Dead Pony Rising 2

Chapter Nine

Royal Guardianship - 2

Date: September 29, 2011 8:56 a.m.

Buck looked at his watch one last time…before the Royal Guardians came in to save him and the other ponies in the bunker. It was nearing 9:00 a.m. and Buck pulled himself up to get his daughter ready. She stopped playing with her game long enough to put it into her backpack and zip it up. Buck helped her off the couch and the two started trotting over to the monitors.

“Ready to go home, kiddo?” He asked.

“Ready.” She said excitedly. They trotted up next to Fluttershy and Applejack, who were still watching the monitors carefully. Ray trotted into the room and stood behind them as well.

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching Discord?” Buck asked Ray.

“Didn’t want to miss the rescue.” Ray said. “Don’t worry, he’s out cold.”

“It looks like they’re comin’ over the bridge.” Applejack said looking at the monitor. Sure enough, the army of chariots everypony was waiting for came flying across a large bridge separating Celestial Sisters from most of the greater Manehatten area. There were dozens of the Royal Guardian Unicorns in the giant golden chariots.

Meanwhile, in the convoy, a lead unicorn guard sat patiently for the chariots to slow down. He picked up a professional walkie-talkie and talked to another pony on the line.

“We’ve reached the first checkpoint.” He said. “We will arrive at the Celestia Strip in a matter of seconds, General Prance.”

“Excellent,” said the general, “report back to me once clean-up is over.”

“Yes, sir.” The unicorn said. “Alright, stallions, you heard the orders. Make sure this city is completely clear for evac.”

“Sir yes, sir!” All the guardians shouted in unison. The gates to Celestial Sisters started rising up as the convoy of unicorns poured inside. Zombies that were in the way of the mass of unicorns were crushed underhoof and left to bleed out onto the cement ground. The lead chariot, holding the commander, came to a screeching halt on the Celestia Strip.

Once the other two chariots came to a stop, the unicorns grabbed their weapons and poured into the strip. The commander slowly trotted out of the chariot and stood in front of his troops.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” One unicorn shouted to some other unicorns.

“Ready to kick some flank, fillies?” The commander asked his troops. “You all know the drill: first we mop up and then we grab the survivors. Start with the Celestia Strip and work your way down to the arena.”

“Sir yes, sir!” The unicorns shouted. One of them prepared his weapon and was about to fire the first shot, but the commander stopped him.

“Whoa, whoa,” he said, “hold your fire. First kill belongs to Daddy, sweethearts.” He said as he grabbed the gun and aimed it at a shambling zombie. He pulled the trigger and three bullets riddled the unfortunate zombie’s skull.

“Nice shot, sir.” Said one of the guardians. The commander tossed the gun back to the other guardian.

“Have at it, stallions.” He said as he trotted back to the chariot to supervise their progress. The Royal Guardians started aiming their guns and firing at the zombies that were packed all around the Celestia Strip. Rebucka was on top of the Apple Acres Casino and was recording everything that was happening with her digital camera.

But, nopony was noticing something else going on. The once clear air around them started getting filled up with a green fog that choked some of the unicorns and made it difficult to see the zombies. One of the guardians stepped onto a metal grate, one that was pouring the green fog, started coughing and spluttering uncontrollably.

A zombie shambled up to him and stopped as soon as he came up to the fog. The zombie itself started having body spasms and went into a small seizure. Giant boils started forming all over his body and blood gushed from his mouth at a much faster rate. His eyes were glowing a sinister bright red and his wheezy breathes became evil growls and howls.

“What the hay?” One of the guardians asked. He started firing more rounds into the new ‘gas zombie’, but it wouldn’t go down. “C’mon, drop you son of a gryphon! C’mon!” The zombie started galloping after him and puked red, hot blood into his face. “My face! Oh, Celestia, it burns! Help me, it burns!”

He fell to the ground and some more gas zombies piled on top of him.

“Hold still, private, I’ll shoot ‘em off.” Said one guardian before another gas zombie galloped up and attacked him. His magic faltered and the gun went off, firing in all different directions. One of which landed between the commander’s eyes. Rebucka stopped filming after the fog became too intense for her to handle. She slowly trotted backwards and out of sight from the gas zombies.

Back in the security room of the bunker, everypony was watching is sadness and in horror of what happened before them. Buck quickly turned Katey away from the monitors and trotted closer to the group.

“What the hay just happened?” He asked.

“Zombies can’t take out a Royal Guardianship column…they just can’t…can they?” Fluttershy asked surprised.

