Fallout Equestria: New Age

Chapters

Prologue
Briefing
A Mission Centuries in the Making
Sky Battle Part 1

Prologue

From the cradle to the grave, our lives would be spent in the Stable all under the care of an Overmare or Overstallion. That was our only option, at least, what we were told at first. Myself and twenty-four others were chosen for a special mission by the military, one where we wouldn't have to live in a steel box all our lives. That was what the 'president' of Prancem had decreed and what Coriolanus Iceblood said was law. That was our fate: we would serve from cradle to grave, either above ground or below.

My name's Sage Evergreen, former resident of Prancem Stable 1. Our small country had chosen to remain neutral in the conflict between Equestria and the zebras, hoping to avoid the destruction. While our nation didn't suffer as much as our neighbors, the residual fallout would force most of our citizens underground into our own Stables, built from stolen technology. Some might call Prancem lucky but in reality, the day fire rained from the skies was just another day under Iceblood's rule. Our leader would find the destruction inspiring... and soon our nation would know a different kind of suffering.

It's been at least a couple centuries since the world burned. Originally, Prancem Stables were designed to function like their Equestrian copies; open when it was all-clear. But Iceblood would never send the all-clear signal. Instead, residents were forced to conduct constant research and production of new weapons, spells and technology. Live and die in the pursuit of tools to realize the president's dream of a new world that he would control. Many would rather just see it burn again.

Still, there were things the president needed from the surface and that's where the Enforcers came in. While the Stable Dwellers toiled in their prisons, some were chosen for specialized missions above ground. I volunteered; anything to see daylight at least once. As an Enforcer, I had the wonderful opportunity to trade my Stable 1 jumpsuit in for a shiny blue uniform identifying me as a pawn of our great leader's will. Trained in post-apocalyptic survival and what passed for combat in Prancem, I was ready to begin spreading the "glory of the nation strong enough to survive" to the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, Iceblood wanted to prove Prancem was the strongest nation a bit more than he actually wanted to make it strong. Broadcasts were made of his legions of Enforcers, his army and sent all across Equestria and the neighboring countries. Instead of actually doing something that might help Prancem while furthering Iceblood's goals, I had the fantastic duty of being paraded through the empty streets of Capitol City while Spritebot cameras captured everything. PFC Evergreen, marching along like a good little toy pony soldier. It was enough to make me sick; I never watched the broadcasts and I prayed my family didn't either.

During training, got my cutie mark while trying to create fire. One of the Stable's projects involved bio-engineering animals to make them more combat-effective. Stable 9 genetically modified phoenixes while they were eggs turning them into bioweapons once they hatched. Called Fyrebirds, I got frustrated when I was unable to make a camp fire and tried to use one to accelerate the process. Wound setting my saddlebag on fire while I was wearing it but for some odd reason, it was the only thing that burned. No matter how hot it burned, my hide stayed green. Soon after, a phoenix feather appeared on my backside and the other members of my squad started calling me Fyrebird.

I wouldn't have much time to celebrate, however. Some of the Stables didn't fare so well in their "research". The president wanted results and when he didn't get them, he would use the residents of an underproductive Stable to be test subjects for one of his more dangerous experiments. Most of the time, he'd come up with some sick scenario and pit the population of the Stable against itself, leading to fighting and eventually the death of every pony inside.

Stable 7 was tasked with developing new forms of rations and food, researching nutrients to create new, compact meals to sustain the population. When they failed to produce results fast enough, Iceblood forced them to start looking into ponies as a source of food. As a form of disgusting irony, the residents of Stable 7 were forced to eat the remains of the population of Stable 9 while ponies in Stable 6 watched. So Stable 6 is afraid of 7... because 7, "8", 9.

Fear and oppression only last for so long. Eventually, some of the Stables rebelled. Now, our nation is in the grips of a civil war. Sadly, Stable 1 was located in the Capitol City, well within Iceblood's immediate grasp meaning my family couldn't join the rebellion... and neither could I. Being under that mad colt's rule is almost intolerable; I can barely look at myself in the mirror. So I waited, bided my time until I could get close enough to him and have the honor of lighting his cigar... and maybe setting the rest of him on fire to see if Iceblood burns.

The Stable Rebellion, as it's being called, is still ongoing to this day but truthfully, there's not much anypony can do. For two centuries, Iceblood's been stockpiling weapons and building his army. The only thing he hasn't managed to find is something to conquer; with the world in shambles, Prancem is the only nation capable of even fielding an army other than the Enclave. But the pegasi stopped caring about what goes on down here a long time ago.

How Iceblood's lived so long remains a mystery. There are rumors that it's just a long series of clones, that he's some kind of mutant or a robot in disguise. Whatever he is, he's been running this country in the ground for too long but nopony does anything about it. The new generations that emerge only have living and dying in the Stables to look forward to, all in pursuit of more power for the president. Some believe the lies said about him, that he's some kind of savior leading us all to a glorious future. Even if it means making the present a living hell.

Prancem could be helping the world rebuild. Instead, the only thing we're building is tools to continue the same cycle of destruction that ruined every other country. No one knew exactly how many weapons were developed, how many bombs, missiles and guns were collected. I only knew that if and when they were finally used, it would mean another holocaust. And Prancem probably wouldn't be lucky enough to survive the next one.

Life sort of became routine after that. Only a handful of Enforcers were allowed on the surface at a time, all the others were kept in the Stables and isolated. My family and I were located in Stable 1, practically next door to the Capitol building where Iceblood supposedly kept to himself. I would get called to go to the surface once in a while, usually for drills. March around in formation, train and "be ready" for when I was needed. All under the watchful eye of our president.

Sometimes, Iceblood would select a squad of Enforcers to go out and do something, retrieve something he needed. These squads were fitted with specialized suits, a type of heavy armor designed to also protect from the intense radiation. This armor was also outfitted with tracking devices and squads were accompanied by Prancem Spritebots, flying robots that kept an eye on everything for the president. If any member of the squad deviated from their orders, the armor would lock up and the Spritebot would dispose of any "insubordination". Not that any of the Enforcers ever tried to get away, anyway. Prancem had the only clean sources of food and water we knew of. That was enough to keep most ponies in line.

