fallen off weren’t currently in complete ocean water, but some sort of grey beach. Other ponies were picking themselves up from the water.

“Everypony okay?”

Everypony mumbled, not exactly happy about being thrown from the yacht. Rainbow Dash took that to the affirmative, and got up herself. Fluttershy asked, “Where are we?”

Applejack replied, “I don’t rightly know, sugarcube. I reckon we’re on some sort of island, but...”

Rarity then said, “...But we weren’t supposed to have seen islands for several days.”

Applejack nodded. Fluttershy shivered, and said, “So... where are we?”

“Ahoy!”

Everypony looked up to see the face of the captain of the yacht peering over the edge of his vessel.

“We’re going to throw you a ladder! Hang on!”

Twilight called out,  “Wait! Let us check out this place to see if we can get help! Just stay there!”

After a pause, the Captain said before pulling out of view, “Yes, Princess.”

“Vat?”

Aryanne stood and stared slack-jawed at Twilight.

“...What?”

“You heard me. Vat are you thinking? Going off on some new adventure?”

“Well... yes.”

Aryanne facehoofed, and said,

“Fine. Don’t tell me I didn’t varn you all vhen I say zhis would go badly.”

Aryanne then followed her friends into the fog.

Soon, water gave way to sand, and then sand gave way to a gravel path bordered by sickly-looking grass. Without really realizing it, the ponies took to the path, and kept scanning all around them for any sign of... well... anything. The fog seemed to be less constricting at this location for some reason, though.

In fact, they could see some buildings in the distance. They wordlessly agreed to go there, their hooves disturbing gravel all the while.

Suddenly, something made it’s presence known with a snarling growl. The mares wheeled around to see something bipedal advance towards them with a really bad gait. It wore some sort of uniform, but that wasn’t what the ponies were concerned about.

It was the grey, blood-caked skin and glowing yellow eyes they were staring at.

“Z-ZOMBIE!”

The tension broke and the ponies fled away from the undead creature, screaming. They ran past a post where more of the vile creatures were tearing apart some poor corpse. The zombies noticed the ponies and got up on their feet, chasing them very, very slowly. The ponies ran past them effortlessly and proceeded into town in their panic.

“Hear that?”

“Yeah, it sounds like somebody’s in trouble.”

“Let’s go.”

So many zombies... what even arethey?

Twilight Sparkle and her friends were catching their breath in a building they hastily holed-up in.

“E-Everypony... okay?”

Everyone was too busy catching their breath after the little chase to respond.

“At least we’re all still here.”

“Did you guys... see... that?”

Applejack turned towards Rainbow Dash and asked,

“Did we... see... what, sugarcube?”

“They... had... her cutie mark.”

Rainbow Dash pointed at Aryanne, and they all saw the familiar swastika inside a pink heart, and they all thought back, and how the zombie’s helmets and armbands also bore a swastika. Aryanne squeaked in fear.

“V-Vhat does this mean, girls?”

Rarity stepped in and said, “I’ve never quite seen the swastika like that before. The black... the white... the red... it’s all so sinister.”

Twilight shook her head.

“Nevermind that, girls. We need to get help, and--”

*CRACK CRACK BANGBANGBANGBANG*

Everypony ducked down and covered their ears. They grew terrified of the loud noises, which reminded them of fireworks, but somehow more threatening.

Everypony held their hooves over their ears and some even screamed during the course of that terrifying minute. Everypony stole fearful glances at each other, and, for a while, it seemed that the commotion and the thundering would never quiet down.

Finally, the noise calmed down, and Fluttershy was the one to brave going near the window.

There was creatures outside like the upright monsters who had just walked out of the building on the other side of the street. Fluttershy ducked back down when she saw the... bodies... she forced her stomach back down from declaring open revolt.

As Fluttershy composed herself, Applejack peeked out, and caught sight of the not-as-monstrous creatures. They all held these strange implements of varying length and shape. One of them had longer hair than the rest of them, who noticed Applejack and flinched, shouting,

"EH?!"

Applejack ducked back down, while trying to remain calm, while the one who spotted her said, "Did you see that? Ivan, go check it out, eh?"

After a groan, the ponies heard something approaching.

Rainbow Dash hissed, “What do we do?”

Twilight Sparkle stood up, and shakily said, “G-Girls... get behind me.”

As everypony moved, the footfalls came closer to the door. As the door opened, Twilight puffed out her chest and put on a brave face. The biped came in, device raised...

which he immediately lowered after seeing the display and saying something not one of the ponies expected.

“AAAAAAAW~ Guys, look! It’s ponies!”

Everypony was taken aback. What was going on?

Soon they were in the arms of these things, being told how precious they are and more than one tear was shed. It was all very confusing.

Some time later, Red, Volk, Yonah, and Paddle sat on the roof of a tall, yellowing apartment building. They looked over the city with their weapons of choice. RedShirt,  Yonah, and Paddle had unmodified rifles, while Volk had his tripod-mounted light machinegun. Yonah said, “As much as I like killing these things, I’d rather be back home.”

Volk nodded and replied, “Aye. At least home’s got heating.”

Paddle then said, “And Internet.”

Red added, “I miss the internet.”

Everything was still in this city, save for some rummaging around downstairs where people sorted their stuff and supplies they gathered on patrol.

Paddle asked, “Wonder how things are going back home?”

Volk noted, “They probably noticed us all missing, yeah.”

Yonah leaned back onto his hands and said, “It’s like the plot of that one movie where people disappeared and everyone who saw them disappear went insane.”

Volk grimaced, then said, “Geez, I hope that’s not happening back home.”

...

That’s totally what’s happening, isn’t it?”

Red just covered his face with his hands.

Yonah said, “You saying that makes me worry for my folks all the more.”

Volk said, “Sorry.”

Then there was silence. Everybody shifted uncomfortably in the cold air.

Red pointed out into the distance and exlaimed, “Hey, look. Pat’s group is returning.

...guys?”

Volk rubbed his eyes and replied, “I see them too. But I’m not sure I want to.”

Yonah turned to Volk and said, “First Nazi Zombies, and now this?”

Paddle said, “...You know what, mates? I’m okay with this.”

Red stood up and said exasperatedly, “You know what? Yeah. Sure. Okay. Let’s just... jump on the train of madness now.”

Paddle shrugged, then said, “Not the strangest thing I’ve seen. Come on.”

“Here, up on this.”

The wayward people and ponies got on the rickety platform in the ruin of the first story stairwell, the stairs to the second story having been destroyed. The platform had ropes on the corners, serving as a crude elevator.

"Heave!"

Everyone steadied themselves as a team of people struggled to pull the lift up. While aided by many pulleys, the work was still harsh. When the lift reached the second floor, the occupants quickly disembarked, and the lift was unceremoniously dropped back down to the ground floor with a clap and a clatter.

"Welcome to...ah... Home Base, eh?"

It was a run-down apartment building with minimal lighting and maximum crowdedness. Everypony looked amongst the crowd, gauging their dulled surprises at seeing them. Everypony was expecting to see fearful, tearful faces at having to survive in this dump constantly being besieged by the walking dead.