“Regular zombies can’t…but those…what happen to them?” Buck asked.

“If that was supposed t’ be the Royal Guardians…how are we supposed t’ get out now?” Applejack asked.

“We’re gonna’ have to go out there and find a way out ourselves.” Buck said.

“Now everypony wait a minute.” Ray said angrily. “There’s another part to standard operating procedure. My understanding is if there’s a problem with the rescue operation,” Ray said, “there will be another attempt in 24 hours…if it looks like there’s any survivors.”

“What do you mean ‘your understanding’?” Rainbow Dash asked as she trotted up to Ray. “It seems to me that you knew plenty about standard operating procedure before.”

“Hey, hold on, missy.” Ray said to the cyan Pegasus. “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I’m the only reserve pony that made it here alive and I’m doing my best.”

“And what if that rescue fails, huh?” Dash asked. “Everything else has gone wrong so far.” Ray sighed hopelessly.

“Firebombing.” He said bluntly. “It’s the only way to get rid of ‘em…for good.” Rainbow Dash slowly fluttered back down to the ground. Everypony in the room went silent…tension building up.

“Firebombing?” Fluttershy asked. Buck stood there for a moment with Katey in his arms. He carefully trotted her over to the yellow Pegasus and started trotting out the door.

“I’m gonna’ go look for Rebucka.” He said.

“Buck, be careful,” Applejack said. “If those things can take out tha Royal Guardians…” Buck nodded and left the room. He trotted down the concrete hallway, back to the hatch leading into the Royal Sun Mall, when he saw Rebucka limping up the stairs.

“Rebucka! Are you okay?” He asked. She slipped and fell forward; Buck galloped over and helped her back up on her hooves.

“I’ve been through worse.” She said. “I sprained my back hoof when a zombie tried to bite me.”

“Did it get you?” Buck asked.

“No, fortunately, could you get me an ice pack of some sort?”

“Sure, just come with me over to the medical room.” Buck helped prop her up on his back and the two slowly trotted to the medical ward of the bunker. He sat her on one of the beds and trotted over to a cabinet and pulled out an ice pack for Rebucka’s hoof. As he prepped the small bag, Applejack and Fluttershy trotted in with the other Elements of Harmony closely behind.

“What happened to the zombies out there?” Fluttershy asked Rebucka. “They went…berserk.”

“There was some sort of gas.” Rebucka said. “As soon as the zombies came in contact with it…they...changed.”

“Sounds like some fun stuff,” said a recognizable voice, “I’ll have to try some of that myself.” Everypony looked over to find Discord slowly waking up from his brief coma. Ray looked over at him, glaring with pure hate-filled eyes.

“And what are you looking at?” Discord asked. Ray started trotting up to him; but Buck held out his hoof and stopped him from going any further.

“We need him alive.” Buck said.

“That’s a real shame.” Ray said.

“What’s going on, Discord?” Buck asked as he trotted up to the crazed Draconequus. “Where’d you get the gas?”

“I’m not saying anything.” Discord said. “As I said, this is your game to play; I just make the rules as I go along.”

“But, why frame me? What the hay did I ever do to you?” Buck asked.

“I don’t bucking know.” Discord said bitterly. “You’re just the name she gave me.”

“She? What are you talking about?” Buck asked.

“Somepony had to take the fall,” Discord continued, “Buck Greene…Motoclops superstar…angry over his wife’s death…you put the pieces together. Your DNA is all over backstage…prints…hairs…fur…Maybe even some stains from where you peed your pants before the show.” Buck’s rage started filling his fist as he lunged for Discord. But Rainbow Dash quickly stopped him before he did anymore damage.

“He’s not worth it…” Fluttershy said. “He’s not going anywhere.” Buck pushed Rainbow aside and stormed out of the room. Everypony just stood there, staring hard at Discord for the longest time.

The Next Day

Date: September 30, 2011 8:47 a.m.

“He knows more…a lot more.” Rebucka said. Everypony was now set up in the security room; Katey was fast asleep on the couch. “There’s no way he made that gas…he just doesn’t have the resources.”

“Well, we don’t know that yet.” Buck said. “We’re talking about a dictator who ruled Equestria for centuries, maybe even millennia…you’re telling me that he doesn’t have the resource to pull this off? This is all just so weird…” Buck’s sentence was cut short as alarms in the bunker started blaring.