For the longest time, I was always passed up for missions leading outside Prancem territory. I was never told why; maybe it was my youth or inexperience but I never got an explanation. One day though, a larger force was needed for some reason I'm still not entirely sure of and I was picked to go. Had I known what I'd be getting into, I probably would've been less excited.

Briefing

It was a couple weeks ago when we got the assignment. Squall Hawkeye, my bunkmate and only real friend came and got me from camp that morning. Didn't even have time to eat anything when he woke me up and told me every Enforcer in the city was being called for assembly. No time for breakfast, shower, anything; just get in full battle-dress and prepare to render unto the president. Suffice to say, I was less than enthusiastic so I made sure to take my time getting dressed, even snuck a ration. I wasn't going to be anypony's pawn... not on an empty stomach, at least.

The tents were set up to be temporary but "temporary" had lasted for about four years so that didn't really mean anything. I stepped outside into the camp to be greeted by the usual: mostly empty city, perpetual overcast sky, dimly lit street lamps(was told they were the "power-conserving" models) and the towering skyscrapers that made up the president's office buildings across the street. I took my position next to Squall and wiped the sleep from my eyes to better take in the "majesty" of the deserted city.

Being born in Stable 1, the city was like an entirely different world to me, to a lot of us. Buildings stretched up like mountains just waiting to be climbed. The few Prancem pegasi who dared to try were met with a shock from a patrolling Spritebot. Iceblood's eyes patrolled constantly but they didn't see everything. Squall and I actually climbed a ladder to the roof of a building once just to see the view. It was totally worth the electric discipline session that followed.

Once in a while, we did get the chance to visit one or two of the ancient offices of our ancestors, get a glimpse of how they lived. Sometimes, we got a chance to take a few things back with us, supplies or trinkets, whatever we could find without the Spritebots catching us. Things from the outside world were a rare commodity and the only thing really of value to Stable Dwellers. It didn't really matter what it was; if it was something we couldn't find in the Stable, we wanted it and would trade with other Stables for their findings as well. Some of the Overponies even supported it, others didn't care.

I tried to imagine what it was like for ponies back then who lived and worked in the cities. Squall didn't think there was much of a difference. Once, I remember him calling the office buildings the "above-ground Stables". I was quick to point out a difference to him: the ponies that used to work there got to go home at the end of the day. And their homes weren't underground.

As I gazed at the dull-gray skyline, Squall nudged me to get my attention. He gestured forward to a couple new recruits in the formation in front of us. I shrugged to Squall, my way of saying, 'it figures' but he nudged me again. The second time, I noticed what he was wanting me to see: the pink rose-colored unicorn filly in front of us. Right away, I recognized her mane, tail, even her cutie mark.

"R-rose?" I asked, both to her and myself in a whispered disbelief. I leaned forward, trying not to break ranks but then decided to screw it. "Rose!" I shouted. I didn't want to believe, was hoping it was just early and my eyes were playing tricks on me.

She turned. "Sage!" she called and ran over to me. The filly broke ranks to hug her big brother. I almost felt my eyes tear up; not from pride or joy but from sorrow. My little sister was an Enforcer.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her. "Shouldn't you be studying medicine with mom? I thought you were going to be a nurse."

Rose dropped her gaze. "I... I got drafted."

I felt my heart actually sink. Young fillies and colts were often conscripted to go places where older ponies were too big to travel like narrow crevices, alleyways, tunnels and the sewers. They didn't last long; most either went missing or were killed in the process. I wouldn't ever want to imagine my sister doing anything like that but now it looked like I wouldn't have to. I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

"Sage, formation," Squall said through gritted teeth. "Stay in formation!"

"Or don't. Let the CO see you breaking ranks and see what happens," a jet black stallion next to Squall said with a sarcastic grin. I shot him a glare and he turned away, blowing his mane out of his eyes like he hadn't said anything at all. Typical Azrael.

Azrael "Deathray" Drays wasn't fond of the military either but he still reminded us of the rules. He was another member of our squad and had been out of Prancem a couple of times, talked about the rest of the world being in shambles. Az acted like he was a tough guy a lot, liked to brag but always tried to keep things in line. Never ratted us out when we had a little "excursion" before though, which made him all right in my book. Usually, he was all right but he had a weird fascination with light and rumor had it he was afraid of the dark.

Before I joined the squad, he was sent out on a patrol to look for UBs- unauthorized beings in the capital. Usually they were dealt with before they entered the city, some escaped the Spritebots long enough for them to reach shelter. Enforcer patrols searched for the invaders that evaded capture by Spritebots and handled them personally. They were sent out to capture, not kill. There was so much we can learn from the outsiders, why waste that opportunity and the ammo?

The idea was to try and get the drop on them, catch them and bring them back to detainment in Stable 1 where our scientists could interrogate and 'research' them. Drays' squad at the time were tracking some in an old factory on the outskirts of the city and tried to approach them stealthily. The squad leader ordered them to switch off the lights on their PiPBucks and move quietly.

For some reason, Drays didn't want to keep his light off for very long and would switch it on every few minutes despite instructions. The factory processed magnifying glasses: Azrael Drays accidentally shined his light through a series of amplifying lenses that turned his PiPBuck light into a deadly beam of concentrated energy. The following blast burned a hole through the side of the factory and alerted the UBs to the squad's present. Az's fascination with light became the off-topic conclusion of the mission debriefing that followed. The name "Deathray" was given to him shortly afterward.

"Sage," Squall whispered to me. "I know it's tough, man but you gotta get back in rank."

I looked to my sister. A knot in my stomach, I nodded at his words. "He's right..."

We pulled away from each other. "I love you, big sister," Rose said.

"You too, I love you too," I replied quickly, getting back in formation. Our parents would be so proud... both their children were toy soldiers. I hoped they would never see this.

Our company commander took his time walking the perimeter of the formation. Although he supposedly held the rank of 'general', that word didn't really mean much to any of us. Guy-in-charge underneath other-guy-in-charge is what it really meant. General Typhoon's loyalty was legendary; his own cutie mark was the nation's flag. How he'd earned it was anypony's guess but what was clear about the blowhard was that he was blindly obedient. The old bearded Pegasus couldn't see the earth for the flag flying high above it.