Except what the misplaced mares did see evident on their faces was...

boredom.

Sure, they were nervous, but their faces were the neutral faces of schoolyard fillies waiting for the clock to let them out of school, not wayward souls barely surviving in the muck.

It was very disquieting.

Suddenly there was a shout, and everybody looked as another man burst out of a room, dressed in another uniform, but apparently from another place. Someone asked him, “So who’s left, Grey?”

“Just one left. We should never have gone to that hospital.”

Grey sighed, and everyone was joined by the sentries from the roof. Red asked Grey, “You died again?”

Grey just shot Red a look and said, “I will shoot you in the head, Red.”

Grey noticed the ponies and just stared for a moment before chuckling and shutting himself back into the apartment. Loud snoring was then soon heard. Everyone chuckled, then yawned. Twilight asked, “Is this normal?”

Everybody laughed.

Volk said, “Lass, we come back here when we die. We’re not fine. Everybody here has died at least once and just reappeared good as new here. People even shot themselves only to come back.”

Fluttershy gagged and heaved. While Rarity comforted her, everypony else struggled to come to grips with the situation. Pinkie Pie took several deep breaths before she realized something.

All

these

new

friends.

Pinkie started to violently vibrate, before she pulled out someone’s flash grenade and threw it on the ground. After it exploded, everybody was stunned. Twilight Sparkle was the first to blink the light out of her eyes. When she did, she saw that Pinkie had somehow set up party decorations and baked treats everywhere. Twilight saw the Party Pony stand up on a table and shout,

“Hello, Bluemoon, Priest Reverend Alberts, Alexander, Michael Sheehan, Grey Knight, Scott, Dan Grayson, Red Chaplain, Tactical Genius, Tatsuo Sakae, Edgar Allan Fro, Joseph Williams, Vikoriya Alexandrov,  Ari Yisroel, Ivan Arkov, Edward Gloriana, Paddle Streamer, Redshirt, Johan Pitka,  Volkenstein Arstotzka, Lucian Regal, Mael McDermott, and second-to-last but not least, Dropbearius!”

She then glomped a man in a blood-stained fursuit, complete with claws and koala face. After a moment, Dropbearus hugged back, muttering something. Pinkie just giggled.

So it was that the mood loosened, and everyone socialized, completely forgetting all about their ills. However, several members of the party were pulled aside, and they sat in a dusty old bedroom. Red, Pat, and Twilight Sparkle all sat in chairs. Twilight said, “What’s going on?”

Red rubbed his temple and said, “Look, I’m still reeling from seeing something like you (no offense), but we’re going to need a plan to get out of this.”

Pat then rubbed her chin and said, “Yeah. We gotta end this nazi zombie madness, eh?”

Twilight then asked Red, “So what exactly has happened?”

Red took a deep breath and said, “Well, a few days ago we all woke up here and we’ve been trying to survive ever since... well... we don’t really need to try, seeing as we just pop back into existence if the zombies get us.”

Pat shrugged and said, “Dying isn’t so scary anymore once you’ve done it once or twice, eh.”

Twilight shook her head and said, “What’s a Nazi?”

Red and Pat looked at each other, and both rubbed the back of their heads. Red then broke the awkward silence and said, “There was a time in history where bad men came to power in a country, and called themselves Nazis. We don’t like to talk about what the Nazis did. But this? There’s something else here.”

Twilight turned her head and asked, “Why is that?”

Red gritted his teeth, thought for a bit, then looked at Twilight and said, “The zombies just don’t thin out. It’s like they’re being... created, or something. That, and the scavenge teams always, always get tons of food, water, equipment, weapons, and ammunition. It’s almost as if those are created for our continued sustenance ,too. It’s... strange. We need to find the source of all this and stop it.”

Pat drew out her pistol and said, “Yeah. I’ve got a few choice words for whoever is doing this to us, eh.”

Twilight then asked, “So how do we stop it?”

Pat said, “Obviously, we head for the center of town.”

Red looked over at Pat, confused until she said, “We saw a castle on a hill, and it had a giant glowing red swastika on it, eh.”

Red blinked and opened his mouth, closed it again, but then said, “That... that seems right, actually.”

Pat then said, “The tech-junkies are almost done bolting armor on our rides, so we can take the castle, eh.”

Red asked Pat, “What?”

Pat then asked Red, “You didn’t hear the sound of us nailing and welding armor to our rides?”

Red looked at Twilight, then back at Pat.

“What rides?”

“These rides.”

There, in the underground garage of the apartment, Twilight saw a collection of tracked and wheeled metal carriages with additional ramshackled armor put onto them. Twilight saw no hitches or anything, so she turned to Red and asked, “You pull these?”

Pat and Red laughed, and they went over to a relatively small green 4-wheeled carriage and lifted the front section of it, revealing its contents. Twilight got on two hooves and peered in, and she gasped.

It was some sort of alien machine, with familiar parts such as pistons, cables, and the like, but she couldn’t figure out what they were meant to do. Pat leaned next to Twilight and said, “That, sister, is an internal combustion engine. It can push this jeep along with sixty horsepower, eh.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. Such a small engine, but very powerful! She turned to Pat and said, “Does it have coal as a fuel source?”

“It runs on gasoline, so like a... crude oil, but it’s been refined.”

So many possibilities.

Twilight jumped down and asked, “So we’ll use these to breach the castle?”

Pat pointed towards something and said, “We’ll use that.”

Twilight turned around, and gasped.

It was a giant, boxy metal monstrosity.

The compartment on the top of the tracked vehicle held what could only be a cannon. Twilight shuddered to think of what damage it could do, especially a cannon of that size.

“So... you’ll breach the castle with this, and go into it?”

“Eh... something like that.”

Having loaded everyone up onto the halftracks, jeeps, and armored artillery piece, everyone moved out. Everypony was situated in the halftrack in the middle, driven by Michael. Volk rode gunner, and rubbed Aryanne’s ears as she rested her headas the convoy moved out of the garage.

Zhis is nice. I do not object to zhese fingers.

Everypony else looked on with mixed reactions. Twilight didn’t quite know what to make of someone who, without any training, had managed to do more than the Spa Sisters had in their one visit to them. If they had training...

Twilight shuddered, but then was distracted by the sound of someone singing. Twilight recognized the Melodious Magics working through everyone to make some music. She let the waves carry over her and let her sing with everyone, even though she had only studied the Coltic language in passing. The buildings passed as their notes carry over and through the buildings. It was very harmonious.

Well, not completely, there were a few muffled “humph” noise resonating into the music as a few of the humans shoved their fists into their mouths in an attempt to stop singing.

 When the last notes faded into the distance, the ponies had a lot of stress relieved, but the humans of the group were very concerned. Someone shouted,

“Nice singing, Mael!"

Mael shouted back,

“Tha’ ‘ell was that?”

 After a while of trying to explain Melody Magic to Red, Fluttershy called out and said, “Look, it’s the hospital. Isn’t that where...”

