The Freeblade and the Nurse

Chapter Three

Nurse Redheart opened the door to Celestia’s room, revealing the panicked princess almost out of the hospital bed. “Your majesty, I apologize for barging in, but Mr. Corvain is awake and here to see you.” She announced, wheeling Marius into the room, allowing him to see the two posted Royal Guards inside of her room. “Along with apologize for the commotion outside. We had a situation with two of the patients, who had turned.”

“Thank you.” Celestia said, walking over to them. “So, what exactly happened out there?”

“You never dealt with a zombie plague before, is what happened.” Marius answered, causing those within the room to look at him. “A single bite from their foul mouth is enough for one to be infected. I cut the doctor’s arm off, because of where he was bitten, along with the timing.”

“You know what plagues us, Lord Corvain?” Celestia asked him, Marius giving a simple nod. “Then, would you mind telling me all that you know, about such things?”

“I will, but first?” Marius looked up at Nurse Redheart, and smiled. “Nurse Redheart? I need you to quarantine anyone that had been bitten and move them away from everyone… Along with somewhere that would allow my Knight entrance… It carries something that will prevent them from turning, I will be fine here.”

That caused the nurse to smile brightly, and nodded to him. “I will get the guards right on it!” She bowed to Celestia. “I leave him to you, Princess.”

Celestia nodded, and watched the nurse leave, before smiling to Marius. “I am glad that you have a way to-?”

“There is no way of saving those already infected by a zombie virus…” Marius cut her off, Celestia gaining a shocked look, along with paling from her normally white color.

“B-But you just said ta your Knight had a way to prevent them from turning?” She asked, placing a hand on to her chest, and sat down. Her body was still weakened by the restoration spell used on the man in front of her.

“It can, but not the way I lead Nurse Redheart into believing.” Marius confirmed, leaning back into the wheelchair, pressing his fingers on to both eyes. “Even I can see the kindness in her heart, and could not tell Nurse Redheart that those patients are ticking time bombs.” He removed his hand, and eyed Celestia, who continued to look at him. “I will end their suffering, before it begins… Allowing those victims to die as themselves, and not like one of those monsters.”

“I see.” Celestia placed both hands on to her lap. “My subjects are never going to trust me after all of this, and will never believe-?”

“I will shoulder this sin, myself. Tell them that I kept my plans a secret from you.” The look in Marius’ eye actually scared Celestia, the black and silver great-cloak added to its cold, yet remorseful, stare increased the effect. “Their blood shall be upon my hands, since it is now my duty to protect your world, and carry out such things for those I am charged to protect.” He moved both hands over his lap, clasping them together. “As I have learned, in my years of service, you must be willing to sin… To protect those around you, and care for.”

Celestia just looked at him, and gave a nod. “Understood. While they are being gathered… Please, tell me what I need to know about this plague.” She suddenly stood up, and walked over to Marius. “So we may combat them, together, properly.” The princess held her hand out to the commissar dressed man, only wearing a peaked hat instead of a normal commissar’s hat.

Without hesitation, Marius took hold of her hand. “I gave my word, that I would protect this world, and a Knight’s word is his honor.”

-Outside of Canterlot Academy’s Hoofball Stadium-

Nurse Redheart smiled, while she walked away from the Hoofball Stadium. The Royal Guard had put up barrier walls around any open areas, to ensure quarantine procedures held, but the whole group were happy to accept such a thing when she told them that Marius could save their lives. Her smile grew, when she saw the Umbra Equitis making his way over to the stadium. She waved to the giant war machine, who lifted his left arm’s cannon in its passing.

“Thank Celestia, things are going to be ok.” She muttered, placing a hand over her chest, but noticed Celestia flying overhead, and land on top of the colossus’ back. “I wonder why the Princess is here?”

“” Umbra Equitis spoke up, making the mare pull out the dataslate. “<In all honesty, from what I have learned about you, Nurse Redheart… It surprises me that you are allowing this to happen.”

His words confused her a bit. “Why would it be a sin to help others, and why wouldn’t I let it happen? When Marius told me you were able to prevent them from turning, it actually made me quite happy.” The silence, that followed her answer, caused a primordial fear well up inside of the mare’s chest. “U-Umbra?”

“Nurse Redheart… I do not have such functions in my array.” He replied, causing her to freeze in place. “All of my armaments are for combat uses, there is nothing within me for medical use. Lord Marius intends to give those infected mercy, since there is no cure for them now.”