The general examined each pony in the ranks before making his way back to the front again. We all kept our eyes forward, still as statues. Typhoon was Iceblood's right-hoof stallion, the leader of our fledgling military. His authority was only surpassed by Iceblood himself so getting on his bad side was not something any of us wanted to do. Like many other 'officers', Typhoon was practically a mini-Iceblood and their devotion to him was absolute. But he wasn't Iceblood, meaning he could be replaced at any time. And he knew it.

Finally, he reached the front of the ranks and announced to all of us:

"Enforcers of Prancem! We have assembled you all today for a special occasion! Our most gracious leader himself wishes to speak with you all about the future of our great nation, the future of our world! You have been gathered because you represent the best! Our nation now calls upon each and every one of you just as you are called upon on each and every day! For your president, recite the oath!"

The ritual, the Enforcer's Oath was a declaration of devotion to the president unto death. We all knew it by heart and were forced to recite it every day both as individuals and in groups. I raised my hoof and placed it above my head as usual, feeling like I was going to vomit.

"For the ponies of the Prancing Nation, we act according to our station! To our enemies, we offer only death from our first sight unto our dying breath! For our flag and our leader, we stand tall! Enforcers united, Prancem all!

As the entire formation echoed the oath, the double doors across the street opened. It was hard trying to see through the crowd but I could make out who had exited: President Iceblood himself. The ice-blue white-maned stallion exited without entourage or fanfare. In fact, he almost looked like he was hurrying up to General Typhoon's position.

Prancem was a tiny nation, the only reason it survived the war intact. Our 'president' wasn't really an elected leader; Iceblood was just the stallion in charge of Prancem's most successful business, the Magi-Tek Corporation. Before the war, it had been the Prancem equivalent to Equestria's Stable-Tec but Magi-Tek's contributions had been significantly less innovative. More so, Magi-Tek's had been to simply reproduce and reverse-engineer technology stolen from other nations like Equestria, the Crystal Empire and even the Zebras. They used the motto "Like Magic!" when one of their "latest inventions" was released to the general population. But the only spell Magi-Tek could ever pull off was a disappearing act.

It was strange to see the president without a podium or something to stand behind. He was ground-level, appearing in front of all of us and without any of his personal guards around. This would've been a dream for any assassin; why was he taking such a big risk? Still, you don't somehow live for centuries if you don't at least have some secret. At the time, I would've given anything to have my battle saddle and rifle in hoof and put round in his skull. But if I had, he'd only be replaced with another tyrant, probably the pony standing right next to him. Not much would change, except my sister would get to see her sister face a firing squad.

"My Enforcers," the president began, walking towards us. "Sons and daughters of Prancem... I have had a vision! A vision has come to me of indeed a glorious future for us all! A new age is about to dawn and our great nation is at its forefront!"

I heard a few murmurs from the back of the formation, ponies talking amongst themselves. A new age? What the buck did that even mean? He's seeing VISIONS now?!

The president continued, neither he nor the general even paying attention to the whispers among the ranks. "I have called you all here today to share my vision with you: our country, glorious Prancem, at the head of a new world! Powered by the fires of the Old World, our nation shall rise above the ashes and into triumph everlasting! Our reach shall stretch through the clouds, into the skies and the stars beyond!"

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for any of this. I was skeptical but I couldn't help but be curious. Into the stars? Was he talking about the moon? The Enclave or Grand Pegasi Enclave ruled the skies over the whole planet keeping it in perpetual overcast. While they said it was for the protection of civilization, in reality, it just made things safer for them. No sunlight reaching the surface meant crops had to be grown underground, fortunate for Prancem but unlucky for most other places.

The other nations, Equestria to the south and the Zebra Empire to the north were completely devastated by the war. Once proud countries had been transformed into massive wastelands plagued by pollution, radiation and mutation. Clean food and water were scarce because of the lack of sun and just like Prancem, the Enclave wasn't inclined to help anyone but themselves. The clouds and all above them were Enclave territory; what Iceblood was talking about sounded a lot like aggressive expansion.

General Typhoon stepped in to speak. "The president's new vision requires the immediate formation of two special squads to secure the Pre-War technologies and equipment Prancem needs. The first group will be comprised of unique individuals who's traits will help achieve the squad's goals. The second group will consist of those with the most combat experience and will be deployed to Zebropolis immediately."

"Serve Prancem well. Let her fire burn in your heart to keep you warm and let the light guide you as you set out upon this great journey!" the president stated. After speaking, he turned and made his way back towards his building. Something seemed off about his gait but at the time, I thought it just might've been his age. I still wondered how he even survived two-hundred years in the first place.

"Stand by for assignment!" the general shouted. "If your name isn't called, you're in Z-squad. Those who are called are in E-squad and will come forward."

I swallowed hard again. This would be my first assignment outside Prancem, something I'd actually dreamed about. It would be an opportunity to break free from control, if only for a moment. I sometimes had fantasies about running off and forming a resistance movement with ponies from the wastes, coming back and freeing Prancem. It looked like I would finally get the chance but one thing complicated this: my sister.

I didn't used to be like this. When I was young, I was loyal. Blind, like so many of the others. There are fewer now but most of those in charge are absolutely obedient to Iceblood. I was almost one of them.

My grades in school, or what passed for school in Stable 1, were exemplary. I read a lot, had a knack for taking things apart, seeing how they worked. My mentor and teacher, a green earth mare named Green Screen, taught me everything. I had my parents and my sister but to GS, I was like a daughter she never had. We might've had stronger feelings for each other but I was too young to tell.

She taught me about the way things used to be before the war, the way ponies used to interact. Green was originally from Equestria and she talked about it often. As a teacher, she taught all the students the basic lessons but also took time to tell ponies about friendship, the elements of harmony and how the world was so long ago. After class, she would take me aside sometimes, specifically because I wanted to learn more and tell me what she remembered.