Curious, everypony galloped over to the window to see what was going on. After a few tense seconds, a zombie pounded itself against the window, scaring all the ponies inside. Hundreds upon hundreds of zombies were pouring in through the giant bunker doors leading into Celestial Sisters.

“The door, it’s been breached!” Buck shouted. He looked over at the control panel and noticed that it was shooting sparks in different directions…sabotaged.

“It’s been sabotaged!” Twilight exclaimed.

“I’ve gotta’ hotwire that panel.” Buck said. “Stay here…barricade the door.” He said as he galloped out of the safety of the security room and into the danger of the zombie filled bunker. Applejack and her friends then started pushing items in front of the door to prevent any zombies from coming in.

Fluttershy flew over to Katey and started cuddling her in her arms.

Buck galloped through the crowds of massing zombies and started working on the control panel. Somepony had smashed most of the controls to bits and left hardly anything for him to work with. He thought carefully and started re-routing some of the wires to place the destroyed ones.

After many frantic seconds, Buck finally started to close the doors, but it was a long and heated process. He couldn’t help but watch as some of the survivors that were able to make it got eaten alive and attacked by zombies. His heart raced as the doors seemed to slow down in their already slow speed and stopped moving.

He bashed his hoof into the control panel and the doors gave one final push…closing the remaining zombies outside. But the sudden slam caused many zombies to get crushed…needless to say; blood went in all different directions. Buck was doused in the disgustingly cold and sticky, rusted, and foul smelling goo. He wiped his hoof across his face and took care of the last remaining zombies that were still standing around the bunker. Once the last one hit the floor, Buck trotted back into the security room and threw his weapon down on the ground.

“I think I got most of them.” He said as Rarity handed him a clean, dry towelette to him. He started wiping away the quickly drying blood from his jacket, pants, and most of his face. Katey galloped up to him, but quickly stopped after getting a huge whif of him.

“I don’t blame you, sweetie.” He said.

“I knew you’d get them.” The little filly said with excitement.

“What happened t’ Ray?” Applejack asked. “He’s supposed t’ be keepin’ this here place secure. Or is leaving yer post part of ‘standard operating procedure’?”

“I’m gonna’ find out.” Buck said. He turned around and started heading for the doorway back into the bunker.

Meanwhile, Discord slowly made his way out of the medical room and was walking through the halls to find a way out of the retched building. He looked all around to make sure nopony was watching or trying to follow and stop him. As he rounded a corner, a zombie straggler came around a corner and pounced Discord.

The two hit the ground and Discord, in a panic, tried to shove the zombie off of him. But it quickly sank its teeth into his neck and blood poured all over his and her fur. Buck noticed what was happening and reached for a fire extinguisher on the wall. He grabbed it and slammed it against the back of the zombie’s head, killing it and knocking it to the ground.
Discord reached for his bite and looked at Buck with a scared look in his face. Buck stared back, but with remorse, and a bit of pity, in his eyes.

*** *** ***

Date: September 30, 2011 9:04 a.m.

“Last thing I knew,” Ray said, “I was sitting by the door, like usual.” Everypony had gathered back at the medical room and found Ray waking up from being knocked out cold. “Next thing, I was coming to…looking at you fine ponies. He must’ve gotten loose somehow.” Discord was back in the bed and Buck was standing over him…keeping close watch. “I can’t believe he got the better of me.” Ray continued. “But I can tell you, right now, that isn’t going to happen again.” Discord looked over at Buck.

“You need to get me some Zombrex, Bucky,” he said, “and you need to move fast.”

“We oughta’ toss him out there with his own kind.” Ray said. “Let them tear each other to pieces.”

“He hasn’t turned yet…why?” Buck asked. Applejack trotted up next to Buck.

“Some ponies and creatures are just more resistant to the infection than others.” She explained. Discord grabbed Buck’s arm with his handcuffed arm.

“I can set you free, Buck.” He said. “You need to help me.” Buck pulled away sharply and turned back to Applejack.

“How long does he have?” He asked.

“Ah don’t know, Buck. None of us will until he turns.” Applejack said as he trotted out of the room and back into the bunker. Ray stayed behind and continued keeping guard over Discord.

*** *** ***

Date: September 30, 2011 11:04 a.m.

Everypony was gathered in the small cafeteria of the bunker, listening to another news source. It had been a few hours since the scheduled time the Royal Guardians would have been sent in and everypony is getting nervous.