The barricaded doors burst open and a man came screaming out of the abandoned hospital. Volk said, “Yeah, that’ll be Tux.”

Following Tux was a line of zombies that were very strange.

For one thing, they were running after him, instead of a slow gait.

For another, they were on fire.

That makes sense as to why Tux was running away.

The ponies ducked as everyone opened fire. Automatic fire cut apart the flaming horde, while Tux ran back to the vehicles. The last of the normal fire zombies finally lay still while Tux climbed into the back of a jeep. Volk called out,  “Hey, you okay?”

Tux looked up with his pale face and muttered, “I. Hate. Hospitals,” with a breath in between each word.

He then fell unconscious, slumping over into a laying position. Volk and Paddle just gave each other a glance. Fluttershy asked if he’d be okay.

Volk said, “Well, I’m not telling him.”

The castle was finally in sight. Aryanne and Twilight Sparkle took turns using the binoculars to scope out the fearsome stronghold.Twilight said, "It'll be tough to get in."

She passed the binoculars to Aryanne, who paused to look at the giant glowing swastika.

Twilight patted Aryanne's shoulder and said, "Hey, it's okay. These nazis aren't like you, okay?"

Aryanne passed back the binoculars and said, "Still leaves geschmacklosigkeit, zhough."

Twilight brought the binoculars to her face, and saw the zombies armed with human weapons.

Those will be tough. What else...

She looked at the gatehouse, and there, tightly packed together was-

"Spooky Scary Skeletooooons!"

Twilight recoiled from Volk's outburst, but now looked at the skeletons with a bit more understanding. But her thoughts were interrupted by Volk handing her something.

It was a pair of earmuffs.

"Put these on. It'll be less loud that way."

Twilight had just finished putting them on when-

*CRACK-BOOM*

Twilight looked over to see the massive cannon carriage rock back and forth after the discharge. Twilight then looked as a plume of dirt was thrown up in the air next to the castle.

"Orient to the right by 32°, and let's raise elevation by 12°, eh?"

After a pause, Yonah shouted, "Fire!"

The cannon bucked and spat fire again, and the shell hit it's mark, blowing bits of masonry off, and causing zombies to fall off the crumbling ramparts.

Pat said as she observed the damage, "Lower elevation 7°. Left 15°. Fire when ready, eh?"

And so it went that ponies and people stood slack-jawed as the direct fire from the cannon laid waste to the castle. The gunnery aimed for the base of the walls and towers, to great effect in crumbling the structure under it’s own weight. Pat pointed to the glowing swastika and said,

“I don’t want to see that anymore, eh?”

*CRACK-BOOM*

The swastika fizzled out as it was blown apart.

“Groovy.”

Soon, the castle was much, much less imposing on the landscape, seeing as it’s a bunch of rubble and zombie corpses.

“That should be that, eh?”

Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and everybody held their breath as they saw a figure rising out of the remains of the castle. Everyone blinked, and the thing was among them.

It was a thin bipedal humanoid, it was clothed in a nazi uniform complete with officer’s cap, but it lacked any human facial features, instead, it had a texture white as death, and it’s snaky limbs lashed out at anything close. There was also this very tangible sense of power and dread radiating from it. It turned to the humans and spoke in a booming and echoey voice,

“You have impressed me thus far, mortals of the-”

*CRACKCRACKCRACKBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGRATATATATATATATATATATCRACKCRACKCRACK*

Twilight ducked as the bullets started flying, closed her eyes, and covered her ears with her hooves. She grimaced as the firing intensified.

*BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMCRACKCRACKCRACKDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFCRACKRATTATATTACRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKALUDICROUSAMOUNTOFFIREPOWERBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABANGBANGANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGTISALOTOFGUNSDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMCRAKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKBOOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBOOMDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKACRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATADOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATBAALUDICROUSAMOUNTOFFIREPOWERNGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKABOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMRELOADINGDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGOKAYTISALOTOFGUNSBANGBANGRATATATATATATABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGTATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATTATATATATATBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPATATATATATATATATATATBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATTATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATABOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMTATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATTATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKABANGBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPBRAAPDAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADOFDOFDOFDOFDOFDOFRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT*

It seemed like it would never end, but when it did, and only when Twilight Sparkle was sure it would end did she dare look. She lifted her hooves, opened her eyes, and didn’t see the monster anywhere, but she did see the other ponies taking cover, and every human with smoking barrels. Even Tux had apparently gotten up and fought the monster. Twilight then looked to Red and asked, “What happened? Did you... defeat it?”

Red nodded. Twilight then said, “That was a very powerful entity. I could feel the amount of power that rivals any alicorn. How did you defeat it?”

Red just said, “We shot the shit out of it.”

End?

Fire - unedited

After the defeat of whatever that thing was, the mood was of triumph, and as everyone started cheering and celebrating, something very peculiar happened.

All the vehicles exploded, tossing ragged and torn passengers about like ragdolls.

Not only that, but the skies took a fiery red and black charcoal smoke billowed into the sky. The ruined buildings, made of concrete and glass, somehow all caught ablaze, resembling pyres, with flames that licked the sky. The smoke billowed out into the street and the flames threatened to engulf us in an instant. No access was possible anymore into any of the buildings, as the entrances were a solid yellow of hellfire.

In an instant, the death-like stillness and the green fog of the city had been replaced by an inferno.

Shortly after this happened was when the screaming started.

It was in all the mind, and in the air. Any rational, calm thought was utterly destroyed by the fire and the siren call of the damned.

From the hellish portals of the buildings, they came. The zombies were bad enough, what with the rotting flesh, unnatural gait, and the unmoving desire for the flesh of the living.

But they were also all on fire. They resembled walking wicker men, what with the charred skin and the never ending wail that issued forth from their burning selves. However, they weren't walking. They were running at the crowd of the living. A trickle of burning zombies soon became a flood, a veritable horde of the hellish dead.

Somebody, or pony, screamed "Run!"

The ponies and humans gathered there needed no encouragement, and the fleeing began in earnest.

Gunshots ran out, being fired with abandon at anything and everything that wasn't them. A few even managed a burst or a well-aimed headshot into the crowd.

But what was a few dozen firearms against thousands?

The rout continued. The fire, thankfully, had not reached the streets, which means the panicked and fleeing survivors had a clear path, but with no objective.

It came as a moment of clarity to one of the guard ponies, armor stained red and practically dirtied to the point where one would look upon him like a battle-scarred veteran of many years of war, even though Iron Point himself had just got here yesterday.

"To the boat!"

The cruise liner. Of course. They could actually get away from this hell, if only they reached the boat. A beam of hope flickered through the whole being of survivors, as bright and as hot as the fires that raged around them.

Then they started to fall. Those with injuries went first, being entirely engulfed by the horde and trampled under the boots of the dead.

Death would not avail them, however.

With a flash of red, and the burst of blood, the survivors suddenly appeared again at the head of the pack and looked around confusedly before either being trampled again or getting the hint and started fleeing.

And so, they ran. Even the sound of guns teetered off as the beleaguered survivors forsake fight for flight, as a mantra soon began in all their heads.