Unfortunately, her lessons changed. Iceblood made a decree that only Prancem-approved materials be taught to Stable Dwellers, cutting out most of Green Screen's lessons on the magic of friendship. But she refused to stop teaching them. Shortly thereafter, she was arrested for "acts of sedition" and imprisoned. It was soon afterward discovered that Green Screen wasn't originally from Stable 1 or Prancem and that knowledge made it all the way to the president. At first, she was accused of being a spy but then the truth came forward about how she'd made it here from Equestria and how she'd survived all that time.

Green Screen was a ghoul, a pony who'd suffered exposure to radiation but hadn't died. Some ponies were afraid of ghouls because of their appearance which is why GS wore a green sheet over her body. Despite the ghastly features, ghouls were just like ordinary ponies but were immune to radiation and could live exceptionally long times. But when Iceblood found out, all he cared about was that there was a "foreigner" in our midst, one that wasn't afraid to speak out against him.

When I came back to the classroom one weekend, we had a new teacher, one who taught us the 'right' history about Prancem. I'd later learned that Green Screen had been executed quietly that Saturday. It was about that time my grades started slipping. Now an Enforcer, I still thought about GS sometimes and what she told me. The magic of friendship can light the darkest hours. That lesson was something I recited more than the oath.

"Zap Thunderhorse!" the general called out. A twitchy apricot-colored unicorn with a purple mane and tail stepped out of the formation. I'd never met him before but would find out later he was a Stable 3 pony, the power production experts. Zap was an electrician, good with wires and could even modify equipment in the field. He was an obvious first choice for the Equestria mission.

Typhoon continued down the list on his clipboard. "Bandwidth Broadcaster!" That was a name I actually recognized. Bandwidth Broadcaster, the 'star' of Stable 2. The brown-maned white Pegasus walked to the front with a huge grin on his face. I was skeptical at first as to why he'd been chosen but it wouldn't take me long to find out.

Almost everypony had heard about BB. Stable 2 regulated communications for the capital, monitored signals and transmissions. Bandwidth became instantly famous the day he hijacked the audio/visual system to send his own message: about fifteen minutes worth of songs off of a Pre-War album he'd found. Didn't take the Enforcers long to shutdown his broadcast but nopony would ever forget the day they saw Bandwidth Broadcaster strumming an air guitar on every screen in the city.

"Herbal Medicine and Rose Evergreen!" the general bellowed. I felt my heart hit the back of my throat. I watched my sister and another filly beside her step out and walk to the front of the ranks. That settled it; I was going into the Equestria squad. I wasn't going to let anything happen to my sister. In the middle of the crowd, I raised my hoof like I was back in Green Screen's class all over again.

"What are you doing?" Squall whispered to me. There was no time for me to explain it to him, I just had to get onto that squad.

"Glitz and Glamour Gemstones! Cake Doughnut! Harvester Garden! Azrael..." the general flipped his pamphlet over. "Deathray" he said in a strained tone, "Drays, Squall Hawkeye!"

Squall snapped back to attention at the sound of his name. Hesitating for a moment to look back at me, he departed the ranks with Drays leaving me standing with my hoof in the air.

Several others were picked, random members from the ranks walked up to join the others. My name wasn't called.

"The rest of you are to return to your tents, assemble your equipment and prepare to move out! You are dismissed!" the general concluded. The formation broke up instantly going from assembly to mob of ponies. All except those at the front of the formation. I hadn't been chosen but I wasn't going to take no for an answer; I ran right up to Typhoon.

"General Typhoon!" I quickly saluted. "Sir, I reque-"

"Was your name called?" the general asked. He pulled out the clipboard again and flipped through it. "Name, soldier. Now."

"I... uh," I stammered.

"Was your name called or not?! Either tell me your name or return to your station with the others! If you're wasting my time-"

"Her name was called," a voice from behind spoke out. Both the general and I, the entire group of ponies looked over to the speaker. It was Azrael. "Her name was called, sir," the black pony repeated.

The general walked over to him. "Show me where, sergeant." The ponies looked over the pamphlet together, finally Azrael pointed to a name. "Right there, sir."

"Ahh... very good. Private, get in there," the general ordered. I was shocked. It took a moment for me to realize what happened and for my brain to send the signal to my legs. I moved quickly, trying to be inconspicuous as I joined the formation next to Squall.

"All of you are to report to the aerodrome right away. The president will have a special message for you," Typhoon grinned. "Prancem watches you always. Dismissed!"

With that last shout, we began marching away from camp and further into the city, escorted by Spritebots. I still couldn't believe what had happened but at least I'd be able to protect Rose now. Nothing was going to happen to her on my watch. My curiosity got the better of me and a nudged Azrael on the flank as we walked.

"Hey... just wanted to say, thanks," I whispered.

Az turned around, grinning. "Thanks for what? Your name was on the list."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You're kidding." Did the general actually skip my name? That wouldn't have been surprising.

"Nnnope. Evergreen, I saw it myself."

I smiled back, understanding. "You mean Rose Evergreen."

The black stallion shrugged. "Well, that's one way to look at it. I just saw Rose-your sister- and then the name Evergreen. It's the name you share so it is technically your name, too."

"I appreciated Az, really, I do," I said back to him. The magic of friendship can light the darkest hours. Light.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't. And if I run out of batteries, you owe me," Azrael replied, turning back around. Tough guy wouldn't be caught without some form of illumination, good ole' Deathray. He did more for me than he, than any of us, really realized by getting me on the squad that day. I would later discover that opportunities to pay him back would never be in short supply.

A Mission Centuries in the Making

I'd been to the aerodrome before but never to actually board a ship. I had to admit, the prospect of flying was kind of exciting. The hangar was absolutely massive, built to accommodate airships, other vehicles and plenty of supplies. I'm told the aerodrome was a stadium before the war, a place where sporting events were held. Having grown up in a Stable for most of my life, it was hard to imagine anypony playing saddle ball in a place so huge.

Dominating the center of the stadium were five airships. Enormous oval-shaped vessels supported by four tiny metal struts at the bottom, they were constructed recently by Prancem engineers based on Equestrian and Zebra designs. The crew area was a windowed ring that surrounded the vessel like a protruding belt. Two large wings stuck out of the sides, folded down to allow access to the belt area.