“Royal Government sources have confirmed that there has indeed been a dangerous mutation of the zombie contagion within the city.” The news reporter said. “Early indications of survivors at the official emergency shelter were proven false when a Royal Guardianship Rescue Team entered the shelter…only to find it completely overrun and everypony inside already dead.”

Fluttershy put her hoof up to her mouth and stifled a cry. Her friends gathered closer to her and started hugging each other warmly.

“Contact with the rescue team,” the news reporter continued, “was abruptly lost as they attempted to exit the city. They are now presumed to have also perished in the outbreak. In light of this new information, Princess Celestia has ordered the immediate eradication of everything within the quarantine zone. Wonderbolt Bombers are preparing to execute these orders at precisely seven o’clock tomorrow morning.”

Buck started growling after hearing this new information.

“Our thoughts go out to the families of all those who have lost loved ones in Celestial Sisters.” The news reporter finished. Fluttershy jumped out from her friends and spun around to face everypony else.

“You think I’m still paranoid?” She asked in an aggressive tone.

“They just got the wrong information.” Ray said. “Now calm down and relax.”

“Calm down? Our royal government is going to bomb us!”

“Now, ease up there, missy.” Ray said. “Our government is simply not going to kill a bunch of unarmed civilians.”

“That would be un-Equestrian.” Fluttershy said.

“Hey, we simply need to go out there and take control.”

“Go out there? Are you out of your mind?” Everypony just stared at the two as they kept arguing back and forth…especially Fluttershy’s friends.

“Look,” Buck said finally, “let’s just try to stay calm and think our way out of this.”

“I did not work this hard just to get blasted off this rock.” Rebucka said. “I’ve got to get in touch with my station. They’ll come get me…hay, they’ll come get everypony. This is the story of the century.”

“Well, no pony’s going to hear it unless we get out of here.” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“There’s more going on here than just a heist.” Buck said. “First the gas…and now this.”

“We know Discord framed Buck and started the outbreak.” Rebucka said. “But there’s no way he could access the media with that lie that we’re all dead.”

“And he couldn’t order a Wonderbolt firebombing.” Twilight said.

“This is bigger than Discord…way bigger.” Rebucka said. Ray slowly trotted over to Rebucka and stood behind her.

“Look,” he said, “I know we’ve all been through a lot in the past few days, but don’t go making it worse by making things up.” That’s when it dawned on Buck.

“Rebucka,” he said, “could we look at the video you took during the failed rescue?” Rebucka grabbed her camcorder and started fiddling with the switches as Buck stood next to her to get a good look at the tiny monitor.

“I didn’t notice it at the time,” she said, “everything was happening so fast. The gas…it looks like it’s coming from underground.” Buck nodded his head.

“Then that’s where we’ll find out more.” He said as he turned around to leave the cafeteria. Ray quickly stopped him with his hoof.

“Whoa, Buck.” He said. “Those tunnels are gonna’ be crawling with thousands of those…gas zombies or whatever they are. Going down there is just plain suicide.”

“We don’t have a choice now.” Buck said.

“We all got choices, boy.” Ray said.

“I’ll come with you.” Rebucka said as she stood up. But the pain from the sprained ankle caused her to lose her balance and almost fall to the ground. Buck quickly grabbed her and helped put her back in the chair she was sitting in.

“No, you take it easy for awhile.” He said. “You’ve got your story…don’t go losing your head over this.” He started trotting for the door, when he stopped and went over to Applejack.

“Say, AJ,” he said, “could I get another syringe of Zombrex?”

“Sure,” she replied, “what do y’all need it for?” She took off her hat and pulled out a syringe just for Buck.

“I’m gonna’ make sure Discord pays for everything he’s done.” Buck said as he grabbed the needle and trotted into the medical room. Discord was lying down patiently as Buck prepped the needle. He slowly trotted over to the side of Discord’s bit wound.

“I don’t know how you lasted this long, Discord.” He said. “But you are one lucky son of a gryphon.”

“No such thing as luck, earth pony.” Discord said. “It’s the superior genes.” Buck slammed the needle into Discord’s arm and the Draconequus lurched and yelped in pain. Buck leaned in closer so he could speak directly into Discord’s ear.

“My daughter takes this better than you.” He said as he yanked the needle out of his arm.

“You did raise her right, Bucky.” Discord said. “It is a real shame that she has to die.” Buck got so angry, he slammed his hoof against Discord’s face. Discord shook his head and tried to recompose himself.

“Don’t mess with the face.” He said as he spat blood at Buck. Buck just sighed angrily and left the medical ward.