To the boat.

Tactical Genius may not have been too clever a man when he used to insist on wearing a cape, but hindsight's always 20/20.

Having discarded the article of clothing in the escape, Tactical was the first to reach the beach, where a small train station sat, partially concealing a massive train on tracks.

Were adrenaline not rushing through his body, he would most definitely have wondered why a train station would sit here, not to mention the fact that the tracks led to a tunnel that ran underwater, out to sea.

A train station didn't compete very well for his attention in the moment, next to the wall of teeth and fire and reaching hands still pursuing his associates. He opened fire, at first with single shots to efficiently cover the rest of the retreating group, but he quickly abandoned finesse and rained automatic rifle fire into the teeming, burning horde. Others joined him, and soon, those with machine guns, like Volkenstein, were able to set up their weapons and the firing line took shape as gunfire soon overpowered the horde. The sound of the damned was drowned out as the desperate defense became a vindictive firepower was unleashed by vengeful hands and hooves. The burning tide soon became a trickle, and the few remaining zombies were dismembered from the volume of bullets and combat spells lobbed at them.

The wall of fire reduced to a few burning cinders and patches of yellow-orange flame, and the green fog replaced the haze of black and hellish-red smoke. The stillness that followed was almost comforting, as human and pony alike breathed in heavy heaps, the smell of burnt powder and masonry and flesh hung heavy in the air. They all experienced burning lungs and burning legs, and as they all sucked precious air into themselves, they become painfully aware of their collective dehydration.

And it is in this dead quiet that someone started laughing. Soon, others joined them, and everyone had a much-needed bout of the giggles. After the last had their share of the giggles, they all turned as one to regard the train station behind them.

"Is it safe?"

Tatsuo Sakae and Classy clambered out of the train, heaving and with fresh blood on themselves and their weapons.

Classy answered grimly, “As safe as anything can be in this damn place.”

Swarmlord then asked, “So, no elites?”

Classy shook his head. The stillness of the place had everyone on edge, but they were all tired.

Alexander sighed, then stepped into the train. “Safe enough.”

Alberts looked at the tunnel leading out to sea and asked, “You guys sure about this? This seems unsafe.

“We don’t care.”

As it turns out, the train was safe. Also, it was as stylish as it was bloodstained. Classy and the boarding team claim to have found it like that, but nobody seemed to care.

After all, everyone was caked in blood. They would shower, but the plumbing is also filled with blood. This was true even on the train. So, everyone remained filthy.

Some folks were less happy about it than others.

“I need a shower. An actual shower.”

“We all do, eh.”

Tux and Pat, along with Michael, Alexander, and Alberts, lounged on the many couches in one of the train carts. Even if they were resting their boots on their respective expensive couches, it was fine.  The couches already smelled of death. Alberts even pulled out a fresh-looking skull from underneath a cushion, prompting him to say, “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well.”

That got only a few chuckles from everybody else.

After tossing the skull out of the window, Alberts asked, “Why isn’t the train moving yet?”

The train shuddered, and, with a metallic screech and the thundering of engines, the massive luxury liner train was finally moving. Tux eyed a tin of... something, and after giving the contents a sniff, he said, “Red must’ve found the brake release.”

His words fell on deaf ears, however, as Alberts had already fallen asleep, as had Alexander and Michael. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that people would catch some winks when they could, as the fighting could resume at any time. Even the ponies turned in immediately in the bunk car, instead of mingling with the smelly, tired apes. Tux set aside the tin with the questionable content and was about to turn in himself when he heard, “Wait.”

Blinking away the sleep, Tux sat up on the couch and regarded Pat. “Yeah, Pat?”

Pat twiddled her thumbs, then sighed. “It’s just... I’m not sure how we’re gonna get out of this, eh? Not only that, but what are we going to do when we do get this whole zombie invasion bullshit solved, eh? Will we stay in Equestria, or will we go home, eh? Would we be productive members of Equestrian Society, or would we be nuisances, eh? Not only that, but...”

Pat leaned forward, gripped her head, and grimaced.

“I can see them when I close my eyes. The screaming, the clawing, the biting... it’s everywhere, present in my mind and in the waking world. Tux, how many times have you died, eh?”

Tux hung his head low. “Too many times. I t-try not to think about dying again.”

“Exactly, eh? It’s one thing to fight war against another human being, to fight someone like you, that has hopes and dreams and can be negotiated with. This, eh? It’s fighting against hell itself, eh? We’re fighting against the unending, the undying. How do we fight that, eh?”

Pat shuddered violently. Tux shook his head, cleaned his glasses, and said, “I- I don’t know.”

The pitch-black train tunnel gave way to the skyline of Manehatten. Everyone looking outside the train would see that their week-long train ride (interrupted by random zombies) has apparently carried them across the sea and nearly to that city. However, the train was slowing.

Red tried to make sense of the readouts in the train engine, but something very peculiar ended.

The train disappeared. Along with the train tracks. The tunnel was gone, too. in their place was a gathering of confused humans and ponies. Looking behind them, they saw the beached cruiseliner. A piercing headache pervaded the mind of anyone who looked at it, and so, everyone was rubbing their temples, cursing the occult general, and headed off to Manehatten.

Manehatten was empty.

Gutted building surrounded a vacant street, and grey dust hung heavy in the air and on everything, muting the once-vibrant colors of the town.

The towers, like sentinels, watched the advancing party with a million empty windows. The corpse of a town was eerily silent, save for the wind blowing through broken glass and dark alleyways. did nothing but wear on the already frayed nerves of everybody there. Humans and ponies alike checked their weapons, ever sure that something would happen around the next corner, but nothing came.

Nothing but the wind. They all wordlessly filed to the train station. Not a sound was made by anyone, as frightened as they were by this new development. The first person to round the corner to see the train almost opened fire. There, in the grey dusty cloud, was the train, looming like a crouched predator, ready to strike.

If the predator was faded pink. Nobody blamed Edward Gloriana, though.

With a little bit more confidence this time, everybody boarded the train. It was smaller than the nazi zombie train, but it was nicer, since the cushions weren’t soggy and reeking of gore and the bloodstains was absent. Pinkie Pie even made pancakes, albeit with a lot less energy than she would if the situation was anything near normal. Nobody seemed to mind, though, and the mood was even lightened as they had their first hot meal in weeks.

Finally, the train was off to Canterlot.

“It looks like a model.”

Confused, Twilight turned around to see Scott trying to shush a giggling Michael, while trying not to giggle himself. She rolled her eyes and looked back to the capital. All three of them were in the passenger car, in a room that, gladly enough, wasn’t covered with swastikas and pentagrams.

It sure had changed when Twilight last saw Canterlot. The gleaming walls and shining spires were dulled by the fog, and it even looked menacing with this gloomy lighting.

It saddened her that this calamity could even spread to where she had spent her foalhood, and even if she was technically returning to it, it seemed very alien to Twilight Sparkle.

She looked back to the idly conversing Scott and Michael, and was glad that that at least the ponies weren't going into the unknown alone.