Ponies of all kinds, Stable Dwellers in their purple jumpsuits and engineers carrying tools all moved about the hangar checking things on the airships. General Typhoon led us single-file to the center airship. He stopped just short of the massive armored blimp and turned abruptly to face us.

"This is the vessel that will be taking you to Equestria. She's a new Investigator-class assault ship, fully-equipped with the supplies you'll need to carry out your mission." As the stallion spoke, a Spritebot hovered over to his side. "Each of you has been specially selected for this mission. While the Crystal Empire group will be outfitted for combat, the sensitivity of the Equestria mission prevents us from deploying you with any equipment that might encumber you. You'll be relying on each other, using each others' skills to complete your objectives. For the president, for Prancem."

"For Pracem!" we repeated, more out of instinct than anything else. The Spritebot next to him let up, the screen on the front of its frame coming to life as it transmitted a signal. The Pipbucks on our forelegs responded, their own screens lighting up. I looked at mine, twisting it around on my leg. Sometimes, I almost forgot the thing was there even though it was so integrated into my system, my own body even.

The pipbuck, the Prancem versions at least were information display devices that wrapped around the leg like a bracer band. The machines were like miniature computer terminals attached to you; they could display maps, hold tons of data, analyze things and even had a radio and light built into them. They also partially embedded themselves into your nervous and circulatory system, electronically linking with cybernetic implants that had been surgically inserted in us at birth, implants none of us had been told we'd recieved. The pipbucks were invaluable, allowing us to perceive the world and evaluate situations in more in-depth ways. But they also kept track of you at all times which only made it the world's most invaluable chain you were leashed to.

"Your pipbucks have just been updated. You all now have full access to the OATES tactical awareness software," the general stated. Something changed in my vision; numbers, letters, tiny little meters appeared at the corners of my eyes. Blinking didn't even make them go away. Around me, the other members of the squad seemed to be experiencing the same thing. Suddenly, I felt nauseas, very nauseas.

The general kept speaking. "The Optical Advanced Targeting Espionage System, or OATES is the latest in targeting technology developed by Magi-Tec. You now have access to a Head-Up-Display or HUD at all times."

I felt like I was going throw up for real this time. My knees buckled and bent down to the ground. Everything in my vision looked too sharp, like looking through a high-resolution screen. My head started burning and I gritted my teeth from the intense discomfort. The others staggered, going through the same process. I saw my sister fall over; struggling, I tried to walk over to her but my hooves felt too heavy to move.

"Just relax. It will be over soon," Typhoon stood over us, waiting. Carefully, I brought myself up to my hooves, shaking off the effects. The feeling quickly dissipated and I was able to stand again.

"What the hell did you just do to us?!" Squall demanded.

"As I said," Typhoon began again, turning to back to the Spritebot. "I just updated and activated your OATES. Because we can't outfit you with the heavier gear, weapons and armor, we're giving you an advanced targeting system. It's still a bit in the experimental phase but there should be no side-effects."

"So, what?" I asked, hoof to my aching head, "We're going to have this random text floating around our heads at all times?"

"Of course not!" the general shot me an angered glance. "OATES activates manually; you control it with your ears. Press your ears down flat like you're entering an aggressive stance and the system will engage automatically. It's designed to heighten your reflexes, improve response time and coordinate with your team members on the fly. When you activate OATES, you'll enter a state of extreme awareness where you'll be able to coordinate with the members of your squad to act together almost instantaneously."

"Wow," Bandwidth commented, looking around the room. "Can you also play games on these things?"

Typhoon sighed and looked over at the Pegasus. "They're designed for combat... but yes, for some reason, the techs included some basic programs along with the software package. Including games," he said, his tone conveying the fact he predicted the use of the targeting system for entertainment purposes.

"Sweet," Bandwidth replied, pressing his hoof to his ear. "How do you access 'em?"

"I'll let you figure that out on your own," the general said, pressing a nob on the hovering Spritebot. "For now, your mission debriefing. The president will be going over with you the details of this mission himself." Without warning, the screen on the Spritebot activated projecting an image of President Iceblood behind a desk.

"General, Enforcers, good morning again," the president addressed us. "I trust the general has already acquainted each of you with the new OATES system?"

Were we supposed to answer him? "Uh... yes, Mr. President...?" Azrael piped up.

"Very good. It'll no doubt be crucial to your mission. Now," the president leaned back in his chair. "you're all familiar with history, correct? Some two-hundred and fifty years ago, Equestria to the south and the Zebra Empire to the north were at war. Prancem was one of the few nations that remained neutral in the conflict, one of the reasons we're still here today. At the height of the war, both nations launched megaspells at each other, raining fire and destruction that reduced most of their cities to craters, ash and ruin in the blink of an eye. What's left of both of these countries is irradiated wasteland. Nothing can survive there."

That was a lie and we all knew it. Survivors from both Equestria and Zebra territory made their way into Prancem now and again; it was part of the reason Enforcers were necessary. Still, from what we'd heard, Prancem was a beacon of hope and safety in the other parts of the world, a place that wasn't irradiated that had clean food, water and shelter. If Iceblood's micro-military state is what passed for a bright and shiny spot, I almost feared to see what the rest of the world looked like. Almost.

The president continued. "Equestria, Prancem and the Crystal Empire used to be allied with one another. We shared technology and resources, it was a fruitful relationship. But when the war with the zebras broke out, Prancem and the Crystal Empire decided to remain neutral. And Equestria decided to cut off their resources. The flow of goods our nation relied on ceased because we chose not to be involved," Iceblood turned away from the camera. "They claimed it was because the materials were needed for the war... but anypony could tell you the truth: they did it out of spite."

I'd never heard the president speak like this before. Despite the fact I hated him, I couldn't help but listen. It wasn't often you heard about things before the war from somepony who was there.

He turned to face us again. "Enter the Magi-Tec corporation. Because we felt Equestria had betrayed the values our alliance upheld, special teams were dispatched to enforce those ideas and encourage them to be a little more 'generous' with their technology. So we called them the Enforcers. And they were responsible for most of our technological advancements we have today. Isn't that right, General?"