Her eyes were wide, she knew Marius intended to kill every last one of them within the stadium, now! “B-But, what about the doctor, he was bitten but Marius only cut his arm off.” Nurse Redheart asked.

The dataslate pulled up an image of the human anatomy, then simulated the infection. “Depending on where a victim is infected, the virus will take a certain amount of time to fully turn its victim. However…” It restarted the simulation, showing a bit upon its forearm, but showed it stopping after the arm is severed from the rest. “If a victim is infected on a limb, and then the limb is removed shortly after the virus enters the system? It will no longer be able to take hold, due to the rest of its victim being cut off from it… But time is limited.”

“H-How long?” She asked, remembering many of those patients had been bitten, and were on their extremities.

“Depending on where they are bitten, such as the forearm or shin of the victim, less than five minutes. Thigh and upper arm, is around three… Severity of the bite, and where they are bitten, are extremely relied upon for timing.” Umbra Equitis answered.

The answer sent her into a panic, and sprinted back to the stadium. “Umbra! I need you to stop him, shut the systems down, or something! There has to be another way to solve this!”

“I am unable to do that, Nurse Redheart.” Umbra Equitis informed, the mare seeing said Imperial Knight towering over everything within the stadium. “Lord Marius is fully integrated within my systems, only an emergency override can allow me to take control.” Nurse Redheart stopped, knowing it was probably too late, and the guards were probably in on this plan. “Please, understand, Lord Marius did not wish to do this… But he is giving each of them a mercy, to die as themselves, and not one of those necrotic creatures.” She fell to her knees, eyes locked on to the war machine.

-Inside the Hoofball Stadium-

The quarantined ponies all cheered, seeing their beloved princess upon the supposed city savior. Though, they had to cover their ears when it blared the warhorn. “Please, I need you all to settle down, now!” Celestia called out, the gathered groups quieting down. “I must be truthful with you all… About the fact, that each of you were brought here upon a lie. One that was even told to the medical staff.” They all looked at one another, before looking back at their princess. “I will allow Lord Corvain to tell you the truth.”

“I will not mince my words, and tell you how it is.” His voice blared from the Imperial Knight’s warhorn. “You are all infected, and will soon join the undead ranks.” They all gasped, many screaming, while others tried to escape… Only to find out that the gates and exits were all reinforced by Royal Guards on the other side. The very moment a couple of pegasi tried to escape, through flight, they were gunned down by Umbra Equitis’ Heavy Stubbered Cannon. “Enough, and listen to me!”

“W-Why should we!” A unicorn mare yelled, huddling with her foals. “You’re going to kill us!”

The groups all nodded. “You are not going to get away-!” The earthy pony speaking was suddenly punched to the ground, by a green pegasi mare, with lightning bolt yellow hair.

“Will you all shut up, and listen to him!?” The mare yelled, glaring at them. “I am sure he has a perfectly good reason for all of this, and Princess Celestia seems to agree with his choice!” She looked back up at the metal colossus. “Go head, big guy!”

Marius took a moment, before he continued with the explanation. “I had you all brought here, because you are all a threat. However, I stand before you now, to shoulder this sin myself and allow each of you… To die as yourselves, and not one of the undead. I ask that you all understand, and forgive me for not arriving sooner to protect you.” They all stared up at him, eyes wide. “This is the only way, and your sacrifice? Will ensure that another day is bought for your loved ones, along with ensure their safety even more.” None of them said a word, now standing and looking down at the ground. They all knew what this meant, and accepted their fate now. “Go into the Emperor’s warm embrace, for your sacrifice has earned a place at his side.”

The Heavy Stubberd Cannon aimed down at those within the hoofball field… And open fired. The rounds tore into the fleshy targets, causing blood and limbs to fly everywhere. Celestia could not watch the massacre before her, even attempted to block out the screams but failed. Outside of the stadium, everyone could hear the roar of gunfire, and rushed to see what was going on… Only finding a crying Nurse Redheart, clutching a dataslate, and their protector unloading one of his weapons into the stadium’s field.

Once he finished, the Heavy Stubberd Cannon’s barrel heated, Marius just looked at the corpse at his Knight’s feet… At his feet. Men, women, children, young, and old; all laid before him, and none were spared his weapon’s aim. It was like he could feel their blood pooling around his feet, staining his very hands. “”

He didn’t answer at first, making Umbra Equitis prepare a vox line to Nurse Redheart, but Marius shook his head. “No… prepare the flamers, we have to burn their remains.”