Inside the Canterlot Castle itself, Twilight, her friends, and the humans all made their way to the Throne Room. Inside, they hoped to find the other Princesses, and to see how best they could end this horror story. They had entered a fortress Canterlot, with a few... incidents. They were almost attacked on sight by worn-down and trigger-happy Guards ponies, with the humans looking too much to them like the undead that occasionally assault the city of Canterlot, some even having donned the same Nazi uniforms as the undead.

For some reason, the humans had chosen the individual known as Pat to represent them in an official manner, and while she was a bit quirky, Twilight Sparkle thought she could get along with Pat quite nicely. She seemed more level-headed than the men of the group.

Hopefully, this first contact wouldn’t go wrong.

First contact had gone wrong.

As soon as Twilight Sparkle and Pat had entered the throne room, a flash of color, and Pat was held against the wall by an irate Princess Luna. She was more worse for wear as well, with dented armor and bandaging in places all over. She wore a sneer on her face as her forearm pressed against Pat’s throat. Luna’s horn glowed menacingly. Alarmed, Twilight ran up to Luna and wrestled Luna away from Pat, saying, “Princess Luna, stop! She’s not undead!”

Luna didn’t reply, instead leaning in closer and inspecting Pat for any sign of hostility. Pat coughed, half-chuckled, half-wheezed, then said, “Why... so forward, Princess. If I knew about this, I would’ve come in a dress, eh?”

Luna blinked, then released Pat bashfully. “We... I must apologize. Recent events have... taken a toll on even me.”

Pat coughed a little, brushed some dust off her coat, and said, “It’s been hard on us too, eh. We’ve been abducted from our homes and dumped into a crumbling city full of death and grey and crawling and teeth and...”

Over the course of her words, Pat turned less jovial and more panicked and wide-eyed, gripping the hilt of her sword.

“Something wants us, eh? Wants to use us. We can’t even die. We can’t even die. We just come back and the agony begins again. The Occult General wants to use us as it’s tools of war, which doesn’t even make sense, eh?! It’s already got zombies, even some bullshit jumping sniper zombies a-and massive gunner zombies that just gets angry when you shoot them in the head a-and...”

Pat finally broke down, falling to her knees and bitterly holding back tears as only a soldier could. She held her arms with tattered gloves, tears staining her ruined hair and clothing. Once, Pat could be called stable. Happy, even.

She put up a brave face for the boys, that they might rally to her when their own strength falters, but in truth...

Patlestia was just as unsteady as the worst of them. Even now, the tendrils of death encroach in her vision, threatening to take her again, and again, and again, without any release, or respite, or rest, or pause, or any hint of remorse...

Suddenly, the darkness threatening to take Pat’s soul was lifted, leaving only a clarity and a calmness that washed away the affliction that had Pat in a grip. Pat looked up to see Princess Celestia. She was just as battered and tired-looking as Pat was, and her horn glowed in a white ethereal light. Her face was one of motherly concern, and as Pat scanned Celestia, Celestia scanned Pat. Finally, Celestia set her face in a righteous sneer and simply said,

“I have heard enough.”

Steel

The air in the Canterlot Armory was one of righteous indignation. As people tiedied up their uniforms, shined their buttons and brass, and sewed holes back into their clothes, a shout rang out, “We got new stuff!”

Everyone looked, and Aryanne was carting in some bins full of armbands and sets of newly-made adjustable armor. Volk was the first to pick up an armband, finely-made by Rarity, and inspected it. It was a biohazard orange, dulled somewhat by the grim atmosphere of the place, but Volk smiled when he saw the insignia that the armband displayed. It was a zombie skull, somewhat saddened as the crown of the skull was broken and shattered by a bullet. Slipping it on, Volk finally figured that the friendly fire incidents would stop. Seriously. He might have worn a wehrmacht uniform, and carried an MG42, he did not look like one of those undead machinegun-toting brutes.

Much.

 Volk then looked to see Aryanne hoofing him an arm-guard. Raising an eyebrow, Volk slid his gloved hand into the arm-guard, and found that the shaped steel lined with cloth fit nicely. He even noted that there were straps he could adjust, if needed. As everyone put on their new-found armband and armor, Volk smiled, and tousled Aryanne’s mane a little with his fingerless gloved hand. She said with a bashful smile, “It makes sense, right? I figure that this can help keep the zombies from biting you.”

Now, the crew was grinning and adjusting their new armor. The only one to have not picked up the bracers was Dropbear, and he was still in his combat koala suit. People were beginning to wonder if he ever took it off. It seemed to get more bloodied and dirtier the further he combated the undead. Few even recalled that it once was as white as snow.

But nobody wanted to think back to when they first arrived. The blood, the fire, the death...

The screaming would not stop. The sound of tearing flesh and bones being strained and broken echo in the air. Small-arms reported across the city. Nobody was in organized teams, as everybody just woke up in a random crumbling building, along with their things. Everyone had to figure out how to use their new tools of death, and quickly. Zombies were everywhere, their siren call of the damned ever present in the streets and in the air. Ethereal trails left by zombie snipers crisscrossed the skyline of the crumbling city as they searched for prey. The roars of the zombie gunners burned the ears of anyone who witnessed it, as well as the retort from the machine gun the elites cradled in their arms.

By the time midday had arrived, everyone had died at least once. If not to the hand and teeth of the teeming dead, or the bullets of those same snipers and gunners, then they would either try to commit suicide to escape the madness, or mistaking each other for the dead and get shot themselves. Of course, the inexplicable madness was that death could claim the humans, but it would not keep them, and they just woke up anyway, often still screaming from when they had suddenly and terrifyingly died. Phantom pains raked across the skins, as well as the sensations of being mauled and eaten echoing in the psyche of the “survivors”. Even those who had tried to find a way out or was cut down by a zombie or a fellow human still had the ghost of a sensation from when bullets cut through them like a scythe through wheat.

Finally, the survivors started recognizing each other for what they were, and they chose a building to start fortifying.

That’s when the long siege began.

Volk shook these thoughts from his head, and noticed that not only had his hand moved from running his fingers through Aryanne’s mane to effectively cupping her face, but his dark thoughts had inadvertently caused him to tighten his grip, causing Aryanne to look at him with fear as his fingernails dug into her skin. Recoiling, Volk tore his hand away and fell to his knees. Muttering a tearful apology, Volk berated himself for having gone to dark places again. That’s when he felt a pair of hooves wrap around his neck, and in that instant, he recollected how that Aryanne had also recently been through the same hell he has, and he wrapped his arms around her neck.

All around them, the sound of people mulling over their things wasn’t interrupted by this display.

“My dear student, it warms my heart greatly that you have returned safely to us.”

Meanwhile, Celestia wrapped a wing around her unicorn student, as if letting go would mean that Twilight would be forever lost. Finally releasing her student, Celestia continued, “I must confess that even I was not prepared for this. All the trials you have ever faced, Twilight, was not meant for this.”