General Typhoon beamed. "Absolutely. This is the legacy you're joining, a proud tradition you're each a part of and something very vital to Prancem. Our nation might be small but as long as we have our Enforcers, we'll be able to make sure that the ideals we cherish persist even across borders."

Great, I thought to myself. So we honor three centuries' worth of stealing from our neighbors. Good to know.

"Now, for what you weren't told in history class," the president leaned forward to the screen. "Before the megaspells dropped, Magi-Tec was working on acquiring one for Prancem. A group of Enforcers infiltrated the highest ranks of Equestria's military trying to secure a megaspell that we could use and transport it back to us. The operation was running according to plan when... the megaspells were used."

If I had been interested before, now my full attention was on the president's words. Every day, he had ponies in the Prancem Stables working to build new weapons for him. If he got his hooves on a megaspell, there was no telling what this egomaniacal tyrant would do with it. I was only thankful that he didn't have one, not yet at least.

"There were a thousand megaspells developed in total, identical in yield. Our intelligence reported that they were divided up; half were given to the zebras and half were given to Equestria. Apparently, somepony believed the concept of "mutual shared destruction" would be deterrence enough to stop the violence."

"We can see how well that worked out," Typhoon commented.

"Up until now, we believed that all one-thousand megaspells had been used. But recently, we recovered information from a salvaged Enclave database indicating that our original figures were inaccurate. Specifically, only four-hundred and ninety-nine megaspells were delivered to each nation. Only nine-hundred and ninety-eight megaspells were used, two weren't."

The general stopped and slowly turned to the screen. Apparently, this was news to him as well. "You mean... there's still two live megaspells missing?"

Iceblood leaned back in his chair again. "Precisely. According to this database we've discovered, the two missing megaspells were to be delivered to two other neutral nations. Anypony care to guess which ones?"

"Prancem and the Crystal Empire..." Squall said, thinking aloud.

"Bingo. The Enclave database included a letter regarding the megaspell delivery. Apparently, the concept of mutually share destruction was to be total. Spells were meant to keep spells in check and so, in the event of a megaspell attack, Prancem was supposed to launch against the Crystal Empire... and the Crystals were to launch against us."

The squad erupted into puzzled murmurs. Even I was shocked. For all we knew, there was still a bomb pointed directly at the capital and had been for nearly three-hundred years.

"The megaspells were designed to be a system of deterrence. Somepony built them so that when one went off, they all went off simultaneously. The devastation was to be complete so that the threat alone would prevent violence. It was meant to stop the war... well, it worked," the president concluded.

Everypony was silent for a moment. Finally, the general spoke up again. "This is where our two squads come in. According to this information, Prancem was scheduled to receive its own megaspell and so was the Crystal Empire. We know for a fact that no megaspell was delivered to us. The Crystal squadron is being sent to the Crystal Empire to find the megaspell that was supposed to be used against us. Meanwhile, your group is going to hit various places in Equestria to find out where the one that was supposed to be delivered to us is and find out what happened to the Enforcers who were trying to acquire us one."

Other groups of ponies began entering the hangar as the general briefed us. The other Enforcers were now all fully armed and armored in their battle suits, helmets, battle saddles and all. They began boarding the other vessels alongside Spritebots and other technicians. Despite the president's advancement and intent on conquest, there were still very few Enforcers. I wondered if we had enough to complete this 'mission'.

"While the Crystal Empire group is expected to see some amount of combat, we don't know what to expect sending you into Equestria so be ready for anything," the president stated. "Find the location of those spells and any other data regarding the megaspell program, why we were targeted and why we were supposed to launch against the Crystals. This operation CANNOT fail, my little Enforcers. May Prancem guide you all."

The general saluted and the Spritebot's monitor flicked off. "Bandwidth, Thunderhorse, you'll both be flying us today. Let's mount up, Enforcers!" he shouted. Together, we walked up the wing of the airship and into the crew cabin. It was a bit smaller than it looked on the outside, like a hallway only large enough for single-file leading around a corner. Flip-down Chairs were mounted on the side of the wall presumably for rapid deployment. Bandwidth and Zap ran past me to the cockpit at the front, enthusiasm getting the better of them. To be honest, I was still excited a bit myself. I followed them to the front of the ship.

The cockpit wasn't that much roomier than the rest of the vessel. Our two pilots took seats in two windowed wells in the front giving them a good view of everything outside the ship. They were apparently already going over a preflight checklist, eager to get in the air. A bank of terminals sat against the large, rectangular porthole looking out with a couple chairs in front of them. I was a bit surprised to see Azrael sit down at one and put on a headset. It seemed everypony but me knew what to do.

The others continued walking around the corner except for Squall. He found a comfortable spot on the bulkhead wall, stood up on his hind legs, folded his hooves and leaned on it. Looking over to me, he shrugged. On the back wall of the cockpit were steel cabinets and lockers. In between them was a ladder leading up through the ceiling and back down through the floor, some kind of maintenance access. Maybe if I hid Rose and myself there, they'd forget about us.

What I was most concerned about was my sister. I waited for her to get on board; they were the last ones in line. She and her friend finally walked into the cockpit, their eyes glued to the floor.

"You okay, Rosey?" I asked.

She nodded. "My head feels fuzzy."

I knelt down and hugged her. "They did something to us... I think they might've done something to us a long time ago, too. They want us to do what they say."

She hugged me back tightly. "Is it always going to be like this?"

I couldn't lie to her. "I hope not." How could I explain it to her? How could I explain it to me? I found myself now fighting for the very illusion of freedom.

As we embraced, the general approached us walking into the cockpit himself. It was enough to shock me into releasing Rose and stand again.

"I'll be accompanying you all myself to ensure the success of both missions. I expect only the best from all of you," he said, walking past us. Perfect. There went my plans to actually enjoy some time off the leash. Being babysat by the president's lapdog threw a wrench in that pretty quickly. "Let's get this show on the road and in the air!"

"Condor Flight, preparing for takeoff," Bandwidth said, flipping switches above his head. Above us, the hangar doors opened letting light pour in. The other airships nearby us came to life as well, their own engines starting. The general took a seat next to Azrael. Feeling nervous, I took a step back and pressed myself against the wall along with Rose and Herbal.