“<Understood, Lord Marius. Anything else?” Umbra Equiti asked, and had the Duel Heavy Flamers switch on.

“No… Once the corpses are all burned, set a course back to our stand-by station. Also, I will need an estimated ammo count of all our weapons, along with fuel tank levels for the Promethium.” He reached up, and placed a hand over his forehead. “I… Need time to think.”

“” Umbra Equitis informed, before he unleashed the Promethium Flames onto the field. The blank faces soon being covered by a blanket of searing hot flames, charring or melting their flesh down. None of them were left behind, from the precisely calculated bursts of flames. Once the last had been burned, the Umbra Equitis flamers shut off, and the Imperial Knight staggered out of the stadium… The crowds parting for its passing.

Though, a green feather slowly floated out of the stadium’s walls, slightly burned. It landed into the palm of a cyan pegasus mare, with rainbow colored hair. Her hand clutched the feather, and glared at the retreating colossus… She knew who that feather belonged to, and once called her friend.

-After the Stadium Massacre-

Celestia had personally flown Marius back to the hospital, and even wheeled the silent man back to his room. No words were exchanged between them, they knew what the other wanted to say. Though, when Celestia was about to leave, she stopped at the doorway. Slowly, hand placed on to the doorframe, she looked back at Marius, who was currently looking out the window. “Thank you, for doing what needed to be done, Lord Corvain…”

He just gave a nod, and she left the room, closing the door behind her. Carefully, Celestia leaned against the door, placing a hand over her mouth and tried to muffle her crying. “P-Princess?” A voice called out, causing Celestia to look up and see Nurse Redheart in front of her, with Umbra Equitis’ dataslate tightly held in her arms. “Is everything alright?”

Her reddened eyes told Celestia that the mare had been crying, a lot recently. Quickly, the princess wiped her eyes of the tears, and smiled at the pink haired nurse. “Y-Yes, just wiping my eyes, is all.” Celestia lied, and walked up to her. “Is there anything I can do for you, Nurse Redheart?”

“N-No, Princess… I just need to speak with Mr. Corvain, about what he did at the stadium.” She answered, making Celestia frowned at those words.

The princess nodded, before walking up to her. “May I say something, before you do?” Nurse Redheart gave a nod, who was she to deny a princess from speaking? “Do not be mad at him, Nurse Redheart. Lord Corvain did what none of use possibly could, he did what needed to be done.” Celestia, gently, placed her hands on to the nurse’s shoulders. “And he lied to you, because he did not want to break your heart with the very truth of this matter.”

Nurse Redheart gave a nod. “I-I understand, Princess.” Celestia nodded, and took her leave, so she can handle the inevitable backlash from the massacre not too long ago.

“” The mare looked down at the dataslate, allowing her arms to slack forward and see the screen. “”

She smiled down at the dataslate, and nodded. “Sure, Umbra. What did you want to say?”

“” Umbra Equitis’ words confused Nurse Redheart, but before she could ask what he meant… The dataslate suddenly started to show the history of House Corvain. “” All the information flowed on to the screen, even what those xenos creatures were called… Tyranids. “”

“I understand…” Nurse Redheart pressed the dataslate against her chest, and walked up to the door. She grabbed the handle, taking a deep breath, and opened the door. Her patient still sat in front of his window, Umbra Equitis standing off in the distance. Her hooves echoed around the room, as she approached him. “Mr. Corvain?”

He didn’t look back at her, keeping his gaze locked on to the metal colossus. “I understand, if you have come here to inform me of your resignation as my medical provider… Along with curse, and strike, me for lying to you about what it was I had been planning to do with the infected.” Marius announced, still not looking at her.

Nurse Redheart didn’t say a word, which lead him to believe she was planning to say the cruelest words in her entire life. One could imagine his surprise, when she placed a hand, softly, on to his shoulder. The moment he looked up, to see the kindest smile on her face like the day he first saw her, along with the dataslate pressed against her breast by one arm, Nurse Redheart spoke. “Now, Mr. Corvain, you are my patient… No way, in Equestria, are you going to get rid of me that easily, or make me leave your side… After all, you are my responsibility!”

He didn’t know why, but those words made him smile, and nod. “Why do I have the feeling you’ll be on my case about every little health matter?” He asked her, placing both hands on to his lap. “Not even allowing me to eat junk food or smoke?”

She suddenly flicked his nose, with a giggle. “You know it, buster!”

“Marius.” He suddenly said, making her raise an eyebrow, as he looked up at her. “You can call me Marius.”