Luna entered the darkened study room, having donned her armor. She cut in, saying “Nay, sister. It is not a natural event that has caused this to happen. The humans were abducted and placed into the same hell we were.”

Celestia sighed. These otherworldly visitors were almost killed on sight, due to their similarity to the undead horde. She nodded, then said, “Something must be done about it.”

Luna drew her weapon. a dark curved sword, made from metals that fell from the stars. she looked it over in her magical aura and examined the shined white edge, contrasting the black of the rest of the blades. Finally, with a tone of tired determination, Luna said,

“And so we shall, sister.”

The air was filled with smoke and blood.

The fog had resumed its reign on the crumbling town, seared and further scarred by the fires prior. A deathly stillness accompanied the fog and smoke, while the dead wandered aimlessly in complete silence. Searching with empty, yellowed eyes, and walking on shaky, rotting legs, the undead marched into and between buildings and between alleyways and streets. The dark grey and green haze covered all, blotting out the sun, and casting the world in shades of shadow.

The silence was suddenly shattered by the sound of weapons fire and the defiant screams of the living. Shotguns, sniper rifles, machine guns, spears, swords, bare hands and hooves were among the weapons of the furious. Battle-cries sounded forth from a thousand mouths of irate humans and ponies, and the racket and noise was enough to wake the dead. Shambling from their places in the streets and buildings, the damned made their slow way. Some rose from their prone positions on the ground. A few came from the doors and alleyways. A few even fell from second and third story windows, only to try to keep moving with broken bodies, with varying success. The siren call of the occult answered the challenge of the living.

Undead snipers and gunners appeared as if from thin air, only to be cut down by bullet and magic missile. The teeming horde of the lifeless issued forth a call of the long-gone, but this dull roar was overpowered by the loud roar of automatic fire and the cries and cursing of the vengeful mortals. Humans shattered skulls, bent spines, popped helmets and cut down the cannon fodder in two. The ponies shattered knees, broke arms, and twisted off the still biting heads of the dead. All this the gathered guard ponies, pony civilians, and the humans did with a sneer, and hateful eyes. They heeded not losses, for whatever afflicted the humans now extended to the ponies, and the painful shouts of casualties were quickly replaced by the renewed profanity from the newly reborn fighter as they resumed combat and the charge.

Their destination was the center of town, and the malevolent spirit that started it all.

“Oh, my.”

Where a the ruins of a castle used to stand, a military industrial compound now sits like the concrete walls of a prison. Random zombies were skewered on spikes placed about carelessly on the walls, and the walls themselves gleamed with blood as it ran from random holes and the still moving undead into a blood-moat, across which an old stony bridge stretched. There were even blooded waterfalls in places along the wall. The massive steel walls of the compound had only one entrance that everybody could see above the red mist, which was a man-sized door that looked to be locked with a spinning hatch. Edward Gloriana and Johan Pitka combined their upper body strength to first budge the hatch, then move it enough to unlock the door. Opening outward, the small army of men and ponies made their way inside. The steel construction of the room was such that the party looked to be trapped inside the room, which had some plain walls, drains in the floor, and grated, round openings on the ceiling. As everyone made their way inside, they made sure not to slip on the suspiciously fresh blood on the floor.

After the last one to enter, Fluttershy, made her way inside, the door swung shut, and red lights flickered on. An alarm blared, and the panic cascade that was ensuing was interrupted by the most disgusting event any of them had ever seen.

Valves audibly opened in the holes above everyone, and a cascade of gore descended upon them like an unholy fountain. Many covered their heads with their arms as hard bone and skulls was among the things that now flooded them. It seemed to take an eternity, but twenty seconds later, the valve shut off, leaving everyone to stand drenched in viscera. No stomach was left unemptied, as the shock and disgust ran through everyone. Gore and vomit slowly drained into the lowered points and holes in the reinforced concrete floor. Classy’s voice rang out, saying, “Fuck this place.”

Pat answered him, saying, “Agreed, eh.”

Everybody was caught wiping themselves off and draining what blood they can from their coat or clothing when another alarm rang. Everybody braced for another treatment in the contamination room when the far walls opposite the entrance parted like sliding warehouse doors. The doubly reinforced steel walls slid open with a nasty metallic screech, revealing everything to everyone in the contamination room.

An industrial workplace stretched far above and beyond like a great expanse, with hellish light coming from furnaces lining the floor, walls, and ceiling. Zombies, impaled on hooks, went to and fro along the ceiling, being suspended and moved by heavy chains. But that was not caught everyone’s attention.

What caught everyone’s attention was an undead horde in the factory that chilled everyone’s soul. The zombies were now armored giants that stood as tall as two men, and they bore nothing but bolted steel armor on their bodies, with random spikes and large bolts sticking out in places. They looked to be armed with maces built into their arms, and their head protection was reminiscent of welding masks, but were significantly thicker and made from steel.

They also lacked eye slits or any sort of hole to enable vision for the otherwise blank-faced helmet. Despite this, they all turned to regard the opening and the humans and ponies within. They all tensed, readying weapons.

...But the monstrosities would not move from their positions. If anything, they just turned to face the living. Clanking their iron clad feet, the towering corpses started an impromptu staring contest with the living.

The silence was agonizing, interrupted only by the pulse of blood in one’s veins, the taking of breath, the pitter-patter of blood runoff from the waiting bodies, the sound of disgusting fluid being drained, and the panicked checking and the shaking loose of bone debris and stray strips of meat from the points and the mechanisms of weapons.

Finally, a great, jovial, yet sinister laugh sounded throughout the setting. A blue light shimmered, resulting in a burst of blood, and a new presence stood in front of the mass of gently heaving armored zombies.

He stood as tall as any man there. The uniform it wore was that of most elite nazi officers, with pins and badges and patches to show off, as well as a peaked cap to display his superiority to the normal undead.

Everybody noticed above those things, however, how the head was just a floating skull and jawbone, complete with a sinister blue glow that emanated from eye sockets and mouth. People started to recognize him as the Occult General from earlier. The jaw moved mid-air, and the lich said,

“You must now see the futility of the task you’ve set before you. My Panzer Zombie Corps is poisedto wipe you off the face of this world. But this is hardly necessary.”

The Occult General extended an arm, bony hand glowing with ethereal energies as he reached towards the crowd.

“Observe.”

Tux was suddenly caught in an invisible vice as he rose somewhat. His arms and legs were spread by the force. He had but a moment to exclaim as he was surrounded first by the light of the Occult General’s power, than shrouded by an eruption of blood, causing his peers to recoil and shielded their eyes from the spray. After this, Tux was back on his feet, and he turned to face his comrades, but...

Tux hardly looked like himself anymore. Instead of his dress shirt, slacks, and vest, Tux wore a grey long coat more reminiscent of World War One stormtroopers than the Wehrmacht or the Waffen SS. Completing the look was a spiked stahlhelm on his head, along with the same type of eyeless face armor the panzer zombies had, but with a difference: a metal lower jaw hung loosely around Tux’s neck, with metal spikes acting as teeth. Beneath the spiked teeth of the upper jaw, Tux’s mouth could be seen, with serrated teeth reminiscent of a vampire, and with skin greyed and diseased-looking. Finally, he had steel body armor as well as clawed gauntlets, and some renaissance greaves. He still had his weapon in his right hand, finger on the trigger of a shotgun that even it had been altered, with the wood furniture turning an ashen grey.