Squall looked over to me and grinned. "First time, Sage?" I didn't say anything back but my expression made him chuckle. "Don't worry; it'll get worse." The remark made my sister and Herbal shiver. I glared at him while holding them both with my hooves, doing my best t comfort them.

"Main engines online, all systems nominal," Zap added. The ship's engines whirred as they powered up.

Typhoon tapped his own headset. "Control, this is Condor One. All moorings are retracted and we're ready for takeoff."

The radio crackled in response. "Roger Condor One, skies are clear and so are you. Good luck out there."

"Copy control, Condor One taking off." The ship lurched backward and just like that, we were airborne rising towards the roof of the aerodrome. The only other feeling I had to compare it to was that of an elevator; it felt like I could feel the entire ship lifting off through my hooves but quickly, it steadied out.

I was scared at first, continuing to press my body down to cover the two fillies and also make myself as small as possible. They closed their eyes tight, I felt my heart hit the back of my throat. But as the ship leveled out, the feeling of standing on solid ground began to return. I lifted my head up and looked through the viewport catching my first view of the cityscape.

Within that brief moment, whatever unnerving dread I felt evaporated being replaced by the sensation of just being that high up. I saw the tops of the office buildings and towers as we continued to ascend, the gray structures rivaling that of the clouds overhead. It was the most breathtaking sight I'd ever seen in my life. I felt like I could see all of Prancem. My mind wondered in that moment how big the world actually was, how much of it I could see.

I shook Rose and Herbal; they had to see this, too. "Rose, look!" The moment she and her friend opened their eyes, it seems they were captured by the view as well.

"Wow..." Herbal said, her voice actually deep for a mare so young.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" Squall asked. Together, the four of us stepped towards the glass. It was amazing looking out at the city for the first time. I imagined my home, Stable 1, somewhere down there in the ground. Part of me wondered if in that moment, our parents could look up and see us.

"Course plotted in and relayed to the other ships, sir," Azrael said, doing something at his terminal. I barely noticed because I was too busy trying to see every part of the city.

"Our first stop's the Crystal Empire and then south to Equestria. Make Prancem proud, Enforcers," the general said. The cockpit became quiet, nothing but the steady hum of the engines as we ascended over the city and into the clouds.

Sky Battle Part 1

Chapter 3: Sky Battle Over the Empire

I quickly discovered I really liked flying. It felt like all the problems of the world were miles under my hooves and I was high above them, soaring over them like an eagle. No Spritebots patrolling, the only real authority sitting in front of me and not paying attention. Part of me considered snapping his neck right then and there but then I'd risk never seeing home again. Mutiny would have to wait for later.

We flew for what seemed like hours. I had the opportunity to meet some of the other squad mates I didn't know like Glitz and Glamour. Glitz had the ability to make things invisible when she focused her magic on them and Glamour had a spell that created illusions of ponies. With those skills, it was easy to see how they'd been chosen for the mission. If I didn't want to arouse suspicion, I'd have to think of something I could do, too.

My sister and her friend were both surprisingly knowledgeable about medicine. Herbal had apparently earned her cutie mark by crushing some ferns to cure her own mother's fever once.

"I met Rosey in the clinic when we both got transferred to Stable 3. She was further along in school than and helped me read the text books."

Rose giggled. "We also drew in our own notes in a couple places. I'm sure anypony who uses them will find them quite helpful."

"Yeah, if they need help with a laugh," Herb agreed. It was good to see Rose making friends after we'd been separated. Our parents were still in Stable 1, the primary observation facility underneath the Magi-Tec building. She'd been switched to Stable 3, medical research, when it was discovered she had a talent for nursing. I had to volunteer for the Enforcers in order to get out of that mess. It had been tough leaving mom and dad behind but at least I knew they were safe.

The oppression, it was inescapable. In the Stables, you were worked to death on different projects and if you failed, you were punished for it. It was a horrible life. I couldn't imagine any other existence being worse but it turned out, we were flying roughly sixteen-thousand feet above worse. Prancem was all I really knew; any other way of life seemed better at the time. But there were worse alternatives and unfortunately, I was about to meet one of them.

"We've reached the half-way point, general," Bandwidth called over his shoulder. Outside the viewports, it was nothing but grey clouds. Looking out, I couldn't see the surface or even where we were going. It had been that way since we left the city. We followed the other ships in a star-formation with us in the back. I could only imagine what we looked like from below.

Curious, I walked over to the pilot. "How do you know where we're going?"

Turning back, he smiled and tapped his forehead. "Intuition, babe. You gotta have that instinct, get a feel for what's going on around you. The ebb and flow of the air, the motions, the-"

"The little lights on the instrument panel," Zap added, killing Bandwidth's explanation. "I don't think the 'intuition-o-meter' is what's keeping us on track today."

The accused Pegasus turned to his copilot and frowned. "Hey, we're still on course, aren't we?"

Zap kept his eyes forward. "I'm just saying you might want to keep your eyes on the controls and not on our passengers."

Sighing, Bandwidth turned back to me. "Trust me, it's not just about the tech. It's also what you feel."

It took me a full minute to get the connection; I didn't get hit on often. Ever, really. Why would anypony be thinking about... a relationship when all this was going on around us? Especially... with me?

"I'm... I'm sure it is," I said, nodding.

"If you want, I could show you sometime," he smiled at me.

"Hey, cool it up there. Let's cut the chatter," General Typhoon shouted at us. Bandwidth turned back around and the cabin was silent again.

"General?" Azrael said, holding his headset. "I'm picking up some kind of transmission."

"Let me hear it."

The jetblack stallion tapped something on his console.

"This is Captain Springer of the Pegasi Enclave to unidentified vessels: you are entering restricted airspace," a female voice crackled through the speaker.

"Clavers?" Squall asked. He hadn't said much since we took off and I had begun to wonder why. "Is that really from-"

"Quiet!" Typhoon ordered.

"You are violating the sovereign territory of the GPE. Turn back or you will fired upon," the radio continued.