Somebody fearfully asked, “Tux?”

His only response was a wailing inhuman groan.

Teeth

Without missing a beat, Red advanced from the group and approached Tux, pistol in hand. The footsteps echoed in the chamber, and the posthuman snarled. without warning, Tux(?) swung his weapon at Red, aiming to strike him in the face with the long bayonet fitted to his shotgun. Without missing a beat, Red swung up his left arm, batting the weapon away, and he advanced on the zombie. Sticking the colt pistol under Tux’s face, pressed the weapon against his neck, pointing at his temple, and fired. Tux’s head recoiled, and fell soundlessly to the floor.

However, after the body hit the ground and after Tux’s weapon stopped clattering against the concrete, Tux’s body was surrounded by an orange glowing pattern, a swastika inside a pentagram inside a circle, and his body rose on account of said energy. Red backed off, but before he could put a more permanent end to Zombie Tux, the undead did something strange.

It scratched its head in confusion. It made a strained grunt, and then dropped the shotgun. Grasping both sides of the helm, the zombie started hyperventilating with a steely, grated breath. Stumbling backwards, the zombie started to somehow panic even more. With a nasty sound of ripping skin and grating bone, the zombie tore off the helmet. Everyone gasped.

The zombie had the lifeless same milky yellow eyes as the regular infected. The similarity extended to the greyed skin, which had bleeding gashes and patches of skull showing in the cuts and shrunken sunken skin. His expression, though, was eerily human-like...

because it was one of horror.

“How annoying.”

A blue light seized Tux and Red. While Tux’s eyes, nose and mouth glowed, Red was lifted and suffered the same fate of Tux, appearing suddenly after the spray of blood in the same getup as Tux. Tux and Red then stared at each other, with everyone watching. Red, now zombified, looked beyond Tux and screeched. Tux turned around and repeated the motion. Before they could blink, they were both upon the Occult General with a supernatural speed.

Nobody quite knew who first charged after both former humans, but soon, the collective battle-cry was sounded, and the fury of both mortal and arcane arms was unleashed upon the Panzer zombies. The gunfire was more focused on the completely exposed joints of the Panzer Zombies, as bullets of all calibers just bounced off the armor on everywhere else. Being cut into pieces by the firepower presented, the Panzer Zombies were then especially vulnerable to spear and sword-point, as well as the arcane missiles of the magic-users. The more powerful ponies, such as Twilight and the Princesses, cast forth solid streams of destructive magic, that melted steel and boiled flesh and cracked bones. Their eyes glowed a solid white, as they channeled these hellish multicolored energies.

As the battle raged around them, the Occult General found himself to be the subject of a tug-of-war, with the contest being fought over his floating skull. The zombified duo had an iron grip with their hands on his head, fingers finding a hold in his eye sockets and any holes in his skull that their claws made. His officer’s cap long since been knocked off by the struggle. The General himself was struggling with his bony hands to dislodge the fury of two damned men. Finally, in a flash of light, the Occult General’s skull was rent in two with a mighty crack. Before too long, however, the Occult General reappeared in his massive form, and he extended forth his hand with a blue glow of light.

To the ponies’ shock and horror, the rest of the humans were all soon converted into the Hellish Stormtroopers, with a massive burst of gore. The ponies who weren’t immediately caught by the new undead retreated a little, to regard the teeming horde of undead. The eyes of the Hell Stormtroopers were glowing a bright blue, and they seemed to lose what little humanity they had left as they collected their weapons and lined up in front of the reduced group of Panzer Zombies. They shifted, twitched, and snarled. Tears gathered in the corners of ponies’ eyes as they regarded the human survivor party be turned. Rainbow Dash was one such pony whose courage was tested, then she looked to the Occult General, who was obviously orchestrating both the abominable transformation and the mind-control of the humans, so she shot off like a rocket at the head lich. With a flying kick, she shot through and struck a hole in the forehead and back temple of the Occult General.

It seemed to do the trick, as the massive being recoiled, and the light faded from the eyes of the Stormtroopers, and they turned to somehow regard each other despite the lack of eye-slits in their face-plates. At once, they roared, and it froze the remaining ponies, including Rainbow Dash. They were all stunned into silence and remaining still as the small horde first tore across the warehouse into the panzer zombies, and then proceeded to tear apart the panzer zombies with a speed that defied logic and the ponies’ expectation. Their sense of horror grew as the occult general reformed and more panzer zombies emerged. Rainbow Dash screamed, “Take out that blue-eyes white zombie, and we can end this!”

Thus began the battle proper.

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight chased the Occult General through the hallways of the compound. He had been forced to regular man size, and was forcing his undead minions to try and block their path as he tried to maintain and perhaps make permanent his control over his newest would-be warriors. However, a shield powered by the three high-tier and seriously pissed off ponies battered aside the simple zombies with but a mere thought. Around corners and bloodied hallways they chased this demon, and as their frustration grew, so did their level of magic use. Soon enough, the MG-toting Elites appeared, only to be completely vaporized by the shield the three ponies threw in front of themselves as they poured magic hellfire into the Occult General when they could.

Finally, the chase ended in an office. It was a strictly military office, even if it was fancy. The abundant amount of maps and figures was matched only by the sight of gore, skulls, swastikas and pentagrams. The three ponies burst into the room only to find the Occult General sitting behind his desk, as if nothing was amiss. The ponies widened their stance, lit their horns, but was interrupted by the Occult General gesturing to the ponies with an open palm and uttering simply,

“Stop.”

Gritting their teeth, the ponies kept their battle-ready stance. The Occult General sighed.

“You poor, foolish souls. You have no idea what I’m trying to accomplish here, do you?”

Luna then spat at the lich, shouting in the Royal Capslock Voice, “IT IS ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT YOU ONLY BRING DEATH AND SUFFERING UPON THE POOR SOULS YOU’VE FIRST ABDUCTED AND NOW CORRUPTED, AND YOUR ACTS ONLY SUGGEST THAT YOURS IS NOT A BENEVOLENT INTENT. SURRENDER, MONSTER.”

The Occult General rolled his neck, making a noise of annoyance.

“It is a gift of immortalityI bring, pony. Eternal life and eternal conquest.”

Celestia scoffed. She then taunted the undead general, saying, “It is a folly to think that this is a life worth being in. You may be up and about, but you’re certainly not living. Look at you. Sitting here in the ash and the dust and the blood of your ventures. Is it really worth it to you?”

The Occult General laughed.

“It is an existence that I botheredto gift them. As undying warriors and generals, theirs is a glorious boon and endeavor. They simply have to accept their new responsibility to the Hellmouth, and to me. Theirs is not to question, but to go forth and bring death and destruction to all. First, your world, then others.”

The Occult General then lifted his boots onto his desk and crossed his legs.

“In fact, I’m generous enough to extend the offer of eternal conquest to you, ponies of Equestria. Become my subordinates, and yours will be the stuff of legends! Just think, this world is yours for the taking. It’s inhabitants ripe to become part of our undead army. And not just this world. Otherworlds I can see, worlds ripe for conquest. It is a glorious undead crusade that we are about to embark on, and so the only option left to you...”

The Occult Leader then withdrew his legs from on top of the table and stood up to his full height, leaning forward and placing the bony palms of his skeletal hands on the bloodied desk.

“... is whenever you will you be the Generallautnants, or mere Oberleutnants?”

Twilight was the next to tearfully scream and berate the Occult General, hatefully crying,

“YOU! HURT! MY! FRIENDS!”

She then shot a lavender beam of light at the lich. Fueled by her rage and disgust, the beam quickly made it’s way over to the Occult General’s shiny dome.

It would have impacted, were it not for the shield of fire that appeared. Shock overtaking the ponies, they now saw two new officer zombies come from behind the tall, wide leather chair the Occult General sat on. They seemed to be living pyres, with teeth that seemed to have melted into their jaws, and skin that looked to be charred and more resembled slow-burning embers of ashen wood than anything normal. Their helmets and clothing was in tatters and seemed to burn without actually becoming alight and fading away. Two of them flanked the General, extending their fiery protection to the Occult General, who hummed.

“Mere servants, then. Someone else will have to lead my armies.”

The Fire Demons launched fireballs at Celestia and Luna, who moved to engage them individually, leaving Twilight herself to deal with the still very calm nazi lich.

Meanwhile, the battle throughout the compound continued, with ponies accompanying their undead allies as they tore through the ranks of the nazi zombies. They raced to keep up, as the wendigo-like speed and strength of the furious former humans was hard to keep up, much less match. Thus, they settled for chasing the furious stormtroopers of the dead through the hallways, supporting in their own way when needed.

Rarity had taken to carrying aloft a section of thin wire with her, and as she decapitated another Elite with her wire, she noticed a zombie who had taken off it helm, and she almost retched as she recognized who it was. It was Pat, the one who had chosen (or been chosen) to represent the humans back at canterlot. Her lips were missing, exposing her sharp teeth, but her face structure and build was definitely Pat’s. She regarded Rarity now with a blank expression, one handedly carrying her gun while her off-hand hung by her side, absolutely dripping with ichor and viscera.  She raised that hand to wave at Rarity, and Rarity found herself waving back.

Zombie Pat moved closer, kneeled to Rarity’s eye level, and made a series of grunts, groans, and moans. Rarity realized with a start and with some horror that Pat was trying to communicate with her, which was something that her new undead physiology didn’t allow her to do. After a bit of this, Pat ceased, and hung her head in defeat. Rarity’s heart then ached for this poor soul, and put her hoof on Pat’s shoulder. Pat’s head raised a moment to regard Rarity, then suddenly pulled her into a hug. After a moment of alarm, Rarity relaxed and hugged back. Pat needed this. After all, she was shuddering, as if she was trying to cry, but couldn’t. It didn’t matter that Rarity’s coat dripped anew with gore and rivulets of blood.

Rarity sincerely doubted she could ever feel clean after this.

 The struggle continued in the Occult General’s office, the tight spaces making combat awkward at best. The Fire Demons sparred with the Princesses, with both trying to overpower the other, yet both were failing to overcome the other’s shields, with fireballs fizzling on impact against magical shields, while arcane bolts fizzled in the fiery aura. The Princesses had been fighting hard all day, and it was beginning to slow. Strikes came slower, and it took more wind out to withstand the hellish fire of the cursed dead.

Twilight Sparkle was having an equally bad time with the Occult General. Her every trick, her every spell, the damned nazi lich countered them all, and it took everything in her power and guile to both resist and refute the blue glow of the General’s occult power. Engaged in an impromptu contest where their magical energies converged into beams pushing against each other, Twilight strained just to hold her own, let alone try to gain the advantage in the lock. Looking to the Princesses, she was struck with an idea.

“Celestia!”

Celestia could only spare a moment to glance at her student, but it was enough for Twilight to know she was listening.

“Remember what you taught me about the fire triangle?? If you deprive a flame or fire of fuel, oxygen, or heat, then it will cease burning!”

Eyes now widening, Celestia and luna bought thought of how best to make use of this information. With a glance to each other, they leaped towards one another’s side, facing the fire demons, and they joined their magical energy to fire a supercharged beam of cold-infused magical energy. It struck the right demon in the chest, punching through the fiery aura to seriously chill the dead back to cold. The right demon then fell to its knees, while the other one charged forward.

It was answered by a combined telekinetic push of both Celestia and Luna. Both demons flew into the room beyond, which was full of miscellaneous boxes. Taking this opportunity presented to them, Luna pushed the boxes of stuff over the two demons, while Celestia burst a water pipe over them, as well as causing structural damage to that ceiling. Soon enough, a flood of dust and debris helped to completely bury the demons. Luna approached them, softly saying, “I can handle these demons, dear sister. Go help thy student.”

Celestia nodded, and as Luna moved to engage, Celestia hurriedly joined Twilight and added her strength to Twilight’s own. The Occult Generals occult energies now were being severely challenged and even pushed back by the combined magical oomph of Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia.

Sensing that he held a disadvantage, the Occult General resorted to taunt the ponies.

“What is it you think you are doing? Defying me? Even now, you suspect that everything you do is futile. After all, it is death himselfthat has come for your soul.”

Twilight and Celestia refused to refute the General’s words, denying him the dignity and satisfaction of a response. Instead, they gritted their teeth, set their eyes in a steely gaze, and poured even more power into the attack. This burst of anger finally overcame the exotic forces of the lich, but before anything else could happen, Celestia was upon the Occult General, almost brushing her sneering muzzle against its bony face.

She simply said, “This ends now.”

They both got teleported out in a flash of white light.

High above the clouds and smoke, Celestia’s horn shone brightly as did her eyes. Her face was one of silent determination. She was suspending the Occult General mid-air, whom looked around first in confusion, than in annoyance.

“What do you hope to achieve up here?”

Instead of answering, Celestia hoisted the Occult General even higher into the air. Above everything, the only thing to see was a blue void that opened to the black above, and...

the sun, directly in front of him.

The Occult General shifted, fighting the control Celestia had, but it was already too late. A yellow-white lance the size of a bus struck him, and Celestia made sure to make sure the damned lich felt all of it. She quietly muttered,

“Go to hell already, you son of a bitch.”

After the bright solar energy had left, Celestia finally lost all of her energy. on sore wings, she glided down in a lazy circle downwards, fighting to keep her eyes open. The gentle breeze did little to help her keep awake.

After what felt like hours, she finally lost the battle against exhaustion as she set down somewhere in the city. Her last thought before falling asleep was how... normal it all looked, without the gloomy green fog and the ethereal energies it contained. Even the bloodstains seemed minimal, and that brought a smile to Celestia’s face as she finally lost consciousness in the street.