"Ignore it," the general said, putting on his own headset. "All call signs, stay to course."

"What was that?" I whisper-asked Squall.

He spoke with an uncharacteristic venomous tone. "Grand Pegasi Enclave, Clavers. After the spells dropped, the Clavers covered the whole planet in clouds and retreated up here where it was safe. They let everypony on the ground suffer and shoot down anything that tries to fly. They control the weather but refuse to give the surface sunshine, rain or even wind when they need it." Leaning in closer, he whispered, "They're worse than Iceblood."

"WORSE?!" I practically shouted. Typhoon and Az looked up at me but were too busy with their own terminals.

Squall nodded. "We got reports they are being trying to control the Crystal Empire's skies but they're trying to destroy the New Pegasus Enclave. The Enclave of the Crystal Wastes. I guess some of them didn't get the message, though. They're aggressive, territorial and very militant. They also have the tech to match."

Another group, a whole other organization more oppressive than Iceblood's regime. It didn't seem possible. My mouth was frozen open.

"General, sir," Az said, "Maybe we should..." he trailed off as Typhoon cast a powerful gaze over him.

"Should what? Turn around?" he spoke loud enough for the whole cabin to hear him. "They are not even a threat to us, as we are the nation of Prancem. Nothing is going to jeopardize this mission, understood?"

"Y-yes, sir," Az turned back to his console.

"General?" Zap called out. He sounded nervous. "I've got something on radar!"

Bandwidth looked out the viewport. "What are those?"

"What are what?" the general asked. The pilot pointed a hoof forward.

I focused forward, looking for anything but I could only see grey clouds. As I kept looking out though, I finally saw it: twinkling lights in the distance.

"Are those Spritebots?" Bandwidth asked.

"Keep this heading," the general ordered.

They were coming towards us. The lights I was staring at slowly materialized into a familiar sight; Spritebots. These bots, however had propellers attached to their tops. Clearly different from the ones I knew in Prancem, I could only guess they were some new design. They passed in between us and the other airships, flashing white several times as they went by.

"Did those things just take pictures of us?" Squall asked.

I looked out the viewport again in time to see a huge, red light appear in the distance. A scorching-red glow lit up one of the clouds in front of us. Trying to get everypony else's attention, I pointed to it.

"Look! There's something in front of us!"

A red ray shot out of the clouds like a laser beam. It scorched the side of the airship directly in front of us on our portside, cutting a gash along their starboard.

"This is Condor 1- we've been hit! We've been hit!!" a panicked voice yelled over the radio. We could all tell it was one of the pilots from the other airship. They'd been struck by the beam and we didn't need the pilot to tell us how badly. Smoke billowed from the blast, a portion of the wing and cabin had been scorched. Condor 1 began to list, struggling to maintain altitude with its damage.

"Stay to course, Condor 1, that's an order," the general said through his headset. But the ship continued to list in the direction it had been hit, drifting slowly into our flight path. "Condor 1, stay to course!!"

The red light ahead of us hadn't diminished. "Controls not-" the pilot's voice came back but was quickly cut out. Another ray was unleashed from the cloud ahead; this one cut through Condor 1 like a bullet through paper.

"Holy shit!" Az cursed. The other airship burst into flames, its flight pattern turned it into a spin. Bandwidth yanked up on the controls to avoid hitting them.

"What the hell was that?!" Zap yelled.

My eyes were glued to the burning red cloud. It was like it was moving forward, leading us further into the clouds. I narrowed my gaze and that's when I saw something else: black figures approaching directly ahead.

"General, there's something else!" I pointed.

To his credit, Typhoon did look to try and see what I was gesturing towards. But once again, his response was just a bit too late.

"Clavers!!" Squall screamed, also pointing. The black silhouettes materialized into pegasi, armored pegasi. Several of them flew right towards us. Flashes appeared from their backs and our viewport was pelted with fire. Bits of metal, bullets ripped through our window and battered our hull. We all ducked, not that it would've done any good but it was instinctual. The rounds flew over our heads and impacted the wall behind us; none of us were hurt.

"It's the Enclave!!" Az shouted. Several groups of them buzzed past, firing at the other ships in our formation. I could do little more than stand; I moved over to my sister who was shivering next to her friend. I tried to cover them both with my body, the only thing I could think of.

"Condor Flight, take evasive action! Activate reflex armor!" Typhoon said, ducking behind his console. Azrael pushed a button and a metal shield moved to cover our viewport. "Get our defense systems online! Maintain our current heading!"

Zap and Bandwidth moved their hooves quickly over their controls. "Activating 8-ball turrets!" An alarm beeped at Bandwidth's console. "Fire control for the main cannons are offline!"

"Damn it!" Typhoon said. He pointed to me and then Squall. "Evergreen! Hawkeye! Get on those 8-ball turrets!"

Squall reacted immediately, trotting quickly to the ladder next to me. I didn't know what to do. I looked at Rose and Herbal, not wanting to leave them.

"Sage, come on!" Squall yelled, grabbing my shoulder.

"I can't leave them... I have to protect them!" I shouted back. I felt both of them start sobbing in my forelegs, then tears welled up in my own eyes. We were thousands of feet above land, ponies were shooting at us and we were miles from home, miles from our parents. To make matters worse, there was nothing we could do. I held them both tighter.

Squall was having none of it. He grabbed me by the face and turned my head to him. "Sage, we have to get on those turrets! The ship is in danger!" More fire sprayed across our hull as he yelled again.

"I... I..." I stammered, not knowing what to do. I felt like I couldn't leave Rose's side.

"I know you want to protect your sister but if we don't get on those turrets, they're gonna shoot us down. The only way you can save your sister is by getting on the guns with me right now!! MOVE IT!!!" he yelled in my face. He released me and my hooves hit the metal floor.

The feeling of helplessness crept up my legs; it felt like I didn't even know what was holding me up any more. I felt something grab hold of my tail. I turned to see it was Rose.

"Rose, it'll be okay," I said back, "I'll be right back. Okay?" She nodded at me. Grabbing her hooves, I placed them on the floor and began climbing the ladder. Looking back one last time, I whispered again,

"I'll be right back."